Bridges

Mary is a sheltered, blind young woman who needs to marry in order to inherit an estate. Neil is the chauffer of that estate. He is not in her class, and he is much older than her, but they strike up a friendship.

This was a short, sweet romance. We all know what will happen, but the way it happened, with the romance developing as a slow burn, was really nice. This is a Christian romance, but the religion is handled in a really interesting manner. Mary is a believer, Neil is not - and they have discussions on it. As a person struggling with my own faith, I really liked seeing Neil express some of my own very exact thoughts.

Thank you to the author, the publisher and to #netgalley for the ARC which did not impact my review.

A young, blind heiress in need of a husband crosses the societal class ocean to befriend her aunt’s chauffeur, hopeful of something more. From the moment Mary Claire met her aunt’s chauffeur, Neil, she likes him. He treats her like a regular person, not like an invalid or something. She could always tell a good person from a bad person by how they treated her and her blindness. When her uncle dies, she suddenly becomes an heiress, but there’s a catch. She must marry within a year. Her aunt keeps pressuring her to marry a wealthy man who bullied her in school. Companionship, that’s what she wants. The one man who’s always treated her with respect and as an equal is Neil. They have a love of reading in common and they could take care of one another. He balks at their difference in station, but she doesn’t care about things like that. Can she convince him to cross over to her way of thinking or will she have to marry that mean-spirited man her aunt has chosen?

Bridges is a heartwarming vintage romance taking place in the 1960s I thoroughly enjoyed. Before I started reading, Bridges intrigued me. The hero is a ‘Christian atheist’, a term I never heard before. Linda Griffin took great care in crafting Neil, the hero, and his belief system. It makes sense the whole story is from Neil’s POV. As I read, I grew to understand his beliefs and how they shaped him. The heroine, on the other hand, is Catholic. They talk at great length about religion and beliefs in Bridges but it’s not overbearing or preachy. It’s a friendly discussion on beliefs that fit right into the story. The plot moved at a nice slow pace. There’s a certain cadence to this story and it unfolded naturally, like classic literature. The romance was slow-burn and I was surprised by how much I enjoyed it. If someone were to ask me for a comp for Bridges, I’d say it’s Driving Miss Daisy meets Christy by Catherine Marshall. If you like romantic fiction or classic romance, you’ll want to read Bridges. If you enjoy vintage romance with a classic vibe, pick up Bridges. Brilliantly written, this is one of the best books I’ve read this year. Highly recommend!

Disclaimer: I received a copy from the author in the hopes I'd review it.

My Rating: 5+ stars

It's not often that I find a book that I can't put down and have to contiue reading until done. This book is so good. The writing and story flow so easily. Descriptive scenery and emotions made it so real.
Mary Claire is a blind eighteen year old who is wise beyond her years. She is so sweet and inquisitive and not afraid to ask blunt questions. She is plain and simple and not liked very much by her aunt. When she arrives in town to visit her dying grandfather, she befriends Neil Vincent, the chauffeur. He is 20 yrs her senior but they find they enjoy some spirited and honest conversations. He is polite, former military, treats her kindly and not always reminding her of her disability.

As the story unfolds, it is heartwarming, emotional and you can't help but hope their friendship turns to romance. A very enjoyable, enlightening and sweet story that I devoured in one sitting.

Mary Claire DeWinter is a blind Catholic college student who has inherited a lot of money that she is reluctant to accept at first but then of course she does. But there is one little problem. Mary Claire has to marry within a year or she will lose the money.

But never fear Mary Claire’s Aunt is on the lookout for a man for her to marry. Mary Claire is not ready to marry. She is definitely not ready to marry the man her Aunt has picked out for her. A man that she went to school with bullied her the whole time they were in school.

Neil Vincent, a chauffeur at Westfield Court. Neil likes to read books when he is not working. Neil and Mary Claire become fast friends after she arrived at Westfield Court. Mary Claire and Neil spend a lot of time together on the estate and off when he is driving her around. Mary Claire even gets him to ride a horse after he states that he is afraid.

Neil tries to get Mary Claire to stand up against her Aunt. The question is will she? Will Mary Claire stand up to her Aunt or will she marry the man she has chosen for her? The answers can be found in the pages of Bridges.

Bridges is a very sweet romantic book about two people whose lives are separated by class and age. Can they overcome either one or the other? Will they let their lives be ruled by others?

Do I recommend Bridges? Oh, yeah, you bet I do to all those romantics out there. The time has come for you to one-click your copy of Bridges today for a sweet, warm-hearted, romantic adventure!

I adored Mary Claire DeWinter and Neil Vincent. As characters they both have endearing qualities, and ones they need to work on through the story. The romance plot comes across as realistic since their relationship takes a natural course of a love growing from friendship. I highly recommend this book for fans of romance.