Category: First Line Friday

5 July 2024

First Line Friday #345 | Heroes of Purple Heart Ranch by Shanae Johnson

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 On His Bended Knee by Shanae Johnson, the first story in the compilation Heroes of Purple Heart Ranch, which is currently free on Kindle.

Here’s the first line from the Chapter One:

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

About Heroes of Purple Heart Ranch

In this collection of wholesome military romance novels, Active Duty, Retired Veterans, and Wounded Warriors all come to find out that love can truly heal all wounds in these light-hearted, sweet romances of convenient arrangements that unfold into lasting love on the Purple Heart Ranch!

In On His Bended Knee, in order to save his beloved ranch for wounded veterans, Dylan must get married. Maggie needs to find a home for her and her special needs dogs. A marriage of convenience could solve both their problems, but can two wounded souls believe in the power of true love?

In The Rancher takes his Convenient Bride, insta-love alters the plan when an Army Ranger makes a calculated deal to wed a female rancher in a modern day marriage of convenience.

In His Pledge to Honor, a general’s daughter can rehabilitate the most wounded of horses. But when an injured soldier shows up at her ranch as part of her father’s last command, will she follow his lead down a trail of love?

In His Vow to Love, Air Force Pilot Charlie Matthews has flown to the farthest reaches of the world, but he can never seem to reconnect with his first, and only love. Will their latest reunion finally land them on a path to forever?

Find Heroes of Purple Heart Ranch 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!

28 June 2024

First Line Friday #344 | Second Chance Sunset by Ellie Hall

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 Second Chance Sunset by new-to-me author Ellie Hall, which is currently free on Kindle. Here’s the first line from the Chapter One:

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

About Second Chance Sunset

They say true love only happens once in a lifetime. But what about a second chance with your first love?

Navy

College. Wait tables. Hospital. Repeat…until a customer with a smoldering smirk makes an offer I have to refuse…well, until I face cold, hard reality.

If I marry him so he can get his green card, I’ll be able to pay the bills. The only problem is, I was in love with him once before.

Cooper

I’ve heard all it takes is one look. Try two. When I see the sassy sweetheart of a waitress, I do a double take. Newsflash, she’s off-limits.

They say money can’t buy happiness…or a green card. However, it can buy a quick marriage of convenience. But that will cost me, especially since we have a past that I have to keep secret.

Find Second Chance Sunset 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!

21 June 2024

First Line Friday #343 | Jesus and John Wayne by Kristen Kobes Du Mez

It’s First Line Friday! That means it’s time to pick up the nearest book and quote the first line.

I’ve recently joined the local library, so this week I’m reading a book I found in the library that’s been on my to-read list since it released: the eye-opening Jesus and John Wayne by scholar Kristin Kobes Du Mez.

Here’s the first line from the Chapter One:

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

About Jesus and John Wayne

Jesus and John Wayne is a sweeping, revisionist history of the last seventy-five years of white evangelicalism, revealing how evangelicals have worked to replace the Jesus of the Gospels with an idol of rugged masculinity and Christian nationalism―or in the words of one modern chaplain, with “a spiritual badass.”

As acclaimed scholar Kristin Du Mez explains, the key to understanding this transformation is to recognize the centrality of popular culture in contemporary American evangelicalism. Many of today’s evangelicals might not be theologically astute, but they know their VeggieTales, they’ve read John Eldredge’s Wild at Heart, and they learned about purity before they learned about sex―and they have a silver ring to prove it. Evangelical books, films, music, clothing, and merchandise shape the beliefs of millions. And evangelical culture is teeming with muscular heroes―mythical warriors and rugged soldiers, men like Oliver North, Ronald Reagan, Mel Gibson, and the Duck Dynasty clan, who assert white masculine power in defense of “Christian America.” Chief among these evangelical legends is John Wayne, an icon of a lost time when men were uncowed by political correctness, unafraid to tell it like it was, and did what needed to be done.

Challenging the commonly held assumption that the “moral majority” backed Donald Trump in 2016 and 2020 for purely pragmatic reasons, Du Mez reveals that Trump in fact represented the fulfillment, rather than the betrayal, of white evangelicals’ most deeply held values: patriarchy, authoritarian rule, aggressive foreign policy, fear of Islam, ambivalence toward #MeToo, and opposition to Black Lives Matter and the LGBTQ community.

A much-needed reexamination of perhaps the most influential subculture in this country, Jesus and John Wayne shows that, far from adhering to biblical principles, modern white evangelicals have remade their faith, with enduring consequences for all Americans.

Find Jesus and John Wayne 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!

15 June 2024

First Line Friday #342 | Lean on Me by Beth Moran

It’s First Line Friday! That means it’s time to pick up the nearest book and quote the first line.

I’m a little late getting my post up this week because I opened Lean on Me by English author Beth Moran, read the first line … and kept right on reading.

Faith is barely getting by financially, supports her drug-addict brother, and is engaged to a self-made millionaire (which wouldn’t be so bad if it wasn’t for his mother and the hideous wedding dress she insists Faith wear).

At first, it felt like Faith was a bit of a doormat, something that is common in rom-com or women’s fiction stories told in first-person point of view, as Lean on Me is. But the further I got into the story, the more I realised I was wrong.

Faith is a survivor who is doing her absolute best with the rubbish hand she’s been dealt in life. She’s a strong character, but it takes her a while to realise how strong she is.

It’s an excellent story (although I would add trigger warnings for off-the-page implied abuse).

Anyway, here’s the first line from the Chapter One:

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

About Lean on Me

As Faith tries on her future mother-in-law’s wedding dress in preparation for her own wedding, her tears are not of joy. The hideous frock is nicknamed ‘The Ghost Web’ by Faith’s best friend Marilyn, who can’t understand why Faith would even consider wearing it. But there’s a lot Marilyn doesn’t know about Faith – not the least of which is that Faith is just the latest of the names she has called herself.

Faith and her brother Sam survived a traumatic childhood which included having to change their names to hide from the past, but surviving has left scars. Faith’s generous fiancé Perry doesn’t just promise to be a partner, he offers freedom and security, and enough kindness to keep Faith squashing down any doubts on what ‘being in love’ really means.

It’s not until she meets an extraordinary group of women at the Grace Chapel choir, that things start to become crystal clear. As choir-leader extraordinaire, the indomitable Hester, holds a mirror up to her ragtag group of singers, all with their own burdens and insecurities, and teaches them to see how magnificent they are, so Faith can dare to dream of a future where she and Sam can stop running and she might even be ready to accept the love that she deserves.

Find Lean on Me 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!

7 June 2024

First Line Friday #341 | It’s All Relative by Rachel Mcgee

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 It’s All Relative by Rachel Mcgee, a new-to-me author. I love illustrated covers, and this looks fun.

Here’s the first line from the Chapter One:

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

About It’s All Relative

Helena’s a “fly by the seat of her pants” kind of girl. Amelia’s got her perfect life planned down to the minute. How will they ever get through their parents’ wedding–let alone a life as stepsisters–without ripping each other apart?

Twenty-seven-year-old Helena Crosby is over her mom Nora’s wedding–and it hasn’t even happened yet. For months, Helena’s been dreading the day she and Nora would become part of The Perfects, aka the Maddox family, led by oldest perfect daughter Amelia. Her complete opposite in every way, Amelia owns a house, runs her father’s architecture firm, and is engaged to her also perfect (and dreamy) fiancé Gage, all before the age of thirty. Helena has no idea how she’s going to fit into this family with their fancy traditions and strict timetables. Thankfully, her best friend Landon is joining the festivities as her emotional support plus one–and the perfect buffer between her and her new family.

Amelia Maddox has spent months planning the perfect wedding week for her dad Steve and his bride-to-be Nora. She’d planned for every consistency . . . except for her new free spirited stepsister’s deadly shellfish allergy, her brother’s insistence on blowing up his life, and an unexpected guest on Helena’s arm. A guest she hasn’t seen in years. A guest who held her heart years before her fiancé Gage ever did . . . her ex Landon Blake. But no matter–Amelia’s kept the Maddox family together since her mother died a few years ago. She’s not going to be thrown by Landon’s deep blue eyes and sun-bronzed forearms and the way he makes her feel all warm and cozy, like she’s come home to herself. Nope. She has duties to attend to: being the best daughter, sister, fiancée, boss, and wedding coordinator. And she’s going to bring her Eldest Daughter Energy to it all and push down those inconvenient feelings, no matter what.

Through a whirlwind week of wedding activities and a few near disasters, both Amelia and Helena realize that sometimes the blueprints for the perfect family and relationship look better on paper than in real life–and that family isn’t only made of the people you’re born with. Family is also made of the people we choose over and over again.

Find It’s All Relative 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!

31 May 2024

First Line Friday #340 | Between You and Us by Kendra Broekhuis

It’s First Line Friday! That means it’s time to pick up the nearest book and quote the first line. Today I’m reading Between You and Us, the debut novel from Kendra Broekhuis.

Here’s the first line from the Chapter One:

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

About Between You and Us

Two possible lives to live. One impossible choice to make.

When Leona Warlon heads across the city to meet her husband, David, for a rare dinner out, she hopes they can share a moment of relief after their year of loss. But Leona quickly realizes this is no ordinary date night. She hasn’t just stepped into an upscale ristorante; she’s stepped into a different version of her life. One in which her marriage is no longer tender, in which her days are pressured by her powerful in-laws, and in which her precious baby girl lived.

Now Leona must weigh the bitter and sweet of both trajectories, facing an unimaginable choice: Stay in a world where tragedy hasn’t struck but where the meaningful life she built with David is gone? Or return to a reality that’s filled with struggle and sorrow but also deep and enduring love?

Find Between You and Us online at:

Amazon | BookBub | ChristianBook | 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!

24 May 2024

First Line Friday #339 | Romance in a Land Down Under by Narelle Atkins

It’s First Line Friday! That means it’s time to pick up the nearest book and quote the first line. Narelle Atkins has recently published a novella collection set in sunny Australia. Winter is on the way Down Under, so I’m looking forward to some virtual sunshine in these stories.

The collection includes:

Seaside Christmas
Solu Tu: Only You
His Perfect Catch

Here’s the first line from the Chapter One of Seaside Christmas:

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

About Romance in the Land Down Under

Three sweet and clean Christian contemporary romance novellas that will warm your heart and inspire you to explore the beauty of Australia. Perfect beach reads for lazy summer days.

SEASIDE CHRISTMAS

Chelsea Somers is the girl he never called back.

Six years later, former bad boy Gus Donovan is intrigued by Chelsea, but his past mistakes continue to haunt him. Gus is determined to prove he’s a changed man—prove it to his friends, his family, his father. And prove it to Chelsea.

Chelsea has embraced the faith she once mocked, and she’s focused on furthering her career in health promotion and staying away from politics. She’s drawn to Gus, although his busy role as an advisor for an Australian senator doesn’t impress her. When she’s forced to confront her fears and deal with a past family tragedy, can Gus convince her to trust him and take a chance on him?

A heartwarming and inspirational Christmas romance novella set in Sydney, Australia.

Seaside Christmas is a standalone novella that was available in An Aussie Summer Christmas ebook box set.

SOLO TU: ONLY YOU

Home means everything to Sienna Rossi.

Four years ago, Sienna defied her father by moving to Australia to obtain her teaching qualifications. Her grand plan is shaken by her father’s unexpected death and a trip back to Tuscany for her grandmother’s eightieth birthday where she renews her close bond with her sister, Alessa.

Teacher Dave Maxwell likes the freedom of his nomadic lifestyle. He works contract-to-contract, moving to different high schools around Australia. He’s in Sydney for a season, caring for his grandma while his aunt is on an extended overseas vacation.

Back in Sydney, Sienna moves in with her Aussie cousins and starts her first teaching job, torn between her dream for a future in Australia and her longing for home. Sienna and Dave work at the same school, attend the same church, and quickly become friends. They are drawn together by circumstances and an undeniable attraction.

But their idyllic time together is temporary. Can the girl from Tuscany and the boy from Australia risk everything for love?

Solo Tu is part of A Tuscan Legacy multi-author series and was available in the series ebook box set.

HIS PERFECT CATCH: A SAPPHIRE BAY NOVELLA

Sydney girl Mia Radcliffe borrows her cousin’s beach house in Sapphire Bay to escape the scandal surrounding her ex-fiancé. Her new neighbor is her secret crush from years ago… and she’s still captivated by the handsome builder who was a youth group leader at her church.

Living next door to Mia wasn’t part of Pete McCall’s plan when he started renovating his beach house. The blonde beauty inspires thoughts of settling down, despite her high maintenance ways and big-city dreams. Love kindles during their time together and Mia’s heart is set on returning to Sydney with Pete. When new opportunities arise, Pete and Mia must decide if their love is for keeps.

His Perfect Catch is a standalone novella that was included in SPLASH! and Love, Faith & Tender Kisses box sets.

Visit Sydney and the fictional town of Sapphire Bay in this fun and faith-filled romance novella collection of spin off stories connected to the Sydney Sweethearts series storyworld.

Find Romance in the Land Down Under 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!

17 May 2024

First Line Friday #338 | Because of You by Hannah Currie

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 Because of You by Australian author Hannah Currie.

Because of You a Young Adult novel about a short-term mission trip to Thailand, which is a switch-up from her usual royalty romances. Here’s the first line from the Chapter One:

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

About Because of You

Sixteen-year-old Chloe Gabriels has dreamed of going on an overseas mission trip for as long as she can remember, so when the opportunity arises for her to go to Thailand with Teen Missions International she jumps at the chance. Working at an orphanage, learning new skills, experiencing a different culture, making lifelong friends—what better way could there be to spend her summer vacation?

Of course, the trip will have its challenges—living in close quarters with seventeen other teens out of their comfort zones has a way of doing that—but it will be worth it. She’ll finally be serving God in a practical way.

But while the orphans and their stories break her heart, it’s someone unexpected who has the biggest impact on Chloe’s summer and leaves her wondering if maybe there are just as many people who need her love back home as there are overseas.

Find Because of 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!

10 May 2024

First Line Friday #337 | Her Part to Play by Jenny Erlingsson

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 Her Part to Play, the debut novel from Jenny Erlingsson, an American author of Nigerian descent who currently lives in Iceland. That’s a unique background!

Here’s the first line from the Chapter One:

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

About A Part to Play

Desperate for extra income after her mother’s passing, Adanne accepts a last-minute job as a makeup artist for a movie filming in her small Alabama hometown. She’s working to save her parents’ legacy and help her brother, but the money hardly seems worth having to face the actor who got her fired from her last job in Hollywood.

John Pope has made his share of mistakes over the years. But after turning his life over to God and enduring a messy breakup, he’s ready to start rebuilding his career. Imagine his surprise when the woman called in to cover for his usual makeup artist is a quiet but feisty newcomer on the set–and definitely not a fan.

Sparks of tension–and could that be attraction?–fly between them, but Adanne hates the spotlight, and John’s scheming manager has bigger plans for him than to end up with the humble makeup girl from the small-town South. Can these star-crossed lovers find their way to happiness? Or will the bright lights of Hollywood blind their eyes to what’s right in front of them?

Debut author Jenny Erlingsson’s diverse cast comes alive with faith, romance, and a touch of humor to create a story worthy of the big screen.

Find A Part to Play 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!

3 May 2024

First Line Friday #336 | Darkness Calls the Tiger by Janyre Tromp

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 Darkness Calls the Tiger, the latest release from Jaynre Tromp. It’s set in Burma during World War II. That’s a new-to-me setting for Christian fiction, so I’m looking forward to getting stuck in.

Here’s the first line from the Chapter One:

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

About Darkness Calls the Tiger

After the attack on Pearl Harbor, Imperial Japan devours the southern portion of Burma, intent on taking over mainland Asia. Unaware of the coming darkness, Kailyn Moran drifts in her role as the only daughter of a widowed missionary. As whispers of war snake through the Kachin mountains, Kai’s father is convinced God will protect the mission. He entrusts the village to her and the kind yet inexperienced new missionary, Ryan McDonough, while he makes routine visits to neighboring villages.

War descends like a tempest upon the mountain peaks, and an unbreakable bond forms between Kailyn and Ryan as they unite to provide solace to both villagers and the flood of refugees. Despite their tireless efforts, a brutal enemy shatters almost everything they love, pushing Kailyn to embark on a path of unrestrained vengeance.

Afraid he’s losing the woman he loves, Ryan fights to protect Kai from the deadly consequences of her choices. But in the face of destruction, can he convince her of the power and freedom of forgiveness?

Find Darkess Calls the Tiger 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.