What could be better for a book nerd than a movie about a bookstore?

We’re sure you’ve noticed that Jennifer, our resident Karen Kingsbury expert, has been pretty excited about The Bridge movie. What you might not know is all that enthusiasm was contagious and she somehow sucked Jess into the whole thing. So here’s what happened when they each watched the movie.

Jennifer’s Thoughts:

I watched Karen Kingsbury’s The Bridge Part 2 when it premiered on the Hallmark Channel, March 27th. Thank goodness we didn’t have to wait until December 2016 to see the end! A big shout out (do people still give shout outs?) to Hallmark for listening to its viewers and airing the movie before its originally planned air date.

I LOVED Part 2 as much as I did Part 1. If you’re interested in my thoughts on Part 1, you can read them here. I found Part 2 more emotional. I spent the entire 2 hours choked up and trying not to sob. I’m such a sap ☺ The Bridge was a fantastic portrayal of a community coming together to help others in need. I don’t want to spoil it for anyone that has not seen the movie or read the book but I was pleased with how the movie ended. It left me wanting more … in a good way. The Bridge Parts 1 and 2 are the conclusion of Karen’s book but I would love to see more from Ryan, Molly, Charlie and Donna. I’ve seen interviews with Ted McGinley (Charlie) and Faith Ford (Donna) and they say they would love to see this become a series. I would love to see that happen too. To forever live in the world of Charlie and Donna’s bookstore.

Rounding out the main cast of characters were Wyatt Nash (Ryan) and Katie Findlay (Molly). Casting was perfect in my opinion. Each character did a superb job of bringing these characters to life.

How does the movie compare to the books? Having recently re-read the book (don’t forget it’s prequel, The Beginning), it is pretty fresh in my mind. There are some slight changes but the movie sticks very closely to the story Karen originally told in her book.

PS ~ Nothing thrills me more than Jess reading the book and watching the movie too! If you’ve spent any time on our blog, you know I love Kingsbury. Having a fellow book friend give anything of hers a try is a good day in my world.

What Jess Had to Say:

Going into this I knew exactly two things, Karen Kingsbury writes Christian Fiction and Jennifer LOVES her. For some of our friends that equals an instant must-read but for me it actually leaves me torn. I love reading books my friends love. It’s one of my favorite ways to get book rec’s but I also tend to avoid Christian Fiction, not being a Christian myself. The genre isn’t a total miss for me but I shy away from novels I think might delve too deeply into the religious aspect. So what to do?

Well the holiday craziness caused me to miss the first airing of The Bridge Part I and didn’t give it another thought–until I was home alone a few weeks ago and came across a re-run of the movie. Having nothing better to do (besides laundry and other things that I was happily ignoring 😉 ), I settled in to find out what Jennifer was so excited about. A bowl of popcorn, a few tissues, and two hours later I knew why she loved it. And why everyone was so upset about the movie being split into two parts–talk about a cliffhanger! Not cool Hallmark Channel. Not cool.

Even though I didn’t have long to wait for the conclusion (I have the Hallmark Movie Channel so I got to see it a week before Jennifer lol!) I wasn’t about to be patient so I immediately downloaded the book. I read The Bridge and The Beginning the next day and really enjoyed them. If you read Jennifer’s Review you might remember her talking about how at first she didn’t feel the presence of God as much in The Bridge as in other Kingsbury novels. Perhaps that’s why I liked it so much? As someone who doesn’t typically look for religion in her reading, it’s overshadowing of the novel was very obvious to me however I didn’t feel like it was being forced or thrown in my face. Instead it seemed like just another part of the characters, some were obviously held their belief very deeply, others less so. It was a delicate balancing act that made the novel (and movie) something I think anyone can appreciate.

Without giving away any spoilers, the book gets 3 stars and the movie 4 stars although I did like the end of the book better than the ending of the movie. I recommend both to anyone reading this and might even check out another of Karen Kingsbury’s novels at some point. Thanks Jennifer!

If you’re a fan of Karen Kingsbury, enter to win a SIGNED COPY of her new release then check out Jennifer’s review of Brush of Wings.

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