Happy Friday! Today I’m so excited to share a great new book by a debut author, and to join in on First Line Friday hosted by Hoarding Books! Keep reading for a sneak peek at the first line (and my review) of Living Lies by Natalie Walters.
The Basics
Title: Living Lies by Natalie Walters
Series: Harbored Secrets (Book 1)
Genre: Christian romantic suspense
My Rating: 5/5 stars
From the Back Cover: In the little town of Walton, Georgia, everybody knows your name–but no one knows your secret. At least that’s what Lane Kent is counting on when she returns to her hometown with her five-year-old son. Dangerously depressed after the death of her husband, Lane is looking for hope. What she finds instead is a dead body.
Lane must work with Walton’s newest deputy, Charlie Lynch, to uncover the truth behind the murder. But when that truth hits too close to home, she’ll have to decide if saving the life of another is worth the cost of revealing her darkest secret.
First Line
“Just let go.
The breeze lifted Lane Kent’s auburn hair from the back of her neck. Her heels edged closer to the side of the bridge, sending loose dust and rocks spiraling into the Ogeechee River below.”
Living Lies by Natalie Walters
My Thoughts
I knew from the first chapter that this would be one of the best suspense books I’ve read in awhile! The suspense and intrigue drew me in right away and held my attention throughout the book. I thought the plot was really unique, and I loved the charming Southern small town setting.
One thing that’s really important to me in this genre is a good balance of action/suspense and character development. This book is the best of both worlds, with edge-of-your-seat suspense and relatable, engaging characters! Charlie is everything you want in a hero – kind, committed, protective, and smart, but not without his own struggles. Lane is struggling with depression and the death of her husband, and I thought the author handled those tough topics in a thoughtful and gracious way. I appreciated the emphasis on veterans – with Charlie having just left the military and another character being a Vietnam veteran – and seeing how their experiences played a part in this story.
This was a fantastic debut novel, and I can’t wait to read the rest of the series! Watch for the second book, Deadly Deceit, to come out in November!
I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for a review. All opinions are my own; I was not required to write a positive review. Thank you, Revell!
Happy Friday! Today I’m sharing the first line from The King’s Mercy by Lori Benton: “Alex MacKinnon roused to the press of wood beneath his cheek and an ominous churning in his gut.”
https://moments-of-beauty.blogspot.com/2019/06/first-line-fridays-kings-mercy-by-lori.html
I’ve heard several people mention that book lately, I’ll have to check it out! 😊
Happy Friday!
On my blog I shared the first couple of lines from one of my current reads The Storm Crow by Kalyn Josephson. It’s an upcoming release by a debut author, a fantasy full of magic and conflict between warring kingdoms. I hope you give it a read when it comes out next month.
Here, though, let me share the first few lines from my other current read, Shadow of the Fox by Julie Kagawa.
“It was raining the day Suki came to the Palace of the Sun, and it was raining the night that she died.”
I hope you’re having a good Friday so far. Happy weekend and happy reading! 😀
Those both sound interesting, I’ll have to check them out! Happy reading to you too 😊
Happy Friday! I’m looking forward to reading Living Lies. 🙂 I’m sharing from Karen Barnett’s Ever Faithful on my blog today. Here is the first line from Chapter 2:
“What have you done now?” Nate kept his voice low as he tightened his fingers around his kid brother’s collar and glanced down the rain-darkened Brooklyn alley.”
I don’t think I’ve heard of that one, but chapter 2 sounds promising! 😉 Happy reading!
My first line is from The Number of Love by Roseanna White:
London, England 1917
The numbers marched across the page in a glory all their own.
Fabulous book as expected.
Good to know you enjoyed it! That one is on my TBR list for June 😊 thanks for sharing!
That’s definitely an engaging beginning!
I’m sharing from Purple Moon by Tessa Emily Hall on my blog today, and I’m currently between books and looking for inspiration here on First Line Friday. Have a great weekend of reading!
Thank you, you too! 😊