Happy Friday, reader friends! The book I’m featuring today for First Line Friday is a gripping new suspense novel by Siri Mitchell. Everywhere to Hide will be released on October 6, and if you’re a fan of the suspense/thriller genre, you won’t want to miss it!

“I was just ten steps away from the Blue Dog|RINO coffee shop where I worked when a hand closed tightly around my forearm.”

Everywhere to Hide by Siri Mitchell

The Basics

Title: Everywhere to Hide

Author: Siri Mitchell

Release Date: October 6, 2020

Genre: Christian Suspense/Thriller

My Rating: 5 Stars

From the Back Cover: How can she protect herself from an enemy she can’t see?

Law school graduate Whitney Garrison is a survivor. She admirably deals with an abusive boyfriend, her mother’s death, mounting student debt, dwindling job opportunities, and a rare neurological condition that prevents her from recognizing human faces.

But witnessing a murder might be the crisis she can’t overcome.

The killer has every advantage. Though Whitney saw him, she has no idea what he looks like. He knows where she lives and works. He anticipates her every move. Worst of all, he’s hiding in plain sight and believes she has information he needs. Information worth killing for. Again.

As the hunter drives his prey into a net of terror and international intrigue, Whitney’s only ally, Detective Leo Baroni, is taken off the case. Stripped of all semblance of safety, Whitney must suspect everyone and trust no one—and hope to come out alive.

My Thoughts

I really enjoyed Siri Mitchell’s last suspense novel, State of Lies, and after reading this one, I am officially a fan of her work! This book was deeply layered in so many ways, from the plot to the characters to the suspense. It feels ripped from the headlines, dealing with subjects like cryptocurrency and China’s quest for power.

Despite her rare condition of face blindness, Whitney is a relatable character as she struggles with getting a job, getting out of debt, and moving past the pain her ex-boyfriend caused her. Leo really helped make the story for me too! His care for Whitney, and the way he would do anything to protect her, added him to my list of favorite fictional heroes. The suspense and tension ran high throughout the book, with twists and turns around every corner. The story struck just the right balance of compelling characters and an engaging plot that makes you think and keeps you guessing. Everywhere to Hide is an excellent suspense novel – one that I think fans of Rachel Dylan, Carrie Stuart Parks, and Sibella Giorello will especially enjoy!

Now it’s your turn! Please share the first line of the book you’re reading in the comments below. Don’t forget to head to Hoarding Books to see what first lines other bloggers are sharing, or to share your own!

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Happy Friday! I’m so excited to share this book with you for First Line Friday. Today’s first line comes from a debut novel by an author I think you’ll love – The Edge of Belonging by Amanda Cox.

September 8, 1994

People considered him homeless because he didn’t have an address of his own, but Harvey James would’ve been homeless even if he owned the turreted mansion off State Route 460. To have a home, you’d have to feel as though you belonged. The edge of the highway was the closest he’d ever been.

The Edge of Belonging by Amanda Cox

I couldn’t resist sharing more than one line… the whole first paragraph is such a beautiful introduction to the story!

The Basics

Title: The Edge of Belonging

Author: Amanda Cox

Genre: Contemporary Christian Fiction

My Rating: 5/5 Stars

From the Back Cover: When Ivy Rose returns to her hometown to oversee her late grandmother’s estate sale, she soon discovers that the woman left behind more than trinkets and photo frames–she provided a path to the truth behind Ivy’s adoption. Shocked, Ivy seeks clues to her past, but a key piece to the mystery is missing.

Twenty-four years earlier, Harvey James finds an abandoned newborn who gives him a sense of human connection for the first time in his life. His desire to care for the baby runs up against the stark fact that he is homeless. When he becomes entwined with two people seeking to help him find his way, Harvey knows he must keep the baby a secret or risk losing the only person he’s ever loved.

In this dual-timeline story from debut novelist Amanda Cox, the truth–both the search for it and the desire to keep it from others–takes center stage as Ivy and Harvey grapple with love, loss, and letting go.

My Thoughts

It’s hard to believe that this is Amanda Cox’s debut novel! She has expertly woven together two storylines from the past and present to create a beautiful story about love, family, and finding a place to belong. 

While the plot is unique and the themes are powerful, it’s the rich characterization that sets this story apart. Harvey is such a compelling character, as we see him turn the pain from his past into an unconditional love that would do anything for the baby he found and cared for. Pearl, the grandmother in the story, extends wisdom and grace to everyone she meets. Ivy is someone many women can relate to, as she searches for her purpose in life and healing from an abusive relationship. And Reese, Ivy’s lifelong friend, has become one of my favorite fictional heroes – you’ll have to read the book to find out why! 

Amanda Cox is an author to watch – I can’t wait to read whatever she writes next! I highly recommend The Edge of Belonging, and I think fans of Erin Bartels and Amanda Dykes will especially enjoy this book.

Now it’s your turn! Please share the first line of the book you’re reading in the comments below. Don’t forget to head to Hoarding Books to see what first lines other bloggers are sharing, or to share your own!

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. Thank you, Revell!

It’s Friday, and you know what that means… time for another First Line Friday linkup, hosted by Hoarding Books! Today I’m featuring a new release by a new-to-me author: Nine by Rachelle Dekker.

“Olivia’s lungs burned as short bursts of air escaped her mouth. Her pulse pounded violently inside her head and for a moment blocked out everything but the vibrations of her feet slamming against the forest floor. But as quickly as the world had gone it came rushing back, and she wasn’t alone.”

Nine by Rachelle Dekker

Okay, I know that’s actually three lines… but I think that sets the scene a little better!

The Basics

Title: Nine

Author: Rachelle Dekker

Genre: Christian Suspense/Thriller

My Rating: 4/5 Stars

From the Back Cover: Zoe Johnson has spent most of her life living in the shadows, never drawing attention to herself, never investing in people or places. But when a wide-eyed, bedraggled teenager with no memory walks into the diner where Zoe works, everything changes.

Against her better judgment, Zoe, who has been trying to outrun her own painful memories of the past, finds herself attempting to help a girl who doesn’t seem to have any past at all. With little warning, they must follow the only sure thing they know: a woman hundreds of miles away, will either save them . . . or be the last person to see them alive.

My Thoughts

“She could have walked away a dozen times before arriving at this moment. She could have followed her gut, which had screamed for her to listen at every turn. She could have blocked out Lucy from the beginning. Done what her mother had always taught her: to fear. And what the world had never stopped reminding her: to protect.”

This was the first of Rachelle Dekker’s books I’ve read, so I wasn’t sure what to expect. Honestly, I was a little surprised by how much I enjoyed this story! It does have a bit of a dystopian/sci-fi element, but not so much that it didn’t feel like it could have been ripped from future headlines. The action and emotion are intense, as there are twists around every corner for Zoe and Lucy, and they never know who they can trust.

The gripping storyline is given more intensity by the powerful message that we don’t have to let our past define us, but we can make the choice to leave our fear, our mistakes, and our guilt behind as we become the people we were made to be. Each of the main characters – Zoe, Lucy, and Agent Seeley – come to experience forgiveness and redemption in their own unique ways. I’m a new fan of Rachelle Dekker, and I can’t wait to see what she writes next!

Now it’s your turn! Please share the first line of the book you’re reading in the comments below. Don’t forget to head to Hoarding Books to see what first lines other bloggers are sharing, or to share your own!

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. Thank you, Revell!

Happy Friday, fellow readers! It’s the start of a holiday weekend, and a great time to find some new books through Hoarding Books’ First Line Friday linkup 🙂 Today I’m featuring a new release that just came out this week – Something Worth Doing by Jane Kirkpatrick.

June 1852

“Her dreams of late had been of books with maps of unknown places.”

Something Worth Doing by Jane Kirkpatrick

The Basics

Title: Something Worth Doing: A Novel of an Early Suffragist

Author: Jane Kirkpatrick

Genre: Christian Historical Fiction (based on a true story)

My Rating: 3.5 / 5 Stars

From the Back Cover:

Some things are worth doing–even when the cost is great

In 1853, Abigail Scott was a nineteen-year-old school teacher in Oregon Territory when she married Ben Duniway. Marriage meant giving up on teaching, but Abigail always believed she was meant to be more than a good wife and mother. When Abigail becomes the primary breadwinner for her growing family, what she sees as a working woman appalls her–and prompts her to devote her life to fighting for the rights of women, including the right to vote.

Based on a true story, Something Worth Doing will resonate with modern women who still grapple with the pull between career and family, finding their place in the public sphere, and dealing with frustrations and prejudices when competing in male-dominated spaces.

My Thoughts

“But of course, living held risk, the very act of breathing meant another step into the unknown. How one took those steps would shape the character of those around you….”

This was the first of Jane Kirkpatrick’s books I’ve read so I wasn’t sure what to expect, but I ended up really enjoying this story! Something Worth Doing follows the life of Abigail Duniway, a entrepreneur and suffragist in 19th-century Oregon. I thought the book presented a well-rounded picture of her life and the obstacles she faced. She worked so hard for so many years, facing disappointments and tragedies in her personal life and her work, but she never gave up. The tension she faced between her dedication to her family and her work is something women today can relate to. The balance is hard to find, and we see in her story that she didn’t always make the right choices, but women in the United States wouldn’t be where we are today without her and the cause she advanced.

Parts of the book did feel more like an account of events than an engaging story, but overall it was an enjoyable read. It’s very timely as well, as 2020 marks 100 years since the ratification of the 19th Amendment to the Constitution granted women the right to vote. Fans of historical fiction and students of history will enjoy this book!

Now it’s your turn! Please share the first line of the book you’re reading in the comments below. Don’t forget to head to Hoarding Books to see what first lines other bloggers are sharing, or to share your own!

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. Thank you, Revell!