Publisher:
Date of Publication: September 25th, 2021
Genre: Romance, Contemporary
Goodreads Synopsis:
Polly Carmichael has a secret, one shared by her two aunts and all the women of her line, and it means that marriage is not an option for her. Adam Finlay left the vet practice he was working for when cost-cutting led to animals suffering. He would love to open a one-man practice of his own, but all his savings went to his ex-wife in her battle against cancer. He’s still getting over the divorce, and he doesn’t have anything to offer a woman at the moment anyway.
Adam’s sister has set him up in a rental house in the small seaside town of Kauri Bay, not far from the family farm, and he soon notices Polly, the manager of the Beach Front Cafe. Polly knows she can’t get interested in the handsome young vet, she really mustn’t, but her heart flutters every time he’s near her. The two young people find themselves in an impossible situation – or is it? Not when help comes from a completely unexpected source. A clean and wholesome romance, set in an inspirational community.
First Line:
Adam turned the kitten on its back, cradling it against the warmth of his stomach, and ran a practised eye over the little frame.
a bridge between hearts by casey swan
Two things stood out to me when I decided to review A Bridge Between Hearts. One was that this is a romance set almost entirely in New Zealand. I can count on one hand the romances (or other books) that I have read that were set in New Zealand. The other was (once I looked at the Goodreads page) that the author is a man. Yes, a man who writes romance novels. It was those two things that eventually swayed my decision to read and review this book.
A Bridge Between Hearts was a medium-paced book. There was a tiny bit of lag in the middle, but it didn’t affect my enjoyment of the book.
This book was a clean romance. There was zero sex or sexual situations. There were a few scenes where Adam stole kisses from Polly, but there was no heat. It was a welcome change of pace from some of the other books that I have read.
I wasn’t a fan of Polly. I understand why she was so reluctant to get involved with Adam. But to base it on the assumption (based on older relatives) and never to get tested? Come on!! She also was so rude to him that I started to wonder if there was something else wrong with her. But I do give her props. She was frank with Adam from the beginning.
I liked Adam, but I did wonder about him chasing Polly. He was a good guy, though. He paid for his ex-wife’s cancer treatments (even though it bankrupted him) and cared about the town. It took him forever, almost the entire book, to decide about staying in Kauri Bay. I figured what was going to happen before the author got around to it.
I do want to warn the plotline does wander a bit. I didn’t have a problem with that since this is supposed to be a series. But some people might not like it.
Also, I want to warn that Polly and Adam’s romance is Instalove. Adam is head over heels for Polly as soon as he sees her. It did take Polly a little longer, but it was still within Instalove range.
The end of A Bridge Between Hearts was cute. I liked how Polly had come around and was enjoying her engagement with Adam. I can’t wait to see if their wedding will be in book 2.