Spelled Out

The end of Crossing the Bridge by Michael Baron (which I've discovered is a pen name) was happy, predictable, and a little bittersweet. I'm a tad bit disappointed that for three days I committed to this novel and at the end, you get exactly what you wanted. Which isn't always good.

The good thing about this novel was that I could really connect with the characters. What was going on between them and inside of them was something we all go through, something we all struggle with. And I was more than happy to hold Hugh's hand and drive with him to Lenox. I would have sat in the theater while Iris' production drove the crowd wild. My money could have been used to buy the chess book so that Hugh could reconnect with his father. I was completely ready to join sides with the characters in this novel.

The hopeless romantic inside of me was happy at the end. Everyone healed. Everyone let go. And everyone survived. And they all lived happily every after.

But the disappointment grew. Because not all things end with a cute smile and a lovely song full of inspiration. After a novel that forced the reader up and down emotionally, we hung on with a tight grip, our knuckles white. Then details fell into place and there was no question what would happen. The future of the characters beyond the pages was spelled out and perfect.


Crossing the Bridge on Amazon

Secrets of Skeletons

"It's anybody's guess what you'll discover, but the potential for discovery is always available." Crossing the Bridge - Michael Baron

It isn't easy bringing up that awkward conversation. Acknowledging the elephant in the room. In Baron's Crossing the Bridge, Hugh and Iris both take their time in allowing themselves to discuss Chase, the ghost that has been following them both around for the past ten years.

A brother and a boyfriend are not easily forgotten. An unexpected death can crush souls, especially when the heart is weighed down with "what ifs." While at the beach, Hugh breaks down and admits to Iris that he could have saved Chase. If only he wouldn't have left him alone at the bar, slurring words accompanied by beer in hand. Iris also breaks down and admits that she could have saved Chase too. If only she would have stopped him from going to the bar where he let himself become overly inebriated and then decided to drive himself home.

Feeling as if you could have changed the past is a hard obstacle to overcome. The idea of fate and destiny does nothing to alleviate the guilt that you feel, knowing in your chest that you could have changed it. It's a struggle to get through. A city with no map.

You, as a reader, can see that it wasn't either of their faults, but the characters don't know that. They don't know how to accept what happened without blaming themselves. And we know what it feels like. Baron takes us back there, the city without light, the words echoing around our skulls.

If only, if only.

Tiptoeing the Line

The lines of morality and loyalty are skewed when it comes to the past lovers of close friends. For most of us, exes of our closest companions are off limits when it comes to dating. Hugh, the main character of Crossing the Bridge by Michael Baron, tiptoes this fine line with his brother's last girlfriend, Iris. When his brother, Chase, was still alive, Hugh knew that Iris and Chase had the kind of relationship that would last forever. But with Chase's death, their relationship was eternally severed.

Now, ten years later, Hugh and Iris reconnect as old friends. Hugh finds his romantic interest piqued by Iris' fun personality and loving nature. They find themselves spending more and more time together. And when Hugh and Iris share a sensuous kiss outside of a local bar, Hugh begins to wonder what it would be like to put down some roots. Until Iris insists that they remain friends.

As readers, we can connect with what Hugh is going through. He's falling for his younger brother's girlfriend. The last girlfriend that Chase ever had. The struggle to remain loyal to his brother, even in death, is respectable, but when does that line disappear? Is it wrong for Hugh to "chase" Iris? Do we, the reader, side with Hugh who is representing a forbidden love? Or do we side with Iris and Chase and realize that loyalty to a family member, even in death is the most important?

Hiding in Your Own Shadow

Crossing the Bridge, by Michael Baron, is a novel of the story after the story. Hugh's brother Chase died ten years ago when he drove his car off of a bridge. Since then, Hugh has been hopping from city to city across the United States. Running away from everything that threatens to become important.

When his father has a medical emergency, Hugh goes home to face the truth. His family is drifting apart, he has nothing in his life worth having, and the woman he's in love with just so happens to be in town.

Chapter 3 
When I didn't comment on this, he added, "It had to do with a girl."
I nodded. "An explanation that works for just about anything."

This is a novel that brings the reader back to their self. Family life isn't always a clear blue sky. Love isn't always reciprocated. And things you run away from tend to hide in your own shadow, daring you to peek over your left shoulder.

Baron quickly sweeps you in with Hugh and makes you face the questions you pretend not to ask.