Category: First Line Friday

First Line Friday

First Line Friday #418 | A Promise For Her Heart by Elizabeth Marie

It’s First Line Friday! That means it’s time to pick up the nearest book and quote the first line. I’ve recently finished reading A Harbor For Her Heart by Kiwi author Elizabeth Marie, and next on my list is the second book in the Seacliff Romance series: A Promise for Her Heart. Here’s the first line of Chapter One:

What’s the book nearest you, and what’s the first line?

 

About A Promise for Her Heart

She’s holding fast to the life she loves. He’s forgotten how to need anything for himself.

Claire Chandler has always believed in showing up for her family, her café, and the seaside town that shaped her. Her roots run deep, her heart generous, and her sense of responsibility unwavering. But loyalty does not pay overdue bills. With the Seabean Café slipping further into debt and a local real estate agent circling with offers she is not ready to consider, Claire begins to wonder how long she can carry everything on her own.

The café was meant to be a legacy. Now it feels like the weight she carries alone.

Elliot James came to Seacliff Shores with a clear sense of purpose. He is there to serve the community as a pastor, drawn to a life of service rather than ambition. A man shaped by loss and hard truths, Elliot knows how to endure. Trusting his own heart, however, feels far riskier than caring for everyone else. When a phone call pulls him back toward a painful past and an estranged, dying father, Elliot is forced to face questions he has avoided for years about forgiveness, family, and what it means to move forward.

Drawn together through quiet moments and shared purpose, Claire and Elliot discover that healing often begins in ordinary places. Late night coffees. Honest conversations. The courage to let someone see the cracks. But as Elliot’s past resurfaces and Claire’s carefully balanced world starts to unravel, both must decide whether opening their hearts is worth the risk.

Set against the charm of a close knit coastal town, this is a clean, emotionally rich romance about loyalty, forgiveness, and the quiet courage it takes to begin again. The story concludes with a deeply satisfying, hope-filled happily ever after.

Find A Promise for Her Heart online at:

Amazon | BookBub | Goodreads

Click here to check out what my fabulous fellow FirstLineFriday bloggers are sharing today.

And you can click here to check out my previous FirstLineFriday posts.

Share your first line in the comments, and happy reading!

Don’t forget to click here to check out my Amazon shop for my top picks in Christian fiction!

First Line Friday

First Line Friday #417 | The Most Wonderful Time of the Year by Beth Moran

It’s First Line Friday! That means it’s time to pick up the nearest book and quote the first line. I’m quoting from The Most Wonderful Time of the Year by English author Beth Moran.

Here’s the first line of Chapter One:

I'd spent the last few hours trying to convince myself that this couldn't be happening.

What’s the book nearest you, and what’s the first line?

About The Most Wonderful Time of the Year

Mary never planned to stop running.

With a past she’s desperate to leave behind and a baby on the way, she’s found a new home, deep in the forest, hidden from the world. But when the time comes to go to the hospital, she has no idea that Beckett, the quiet, steady taxi driver who braves the blizzard to reach her, will change everything.

As Mary adjusts to life with her newborn, she finds herself drawn into a local close-knit community she never expected to be part of. Beckett is always there ­– dependable, patient and offering a friendship she doesn’t know how to accept but slowly comes to rely on.

In a place she thought she’d only ever be passing through, Mary finally learns what it truly means to belong. And as Christmas approaches, she begins to believe that maybe, just maybe, she doesn’t have to do this alone, and that this could be the start of something wonderful…

Find The Most Wonderful Time of the Year online at:

Amazon | BookBub | Goodreads

Click here to check out what my fabulous fellow FirstLineFriday bloggers are sharing today.

And you can click here to check out my previous FirstLineFriday posts.

Share your first line in the comments, and happy reading!

Don’t forget to click here to check out my Amazon shop for my top picks in Christian fiction!

First Line Friday

First Line Friday #416 | Marrying the Accidental Groom by Tara Grace Ericson

It’s First Line Friday! That means it’s time to pick up the nearest book and quote the first line. I’m quoting from Marrying the Accidental Groom by Tara Grace Ericson, another one of the Redemption Ranch stories. Here’s the first line from Chapter One:

Juliana stood at the top of the airplane steps, clutching her leather-bound itinerary to her chest.

What’s the book nearest you, and what’s the first line?

 

About Marrying the Accidental Groom

She color-codes her planner. He barely plans the next fifteen minutes.
Neither planned on getting married.

When Juliana Emerson finds herself dumped days before her dream honeymoon, she goes anyway—armed with an iron-clad itinerary and determined not to let her ex-fiance dictate her life.

Gideon Reynolds is all charm, chaos, and mountain-man grins. Crashing Juliana’s vacation wasn’t in his plans—and neither was participating in a symbolic island wedding ceremony.

Now, months later and just before Christmas, Juliana shows up in Colorado at Redemption Ridge Ranch determined to fix their symbolic marriage that turned out to be very real. But between his unpredictable nature, a calendar full of holiday events, and a growing attraction that wasn’t part of anyone’s plan, “fixing it” might not be so simple.

As sparks fly and tempers flare, both will have to confront what they believe about control, commitment, and the kind of love worth surrendering to.

Find Marrying the Accidental Groom online at:

Amazon | BookBub | Goodreads

Click here to check out what my fabulous fellow FirstLineFriday bloggers are sharing today.

And you can click here to check out my previous FirstLineFriday posts.

Share your first line in the comments, and happy reading!

Don’t forget to click here to check out my Amazon shop for my top picks in Christian fiction!

First Line Friday

First Line Friday #415 | This Life (Murphy Brothers #4) by Jennifer Rodewald

It’s First Line Friday! That means it’s time to pick up the nearest book and quote the first line. I’m quoting from This Life, the fourth book in Jennifer Rodewald’s Murphy Brothers series. I’ve found the others to be compelling Christian romances, so I have high expectations.

Here’s the first line from Chapter One:

The emptiness had weight. Solid, sinking and familiar. Kate Murphy hated it.

 

What’s the book nearest you, and what’s the first line?

 

About This Life

They’ve been stripped of everything but a refurbished bus and each other. And it may be the best thing that’s ever happened to them.
Driven by jealousy, he’s determined to prove himself.

Jacob Murphy always felt like the invisible brother, until he fell in love with and married the woman who’d dated his younger brother. Then he became the despised brother. Driven to prove himself worthy of respect, he gambled everything on becoming the successful brother, but with his property speculation business falling apart, he’s ready to admit defeat. He’s lost nearly every worldly good, and after years of disappointments and heartache, it looks like his marriage is about to go the same way.

Ashamed of her background, she will do anything to keep it a secret.

Kate Murphy lied her way out of life in a trailer park—a life she felt both trapped in and ashamed of. Only Jacob knows the truth about her background. But keeping up appearances has strangled her life and relationships, and even her marriage is troubled. In desperation, she makes a plan to escape from it all—ironically, in a skoolie. But there’s still a tender place in her heart for the man she married, and in a moment of compassion, she offers to take Jacob with her.

Stripped of pride and pretension and struggling to adjust to their new 160-square-foot mobile lifestyle, Jacob and Kate are forced to confront the deception, hurt, and loneliness that have plagued them both.

Will their strained circumstances be the death knell for their marriage, or will they allow humility to usher in the healing they need to rebuild?

Find This Life online at:

Amazon | BookBub | Goodreads

Click here to check out what my fabulous fellow FirstLineFriday bloggers are sharing today.

And you can click here to check out my previous FirstLineFriday posts.

Share your first line in the comments, and happy reading!

Don’t forget to click here to check out my Amazon shop for my top picks in Christian fiction!

First Line Friday

First Line Friday #414 | Snowed in at Jingle Falls by Kaylee Baldwin

It’s First Line Friday! That means it’s time to pick up the nearest book and quote the first line. I’m quoting from Snowed in at Jingle Falls by Kaylee Baldwin. Isn’t that a great location for a Christmas romance?

Here’s the first line from Chapter One:

Harper Larson hated Santa. It hadn't always been this way.

What’s the book nearest you, and what’s the first line?

 

About Snowed in at Jingle Falls

A heartwarming, holiday romance where the path to love is covered in snow…

Snowed in at Jingle FallsHarper Larson has always loved the cozy charm of Jingle Falls, especially her job at Narratives bookshop. Surrounded by books, she can forget the embarrassing mistake that drove her away from New York and the life she thought she wanted.

But then Nolan Fox, her broody yet brilliant former boss, shows up unexpectedly at her shop, and Harper is less than thrilled.

Nolan’s struggling to complete the final book in his bestselling series and can’t finish it without Harper.

When a sudden snowstorm traps them in Jingle Falls over Christmas, they strike a deal: she’ll assist him with his book if he’ll set aside his Scrooge tendencies and help her save the town’s winter festival.

As they work together to bring holiday cheer back to Jingle Falls, the chemistry sizzles brighter than the twinkling lights decorating town.

Sometimes life writes its own plot twists—and love might be just the ending they both need.

Find Snowed in at Jingle Falls by Kaylee Baldwin online at:

Amazon | BookBub | Goodreads

Click here to check out what my fabulous fellow FirstLineFriday bloggers are sharing today.

And you can click here to check out my previous FirstLineFriday posts.

Share your first line in the comments, and happy reading!

Don’t forget to click here to check out my Amazon shop for my top picks in Christian fiction!

First Line Friday

First Line Friday #413 | Waves of Endless Love by TK Chapin

It’s First Line Friday! That means it’s time to pick up the nearest book and quote the first line. I’m quoting from Waves of Endless Love by new-to-me author TK Chapin. Here’s the first line of Chapter One:

The last nine months felt like someone had thrown a bucket of hand grenades in the center of Samantha's life.

What’s the book nearest you, and what’s the first line?

 

About Waves of Endless Love

Be swept away to North Carolina’s Emerald Isle with this romantic beach read…

Samantha Richardson bolts from Orlando, her life a tangle of hurt, seeking refuge in Emerald Isle at her sister Janet’s house. In this poignant Christian romance, the sunset over the waves soothes her restless soul—until Chase steps into her path, stirring echoes of what she thought she had outrun.

Chase is reeling. Word of his old friend Lance serving far-off in Africa twists something deep, pulling him away from the life he knows and to the family beach house in Emerald Isle. This inspirational fiction tale finds him off-balance, haunted by what’s been lost—until Samantha’s presence cracks open a part of him he thought was closed.

She didn’t expect his quiet strength to steady her. He didn’t think her nearness would wake old hopes. In Waves of Endless Love, a stirring Christian coastal beach romance, the coast becomes more than a hideaway—faith glimmers, grace calls, and a second chance whispers through the salt air.

Is this God rewriting their story? Perfect for lovers of Christian romance and second chance romances, this tale of broken pasts and tender possibilities beckons you to the water’s edge.

Find Waves of Endless Love online at:

Amazon | BookBub | Goodreads

Click here to check out what my fabulous fellow FirstLineFriday bloggers are sharing today.

And you can click here to check out my previous FirstLineFriday posts.

Share your first line in the comments, and happy reading!

Don’t forget to click here to check out my Amazon shop for my top picks in Christian fiction!

First Line Friday

First Line Friday #412 | Prelude for a Lord by Camille Elliot

It’s First Line Friday! That means it’s time to pick up the nearest book and quote the first line. I’m quoting from Prelude for a Lord by Camille Elliot. This is the first of her Regency romances I’ve read, but I remember enjoying her contemporary romances (written as Camy Tang).

Here’s the first line from Chapter One:

A prickling sensation spread across the back of Alethea’s neck, which had nothing to do with the brisk air of Bath in winter.

What’s the book nearest you, and what’s the first line?

About Prelude for a Lord

An awkward young woman. A haunted young man. A forbidden instrument. Can the love of music bring them together . . . or will it tear them apart?

Prelude for a LordBath, England—1811

At twenty-eight, Alethea Sutherton is past her prime for courtship; but social mores have never been her forté. She might be a lady, but she is first and foremost a musician.

In Regency England, however, the violin is considered an inappropriate instrument for a lady. Ostracized by society for her passion, Alethea practices in secret and waits for her chance to flee to the Continent, where she can play without scandal.

But when a thief’s interest in her violin endangers her and her family, Alethea is determined to discover the enigmatic origins of her instrument . . . with the help of the dark, brooding Lord Dommick.

Scarred by war, Dommick finds solace only in playing his violin. He is persuaded to help Alethea, and discovers an entirely new yearning in his soul.

Alethea finds her reluctant heart drawn to Dommick in the sweetest of duets . . . just as the thief’s desperation builds to a tragic crescendo . . .

Find Prelude for a Lord online at:

Amazon | BookBub | Goodreads

Click here to check out what my fabulous fellow FirstLineFriday bloggers are sharing today.

And you can click here to check out my previous FirstLineFriday posts.

Share your first line in the comments, and happy reading!

Don’t forget to click here to check out my Amazon shop for my top picks in Christian fiction!

First Line Friday

First Line Friday #411 | Risking His Heart by Emily Conrad

It’s First Line Friday! That means it’s time to pick up the nearest book and quote the first line. I’m quoting from Risking His Heart by Emily Conrad, another standalone romance in the multi-author Christmas in Redemption Ridge series.

Here’s the first line from the Chapter One:

If good things come to those who wait, Cody was doing something wrong.

What’s the book nearest you, and what’s the first line?

 

About Risking His Heart

Falling for her best friend is not on her (forced, way-too-early, medical) retirement bucket list.

Risking His Heart by Emily ConradCareer-driven cop Neenah Casper is forced by an injury to turn in her badge at age thirty-two. The same day she’s named guardian of an orphaned fifteen-year-old girl. With all her plans in pieces, it’s no wonder she starts feeling more than friendship for her supportive best friend Cody. But life’s taught her nothing lasts forever, and surely these feelings will pass once she finds a new life’s purpose.

Though Neenah friend-zoned him years ago, Officer Cody Adams has never stopped watching her back and hoping for more. Helping with her new ward could be just the opportunity to show her how much more he could be. Meanwhile, he’s also fighting to earn a promotion and impress his unpleasable police chief father by catching a home burglar and a Christmastime prankster. Neenah’s newly minted neighborhood watch might help him save Christmas and earn the job, if only the group didn’t bring complications of its own.

As Neenah and Cody wrangle octogenarian vigilantes, Christmas bandits, and complicated families, the chemistry between them only grows. But if they act on it, they won’t be able to go back. With their friendship and careers on the line, is love worth the risk?

Find Risking His Heart online at:

Amazon | BookBub | Goodreads

Click here to check out what my fabulous fellow FirstLineFriday bloggers are sharing today.

And you can click here to check out my previous FirstLineFriday posts.

Share your first line in the comments, and happy reading!

Don’t forget to click here to check out my Amazon shop for my top picks in Christian fiction!

First Line Friday

First Line Friday #410 | Old Town Symphony by Milla Holt

It’s First Line Friday! That means it’s time to pick up the nearest book and quote the first line. I’m quoting from Old Town Symphony by Milla Holt, the sequel to Home Town Melody and Small Town Harmony, both of which I loved.

Here’s the first line from the Chapter One:

Kezia Blair closed her eyes and let the music swallow her whole.

What’s the book nearest you, and what’s the first line?

 

About Old Town Symphony

He created stars. She became his universe.

Old Town Symphony by Milla HoltKezia Blair believes true talent shouldn’t need shortcuts. But after years of singing backup and recording anonymous jingles, her shot at a real music career is slipping away. When a last-ditch audition lands her on Starbound, TV’s biggest reality show, Kezia faces a painful choice: chase stardom on someone else’s terms—or walk away for good.

Zach Falconer created Starbound to launch fresh talent—not get tangled up with it. Burned by a fame-hungry ex, he’s determined to protect his show from scandal and his heart from pain.

But Kezia’s passion, honesty, and refusal to play the game shake his carefully controlled world. And the deeper their connection grows, the harder it becomes to protect the lines between love, loyalty, and career.

In an industry where image is everything, can they hold onto what matters most… or will success cost them the truth—and each other?

A soulful, slow-burn Christian romance about integrity, ambition, and the price of staying true.

Find Old Town Symphony online at:

Amazon | BookBub | Goodreads

Click here to check out what my fabulous fellow FirstLineFriday bloggers are sharing today.

And you can click here to check out my previous FirstLineFriday posts.

Share your first line in the comments, and happy reading!

Don’t forget to click here to check out my Amazon shop for my top picks in Christian fiction!

First Line Friday

First Line Friday #409 | It’s Always Been You by Sara Beth Williams

It’s First Line Friday! That means it’s time to pick up the nearest book and quote the first line. I’m quoting from the newest novel in the Trinity Lakes Romance series, It’s Always Been You by Sara Beth Williams.

Here’s the first line from the Chapter One:

What’s the book nearest you, and what’s the first line?

 

About It’s Always Been You

She’d always been the still mountain beneath his changing skies. He was a fool for thinking he could stay away.

After suffering severe burns, avid outdoorsman Jesse Hernandez faces a long recovery, and the longer it takes, the more he questions his purpose in life. Seeking solace, he returns to the hills above Trinity Lakes to settle his late grandfather’s property, but soon finds himself torn between family pressure to sell and his longing to hold on to the only place that felt like home.

Renee Somers has spent her life fighting to be seen. As a master’s student and after-school program director living with a growth hormone deficiency, she’s used to being underestimated. But she finds rejection stings most when it comes from those she highly respected.

When a sudden blizzard traps Renee and her friends on a lonely mountain road. She never expects her rescuer to be the childhood friend who once promised he’d always look out for her. As they reconnect and unexpected attraction surfaces, both must confront past wounds and buried secrets that threaten to pull them apart.

With family tensions rising and harbored secrets revealed, Jesse must decide whether to cling to the past, or embrace the future God has been preparing all along.

Find It’s Always Been You online at:

Amazon | BookBub | Goodreads

Click here to check out what my fabulous fellow FirstLineFriday bloggers are sharing today.

And you can click here to check out my previous FirstLineFriday posts.

Share your first line in the comments, and happy reading!

Don’t forget to click here to check out my Amazon shop for my top picks in Christian fiction!