The Secrets of Love Story Bridge is not the romance you might expect

Phaedra Patrick’s The Secrets of Love Story Bridge is a unique story about where life can take you if you let it, but it doesn’t quite live up to expectations.

Based on the title and the synopsis, you might be expecting The Secrets of Love Story Bridge by Phaedra Patrick to be a thrilling romance, but you’d be mostly wrong. While there is a bit of romance, the story is much more a mystery and a tale of grief.

The story follows Mitchell Fisher, a man whose job it is to cut the locks off “love story” bridge. Couples leave locks on the bridge as a sign of their love and commitment to each other, but the city views it as vandalism, so Mitchell is tasked with cutting them all down. Luckily (or not), he doesn’t mind, as he stopped believing in love when the love of his life and mother of his daughter, Poppy, died.

But the bridge is not just the place he works; it’s also where his life changes forever. While on the job, Mitchell sees a woman lean over the side of the bridge and fall into the river. He immediately jumps in after her and saves her life, but when he goes looking for her later, she seems to have disappeared.

It takes his newfound fame from saving the woman and meeting Poppy’s music teacher, Miss Liza Bradfield, to find out what happened to the mysterious woman. How does Liza help? Well, she just so happens to be the sister of the woman — and according to her, her sister has been missing for a year!

This begins a journey Mitchell never expected. He and Liz team up to discover where her sister is and why she has been missing all this time. While they try to figure out what’s going on, they form a connection that might just make Mitchell believe in romance again.

The best parts of The Secrets of Love Story Bridge are the characters. They develop and change very  naturally. Mitchell holds onto his grief throughout the book and doesn’t automatically become a free-spirit just because he falls in love, which I definitely appreciate. No one loses the grief for their lost loved one just because they find someone new.

I also loved Poppy! She is smart, fun, and not afraid to bring up difficult topics with her father. She might be my favorite character in the book.

Liz’s free spirit is also a great contrast to Mitchell’s overly organized, needs-to-control-everything personality. It was good to see that she didn’t change who she was just because Mitchell seemed put off it at the beginning.

But while the characters are well developed, some of the other story elements, like the romance and the dialogue, could be better.

The romance simply isn’t built up enough. There are small moments throughout the book, where Mitchell notices something about Liz that he likes, and parts where they have a connection, but it isn’t enough to make it truly believable. They need more time alone together or more banter for their relationship to really ring true.

There are also some points where the writing seems stilted or awkward. The dialogue particularly felt forced or like someone wouldn’t actually say the words in real life.

Overall, The Secrets of Love Story Bridge is an interesting story with thoughtful and engaging characters. But it could use a bit more polish. If you’re a fan of contemporary romance or unique mysteries, this might be a book you want to check out.

The Secrets of Love Story Bridge is available now in print (hardcover and paperback), e-book, and audiobook.