The Bridge
By: Shanna Hatfield
Publication Date: October 7, 2025
Genres: Adult, Holiday, Women’s Fiction
Add to Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/234990037-the-bridge
Synopsis:
One Bridge. Five Strangers. A Christmas Eve That Changes Everything.
On a bridge suspended above the Willamette River, five lives collide for a journey through hope and hardship in a suspenseful, heartwarming tale of courage, connection, and the magic of second chances.
Sergeant Archer Raines has worked every holiday all year for one reason: to finally spend Christmas with his wife. But when a desperate man threatens to jump from Portland’s St. Johns Bridge, Archer’s expert negotiation skills are required to defuse the situation.
Rosalee, a high-powered accountant and mom-to-be, only meant to swing by home for a forgotten phone and client file. Then her car is caught in the chaos on the bridge, she unexpectedly goes into labor, and her carefully planned world begins to unravel amidst the unfolding drama.
Exhausted nurse Nova just wants to make it home for Christmas after too many night shifts. When the pileup halts traffic and Rosalee’s baby is on the way, Nova puts her own plans on hold to help a stranger in need.
Carter, the owner of a busy tow truck business, regrets taking the call to clear the multi-car collision off the bridge. He’d intended to spend the day tackling last-minute holiday errands. Instead, he’s praying the lunatic pointing a gun at him doesn’t pull the trigger.
Fresh out of college and anxious to kick-start his career, Ian’s running late when his car won’t start the morning of his big interview. His rideshare driver turns out to be a captivating girl with a penchant for aggressive driving that narrowly saves them from being part of the wreck on the bridge, sending Ian on an unexpected path of his own.
The Bridge is the perfect uplifting holiday read and a story of how one frozen moment can thaw even the loneliest of hearts.
Purchase:
Amazon: https://amzn.to/47gUcLz
B&N: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-bridge-shanna-hatfield/1147472702
iBooks: https://books.apple.com/ca/book/the-bridge/id6746351595
Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/ca/en/ebook/the-bridge-139?sId=eeb205b8-bb7c-44e6-bbf4-33db8b1bc981
Rosalee timed another contraction, this one at eight minutes. How could they be coming so quickly?
Then again, she’d had a backache since yesterday morning and twinges that felt like cramps off and on since the previous afternoon. She’d just assumed the Mexican food she’d eaten for lunch hadn’t agreed with her, but the reality was that she’d likely been in labor all that time.
“How could I be such a ninny?” she moaned after the contraction passed. Suddenly overheated, she peeled off her scarf and held her hand against the cool glass of the window before pressing it to her forehead.
Well, one thing was certain. She would not give birth to her baby in her vehicle on a bridge.
Nope.
She didn’t care what had to happen, even if she had to cross her legs and tie her ankles together, but there was no way she was going to be a headline in tomorrow’s news. She could picture it now. “Christmas Baby Born on Bridge Next to Suicidal Jumper.”
“No, no, no,” she chanted as she opened her door and stepped out. After dragging in a deep breath, then another, she took a few steps. She could do this. Maybe she could just walk it off.
Rosalee walked to the front of her SUV, keeping a hand on it for balance, then turned and made it to the back before a particularly strong contraction hit her with such force that she doubled over in pain. Warmth slid down her legs, and she glanced at the puddle forming around her feet as her water broke.
“That definitely can’t be good,” she said, fighting down the panic bubbling in her chest.
About Shanna Hatfield
USA Today Bestselling Author Shanna Hatfield writes sweet romances rich with relatable characters, small town settings that feel like home, humor, and hope.
Her historical westerns have been described as “reminiscent of the era captured by Bonanza and The Virginian” while her contemporary works have been called “laugh-out-loud funny, and a little heart-pumping sexy without being explicit in any way.”
When this farm girl isn’t writing or indulging in rich, decadent chocolate, Shanna hangs out with her husband, lovingly known as Captain Cavedweller. She also experiments with recipes, snaps photos of her adorable nephew, and caters to the whims of a cranky cat named Drooley.
To learn more about Shanna or the books she writes, visit her website http://shannahatfield.com or find out more about her here: linktr.ee/ShannaHatfield
Blitz-Wide Giveaway (INT) Ends November 6th
Prize: $25 Amazon gift card
Link to Enter Giveaway: https://gleam.io/Jk4nt/the-bridge-blitz
My obsession with reading started over 30+ years ago when I went to my first Scholastic Book Fair and found R.L. Stine's Fear Street series. Later, I came across Anne Rice's novels at my public library when I was fourteen when my obsession with vampires started. I was the girl who preferred to be a vampire over a princess any day. My husband says I would leave him a heartbeat for a vampire that looked like Spike or Angel (from Buffy the Vampire Slayer) or Damon Salvatore from The Vampire Diaries. (It's true, though, and he's accepted it.)
- Book Blitz + Giveaway: ‘The Magical Library’ by Aimee O’Brian - April 17, 2026
- Book Blitz + Giveaway: ‘Royal Mayhem’ by Samantha Jayne Grubey - April 15, 2026
- Review: ‘Missing in Death’ by J.D. Robb - April 14, 2026