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.