Category: First Line Friday

20 December 2024

First Line Friday #370 | Always In My Heart (Trinity Lakes #14) by Iola Goulton

It’s First Line Friday! That means it’s time to pick up the nearest book and quote the first line. I admit: this isn’t actually the book I’m reading today. But it is the book I’ve read over and over this year, because it’s my second book, and it’s releasing on Christmas Eve!

You can preorder from Amazon for 99 cents (the price will go up to the regular $3.99 right after release).

Here’s the first line from the Chapter One:

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

About Always In My Heart

Sparks fly when an aspiring attorney comes face to face with his past mistakes.

Broke solo mother Maya Allen is raising her daughter, Sarah, as well as her dead best friend’s daughter … who just happens to be her own daughter’s half sister (thanks, cheating college boyfriend). When her lowlife landlord doubles her rent, she realizes it’s time to make a new plan and return to New Zealand with her children. First she has to do the make contact with her ex and compel him to relinquish his parental rights so they can legally leave the country … and not let her still-strong feelings for Trent get in the way.

Trent Thomas is an intern competing for a role in a prestigious Seattle law firm known for their family values. He figures he’s got the job sewn up when Sterling, Noble and Wright send him to his hometown of Trinity Lakes to research a dodgy property deal under the guise of offering the townsfolk pro bono legal services. After all, no one will know the ins and outs of small-town Trinity Lakes gossip better than a lifelong resident.

But he hadn’t bargained on Maya, Sarah, and Kacey stealing his chance to get his dream job, stealing his opportunity to leave Trinity Lakes behind forever, or stealing his heart.

A second-chance small town contemporary Christian romance.

Find Always In My 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!

13 December 2024

First Line Friday #369 | The Cowboy’s Christmas Decision by Evangeline Kelly

It’s First Line Friday! That means it’s time to pick up the nearest book and quote the first line. I’m starting to embrace the Christmas season, so here’s a short Christmas story that looks like it will be a fun read. It’s got cowboys, Christmas, and a secret crush. What more could I want?

Here’s the first line from the Chapter One:

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

About The Cowboy’s Christmas Decision

A Christmas charity event, a cozy barn, and two best friends. Will this holiday season be the one that changes everything?

Every year, Cortney Turner volunteers at the Christmas Bonanza, a charity event held in a barn in the small town of Copper Creek. As she and her best friend, Luke Fletcher, hang decorations, she can’t help but notice the way her heart races whenever he flashes that crooked smile. Convinced he’ll never see her as anything more than a friend, she reluctantly agrees to a blind date with another man—hoping it will help her move on from Luke.

Luke Fletcher may be known around town for his successful ranch and cowboy charm, but he’s spent years keeping his true feelings for Cortney buried deep, fearing the loss of their treasured friendship. When her blind date cancels last minute, leaving her dateless for the evening’s festivities, Luke playfully offers to step in as her escort, secretly thrilled at the chance to pretend they’re something more.

As the day progresses, neither can ignore the magnetic pull between them. Can one special afternoon transform best friends into something more, or will their fear of rejection keep them trapped in the friend zone?

Find The Cowboy’s Christmas Decision 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!

6 December 2024

First Line Friday #368 | A Louisiana Snow by Morgan Tarpley Smith

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 A Louisiana Snow by Morgan Tarpley Smith, which is the first story in A Louisiana Christmas to Remember. I got a review copy of this anthology last year … but just didn’t get around to reading it before Christmas, and I’m not one of those people who reads Christmas stories all year round.

Here’s the first line from the Chapter One:

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

About A Louisiana Christmas to Remember

A Rare Snowfall Leads to a Christmas to Remember

Three heartwarming, interconnected stories of faith, love, and restoration, brought to you by three Louisiana-native authors. Will a rare snowy Louisiana Christmas bring restoration and hope to the hometown and hearts of three women from the town’s founding family?

In A Louisiana Snow by Morgan Tarpley Smith, meet Mattie: A passionate visionary who learns to forgive and finds love in unexpected places…

In Restoring Christmas by Betsy St. Amant, meet Jolene: An artist and prodigal daughter who discovers love exists in the very place she once called home…

In A Christmas Reunion by Lenora Worth, meet Adale: A beautiful widow who finally dares to love again…

And don’t forget Granny, whose feisty spirit, blunt dialogue, and quirky ways play an important and endearing role.

Find A Louisiana Christmas to Remember 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!

29 November 2024

First Line Friday #367 | A Soldier Finds His Way by Irene Onorato

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 Soldier Finds His Way, a Christian military romance by Irene Onorato, 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 A Soldier Finds His Way

Even an elite soldier can admit he’s lost.

Gruff and tough, Edward Giordano’s success as an elite Special Forces soldier doesn’t carry over to his personal life. Emotionally scarred from a painful childhood, he’s built a wall around his heart that he lets very few penetrate.

Audra Lorenzo, a first-year school teacher, is on a road trip with her niece during the holidays. A storm that was supposed to pass, instead crosses her path. Lost, with her GPS cutting in and out, her car skids off a road, down an embankment, and into an icy river. Everything goes black.

Regaining consciousness in a remote cabin, Audra finds she and her niece were saved by Edward, a soldier who’d put his life in danger to rescue them. Harsh and unfriendly at first, the lieutenant’s demeanor frightens her. As days go by, small kindnesses shine through chinks in his armor and her heart is drawn to his. But does he feel the same? Can this scarred and guarded man find it in him to share the same love for her?

Find A Soldier Finds His Way 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!

22 November 2024

First Line Friday #366 | Me and Mr. Just Right by Kaylee Baldwin

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 Me and Mr Just Right by Kaylee Baldwin, which looks to be a fun rom-com with a Goldilocks vibe. (And I just realised this book opens on an airplane, just like last week’s book!)

Here’s the first line from the Chapter One:

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

About Me and Mr Just Right

A famous singer fleeing the spotlight. A nature photographer with a secret. One week stranded together on an island…

What’s a country superstar to do when her ex betrays her, steals all her songs, and makes up lies for the media to salivate over?
Escape to a deserted Alaskan island.

Key word: deserted.

Turns out the island isn’t as deserted as Aurelia Halifax has been led to believe, and she’s surprised by the arrival of Haydn Forrester—who is less than happy to discover her asleep in his bed. And when an unexpected summer storm hits, they’re stranded together until it passes.

Worse, Haydn, is a photographer—exactly the kind of person she’s trying to avoid. He doesn’t recognize her, so it’s easy to pretend she’s Lia Hall, a make-up free, sweats-wearing, down-on-her-luck girl from the south. Unfortunately Haydn is proving to be irresistible, but she can’t let herself fall again. Trusting doesn’t come easy for Lia, especially when she learns that Haydn may be behind her biggest betrayal of all.

Find Me and Mr Just Right 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!

15 November 2024

First Line Friday #365 | Hearts Unknown by Dienece Darling

It’s First Line Friday! That means it’s time to pick up the nearest book and quote the first line. I’m working my way through my Kindle downloads, and this week I’m sharing from Hearts Unknown by Australian author Dienece Darling, which released today.

Here’s the first line from the Chapter One:

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

About Hearts Unknown

When the heart longs for what it cannot have, toes aren’t safe in the ballroom.

Edith Howard has long mourned the loss of Clarence. He was more than the boy next door. He was her dearest friend until he left without word or warning. But when Clarence makes a surprise return the London season of 1763, the gentleman standing before her bears little resemblance to the boy she used to know. What happened to Clarence, and why is he back?

A chance encounter might be just the ticket Clarence needs to convince Edith he always has been and always will be hers. If only she wasn’t listening to those dangerous street preachers. Clarence doesn’t know how to save the lady he loves from believing the world will end on February 28th. Or, for that matter, how to show her all that’s in his heart.

What will it take for Edith to see the man Clarence is today? And dare she let him back into her life when she doesn’t know what drove him away the first time?

Find Hearts Unknown 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!

8 November 2024

First Line Friday #364 | Kolby by Bree Livingstone

It’s First Line Friday! That means it’s time to pick up the nearest book and quote the first line. I’m going back through my to-read pile and found Kolby by Bree Livingstone, which sounds like just what I want to read on a wet weekend.

Here’s the first line from the Chapter One:

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

About Kolby

A radio celebrity and the bodyguard hired to protect her are trapped in the mountains as her stalker closes in.

Over the last year, Ivy Manning has become a household name. In a few short months, she went from small-time advice columnist to juggling book tours and talk show appearances. But her newfound fame isn’t without its dark side. A stalker is making dangerous threats, prompting Ivy’s management team to hire a bodyguard to protect her.

Playing bodyguard to a rich girl was not an assignment Kolby Rutherford ever wanted. Yet he’s about to get more one-on-one with the sexy celebrity than he bargained for. When a plane crash strands them in the mountains, they’re forced to lean on each other to survive. Can they escape the dangers found in the rugged terrain? Or will growing feelings put them both in a far more vulnerable situation?

Find Kolby 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!

1 November 2024

First Line Friday #363 | So Into You by Kathleen Fuller

It’s First Line Friday! That means it’s time to pick up the nearest book and quote the first line. I’m reading a review copy of So Into You by Kathleen Fuller, who is more well-known for her Amish romances. It looks like this is her first venture into rom-com, and I’m looking forward to reading it.

Here’s the first line from Chapter One:

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

About So Into You

Opposites attract when an introverted vlogger and a reformed party boy exchange lessons on art, confidence, and yacht rock.

Artist Britt Branch has a successful online channel where she teaches a variety of art lessons. Obsessed with the 1970s, she has a style all her own. But she also has a huge problem–severe social anxiety. She lives with her mom, and while she pays her own bills, she wonders if she’ll ever have the courage to move out and move on. When her best friend announces she’s getting married, Britt decides it’s time to make a change.

Gorgeous Hunter Pickett has always skated by on his model looks, applying very little effort to anything except sports, and even that was iffy at times. The third son of extremely wealthy and successful parents, he dealt with being the black sheep of the family by drinking and using drugs. By his third year of sobriety, he’s still dealing with aimlessness. Late one night he catches Britt’s channel and ends up watching her videos. He’s not interested in art . . . at first. And when he sends her an online message, he’s surprised she responds. Before long they are chatting every day, and once they start meeting in person, a spark-filled friendship begins.

But both of them are keeping secrets. Big ones. When all truths are revealed in one pivotal moment, Britt and Hunter are at a crossroads. Will he fight for the happiness he’s worked so hard to obtain? And will she continue to hide from life, or can she finally step out of her own shadow?

Find So Into 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!

25 October 2024

First Line Friday #362 | Pilgrims by M R Leonard

It’s First Line Friday! That means it’s time to pick up the nearest book and quote the first line. I’m a long-time sci-fi fan, so was thrilled to be asked to review Pilgrims by M R Leonard, which promises to be a unique Christian novel.

Here’s the first line from the Chapter One:

As a bonus, it’s currently free on Kindle!

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

About Pilgrims

Latin was a dead language—until the aliens arrived.

Out-of-work Latin teacher and borderline alcoholic Austin DeSantis is determined to spend his final days in the arms of a prostitute—that is if the aliens don’t exterminate humanity first.

But when the aliens land at the Vatican, begin speaking Latin, and reveal themselves to be Catholic, the world turns upside down.

Pressed into service as a translator and thrust into the center of humanity’s first contact with a cryptic alien race, Austin must uncover their true intentions before religious turmoil rips the planet apart. But with Austin caught between the Catholic Church, the US military, and an enigmatic alien AI, he’ll have to decide where his loyalties lie as the fate of humanity hangs in the balance.

PILGRIMS is a sci-fi retelling of Augustine’s Confessions, mixing a high-concept premise à la Children of Time with the ceaseless pacing and rich characterization of Red Rising.

Find Pilgrims 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!

18 October 2024

First Line Friday #361 | A Love Worth Waiting For by Lara Van Hulzen

It’s First Line Friday! That means it’s time to pick up the nearest book and quote the first line. Today I’m quoting from the next book on my to-read-and-review list, which is A Love Worth Waiting For, the first book in Lara Van Hulzen’s new Nearlake series.

I love the cover! Here’s the first line from the Chapter One:

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

About A Love Worth Waiting For

Sadie Woods leads a structured life, and she likes it that way. As owner of her family’s antique store in the town where she grew up, she is surrounded by history. The past is full of intrigue and rich memories, while the present has bills piling up, her aunt battling breast cancer, and a future full of unknowns that have her grasping for hope.

Former professional football star James Larsen just wants a quiet life for himself and his teenage daughter, Maddie. Being Deputy Sheriff in the town he calls home is just right. In the wake of his wife’s death, he’s able to heal without too much attention, and life has become a comfortable routine he appreciates.

When Sadie’s shop is supposedly broken into, and James is the police officer called to the scene, the faded memories of attending high school together stir a connection neither of them is prepared for. While Sadie is knee-deep in trying to save her store, James is hesitant to let another woman into his and his daughter’s lives.

Both hesitant to trust, Sadie and James must brave a path that includes believing there is a love worth waiting for.

Find A Love Worth Waiting For 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.