Happy Friday! If you’re in the mood for a fun romcom this weekend, I have just the book for you! For this week’s First Line Friday, I’m featuring Plot Twist by Bethany Turner.

February 4, 2003

“Mind if I sit here?”

Plot Twist by Bethany Turner

The Basics

Title: Plot Twist

Author: Bethany Turner

Publication Date: June 15, 2021

Genre: Contemporary Romance

My Rating: 5 Stars

From the Back Cover: An aspiring screenwriter has a chance encounter with an actor who could be the man of her dreams. Over the next ten years, she’ll write the story . . . but will he end up being the star?

February 4, 2003, promises to be a typical day for Olivia Ross—a greeting card writer whose passion project is a screenplay of her own. But after she and a handsome actor have a magical meet-cute in a coffee shop, they make a spontaneous pact: in ten years, after they’ve found the success they’re just sure they’re going to achieve, they’ll return to the coffeehouse to partner up and make a film together. The only problem? Olivia neglected to get the stranger’s name. But she doesn’t forget his face—or the date.

For the next ten years, every February 4 is marked with coincidences and ironies for Olivia. As men come and go and return to her life, she continues to write, but still wonders about the guy from the coffee shop—the nameless actor she’s almost certain has turned out to be Hamish MacDougal, now a famous A-lister and Hollywood leading man.

But a lot can happen in ten years, and while waiting for the curtain to rise on her fate, the true story of Olivia’s life is being written—and if she’s not careful, she’ll completely miss the real-life romantic comedy playing out right before her eyes.

My Thoughts

Plot Twist is a charming, romantic story that earns its name! Each February 4 over the span of a decade brings a new plot twist to Olivia’s life, sometimes funny and sometimes tragic, culminating in an ending I never saw coming. I couldn’t wait to see what happened next, but I also didn’t want the story to end!

While this book is a romantic comedy, there are plenty of serious moments that deal with betrayal, friendship, lost love, and second chances. I couldn’t help but root for the memorable characters, even when I found myself shaking my head at the missed communication and connections! The creative plot was brought to life with Bethany Turner’s signature witty dialogue and pop culture references. Highly recommended for rom-com fans!

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.

We’ve made it through another week, and you know what that means… it’s First Line Friday! Today I’m featuring Charles Martin’s newest release, The Letter Keeper.

Florence, Italy

“She didn’t move when I opened the door.”

The Letter Keeper by Charles Martin

The Basics

Title: The Letter Keeper

Author: Charles Martin

Publication Date: June 8, 2021

Series: Murphy Shepherd (Book 2 of 3)

Genre: Contemporary Christian

My Rating: 5 Stars

From the Back Cover:

Combining heart-wrenching emotion with edge-of-your-seat tension, Charles Martin explores the true power of sacrificial love.

He shows up when all hope is lost.

Murphy Shepherd has made a career of finding those no one else could—survivors of human trafficking. His life’s mission is helping others find freedom.

But then the nightmare strikes too close to home .

When his new wife, her daughter, and two other teenage girls are stolen, Murphy is left questioning all he has thought to be true. With more dead ends than leads, he has no idea how to find those he loves.

After everything is stripped away, love is what remains.

Hope feels lost, but Murphy is willing to expend his last breath trying to bring them home.

My Thoughts

Charles Martin’s unique, powerful writing style is on full display in The Letter Keeper – it gets to the point, keeps the story moving, and packs an emotional punch. In this book, we pick up where The Water Keeper left off, with Summer, Angel, and Ellie starting a new life in Freetown. Meanwhile, Murphy continues making enemies as he rescues more children from traffickers. This book also dives into more of his backstory, from his childhood to how he met Bones and found his calling. Now he faces his most dangerous mission yet, with the highest stakes – rescuing the women he loves. The fierce, sacrificial love Murphy shows in his fight against evil is a beautiful picture of the lengths Christ has gone to rescue us. Suspense, drama, action, and a powerfully emotional story are all wrapped up in this one book – I highly recommend it and can’t wait for the next book to round out the trilogy!

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 need a nail-biting suspense novel to read this weekend, look no further! Today for First Line Friday, I’m featuring Terri Blackstock’s newest release, Aftermath.

“Taylor Reid’s phone flashed as she snapped the selfie with her two friends, their heads touching and their backs to the stage.”

Aftermath by Terri Blackstock

The Basics

Title: Aftermath

Author: Terri Blackstock

Publication Date: May 11, 2021

Genre: Christian Romantic Suspense

My Rating: 4.5 Stars

From the Back Cover:

A devastating explosion.

Three best friends attend a concert. Only one makes it out alive.

A trunk full of evidence.

When police stop Dustin Webb with a warrant to search his trunk, he knows there’s been a mistake. He’s former military and owns a security firm. But he’s horrified when the officers find explosives, and he can’t fathom how they got there.

An attorney who will risk it all for an old friend.

Criminal attorney Jamie Powell was Dustin’s best friend growing up. They haven’t spoken since he left for basic training, but she’s the first person he thinks of when he’s arrested. Jamie knows she’s putting her career on the line by defending an accused terrorist, but she’d never abandon him. Someone is framing Dustin to take the fall for shocking acts of violence . . . but why?

My Thoughts

This is an intense story from beginning to end! It gets off to an explosive start when a bomb goes off at a concert – but who was the target and why? When Dustin becomes the number one suspect, he knows he is being framed and turns to his childhood friend Jamie for help. Terri Blackstock once again proves why she is one of the biggest names in Christian romantic suspense with this masterful novel!

Aftermath is part suspense and part legal thriller, as Dylan and Jamie race to find the truth before more people get hurt. It also shows the far-reaching effects tragedy can have on everyone involved – in Dustin’s life, after his turbulent childhood; in the lives of the survivors of the bombing; and in the lives of the perpetrators. In the aftermath of tragedy, we have the choice to grow and become better, or to become bitter and compound the impact by making bad decisions with ripple effects. We can choose either healing or destruction, and the contrast is stark in this book.

This is a story of friendship, second chances, and redemption as Jamie and Dustin rekindle their childhood friendship and reestablish their trust in each other. It is definitely heavier on the suspense than romance, though, with a gripping plot that keeps you guessing. The added perspective of one of the survivors of the bombing, whose story we follow throughout, also provides plenty of twists, turns, and tense moments! If you are a suspense fan looking for a book that will keep you turning pages long into the night, don’t miss Aftermath!

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! The book I’m featuring for this week’s First Line Friday is one you won’t want to miss. Sticks and Stone just released this week and is the next installment in the incredible True Lies of Rembrandt Stone series!

“The pieces of two lives sit in my brain like they should fit together, but no matter how hard I press, I can’t get them to line up.”

Sticks and Stone by David James Warren

The Basics

Title: Sticks and Stone

Author: David James Warren

Series: The True Lies of Rembrandt Stone (Book 3 of 6)

Publication Date: June 1, 2021

Genre: Time Travel Suspense/Thriller

My Rating: 5 Stars

From the Back Cover:

Third Time’s The Charm … Or Not

Rembrandt Stone has only made things worse. This time, upon his return, he discovers his closest friendship is up in flames. Andrew Burke’s new scars reflect the havoc Rembrandt has left on his own timeline and he must go back—one last trip into the past. This time he’ll save Burke, fix his life and track down a serial killer who possess an uncanny ability to evade him through time.

When Rembrandt lands in the past and two children disappear into an epic Minneapolis blizzard, he’s in a race with time to save the children, his partner, and create a future he can live with.

Sticks and Stone—the third book in the gripping True Lies of Rembrandt Stone series—starts sprinting on page one and doesn’t slow down till the final words.

Hold onto your head…and your heart.

The continuing adventures of Rembrandt Stone from the creative minds of James L. Rubart, Susan May Warren and newcomer David Curtis Warren, writing as DAVID JAMES WARREN.

My Thoughts

Oh my goodness, what a wild ride Rem is on in his latest time travel adventure! Things have majorly shifted, both in his present timeline and in his past. Of course, it’s his own fault, as he has broken the first rule of time travel (don’t mess with the past!), but how could he not? Not only is he trying to get his old life back, but he also has the opportunity to stop a serial killer in his tracks.

As Rem bounces back and forth between the past and the present, his relationships with Eve and Burke grow ever more complicated. The effects of those relationships reverberate across time, keeping Rem on his toes. It’s becoming challenging for Rem to keep up with all of his timelines, but the authors do a great job of keeping everything straight for the reader. And of course, it wouldn’t be a Rembrandt Stone book without a major cliffhanger! I never saw this ending coming, and I have absolutely no idea how Rem is going to get himself out of this one. Good thing the next book will be out in August! If you enjoy mind-bending suspense and characters who jump off the page and into your heart, you will love this series!

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 author as part of the launch team. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own; I was not required to write a positive review.