Happy Friday & welcome to First Line Friday ! It’s time to grab the book nearest to you and leave a comment with the first line. Today I’m delighted feature Fatal Fudge Swirl by Meri Allen. Hosted at Reading is my Super Power.
287 pages St. Martin’s Paperbacks June 27, 2023 publication date
ABOUT THE BOOK
A movie production brings drama—and murder—to a close-knit New England village, forcing Riley Rhodes to scoop out the suspects.
Former CIA librarian and amateur sleuth Riley Rhodes is loving her fresh start as the manager of the Udderly Delicious Ice Cream Shop. The leaves are turning, tourists are leaf-peeping, and Penniman, Connecticut is putting finishing touches on the weekend long Halloween Happening. But the village is also buzzing. Former child star Cooper Collins is overseeing the production of a romantic comedy that’s filming on the town green and his domineering socialite mother, Diantha, is planning her lavish Halloween themed wedding at her Inn on the Green. Her fiancé has run the Inn’s kitchen for years, ably aided by his recent ex-wife, chef Mary Ann Dumas. An old friend of Riley’s, Mary Ann turns to her when the bride requests a spooky ice cream wedding cake.
But the weekend takes a frightful turn when Diantha is found dead and suspicion falls on Mary Ann. The cast of potential suspects is long—each wedding guest had a chilling motive to kill the vicious heiress. Can Riley unmask the murderer before another guest ends up on ice?
FIRST LINES
Saturday, the day before Halloween
“Nothing like reading other people’s mail.” Flo Fairweather’s sky-blue eyes sparkled as she smoothed a luscious hot-fudge sundae with light-as-air whipped cream. “I hope we find some juicy gossip.”
I hope to have a chance to read this before Halloween.
Let me know the first line of the book you’re reading in the comments.
336 pages Bethany House PublishersOctober 1, 2024 publication date
ABOUT THE BOOK
An ominous butterfly house. A sinister legacy. An untraceable killer.
In 1921, Marian Arnold, the heiress to a brewing baron’s empire, seeks solace in the glass butterfly house on her family’s Wisconsin estate as Prohibition and the deaths of her parents cast a long shadow over her shrinking world. When Marian’s sanctuary is invaded by nightmarish visions, she grapples with the line between hallucinations of things to come and malevolent forces at play in the present. With dead butterflies as the killer’s ominous signature, murders unfold at a steady pace. Marian, fearful she might be next, enlists the help of her childhood friend Felix, a war veteran with his own haunted past.
In the present day, researcher Remy Shaw becomes entangled in an elderly biographer’s quest to uncover the truth behind Marian Arnold’s mysterious life and the unsolved murders linked to an infamous serial killer. Joined by Marian’s great-great-grandson, can Remy expose the evil that lurks beneath broken wings? Or will the dark legacy surrounding the manor and its glass house destroy yet another generation?
MY THOUGHTS
Specters in the Glass House is perfect for the spooky reading season. Unlike quite anything I’ve read before this book goes beyond leaving you feeling spooked to feeling a bit unsettled. Written in alternating timeline from 1921 to modern days.
The book is about mental illnesses, several different types but the author does it well and writes with sensitivity. Mental illness is so hard to get a grasp on and we yet don’t have a clear understanding of it.
As I read it was hard to put my finger on what was reality and what was perceived as almost as a dream state by a main character. I enjoyed the characters and seeing how well developed they were as their stories became clearer.
Disembodied voices, a feeling of not being alone, dealing with what is reality and what is not as the mind plays tricks on you, a hint of romance and butterflies, I’ve never thought of butterflies as creepy before.
Excellent read for its many twists and turns that’ll keep you glued to the pages.
Recommended!
About the Author
Jaime Jo Wright is the author of twelve novels, including Christy Award and Daphne du Maurier Award winner The House on Foster Hill and Carol Award winner The Reckoning at Gossamer Pond. She’s also a four-time Christy Award finalist, as well as the ECPA bestselling author of The Vanishing at Castle Moreau, The Lost Boys of Barlowe Theater, and two Publishers Weekly bestselling novellas. Jaime lives in Wisconsin with her family and fabulous felines. Learn more at JaimeWrightBooks.com.
Thank you for stopping in. May your light shine bright.
My whole life, I’ve been haunted by a secret I’ve left behind on the coast of Ireland. I may be gone, but if you’re reading this Casey, I need to tell you everything…
When Casey’s dear friend Rosie passes away, her heart breaks in two; Rosie didn’t even tell her she was sick. And when a mysterious letter arrives from beyond the grave, describing the secluded island where Rosie spent every summer, Casey questions if she really knew her friend at all. With Casey’s hectic job ruling her life, and her marriage crumbling around her, she books a ticket to this beautiful Irish island to feel close to Rosie again, and find out what secrets she has hidden there.
Casey rushes to Rosie’s tumbledown cottage and immediately falls in love with the glimmering shores and breathtaking coves of Scarty Island. Why did Rosie keep this magical place a secret, even from her own husband? Desperate for answers, she jumps to the aid of locals organising afternoon teas for tourists, and helps handsome but overworked pub owner Shay.Though Shay stays tight-lipped, Casey notices how his hazel eyes shine when she makes him laugh, and how her heart skips a beat when his rough hands brush hers.
But just as Casey finds herself falling for Shay’s quiet strength, a final letter arrives that changes everything. The tear-stained pages tell the story of a forbidden romance and a tragic day at sea that destroyed Rosie’s life. It could shatter Casey’s blossoming romance and tear the small island community apart.
Will Casey find the strength to confront the ghosts of the past and confess her love for Shay? Or will she decide that some secrets are meant to stay buried, and say goodbye to Scarty forever?
A Letter from Ireland is such a beautiful and emotional read. I could barely put it down, finishing it in less than 24 hours.
A poignant read, it will have the reader reflecting on past choices and reevaluating what’s really important and what it’s time to let go of. I now want to visit Scarty Island in Ireland, listening to the waves of the sea crashing against the shore, swim and have the close-knit relationship the mainlanders do.
Three women, with different personalities and a bit quirky at times, which makes them interesting visit Scarty Island for a two-month time period at the request of their friend who has passed away. These women all used to be very close, but time and circumstances happened, and they no longer share this closeness.
The friend, Rosie, has written them letters delivered to them at the appropriate times which reveals secrets she has kept. These are things she has not wanted to dwell on even herself. These reveals cause the women a lot of self-reflection and tears for what could have been but will not have a chance now to be.
I absolutely loved this book. So beautifully written and emotional. I will be telling all my friends about this book and reading more by the author.
I was given a complimentary copy of this book. All opinions expressed are my own.
MEET THE AUTHOR
Bestselling author Ann is also a leading journalist in Ireland , Ann O’Loughlin has covered all major news events of the last three decades. Ann spent most of her career with Independent Newspapers and is now a senior journalist with the Irish Examiner newspaper. Ann has also lived in India. Originally from the west of Ireland she now lives on the east coast with her husband and two children. The Judge’s Wife was shortlisted in the Epic Romantic Novel category of the 2017 RoNA awards. The Ballroom Cafe and The Judge’s Wife were both bestsellers for several weeks in Ireland. Ann’s books have been translated into eleven languages.
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Author Links
FACEBOOK @annoloughlinbooks
TWITTER @annolwriter
INSTAGRAM @authorannoloughlin
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Happy Friday & welcome to First Line Friday hosted at Reading is my Super Power! It’s time to grab the book nearest to you and leave a comment with the first line. Today I’m delighted to feature the first line The Seaside Homecoming by Julie Klassen.
FIRST LINE(S)
May 1820
Bleak. The weather, her mood, her life. Miss Claire Summers pulled back the dusty velvet curtain and looked out onto another dreary Edinburgh day.
ABOUT THE BOOK
Pub Date Dec 03 2024
A surprise homecoming tests the bonds of sisterhood as a hidden past comes to light . . .
Disgraced eldest sister Claire Summers has been living in exile as companion to a stern great-aunt in Scotland. About to lose her place and longing to be reconciled with her estranged family, Claire sees an advertisement from someone looking for a “respectable female partner” in a Sidmouth boarding house. Is it a sign? She answers the ad, hoping she has not made another reckless mistake. When she meets the handsome, secretive proprietor, she wonders what he’s hiding and if he’s any more trustworthy than the nobleman who betrayed her years ago. Claire is drawn to him even though she fears he will reject her when he discovers her genteel façade hides a less-than-respectable past.
Meanwhile, the Summers family learns their great-aunt has died and Claire has disappeared without a word. The sisters rally together to find their lost sibling, but will their unexpected reunion heal old wounds and rekindle their bonds . . . or deepen the divide?
Return to the captivating Devonshire coast as the Summers sisters navigate romance, second chances, and the enduring strength of sisterhood in the face of adversity.
I have been waiting for this book to be available for what seems like forever. Will this be making it onto your to read pile? What currently in your hands to read?
Wendy Tyler’s marriage ended when she discovered her ex-husband, Mike, had got his much younger new partner, Chloe, pregnant. Wendy’s over Mike, but suddenly she fears her own daughters will find a new baby much more exciting that their old mum…
A chance encounter…
But when Wendy bumps into Chloe at St Piran’s, it’s clear something is troubling the fragile young woman. Wendy doesn’t want to be sucked into Chloe and Mike’s relationship, but she can’t help worrying that Chloe needs someone to turn to.
A lesson in love.
And when Wendy realizes that Chloe is more fragile than any of them realised, she knows she has to step up. She might not love Mike anymore, but Chloe is about to join their family and Wendy can’t just stand by. Sometimes life is hard, but the easiest lessons are built on a solid foundation of love.
I think for most people it’s human nature to want to help others when we can. Having read all the books in the series this is what I love about the book, not only it’s originality with it’s mainly hospital setting but I love seeing the helping and hopeful spirit the carers give others in and out of the hospital.
This series provides a warm, fuzzy feeling of goodness and a coming together of characters that are there for each other. So many of the characters in this book have been in all of the books and it’s great to see an update of their lives in each book. As in each book there is some drama, but you can’t have real life without some glitches and things going on.
The book deals with love and loss, heartache and happiness, sisterhood and strong family ties and knowing you don’t have to be born into a family to have that strong family bond. Recommended and looking forward to the next installment in the series.
I was given a complimentary copy of this book. All opinions expressed are my own.
VISIT OTHER BLOGS ON THE TOUR
MEET THE AUTHOR
Jo Bartlett is the bestselling author of over nineteen women’s fiction titles. She fits her writing in between her two day jobs as an educational consultant and university lecturer and lives with her family and three dogs on the Kent coast.
232 pages Wild Heart Books publisher Oct 8,2024 publish date
ABOUT THE BOOK
When death visits Coronado, will secrets of the past keep them from uncovering the truth?
Her entire life, Eleanore Wainright has been molded to fit the ideal society wife in the glittering world of New York’s elite. Her father’s aspirations for her are clear: marry a man of wealth and status, and secure their family’s future. But when she arrives at the Hotel del Coronado with intentions to do just that, Eleanore’s carefully laid plans are thrown into disarray when she comes face to face with Thomas Harding, the man who shattered her heart and disappeared without a trace.
Working as a bellboy at California’s newest and most prestigious resort, Thomas never imagined crossing paths with Eleanore again, let alone amidst the backdrop of a suspicious death.
As the investigation continues and tensions rise, Eleanore and Thomas are forced to confront not only the ghosts of their past but also the secrets that threaten to destroy their future and the futures of those they hold dear. With the eyes of New York’s elite upon them, they must choose between the responsibilities they’re expected to fulfill and the love they’ve always yearned for, risking everything in the process.
MY THOUGHTS
Gilded Age romances are full of glitz and glamour and this one is no exception. I enjoy books taking place during this time period. I also enjoy historical fiction based on fact as this one is. It’s a fun way of having the past come alive.
Eleanore Wainright is expected to marry in an arranged marriage her father has set up. Becoming a high society wife will ensure she marries a man of her father’s choosing, one of wealth and status and also ensure the family’s fortune.
Though her heart had been broken several years ago, to please her father she decides to go along with this arranged marriage. Upon arriving at the Hotel del Coronado she is shocked to see a man she though would stay in her past, Thomas, the man who broke her heart and disappeared.
I enjoyed seeing how mysteries unraveled, and secrets became not so secret. Surprising things are revealed and tempers flare. Can all involved put this behind them and come to a compromise?
This second chance romance had me hoping against hope all would turn out for the best with our newly reunited couple. Very enjoyable story with well-developed characters and I also enjoyed the descriptive setting. Will be reading again.
I was given a complimentary copy of this book. All opinions expressed are my own.
416 pages Bethany House publishers August 20, 2024 publication date
ABOUT THE BOOK
Treva Zimmerman finds herself at a crossroads in life after a heartbreaking failed relationship. Returning to Lancaster County to visit her Amish grandparents and elderly aunt, Treva plans to leave her Plain heritage behind for a fresh start in Alaska. Torn between the expectations of her community and her own desires, she seeks to follow her own path–but all that changes when her aunt Rosene suffers a heart attack.
As her aunt recounts her own past–a poignant journey through Cold War Germany and a fervent desire to escape her Plain life to search for a lost love–Treva is determined to discover the whereabouts of Rosene’s former sweetheart. Amid the turmoil, their former farmhand Gabe Johnson returns unexpectedly, throwing Treva’s plans into further disarray.
While working hard to save the farm and explore her own destiny, Treva confronts her deep-rooted ties to her heritage and must decide if she will embrace her family’s legacy or break free from the pressures of her past to forge a life of her own.
MY THOUGHTS
By Evening’s Light is the third and final book in the Amish Memories series. I enjoyed all three books in the series and fully recommend you read this series in order to get the full backstory with all the characters. This is told as a dual timeline story.
Though taking place in an Amish community and incorporating the Amish culture into the book it is not strictly an Amish story. A character comes back from a missionary trip to Haiti not having expected things to work out the way they had.
We are transported back in time with a storytelling Aunt who tells of her struggles and joys during WWII in Germany. I enjoyed how well the series was researched by the author, making for a fascinating and entertaining series.
The characters are well developed and perfectly imperfect with their own struggles and joys. I enjoyed reading their faith journeys.
I was given a complimentary copy of this book. All opinions expressed are my own.
About the Author
Leslie Gould is a Christy Award-winning and #1 bestselling author of more than 48 novels, including four Lancaster County Amish series. She holds a bachelor’s degree in history and an MFA in creative writing. She enjoys church history, research trips, and hiking in the Pacific Northwest. She and her husband live in Portland, Oregon, and have four adult children and two grandchildren. Learn more at LeslieGould.com.
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Can’t-Wait Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted at Wishful Endings to spotlight and discuss the books we’re excited about that we have yet to read. Generally, they’re books that have yet to be released. Find out more here.
I really enjoy holiday books, so much so that I read them year round when I get a chance. Unfortunately, I don’t get a chance to read them as much as I’d like to as I have other reading commitments. So, let’s get on with it. I am looking forward to:
A Corpse Among the Carolers by Debra Sennefelder publication date Nov 12 2024
Book 7 of A Food Blogger Mystery
Description
Hope Early is fully immersed in the spirit of the Christmas season, until the sounds of joyful carolers are silenced by the words “Ho-ho-homicide” . . .
Food blogger Hope Early always gets a hearty holiday laugh from knowing that the weeks leading up to Christmas are as frantic as they are festive. But in spite of everything she has to do, the one thing she always has time for is the annual Jingle Bell Stroll, a night when the community gathers to sing their hearts out and enjoy each other’s company. This year’s caroling feels especially heartwarming, until the final note lands with a thud when Hope finds the body of the man who’d volunteered to play Santa, a knife plunged into his back.
With virtually the whole town present at the caroling, the list of suspects seems endless. It doesn’t take long, though, for both Hope and the police to turn a sharp eye on the victim’s bitter and vindictive ex-wife, along with his new wife, who may have been after his money. Then Hope unearths a clue that suggests the dead man may have been hiding a sordid past and connections to unseemly characters. But as she closes in on the killer, they’re determined to wring her neck before she can ring in the new year . . .
Includes tasty and toasty holiday recipes!
About the Author:
Debra Sennefelder lives and writes in Connecticut, where she shares her home with her family and slightly spoiled Shih Tzu. An avid reader across a range of genres, mystery fiction is her obsession. Her interest in people and relationships is channeled into her novels against a backdrop of crime and mystery. She’s the author of the Food Blogger Mysteries, the Resale Boutique Mysteries, and the Cookie Shop Mysteries. When she’s not writing, she’s either baking or reading. To learn more, visit her on the web at debrasennefelder.com.
Is this one on your radar and will it be getting a read this holiday season?
Have a wonderful day and thank you for stopping in.
When Sadie Bingham’s life takes an unexpected turn, her children treat her to a well-earned break at Juniper Meadows, the gorgeous Cotswolds estate owned by the Travers family.
The festive season is in full swing, and Sadie throws herself into the packed Twelve Days of Christmas programme, relishing the opportunity to make new friends and new memories.
Single father Dylan Travers hasn’t been to his childhood home of Juniper Meadows for decades. Estranged from his cantankerous father Monty, he has made a happy life for himself in the States. But now with teenage children keen to know more about their roots, Dylan has brought them back to the Cotswolds to meet his family.
As Sadie and Dylan both navigate a Christmas very different from the ones they had expected it’s soon clear that, geography apart, they have a great deal in common. And as Dylan confronts his past and Sadie contemplates her future, perhaps the miracle of this Christmas will be the happily-ever-after they both deserve.
Let Sarah Bennett whisk you away to a snowy Cotswolds for the perfect winter romance. A Sarah Bennett book is guaranteed to brighten any day, perfect for all fans of Cathy Bramley, Katie Fforde and Phillipa Ashley.
MY THOUGHTS
Sarah Bennett is another automatic read author for me. This is the fourth book in the Juniper Meadows series, and I’ve enjoyed my visit there every time.
Sadie was comfortable in life; her children and grandchildren keep her happy and she visits her mother as often as she can though her mother doesn’t have the best attitude. She more than anyone else is shocked when she finds her no good husband cheating on her and knows it’s time for him to go.
As a way to get her mind off of matters and relax, her children treat her to a twelve day stay at Juniper Meadows over Christmas holiday. Packed with winter activities even a murder mystery dinner she knows it’s going to be a blast and a way to make new friends and new memories as she greatly looks forward to it.
Dylan Travers, a single father with two teens has had enough. He hasn’t been back to his childhood home, Juniper Meadows in years but for the sake of his children he knows it’s time for a reunion. His children need to meet his side of the family as it’s not fair on them and he’s going to try to reconcile with his father.
As Dylan and Sadie meet, they realize they have much in common and as they get to talking about their similarities, they realize they enjoy each other’s company immensely. As the fun continues each day it brings them closer to returning to reality and Sadie leaving this little love nest. Can they make a long-distance romance work, or will it eventually crash and burn like so many long-distance romances do after a while?
What a delightful book, I enjoyed reading about the celebration of the holiday and the snow activities that I could picture being done. Christas is the time for miracles, maybe they’ll find a few at this time of year. What a delightful and heartwarming continuation of the Juniper Meadows series. I hope it will continue.
I was given a complimentary copy of this book. All opinions expressed are my own.
Sarah Bennett is the bestselling author of several romantic fiction trilogies including those set in Butterfly Cove and Lavender Bay. Born and raised in a military family she is happily married to her own Officer and when not reading or writing enjoys sailing the high seas.
Happy Friday & welcome to First Line Friday hosted at Reading is my Superpower! It’s time to grab the book nearest to you and leave a comment with the first line. Today I’m delighted to feature the first line of the book I am currently reading, Appalachian Song by Michelle Shocklee.
339 pages Tyndale Fiction publisher October 3, 2023 publication date
Isn’t that a beautiful Fall cover?
ABOUT THE BOOK
Forever within the memories of my heart.
Always remember, you are perfectly loved.
Bertie Jenkins has spent forty years serving as a midwife for her community in the Great Smoky Mountains of East Tennessee. Out of all the mothers she’s tended, none affects her more than the young teenager who shows up on her doorstep, injured, afraid, and expecting, one warm June day in 1943. As Bertie and her four sisters tenderly nurture Songbird back to health, the bond between the childless midwife and the motherless teen grows strong. But soon Songbird is forced to make a heartbreaking decision that will tear this little family apart.
Thirty years later, the day after his father’s funeral, Walker Wylie is stunned to learn he was adopted as an infant. The famous country singer enlists the help of adoption advocate Reese Chandler in the hopes of learning why he was abandoned by his birth parents. With the only clue he has in hand, Walker and Reese head deep into the Appalachian Mountains to track down Bertie Jenkins, the midwife who holds the secrets to Walker’s past.
For fans of historical and Southern fiction comes a poignant story of love and sacrifice set in the heart of Appalachia, from award-winning author Michelle Shocklee.
FIRST LINE(S)
Appalachian Mountains
North Carolina
Feb 1,1943
My heart thumped hard beneath Mama’s thin coat while I waited for Amos at our secret place. Holes from the chinking in the old trapper’s cabin let in frigid mountain air, with another storm brewing by the looks of heavy gray clouds in the sky, but I couldn’t leave for Tennessee tomorrow without seeing Amos one last time. Tears blurred my vision.
This book is really good so far and I expect that to continue. I’d love to see the first line(s) of a book you’re reading.
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