SYNOPSIS

While driving home Tallie sees a man sitting on the side of the bridge. She pulls over in the pouring rain and talks him off of it. They go to a coffee shop nearby and make conversation. She is a therapist, so she has experience with mental health issues and helping people live and cope with them. He has no where to go, so she invites him over to her place. What could possibly happen?

MY RECAP AND REVIEW

This book is told in a dual perspective between Tallie and the guy on the bridge. The narrative covers the course of about three days, mainly including their dialogue and thoughts. I enjoy dialogue and character driven stories, but if you’re more interested in plot, this story doesn’t really have one. It can read a little slow in this regard.

Though it is a dual perspective, Tallie is the main narrator. She’s the one pushing the man on the bridge to open up and speak about what he’s experiencing.

Tallie is in her 40s, recently divorced, and struggles with infertility. She is still moving through the wave of emotions regarding her divorce. The guy on the bridge is in his 30s, struggling to cope with his suicidal ideations. We learn more about his story as the book progresses.

The concept is kind of interesting because they’re two strangers who share special moments with another. They’re attracted to each other, but I wouldn’t say they have an intense romance. They don’t really know each other, but they grow to understand each other. They’re both using each other to escape their lives.

SPOILERS AHEAD

Tallie can be overbearing. It’s clear she cares about other people and as a therapist she takes her duty in helping others seriously. However, I would argue that she doesn’t have boundaries and can be kind of childish. Going into his pockets and reading his handwritten notes was extra. Constantly trying to google and know more about him was getting old. I get wanting to know who you’re keeping company with, but she invited and encouraged him to stay. If she was uncomfortable, which she says multiple times she isn’t, she could have asked him to go. She’s also engaging him in talk therapy without him realizing it and she doesn’t let up about the state of his mental health and what he’s going through.

The guy on the bridge doesn’t have a care in the world because he wasn’t expecting to still be alive. He goes with the flow, kind of allowing Tallie to use him to curb her loneliness. He also crosses boundaries, emailing her ex husband under a fake email he creates while drunk. They explain the reasoning for this towards the end, which I didn’t pick up on until they explained it. It was still uncalled for, though I’m sure it did help Tallie with closure.

END OF SPOILERS

I saw some reviews that people didn’t like how it ended, however I think it was as to be expected. They connected by chance in a moment of time. I think the end was fitting.

There are multiple references to God and religion in this book. I didn’t find it preachy but as a representation of hope and faith that everything will be okay.

OVERALL

Overall, I give this book a 3 out of 5 stars. I don’t have much to say about it. It was fine. If you like dialogue driven stories, I’d recommend it, but you’re not missing out if you skip it.