Such a heartwarming story. Setting: Frankenmuth, Michigan a small Bavarian village with it's own unique history and culture. The author's descriptions are so interesting. The general feeling I got when reading the book is of Christmas's past as I grew up in the Midwest. Henri, the main character being an older women was relatable to me too. Nice Christmas read!

I enjoy snuggling under a soft blanket, a roaring fire, with a winter read. The Wishing Bridge checked off every box for a must read charm of a Hallmark movie in a book.
Henri is a 52 year old woman whose high end job is on the line unless she makes a big deal by the end of the year. She volunteers to throw her father’s Christmas shore under the bus and have him sale the store to save her job.
So….Henri goes home for the holidays. The foundation is set. The plot is building. Career vs family. Henri has tough choices to make with huge consequences for either decision. Great read for heart warming and laughs. Thank you NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Pub. Grayson House for ARC read in exchange for my review.

Two words that capture why I adore this book are sentiment and setting. The Wishing Bridge is a lovely holiday story set during winter in the Bavarian town of Frankenmuth, Michigan. When Henrietta Wegner, "Henri", returns to her hometown in the Christmas season, it's for business reasons. She wants to advance in her own career as an acquisitions manager by convincing her parents to sell their popular Wegner's Christmas store to a corporation.

Along with a compelling plot rich in holiday charm, love, and family tension, Shipman immerses readers in the legacy and traditions of Frankenmuth. Shipman's attention to detail about his settings is impeccable. As a reader, I felt that I was in Frankenmuth, absorbing the culture of the community as it prepared for Christmas. Memories of divinity candy, Christmas catalogs, and Santa's gift of dolls flooded back as I read the book. Scenes in the story set around Michigan's largest covered wooden bridge, which crosses the Cass River, are stunning and memorable.

Like getting a bonus Christmas gift, readers are treated to an additional novella called Christmas Angels. I savored every minute of this beautiful, tender, holiday love story set in St. Louis.

Shipman, one of my favorite authors, writes a letter to his readers for an extra personal touch, and the reader's guide is perfect for book clubs and personal reflection.

Thank you to Net Galley and Harlequin Trade Publishing; Graydon House for an advance reader's copy. My review is my own.

Viola Shipman has once again created memorable characters filled with strong emotions. Henri, the protagonist, is around 50 and facing a huge dilemma that will affect both her personal and her professional life. Her angst is heartbreakingly sad, but I must admit that I became impatient with her waffling indecisions. Finally she found her way to do what is right. The Wishing Bridge is a coming of age story, even though the person coming into herself is around 50 years old, rather than in her teens or early 20s.

Viola has long been one of my favorite authors. I’ve read everything he’s written. Each new release immediately becomes my favorite. Viola writes every book from memories his grandmother shared with him. Therefore, his pen name, Viola Shipman, is his grandmother’s name.

This beautiful holiday story takes place in Frankenmuth, Michigan, a serene small Bavarian village full of unique individuals. All the stores and shops are family owned and operated. One particular store, Wegner’s, is a world-famous year-round Christmas store built on the prayers and dreams of Jakob Wegner. In Wegner’s, every day is Christmas.

Henrietta Wegner, the protagonist, is the fifty-two-year-old daughter of Jakob Wegner. After college, Henri left the man she loved, her family, and Wegner’s to move to the big city to make a name for herself. She was wildly successful as a mergers and acquisitions executive. However, time marches on and she could see the hungry young trainees preparing to take her place. Afraid for her job, Henri suggested to her boss that she could get her elderly parents to sell Wegner’s. This would be ‘the win of the century’ and maybe she could keep her job.

Henri arrived home in early December to put her plan into action. Her parents were elated, but her brother and countless others questioned what she was up to. As Henri began copying tax returns, sales figures and projections, memories began to challenge her conscious.

What will Henri do? Will she sell out her family to keep her job or use her business acumen to help her family to succeed?

The characters are unique and well developed. The storyline had me at page one and held my attention to the end.

The Wish Bridge will bring back your memories of Christmas, family, and what’s most important in life. I laughed, I cried; to me these are the makings of a 5-Star novel. Snuggle up with your favorite blanket, poor a cup hot cocoa, and get lost in the wonder of Christmas in Frankenmuth.

I wholeheartedly recommend this book and other books written by this author. They will inspire you and touch your heart and soul.

I received this advanced reader’s copy free from Author Viola Shipman, Graydon House, and NetGalley. This is a voluntary review, and all comments and opinions are entirely my own.

How far would you go to save your job? Are there any lines you wouldn't cross? These are questions Henrietta Wegner finds herself facing when her career a mergers and acquisitions executive is threatened if she doesn't do something impressive by the end of the year. Perhaps without much thought, she announces she can talk her parents into selling their famous store in Frankenmuth, Michigan to a company who will mostly likely dismantle it. Sounds simple, doesn't it? It isn't. Wegner's Christmas store is the product of Henri's father's dreams and beliefs. Raised in the culture of Christmas by family who believed kindness and good will should be embraced daily, how can she proceed with her plans? A long overdue trip home and a guilty conscience collide with her memories.

The author brings to readers a beautifully crafted story about the importance of family and friendship. Henri is a well-crafted protagonist who is in her early fifties when we meet her. Thirty years ago, she made the decision to make her own way and is now reevaluating her decisions. The secondary characters are a unique group and add depth to the narrative.

Told with wit and sensitivity, this book is a delight to read. There are moments when readers will laugh out loud and others that are thought provoking. As for the dialogue-it is often priceless. All this comes together to form a heartwarming and meaningful story. Highly recommended.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Harlequin and NetGalley. The opinions expressed in this review are my own.

I read this book on the heels of another Viola Shipman Christmas novel (A Wish For Winter) and it might have been slight overload. I liked this one a little less, as I found it more cheesy and predictable. I did like the setting in Michigan as I grew up there and certainly understand the fame of Frankenmuth as Christmas Town, USA. Henri was not the most likable of main characters as she had clearly lost her way and was focused on the things in life that shouldn't matter quite as much. I really couldn't totally grasp why she was so attached to her job or the idea of keeping it. It seemed like she was giving up everything in order to do so. I did find the characters in Frankenmuth quite charming. I don't think the ending will surprise anyone. However, if you are looking for some saccharine holiday goodness, this one might be the ticket for you.

There's one side of my family that celebrates Christmas. When I was growing up, we'd go to our cousins' house on Christmas Day to join in their meal and festivities. The whole house was covered in Christmas decor and Christmas music was playing on their stereo non-stop. Everything felt so cozy and they served the same meal every year, topped off with a delicious cherry cheesecake for dessert. When I read Viola Shipman's latest holiday offering, The Wishing Bridge, it took me right back to my cousins' house.

Viola Shipman is known to me for her "Hallmark movie" style of writing, but this time around, the sappiness wasn't as prominent. It was still there, but it felt right in this story. I've never been to Frankenmuth, Michigan, but while reading this novel, I just had to look it up online. It is exactly as Viola describes it! It almost makes me think of the way Punxsatawney, Pennsylvania, was shown in Groundhog Day. A cozy and festive small town.

I liked Henri as a character, but I wish she had been more forthcoming about why she was back in Frankenmuth to begin with. Perhaps her family could have helped her thwart Benjie's plans so he would just back off and find another Christmas store to purchase. Of course, stories don't work that way and Benjie just served to make me so mad that I was yelling expletives at him while I was reading it. (Yes, I was THAT invested!)

My only concern was the timing, which I hope was fixed for the final print. It just didn't make sense with how old Henri was supposed to be. And the dog seemed to be immortal. After reading an article about a 31 year-old dog, I suppose that is somewhat feasible.

Overall, I really enjoyed this story and am already looking forward to Viola's next summer and winter novels. This one is perfect for the holiday season, so get in your warmest PJs and make yourself a mug of hot cocoa (with a peppermint stick inside) and prepare to get into the Christmas spirit (if you aren't already there yet).

Movie casting suggestions:
Henri: Samantha Mathis
Shep: Robert Sean Leonard
Sofie: Christine Taylor
Finn: Peter Facinelli
Benjie: Christopher Russell
Maya: Patti Harrison

Ever since Henrietta Wegner, or Henri, left her small hometown of Frankenmuth Michigan for bigger things, she's only returned for short visits, hightailing it back out of town as fast as possible. This Christmas is different when Henri shows up at her family's store at the beginning of December with plans to stay through the holidays. She's starting to feel like the grinch that steals people's lives when her soulless corporation takes over a business and rips it apart for profit. And when her job is threatened she offered up her family's christmas store Wegner's Winter Wonderland, promising her boss she could get them to sell. But the more time she spends at home the less she wants to see her father's dream sold for parts. And the small town life she couldn't wait to get away from might be the biggest thing she's been missing all along.
This is a sweet Hallmark style Christmas story set in a beautiful town and a magical store. I enjoy books by this author set in my home state, the familiar locations and traditions make it feel like I'm reading about friends and neighbors. This story really put me in the mood for the holidays!

The Wishing Bridge has a lot of things that make me love a book these days... a slightly older MC in her 50s who has been devoted to her career, a nostalgic trip back home, and a lovely and unique setting... in this case Frankenmuth, Michigan which I definitely added to my travel list! This time around, I felt less connected to the characters and the story felt more Hallmarky rather than the introspective and sad and funny tales I have previously enjoyed from Viola Shipman. The math just didn't add for me either ... Mabel the dog could not possibly be still alive from her childhood. I could maybe believe a 20-year-old dog still hanging on, but Henri has been gone and powering her career for 3o years! Henri didn't act so much like a 52-year-old either (except after maybe her accidental overnight on a church pew... our bones aren't so forgiving anymore!) and seemed more in line with perhaps a 32-year-old. But then that would have changed the setting and timeline of childhood memories. For these inconsistencies, the story didn't fully work for me. It was s till a lovely Christmas read, though, and definitely sent me down memory lane to those Christmas catalogs I looked forward to as a child in the 80s. I never got that sit-n-spin my heart desired. Yes, I agree mom that my butt was probably too big for one... but a girl can dream.

Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing, Graydon House for the opportunity to read and review this ARC,

Henri is one of the best executives in the company but she knows there are many younger ones after her job. Her boss says unless she comes up with a great acquisition, she no longer has a job. So she tells her boss she can get her parents to sell their company to him. But can she? Does she really want to? This is really like reading a Hallmark movie! Great seasonal story!
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advance copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Wonderful!! This book is like a cozy blanket and a warm cup of cocoa with lots of marshmallows. But not at all sappy, contrived or corny. Viola once again hit a home run! This is my favorite of all of his winter books. You'll want to read this one straight thru in front of a crackling fire!

The Wishing Bridge really is a beautiful book with a beautiful message. I liked that Shipman highlights places around Michigan and there is no Christmasy place than Frankenmuth.
Admittedly, the description of Weger’s made me want to drink because it was more than Christmas overload.
I loved the references Shipman used, especially the wish catalogs. I still miss those. The funniest part was Sophie and Henri combing through the Glamour Shot album.
The main thing I didn’t like about the book was the main character, Henri. She was a cowardly rat who only thought of herself. I kept waiting for her to tell Benji where he could go. I really wanted to use reindeer antlers on her. She made the Grinch look like a saint.
Even at the end I couldn’t overcome by dislike. All the other characters have more forgiveness.
Spend all the time you can with loved ones whether it’s the holidays or not because time crumbles so fast.

Solid Hallmarkie Christmas Movie. The main way you're at least somewhat positive Viola Shipman wrote this particular one is that it is set in her (his) beloved Michigan. Beyond that, this is a fairly standard and typical Hallmarkie type Christmas tale of the young girl who loves the magic of Christmas growing up into a successful business tycoon before coming back to her small hometown for Christmas. Indeed, probably the one thing that makes this one at least a *touch* different is that our heroine is *also* (theoretically) the villain...

Filled with the wonders of Christmas as portrayed in the US 1970s ish, complete with department stores sending out toy catalogs at Christmas and the ubiquitous Boris Karloff How The Grinch Stole Christmas, this is yet another tale that so many fans of Hallmark Christmas movies will absolutely love - and those who despise those types of tales will most likely not like much at all. And yes, there is a loveable and old dog.

Overall a solid tale of its type, if not a particularly standout "Viola Shipman" novel. Still, very much recommended.

The Wishing Bridge by Viola Shipman takes readers on a journey to Frankenmuth, Michigan. I enjoyed the descriptions of the town decked out for Christmas. I felt transported to this Bavarianesque town. I had mixed feelings about Henri (I believe that is the idea.) I was not a fan of some of Henri’s choices and I had to wonder what she was thinking (she needed an intervention). We get to see Henri look at her family, the town, and the family business through the eyes of a mature adult. I enjoyed Henri’s memories of the Sears Wish Book as well as the JCPenney and Montgomery Ward Christmas Catalogs. I looked forward to their arrival just like Henri. Henri’s mentions a couple of items in the catalog that would not have been available in 1975. Like other girls of that time period, I was a fan of Shaun Cassidy (I watched the Hardy Boys), and his first album was not released until 1977. The Simon Says electronic game was released in 1978 (one of my cousins got one for Christmas) and the Star Wars figures came out in 1978 (I had a cousin who got the whole set, and we had fun playing with them). There were some good characters in the story. I especially liked Henri’s parents, Bea, and Mabel, the family dog. The store that Henri’s parents started was wonderful. It is a Christmas wonderland (it would takes days to go through the whole place). Henri’s high school boyfriend is divorced and the chemistry between the two is still palpable. In a small town, they are bound to run into each other. Henri is getting a second chance not only with her family but with a special fellow. The Wishing Bridge is a heartwarming holiday tale that will appeal to those who love Hallmark’s Christmas movies (you never know, it could be one someday).

A holiday second chance romance that will pull on your heartstrings.
I lived in Michigan for 8 years and visited Frankenmuth quite often….especially at the holiday season. It was a sentimental journey for me while reading The Wishing Bridge.
The Wishing Bridge is filled with family dynamics and getting the Christmas spirit back.
Thank you NetGalley, the publisher and author for the opportunity to read this book for my honest review. All opinions expressed are solely my own.

The Wishing Bridge by Viola Shipman is about forgiveness, overcoming fear, family strength, and finding love when you least expect it. Henri comes home for the first time in a long time for the Christmas holidays. Her family business IS Christmas and has been ever since her father realized his dream of opening a store dedicated to everything Christmas. The reason for her coming home is to save her job and try to convince her parents to sell their beloved business to a large conglomerate who will ultimately dismantle her father’s dream and everything he has worked for. Once Henri is home she starts to appreciate all of the work her dad put into the business and struggles with the decision. She reunited with her first (and only.) love who she disappointed years earlier when she turned down his proposal for a chance to make it on her own in the big city.

The Wishing Bridge is a beautiful story with delicate plot twists. It’s that life-balance we all feel at one time or another; am I on the right path, have I done what I need to do, who am I doing this for? It’s about emotional reunions, difficult choices, and touching memories of family both present and past, and finding the forgiveness inside yourself to truly open your heart and love. Full of heart, love and family this book as always is a love letter to the traditions of the past.

I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book.

This year, Christmas is going to be a difficult one. So, Henrietta “Henri” Wegner finds a way to make it a happier holiday. She’s currently working in the corporate world, but her parents have a successful Christmas store in the small town of Frankenmuth, Michigan. Henri learns she’s about to be let go. To save her job, Henri must convince her aging parents to sell out to her boss. If this happens, all the small town, good feelings of the store will be gone, and it will become part of the big corporate world. Henri feels guilty, but she has to do whatever she can to keep her job.

This story had overtones of the Grinch that Stole Christmas with quite a bit of emotions. It’s an emotional roller-coaster ride that keeps you engaged in this heartwarming, touching tale that pulls on all the heartstrings. I went from being disappointed in Henri to loving and cheering for her.

The cast is strong and well-written and filled with character growth. This book has it all - betrayal, romance and family relationships all rolled into one poignant story. Beautifully written. The perfect book for this time of year. I’ll be adding this author to my “must read” list.





FTC Disclosure: I voluntarily reviewed a free Advance Reader Copy of this book from NetGalley and the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are my own.

The Wishing Bridge, by Viola Shipman, is the story of business raider Henrietta Wenger and the winter she finally figures herself out. As a top producer for Tolliver & Company in Detroit, now in her early fifties, Henri discovers her position is hanging by a thread, and a young one, Maya Jenkins, that she had mentored has found her position in not only the boardroom but the young boss’s, son of Mr. Tolliver, bedroom.

Knowing her high paying position, and the life she traded for it, is on the line, Henri blurts out that she can offer up her family’s mega Christmas store in small town Frankenmuth, Michigan. In order to follow through, Henri takes the next few weeks off. She hasn’t had a vacation in years, so she leaves Detroit and her penthouse apartment behind, and travels back in her history as she drives to Frankenmuth.
When Henri arrives, her family is very surprised to see her. Her parents accept that she has simply come home for the holidays but her brother Finn is suspicious from the beginning. While reuniting with her growing up best friend Josie and former boyfriend, almost fiancé, Shep, Henri’s subterfuge to enable the purchase and field stripping of her father’s company is at play.

This is an interesting delve into what drives this woman. While once her father’s biggest cheerleader, she is now willing to sell off his company telling herself it will allow her parents to retire comfortably and her brother to pursue other interests comfortably. But there comes a point in which Henri must face herself, make some difficult decisions, and figure out her future.

The edition I read included a lovely 5 chapter novella that very much spoke to me. These two stories combined make for a very special holiday reading . I very much enjoyed this book and I do recommend it.

A wonderful Christmas story full of heart and choices. Henri grew up with her father's dream of having Christmas all year long. Her father and mother start Wegner's and Henri grows up within this dream. When she graduates from college everyone expects to stay with the store but she has other a ideas and accepts a job far from home. To keep her job she must convince her parents to sell the business to a soulless corporation. What should she do?

Going home for Christmas brings back many memories. Should she have ever left? Is the job worth hurting her family? Such choices. What a wonderful story to read. The reader feels for Henri and hopes she makes the right choices. This is the first Viola Shipman book I have read but it won't be the last. I highly recommend this book.

Thank you to #NetGalley, #ViolaShipman, and #GraydonHouse for a copy of this book.
#TheWishingBridge

I read about 100 books per year in a variety of genres. I review books on Goodreads when I read them and on Amazon when they are published. At the end of the publication month they will be included on my monthly post with my ratings. I post on Facebook book clubs. They are 52 Book Club, Between the Chapters, Reader's Coffeehouse, The Girlfriend Book Club, Tattered Page Book Club, and Friends & Fiction.