First Line Friday

First Line Friday | Week 51 | Open Circle by Stacy Monson

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 Open Circle by Stacy Monson. It’s actually not the first line—but it’s close. It’s the last line of the first paragraph:

First line from Open Circle: Why did roses smell so different at a funeral than they did in the backyard?

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

About Open Circle

Heartfelt women’s fiction with romance and depth that tackles the hard realities of Alzheimers with tenderness.

Mindy Lee “Minnie” Carlson’s dream job has dropped into her hands, but there’s a catch. She has four months to revive Open Circle, the town’s only Senior Adult Day Center, or the doors will close, leaving her jobless, and the seniors she cares for stranded.

Meanwhile, after decades traveling the globe and documenting the forgotten people of the world, Jackson Young discovers his beloved Grandma Em is still alive in Minnie’s small town.

Overjoyed, he races back to his hometown to reconnect, and discovers Grandma Em has adopted Minnie as her surrogate grandchild for the past twenty years.

Then Grandma Em has a stroke, and his ideas about her care pit him against Minnie’s determination and expertise. For Grandma Em’s sake, and the future of Open Circle, they’ll need to do the impossible–find a way to work together.

You can find Open Circle online at:

Amazon | Goodreads

Click the button to check out what my fabulous fellow FirstLineFriday bloggers are sharing today:

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!

31 comments

  1. Becky Smith says:

    Happy Friday! My first line is from Susan May Warren’s book “The Heat is On”.

    “Skye Doyle was going to get everyone killed.”

  2. Caryl Kane says:

    Happy Friday! My first line comes from Dreaming Spies by Laurie R. King….

    “It’s a rock, Holmes”

  3. Amy says:

    That’s an evocative line. I can see why you chose to share it. Mine is more on the nose, lol. My first line is from The Lonely Polygamist by Brady Udall. “To put it as simply as possible: this is the story of a polygamist who has an affair.”

  4. Good question. Sad question.

    Happy Friday!

    Today on my blog, I’m sharing the first line from Woman of Clay by Linda Caddick. I’m currently on chapter 11, so I will share the first line from this chapter.

    “Spring burst almost overnight in a full palette of brilliant colour, transforming the world into one which barely resembled the one Shana had inhabited just a week or two before.”

    Hope you have an excellent weekend filled with great reading time! 😁❤📚

  5. Poignant thought. On my blog, I’m featuring The Purchased Bride by Kit Morgan. Here, I will share the first line from Chapter Four of that novel. “Herman Mayer wasn’t the brightest or the nicest man around, and he knew it.” Wishing you a great Friday!

    • Iola Goulton says:

      Intriguing! Not all fictional characters are so self-aware. This sounds like another addition to my ever-expanding to-read pile.

      Thanks for sharing, and have a great weekend!

  6. Susan Dyer says:

    Happy Friday!😎

    My First Lines come from If Ever I Would Leave You by Susan May Warren…….

    “Watching you die is the last thing I want to do on a Saturday morning.” Sierra said it in a low mutter, nearly under her breath, but Ian heard it anyway, a slash across his chest, right between the ribs.

    Have a great weekend, stay cool, and Happy Reading!😊💖📚

    • Iola Goulton says:

      Okay … that definitely makes me want to keep reading!

      It’s winter here in New Zealand, so my focus is more on staying warm. But that’s okay–it’s good reading weather. Have a great weekend 🙂

  7. Caitlin says:

    Happy Friday 🙂

    I’ve never heard of Open Circle, so I’ll have to investigate it later. I’m not sure if it would be my cup of tea.

    This week’s FLF is Jen Turano’s A Match of Wits. I’m also reading Roseanna M. White’s Circle of Spies from the Culper Ring Series:

    “Marietta Hughes was the worst widow in the history of mourning.”

    Hope you have a nice weekend 🙂

    • Iola Goulton says:

      That’s a great first line! I though the Culper Ring series was excellent – it’s hard to find a good Christian spy novel, and female spies are even rarer.

      Have a great weekend – happy reading!

  8. Rebecca says:

    This looks like a really good book.

    I’m sharing about “Trials of the Mighty” by Kenyon T. Henry on the blog today, but I’m currently reading “Unafraid” by Carey Scott. I’ll share the first line of chapter two.

    Authentic living. What does it even mean?

    Have a great weekend and happy reading!

    • Iola Goulton says:

      I’m looking forward to reading it. Unfortunately, there are other books I have to read first! Unafraid sounds interesting – that’s a great question.

      Enjoy your weekend!

    • Iola Goulton says:

      I think it depends on the kind of funeral – is it a sad occasion because we’re mourning someone gone too soon, or a happy occasion celebrating a life well lived in the service of our Saviour?

  9. What a great first line! Combined with the beautiful colors on the cover, it makes me want to read the book… which, I suppose, is the point! 😉

    Over on my blog, I’m sharing the first line from The Auschwitz Escape, but here I’ll share the first line from another book on my TBR pile, Anne Graham Lotz’ The Daniel Prayer: “The air was electric. People were shouting, crying, pleading with God.”

    Have a great weekend, Iola!

  10. Yvette says:

    I’m sharing from A Rebel Heart by Beth White on my blog today, here’s the first line of Chapter 2:

    “Spyglass pressed to his good eye, Daughtry crouched behind a tree at the edge of the creek running through Buckner’s Ravine.”

    Have a wonderful weekend!

  11. Janine says:

    Today’s first lines come from Emma Hart’s Four Day Fling.

    “I’d been in a lot of awkward situations in my life. 
    In fact, you could almost say I was an expert in awkwardness.  If it were a degree, I’d have finished it by age ten and been handed my Ph.D. on my sweet sixteenth.  
    Which, as history dictated, wasn’t all that sweet.”

    I’m featuring lines from Revenge Love by Kata Cuic on my blog. Happy Reading!

  12. Rachel says:

    I shared the first line of Jo Piazza’s upcoming novel “Charlotte Walsh Likes to Win” on my blog. I’m still currently reading it so, I’ll share the first line of chapter 19 instead.

    “Ted Slaughter made a grand entrance onto the debate stage. When Chalotte went to shake his hand, he dropped to the floor to begin the first of thirty-seven push-ups.”

    Happy reading! Hope you have a restful weekend! 💗

  13. Oh wow, what a compelling first line!!!!

    My first line comes from a hilarious novella I just finished, part of the Once Upon a Laugh collection releasing next week! “Lia ran through the prestigious 148-year-old halls, red ponytail flying behind her.” -If She Dares by Mikal Dawn

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