Tag: Self-Published

First Line Friday

First Line Friday #328 | Rescuing the Rock Star by Liwen Y Ho

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 latest release from Liwen Y Ho, which ticks all my favourite trope boxes … secret baby, rock star, and mistaken identity.

Here’s the first line from the Chapter One:

There were few things that Leah Parker was sure of but one thing was clear - she was not cut out for romance.

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

 

About Rescuing the Rock Star

It’s time for this rock star to settle down …

Fame, fortune, and fans—Jace Kendall has it all. Yet, he still feels like something is missing from his life. After the thrill of success starts to wane, he runs into his first love who left him without a word a decade ago. To his surprise, she mistakes him for his twin brother, an assumption he doesn’t correct for fear that she might disappear again.

If Leah Parker wasn’t so desperate, she wouldn’t have befriended the brother of the man she once had a summer fling with. She’d never wanted to hinder Jace’s future, which is why she stopped contacting him when his career took off. But her daughter’s life-threatening illness forces her to ask the Kendall family for help and reveals the secret she’s been keeping for years.

When the media catches wind of their past, Jace and Leah not only have to deal with the fallout but also with their undeniable chemistry. Can they learn to trust each other enough to plan a future together?

Find Rescuing the Rock Star 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!

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First Line Friday

First Line Friday #327 | Drive You Crazy by Jessica Kate

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 Drive You Crazy, the new release from Australian Christian rom-com author Jessica Kate, and the first book in her new Amity Creek series.

Here’s the first line from the Chapter One:

Small town romances have it all wrong. And I’m betting my inheritance on it.

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

 

About Drive You Crazy

Cover image - Driver You Crazy by Jessica Kate

Bubbly newspaper editor Ashley Anderson is ecstatic to finally call this small town in Washington State ‘home’—until she accidentally angers her newspaper’s biggest advertisers, and they boycott. Her neighbor Justin has the family connections to get the town back on her side—but asking for help from the man she’s nicknamed ‘Dracula’ is a last resort.

Living next door, rebel-with-a-cause teacher Justin Hastings can’t escape Amity Creek fast enough. But when a good deed goes awry, it’s his fault that Ashley’s car is out of action, and they’re forced to carpool until he can make things right.

Thrust into one another’s daily lives, Ashley and Justin learn that little is black-and-white—not small town life, not family, and not each other. But there’s a fork in the road, and it seems God has these two destined for separate paths. Can the road less travelled ever lead them back to love?

Don’t miss the chance to immerse yourself in this must-read inspirational romance about the complexities—and the beauty—of true love in all its forms.

Find Driver You Crazy 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!

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When you go undercover, the line between what is real and what is acting can blur. Neither of you can allow that to happen.

Book Review | Rocky Road (Sons of Scandal #2) by Becky Wade

Rocky Road has one of the best boy-meets-girl scenes I’ve read. It’s the perfect rom-com introduction—unique, not cringey, and the perfect introduction to both characters: the staid and responsible Jude Camden, and the outgoing and impulsive (but secretly equally responsible) Gemma Clare.

Jude studied law before deciding he wanted to track down the bad guys, not defend them.

He’s now an FBI agent, and his new assignment has him working undercover with Gemma to collect evidence against her cousin, Cedric.

Gemma blames Cedric for her father ending up in jail, not least because Cedric is still walking free despite being the brains behind her father’s crimes. So she’s more than happy to post as Jude’s girlfriend to get him close to Cedric if that means Cedric will face the consequences of his actions.

Of course, the one rule of undercover work is that the couple aren’t to form any kind of attachment. Jude doesn’t think this will be a problem—he’s never met a rule he can’t follow. Gemma is not so sure … and that’s going to ruffle Jude’s calm demeanor.

One of the things Becky Wade is famous for is the banter between her characters, and Rocky Road is full of banter. Gemma and Jude were perfect opposites and that meant they were each the perfect foil for the other … which leads to lots of wonderful banter. But there’s also some serious points, especially when it comes to matters of faith.

I appreciated the way Becky Wade crossed the boundary from fun to faith without it seeming forced.

I was about a third of the way through the story before I realised the connection between this story and Memory Lane, the first in Becky Wade’s Sons of Scandal series. For those who read and enjoyed Memory Lane, we get enough of Jeremiah and Remy to keep us interested, as well as more of an introduction to Max, the third Camden son… who is clearly being positioned to be the hero of the next book. I can’t wait.

Recommended for contemporary Christian romance fans, especially those who like an element of rom com and suspense.

Thanks to the author and NetGalley for providing a free ebook for review.

About Becky Wade

Author Photo Becky WadeBecky is the Carol and Christy award winning author of heartwarming, humorous, and swoon-worthy contemporary inspirational romances.

During her childhood in California, Becky frequently produced homemade plays starring her sisters, friends, and cousins. These plays almost always featured a heroine, a prince, and a love story with a happy ending. She’s been a fan of all things romantic ever since.

These days, you’ll find Becky in Dallas, Texas failing to keep up with her housework, trying her best in yoga class, carting her three kids around town, watching TV with her Cavalier spaniel on her lap, hunched over her computer writing, or eating chocolate.

You can find Becky Wade online at:

Website | Facebook | Instagram | Pinterest | Twitter

About Rocky Road

Cover image - Rocky Road by Becky WadeFBI Agent Jude Camden handles every aspect of his job with by-the-book professionalism. There’s no reason why his latest assignment—which calls for him to pose as the boyfriend of perfumer Gemma Clare—should be any different.

Except Gemma is different. She’s creative, bold, and feisty. And as soon as she meets Jude, she wants to loosen him up, wrinkle his perfect shirts, and test every ounce of his towering self-control.

The FBI has an iron-clad rule against romances between those working together on operations. Jude’s never met a rule he didn’t respect. But adhering to this one is going to be tough because, as time goes by, he finds Gemma more and more irresistible.

Buckle up! It’s going to be a rocky road.

Find Rocky Road online at:

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First Line Friday

First Line Friday #325 | Over the Rainbow (Trinity Lakes #8) by Meredith Resce

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 next book in the Trinity Lakes contemporary Christian romance series, Over the Rainbow by Meredith Resce.

Here’s the first line from the Chapter One:

Arianne Rayne inhaled a deep breath of determination. This was going to be hard.

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

 

About Over the Rainbow

Cover image - Over the Rainbow by Meredith ResceWhat a difference a year makes.

Last year, Arianne Rayne was playing college basketball and looking forward to a permanent future with her boyfriend.

This year, she is learning to live with disability.

After walking away from an accident he’d caused by reckless driving, her boyfriend walked away from her. The uncertainty of how life would look now that she had lost mobility was enough for him to break the relationship, and her heart.

Coming to Trinity Lakes to live with her stable, unflappable grandparents is hope for a new beginning and a chance to heal her heart. Away from her parents’ cloistered, cotton-wool approach, she hopes to learn how to live independently with the help of physiotherapist and trainers at the local gym.

Until she meets Matthew Kennedy. He might be buff and good looking, but he has no idea about how to relate to someone living with disability. He’s eligible, and he is certainly accessible, given he is one of her personal trainers, but will he ever see beyond her wheelchair? Arianne’s heart tells her it’s unlikely.

Until she is stranded, and Matthew is her only hope of getting home.

Find Over the Rainbow 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!

What's teh last book you readd that made you cry? The first book I can remember reading that made me cry was Bridge to Terabithia by Katherine Paterson, which I read in around 1981 (so only a few years after it was published). Anyone who has read the book (or seen one of the movie adaptations) will know why I cried. The last book that made me cry was Carry Me Home by Dorothy Adamek, where I cried for a similar reason ... but won'tsay any more because of #spoilers. But that's a few years ago now. I do have to admit that I don't consciously seek out books that will make me cry. I prefer books that make me laugh or feel good ... which is why I favour romance (with the occasional segue into romantic suspense, rom com, or women's fiction). What about you? What's the last book you read that made you cry?

Bookish Question #315 | What’s the last book you read that made you cry?

The first book I can remember reading that made me cry was Bridge to Terabithia by Katherine Paterson, which I read in around 1981 (so only a few years after it was published). Anyone who has read the book (or seen one of the movie adaptations) will know why I cried.

The last book that made me cry was Carry Me Home by Dorothy Adamek, where I cried for a similar reason … but won’t say any more because of #spoilers.

But that’s a few years ago now.

I have to admit that I don’t consciously seek out books that will make me cry. If I wanted to cry, I can watch the news.

I read for entertainment, so prefer books that make me laugh or feel good … which is why I favour romance with the occasional segue into romantic suspense, rom com, or women’s fiction.

What about you? What’s the last book you read that made you cry?

First Line Friday

First Line Friday #320 | Muskoka Hearts by Carolyn Miller

It’s First Line Friday! That means it’s time to pick up the nearest book and quote the first line. I’m currently reading Muskoka Hearts, the third book in Carolyn Miller’s Muskoka Shores series. Here’s the first line from the Chapter One:

I can’t begin to tell you how much I love you, and hope to share the rest of my life with you. Please, say you’ll marry me.

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

 

About Muskoka Hearts

Toni Wakefield may be a talented artist, but past choices means this single mother never feels the equal of those around her—especially her brother’s best friend, investment funds manager Matt.

Matt long ago fell in love with his best friend’s younger sister, and try as he might, he just can’t fall out of it. And between his crazy working hours and the fact she’s now settled two hours away in beautiful Muskoka it seems they never have any time together.

How can he persuade her to consider to give him a chance, when she’s sworn the only man she can care about is her baby boy?

Find Muskoka Hearts 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 #318 | The Road Home by Carol J Post

Here’s the first line from the Chapter One:

The black Silverado sat nestled amongst a copse of birch trees, easily overlooked.

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

 

About The Road Home

She was just one of the guys…everybody’s friend but nobody’s girlfriend.

Cover image - The Road Home by Carol J PostWhen his father has a stroke, bad-boy Kyle Worthington drags himself back to Murphy, North Carolina, where his one-time best friend accused him of starting the fire that left her scarred. Though he sees the accusation in everyone’s eyes, he’ll be there for his mother, but he has no intention of visiting his harsh, demanding father…or renewing the relationship he once had with his former best friend.

In spite of Kyle’s denials, Samantha Atkinson knows what she saw, and nothing will convince her otherwise. As circumstances force them together, they struggle their way back to a tentative friendship. Although Samantha has always been attracted to Kyle, she doesn’t have any delusions. She’s seen the kind of women he dates, and she’s not it.

Soon, Sam finds what she has wholeheartedly believed cast in doubt, and Kyle has to take a hard look at his priorities. Together, they just might learn that home really is where the heart is—a place of healing, forgiveness, reconciliation…and love.

Find The Road Home 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 #315 | Bidding on a Second Chance by Emily Conrad

Here’s the first line from the Chapter One:

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

 

About Bidding on a Second Chance

His bid for a second chance this Christmas might lead to her most disastrous fall yet.

Police officer Graham Lockhart’s life is dangerous enough without accident-prone Piper Wells tripping around in it—at least that’s what she claimed when she declined his marriage proposal two years ago. But he can’t help but wonder if there is more to her refusal.

Piper always cared for Graham, but she is incapable of giving him the one thing he wants more than anything—family. All her orphaned self knows about that is how much it hurts to lose. She’s better off focusing on caring for her nephew and running her business. Secondhand furniture doesn’t break hearts.

When an injury sidelines Piper leading into the holidays, Graham steps up to help her keep her commitment to a Christmastime auction benefiting a local family. Can they overcome the hurdles between them, or will the past and their warring hopes and fears trip them up for good?

Visit Redemption Ridge, Colorado and enjoy the faith, friendships, and forever-afters of the Christmas in Redemption Ridge series of Christian romance.

Find Bidding on a Second Chance online at:

Amazon | 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 #313 | Whole Latte Love by Kari Trumbo

Here’s the first line from the Chapter One:

Addi Merrick had spent her life waiting for him to show up, or so it seemed.

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

 

About Whole Latte Love

Addi Merrick is a matchmaker with no match.

Her past is riddled with friends who married and left her behind.

She’s stuck at a job she doesn’t love with a boss who can’t stand her to put herself through college, but there’s a reason God wants her at the right place, at the right time.

Drew Tanner was left at the altar and doesn’t believe in love.

It’s been a year since the woman of his dreams vanished into thin air on his wedding day. Since then, he’s avoided women like her, certain all quiet women were hiding something. Seeing Addi is like watching his past, and he wants no part of it.

When a dating site matches them, not only as a possible match but a perfect match, they must choose to either risk the pain of rejection or the beauty of a love match.

Find Whole Latte 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 #312 | Tackling the Fields by Janet W Ferguson

It’s First Line Friday! That means it’s time to pick up the nearest book and quote the first line. I’m currently re-reading Janet W Ferguson’s brilliant Southern Hearts series, and I’m up to the third book, Tackling the Fields. Here’s the first line from the Chapter One:

Huge hands ripped at Cole Sanders’ shirt and yanked him away from Audrey Vaughn’s embrace.

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

 

About Tackling the Fields

Can Cole overcome his bad boy image and start a new life? His reputation and Audrey’s past are only the first obstacles blocking their chances at love.

Cole Sanders is a changed man. The university quarterback questions his direction in life after serving on a mission trip in Honduras. Things that used to fill Cole’s ego seem empty after witnessing the developing country’s extreme poverty and the death of a precious child.

The one glimmer of hope through his confusion is the fresh perspective he now has about his tutor, Audrey. She possesses something beautiful inside and out—something that might help him become the person he wants to be.

University senior Audrey Vaughn tutored Cole Sanders for an entire year and never imagined the popular quarterback would see her as anything more than a friend. After partnering with him on the mission trip, they are drawn together. And he appears to have changed for the better.

To let Cole into her life, Audrey will have to overcome not only her brother’s distrust, but also the paralyzing fear still lingering from a past she’s tried to leave behind.

Cole can’t walk away from Audrey now that they’re back in Oxford. He’ll have to figure out how to keep her giant of a brother, a lineman on his football team, from killing him when the coach has his back turned.

But can Audrey trust her heart to a player so similar to the one who stole so much from her in the past?

Find Tackling the Fields 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!