Bridge to Haven: A Novel (A Riveting Historical Christian Fiction Romance Set in 1950s Hollywood) Hardcover – April 22, 2014

This book made me feel many different emotions. I felt intense anger at Pastor Zeke for giving Abra away. I see some reviewers stopped reading after that. I wish they hadn't. It is all explained in the end. Some reviewers felt that Abra took all blame. No she did not. When she went to finally comfront Zeke, he owns his part. I got frustrated with Abra at times. But I remembered my own self destructive behaviour due to hurt also caused by being 'given away', and I realised that my frustration was because I was looking at her choices through the eyes of an adult, not a wounded child. Others would do well to remember that too. I was mad her for not fighting back when she was taken for the abortion, but she did a good job beating herself up for that decision. Not to mention what happened afterwards to cause even more guilt in her heart. Some were freaked out by her and Joshua. They may have been foster siblings for a very short while, but ultimately they were nothing more than friends. They were NOT blood related so I didn't have issue with that. After all, it was only a short awhile ago, relatively speaking, that 1st cousins were still getting married to each other. Perspective. I love Francine Rivers's books and have always found them to be sound Christian fiction. So I was mortified to read one review that said the story contained explicit sex! I avoid books with sex scenes but I couldn't fathom it as I've read so many of this authors books! I had to give her the benefit of the doubt. I'm so glad I did. WHAT A LIE! The scene in question is on the wedding night. Joshua is super sensitive to the fact that she has suffered a lot of abuse. The scene is NOT sensual or sexually decriptive but a picture of loving care towards one another, putting your spouse before yourself. It is imo, a beautiful picture of the union God intended. To make it into something as ugly as explicit sex that is cheap and common and freely available in most books - that is unfair and not true. It is nothing like that! I'm truly glad I gave Ms Rivers the benefit of the doubt. Im also glad i persevered through my anger, frustration and tears because in the end, it was an amazing story of God's forgiveness. One I'm well acquainted with. My only gripe was the ending with Susan. That was a bit anticlimatic. I had already figured things out long before it came to light but the ending made me want to go with 4 stars. In the end the quality of writing demanded 5 stars. I hope you give this book a chance and see for yourself how wonderful God's love and forgiveness is.

What an awesome example of God's love and redemption for each one of us. No matter where we go or how far we go - God will always honor the prayers of His people. Such an inspiring read!!

Francine Rivers doesn’t shy away from writing about real, difficult topics, but does it in a way that reminds you of how very neat and real God is. I couldn’t put this one down.

Francine Rivers is an amazing artist. She brings her characters to life and makes them real. True life events that illustrate how God works to restore hope and healing of broken lives.

As a fan of Redeeming Love, I couldn’t wait to dive into—or off of—Bridge to Haven: A Novel. Getting lost in an inspiring story is not Ms. Rivers’ primary or only goal—although the reader will. Her goal is to lead us, with her characters on a journey of worth and hope.The inciting incident for Bridge to Haven introduces us to Abra’s nearly tragic beginning. Abandoned as a newborn, under the bridge to Haven, she is miraculously found by the local pastor Zeke,Abra’s life goes from desperate to one of love and acceptance, until another heartbreak turns Abra’s heart away from God and those who truly love her—the pastor, young Joshua, and a family who adopts her.But the wounds of rejection are too deep for Abra to see and lure her on a brutal search for what she believes is love and value. A search that takes her to all the wrong places.This is a story that asserts God’s unending grace and love—that no matter what we’ve done, He still loves us. He is always calling us to cross that bridge back to Him!Francine is an authentic and elegantly transparent writer. She’s not afraid to depict the real struggles of those searching for truth and love from sources other than our heavenly Father. Which means, there will be scenes and events that are uncomfortable and not for young readers.The only reason I didn’t give this a 5-Star rating is because I couldn’t recommend this book to a naïve reader. It’s not about age, it’s about life experiences. For those who have experienced the disturbing results of wrong decisions, this book is tame, and hopeful. It is also hopeful for those who left their own “Haven” and don’t know how or if they can return.No doubt, Francine Rivers is a storyteller who is unafraid to tackle the real and difficult challenges in this world. Thank you, Ms. Rivers. We need you and your beautifully told stories.

I didn’t enjoy this book from the beginning. A pastor who adopts a baby and then gives her up 5 years later cos his wife died and it’s too hard! Seriously harrowing beginning that had me in tears. I realised Francine was creating the circumstances that put Abra in the frame of mind for what would follow, so I persevered. Wish I hadn’t. 16 year old Abra runs away with a cad. That’s not what is terrible about this book though, it is the passiveness Abra has that allows herself to be treated so awfully, not by one but two men. I got as far as the back street abortion and had to stop. Not what I expected from a pretty famous Christian writer, I’m really disappointed. In this day and age when we are trying to promote women with strength who don’t let men ruin their lives I found this a total let down. Yes it’s full of bible quotes and some lovely Christian characters but that doesn’t mean the morals or storylines are good. 2 stars, well-written but a storyline that wasn't for me.

A really really beautiful story, well written, I'm not really religious, but this is the second book of Francine rivers that I really enjoyed

The book arrived well ahead of time & is in excellent condition . This is a fantastic bargain. Thankyou for great service.

I am a serious fan of Francine Rivers, but I am yet to find a book of hers that failed to deliver on storyline, content, and the twists and turns as you read and see through the lives of the characters.I always look forward to her new books - already preparing to download the next one.This book made me laugh, cry and shout out at the characters - beautiful tale of unconditional love, forgiveness and finding our identity. A must-read.... 😀

I was drawn into this story by the wonderfully Godly characters of Zeke, and Joshua. The female lead, Abra, is someone we can all identify with to a greater or lesser extent.Beautifully written, this is a book that taught me how I could be better, not worse - a rare thing these days. (And a great storyline too!)