Title: The Secrets of Love Story Bridge
Author: Phaedra Patrick
Narrator: Matthew Lloyd Davies
Published: April 2020, Harlequin Audio / Park Row Books
Length: 8 hours 2 minutes / 336 pages
Source: Audio – library / Print – ARC E-copy via Netgalley
Summary:
A single father gets an unexpected second chance at love in the heartwarming new novel from the author of
The Curious Charms of Arthur Pepper
It’s summer in the city and passions are soaring along with the
temperature—for everyone but Mitchell Fisher, who hates all things
romance. He relishes his job cutting off the padlocks that couples
fasten to the famous “love story” bridge. Only his young daughter,
Poppy, knows that behind his prickly veneer, Mitchell still grieves the
loss of her mother.
Then one hot day, everything changes when
Mitchell courageously rescues a woman who falls from the bridge into the
river. He’s surprised to feel an unexpected connection to her, but she
disappears before he can ask her name. Desperate to find out her
identity, Mitchell is shocked to learn she’s been missing for almost a
year. He teams up with her spirited sister, Liza, on a quest to find her
again. However, she’s left only one clue behind—a message on the
padlock she hung on the bridge.
Brimming with Phaedra Patrick’s signature charm and a sparkling cast of characters, The Secrets of Love Story Bridge follows one man’s journey to unlock his heart and discover new beginnings in the unlikeliest places.
My thoughts: This is the second book I’ve read by Phaedra Patrick and I’ve come to find that her books are charming and filled with the most quirky, lovable characters and this latest one is no exception. It is the perfect book to read right now with all the is going on and I’m so glad I picked this one up.
I’ve always been intrigued by the idea of those people leaving locks on bridges but have never really stopped to think about what consequences all that extra weight might have on the structural integrity of the bridge itself. That becomes part of the dilemma that faces the characters in this story and I loved the way it plays out.
This is such a sweet story and I found myself completely enamored by the characters right off the bat. Phaedra Patrick has such a way of creating characters that you really care about and want to see find happiness. You can help but end up rooting for them as they work their way out of whatever struggles and challenges they are facing.
This book is about grief and moving on as well as second chances and having the strength to take them. It is a heartwarming read and I’m so glad I picked it up. Phaedra Patrick is definitely an author not to miss!
Audio thoughts: I ended up listening to this one as I saw the library had the audio version available and I’m so glad I did – it was great on audio. The narrator was new to me and I thought he did a great job with the narration. His pacing and intonation was spot on and I very much enjoyed listening to this book.
The cover on this book calls me!