Happy Friday! For today’s First Line Friday linkup, hosted by Hoarding Books, I’m featuring a book that just came out last week – The Love Note by Joanna Davidson Politano. This is a beautiful story that’s perfect for curling up with on a cool fall day!

“There are two ways to truly know a person – one is to begin a friendship with them. The other is to end it.

– A scientist’s observations on love.”

The Love Note by Joanna Davidson Politano

The Basics

Title: The Love Note

Author: Joanna Davidson Politano

Genre: Christian historical romance

My Rating: 4 Stars

From the Back Cover: Focused on a career in medicine and not on romance, Willa Duvall is thrown slightly off course during the summer of 1865 when she discovers a never-opened love letter in a crack of her old writing desk. Compelled to find the passionate soul who penned it and the person who never received it, she takes a job as a nurse at the seaside estate of Crestwicke Manor.

Everyone at Crestwicke has feelings–mostly negative ones–about the man who wrote the letter, but he seems to have disappeared. With plenty of enticing clues but few answers, Willa’s search becomes even more complicated when she misplaces the letter and it passes from person to person in the house, each finding a thrilling or disheartening message in its words. 

Laced with mysteries large and small, this romantic Victorian-era tale of love lost, love deferred, and love found is sure to delight.

My Thoughts

Joanna Davidson Politano has written an enchanting story about the power of words and the way they can touch our hearts. The story centers around Willa Duval, a nurse who wants to become a doctor in a time when that’s not a woman’s profession, and an anonymous love letter she finds in her desk. As the letter makes its way through the manor, touching each person in a different way, it sets changes in motion that alter the lives of its readers forever.

I absolutely loved the author’s writing style and the beautiful way she crafted this deeply layered story. Willa is a bold and confident heroine, determined to reach her goals and still longing for a love that will give her the freedom to pursue her dreams. Gabe Gresham is a delightful hero, understated but charming in his own way. His tender heart allows him to see beyond the surface of everyone around him. The final chapters brought an unexpected yet satisfying conclusion – I never guessed the true author of the letter until it was revealed! This was the first of Joanna Davidson Politano’s books I’ve read, but it definitely won’t be the last.

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! If you are a fan of romantic suspense with nonstop action, you won’t want to miss the book I’m featuring for today’s edition of First Line Friday! Rachel Dylan is one of my favorite suspense authors, and her newest release doesn’t disappoint.

“The incessant knocking on her condo door made Layla Karam grumble as she threw off the covers.”

Backlash by Rachel Dylan

The Basics

Title: Backlash

Author: Rachel Dylan

Series: Capital Intrigue (Book 2)

Genre: Christian Romantic Suspense

My Rating: 4 Stars

From the Back Cover: With a target on her back, she’s determined to find answers. But can she escape the deadly backlash?

CIA analyst Layla Karam is thrust into a dangerous DEA field operation against a cartel, and after one of her team members is murdered because of fallout from the op, Layla is left scrambling to find safety.

At the same time, the CIA opens an internal investigation against her. Out of options, Layla turns to ex-boyfriend and private investigator Hunter McCoy for help finding out who might want to ruin her career.

Layla and Hunter soon discover that a mole inside the DEA has sold out the team’s identity to the cartel. She needs to clear her name with the Agency in order to protect herself and her teammates from cartel retaliation. With threats on all sides, Layla must put her trust in Hunter–the man who broke her heart–and hope they both come out of it alive.

My Thoughts

This is the second book in Rachel Dylan’s Capital Intrigue series, and it’s filled with just as much intense action as the first! In Backlash, we meet the same core group of friends – Layla, Viv, Bailey, and Izzy. This story focuses on Layla, a CIA analyst whose bosses want her to get out in the field – a decision that has had dangerous consequences.

This book features several subplots and secondary characters that help keep up the fast pace of the story. Layla and her DEA teammates are facing several different threats that keep them constantly looking over their shoulders. I really enjoyed Layla and Hunter’s second chance at love and watching their friendship be restored. Some of my favorite parts were the threads of Izzy’s story continued from the last book, and I hope a future book will focus on her! This gripping suspense series is a must read for fans of Lynette Eason, Lisa Harris, and Dani Pettrey.

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.

Happy Friday! If you’re a fan of small-town romance, you’ll love the sweet story I’m sharing for today’s First Line Friday linkup – The Key to Love by Betsy St. Amant!

“The only thing Bri Duval loved more than romance was a perfectly executed French macaron. Fortunately, at least one of the two was within reach.”

The Key to Love by Betsy St. Amant

The Basics

Title: The Key to Love

Author: Betsy St. Amant

Publication Date: October 13, 2020

Genre: Christian Contemporary Romance

My Rating: 4 Stars

From the Back Cover: The only thing Bri Duval loves more than baking petit fours is romance. So much so that she’s created her own version of the famous Parisian love-lock wall at the bakery where she works in Story, Kansas. She never expects a video involving the wall to go viral–or for Trek Magazine to send travel writer Gerard Fortier to feature the bakery. He’s definitely handsome, but Bri has been holding out for an epic love story like the one her parents had–and that certainly will not include the love-scorning Gerard.

Just when it seems the Pastry Puff is poised for unprecedented success, a series of events threaten not just the bakery but the pedestal she’s kept her parents on all these years. Maybe Gerard is right about romance. Or maybe Bri’s recipe just needs to be tweaked.

My Thoughts

Betsy St. Amant is a new-to-me author, and my first taste of her writing was definitely sweet! I loved the small town of Story, Kansas, and the quirky characters who call it home. Bri and Gerard are the epitome of opposites attracting – homebody Bri dreams of a romance like her parents’, while career-focused Gerard never stays in one place for long and is a little jaded after a broken engagement.

If this story were a petit four, the supporting characters would be the icing on top! Mabel and Agnes, the owners of the bakery, are the charming matchmakers who are like aunts to Bri. Casey and Nathan’s love story provides both funny and heartwarming moments too. This book has all the charm and sweetness of a Hallmark movie with a spiritual depth that fans of Melissa Tagg and Tari Faris will 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. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. Thank you, Revell!