(4⭐️’s) 🚩This may have minor SPOILERS so be warned🚩

I listened to this, so my review will be based on the audiobook.

Audiobook narrated by Emma Love.
Main Characters: Alicia Silver and Leo Whitaker

What I liked:
- The narrator. She has such a nice voice and it made listening to this enjoyable.
- It has all the feels, especially with the FMC.
- Its well written
- The FMC, Alicia. The struggles she was dealing with while trying to stay a float. I’m not gonna lie, there were times I was getting a little choked up when she was thinking about her Fiancé especially in the beginning.
- Holiday themed

What I would’ve liked:
- I wanted the FMC to have a little more inner struggle/fight when it came to her feelings towards the MMC. We get this amazing beginning where she’s still dealing with the death of the man she loved. She’s barely coping with life (other than work)to the point that she goes back to her home town, to make a wish on a bridge as a last resort to communicate with said love. I liked her first couple encounters with the MMC, but once they started seeing/hanging out more, it all became too easy. Those struggles she had in the beginning, kinda disappeared and it no longer felt the same.

Overall: I really enjoyed listening to this book. The Narrator did an awesome job with the reading and all the characters. It’s well written and i’m happy I took a chance on this new-to-me author

Happy Reading🖤

Oh…and I received an ARC from NetGalley, but this review is 100% all me.

The Noel Bridge by Jenny Hale creates a heartwarming story centered around Alicia, a nurse, who has lost the love of her life in an accident and this story begins her journey in finding some peace. Alicia takes time off work and heads to Noel, Tennessee where she grew up. I love how the author creates the loveliest of small towns. Noel, Tennessee has a bridge that locals believe has magical powers for those who make a wish while on the bridge. Alicia is hoping for a Christmas miracle that will allow her to move forward after such a great loss. Stranded in Noel by a snowstorm Alicia reconnects with a childhood friend. And this is the beginning of the possibilities that lay ahead for her.
I don't want to give too many details of this story.. it's a beautiful story and perfect to read curled up with a cup of hot cocoa. I loved it.
I was given an early copy of the audiobook and Emma Love does a fantastic job bringing this story and these characters alive.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy.

This is just a lovely, heartwarming Christmas novel about loss and love with a tiny bit of "magic" thrown in. I enjoyed this story from start to finish. The setting of the small town with the magical bridge was enchanting and you couldn't help but fall in love with the characters. I listened to this book on audiobook and it was a very relaxing read to listen to. It is a great book to either read or listen to during the holiday season.

This was a feel good Christmas story that makes you believe in the magic of the season. It starts off heart breaking and quickly becomes a story of faith and perseverance. By the end of the book it is hard not to imagine Leo and Alicia together and making a life for themselves in Noel.

This was a super cute story - I loved the magic behind the bridge that grants wishes to people who ask for them. I was engaged in the entire story and would definitely read another book of Jenny Hale's. I did listen to the audio version and the narrator was good!

4 stars!

Thank you Netgalley for the advanced reader copy!

Publish date: 10/15/2024

This was a magical book from start to finish! Jenny Hale’s books always draw you in from page one. I read this in one day, it was so good! The story and location made me want to curl up in that lighthouse and stay.

This was a heartwarming story. Magical , hopeful and beautiful. Perfect for Christmas. Loved the characters and the setting. I could picture myself being there. And the cover is so fitting.

A story of love after loss, of having hope and finding joy. I really enjoyed this one.

Rumor has it there is a covered bridge that grants miracles and word has gotten out. Alicia Silver is facing her first Christmas after losing her fiancé. She's basically been on autopilot but she needs to get it together, so she decides to visit the covered bridge and see if this time it'll work its magic for her. Alicia, as it turns out, grew up not far from the bridge and already has a history with it. A return trip to the Noel Bridge and her childhood hometown could be just the thing, it'll certainly be an adventure.

Newish to town is Leo Whitaker. He's purchased a restaurant and moved into town with his aging father who is in the early stages of dementia. Maybe the bridge can help him too, when his father wanders off before a snowstorm.

Alicia and Leo are so dang sweet together. The way they communicate and work together is wonderful to read. The blurb mentions being for readers of Debbie Macomber and I absolutely agree. Emma Love did a beautiful job narrating this story and bringing it to life.

Another sweet Christmas read. If you are a fan of Hallmark movies, this one is for you! I love all the Christmas romance movies, and this book was so similar but had a unique storyline with the bridge. I personally loved it and loved the way it all wrapped up into one happy ending. Thank you to the author and publisher for the ARC of this audio book!

The Noel Bridge is a sweet holiday romance about moving on after tragedy and finding your true home, with a dose of magical realism. Alicia lost her fiancé in a car accident and can’t seem to cut through the haze of grief. But a last-minute decision to visit her childhood hometown—and the local covered bridge which is said to provide miracles—brings her back to people and places she once loved. While there were a few plot holes that bothered me, and at times it was perhaps verging on sappy, I enjoyed the audiobook narrated by Emma Love. Her voice made it sound like she was telling you this story, and the beauty of the snowy town and the holiday spirit pervaded the book. I think that this book will find a large audience this Christmas! Thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the opportunity to review this audiobook.

The Noel Bridge
Jenny Hale

Noel, Tennessee is located near the Smoky Mountains. Legend is there is a covered bridge that grants miracles. People come from near and far to ask for their hopes and wishes. Are they miracles or coincidences.
Alicia Silver is a nurse in Savannah. Nine months ago, she lost her fiancé. She was devasted and still mourning his loss. She saw a news report on television about the covered bridge in Noel. She was born in Noel but moved when she was a teen. She still remembered going to the bridge and begging not to move. Her life has come to a lonely stand still. She decided to return to Noel and once again beg the bridge for a miracle. She wants to hear her fiancé’s voice just one more time.
She arrives in Noel late in the evening. She meets Leo Whitaker when she stops at a diner for dinner. There is a connection. Later when she visits the bridge, she once again encounters Leo. His father is missing; he has come to the bridge to ask that his father be found. A snowstorm cancels Alicia’s return flight. She spends time with Leo; they grow closer.
This is a beautiful Christmas tale; it would make a delightful Hallmark movie. Emma Love did an excellent job narrating the audiobook. The bridge is associated with faith in God. I understand the connection, but God isn’t a bridge, and a bridge doesn’t grant miracles or wishes. Author Jenny Hale successfully demonstrates the pain of grief. In this tale Alicia navigated through her grief. Alicia is a tender-hearted soul. She is also very intelligent, organized and caring. Leo is the owner of the diner. He loves his father, who has early stages of dementia. The plot of this book was heartwarming. I listened to it in one sitting. I highly recommend The Noel Bridge.
Thank you NetGaley for providing a review copy of A Noel Bridge. My reviews are my person opinions.

Title: The Noel Bridge
By: Jenny Hale
Pub. Date: October 15, 2024

Genre:
Fiction, Christmas, Romance, Christian
(Clean Romance)

Trigger Warnings:
Grief, Death, Missing Person, Dementia

Summary/Review:
Alicia Silver has had a tough year, suffering the loss of her loved one and attempting to move on…but life keeps spiraling her into grief. Alicia wishes she could just have one last conversation…with no other options, Alicia decides to take a trip to the Smoky Mountains. She really wants to visit the Noel Bridge, one last time in hopes of a miracle, a last conversation. When arriving late in the evening, Alicia is craving a good meal. Gentleman Leo Whitaker offers to split his meal with her, and the rest is a beautifully woven Christmas story of love, loss, hope, and new beginnings. Jenny Hale has written a warm, feel good, holiday story with strong relatable characters, a solid plotline, and adds an element of mystery with a missing persons case. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this fast paced Christmas novel and look forward to more from Jenny Hale.

*I listened to the audio version of the novel with Emma Love narrating. The version was easy to follow, filled with emotion, and gave the listener warm fuzzies, exactly what I want for a Christmas read.

Similar books to:
Counting Miracles by Nicholas Sparks
The Christmas Inn by Pamela Kelley
One Big Happy Family by Susan Mallery

Thank you Jenny Hale, Dreamscape Select, Harpeth Road Press and NetGalley for the Advanced Reader Copy for free. I am leaving this review voluntarily.

#JennyHale
#TheNoelBridge
#DreamScapeSelect
#HarpethRoadPress
#reluctantreaderreads
#advancedreadercopies
#NetGalley

Stick around and you will be swept into this book with the Holiday magic. Jenny Hales books are great and Emma Love's narrator made the audiobook.
I wasn't sure the way the book started that I was going to like this book but I was very pleasantly surprised. It started out sad and slow but then as Alicia begins meeting people and The Noel Bridge starts working it's magic it becomes a great story, It was a great story of heartbreak, redemption, reconnections and self discovery all wrapped up with Holiday Magic. This would be a fantastic Hallmark Movie and I can already see who would play each character.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the arc.

A sweet story about love, redemption and some holiday magic that is bound to put a smile on your face.

This was a solid 4 star holiday story!

There is nothing I love more than a holiday story, and The Noel Bridge did not disappoint. The cover design is beautiful and definitely grabs your attention.

In my opinion, this could 100% be a Hallmark Holiday movie. The book covered a variety of themes, including returning home, the power of a wishing bridge, the search for a missing person, and the temptation of romance. The story also deals with letting go of one's past and moving forward in the direction you really want for your life. I loved the characters and their interactions. I loved the writing!

Thanks to NetGalley and Dreamscape Select for an audio version of this novel for an honest review.

A sweet story of loss, love, good friends, following a new path and learning to listen to your heart. Alicia is trying to figure out how to move forward after the unexpected death of her beloved fiancé. She returns to her home town that she loved and reconnects with her childhood BFF, visits the Noel Bridge hoping for some of the magic it seems to bring so many and meets Leo who is dealing with his own emotional trauma. It’s a sweet, lovely feel good well narrated listen. Kind of like the comfort food of reading and perfect for the upcoming holiday season or really any time. I would rated 3.5 if half stars were available.

3.5 Stars. Classic Winter romance book! If you enjoy Hallmark Movies then this book will be perfect for you! It is sweet, clean romance, easy reading/listening and a pretty perfect ending. I was hoping for more magical realism based on the synopsis and there wasn't any. Grab your favorite blanket, light a fire, and have some hot coffee or cocoa.

Alicia, stricken by grief after the untimely passing of her fiancé, decides to return to the town she once lived in to visit the bridge that supposedly grants wishes.

The Noel Bridge was an alright read for me, but I didn't fully love it. Probably because I am not the intended audience. Going in I had expected a tale of magical realism, but instead the 'magic' in the book got attributed by its characters to a (Christian idea of) God. Since I myself have no connection to this idea this didn't really work for me. On top of that I like a bit more tension and less predictability than this story was giving me.

However I know many people read for comfort, and that is what you will surely find in this small town romance novel. If you enjoy the setting of Virgin River, but would like to read something with lower stakes I would recommend checking out The Noel Bridge.

What I enjoyed most about this novel is how Hale palpably captures the feeling of the first Christmas after a loved one passing.

“But that was how grief worked. It clouded her brain like a dense fog at times. Making her disregard the fact the world continued to go on.”

Over the course of the story we see Alicia realistically navigating and moving through her grief for her fiancé. Though I would have liked a bit more depth to the romance.

Now onto the narration for the audiobook. The narrator has a pleasant timbre with a Southern US accent. This matches the cozy vibes perfectly. The only gripes I have is that I would have preferred the voices to be a bit more distinct.

Attention Hallmark, this book needs to be made into a Christmas movie ASAP! It has all the ingredients, a small town romance, found family and a touch of magic.

Alicia is still reeling after her fiance died in a car accident 9 moths ago. She decides that she will visit the town that she grew up in Noel, Tennessee for Christmas. There is a covered bridge there that is said to grant wishes. What follows is heart warming romance. Alicia meets Leo and they help each other bring peace to each others lives.

Thank you to NetGalley and Dreamscape Select for the advanced listener copy. Emma Love was a wonderful narrator, and had a touch of a southern accent which made listening to the audiobook such a pleasure. I highly recommend this audiobook. It gives you a the warm, Hallmark Christmas movie vibes.

Jenny Hale is one of my go-to holiday authors. I love how she packs Christmas coziness, heartfelt feelings and love into her books. The Noel Bridge was another great romance that plays out like a comfy Hallmark movie. Emma Love's narration is on point as always. Her voice portrays emotion and the story so well and I felt so connected to Alicia and Leo's story. If you're looking for a holiday romance to lift your heart - this is it!