Happy Friday! We’ve made it through another week, and now it’s time for another First Line Friday linkup, hosted by Reading is My Superpower. This week, I’m featuring Denise Hunter’s upcoming release, Harvest Moon.

“It was not the sort of day when bad things happened.”

Harvest Moon by Denise Hunter

The Basics

Title: Harvest Moon

Author: Denise Hunter

Series: A Riverbend Romance (Book 3 of 3)

Publication Date: September 6, 2022

Genre: Contemporary Romance

My Rating: 3.5 Stars

From the Back Cover:

Forever walking the line between passion and conflict, Laurel and Gavin’s relationship ended in divorce after years of miscommunication and unmet expectations. Now pursuing their own separate lives and careers, the two are content . . . though not completely happy.

When their best friends, Mike and Mallory, are killed in a plane crash, Laurel and Gavin are stunned to learn they’ve been named guardians of their friends’ young daughter, Emma. Putting their differences aside, the estranged couple search for a suitable guardian as they care for Emma and manage Mike and Mallory’s apple orchard.

Soon tempers flare—as does the passion they both remember so well. And Laurel and Gavin find themselves working through their past—their mistakes, their miscommunications, and ultimately the tragedy that ended their marriage.

Will the seeds of love, still growing inside them, thrive and flourish? Or will grief and regret strangle the feelings before they can fully blossom?

My Review

Harvest Moon is the third and final book in Denise Hunter’s Riverbend Romance series, set in a small town on the Appalachian Trail. In this book, we finally find out the details of the tragedy that brought Gavin, the third Robinson sibling, home to Riverbend. The story alternates between the present day, when exes Laurel and Gavin are drawn back together after another tragedy, and the backstory of how they first met and fell in love.

The book does deal with several serious topics, including grief, loss, illness, divorce, and parental neglect. However, these issues are deftly handled and show the growth in the characters’ lives. It’s a bit of a slow-moving story, focused on character development more than plot, but is a poignant depiction of real life challenges and joys. Denise Hunter’s fans will enjoy this installment in the Riverbend Romance 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 Reading is My Superpower 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! For today’s First Line Friday linkup, I’m featuring Tammy L. Gray’s newest book, Love and the Dream Come True.

“Music used to be my breath, my muse, my one sure-and-steady force.”

Love and the Dream Come True by Tammy L. Gray

The Basics

Title: Love and the Dream Come True

Author: Tammy L. Gray

Series: State of Grace (Book 3 of 3)

Publication Date: August 2, 2022

Genre: Contemporary Romance

My Rating: 4 Stars

From the Back Cover:

Four years after getting the biggest break of his life, Cameron Lee’s music career has taken a nosedive, leaving him two options: become a sellout or give up on his lifelong dream. He reluctantly returns home for his sister’s wedding, hoping to avoid his past and find his love for music again.

Single mom Lexie Walters has suffered her fair share of tragedies and setbacks, but she has finally scraped together the money to achieve her dream of going into business with her cousin as an interior designer. When Lexie’s life is at an all-time high, she runs into her teenage crush, Cameron Lee.

Lost in the emotional turmoil of failure, Cameron is immediately drawn to Lexie and her infectious smile and optimistic spirit. Moreover, he adores her mouthy, no-holds-barred daughter. But fantasies only last so long, and soon Lexie and Cameron must face the real world, the one fraught with heartbreak, disappointment, and questions that sometimes can only be answered by a leap of faith.

My Review

Love and the Dream Come True is the third and final book in the State of Grace series, and picks up a few years after the last book left off. I definitely recommend reading the whole series in order, as characters and storylines are continued through all three books. In this satisfying conclusion, we finally understand all sides of the situations that tore this friend group apart.

Cameron was my least favorite character in the previous books, but he redeemed himself in this one – in every sense of the word! He and Lexie brought out the best in each other, encouraged each other to grow, and turned into a couple I was rooting for all the way through. Lexie’s daughter Morgan added spunk and sass to this heartfelt story of forgiveness, redemption, and faith. I highly recommend this book (and series) to fans of inspirational contemporary romance authors like Nicole Deese!

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 Reading is My Superpower 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 First Line Friday! Hope you can stay cool and read a good book this weekend 🙂 Today I’m featuring Deception, the latest installment in Patricia Bradley’s Natchez Trace Park Rangers series.

“Today was not a good day to die.”

Deception by Patricia Bradley

The Basics

Title: Deception

Author: Patricia Bradley

Series: Natchez Trace Park Rangers (Book 4 of 4)

Publication Date: August 2, 2022

Genre: Christian Romantic Suspense

My Rating: 4 Stars

From the Back Cover:

After being forced to kill an FBI agent gone rogue in self-defense, ISB ranger Madison Thorn is happy to be working in the fraud and cybercrimes division. At least numbers don’t lie. So she’s less than thrilled when she’s drawn into a violent crime investigation in Natchez, Mississippi. She could also do without being forced to work with former-childhood-enemy-turned-infuriatingly-handsome park ranger Clayton Bradshaw.

When a woman who looks just like Madison is attacked on the same night Madison’s grandfather is shot, it becomes clear that there is something much bigger going on . . . and that Madison herself is in danger. Madison and Clayton will have to work together–and suppress their growing feelings for one another–if they are to discover the truth before it’s too late.

My Review

Deception is the fantastic conclusion to Patricia Bradley’s Natchez Trace Park Rangers series! While all four books take place in the same location, they can each be read alone. I love the unique setting and the twist on the suspense genre by featuring law enforcement park rangers!

In this book, we meet Madison and Clayton, childhood acquaintances who are thrown together when a case becomes personal. The twists and turns keep coming when they realize there is more to Madison’s adoption than she ever imagined. The intricate plot is fast-paced enough to keep tensions high, while also allowing characters and relationships to develop. I had my suspicions about who was behind the attacks on Madison and her grandfather, but there was still a twist that surprised me at the end! The faith thread is compelling and flows seamlessly in the story. If you are a fan of romantic suspense, don’t miss 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 Reading is My Superpower 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 First Line Friday! Today I am featuring a new release by another new-to-me author: The Italian Ballerina by Kristy Cambron.

18 May 1944
Tiber Island
Rome, Italy

“Never open a locked door unless you’re certain death doesn’t lurk behind it.”

The Italian Ballerina by Kristy Cambron

The Basics

Title: The Italian Ballerina

Author: Kristy Cambron

Publication Date: July 12, 2022

Genre: Split-Time WWII Historical Fiction

My Rating: 4.5 Stars

From the Back Cover:

At the height of the Nazi occupation of Rome, an unlikely band of heroes comes together to save innocent lives in this breathtaking World War II novel based on real historical events.

Rome, 1943. With the fall of Italy’s Fascist government and the Nazi regime occupying the streets of Rome, British ballerina Julia Bradbury is stranded and forced to take refuge at a hospital on Tiber Island. But when she learns of a deadly sickness sweeping through the quarantine wards—a fake disease known only as Syndrome K—she is drawn into one of the greatest cons in history. Alongside hospital staff, friars of the adjoining church, and two Allied medics, Julia risks everything to rescue Jewish Italians from the deadly clutches of the Holocaust. Soon a little girl who dreams of becoming a ballerina arrives at their door, and Julia is determined to reunite the young dancer with her family—if only she would reveal one crucial secret: her name.

Present Day. Delaney Coleman recently lost her grandfather—a beloved small-town doctor and World War II veteran, so she returns home to help her aging parents. When a mysterious Italian woman reaches out claiming to own one of the family’s precious heirlooms, Delaney is compelled to travel to Italy and uncover the truth of her grandfather’s hidden past. With the help of the woman’s skeptical but charming grandson, Delaney learns of a Roman hospital that saved hundreds of Jewish people during the war. Soon, everything Delaney thought she knew about her grandfather comes into question.

Based on true accounts of the invented Syndrome K sickness, The Italian Ballerina journeys from the Allied storming of the beaches at Salerno to the London ballet stage and the war-torn streets of World War II Rome, exploring the sometimes heart-wrenching choices we must make to find faith and forgiveness, and how saving a single life can impact countless others.

My Review

This was the first of Kristy Cambron’s novels I have read, and I was immediately drawn into this intricately woven World War II story. The historical details are fascinating, brought to life by vibrant characters who leap (and dance) off the page. I did find the historical timeline a little hard to follow at first, as it jumped around between several different years, but it all came together and thoroughly captured my attention. Through Delaney’s story in the present, we discover the past alongside her, and are reminded how one courageous action can change the course of generations. This beautiful story has put Kristy Cambron on my list of must-read WWII authors! I highly recommend it to fans of Sarah Sundin and Melanie Dobson.

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 Reading is My Superpower 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 today for First Line Friday – The Extraordinary Deaths of Mrs. Kip is Sara Brunsvold’s amazing debut novel.

“Clara Kip had prayed repeatedly to die in São Paulo. It truly seemed the smallest of requests.”

The Extraordinary Deaths of Mrs. Kip by Sara Brunsvold

The Basics

Title: The Extraordinary Deaths of Mrs. Kip

Author: Sara Brunsvold

Publication Date: July 5, 2022

Genre: Contemporary Christian Women’s Fiction

My Rating: 5 Stars

From the Back Cover:

Aidyn Kelley is talented, ambitious, and ready for a more serious assignment than the fluff pieces she’s been getting as a cub reporter for the Kansas City Star. In her eagerness, she pushes too hard, earning herself the menial task of writing an obituary for an unremarkable woman who’s just entered hospice care.

But there’s more to Clara Kip than meets the eye. The spirited septuagenarian may be dying, but she’s not quite ready to cash it in yet. Never one to shy away from an assignment herself, she can see that God brought the young reporter into her life for a reason. And if it’s a story Aidyn Kelley wants, that’s just what Mrs. Kip will give her–but she’s going to have to work for it.

My Review

“I simply tried to love people as best I could for as long as I was privileged to be with them.”

What an incredible book! I wasn’t sure what to expect from a debut novel, but I was pleasantly surprised to find a captivating story in these pages! It might seem strange to call this book delightful, since it deals so honestly with death, but it truly was a delight to read. While it is somewhat bittersweet, the way Mrs. Kip’s faith was evident in how she lived and faced death was both convicting and inspiring. Her wisdom and spunk can charm the toughest of audiences, and Aidyn’s growth and transformation was so moving. This heartfelt story will make you laugh, cry, and want to be like Mrs. Kip when you grow up!

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 Reading is My Superpower 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.