Book Review: Bridges are for Burning by Bina Idonije.

Blurb

Review of Bridges are for burning by Bina Idonije.

On the eve of Valentine’s Day, Oghogho ‘Gigi’ Dempster wore her heart on her sleeve.

At almost thirty-one, she was single and ready to mingle after nearly two years of relegating her love-life to the curb in favour of growing her fledgling social media company.

Her beautiful best friend Alana was newly pregnant for the love of her life, Benjamin Halal, and her sister Efemena ‘Fifi’ was married to wealthy aristocrat, Lotanna Dike. But on that February 13th night, Gigi wasn’t looking for what her best friend and sister had; not love or marriage, but a temporary connection and intimacy. How could she have known that that night would dramatically alter the course of her life?

Book details and edition

Format: 309 pages, Paperback

Published: January 1, 2022 by Masobe Books

ISBN: 9789789907229

Language: English.

My Review of Bridges are for burning by Bina Idonije.

The book started quite slow for me. It took me time for me to connect with the characters and understand what was going on. But once I did, there was no going back. The book follows the life of Gigi, Fifi, Alana, and their secrets.

Everything would go wrong on the eve of Valentine’s day, when Gigi would go out by herself to have a drink or two. I wonder if things would have turned out differently, if Alana wasn’t pregnant, and had gone out with Gigi to have fun on Valentine’s day eve. Maybe, their friendship would still be as intact and loving as ever; no secrets, no lies and no betrayals.

Review of Bridges are for burning by Bina Idonije.

Gigi and Alana are best of friends, but they don’t really have anything in common, physically.

For Gigi, she is short and not really as beautiful as her best friend, Alana, who is so pretty that every guy wants her. Right from childhood, she had always been the one who got the attention of men, who dated every guy Gigi would have dreamt of dating, and most times, Gigi finds herself jealous of her beautiful, white friend, Alana. But they are best of friends and love themselves dearly.

Review of Bridges are for burning by Bina Idonije.

Then there’s Fifi, Gigi’s younger sister, who is married to the billionaire, Lotanna Dike, and who is wallowing in the misery she calls marriage, regardless of the wealth and luxury she enjoys.

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She has three teenage children, who are in a boarding school abroad, and one might think that she has it all; a rich husband, beautiful children, an unlimited amount of money, but the only thing missing in her life is genuine happiness.

When she starts her own business, a workout gym, Fit with Fifi, she would come in contact with Edidiong, a fitness trainer her husband would introduce to her, and a steamy romantic adventure would start. It is ironic that her husband who does everything within his power to shield his beautiful wife from the eyes of men, would finally bring a lion inside his house, and leave him with the goat that is Fifi.

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Things would get messy when on the eve of Valentine’s Day, instead of Gigi to hook up with an eligible bachelor and a potential boyfriend material, she bumps into Benjamin, her friend Alana’s boyfriend.

Apparently, he has been lusting over her for the longest time, and so it’s a great opportunity for him to strike. But would they know that that night would be a memorable one for them for the rest of their lives? Would they even know that one night would lead to a series of blackmail and so many other ugly happenings?

In this book, so many bridges would be burned. Due to lack of excitement from her marriage, Fifi would seek it out from the arms of a younger, sexier and more romantic young man, under her husband’s nose. But there is no excuse for cheating.

This book talks about love, friendship, betrayal, and blackmail. Every little thing we do to jeopardize our friendship with other people, will come back to haunt us, and most times, it turns out to be messier than we think.

Review of Bridges are for burning by Bina Idonije.

The book is great an all, but I think it’s lacking in some ways. First, the relationship between Fifi and Gigi; I don’t think it is explained well. I get they are sisters, but I don’t really see that connection between them as sisters, and the writer didn’t say anything about a strained relationship, so I expected them to be a bit closer to each other.

Also, I don’t think Lotanna’s reaction when she finds out his wife is cheating on him, is realistic.  Also, I feel like the ending is a bit rushed, because I didn’t really get that ‘wow’ feeling towards the end. At times the book was boring, but other times, exciting as well. But if I’m asked to choose, I will choose neither the beginning, nor the ending. I think the middle is perfect for me.

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There are lessons derivable from this book; one is do not burn a bridge you would regret in future. Betrayal of trust is not worth it. It’s a very painful thing to do to anyone you call a friend, and gthe hurt does not really go.

The next is that blackmail does not ever end well. Once you start paying a blackmailer, trust me, you will keep paying it for the rest of your life. There’s no stopping them.

Review of Bridges are for burning by Bina Idonije.

And then lastly, be careful with ‘no strings attached’ kind of relationships, because those strings must surely attach, trust me. It’s a really beautiful book, and I recommend. I will rate it as 4/5.

Have you read the book? How do you feel about it? Let me know your thoughts in the comment section. Please do not forget to subscribe to my newsletter, and follow me on all social media platforms. Thank you for visiting Bookish Pixie.