First Line Fridays # 36: “The Mistletoe Countess” by Pepper Basham

It’s time for a new edition of First Line Fridays hosted by Carrie at Reading Is My Superpower!

WOW, it has been a long time since I’ve featured a beginning line for First Line Fridays! It’s never too early in the year to talk about Christmas, though, OR the fun kind of romance Pepper Basham writes, like The Mistletoe Countess. I have been excited about this novel for a long time! I “met” Freddie and Grace in an earlier version and I’m anxious to spend more time with them, their grand estate, a mystery, Grace’s sleuth antics, and guaranteed kisses.

EPIGRAPH & FIRST LINE:

Every fairy tale needed an appropriate castle.

Gracelynn Ferguson gripped the Model T’s window frame and leaned forward, breath caught in a suppressed gasp.

Your turn! What’s your first line?

First Line Fridays # 35: “Keep Holding On” by Melissa Taggg

It’s time for a new edition of First Line Fridays hosted by the Hoarding Books blog!

Happy October!!!!!!! It’s time for all things fall, so I’m loving it! When I think about fall reading, I think about Melissa Tagg’s stories. I know she has novels set in all seasons, but there’s something about the fallish ones that makes me happy. I want flannel and pumpkins and candles and apple cider when I read them.

Keep Holding On is this feeling x 1000. Maybe it’s the charming story, or the apple orchard setting, or the lovable characters. I can list many reasons why I think this is a perfect fall romance! I have to share the first paragraph because it is captivating and SO clever!

FIRST LINES:

He’d tell his family tonight. After the wedding. Before he turned himself in to the police.

Your turn! What’s your first line?

First Line Fridays # 34: “Just Like Home” by Courtney Walsh

It’s time for a new edition of First Line Fridays hosted by the Hoarding Books blog!

I’m sharing TWO lines from a newly released novel (yay!) by Courtney Walsh: Just Like Home. It’s the highly-anticipated fourth novel in her “Harbor Pointe” collection. It has a darling cover (like ALL of her novels. Seriously. Just Let Go has one of my fav covers ever and I will never shut up about it.). And, it promises to deliver another sweet and emotionally impactful story. No surprise there, because it’s a Courtney Walsh novel. Can you tell I’m excited to read it?!

FIRST LINES:

“Death comes unexpectedly.” It was a line from the old Disney movie Pollyanna, from a scene Charlotte Page had never forgotten.

Your turn! What’s your first line?

First Line Fridays # 33: “Set the Stars Alight” by Amanda Dykes

It’s time for a new edition of First Line Fridays hosted by the Hoarding Books blog!

Today I’m sharing the first line of a highly anticipated novel: Set the Stars Alight by Amanda Dykes. This story has been much-hyped in my social media circles (ahem, mostly by Rachel McMillan). Knowing it’s an AMANDA DYKES novel is reason enough for me to read it, but that gorgeous cover and premise help, too! I’m excited to read this soon — it releases to the world on June 30!

FIRST LINE:

Prologue

London, England May 1987

The smell of cinders permanently etched the abandoned Bessette Match Factory into the minds of all who passed.

Your turn! What’s your first line?

First Line Fridays # 32: “Take a Chance on Me” by Becky Wade

It’s time for a new edition of First Line Fridays hosted by the Hoarding Books blog!

During the spring-y time of year, I gravitate toward bright and happy contemporary stories. Author Becky Wade always delivers on this front with romantic stories that have plenty of depth along with their happily-ever-afters. Her upcoming Misty River Romance series is one I’m highly anticipating! The prequel novella, Take a Chance on Me, is available now for free. It’s on my very-soon TBR!

Find online: Take a Chance On Me on Amazon | Preorder Stay with Me on Amazon

FIRST LINE:

The hospital’s electronic doors whooshed open as Penelope Quinn rushed toward the emergency room.

Your turn! What’s your first line?

First Line Fridays # 31: “The Jane Austen Society” by Natalie Jenner

It’s time for a new edition of First Line Fridays hosted by the Hoarding Books blog!

With the new film “Emma” in theaters soon, Jane Austen and her works are on my mind. Ok, they’re never that far from it. With that in mind, this novel I’m featuring today promises Austen AND Post-WWII England delights. The Jane Austen Society by Natalie Jenner releases in May, and it’s on my spring TBR!

Chawton, Hampshire

June 1932

He lay back on the low stone wall, knees pulled up, and stretched out his spine against the rock.

Your turn! What’s your first line?

First Line Fridays # 30: “Mistletoe Menagerie” by Janine Rosche

It’s time for a new edition of First Line Fridays hosted by the Hoarding Books blog!

It’s December, and for me, that means time to read alllll the Christmas stories! This little novella, Mistletoe Menagerie, from author Janine Rosche has an adorable cover (shoutout to designer Hillary Manton Lodge), and it promises a cute story inside! I’m excited to read it soon, and to follow it with Janine’s debut novel This Wandering Heart in 2020.

If you’d like to know more about this book, check out GOODREADS or visit Janine’s website HERE to get your free copy of Mistletoe Menagerie when you sign up for her newsletter!

Strings of iridescent lights had once filled Sage Matthews with holiday cheer. Now they formed a blurred tangle of webs, clutching at her as she ran down the city zoo’s main promenade.

Your turn! What’s your first line?

First Line Fridays #27: “Ever Faithful”

It’s time for a new edition of First Line Fridays hosted by the Hoarding Books blog!

Today I’m sharing the first line of a new book by Karen Barnett, Ever Faithful. It is the third in her Vintage National Parks series. If you want to feel like you’ve visited the “old” parks of Mt. Rainier, Yosemite, and Yellowstone, this is an adventurous series you might like! I’m excited to read this new one very soon.

April 1933

Elsie closed her eyes for a moment and breathed in the steamy air, imagining she stood beside Great Prismatic Spring instead of the massive laundry booklet in the back of the Mammoth Hot Springs Lodge.

Your turn! What’s your first line?

First Line Fridays # 26: “A Table by the Window” by Hillary Manton Lodge

It’s time for a new edition of First Line Fridays hosted by the Hoarding Books blog!

This has been the kind of week requiring some comfort stories. (I had to say goodbye to one of my beloved kitties who was very sick.) SO, I sought out something familiar, easy to read, and cozy in its own way. Hillary Manton Lodge’s “Two Blue Doors” series is just that! A favorite of mine, I started with the middle story, intending to reread just it. Well…. after reading it, most of book 1, and favorite scenes in book 3, I think it’s safe to say I revisited the series.

Here, I’m sharing the first line of A Table by the Window, the book that started it all. The family secrets. The blend of French and Italian cuisine. The restaurant culture, friendships, family banter, and the sweetest long distance romance. If you’re curious, I highly recommend this whole series! (I’ll link my reviews below.)

“I can’t believe she left you the prep table,” my brother Nico groused as he and my oldest brother, Alex, carried the piece up the stairs to my apartment.

Reviews: A Table by the Window | Reservations for Two | Together at the Table

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Your turn! What’s your first line? Do you have a go-to, favorite “comfort” series or book?

First Line Fridays # 24: The Secrets of Paper and Ink

It’s time for a new edition of First Line Fridays hosted by the Hoarding Books blog!

Happy Friday! We all know I like books. Another related thing I like, that any booknerd should enjoy, too, is a book with bookish characters. (I even created a Goodreads list for bookish characters…)

The Secrets of Paper and Ink by Lindsay Harrel happens to feature an English bookstore, bookish characters, and a historical thread! I couldn’t be more excited to read it soon! It released to the world this past week.

First Line:

When life was busy, three months had a way of flurrying by.
But Sophia Barrett’s last ninety-two days had passed in a drizzle of constant monotony.

Your turn! Find the book closest to you and share your first line in the comments! Then, head over to Hoarding Books for the linky and visit other FLF posts!