Category: First Line Friday

17 September 2021

First Line Friday | Week 203 | An Unwanted Love Story by Ellie Hall (from Love, Laughter, and Happily Ever After)

It’s First Line Friday! That means it’s time to pick up the nearest book and quote the first line. Today I’m sharing from An Unwanted Love Story by Ellie Hall, one of the novellas in the Love, Laughter, and Happily Ever After collection. Here’s the first line from Chapter One:

I love the fun mood that sets!

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

About Love, Laughter, and Happily Ever After

This sweet romcom collection contains 20 original humorous novellas from best-selling authors that are heartwarming, feel-good, and laugh out loud funny.

Between the pages, you’ll find tropes such as enemies to lovers, second chance romance, high school sweethearts, opposites attract, friends to lovers, fake dating, and more.

Your pre-order purchase of this anthology will benefit Pets for the Elderly with 100% pre-order profits donated to this amazing cause, connecting shelter animals with seniors.

Don’t miss this limited edition box set, featuring some of your favorite authors, that will leave you reeling with laughter:

Ellie Hall – An Unwanted Love Story | Summer Dowell – Her Plus One | Liwen Y. Ho – Head Over Stilettos

Meg Easton – Looking for Love | Rachael Eliker – Lassoed into Love | Sophie-Leigh Robbins – Take a Hike

Rachel John – Worst Neighbor Ever | Jennifer Griffith – Elevator Pitch | Cami Checketts – The Sassy One

Sarah Gay – Once Upon a Midnight Swim | Jennifer Youngblood – Cold Feet | Kimberly Krey – Five Days With My (Super Hot) Ex

Ellen Jacobson – Smitten with Candy Canes | Cindy Roland Anderson – Breaking All the Rules | Taylor Hart – Secret Wedding Date

Carina Taylor – Jude and the Matchmaking Llama | Gigi Blume – Baby You Can Drive My Car | Amy Sparling – Julie and the Fixer-Upper

Johanna Evelyn – I Think Maybe I Lied | Melanie Jacobson – The Backup Plan

You can find Love, Laughter, and Happily Ever After online at:

Amazon | BookBub | Goodreads

Click the button to check out what my fabulous fellow FirstLineFriday bloggers are sharing today:

You can then click the link which will take you to the master page of all this week’s #FirstLineFriday posts.

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

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

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

10 September 2021

First Line Friday | Week 202 | All at Once by Lindsay Harrel

It’s First Line Friday! That means it’s time to pick up the nearest book and quote the first line. Today I’m sharing from All at Once by Lindsay Harrel, the first book in her Walker Beach Romance series. Here’s the first line from Chapter One:

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

About All at Once

She loved him once—and he broke her heart.

Letting herself fall again would just be foolish.

When Gabrielle and Tyler are paired together as leaders for a weeklong kids summer camp, they interact for the first time in a decade—and she realizes the immature boy who left so long ago has become a man.

A very muscular, all-too-handsome man who still has the ability to make her swoon.

But no matter how much chemistry between them, the problem remains—Tyler lives three thousand miles away in New York City, where he runs a nonprofit he’s passionate about. Meanwhile, Gabrielle’s heart is rooted in their small hometown of Walker Beach, California, where she takes care of the only family she’s got left.

It seems the only answer is to buckle down, ignore the sparks between them—and simply survive the week. If only they could get their traitorous hearts on board …

You can find All at Once online at:

Amazon | BookBub | Goodreads

Click the button to check out what my fabulous fellow FirstLineFriday bloggers are sharing today:

You can then click the link which will take you to the master page of all this week’s #FirstLineFriday posts.

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

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

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

3 September 2021

First Line Friday | Week 201 | Finding Love in Seaside, Oregon by Angela Ruth Strong

It’s First Line Friday! That means it’s time to pick up the nearest book and quote the first line. Today I’m sharing from Finding Love in Seaside, Oregon by Angela Ruth Strong, which looks like a fun contemporary Christian romance. Here’s the first line from the Chapter One:

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

About Finding Love in Seaside, Oregon

Runaway bride Christina doesn’t think life can get any worse than spending her honeymoon alone…

Until she arrives at the Oregon Coast to find the old Victorian bed and breakfast flooded. Dave, the owner, had been asking God for a wife right before Christina sailed through the door in her wedding dress, and when his cook quits due to the broken pipe, he offers the position to Christina. Could she be an answer to his prayer?

Christina, though thankful for the job, has been praying over her fiancé for years and is not ready to give up on him. Can God bring both Dave and Christina a happy ending when they are asking God for two different things?

You can find Finding Love in Seaside, Oregon online at:

Amazon | BookBub| Goodreads

Click the button to check out what my fabulous fellow FirstLineFriday bloggers are sharing today:

You can then click the link which will take you to the master page of all this week’s #FirstLineFriday posts.

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

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

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

27 August 2021

First Line Friday | Week 200 | When Love Returns by Lorana Hoopes

It’s First Line Friday! That means it’s time to pick up the nearest book and quote the first line. Today I’m sharing from When Love Returns by Lorana Hoopes, a new-to-me author (and the book was on sale, which is what enticed me to check it out). Here’s the first line from the Chapter One:

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

About When Love Returns

Can a daughter’s love rekindle an old flame?

Presley Hays and Brandon Scott were best friends in High School until Morgan entered their town and stole Brandon’s heart. Devastated, Presley took a scholarship to Le Cordon Bleu, but five years later, she is back in Star Lake after a tough breakup.

Brandon thought he’d never return to Star Lake after Morgan left him and his daughter Joy, but when his father needs help, he returns home and finds more than he bargained for.

Can Presley and Brandon forget past hurts or will their stubborn natures keep them apart forever? This sweet romance can be read stand alone or as part of the series, so click above and start the journey today.

You can find When Love Returns online at:

Amazon | BookBub | Goodreads

Click the button to check out what my fabulous fellow FirstLineFriday bloggers are sharing today:

You can then click the link which will take you to the master page of all this week’s #FirstLineFriday posts.

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

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

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

13 August 2021

First Line Friday | Week #198 | Rose Among Thornes by Terrie Todd

It’s First Line Friday! That means it’s time to pick up the nearest book and quote the first line. Today I’m sharing from Rose Among Thornes by Terrie Todd, which looks to be historical fiction with a unique setting—World War II Canada and Hong Kong. Here’s the first line from the Chapter One:

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

About Rose Among Thornes

Forgiveness is the deadliest force on earth.

War might be raging overseas, but Rose Onishi is on track to fulfill her lifelong goal of becoming a concert pianist. When forced by her government to leave her beloved home in Vancouver and move to the Canadian prairie to work on the Thornes’ sugar beet farm, her dream fades to match the black dirt staining her callused hands. Though the Thorne family is kind, life is unbearably lonely. In hopes that it might win her the chance to play their piano, Rose agrees to write letters to their soldier son.

When Rusty Thorne joins the Canadian Army, he never imagines becoming a Japanese prisoner of war. Inside the camp, the faith his parents instilled is tested like never before. Though he begs God to help him not hate his brutal captors, Rusty can no longer even hear the Japanese language without revulsion. Only his rare letters from home sustain him—especially the brilliant notes from his mother’s charming helper, which the girl signs simply as “Rose.”

Will Rusty survive the war only to encounter the Japanese on his own doorstep? Can Rose overcome betrayal and open her heart? Or will the truth destroy the fragile bond their letters created?

You can find Rose Among Thornes online at:

Amazon | BookBub | ChristianBook | Goodreads | Koorong

Click the button to check out what my fabulous fellow FirstLineFriday bloggers are sharing today:

You can then click the link which will take you to the master page of all this week’s #FirstLineFriday posts.

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

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

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

6 August 2021

First Line Friday | Week #197 | Where the Stars Meet the Sea by Heidi Kimball

It’s First Line Friday! (Again. Already. The year seems to be rushing by.)

That means it’s time to pick up the nearest book and quote the first line. Today I’m sharing from Where the Stars Meet the Sea by Heidi Kimball, a new-to-me author. Here’s the first line from the Chapter One:

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

About Where the Stars Meet the Sea

Juliet Graham fervently counts the days until her twenty-first birthday, when she can claim the inheritance that will grant her the freedom she has always craved and the guardianship of her younger brother. Until then, she is trapped under her aunt Agnes’s domineering will. When forced to accompany the family to a house party at Shaldorn Castle, Juliet’s only objective is to keep to herself. That is, until a chance encounter with a boorish stranger stirs up an unexpected whirlwind of emotions in her. Thrown off-balance, Juliet does the unthinkable: loses her temper and insults the man—who turns out to be her unwilling host, the Duke of Halstead. Fully expecting to be sent away, Juliet is surprised when the brusque and callous duke instead takes an interest in her.

Drawn to the duke in unguarded moments, Juliet finds herself more and more intrigued by the man who shuns Society’s rules as completely as she does, and over the next few weeks, their unlikely friendship deepens into a connection neither expected.

But even as Juliet comes to recognize her true feelings, her scheming aunt issues an ultimatum that threatens the future she was just beginning to hope for. Juliet must choose: either break the promise she made to herself years ago, or lose the man who has captured her heart and soul.

You can find Where the Stars Meet the Sky online at:

Amazon | BookBub | Goodreads

Click the button to check out what my fabulous fellow FirstLineFriday bloggers are sharing today:

You can then click the link which will take you to the master page of all this week’s #FirstLineFriday posts.

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

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

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

30 July 2021

First Line Friday | Week 196 | Provenance by Carla Laureano

It’s First Line Friday! That means it’s time to pick up the nearest book and quote the first line. Today I’m sharing from Provenance by Carla Laureano, one of my favourite contemporary Christian fiction writers.

Here’s the first line from the Chapter One:

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

About Provenance

Los Angeles interior designer and former foster kid Kendall Green is in high demand, both for her impeccable eye and for her uncanny ability to uncover the provenance of any piece. But for all her success, skyrocketing costs have put her California home and her business in jeopardy. Then an unexpected inheritance provides a timely solution: a grandmother she never knew has left her a group of historic properties in a tiny Colorado town on the edge of ruin.

To young, untried mayor Gabriel Brandt, Jasper Lake is more than another small town—it’s the place that saved his life. Now, seeing the town slowly wither and die, he’s desperate to restore it to its former glory. Unfortunately, his vision is at odds with a local developer who wants to see the town razed and rebuilt as a summer resort. He’s sure that he can enlist the granddaughter of one of its most prominent former citizens to his cause—until he meets Kendall and realizes that not only does she know nothing of her own history, she has no interest in reviving a place that once abandoned her.

In order to save his beloved town, Gabe must first help Kendall unravel the truth of her own provenance—and Kendall must learn that in order to embrace the future, sometimes you have to start with the past.

Find Provenance online at:

Amazon | BookBub | ChristianBook | Goodreads | Koorong

Click the button to check out what my fabulous fellow FirstLineFriday bloggers are sharing today:

You can then click the link which will take you to the master page of all this week’s #FirstLineFriday posts.

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

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

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

23 July 2021

First Line Friday | Week 195 | Undercurrent of Secrets by Rachel Scott McDaniel

It’s First Line Friday! That means it’s time to pick up the nearest book and quote the first line. Today I’m sharing from Undercurrent of Secrets by Rachel Scott McDaniel, part of a new series of dual-timeline novels.

Here’s the first line from the Chapter One:

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

About Undercurrent of Secrets

Two women, a century apart, are bound by a haunting secret aboard a legendary steamboat.

As wedding coordinator for the 100-year-old steamboat The Belle of Louisville, Devyn Asbury takes pride in seeing others’ dreams come true, even though her engagement had sunk like a diamond ring to the bottom of the Ohio River. When the Belle becomes a finalist in the Timeless Wedding Venue contest, Devyn endeavors to secure the prestigious title with hopes to reclaim some of her professional dreams. What she hadn’t planned on was Chase Jones showing up with a mysterious photo from the 1920s.

A century earlier, Hattie Louis is as untamable as the rivers that raised her. As the adopted daughter of a steamboat captain, her duties range from the entertainment to cook. When strange incidents occur aboard the boat, Hattie’s determined to discover the truth. Even if that means getting under First Mate Jack Marshall’s handsome skin.

You can find Undercurrent of Secrets online at:

Amazon | ChristianBook | Goodreads | Koorong

Click the button to check out what my fabulous fellow FirstLineFriday bloggers are sharing today:

You can then click the link which will take you to the master page of all this week’s #FirstLineFriday posts.

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

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

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

16 July 2021

First Line Friday | Week 194 | Chicken Crossing by Kristen J Wilks

It’s First Line Friday! That means it’s time to pick up the nearest book and quote the first line. Today I’m sharing from Chicken Crossing by Kristen J Wilks. Here’s the first line from the Chapter One:

This sounds like a fun story for those who like chickens … and don’t mind rats.

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

About Chicken Crossing

Why did the chicken cross the road?

The machinations of poultry are difficult to decipher. Add an infuriating youth pastor, a terrifying crash at highway speeds, and trap-building kids too bored for their own good and you have something a little more serious than a knock-knock joke. After the local librarian foolishly agrees to haul a trailer full of chickens over the pass, an unexpected crash sends fifteen beloved hens scattering into the wilderness. Shelby and the exasperating Jack must locate, capture, and return the chickens to his nephew before the talent show at the boy’s new school on Monday. The problem: chickens are incredibly difficult to catch. Especially when dispersed throughout the wild. When they take refuge in a coop occupied by twenty identical hens and guarded by multiple NO TRESPASSING signs and a pair of bored mountain children who have been watching way too much TV, tensions rise and feathers fly. Can Shelby thwart an alarming collection of unlikely traps and find the chickens before they are devoured? Imagination and ingenuity go so very wrong in this epic clash of inventive child verses accidental chicken thief.

You can find Chicken Crossing online at:

Amazon | BookBub | Goodreads

Click the button to check out what my fabulous fellow FirstLineFriday bloggers are sharing today:

You can then click the link which will take you to the master page of all this week’s #FirstLineFriday posts.

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

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

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

9 July 2021

First Line Friday | Week 193 | The Nature of Small Birds by Susie Finkbeiner

It’s First Line Friday! That means it’s time to pick up the nearest book and quote the first line. Today I’m sharing from The Nature of Small Birds by Susie Finkbeiner, who writes beautiful novels with deep Christian themes. Here’s the first line from the Chapter One:

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

About The Nature of Small Birds

When Mindy announces that she is returning to Vietnam to find her birthmother, it inspires her father, mother, and sister to recall the events of her adoption at the end of the Vietnam War during Operation Baby Lift. In this beautiful time-slip story, Mindy’s family reexamines what it means to grow together beyond genetic code.

Find The Nature of Small Birds online at:

Amazon | BookBub | ChristianBook | Goodreads | Koorong

Click the button to check out what my fabulous fellow FirstLineFriday bloggers are sharing today:

You can then click the link which will take you to the master page of all this week’s #FirstLineFriday posts.

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