Hello, reader friends! It’s time for another special edition of First Line Fridays! In our neck of the woods, winter is blowing in with a vengeance (which always makes me want to run away to someplace warm)! We’re celebrating this change of seasons with a travel theme (or winter… or summer for our friends down under)!
Today’s featured book is next up in my to-be-read stack. I thoroughly enjoyed this author’s last release and it transported me all the way to Italy so I’m looking forward to escaping into this new release over the weekend!
The Austen Escape by Katherine Reay
Goodreads | Amazon | BookDepository | Christianbook
“How can I help?” The world stilled. It wasn’t the first time I wondered how one voice, one presence, could quicken the air and simultaneously stop all motion.“
Well now, those first two lines were just teeny teasers so I tossed in another and stopped right before the who!
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!
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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.
Reminder…
Next week is our Christmas special edition!
If you’d like to play along, select a Christmasy book and share the first line!
As always, participation in the special editions is completely voluntary and y’all are encouraged to share links to your non-themed FLF posts as well.
Hoarding Books 
My first line iver in my blog is from A Wreath of Snow by Liz Curtis Higgs — travel, Winter and Christmas! Here I will share from Richard Mabry’s newest novella, Surgeon’s Choice. “In the emergency room, Dr Ben Merrick worked feverishly over the middle-aged Caucasian male.”
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*over on. Where’s autocorrect when you need it!
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Well, the liver made me smile anyway! 🙂
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It’s been too long since I’ve read a story by Dr. Mabry! I need to fix that!
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I loved The Austen Escape.
I’m sharing the first line from The House on Foster Hill by Jaime Jo Wright, but at the moment, I’m reading ‘Beneath the Blackberry Moon’ by April Gardiner, and I’m going to share the first few lines:
“From inside the cool, shadowy wood, Totka Lawe squinted into a bright meadow. Its broad sea of undulating bromegrass lay empty. Deceptive.”
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Ooooohhhh!!! I LOVE April’s stories!!! 😍
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I’ve been seeing that book mentioned a few times. It sounds like a fun book.
My first line is from Then Came You by Becky Wade.
Sylvie left me today.
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Great story!
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I haven’t yet had the pleasure of reading The Austin Escape. I’ve added to my #TBR! Today on my blog I’m sharing the first line from Liz Curtis Higg’s “A Wreath of Snow”. A Christmas favorite of mine! Last evening I started reading Lucette Nel’s book “A Match of Sorts”. I’m really enjoying this one also! Here is the first line: “She changed her mind.”
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I need to read one of Lucy’s stories!
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Oh no. I didn’t realise it was a theme day! My book isn’t about travel but there is a relocation to a happier place!!
My first line this week comes from Charlee and the Chocolate Shop: A Tale of Two Christmases.
Hope to get to The Austin Escape soon.
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No worries! Stories are ALWAYS a fun escape 😊
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Can’t wait to read this book, but I suppose it will be in the new year! 🙂
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Tis the season for tbr snowballing 😉
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I love Katherine’s books! This one is on my wish list! 🙂 Happy Friday, Beth!
It was days like this, when the sun bounced off Lake Superior with an eye-squinting brilliance, that Bree Nicholls forgot all her qualms about living where the Snow King ruled nine months of the year. – Without a Trace by Colleen Coble
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Brrrr! I bet those lake winds are brutal in the winter! 😰
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My first few lines are from Christmas at Carnton by Tammy Alexander:
“Very nice stitching, Mrs Prescott. “
Aletta looked up, not having heard her employer’s approach. Focused on her task, she was determined to leave the factory on time that afternoon. It was a special day, after all, and Andrew would be excited. Her son needed encouragement. They both did.
Super good book as always from Tammy.
Merry Christmas blessings everyone!
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I’m looking forward to that story!
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I just bought this book. Can’t wait to get to it.
Today on my blog, I am sharing the first line from My Heart Belongs in Niagara Falls, New York: Adele’s Journey. I am currently on chapter 14, so I will share the first three lines from that chapter here.
“‘Are you busy?’ Adele looked up from the book lying in her lap. Uncle Osbourne stood at the threshold of the library.”
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Mmmm hmmm, I remember what is about to happen there!
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So need to read this one!! 🙂
I’m in-between books at this very minute, so don’t have a first line of my current read. 😉 This week on my blog, though, I’m sharing about another adorable children’s book. 🙂 I think I’ve become addicted to those. 😉
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Hi! Just found your blog. Love this Friday first line event. I’ll try to participate soon!
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Welcome, Tarissa! We’re happy to have you ☺
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The beginning of The Austen Escape was good … but the end was even better 🙂 But we can’t share last lines (or last chapters). That would be spoiling the fun for everyone else.
I’m currently reading Engaging The Competition by Melissa Jagears. Here’s the first line:
Harrison Gray had never heard of anyone holding a competition over mounting or dismounting a horse, but then, Charlotte Andrews could turn anything into a contest.
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