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[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "It's Never Water Under the Bridge" by Rianne Moss.]

Plot wise, It's Never Water Under the Bridge is straightforward. We open on Tess Iverson receiving a strange note related to her husband's disappearance some five years prior. She gets in contact with the police while we see Andrew in his prison, held captive by three men who won't answer any of his questions or give any reason for why they've kidnapped and tortured him all this time. The story follows the two as they each search for answers and try to make sense of this tragic event.

The book has some truly tense moments which will bring any reader to their seat's edge. There's always a sense that these characters are just barely hanging in there, which makes for suspenseful meetings with old friends and Andrew's captors. Neither character can truly trust anyone outside of each other. Tess can't even trust the police anymore, which injects fear for Tess's safety into every phone call with an officer.

My problems with this book are two-fold. The first and biggest problem was the ending. The novel builds and builds to answering one question: why was Andrew kidnapped? The answer, unfortunately, did not satisfy this reader's inner detective. I suppose I expected a twist, or at least a deeper reason than the one given. As is, the reveal left me distinctly disappointed.

Secondly, Tess and Andrew love each other very much and we're told as such at nearly every opportunity. I have nothing against love (love it, in fact), but every spare thought Tess and Andrew have is inevitably about how fantastic their partner is, even when they're literally waving weapons in each other's faces. Our protagonists, then, felt hollow, as if the only thing that defines them is their spouse. I would have loved to have seen more from these characters, especially with the trauma they've experienced. There's a lot to explore, but I was left with the impression that book mainly focuses on how it affects their relationship and little else.

It's a pretty good book, in the end. I think most casual fans of the genre will be more forgiving of its faults than I am. After all, its suspenseful moments are truly suspenseful, which makes for a quick, exciting read. Typos are just about non-existent, and the realistic dialog adds to the book's strengths. Still, I give it 2 out of 4 stars, largely for the ending.

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It's Never Water Under the Bridge
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I demand more of a couple so this is one love story I may have to swerve. I recently read a novel where the couple were utterly codependent on each other and it just becomes hard to read after a while because you want to read real people.

It sounds like a rather pleasant book for someone that doesn't want to be pushed to read between the lines.

That's too bad that the ending is disappointing. I'm a huge reader and fan of this genre and love the wild unexpected twists and turns that come with it. Sadly in this case as in real life someone's reason for crimes and horrible acts against each other rarely have a satisfying answer.

Sounds like the author knew how to write a suspenseful story but didn't know how to properly flesh out the characters. It's a shame when that happens.

A great plot with poor character development leaves the reader disappointed. I love your reference to the “inner detective.” Thanks for your honest appraisal of this book!

It's a shame that despite the good suspense building prowess, the author is unable to develop the plot more appealingly! Must have been an upward task for you getting through the book. Great review!

It sounds as if the tension builds up a lot in this book but sadly it doesn't deliver. I liked your line about "loving love" but yes, an overly codependent couple doesn't make for a good story. Great review!

Experiencing tragedies in real life is not as easy as merely reading through in a book. I admire those people who have experienced a lot and have made it through; I also often wonder how they ever did. It seems like love made that difference for the protagonists in this piece. Thank you for your honest review.

It sounds like the book had some good elements of suspense, distrust, and mystery, but that the author may not have gone as deep as he needed to express the plot, characters, and the reason for the kidnapping.

Great review! I think you justified your rating, and also I appreciate the pros and cons so well thought out and explained. Sounds like it had the potential to be more though. Again, great review!

I don't understand why, but I somehow thought this one to be a self-help book from the title. After reading your review I realized the mistake. As a fan of this genre, this book should appeal to me, but the negative points you mentioned make me hesitant to take up this one. Thanks for the candid review!