Happy Friday! For today’s First Line Friday linkup, hosted by Hoarding Books, I’m featuring a new release from a new-to-me author – Love and a Little White Lie by Tammy L. Gray. I have to admit, the title really intrigued me, and I ended up really loving this story!

“I’ve face-planted myself into rock bottom.”

Love and a Little White Lie by Tammy L. Gray

Isn’t that a great first line? What a way to start the story!

The Basics

Title: Love and a Little White Lie

Author: Tammy L. Gray

Series: State of Grace (Book 1)

Genre: Christian Contemporary Romance

My Rating: 4/5 Stars

From the Back Cover: After a heartbreak leaves her reeling, January Sanders is open to anything–including moving into a cabin on her aunt’s wedding-venue property and accepting a temporary position at her aunt’s church despite being a lifelong skeptic of faith. Choosing to keep her doubts to herself, she’s determined to give her all to supporting Grace Community’s overworked staff while helping herself move on.

What she doesn’t count on is meeting the church’s handsome and charming guitarist. It’s a match set for disaster, and yet January has no ability to stay away, even if it means pretending to have faith in a God she doesn’t believe in.

Only this time, keeping her secret isn’t as easy as she thought it would be. Especially when she’s constantly running into her aunt’s landscape architect, who seems to know everything about her past-and-present sins and makes no apologies about pushing her to deal with feelings she’d rather keep buried.

Torn between two worlds that can’t coexist, can January find the healing that’s eluded her, or will her resistance to the truth ruin any chance of happiness?

My Thoughts

This was such a fun book! It’s lighthearted with serious moments too, as Jan struggles with feeling lost after her breakup, move, and job change. Her job at a church, combined with her skepticism towards faith and her unfamiliarity with “Christianese,” provide some humor as well as heartfelt moments. The two heroes in the story also make things a little unpredictable, and I really enjoyed the witty dialogue and writing style.

Some Christian fiction can come across as cliche, cheesy, or preachy, but that’s not the case here. I love the way Jan’s questions about faith are explored – her story was portrayed in a genuine, authentic way. I’m looking forward to reading more of Tammy L. Gray’s books!

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, fellow readers! It’s time for another First Line Friday linkup, hosted by Hoarding Books. Today I’m featuring a new release from this week – Minutes to Die by Susan Sleeman!

“Exposed. Kiley felt exposed.”

Minutes to Die by Susan Sleeman

The Basics

Title: Minutes to Die

Author: Susan Sleeman

Series: Homeland Heroes (Book 2 of 3)

Genre: Christian romantic suspense

My Rating: 4/5 Stars

From the Back Cover: It’s the intel every agent fears–terrorists have been smuggled into the country, intent on unleashing the most deadly attack since 9/11. With the threat imminent, FBI Agent Kiley Dawson and ICE Agent Evan Bowers are charged with taking down this terrorist cell. The only problem is Kiley blames Evan for the death of her former partner, and she can barely be in the same room with him. But with millions of lives on the line, she has no choice.

If it wasn’t for a bad call Evan made, Kiley’s former partner would still be alive, and Evan has to live with that guilt for the rest of his life. When he starts falling for her, the agent’s death seems an impossible obstacle. As the terrorist plot targets Kiley’s family, the two are pushed to the breaking point in a race to save countless lives.

My Thoughts

The first book in this series, Seconds to Live, was my introduction to Susan Sleeman’s books. It wasn’t my favorite, but something changed with this book, and I absolutely loved it! The intensity and action drew me in from the beginning, and I had a hard time putting it down!

The chemistry and relationship between the main characters, Kiley and Evan, seemed much more authentic than the first book. The plot was gripping, which is to be expected in a story about terrorist plot, but I thought the balance between the action and quieter moments was really well done. I enjoyed the unique focus on the RED Team and their camaraderie, and I can’t wait for the next 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 via NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Happy Friday, friends! I’m so glad it’s time for another First Line Friday linkup, hosted by Hoarding Books, and I’m so excited about the book I’m featuring today! Rachel Hauck is one of my favorite authors, and she has a new book coming out on August 11. It’s available for preorder now – you won’t want to miss it!

1938

Dalholm, Northon, Lauchtenland

“It’s said in the north country of Lauchtenland that the sea has a song, and love blooms from the earth the same as flora and fauna. It perfumes the air and touches lives in ways no one quite understands.”

To Love a Prince by Rachel Hauck

The Basics

Title: To Love a Prince

Author: Rachel Hauck

Series: True Blue Royal (Book 1)

Publication Date: August 11, 2020

Genre: Christian Contemporary Romance

My Rating: 5/5 Stars

From the Back Cover: Daffodil Caron is not a princess, even though she once dreamed of being one. After all, she grew up as a playmate to royal princes, running through the halls of Perrigwynn Palace in the North Sea’s Lauchtenland. But the day she stumbled upon a royal secret, everything changed.

Flash forward eighteen years, and Daffy’s living a sweet, non-royal life. A skilled art curator for the Royal Trust, she has friends, a flat in the heart of the capital city, and a handsome, successful boyfriend. The last person on her mind is Gus, the prince she once called her best mate.

HRH Prince Augustus is no longer “Prince Pudgy,” as caricatured by the press—he’s charming and gorgeous, possessing a world-famous smile. But after he’s jilted at the altar, then dumped by his second fianceé, the spare heir to Lauchtenland’s ancient House of Blue finds solace on a Florida beach.

A year as a regular bloke allows him to rethink his purpose. He’s half decided his calling is to pour pints at a tiki bar rather than serve his country and the Family.

But a wild Frisbee toss down the beach changes his destiny.

Despite his long hair and beard, Daffy recognizes her prince. She reminds Gus of his heritage and assures him that he’s needed in Lauchtenland.

When Daffy and Gus find themselves on assignment at Hadsby Castle in preparation for his brother’s wedding ball, their friendship blooms into affection.

Then secrets are exposed, and Gus must choose between his past hurts and his future hope. And Daffy must trust her heart to forever love a prince.

My Thoughts

To Love a Prince is another enchanting royal story by Rachel Hauck! She has such a beautiful way of telling stories that draw you in and tug on your heartstrings. All of her characters, whether royal or not, are so relatable, I feel like I could step through the pages and instantly be friends.

I absolutely loved Gus and Daffy’s story and the way their relationship grew from a childhood friendship into a beautiful love story. The threads through both of their stories about discovering their value and worth were so powerful. I really enjoyed the glimpses of characters from past books too, especially Coral Winthrop from The Fifth Avenue Story Society! The finishing touch on the story is the glimmer of the divine, found in the mysterious, angelic characters that make Rachel Hauck’s books unique. I highly recommend this book for any fan of royal stories or contemporary romance!

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. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Happy Friday, friends! I’m so glad it’s Friday – for so many reasons, but one is that it’s time for another First Line Friday linkup hosted by Hoarding Books! Today I’m featuring a book that just came out this week, by a new-to-me author: Fragments of Light by Michèle Phoenix.

Aubry-en-Douve

June 6, 1944

“I was dreaming about carousels the night the sky got loud.”

Fragments of Light by Michèle Phoenix

The Basics

Title: Fragments of Light

Author: Michèle Phoenix

Genre: Christian historical fiction (split-time)

My Rating: 5 Stars

From the Back Cover: An impossible decision in the chaos of D-Day. Ripples that cascade seventy-five years into the present. And two lives transformed by the tenuous resolve to reach out of the darkness toward fragments of light.

Cancer stole everything from Ceelie—her peace of mind, her self-image, perhaps even her twenty-three-year marriage to her college sweetheart, Nate. Without the support of Darlene, her quirky elderly friend, she may not have been able to endure so much loss.

So when Darlene’s prognosis turns dire, Ceelie can’t refuse her seemingly impossible request—to find a WWII paratrooper named Cal, the father who disappeared when Darlene was an infant, leaving a lifetime of desolation in his wake.

The search that begins in the farmlands of Missouri eventually leads Ceelie to a small town in Normandy, where she uncovers the harrowing tale of the hero who dropped off-target into occupied France.

Alternating between Cal’s D-Day rescue by two young French sisters and Ceelie’s present-day journey through trial and heartbreak, Fragments of Light poses a timeless question: When life becomes unbearable, will you press toward the light or let the darkness win?

My Thoughts

This was my first book by Michèle Phoenix, and what a great introduction to her writing! I loved this split-time story that took us through the events of D-Day, both through the eyes of a paratrooper who landed in Normandy that day and the discovery of his daughter and her friend 76 years later. Both storylines were equally engaging, with compelling characters and similar themes woven throughout.

This is a story that shows the true cost of war through the heartbreak and sacrifice it required of Cal, but it is not a story without hope. Darlene, Ceelie, and Nate were all faced with difficult circumstances and presented with the opportunity to choose between anger or forgiveness, bitterness or grace, betrayal or faithfulness. Those are choices we can all relate to, whether we have lived through a war or not. This is a thought-provoking, heart-wrenching, beautiful story that will stick with you long after the last page!

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 hope you can enjoy a long holiday weekend celebrating Independence Day, with plenty of time for reading and spending time with family and friends 🙂

Today for First Line Friday, a linkup hosted by Hoarding Books, I’m featuring a book that’s not one I would typically read – These Nameless Things by Shawn Smucker. Here’s the first line, and keep reading for my review below!

“We move in a loose group, winding through the trees.”

These Nameless Things by Shawn Smucker

The Basics

Title: These Nameless Things

Author: Shawn Smucker

Genre: Speculative

My Rating: 3 Stars

From the Back Cover: Once held captive and tortured on a mysterious mountain, Dan was lucky to have made it out alive. But freedom comes at a cost. Left with little memory of the horrific ordeal, Dan can recall one thing–his escape meant leaving his brother behind.

With each day that passes, Dan waits with the other survivors in hope of his brother’s escape. But just as long-forgotten memories start rising to the surface, the sudden appearance of a wounded woman throws everything into question. As Dan struggles to know who to trust, he is caught once again in a paralyzing moral dilemma:

How far will he go to save the people he loves?

My Thoughts

This isn’t the type of book I’m typically drawn to – speculative, allegorical, almost dystopian – but I’m glad I decided to read it! I think it’s important to expand your reading horizons, to see life from different perspectives, and These Nameless Things definitely provides a different perspective. The writing is haunting and poetic, leaving things open to your imagination and interpretation. The story explores themes of guilt, forgiveness, and redemption in a compelling, thought-provoking way. It will make you consider how the choices we make have effects that reach farther than we can imagine. The questions it raises will stay with you after the final page!

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 and the Revell Reads program. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Happy Friday, friends! 🙂 The book I’m featuring for today’s edition of First Line Friday is the perfect summer read. The Key to Everything by Valerie Fraser Luesse is set in Florida, and her descriptions of the people and places will put you in a summer state of mind. Here’s the first line – keep reading for my review!

April 1947

“Though he couldn’t have known, nor ever guessed, Peyton Cabot had just witnessed a bittersweet kiss goodbye.”

The Key to Everything by Valerie Fraser Luesse

The Basics

Title: The Key to Everything

Author: Valerie Fraser Luesse

Genre: Historical Fiction

My Rating: 5 Stars

From the Back Cover: Peyton Cabot’s fifteenth year will be a painful and transformative one. His father, the heroic but reluctant head of a moneyed Savannah family, has come home from WWII a troubled vet, drowning his demons in bourbon and distancing himself from his son. A tragic accident shows Peyton the depths of his parents’ devotion to each other but interrupts his own budding romance with the girl of his dreams, Lisa Wallace.

Struggling to cope with a young life upended, Peyton makes a daring decision: He will retrace a journey his father took at fifteen, riding his bicycle all the way to Key West, Florida. Part declaration of independence, part search for self, Peyton’s journey will bring him more than he ever could have imagined–namely, the key to his unknowable father, a reunion with Lisa, and a calling that will shape the rest of his life.

Through poignant prose and characters so real you’ll be sure you know them, Valerie Fraser Luesse transports you to the storied Atlantic coast for a unique coming-of-age story you won’t soon forget.

My Thoughts

I enjoyed Valerie Fraser Luesse’s last book, Almost Home, but I didn’t expect to love this one as much as I did! The Key to Everything is a captivating story, full of rich and compelling characters, especially Peyton. I felt myself rooting for him from the first page, and his story of growth and transformation is one I think we can all relate to.

The setting of this story is unique, from the time period – just after WWII – to the location – the coast of Florida, all the way to Key West. The war’s effects are experienced secondhand, as Peyton’s life is forever changed by the way the war haunts his father. His bike ride down the coast of Florida forces him to come to terms with the tragedy he’s faced and start to determine the kind of man he will be, outside his family’s shadow. It is a coming of age story, but also a story of transformation, healing, and purpose. I think fans of Charles Martin’s The Water Keeper would enjoy this one!

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, friends! I can’t believe that tomorrow is already the first day of summer! That makes the book I’m featuring today for First Line Friday the perfect book to enjoy this weekend – The Summer House by Lauren K. Denton.

“The morning Worth left, something pulled Lily from her sleep, though at first glance nothing seemed out of place.”

The Summer House by Lauren K. Denton

That line definitely makes me want to keep reading! Preferably from a beautiful porch swing like the one on this cover 🙂

The Basics

Title: The Summer House

Author: Lauren K. Denton

Genre: Contemporary Women’s Fiction/Southern Fiction

My Rating: 5 Stars

From the Back Cover: Sometimes it takes losing everything to find yourself again.

Lily Bishop wakes up one morning to find a good-bye note and divorce papers from her husband on the kitchen counter. Having moved to Alabama for his job only weeks before, Lily is devastated, but a flyer at the grocery store for a hair stylist position in a local retirement community provides a refuge while she contemplates her next steps.

Rose Carrigan built the small retirement village of Safe Harbor years ago—just before her husband ran off with his assistant. Now she runs a tight ship, making sure the residents follow her strict rules. Rose keeps everyone at arm’s length, including her own family. But when Lily shows up asking for a job and a place to live, Rose’s cold exterior begins to thaw.

Lily and Rose form an unlikely friendship, and Lily’s salon soon becomes the place where residents share town gossip, as well as a few secrets. Lily soon finds herself drawn to Rose’s nephew, Rawlins—a single dad and shrimper who’s had some practice at starting over—and one of the residents may be carrying a torch for Rose as well.

Neither Lily nor Rose is where she expected to be, but the summer makes them both wonder if there’s more to life and love than what they’ve experienced so far. The Summer House weaves Lauren K. Denton’s inviting Southern charm around a woman’s journey to find herself.

My Thoughts

“This life is a beautiful thing – it’s precious and fleeting, and we’d all be crazy not to reach out and grab it with both hands and hang on tight.”

From the first page of this story, I felt like I was transported to the small village called Safe Harbor on the Alabama coast. With her signature Southern charm and grace, Lauren K. Denton has written a beautiful story about starting over, taking chances, and becoming who you were meant to be. Rose and Lily couldn’t have done that without the community around them, and there are definitely some some fun, slightly eccentric characters who add both lightheartedness and depth to the story! Besides the beautiful setting, which could be a character itself, my favorite part of the story was seeing Lily’s transformation from a betrayed, hurting woman to one who has found her purpose and is ready to open her heart again. When I finished the book, I wished I could stay in Safe Harbor a little longer – that’s a sign of a great story!

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! It’s time for another First Line Friday linkup, hosted by Hoarding Books. Today I’m featuring Becoming Mrs. Lewis by Patti Callahan.

“From the very beginning it was the Great Lion who brought us together.”

Becoming Mrs. Lewis by Patti Callahan

I have to admit, that first line did draw me in with the Narnia reference 🙂

The Basics

Title: Becoming Mrs. Lewis

Author: Patti Callahan

Genre: Christian Historical Fiction/Biography

My Rating: 3/5 Stars

From the Back Cover: When poet and writer Joy Davidman began writing letters to C. S. Lewis—known as Jack—she was looking for spiritual answers, not love. Love, after all, wasn’t holding together her crumbling marriage. Everything about New Yorker Joy seemed ill-matched for an Oxford don and the beloved writer of Narnia, yet their minds bonded over their letters. Embarking on the adventure of her life, Joy traveled from America to England and back again, facing heartbreak and poverty, discovering friendship and faith, and against all odds, finding a love that even the threat of death couldn’t destroy.  

In this masterful exploration of one of the greatest love stories of modern times, we meet a brilliant writer, a fiercely independent mother, and a passionate woman who changed the life of this respected author and inspired books that still enchant us and change us. Joy lived at a time when women weren’t meant to have a voice—and yet her love for Jack gave them both voices they didn’t know they had. 

At once a fascinating historical novel and a glimpse into a writer’s life, Becoming Mrs. Lewis is above all a love story—a love of literature and ideas and a love between a husband and wife that, in the end, was not impossible at all.

My Thoughts

One of my goals for 2020 is to read more of C.S. Lewis’ books. Before this year, I had only ever read The Chronicles of Narnia! So while I’ve been reading Mere Christianity, The Screwtape Letters, and The Great Divorce, I thought it would be interesting to learn a little more about Lewis’ life.

I’ve heard a lot of great things about this book, and I really wanted to like it, but I have mixed feelings about it. For one thing, with a fictionalized biography like this, it’s hard to know how much is true and how much is the author’s imagination. That makes it hard to know if the parts I didn’t enjoy as much, like Joy’s feelings for Jack while she was still married, were historically accurate or not. There were other parts of the story I did enjoy, such as the vivid descriptions of Oxford, the snippets of Joy’s writings throughout, and learning about her influence on Lewis’ writing of some of his well-known books.

The story also felt a little long; it does cover a long period of time, but dragged on for me in places. It got better towards the end, and seeing how Jack and Joy’s marriage eventually came to be was one of my favorite parts, even if it was a little bittersweet. Overall, this was an interesting, enjoyable story that I think fans of C.S. Lewis will appreciate.

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, my fellow readers! I’m so excited about the book I’m featuring for today’s edition of First Line Friday, hosted by Hoarding Books! The Heart of a Hero, the second book in Susan May Warren’s Global Search and Rescue series, is coming out this Tuesday, June 2. This book is a great summer read – the perfect blend of high-stakes action and suspense with engaging characters. In other words, it’s quintessential Susan May Warren!

“In the daylight, Jake Silver wasn’t the devil.”

The Heart of a Hero by Susan May Warren

The Basics

Title: The Heart of a Hero

Author: Susan May Warren

Series: Global Search and Rescue (Book 2)

Genre: Christian Contemporary Romance/Adventure

Publication Date: June 2, 2020

My Rating: 5/5 Stars

From the Back Cover: Jake Silver may not be able to put the memories of his time as a sniper and Navy SEAL behind him, but at least he can put his skills to use as a part of the Jones Inc. rescue team. Saving the life of pediatric heart surgeon Dr. Aria Sinclair on Denali helped too. But now he can’t get her out of his head.

Aria has dedicated her life to helping children born with defective hearts. After all, she was one of those children. Driven to succeed, she lives a lonely, stressful life. One she would have lost on Denali if it hadn’t been for Jake. Jake is exciting and handsome, but he’s also dangerous, and she’s already lost one person she loves. She can’t bear it again.

It’s not until she finds herself trapped in the middle of a Category 4 hurricane that she can admit she needs Jake desperately. With their very survival in the balance, can they hope for a second chance at life . . . and love?

My Thoughts

I know I say this every time I read a new Susan May Warren book, but I can’t believe how her stories keep getting better and better! This book continues Jake and Aria’s story that began in The Way of the Brave, so we were able to jump right into the story. And of course, the action starts right from the beginning and doesn’t let up!

Jake and Aria are thrust into yet another life-threatening situation, only weeks after they escaped an avalanche on Denali. Jake truly has the heart of a hero, as he rushes to find Aria the moment he thinks she’s in danger. The twists and turns keep coming, with danger lurking around every corner. Jake and Aria are both forced to come to terms with some hard truths about themselves and their pasts, as they work together to ride out the storm.

The internal challenges Jake and Aria face are just as intense as their external circumstances, as Warren blends her signature character development with heart-stopping action. I feel just as much like I’m inside Jake and Aria’s minds, feeling their pain and their joy, as I am in the middle of that hurricane in Key West. I also loved reading more about Jake’s family, especially Ellie – no one writes about family dynamics better! And after learning more of Ham’s story, and after that cliffhanger at the end…let’s just say October (and the release of The Price of Valor) can’t get here soon enough! This book (and series) is not to be missed!

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