Your Preview Verdict: The Bridge to Always by Lynda Marron

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Read some great reviews from our Preview readers here:

So easy to read, so hard to put down. What a delightful book! Do you love being absorbed into a different world? Where you get to travel to new places and meet interesting people? Sometimes some of whom turn out to be those you’d rather not have stumbled across your path? In this stunning, yet everyday normal life novel, you will find a mix of such different characters coming and going. Yet the relationship between mother and daughter develops, weaving its way through. All with a twist in the tail/tale end! This is a beautiful story about life and love, small towns, how people come and go from your sphere. And the shiny bits that occur when you least expect it. You might just recognise bits of yourself in these characters, some of which maybe you’d like to change. This is my first time reading one of Lynda Marron’s novels, and I’m going to see what other books she has written. I loved her easy to read style, so descriptive yet under-stated. I could really hear the Irish accents in my head! Made me consider booking a trip to discover Ireland myself. You’ve got to read this book. Emma, VIC, 5 stars

Best book I have read in such a long time. A beautifully written story. Do yourself a favour and read it Samantha, QLD, 5 stars

I really enjoy books written in past and the present and this one didn’t disappoint. It’s an easy read as the chapters are short. I found the characters interesting and this book had me hooked. Debbie, VIC, 5 stars

I adored this book! I always love a story set in gorgeous Ireland where the banter is guaranteed. You’ll find wonderful characters and a dual timeline in this beautiful story of love, family and identity. I think this will be high up in my 2025 faves! Emma, VIC, 5 stars

A beautifully written and emotionally rich story with detailed character development. I admired how the story portrayed personal growth and self-discovery, especially Maeve’s journey toward finding happiness within herself. Overall, I found the plot thoughtful and moving, blending themes of love, loss, friendship, and identity. I highly recommend the book to fans of contemporary fiction Bernard, NSW, 5 stars

I really love The Bridge to Always with its themes of identity and family within the complexity of human relationships. The Bridge to Always pulled me in and kept me reading I didn’t want to put the book down. The characters are compelling and relatable with Emer being my favourite. I found it interesting how Maeves mothers voice remained present throughout the book. The storytelling is rich, warm and deep which made me laugh and cry and feel the feels. The Bridge to Always is a journey which I highly recommend Simone, WA, 5 stars

I enjoyed Lynda Marron’s The Bridge to Always, a love story, with rich imagery, short easy chapters, and engaging, detailed, believable characters. Maeve is loving, energetic, headstrong, needy, and chaotic, caring nothing for convention. Mentally she battles the internal commentary of her recently deceased mother, and, like the ever-present renovation Maeve throws herself into life, fashioning it to suit her vision of what should be. Everyone else must keep up or be left behind. Her adorable 9-year-old daughter, Emer, is loving, patient, supportive and level headed. Lovely Malachi and Agnes befriend the newcomers. They have an easy down-to-earth friendship despite the wide age gap. Creating stability in the chaotic world surrounding Maeve. Arriving in quiet Drohid, Cork, Maeve recklessly pursues Emer’s father, her first love, Tim. He’s a cad with an unlikable wife and family. Her obsession with Tim blinds her to the decent kind-hearted Malachi. Throughout the novel I wanted Maeve to find the love and happiness she desired. To find value in her own worth and family, recognise and grasp what was right in front of her, and forget the worthless Tim. A great story about growth, misplaced love, undervalued friendship and moving on. Sandra, NSW, 5 stars

The bridge to always was a joy to read. I had trouble at first remembering who was who, but then it all fell into place. Lovely story of a single mum trying to find her feet in a new town and how different relationships develop and change. Well written and a lovely story.. Leonie, SA, 5 stars

I thoroughly enjoyed The Bridge to Always. The story and characters are woven together in such a way, it is hard to put the book down. I’ll definitely be looking for other books by this author. Keryn, SA, 5 stars

I loved this book and found it hard to put down when duty called! The characters were so relatable that I felt I knew them halfway through. The storyline was different, and I found it intriguing. My favourite character was Malachi, a diamond in the rough. I’m so glad I read this book. It is one that I will keep to read over again in a couple of years. I enjoyed it so much. Lynda, SA, 5 stars

An engaging read about five people in cork, has love, emotion and lots of complication. Really scenic location and keeps you page turning to see how the lives of these five people figure out their own lives and mistakes. Julie, NSW, 5 stars

I simply could not put this book down. I was so intrigued by the characters and their part in Maeves and Emer lives. The bond between mother and daughter and their unconditional love is so heart warming and true. Karen, WA, 5 stars

Wow! What an interesting book. I was captivated from the start. This is a story of relationships and what it really means to be a family. Maeve Gaffney travelled to a small west Cork home in an attempt to rekindle a love interest with Tim, the father of her timid daughter, Emer. Tim, now married into a wealthy family has children and was not aware he had another daughter. Other characters, Agnes and Malachi look out for Maeve but she doesn’t always look out for herself. Add in a flood and car crash for extra drama. It’s certainly a page turner. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this and couldn’t wait to see if Maeve and Emer ended up happy. Guess you’ll have to read it to find out. Helen, QLD, 5 stars

This novel is an absolute standout for its exploration of moral and ethical dilemmas. At the heart of the book is a protagonist whose hopeless romanticism and obsessive love drive the story forward. This character is deeply blinded by love, sometimes to a fault, making choices that are both relatable and heartbreaking. The emotional intensity of their journey—marked by longing, devotion, and the pain of loving too much—will resonate with anyone who has ever been swept away by their feelings. 10 out of 5 stars from me!! Justine, NSW, 5 stars

This was not what I expected but I loved it. Set in a small town in Cork, the characters and the town are so real. Maeve is looking for her happy ending after her mother’s death. Dealing with grief affects us all differently and sometimes we make impulsive decisions while working through this. This certainly seems to be the case for Maeve as she chases a dream with her daughter Emer in tow. She meets more than her share of hurdles as well as some new true friends along the way. Karan, VIC, 5 stars

A wonderful story where I was shown lovely dialogue of a part of the world not seen before, phrases that caught my eye. This is an emotive journey, not only a love story, due to the terrific writing due to the author’s enormous talent of building characters that have an innate sneaky way of almost watching over your shoulder, reading the story with you. Suzanne, NSW, 5 stars

Have you ever secretly wished you could know if your old romance could have been rekindled? The ‘what if’s’ are numerous in our lives, as they were for Maeve as she thought about Tim. The big question was, how would he cope with getting to know his unseen daughter? Maeve takes a huge gamble and relocated to Tom’s hometown, a stones throw away from where he had made a life with his wife and kids. A disaster editing to happen, and it does so in the form of a flooding river and disastrous consequences. I loved this book, a great read for a holiday pastime. It’s moving and unnerving at the same time as you wait in a knife edge for the fallout!! Wendy, SA, 5 stars

Lynda Marron is the author who brought us last year’s release and her debut novel, Last Chance in Paris, which was published by Echo Publishing. Marron returns to the genre that she knows well, women’s fiction, with her new release The Bridge to Always. A tale that allows Marron to explore themes of long-lasting love, robust friendships, and the quiet power of second chances, this is a story not to be missed. The Bridge to Always is the first book I’ve read by Lynda Marron, and it has tempted me to seek out her first novel. I relished the evocative book backdrop of West Cork, which enhances the heartfelt, emotional, and observant tone of the narrative. Marron’s storytelling captures a wide spectrum of themes which range from the overarching direction of life itself, love complications, family issues, community reputation, personal temptation, taking a chance on reconnection, chasing dreams, solidifying your identity, and dealing with supressed emotions. Each element is thoughtfully layered, giving the story a genuine approach with full bodied characters supporting the narrative from beginning to end. This story makes you really pause and reflect on our values, fears, and how unpredictable events can shape our life pathways. The Bridge to Always is an affecting read, that leaves you grateful for its emotional honesty. Amanda, WA, 4 stars

Sometimes family, Love & true friendship are closer than we can begin to imagine. This book will have you moving through every emotion possible. Deanne, VIC, 4 stars

Honestly this book hooked me from the start. I was craving something that was big on character and heart and this book delivered. While I found myself at multiple times questioning the actions of our protagonist, I also saw why she made some of the decisions she did, as we saw her past and present unfold. The book was told in past/present and each chapter was short, which made it easy to fly threw. This book was part comforting and addictive, as we see some of the best of people, mixed in with some of the worst in small towns. There is lots of drama and if you are after something that will transport you to another location and where you can walk in someone else’s shoes – this book is for you! Kirsty, NSW, 4 stars

The Bridge to Always is the story of Maeve and her young daughter Emer who upon the death of Maeve’s mother sell up their home in Dublin to start a new life in the small west Cork town of Drohid. They move to Drohid because this is where Emer’s father lives and Maeve is determined that Tim will know his daughter. This book is a wonderful story of family and about finding yourself and realising that what you thought you needed isn’t what you needed at all! The book was very easy to read mostly because of its very short and concise chapters. Whilst easy to read the book covered many important and difficult topics that Maeve’s life was impacted by including her mother’s death and the grief she experienced in that loss and the difficulty raising her daughter Emer as a single parent. I didn’t particularly warm to Maeve’s character, her angry outbursts particularly with her daughter seemed misplaced. Emer was such a sweet little girl who must have felt like she was always walking on eggshells trying her best to anticipate her mother’s mood swings. What I did really enjoy was reading a book set in Ireland. It added a richness to the story that I felt was a bit lacking in some of the characters. The setting was beautiful and very well described. I especially enjoyed the language that was used by the characters. I’m not sure that I would ever have picked this book up in a bookshop based on either the cover or the blurb so I’m very glad that I was given the opportunity to read it by both Better Reading and Echo Publishing as I found the author Lynda Marron to be quite the gifted story teller. Her characters whilst complex and flawed were all written with empathy and humour. I will definitely read some of her other books. Toni, SA, 4 stars

The Bridge to Always is the perfect example where you may not like a character/s but still enjoy the book overall. Author Lynda Marron is a fantastic storyteller, who painted such vivid scenes and flawed, but realistic characters that I found myself fully immersed in the story. Despite this, I found myself disliking some characters more and more as the story evolved, particularly main protagonist Maeve, who was impulsive and incredibly selfish. I understand that grief can cause you to do some outlandish things, but her incredibly smart and perceptive daughter, Emer proved a pattern of behaviour prior to Maeve’s experience of grief as illustrated at the beginning of the story. In contrast with Maeve, I took an absolute shine to the quiet, beautiful and innocent star that was Emer. Even if you are averse to unlikeable protagonists (as I usually am!), the quality of writing and story more than makes up for it! Christine, VIC, 4 stars

Set in Ireland, small country town where everyone knows everyone and what they are up to, or so they think. When Maeve moves to a town where her ex love lives, her life gets interesting. All the characters in the book are described well and you get a feel for each character and how they are feeling. Was a very easy book to read and enjoyable. I could not wait until I got to the end to see how things turned out, with a surprising sad and happy ending together. Although the last chapter was a bit vague and I would have liked more continuity and detail. A story with loss, love and new beginnings with some emotional rides and sadness but some happy and funny times too. You will not be bored with this book once you get past the first few chapters and see how all the characters fit together in their lives. Linda, VIC, 4 stars

“The Bridge to Always” by Lynda Marron is a gripping drama of family secrets and complex relationships set in modern-day Ireland. The main character is Maeve Gaffney, a single mother of nine-year Emer, who together move from Dublin after the death of Maeve’s mother to Drohid in West Cork, where Maeve’s ex-boyfriend, Tim Corcoran, the father of Emer, lives. The impact of Maeve’s arrival and subsequent actions are devastating to the small community. The West Cork setting is evoked particularly well through the rural and village location and the local dialect. It is well-paced and action-packed with very short chapters which make the book easy to read. There are some flashbacks to Dublin 10 years earlier which add some perspective to the current situation. There is an interesting cast of characters in the book, many flawed, some likeable and some not, but all are skilfully written by the author and felt real. The only negatives for me were that I did not particularly like Maeve or much of her behaviour and I had a few question marks about the ending. Highly recommended and I will definitely look out for more books by this author. Sandra, TAS, 4 stars

A captivating story about love, family, friends, life and priorities. A look at life then and now. Astrid, VIC, 4 stars

A very different love story with a twist. This book explored the love between a mother and her adult child and how our early life makes us into the adults we become. It also explores the love of a mother for her young child and how she tries to shield her child from the mistakes she, as a mother, has created. At times funny, sad, nostalgic but a great read. Rhonda, VIC, 4 stars

This book was an enjoyable read. Set in a small town near Cork Ireland, the book tells the story of Maeve and Tim. Maeve has moved to Cork from Dublin with her daughter Emer, who initially unbeknownst to Tim, is his daughter from a short relationship with Maeve several years earlier. As expected the relationship is complex and leads to unexpected events with a great supporting cast of characters, who unlike the main protagonist’s are mostly very likeable. I enjoyed this book immensely, I loved the setting and enjoyed the local dialect used by the characters, and the story kept me interested and intrigued. I would recommend. Kelly, VIC, 4 stars

After the death of her mother, Maeve Gaffney and her daughter Emer move to a small Irish town to perhaps meet up with her daughter’s father, a father that Maeve never had. The Irish names were a bit of a problem to overcome. The short chapter made the story flow quickly. It is really a love story which goes wrong but with a satisfactory conclusion. I really enjoyed this well written book. Vivien, ACT, 4 stars

This was a hard book to put down and I just sped through it. There are some really nasty characters here and I wish they’d got what they deserved but I guess that’s not how it works in the real world either. I was frustrated with the main character, Maeve and many of her actions. Her obsession with old boyfriend, Tim (one of the horrible characters) is hard to understand as he’s clearly a scumbag (attractive apparently). Luckily he’s got the wife he deserves. There are some flashbacks to when Maeve met Tim, and they’re interspersed with the main narrative. This structure worked well and I really enjoyed the read. Janelle, NSW, 4 stars

The 21st century version of Maeve Binchy has arrived! Lynda Marron’s ‘The Bridge to Always’ is a wonderful tale of family, love and growth, set in the rugged West Cork landscape. You will be transported across Ireland, from Dublin to the quaint village of Drohid – complete with all of it’s quirky characters. This is an absolute page turner that will keep you up until the early hours. Kate, VIC, 4 stars

“The Bridge to Always.’ By Lynda Marron takes you on a journey with single mum Maeve and her daughter Emer as they begin renovating a home in West Cork. A town where Emer’s unbeknownst. Father Tim lives. We follow how they interact , a story of finding identity and place in the world , the meaning of family. Enjoyable read! Robert, QLD, 4 stars

What a delightfully Irish romance…yet also a novel of deceit, what it means to belong and the enduring or not so enduring aspects of love. Main character Maeve is delightfully flawed, very human and a determined young woman who converses with her dead mother, who holds a torch for a past lover and a fiercely protective mother to her young daughter, Emer. Overall a good holiday read! Denise, NSW, 4 stars

The Bridge to Always by Lynda Marron follows the life of Maeve Gaffney from Dublin, as a student, to West Cork, as a single mum. The story alternates between the timelines. When Maeve’s mother dies she sells her house and with daughter, Emer, buys an attached cottage in Drohid, West Cork. Here she befriends Agnes and Malachi. However her motives for the move remain secret. As she renovates the cottage and Emer befriends Pamela, Maeve’s true reasons for the move become clearer. She is also mentally conversing with her late mother. Maeve is a very strong person and needs to dig deep to overcome the many setbacks she confronts. This is a tale of maternal love, youthful romance, friendship, resilience and determination. It is a very engaging novel. The characters are believable and although the ending was obvious, Marron made the plot exciting with lots of twists to keep the reader’s interest. Well worth a read. Annette, ACT, 4 stars

Clever start to the book, had me intrigued right from the start. Quite a few little twists to keep my interest and pleasantly not the normal run of the mill romance. Well done. Ainsley, QLD, 4 stars

A beautifully written book about the life story we write for ourselves. Easy to read and to empathise with all the characters however the story was too brief for any real character development. It felt like we only glimpsed briefly all the desires of each of the characters before the story was wrapped up and finished off in a very tidy fashion. Fran, NSW, 3 stars

Lynda Marron’s The Bridge to Always is set in the fictional small Irish town of Drohid in West Cork. The story follows Maeve, who relocates to Drohid following her Mam’s death, driven by the hope of reuniting with Tim, the father of her child, Emer. While the pacing is slow, the story (thankfully) avoids being an over-the-top romance. The emotional depth of the novel arises from the characters’ situations and the complexities of their relationships. The characters were believable, though flawed. While Emer was quiet and sweet, Maeve’s unpredictable and moody nature, combined with unlikeable Tim, nearly led me to DNF the book. However, I recommend giving the book a go as the flawed nature of the characters ultimately makes for an engaging reading experience. Tink, TAS, 3 stars

This book gripped me in ways that most books don’t. I cannot say I enjoyed this book, but I also can’t say I didn’t. I struggle when I feel this way about a book and find it usually comes back to how I have resonated with the main character. I need to remind myself that I don’t always have to like them to enjoy a book. To be honest, I think Marron has just created one of the most frustrating characters ever. Maeve is a trainwreck that you just can’t look away from. Your eyes literally just keep coming back to the page, wanting to see what stupid decision she makes next. While Maeve rubbed me the wrong way, other characters such as Mal, Agnes & Emer all made me keep reading. Overall, Marron has wonderfully captured the people of a small town and how new residents can upend their everyday normal. This book was an easy read and I can see it being made into a short tv series. Mel, NSW, 3 stars

A single mother with identity issues arrives in a town to connect her child with the biological father, aiming not to repeat her own mother’s mistakes. Her insecurities cause her to question her abilities as a daughter, parent, and friend. The novel examines frustrations and insecurities from self-doubt and the effort to become a certain type of person, leading to misunderstandings of her actual needs. Short chapters keep the reader engaged, piecing the story together like Lego blocks. Focusing on family relationships, self-discovery, and the consequences of mistakes, it explores pursuing unrealistic goals until reality provides clarity and reveals life’s true possibilities beyond long-held dreams. Rita, NSW, 3 stars

I really wanted to love this book, but I found it a bit messy and too many characters to really develop a love for a character. It was an easy beach read. Monica, VIC, 3 stars

“The Bridge to Always” is set in Ireland and descriptions of the setting were wonderful. The writing style was very elegant, and the chapter layout made the story very quick and easy to read. Unfortunately, however, I really struggled with the characters, particularly the main protagonist, Maeve who I generally found unlikeable. Without giving too much away, Maeve’s character was entirely unpredictable, neurotic and void of responsibility. It often made me question her motivations. As the story progressed, despite the pace, the story became more frustrating because of her behaviour. The extreme behaviour of Maeve seemed to be at odds with the remainder of characters, which were typically flat in comparison. Most characters were very two dimensional, which often felt unrealistic to me, which made me less invested in the story. There were typically three characters where I felt engaged in reading about: Agnes, Emer and Bran (the border collie). Overall, this novel is well written, especially with fantastic pacing and setting placement. The story, however, just did not have me fully engrossed. Katherine, VIC, 3 stars

The plan is to reunite with Emer’s Father, Tim, who she lost her heart to many years ago. There is just one slight complication to her plan though as Tim is now married and has a family of his own… and has no idea that he is the father of another child. This was such an enjoyable read, even though I found Maeve to be so chaotic and unpredictable. I understand that this part of her charm as a character, but there were times that I found her a touch frustrating, although I do understand that “love” or our own interpretation of love, can make people do somewhat impulsive things. Emer is written absolutely beautifully – a gentle soul, who seems wise beyond her years. I enjoyed this book, it was a story of individuals finding themselves, their voice and redefining their views and beliefs of the world around them. The characters are incredibly real and authentic, in the fact that they are almost unlikeable at times, but this is one of the captivating characteristics of this read in being able to see their growth and development throughout the chapters. Julia, SA, 3 stars

“The Bridge to Always” was a quick and easy read, largely due to its short and concise chapters. However, I found it difficult to connect with the characters. Maeve, in particular, didn’t resonate with me—her angry outbursts felt misplaced, and I struggled to understand her motivations. The dynamic between her and Tim also seemed unrealistic; after a decade apart, they effortlessly fall back into old patterns despite his marriage and children. I enjoyed Agnes as a character, but Malachi left me confused. For most of the story, I assumed he was much older, only to learn near the end that he was actually Tim’s age. While the book’s pacing made for an easy read, I found myself increasingly frustrated as the story unfolded. Belinda, NSW, 3 stars

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