What's left when you lose everything? Kingsbury (Coming Home, 2012) works through that tough question in her newest novel. Charlie Barton and his wife, Donna, ran the Bridge, a historic bookstore in Franklin, Tennessee, for 30 years, but a declining industry and a devastating flood left them with an empty storefront and insurmountable bills. Molly Allen and Ryan Kelly connected in college over their passion for reading, using the Bridge as their getaway from the very different lives they lead. ED: S/B they led ? Years later, both look back and wonder what could have been. When Charlie gets into a horrible accident, Ryan decides to organize a book drive and gather donations, so Charlie can rebuild the bookstore when he heals. Through the effort, Ryan and Molly reconnect. It's hard to know what is most important until something forces you to change your perspective. Kingsbury's characters are confronted with the hard choices readers face daily. The award-winning author brings her trademark empathy for the people she writes for to this tale, and fans will love her dramatic take on real issues.--Richard, Carolyn Copyright 2010 Booklist

Facebook, Twitter and assorted other modern gadgetry provide a central link in Kingsbury's latest Christian romance, one in which a dash of old-world paternalism sparks the action. But first there is The Bridge, both place and circumstance. Charlie Barton owns The Bridge, an independent bookstore in Franklin, Tenn. The store and Charlie both work to bridge gaps between people and their dreams. As the story begins, Barton is attempting to cope with damage from the devastating 2010 floods that struck the Nashville area. The Bridge was destroyed. Barton had neither sufficient insurance nor sufficient resources to reopen. The second narrative thread follows the fractured romance between Molly Allen and Ryan Kelly, students of music at Belmont University. Molly was a rich man's daughter from California, a girl reluctantly set free to test her wings in music, although her controlling father expected her to come home and run the family business and marry the son of a friend. Ryan was a country boy from Mississippi, but one talented enough to work his way eventually onto the country music circuit as a guitarist. Molly's father learned of the budding romance, lied to Ryan about Molly's feelings and compelled Ryan to drop out of her life, something Ryan felt obligated to do by personal honor. Now it is seven years down the road, neither Molly nor Ryan have married, and Charlie Barton lies in a coma after an auto accident. The Bridge is scheduled for repossession by the building's owner. Ryan learns of the tragedy and rushes to help. Molly follows the effort through Twitter and soon feels compelled to fly to Franklin to support Charlie. Ryan and Molly meet again, both feeling jilted by that long-ago rejection. But with the characters addressing God personally, praying much, and receiving the right answers, a happy ending is ordained. A sentimental romance with a religious foundation, albeit with no confrontation of difficult metaphysical questions, this is sure to bring believers joy. ]] Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

When the floods hit Nashville in 2010, Charlie Barton's bookstore, The Bridge, was destroyed. Now Charlie is in a coma following a car accident, and his store is about to be repossessed. Ryan Kelly has spent years on the road promoting his country music, but he has finally returned home to Nashville. When he was last there, he gave his heart to a woman whose controlling father forced her to marry someone else. Now all Ryan has left of Molly Allen are his memories of the hours they spent together at The Bridge. Ryan uses Twitter to plead for help in saving the bookstore. Molly hears about his efforts and returns to the city to assist him. Soon they learn that neither one has married. Can they move past their hurt feelings and to find a future together? -VERDICT Best-selling author Kingsbury (Coming Home) does a wonderful job of melding stories, moving between the present and the past and between points of view in this timeless story. A nice choice for readers who enjoy material from Kristen Hannah and Dorothea Benton Frank. [This title marks Kingsbury's first hardcover release with her new publisher-Ed.] (c) Copyright 2012. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Popular inspirational novelist Kingsbury goes mainstream in her newest, which mixes a love story with a seasonal one that borrows from the Christmas favorite It's A Wonderful Life. Molly Allen and Ryan Kelly were college friends heading toward something more when a misunderstanding drives them apart. Five years later, Molly pines for Ryan, a country music guitarist, and vice versa, even though each assumes the other has married an earlier sweetheart. Meanwhile, Charlie Barton, owner of the Bridge, the Franklin, Tenn., bookstore where Molly and Ryan hung out, faces ruin in the aftermath of a devastating flood and the changes in publishing that have devastated many a book retailer. Shortly before Christmas, Charlie comes desperately to think he's worth more dead than alive, but before he can change his mind, a car accident leaves him in a coma. When Ryan hears about the accident, he begins a book drive for Charlie, and those who know the Jimmy Stewart holiday film don't have to guess how things turn out. Kingsbury fans may acquire a new holiday favorite read in this sugary tale of second chances. (Oct. 23) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.