The Christmas Bridge by Elyse Douglas : A Review

Christmas Bridge by Elyse Douglas:

Publisher: Elyse Douglas  (September 15, 2015)
Category: Contemporary Fiction, Women’s Fiction, Holiday Romance, Christmas novel
Tour Date: Oct & Nov, 2015
ASIN: B0141RDSCE
Available in: ebook,  183 Pages

A First Love. A Second Chance.
A young widow travels to New York on business a few days before Christmas. She has reluctantly made a date with a lover she hasn’t seen in 20 years, and she is nervous and apprehensive. Twenty years before, she made a difficult decision that has both troubled and haunted her ever since. She knows she’s about to come face-to-face with her past and she’s hoping for some redemption and resolution. She also wonders if she can somehow pick up where she left off 20 years ago and start again.
An exciting chance encounter changes everything. Now, not only will she face the past with hope to rekindle an old romance, but there is the possibility that this chance meeting will bring her love and happiness she never thought possible.
Once again, she will have to choose. She will have to make the right decision. She will have to believe that Christmas miracles can still happen.

Praise for Christmas Diary by Elyse Douglas:

"The Christmas Diary is a tender hearted story of one woman's journey of self-discovery and finding true love that will pull at your emotional heartstrings. The authors weave an inspirational tale written in the third person narrative, that draws the reader into Alice and Jack's lives, and the issues that they've faced: love and loss, questioning one's life choices, and the decision of which road/path is best to take in one's life.
This is a wonderful story that has a meaningful message within the storyline that will touch your heart. The authors' descriptive writing style is phenomenal: the characters are realistic and down-to- earth people whose emotions, dialogue and interactions are palpable, you can feel the range of highs and lows that they endure. The reader is transported to the picturesque holiday setting of the Pennsylvania towns of Eden Grove and Meadow Green.
This captivating story has a mixture of mystery, tender romance, and a supernatural twist that makes The Christmas Diary a compelling and entertaining story that will warm your heart."-
Kathleen, Jersey Girl Book Review

"If you are a fan of Richard Paul Evans novels then you definitely want to grab The Christmas Diary. This is a super quick read that you pick up on a Saturday afternoon and devour in one sitting. One glorious afternoon sitting.
It is a story of love and changes with a paranormal twist.
I adored this book. It was quick and simple and really perfect. I loved how everything was tied together through a ghost.
A quick holiday read that makes me think of Lifetime and Hallmark channel movies.”-
Andrea Guy, A Chick Who Reads

" The Christmas Diary" is a nice smooth read filled with emotions and a touch of the paranormal world. Elyse pens her characters well developed, believable and lovable in this Christmas romance story. Highly recommended for all who love a nice enjoyable romance tale."-
Susan Peck, My Cozie Corner



MY REVIEW OF 'THE CHRISTMAS BRIDGE'

The Christmas Bridge is a tale of love. That is as simple as the definition can get. It is the story of Olivia, a widow. The story opens with Olivia sitting alone during the Christmas season, nearly a year after her husband, Carl’s death. She feels empty, alone and depressed. An opportunity to travel to New York on work arises and Olivia, in a sudden decision, contacts an old friend, Andrew. Memories of a forgotten past resurface and Olivia feels guilty and confused about her now obsolete marriage and her future. When she goes to New York, fate has a different surprise in store for her. She faces a forked road and has to decide. Olivia’s indecision had already cost her heavily in the past. A lot depends on how she acts and what she decides when fate gives her a second chance. She faces a life turning event on a bridge that holds many memories. The events that happen from then on in her life form the rest of the story.

There is a maturity in the writing that lacks in other stories of this genre. While it is not about the feelings of adolescent romance, it does not lack the butterfly moments either. The word ‘maturity’ covers all aspects of the story, including the physically descriptive scenes, that are, thankfully, part of the narrative and do not stand out like sore thumbs. The narrative is fast paced; there are enough twists throughout the story line that maintain suspense and interest. The beginning is a bit dull and stereotypical, but the story that follows has a steady good feel to it. The chapter organisation follows a proper sequence and the characters are deep, life like and well etched.

The plot is predictable mostly, save a few turns, and the language is pleasant. There are a few memorable lines from the book, those that are of a reflective nature. While there are no special mentions for this book, this was a good evening read and contained a good depth and meaning. The Christmas Bridge is one of the best reads of this holiday season, and I am glad I picked this book up.

The maturity of the story, some dialogues that are worth taking back after the book is finished are the plus points.

Perfect read for this holiday season. Curl up with this book and a cup of cocoa, your evening would be made much better. This book is the correct example of ‘you won’t be disappointed if you know what to expect’ kind of books.

About Elyse Douglas:

Elyse Douglas is the pen name for the husband and wife writing team of Elyse Parmentier and Douglas Pennington. Elyse's mother was a painter and her father a textile consultant. Elyse began writing poems and short stories at an early age, and graduated with a degree in English Literature. Douglas grew up in a family of musicians, astrologers and avid readers. His great grandfather lived to be a 134 years old, and was the oldest man in the world when he died in 1922.

Some of Elyse Douglas' novels include:
The Other Side of Summer,
Christmas for Juliet,
Wanting Rita,
The Christmas Diary,
The Christmas Bridge and
The Summer Diary. They live in New York City.

Website: http://www.elysedouglas.com/
Blog: http://www.elysedouglas.com/blog- index/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/elyse.authorsdouglas
Twitter: https://twitter.com/douglaselyse

Buy Christmas Bridge by Elyse Douglas:

Amazon

Giveaway of Christmas Bridge:

This giveaway is for one ebook and is open to the U.S. only. It ends on December 1, 2015.  Entries are accepted via Rafflecopter only.
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Follow The Christmas Bridge by Elyse Douglas Tour:

Teddy Rose Book Reviews Plus Nov 2 Kick off & Giveaway
Books with Merritt Nov 4 Guest Post
Griperang's Bookmarks  Nov 9 Spotlight
being tillys mummy Nov 10 Review & Guest Post
Infinite House of Books Nov 11 Interview
Books, Books, and More Books Nov 12 Review
Lisa-Queen of Random Nov 13 Review
From the TBR Pile Nov 16 Excerpt
Readers Muse Nov 17 Review & Guest Post
Deal Sharing Aunt Nov 20 Guest Post
Cassandra M's Place Nov 23 Guest Post & Giveaway
Teddy Rose Book Reviews Plus Nov 25 Review
Cindy's Notebook Dec 1 Review
What U Talking Bout Willis? Dec 2 Guest Post
Alpha Book Club Dec  2 Review
Harlie's Books Dec 3 Review
Wall-to-wall books Dec 4 Review
Jersey Girl Book Review Dec 4 Review