Category: First Line Friday

First Line Friday

First Line Friday | Week 154 | Grace in the Darkness by Bree Livingstone

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 Grace in the Darkness by Bree Livingstone. Here’s the first line of Chapter One:

“Lillian. Lillian? Can you hear me, Lillian?” My therapist’s voice grates on my. I’d say like nails on a chalkboard, but that wouldn’t accurately describe just how much I hate her voice.

I read Grace in the Silence when it was first released in 2017, with the title Broken Like Glass. But now it’s available with a new cover, and I think I’m going to read it again. Click here to read my review.

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

 

About Grace in the Darkness

A three-day weekend visit home goes terribly wrong when Lillian James stabs her dad and has no memory of doing it.

Now, faced with six-months of court-ordered therapy, she’s stuck in her small hometown with her high school crush, Uriah Pendleton, judgmental townsfolk, and painful childhood memories that are bubbling to the surface.

Can the Savior—who she lovingly calls Papa—heal her wounds while teaching her that the past doesn’t define the future and that He has a purpose for all things, even the bad?

You can find Grace in the Darkness online at:

Amazon | Goodreads

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

First Line Fridays hosted by Hoarding Books

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!

First Line Friday

First Line Friday | Week 153 | The Apprentice by Kristen Young

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 Brunch at Bittersweet Cafe by Carla Laureano. Here’s the first line of Chapter One:

Some things should never be forgotten—at least, that's what they tell me.

I read an early version of The Apprentice, and it was excellent—recommended for fans of YA dystopian novels like The Hunger Games or Divergent. Yes, I’m going to read The Apprentice again and write a full review (I have to. I’ve read two versions of the end, and I need to know which one got the final tick!) I’ve also read a draft of #3 in the series. Now I’m anxiously awaiting #2!

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

 

About The Apprentice

The Love Collective is everywhere.
It sees everything.
Be not afraid.

Apprentice Flick remembers everything, except the first five years of her life. And for as long as she can remember, Flick has wanted to enter the Elite Academy—home to the best, brightest, and most loyal members of the Love Collective government.

Flick’s uncanny memory might get her there, too … even if it is the very thing that marks her as a freak. But frightening hallucinations start intruding into her days and threaten to bring down all she has worked so hard to accomplish. Why is she being hijacked by a stranger’s nightmare over and over again?

Moving to the Elite Academy could give Flick the future she’s always wanted. But her search for truth may lead to a danger she cannot escape.

You can find The Apprentice online at:

Amazon | ChristianBook | Goodreads | Koorong

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

First Line Fridays hosted by Hoarding Books

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!

First Line Friday

First Line Friday | Week 152 | Scattered by Nola Lorraine

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 Scattered, the debut novel from Australian author Nola Lorraine. Here’s the first line of Chapter One:

Maggie shoved the hatch open and peeked out across the saturated deck.

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

About Scattered

To lose her family was unthinkable …
To find them will take a miracle.

While working in Europe, nineteen-year-old Maggie never dreamed that her family would be ripped apart and scattered across the sea, with her young brother and sister sent to Canada as part of the Home Children Migrant Scheme.

Desperation sends Maggie on a search from England to Canada, with a harrowing shipwreck leaving her stranded on Sable Island. Eventually arriving in Halifax, Maggie is devastated to discover the trail to find her sister and brother has gone cold.

An offer of help from industrialist Thaddeus Tharaday seems like an answer to prayer, but is the wealthy Tharaday her benefactor or nemesis?

With the help of a dashing newspaper reporter, Maggie begins to unravel the web of deceit surrounding her siblings’ disappearance. However, the closer she gets to the truth, the more dangerous her quest becomes.

You can find Scattered online at:

Amazon| Goodreads | Koorong

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

First Line Fridays hosted by Hoarding Books

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!

First Line Friday

First Line Friday | Week 151 | The Art Fiasco by Fiona Veitch Smith

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 Art Fiasco by British author Fiona Veitch Smith. It’s the fifth book in her Poppy Denby mystery series, but the first one I’ve seen. I’m looking forward to reading it.

Here’s the first line of Chapter One:

Agnes Robson hurried into the church hall, smiling an apology at the gentleman in charge, and took her usual place at the easel nearest the window.

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

 

About The Art Fiasco

It’s 1924 and Poppy Denby is heading up to Northumberland to celebrate her father’s sixtieth birthday. She stops off in Newcastle en route to visit her Aunt Dot, who has temporarily relocated from London to renovate a house she’s inherited.

One of Aunt Dot’s guests is the world-renowned artist, Agnes Robson, who is staging an exhibition at the Laing Art Gallery. Reluctantly, Poppy is roped in to help when the artist’s press liaison man falls ill.

She soon discovers that the local press has dug up some dirt on Agnes relating to the tragic death of a young art teacher in Ashington Colliery, twenty-seven years earlier. As she tries to suppress the story, Poppy begins to suspect that the teacher might have been murdered and that the killer may still be on the loose…

Find The Art Fiasco online at:

Amazon | Goodreads | Koorong

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

First Line Fridays hosted by Hoarding Books

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!

First Line Friday

First Line Friday | Week 150 | Just Like Home by Courtney Walsh

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 Just Like Home by Courtney Walsh. Here’s the first line of Chapter One:

Dear Charlotte, it's so boring to start a letter talking about the weather, but I'm going to do it anyway.

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

 

About Just Like Home

Prima ballerina Charlotte Page has a life any dancer would envy, but the tragic loss of her best friend, Julianna, leaves her wanting more. Or maybe—less. In an effort to make her life about something other than accolades and applause, Charlotte leaves professional ballet to save Julianna’s small-town dance studio. This lands her directly in the path of cranky high school football coach and Julianna’s older brother, Cole Turner.

Fresh off a state win and a bitter divorce, the last thing Cole expects is for a prima ballerina to chip away at the wall he’s grown quite comfortable hiding behind.

Will their fledgling relationship be strong enough to weather the storm of old secrets and a haunting past? Or will Charlotte lose the new, simple life she’s given up everything to gain?

You can find Just Like Home online at:

Amazon | Goodreads

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

First Line Fridays hosted by Hoarding Books

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!

First Line Friday

First Line Friday | Week 149 | Louisa by Beth Troy

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 Louisa by Beth Troy, the sequel to Lu (which was brilliant). Here’s the first line of Chapter One:

At least the trees were cooperating with my plan.

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

 

About Louisa

What happens after salvation – when you’ve changed, but others don’t see it? Author Beth Troy addresses this question from the first page, which finds Lu Sokolowski – the engaging and relatable heroine from Troy’s redemptive debut novel, Lu – back in her hometown with her expectations of a new life, dashed.

Lu has returned to Dunlap’s Creek with a hope to stay, but she struggles to right the wrongs she’d left behind, build a career outside of writing, and move on from the man who has moved on from her.

Louisa is a modern faith story of life after salvation that openly explores:

  • The disconnect between who we are and how others perceive us
  • The struggle in speaking up for our beliefs
  • The question of when to let go and when to fight
  • The journey in claiming a new identity

In turns captivating and pointed, Louisa is a novel of a woman coming into the fullness of life God has for her. It’s for women who have experienced this for themselves and for women who doubt whether such a life exists. It’s for women who understand that a life of faith isn’t without struggle or mistakes. Louisa is about restoration – in its grit and glory.

Find Louisa online at:

Amazon | Goodreads

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

First Line Fridays hosted by Hoarding Books

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!

First Line Friday

First Line Friday | Week 148 | A Heart’s Revolution by Roseanna M White

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 A Heart’s Revolution by Roseanna M White. Here’s the first line of Chapter One:

Perhaps if Lark recited the pirate code it would steal his attention. She could try standing on her head.

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

 

About A Heart’s Revolution

In 1783 peace has been declared, but war still rages in the heart of Lark Benton.

Never did Lark think she’d want to escape Emerson Fielding, the man she’s loved all her life. But when he betrays her, she flees Williamsburg for Annapolis, taking refuge in the nation’s temporary capital. There Lark throws herself into a new circle of friends who force her to examine all she believes.

Emerson follows, determined to reclaim his betrothed. Surprised when she refuses to return with him, he realizes that in this new nation he has come to call his own, duty is no longer enough. He must learn to open his heart and soul to something greater—before he loses all he should have been fighting to hold.

(Actually, I’m still working my way through my to-read pile, and I have the 2011 paperback version of this, titled Love Finds You in Annapolis, Maryland.)

You can find A Heart’s Revolution online at:

Amazon | Goodreads

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

First Line Fridays hosted by Hoarding Books

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!

First Line Friday

First Line Friday | Week 147 | The Island Bride by Susan Page Davis

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 Island Bride by Susan Page Davis. Here’s the first line of Chapter One:

The back door to the kitchen burst open. Molly Orland nearly dropped the wooden spoon she held.

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

 

About The Island Bride

In the summer of 1860, Prince Edward Island is astir as its citizens eagerly anticipate their first visit from a member of the British royal family. Molly Orland is too poor to be invited to the ball honoring the young Prince of Wales, but she and several other local young women are pleased when they are hired as extra staff in the house where he will stay. There she meets Peter Stark, understeward for the royal party.

Peter is attracted to the beauty of the island—and to Molly, whom he’s determined to shield from the antics of the playboy prince. When they discover a long-buried secret that could bring shame to Peter’s royal employer, will he remain a loyal servant—or help Molly and her family get the justice they deserve?

Sweet, inspirational romance set against the historic visit of Queen Victoria’s son to the island.

(Note: The Island Bride was originally published as Love Finds You in Prince Edward Island, Canada, and that’s actually the version I’m reading as it’s at the top of my to-read mountain. Also, The Island Bride is a bit of a misnomer as a title).

You can find The Island Bride online at:

Amazon | Goodreads

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

First Line Fridays hosted by Hoarding Books

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!

First Line Friday

First Line Friday | Week 146 | The Jazz Files by Fiona Veitch Smith

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 Jazz Files by Fiona Veitch Smith. Here’s the first line of Chapter One:

A scattering of snow lay across the railway yard, transforming the industrial clutter into a picture postcard: a work of art that could be hung for a night but removed when light and sanity returned.

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

About The Jazz Files

It is 1920. Twenty-two year old Poppy Denby moves from Northumberland to live with her paraplegic aunt in London. Aunt Dot, a suffragette, was injured in battles with the police in 1910. Her contacts prove invaluable. Poppy lands a position as an editorial assistant at the Daily Globe. Poppy has always wanted to be a journalist and laps up the atmosphere of the news room.

Then one of the paper’s hacks dies suddenly and dramatically. His story was going to be the morning lead, but he hasn’t finished writing it. Poppy finds his notes and completes the story, which is a sensation. The editor, realising her valuable suffragette contacts, invites her to dig deeper. Poppy starts sifting through the dead man’s files and unearths a major mystery which takes her to France – and into danger.

(This is not a great book description—it feels more like a plot summary. But the first line is brilliant, so I will ignore the description. After all, the author probably didn’t write it!)

You can find The Jazz Files online at

Amazon | ChristianBook | Goodreads | Koorong

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

First Line Fridays hosted by Hoarding Books

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!

First Line Friday

First Line Friday | Week 145 | Driftwood Bay by Irene Hannon

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 Driftwood Bay by Irene Hannon, the fifth book in her Hope Harbor series. Here’s the first line of Chapter One:

Chaos. That was the only word to describe his new home. And his new life.

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

About Driftwood Bay

After tragedy upends her world, Jeannette Mason retreats to the tiny Oregon seaside town of Hope Harbor to create a new life. Vowing to avoid emotional attachments, she focuses on running her lavender farm and tea-room–until a new neighbor with a destructive dog and a forlorn little girl invades her turf. But she needn’t worry. Dr. Logan West is too busy coping with an unexpected family, a radical lifestyle change, and an unruly pup to have any interest in his aloof and disagreeable neighbor.

Yet when both Jeanette and Logan find themselves pulled into the life of a tattered Christian family fleeing persecution in war-torn Syria, might they discover that love sometimes comes calling when it’s least expected?

Bestselling and award-winning author Irene Hannon invites readers back to the charming seaside town of Hope Harbor, where they are sure to find peace, healing, and a second chance at happiness.

You can find Driftwood Bay online at:

Amazon | ChristianBook | Goodreads | Koorong

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

First Line Fridays hosted by Hoarding Books

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!