Bridge To Haven book review

I received a copy of this book from Family Christian  in order to facilitate my review.  
The opinions in this post were my own and were not influenced by any other parties.

What was the hardest thing for you to “give up” when you first became a Christian?” the question took me by surprise but I didn’t hesitate when I gave my answer. 

Foolishly I spouted ” my love for books.” prompting my friend to giggle then she started laughing so hard the tears started rolled down her face.  I remember thinking that she had “gone mad”.

I don’t want to offend anyone but there is just something about picking up a dogged eared book and getting so totally lost in its pages that when the story is done you are itching for more.
My love for books has been something that my parents nurtured and cultivated my entire life. I remember staring up at bookshelves overflowing with paperbacks, hardcovers and stacks upon stacks of magazines.
Boring books with no pictures.
Books filled with strange pictures.
Small books, large books.
Books that smelled musty and brand new books that creaked when you opened them.
*happy sigh*
Maybe that explains the ferocious appetite I have for the written word and the enjoyment I find when I am reading a really great book in my hands.
One that captures my emotions and takes me on a journey to places I have never even entertained the thought of seeing.
I like being able to hold a book up and see just how far I have come in the story so I know when to slow down stretching out the story just a wee bit longer.  Before I became a Christian my literary tastes consisted mainly of trashy unrealistic romance novels and the latest “supernatural and contemporary horror”.

 How could I read anything like that? What would I read? I remember dread washing over me.  My dad cheekily suggested that if I wanted to read a book filled with “sex & violence I should read the Bible”. 

My jaw darn near hit the floor in shock and even today my fathers laughter rings in my ears.

That summer I was introduced to a long list of  best-selling, christian writers that forever changed the way I looked at reading.    Books that I just couldn’t put down.

Books that had me pulling the blankets up over my head in fear like the Frank Peretti’s “monster”  .  Seriously, I am not ashamed to share that I was “too afraid to put the book down but I was too afraid to continue reading without turning on the lights.”  I can laugh about that now.

She introduced me to Authors like Francine Rivers whose writing  rocked my heart and restore strength and hope to my spirit.

I couldn’t wait to read this newest Francine Rivers book!  Her book  Redeeming Love  is one of my all-time favourite books and I love her Lineage of Grace series. She has a gift for bringing stories to life and making readers fall in love with her characters.

I was given a copy of her  newest book ” Bridge to Haven”  which came during the busyness of the Christmas season.  Do you have any idea how hard it was to set this book aside and wait a couple of days so my family wouldn’t totally loose me over the holiday?!?  

If  you are like me this is written on the back cover:

To those who matter in 1950s Hollywood, Lena Scott is the hottest rising star to hit the silver screen since Marilyn Monroe. Few know her real name is Abra. Even fewer know the price she’s paid to finally feel like she’s somebody.

To Pastor Ezekiel Freeman, Abra will always be the little girl who stole his heart the night he found her, a wailing newborn abandoned under a bridge on the outskirts of Haven. Zeke and his son, Joshua—Abra’s closest friend—watch her grow into an exotic beauty. But Zeke knows the circumstances surrounding her birth etched scars deep in her heart, scars that leave her vulnerable to a fast-talking bad boy who proclaims his love and lures her to Tinseltown. Hollywood feels like a million miles from Haven, and naive Abra quickly learns what’s expected of an ambitious girl with stars in her eyes. But fame comes at an awful price. She has burned every bridge to get exactly what she thought she wanted. Now, all she wants is a way back home.

If you’ve never read any of Francine Rivers’ books then go and discover them for yourself—you are in for a real treat.  I felt drawn to the parts of the novel that I could relate back to situations and circumstances I’d come across in my own life, but it also ultimately urges you to reflect on your own salvation and the fact that we have a loving Father who beckons us with unconditional love—whatever we’ve done.  Bridge to Haven has a Great storyline, captivating characters with a twist of intrigue, romance and mystery.  

As a word of caution the book does get a bit more graphic than one would expect. Nothing like general market romance, but more this isn’t your average inspirational market romance. It may leave you feeling a bit uncomfortable, but the comparison between what Abra ran to and what she came home to is night and day, and what Francine writes is truly what true love and intimacy is all about.

The ending feels a bit unfinished so I hope that this means that there is a sequel in the works.

I have found that the best writing always leaves you wanting to know more about the fictional lives you’re now invested in.  Don’t be intimidated by the massive size of this novel. It is worth the time and you’ll be finished before you  know it. To get your copy of “Bridge to Haven”  make sure to click the link.

Thinking back to that question “what I gave up”  my answer today wouldn’t be the same as the one I gave that day so long ago.  Perhaps its age talking but I can honestly say that the gift I was given is greater than anything I may have had to “give up”  along the way …including my love of reading.