Tag: Self-Published

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!

Some memories usually return, but not always. And most times, not all memories ever return.

Book Review | Faithfully Devoted, Jacob (Scripted Love #5) by Emily Dana Botrous

Jacob and Arlene have been happily married for over forty years and have raised five children together. When Jacob has a heart attack and wakes up with no memory of Arlene or his family, they both have to go back to the early days of dating to get to know each other again. Unfortunately, that means facing the issue that almost drove them apart all those years ago.

Faithfully Devoted, Jacob is the sixth (and probably final) book in the Scripted Love series by Emily Dana Botrous (probably final because the series has now covered Jacob and Arlene and each of their five children. Each book involves one or both of the main characters writing to the other, and the book titles are their signature sign-offs.

The story has a strong Christian element, as both Jacob and Arlene are both committed Christians. They both have to learn – twice – what Christian repentance and forgiveness truly means. It’s a challenging yet beautiful lesson.

Recommended for Christian romance readers who enjoy second-chance romance and romance featuring older couples (by which I mean over fifty, not over thirty).

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

About Emily Dana Botrous

Emily Dana BotrousEmily Dana Botrous lives in San Diego, California with her husband and their four children. She lived in 10 states before she settled on the West Coast where she plans to stay for awhile. She started writing short stories at age 10 and studied English in college. The only thing she enjoys more than writing is motherhood.

While there are a lot of things that matter to Emily, nothing is more important to her than Jesus Christ. It is her goal to point anyone who reads her writing toward Him. When Emily isn’t writing, she enjoys cooking, long walks, music, and playing with her kids.

Find Emily Dana Botrous online at:

Website | Facebook | Instagram

About Faithfully Devoted, Jacob

He has no memories. She fears the things he can’t remember. Can a lost past become the key to their future?

Faithfully Devoted, JacobWhen Jacob Halverson wakes up in the hospital, he doesn’t know where he is. Worse yet, he doesn’t know who he is—or the woman claiming to be his wife of forty-two years. But when she’s at his side, he feels like everything will be okay.

Arlene Halverson never imagined her husband could forget her. Now she is tasked with filling in the blanks of an entire lifetime for Jacob, reminding him of their life together, the family they built, and the love they share.

With the help of old love letters, Arlene journeys through time at Jacob’s bedside, visiting memories both painful and poignant. Together they search to find the reason Jacob hid his illness from her while Arlene finds the courage to share her greatest mistake in hopes Jacob can forgive her a second time.

Will Jacob choose to trust God with an uncertain future? And can Arlene trust Jacob with the past—again

Find Faithfully Devoted, Jacob online at:

Amazon | BookBub | Goodreads

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 #398 | Faithfully Devoted, Jacob (Scripted Love #6) by Emily Dana Botrous

It’s First Line Friday! That means it’s time to pick up the nearest book and quote the first line. I’m sharing from Faithfully Devoted, Jacob by Emily Dana Botrous, the final book in her Scripted Love contemporary Christian romance series.

Here’s the first line from the Chapter One:

If forty-two years of marriage wasn't enough to translate the look on Jacob's face, nothing was.

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

 

About Faithfully Devoted, Jacob

He has no memories. She fears the things he can’t remember. Can a lost past become the key to their future?

Faithfully Devoted, JacobWhen Jacob Halverson wakes up in the hospital, he doesn’t know where he is. Worse yet, he doesn’t know who he is—or the woman claiming to be his wife of forty-two years. But when she’s at his side, he feels like everything will be okay.

Arlene Halverson never imagined her husband could forget her. Now she is tasked with filling in the blanks of an entire lifetime for Jacob, reminding him of their life together, the family they built, and the love they share.

With the help of old love letters, Arlene journeys through time at Jacob’s bedside, visiting memories both painful and poignant. Together they search to find the reason Jacob hid his illness from her while Arlene finds the courage to share her greatest mistake in hopes Jacob can forgive her a second time.

Will Jacob choose to trust God with an uncertain future? And can Arlene trust Jacob with the past—again

Find Faithfully Devoted, Jacob 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 #397 | His Surprise Return by Kayla Tirrell

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 His Surprise Return by Kayla Tirrell, a new-to-me author. Here’s the first line from the Chapter One:

The Lord sure does have a sense of humor, Logan West thought as he sat on the bench in front of the bus stop.

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

 

About His Surprise Return

Her Surprise Return by Kayla TirrellEver since her husband died, Erin’s been doing her best to make ends meet and provide a normal life for her children. She thinks she might be getting close until a familiar face from her past shows up and sends everything crashing back down.

Logan ran away from his hometown years ago with no intention of ever returning. Now, he’s back to fix up the house he grew up in and get it ready to sell before leaving for good. He never thought he’d find Erin living there—a shell of the woman she used to be.

Spending time together for the first time in years, Erin and Logan reminisce on happy memories while creating new ones. They both feel a pull toward one another but with such different plans for their futures, can they find one together?

His Surprise Return is a faith-filled romance that will make you believe in second chances and remind you of God’s faithfulness even in the darkest of storms.

Originally published under the title Their Second Chance at Love.

Find His Surprise Return 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!

You've been needing a husband for the past year, and you never bothered to mention that to me?

Book Review | Her Inconvenient Wedding Date by Liwen Y Ho

I have been reading quite a few rom-coms recently, many of which use the marriage of convenience (or inconvenience) trope. Few have had any Christian content, and none have been overtly Christian.

Her Inconvenient Wedding Date is overtly Christian from the get-go.

And I loved that. Lily’s mother is looking for a son-in-law who meets the five C’s: Christian, career, condo (or house, cash … and Chinese. The family also has a traditional of the older siblings marrying before the younger, which is an issue for Lily as her five-years-younger sister, Jasmine, has been dating the same guy for years and is ready to get married.

So Lily decides to fake an engagement so her sister can get married. When her first blind date incorporates a PowerPoint presentation and an unexpected proposal, Lily accepts a surprise offer from Hunter, a work colleague who meets four of the five C’s.

If he were Chinese, he’d be perfect.

Hunter has been crushing on Lily since they met a year ago, so proposing marriage–even a short-term fake marriage–seems like a great idea. Who knows. If they’re living together and pretending to be married, maybe something will develop?

This is a romance, so we obviously know the answer. The fun is in the journey, and this journey is a lot of fun.

Each chapter starts with a quote from another author. I’m not usually a fan of epigraphs, but Her Inconvenient Wedding Date is the exception that proves the rule. Quotes like these only improve the book:

If I was serious about having a relationship with someone long-term, the last people I would introduce him to would be my family.

Quotes like these will mean I will remain not being a fan of epigraphs, because that is going to be hard to beat.

You know that tingly little feeling you get when you like someone? That is your common sense leaving your body?

 

Overall, I loved Her Inconvenient Wedding Date.

It’s a fun, quick read, with likeable characters and a believable relationship. Recommended for Christian rom-com fans.

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

About Liwen Y Ho

Author Photo: Liwen HoLiwen Y. Ho works as a chauffeur and referee by day (AKA being a stay at home mom) and an author by night. She writes sweet and inspirational contemporary romance infused with heart, humor, and a taste of home (her Asian roots).

In her pre-author life, she received a Master’s degree in Marriage and Family Therapy from Western Seminary, and she loves makeovers of all kinds, especially those of the heart and mind. She lives in the San Francisco Bay Area with her techie husband and their two children, and blogs about her adventures as a recovering perfectionist

You can find Liwen Y Ho online at:

Website | Facebook | Twitter

About Her Inconvenient Wedding Date

I always thought I’d marry for love… not because of a family tradition.

Her Inconvenient Wedding DateAs the eldest daughter, my life’s basically one long checklist of responsibilities—especially when it comes to making sure my younger sister gets her happily ever after. And apparently, that means I need to tie the knot first.

Groan.

I’m an engineer by day, a beauty blogger by night, and a problem-solver 24/7. But even I wasn’t prepared for the solution to my marriage problem to show up in the form of Hunter Payne—my tall, charming, and goofy coworker who just so happened to save me from the world’s most awkward date.

Out of the kindness of his heart, he offers to marry me. For three months only. Just until the family pressure eases up. Totally platonic, totally practical.

Until it’s not.

Because three seconds into our union, a surprise kiss makes some very inconvenient emotions rise to the surface.

How am I going to survive this marriage without falling for the one guy I promised I wouldn’t catch feelings for?

 

Find Her Inconvenient Wedding Date online at:

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First Line Friday

First Line Friday #396 | The Billionaire’s Nanny by Elizabeth Maddrey

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 Billionaire’s Nanny by Elizabeth Maddrey, the first book in her Billionaire Next Door series. I’ve read (and loved) most of the others, so don’t know how I managed to miss this one …

Here’s the first line from the Chapter One:

I groaned as I settled into the sofa and put my feet up. It had been a long day at work, and I was ready for some mindless television.

 

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

 

About The Billionaire’s Nanny

When I convinced my friends to join me in a scheme to play the stock market, it paid off beyond our expectations. Honestly, most days I don’t even remember that I’m a billionaire. But it was big news for my family. In fact, my cousin made me guardian of her son in the event something happened to her.

At face value, it sounds kind of nice.

But I never really knew my cousin.

And I only found out about her decision a week before the kid showed up on my doorstep.

Thankfully, the woman who brought the boy out to me on the plane is willing to stay and be his nanny.

Since all the local daycares have a waiting list, I don’t have the luxury of being picky. Maybe I have reservations about sharing my home with a beautiful woman, but it’s a completely professional relationship.

She’s going to look after the kid.

I’m going to look after my heart.

Find The Billionaire’s Nanny 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 #395 |The Backpack Bride by Dulcie Dameron

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 Backpack Bride, a modern marriage of convenience story by new-to-me author Dulcie Dameron. Here’s the first line from the Chapter One:

Social media is only good for two things.

 

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

 

About The Backpack Bride

Marry a stranger, adopt my nephew. Sounds easy enough…right?

The Backpack BrideRoxy:

After my brother’s untimely death, I’m left brokenhearted and fighting for a teenage nephew who doesn’t seem to care whether he’s out on the streets or tucked into bed at night.

Maybe I’m not the most responsible person to raise Axel, but I’m all he has left. I would do anything, even sacrifice my future, in order to gain permanent custody of him. Which is why I take Christian Price up on his crazy offer.

But I never could have known that agreeing to a marriage of convenience with my hot billionaire boss would also satisfy my year-long crush on the biker boy of my dreams.

Christian:

Aside from my online alter ego, all I’ve ever wanted to do was take over the family business. So why, when that goal is finally within reach, does my dad slap me with some manipulative bogus contract?

No loving father in his right mind would tell his overqualified son that he can’t inherit their family’s legacy until he’s settled down with a wife and gives proof that he’s committed to providing an heir to pass the company on to someday.

Then I find the solution herself crying in the supply room at work, and everything falls into place. There’s just one complication: my contractual marriage to Roxy quickly turns into way more than I bargained for…and something I don’t think I can give up.

Find The Backpack Bride 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 #394 | How to Kiss a Guy in Ten Days 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. Today I’m sharing from How to Kiss a Guy in Ten Days by Liwen Y Ho. It’s the first book in her Young Adult Edenvale Arts Academy series … which apparently released in 2020, yet I’ve only just discovered it.

Here’s the first line from the Chapter One:

Ever have one of those moments when someone totally out of your league sees you from across a room and waves?

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

 

About How to Kiss a Guy in Ten Days

I never expected a fake relationship to give me a chance to be loved for who I really am.

Hannah

When my family went broke, I lost everything. My friends. My school. Even my “perfect” boyfriend suddenly decided that now was the perfect time to take a break.

But I have the ultimate opportunity to show him just what he’s been missing. And maybe even win him back.

I just need a little help from the cute new guy at school.

Seth

When Hannah Mitchell asks me to be her fake boyfriend, it’s impossible to say no. Yes, she’s the most beautiful girl at Edenvale, but this could also be my chance to leave my past behind and make a new name for myself.

I’m going to do everything possible to help her forget about her ex—because she deserves so much better.

Ten days. Two secrets. And one chance to turn a fake relationship into something real.

Find How to Kiss a Guy in Ten Days 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 #393 | My Achy Broken Heart by Meredith Resce

It’s First Line Friday! That means it’s time to pick up the nearest book and quote the first line. I’m currently writing my third Trinity Lakes romance, which means I’m reading some of the earlier books to remind myself what the other inhabitants of Trinity Lakes have been up to. It’s called research, right?

Today I’m sharing from My Achy Broken Heart by Meredith Resce, which released this week. Here’s the first line from the Chapter One:

Lucy leaned back and sighed. Could life get any better than this?

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

 

About My Achy Broken Heart

How quickly things can change.

My Achy Broken HeartLast week Lucy was full of joy and hope, having finally met a Christian man who seemed to be crazy about her. One minute, she is full of heady passion and hope that a proposal is imminent—the next she is coming to terms with being alone, pregnant, and not understanding where he’s gone.

Her ‘dream’ man has turned into a nightmare, hiding behind his status as a worship pastor in a large church and his influential parents, denying he’s ever had anything to do with Lucy. And she’s fully aware that she’s stepped way outside her own moral boundaries—a fact that is being ruthlessly thrown in her face from some of the people she’d expect to have supported her. Only her close family are willing to stand by her in this difficult time. But the pressure is so great she decides to fly Downunder to visit her brother in Australia.

Will Phillips has finally found some hope after having lost the family farm and his long-term relationship. The small-town pastor, Caleb Kennedy, is proving himself to be not only a spiritual mentor, but a good mate. And then his sister arrives from the States. She’s attractive and seems nice, but he’s not interested in starting a new relationship—still smarting from the last one.

But she seems sad, and Will’s caring side wonders why, despite himself. When he finds Lucy on the side of the road after an accident, he finds out her secret and all of his intentions to stay distant seem to have disappeared.

A small town, romance that spans to both sides of the globe. Reconnect with Caleb and Alanah, and Matt and Arianne from earlier stories in the Trinity Lakes Romance series.

Find My Achy Broken 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!