Open the book nearest to you and share the first line!
Hello, reader friends! It’s FLF time! Today’s featured book is written by a debut author I had the pleasure of meeting at CFRR a few months ago.
Her book is (FINALLY) at the very tippy top of my to-be-read tower! I’m so anxious to get caught up with blogging and reviewing so I can dive back into reading!
The Secret Life of Sarah Hollenbeck by Bethany Turner
Goodreads | Amazon | BookDepository | Christianbook
“If you’re willing to admit it, you probably know me as Raine de Bourgh. Yes, that Raine de Bourgh. Did you blush at the mere mention of my pen name? Yeah. So did I.“
Sooooo, I couldn’t stop at one line. What can I say? The book drew me in!
Your turn, reader friends! What are you reading? Share YOUR first line in the comments, then click the blue blog hopping frog button below to visit more FLF folks!
Join us!
We also invite you to participate in First Line Fridays on your own blog!
Simply share the URL of your blog POST (not your blog), your name, and your email (which will remain hidden) with our froggy friend above! Please remember to link back to Hoarding Books within your post or grab a button from the sidebar so everyone can find the FLF fun.
Coming soon…
First Line Friday special editions! Mark your calendars with the dates listed in the sidebar (or scroll down on mobile) then get ready to celebrate those special occasions with us!
Hoarding Books 
Happy Friday!
My FLF is from Barefoot Summer by Denise Hunter
Madison McKinley scanned the crowded town hall, wondering how many of her friends and neighbors she’d have to fight to get what she came for.
Have a great weekend!
LikeLike
Great book! Happy reading!
LikeLike
I LOVED this book! So good!
I’m featuring the first line from The Dishonorable Miss DeLancey by Carolyn Miller on my blog this week, but right now I’m almost finished a gripping read by Candace Calvert–Disaster Status–so I’m going to give you the first line of that:
“Fire captain Scott McKenna bolted through the doors of Pacific Mercy ER, his boots thudding and heart pounding as the unconscious child began to stiffen and jerk in his arms.”
Gotta get back to it! Have a great weekend 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
OH, I LOVE Candace Calvert’s stories!!! Enjoy, my friend!!! ❤
LikeLiked by 1 person
I loved this, too!!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Happy Friday! My first line is from Love Unawares, a historical fiction book by Michelynn Christy:
Prairie, Texas 1895
“Well, Jed. Are you ready to meet your new wife tomorrow?”
LikeLike
I love the title and for some reason I’ve always been partial to the name Jed 😀
LikeLiked by 1 person
We named our firstborn Jedidiah, so it was fun to read a book with his name as one of the main characters.
LikeLike
I have almost finished “A Dangerous Legacy” by Elizabeth Camden. An amazing story!
“The amount of feminine attention her brother garnered never failed to amaze Lucy.”
LikeLike
Oooooo, I will have to get my hands on that! Happy reading, Rebecca!
LikeLike
I’m sharing about Isaiah’s Daughter by Mesu Andrews on the blog today, but here I’m going to share the first line from The Esther Paradigm by Sarah Monzon.
Prologue
Hannah Pratt stared out across the grainy hills as the wind blew a gentle kiss over the crest.
Chapter 1
Hannah
This was not how I’d thought I would die.
Happy Friday!
LikeLike
LOVE! You have excellent taste in books. I’m looking forward to Isaiah’s daughter and I ADORE The Esther Paradigm!
LikeLiked by 1 person
You too! Every time I visit your blog I’m always finding a book I’ve loved or a new one to add my TBR! Haha. 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you, Becky!!! That’s WONDERFUL!!! 😍 We’re kindred spirit book buddies!
LikeLiked by 1 person
LOVE IT! ❤
LikeLiked by 1 person
The honorable Clara DeLancey stood atop the chalky cliffs. Above her, heavy clouds menaced the moon, revealing then concealing the scene below.
From The Dishonorable Miss DeLancey by Carolyn Miller.
Only half done with this one but it is turning out to be just as good as the other two in the series!
Looking for ward to Sarah Hollenbeck!
LikeLike
I’ll be binge reading Carolyn’s series next week! YAY!
LikeLike
HAPPY FRIDAY!
Rebecca Hawes lay awake in her tent, convinced that the howling wind was about to lift her entire camp into the air and hurl it to the far side of the desert. Where We Belong by Lynn Austin
LikeLike
You’ll have to tell me what you think of that book, it didn’t quite make it onto my tbr yet (mostly because I’m having a hard time reaching the top) 😉
LikeLike
Definitely need to check this book out. That first line is great!!!
I am showcasing Embracing Hope by Janell Butler Wojtowicz this week, so I will post the first line from the book I plan to read after I finish Embracing Hope.
“This is for them. This is for the magic. This is for every little dreamer in the room. Dozens of little awestruck faces crowded the large studio as I took position to practice my Sugar Plum Fairy solo.”
So, a little more than one line, but I really like the image this creates of cute little ballerinas excited to see a performance. This comes from A Season to Dance by Patricia Beal.
LikeLike
Oh yay! A Season to Dance is a powerful read!
LikeLiked by 1 person
This is another book that is on my Amazon wish list. 🙂 Great first line!
LikeLike
It’s definitely hard to put down!
LikeLike
That’s a great first line. I will be checking that book out. I’m featuring A Most Peculiar Circumstance by Jen Turano on my blog, but here I will share the first line from a novel I recently published called Reluctant To Wed. “Sitting in her grandfather’s traveling coach, Emma suddenly felt the impact of her decision.”
LikeLike
Oh that’s a great line! Thanks for sharing, Anneliese!
LikeLike
That looks like such a fun book!!! 🙂
My first line comes from “Suit and Suitability,” a vintage Jane Austen retelling by Kelsey Bryant.
“GUILTY.”
The voice of the jury foreman was deep and emotionless, so uncannily like her father’s that Ellen Dashiell could almost believe Dad was convicting himself.
LikeLike
Oh, that sounds interesting! Thanks for sharing, Amanda!
LikeLiked by 1 person
The Secret Life of Sarah Hollenbeck is probably the best debut novel I’ve read this year. I’ve recommended it to so many people (some of them even listened to me).
I’m sharing from The Dishonourable Miss DeLancy over on my blog, but I’m currently reading The Captive Brides collection. I’ve just started Waltzing Matilda by Lucy Thompson. Here’s the first line:
Matilda Brampton took one more look at the walls of the Parramatta Female Factory and vowed it would be her last.
LikeLike
Oh YAY! That’s wonderful, Iola! Oh, hmmm… I’ve never heard of a female factory… intriguing, lol!
LikeLike
I’m so glad I provided Carrie with the idea of your special editions! Thanks for giving me a head’s up and a shout out!
LikeLike
Thanks for the prompting! 🙂
LikeLike
On my page I shared the first line from Heather Day Gilbert’s “God’s Daughter” a suburb story rich in viking history. I would highly recommend the book to anyone who enjoys Historical Fiction.
I’ll share here an old favorite of mine “Heidi”
From the old and pleasantly situated village of Mayenfeld, a footpath winds through green and shady meadows to the food of the mountains, which on this side look down from their stern and lofty heights upon the valley below.
LikeLike
I would second that recommendation for God’s Daughter! I’ve never actually read Heidi but I overheard parts of it when one of my kids listened to the audiobook. 😉
LikeLiked by 1 person