Category: First Line Friday

First Line Friday

First Line Friday | Week 71 | Hidden Among the Stars by Melanie Dobson

It’s First Line Friday! I’m currently putting together my Top Ten list for 2018. This means checking out the books I’ve read this year and trying to whittle them down to the ten best. It’s no easy task!

Anyway, Hidden Among the Stars by Melanie Dobson is one that might make the cut. Here’s the first line:

First line from Hidden Among the Stars: The blade of a shovel, cutting through frosted grass. That's what she remembered most from the spring of 1938.

This is one of those books where I read the first line, and couldn’t stop reading. Click here to read my review.

About Hidden Among the Stars

The year is 1938, and as Hitler’s troops sweep into Vienna, Austrian Max Dornbach promises to help his Jewish friends hide their most valuable possessions from the Nazis, smuggling them to his family’s summer estate near the picturesque village of Hallstatt. He enlists the help of Annika Knopf, his childhood friend and the caretaker’s daughter, who is eager to help the man she’s loved her entire life.

But when Max also brings Luzia Weiss, a young Jewish woman, to hide at the castle, it complicates Annika’s feelings and puts their entire plan—even their very lives—in jeopardy. Especially when the Nazis come to scour the estate and find both Luzia and the treasure gone.

Eighty years later, Callie Randall is mostly content with her quiet life, running a bookstore with her sister and reaching out into the world through her blog. Then she finds a cryptic list in an old edition of Bambi that connects her to Annika’s story . . . and maybe to the long-buried story of a dear friend. As she digs into the past, Callie must risk venturing outside the safe world she’s built for a chance at answers, adventure, and maybe even new love.

Find Hidden Among the Stars at:

Amazon | ChristianBook | Goodreads | Koorong

Read the introduction to Hidden Among the Stars below:

Click here to check out Hidden Among the Stars and other great Christian fiction at  my Amazon shop.

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!

First Line Friday

First Line Friday | Week 70 | The Line Between by Tosca Lee

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 Line Between by Tosca Lee:

First line from The Line Between by Tosca Lee: Conventional wisdom dictates that that's an insurmountable divide—an entire dimension of eternity and space—between Heaven and Hell. I can tell you it's closer to a foot and a half.

The story is a unique mix of cult religion and near-future dystopia.

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

About The Line Between

In this frighteningly believable thriller from New York Times bestselling author Tosca Lee, an extinct disease re-emerges from the melting Alaskan permafrost to cause madness in its victims. For recent apocalyptic cult escapee Wynter Roth, it’s the end she’d always been told was coming.

When Wynter Roth is turned out of New Earth, a self-contained doomsday cult on the American prairie, she emerges into a world poised on the brink of madness as a mysterious outbreak of rapid early onset dementia spreads across the nation.

As Wynter struggles to start over in a world she’s been taught to regard as evil, she finds herself face-to-face with the apocalypse she’s feared all her life—until the night her sister shows up at her doorstep with a set of medical samples. That night, Wynter learns there’s something far more sinister at play and that these samples are key to understanding the disease.

Now, as the power grid fails and the nation descends into chaos, Wynter must find a way to get the samples to a lab in Colorado. Uncertain who to trust, she takes up with former military man Chase Miller, who has his own reasons for wanting to get close to the samples in her possession, and to Wynter herself.

Filled with action, conspiracy, romance, and questions of whom—and what—to believe, The Line Between is a high-octane story of survival and love in a world on the brink of madness.

You can find The Line Between online at:

Amazon | ChristianBook | 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 69 | Ashmore by Angela Curtis

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 Ashmore by Angela Curtis:

First line from Ashmore by Angela Curtis: One half-witted decision changed Lillie Curtis' life forever. Unfortunately, that choice had not been her own.

Ashmore is the fictionalised story of the author’s ancestors and their voyage to New Zealand, based on a diary she found in the Auckland Museum.

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

About Ashmore

Her greatest fear … is that she will live.
Her greatest triumph … is that she survived.

Lillie’s sheltered world is plunged into mayhem when she is forced to board the ASHMORE, a 219-foot sailing ship bound for New Zealand in 1882.

She must face and conquer the ruthless forces of both man and nature to survive the 103-day voyage. Only then will she be able to take control of her future and find her true destiny.

You can find Ashmore 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 68 | The Making of Mrs Hale by Carolyn Miller

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 Making of Mrs Hale by Carolyn Miller:

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

About The Making of Mrs Hale:

Marry in haste, repent in leisure—Mrs. Hale is about to find out how painful that repentance can truly be.

Julia Hale ran off to be married in Gretna Green, following romance instead of common sense. But her tale isn’t turning into a happily ever after. Her new husband is gone and she doesn’t know where—or if he’s ever coming back. Julia has no option but to head home to the family she betrayed by eloping and to hope they’ll forgive her. Especially now that she might be carrying a baby from her brief marriage.

Carolyn Miller’s clean and wholesome Regency romances continue with The Making of Mrs. Hale, following familiar characters as they learn how restoration can occur by finding hope and healing through a deep relationship with God. Full of rich historical details and witty banter, this series continues to draw in fans of Jane Austen, Sarah Ladd, and Julie Klassen.

You can find The Making of Mrs Hale 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 67 | Romancing the Bride by Melissa Jagears

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 Romancing the Bride by Melissa Jagears:

First line from Romancing the Bride by Melissa Jagears: Annie Gephart pressed her lips together to keep from begging Tom Passey—the greasiest, most foul-mouthed cowpuncher she'd ever met—to stay on.

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

About Romancing the Bride

Marrying a stranger to save a ranch is one thing; losing the land on their wedding day is another.

Desperate to keep the ranch where three of her children and a husband lie buried, Annie Gephart must marry or sell. Which of the few bachelors in town would consider a surprise proposal to wed a plain widow with a rebellious daughter, a spirited boy, and unpaid taxes—without laughing in her face?

Jacob Hendrix has never fully let go of his ranching dreams despite ending up as a small Wyoming town’s marshal. The job wouldn’t be so bad, except he’s more errand boy than lawman. When Annie proposes marriage without a single coquettish bat of an eyelash, can he commit himself to a woman he hardly knows for a choice piece of property he’d be an idiot to pass up?

But taxes aren’t all that threaten Annie and Jacob’s plans. Cattle rustlers, crumbling friendships, and wayward children make this marriage of convenience anything but. When they lose what they’ve sacrificed everything to save, will the love of a stranger be enough?

You can find Romancing the 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 66 | Pathway to Peace by Elizabeth Maddrey

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 Pathway to Peace by Elizabeth Maddrey:

First line from Pathway to Peace by Elizabeth Maddrey: Overly chipper instrumental versions of Christmas music played through the speakers, just loud enough to be heard over the customers who wandered the aisles of the Bullseye discount department store looking for the first of the season’s bargains.

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

About Pathway to Peace

All she wants is to leave her past behind.

Lindsey Bowers has spent five years hiding from her mistakes. She’s created a life, such as it is, where few people know about her past. If that means she has to keep people at arm’s length, so be it.

Gavin Harder is ready to tackle the future. Newly relocated to the D.C. area, he plans to spend Christmas with his grandmother and get settled before attending the Police Academy in January. He’s can’t wait to protect and serve with his new brothers in blue.

When Gavin’s grandmother invites Lindsey to share Thanksgiving dinner with them, Gavin makes it clear he’s not looking for a relationship. But the instant attraction he feels has him rethinking that decision. Before long, attraction turns to friendship with the hope of something more.

If they can move beyond the secrets they’re both keeping.

Pathway to Peace is the final installment of the Grant Us Grace series and touches base with now-grown Lindsey, the pregnant teenager who appeared in Courage to Change (Grant Us Grace Book 2). Revisit old friends in this Christmas novella by grabbing your copy today!

You can find Pathway to Peace 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 65 | True Nobility by Lori Bates Wright

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 True Nobility by Lori Bates Wright, the first in her Saberton Legacy series:

First Line from True Nobility by Lori Bates Wright

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

About True Nobility

In an unfamiliar country, she’s left all alone, the noble privilege of her name rendered useless. Everything she believes in is not as it seems. Driven by desperation, she risks it all to find her way to the one man whose love has proven true.

Lady Victoria Haverwood, beloved daughter of a prominent earl, lives a sheltered life. But when she becomes the target of a murderous plot, her idyllic world is turned upside down as her father has them whisked across the ocean to the shores of Savannah, Georgia.

Nicholas Saberton, an accomplished American Naval captain, is commissioned by the earl to escort them safely to America. Drawn to the charm and elegance of the earl’s daughter, he us determined to remain focused on expanding his shipping company. Nevertheless, he pledges to protect her with his life.

When danger threatens to consume her, Victoria must find courage to overcome the repercussions of her father’s past to chart a new course for herself and those she loves.

You can find True Nobility 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 64 | Return to Baragula by Mary Hawkins

It’s First Line Friday! That means it’s time to pick up the nearest book and quote the first line. Today I’m celebrating the re-release of Return to Baragula by Mary Hawkins by sharing the first line:

First Line from Return to Baragula: As Emily's breathing slowed, the awesome feeling of ecstasy evaporated, and the full realization of what had happened raced through her.

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

About Return to Baragula

When overcome by being alone with the man she loved on the romantic beach setting, teenager Emily Parker failed to keep her promise to God never to make love until married. She never dreamed how it would impact her own life and the lives of many others. Six years later, despite the hateful way she’d been treated there, she has to return to her home town, but discovers that Matthew Davidson, the man she’d yielded to, is now the local doctor.

While Emily’s faith is now weak, even believing God can no longer love her, Matthew’s life has changed since he committed his life to Christ. However, now he has to deal with all the consequences of his actions with Emily. When he becomes ill and is still weak when disease attacks the community, Emily, a registered nurse, has to help him. But danger from her life in the city has followed her, and now also threatens her family. Through it all, will Matthew and Emily’s faith and love be strong enough to forgive each other, and deal with all the consequences of their behaviour?

You can find Return to Baragula 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 check out my Amazon shop for my top picks in Christian fiction!

First Line Friday

First Line Friday | Week 63 | Brother Betrayed by Jenny Wheeler

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 Brother Betrayed by Jenny Wheeler, the second book in the Of Gold and Blood series:

First line from Brother Betrayed: Business magnate and mine owner Sir John Russell had slept only fitfully when he had retired after saying goodnight to Chung Ting Hon and Beautiful Jade, his beautiful young wife.

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

About Brother Betrayed

A mysterious death. A missing partner. Can an opera singer and a businessman catch the culprit before he strikes again?

New Zealand-born Pania Hayes has won the hearts of her Californian crowds. But after her husband’s untimely death, the opera singer realizes fame and fortune mean nothing without loved ones to share it with. So when her closest friend gets caught in a web of mysterious deaths and disappearances, she vows to find the real culprit and clear his name… even after he turns his back on her.

Hong Kong-born John Russell prides himself on building his business empire from nothing. But after his beloved mentor’s death and business partner’s disappearance, he realizes the company is slipping out of his control. Within the ranks, tensions have turned deadly. And a shameful secret from his past threatens to unleash even more destruction. Without knowing who he can trust, he sets off alone to find his missing partner and piece together his broken legacy.

United in their grief but unable to reach out, Pania and Sir John must learn to work together to solve the mystery before more blood is shed.

Brother Betrayed is the second standalone book in the captivating Of Gold & Blood historical mystery series. If you like accurate portrayals of the Western frontier, fast-paced action, and tales of redemption, then you’ll love Jenny Wheeler’s pitch-perfect saga.

Buy Brother Betrayed to travel back in time for an unforgettable mystery today!

You can find Brother Betrayed 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 check out my Amazon shop for my top picks in Christian fiction!

First Line Friday

First Line Friday | Week 62 | Burden of Proof by DiAnn Mills

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 Burden of Proof by DiAnn Mills:

First Line from Burden of Proof by DiAnn Mills: Eerie feelings are rarely something to ignore, and hostage negotiator Special Agent April Ramos feared her arrival at the critical scene might be too late.

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

About Burden of Proof

Reeling from a negotiation gone wrong, FBI Special Agent April Ramos is caught off guard when a frazzled young woman shoves a crying baby into her arms, then disappears. Worry for the child’s safety quickly turns to fear when a man claiming to be the girl’s father abducts them at gunpoint. April puts her hostage negotiation skills to use to learn more about who she’s dealing with: Jason Snyder, a fugitive accused of murder.

As Jason spins a tall tale about being framed for the killing of his business partner, April must sort through his claims to find the truth. A truth that becomes all the more evident after April overhears a conversation between Jason and the local sheriff and realizes something more sinister may be happening in their small town of Sweet Briar, Texas. But aligning herself with a known fugitive to uncover the burden of proof could cost April her job . . . or worse, her life and the lives of other innocent people.

Find Burden of Proof 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 check out my Amazon shop for my top picks in Christian fiction!