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 of The Garden by Nick Newman. This is a new to me author and I look forward to getting into it.
ABOUT THE BOOK
A darkly beautiful, eerie, hypnotic novel about two elderly sisters living alone at the edge of the world.
In a place and time unknown, two elderly sisters live in a walled garden, secluded from the outside world. Evelyn and Lily have only ever known each other. What was before the garden, they have forgotten; what lies beyond it, they do not know. Each day is spent in languid service to their home: tending the bees, planting the crops, and dutifully following the instructions of the almanac written by their mother.
When a nameless boy is found hiding in the boarded house at the center of their isolated grounds, their once-solitary lives are irrevocably disrupted. Who is he? Where did he come from? And most importantly, what does he want?
As suspicions gather and allegiances falter, Evelyn and Lily are forced to confront the dark truths about themselves, the garden, and the world as they’ve known it.
G.P. Putnam’s Sons
Publication date February 18, 2025
FIRST LINE(S)
Somebody had moved the beehive. Evelyn couldn’t understand how it had happened. It was at a slight angle to the others, like it had been shoved, and beneath each of its wooden feet there was a shallow red trench in the earth. An animal? A storm? It couldn’t have been.
Does this sound like one you’d add to your reading list? Thank you for your visit today.
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.
Thank you for stopping in. Your visit is always appreciated.
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.
Welcome to another Top Ten Tuesday post. Top Ten Tuesday is hosted at That Artsy Reader Girl.
This week’s topic is Books on My Fall 2024 To-Read List! Well, if I listed my Fall reading list you and I both would be here all day and probably night too, so I’ll try to narrow it down a bit.
Have you read any of these, what did you think? Are any of these on your reading list? We are once again having a rainy day. Have a great reading week.
It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? a place to meet up and share what you have been and are about to be reading over the week. It’s a great post to organise yourself. It’s an opportunity to visit and comment and er… add to your groaning TBR pile! So welcome in everyone. Hosted at The Book Date.
READ THIS PAST WEEK
blog tour book
blog tour book
blog tour book
blog tour book
CURRENTLY READING
MAY READ NEXT
What have you been reading this past week and what’s up next on your reading list?
Happy week ahead to you. We are forecast for more rainy days ahead.
320 pages Bethany House publishers Sep 24,2024 publication date
ABOUT THE BOOK
Beyond the perilous landscape lies a love that defies extinction. . . .
In the bustling world of paleontology in 1916, Eliza Mills defies societal expectations to pursue her passion. Having published her early groundbreaking papers under a false name, she has finally earned her place at the Carnegie Museum and seizes the opportunity to work at Dinosaur National Monument with a renowned paleontologist. But things in Jensen, Utah, aren’t what they appear. When Eliza gets the chance to dig up bones at a ranch with a dark history, it sparks a chain of events that will rock the very fabric of her carefully constructed world.
Devin Schmitt, Eliza’s closest friend since childhood, harbors unspoken feelings for her but knows he will never be able to win her heart. Just as he vows to give her up for good, Eliza begs him to visit her in Utah for another grand adventure. He reluctantly agrees, and within a few days of his arrival, he and Eliza find themselves entangled in a web of danger where the stakes are much higher than they ever anticipated. Together, Devin and Eliza must hold on to God as their hope as they navigate a treacherous terrain of betrayal to unbury the truth and save Eliza from those who wish to see her fail.
I am sorry to see this series end, but I enjoyed it so much and learned a lot from it. Being from the Pittsburgh, PA area I am familiar with Carnegie libraries and museum and the many other things that he had a hand in developing.
Our main female character had an unusual interest for the time period, as a paleontologist in 1916, she is used to being discriminated against. With what many think of as an unusual interest for women. This way of thinking only makes her work harder to prove herself. As with today, people also are under the mistaken assumption if you’re a woman of science you cannot have a faith belief.
When she is sent on a dig at the Dinosaur National Monument in Jensen, Uta she is thrilled to have a chance to work with a paleontologist she admires and hopes to learn even more. As dark secrets come to light at the very ranch where the dig is taking place will all her hard work crumble to dust and blow away in the wind?
Feeling lonely she is thrilled to see her childhood best friend, Devin Schmitt has listened to her pleas and come for a visit. Together they are thrown into a dangerous living and working environment, someone doesn’t want them there or things to change.
Is this the time or place for Devin to act upon his feelings for Eliza Mills, though he wants to spend a lifetime of happiness with her. I enjoyed seeing the character development and learning of women of science and paleontology through this series.
I was given a complimentary copy of this book. All opinions expressed are my own.
Kimberley Woodhouse is the best-selling and award-winning author of more than two dozen books. She is a wife, mother, author, and musician with a quick wit and positive outlook despite difficult circumstances. A popular speaker, she’s shared at more than 2,000 venues across the country. Kimberley and her family’s story have garnered national media attention for many years including ABC’s Extreme Makeover: Home Edition, The Montel Williams Show, Discovery Health channel’s Mystery ER, The Hour of Power, The Harvest Show, and over 1,000 other TV appearances and radio interviews. She lives and writes in the Poconos with her husband of thirty years. kimberleywoodhouse.com
Welcome to the town of Starr’s Fall, where Autumn can feel like it goes on forever, and two people have a chance to fall in love…
The leaves are falling, with a crispness to the air, along with the scents of coffee and pumpkin spice, past a half-empty street of shuttered storefronts and a bandstand that has seen better days…
Just like the whole town of Starr’s Fall, thinks Laurie Ellis – as she and her beloved dog Max head to collect the store keys. Maybe she has seen better days, too, but she’s certainly ready for a new start—and to leave her past behind. Still Laurie wonders whether she made a terrible mistake in coming to lovable but shabby Starr’s Fall. Will she even find customers for her pet store and bakery, never mind a community to welcome and accept her?
Not according to Joshua Reilly, the handsome but grumpy manager of the bookstore across the road, who claims he’s never heard of anything so ridiculous as a bakery for dogs.
But Laurie remains stubbornly undeterred. She’s starting over, right here. Not least because she has another secret reason for being here… one she isn’t telling anybody, at least not yet, as it involves her own tragic past.
What she doesn’t yet know is that a clue to the mystery is hidden deep in Joshua’s bookstore. And he doesn’t yet realize that Laurie herself might be the key to mending his own battered heart… for Laurie and Joshua and the whole town, it’s going to be a fall to remember.
Starr’s Fall in Connecticut sounds like a charming small town especially in Autumn. I’ve visited Connecticut in the Autum several years ago and it is very beautiful that time of year with the crisp air and lovely scenic trees.
There is so many threads going on in the story and I enjoyed it very much. This is the start of a new series, and I greatly look forward to the next in the series as well. Laurie Ellis and her little dog, Max are off to Starr’s Fall to open a pet shop/bakery for dogs amongst the dusty shuttered store fronts on the main street.
Hoping to breathe some life into this small town with her new shop and have it as a cozy and comfortable meeting place for the town’s folks as well. Laurie has a motive for coming to town, she is looking to find answers to a few things.
An unexpected romance may be in the cards as well. I enjoyed meeting the matriarch of Starr’s Falls and though we didn’t spend much time with her I hold her amongst one of my favorite characters in this book. Time seems to have forgotten about her, which is a feeling Laurie is all too familiar with.
A grumpy- sunshine romance that I enjoyed seeing the character development of. I would have enjoyed seeing more of a development of the doggie bakery though. A warm and emotional read that I’m looking forward to reading more of.
I was given a complimentary copy of this book. All opinions expressed are my own.
VISIT OTHER BLOGS ON THE TOUR
MEET THE AUTHOR
Kate Hewitt is a million copy bestselling author of historical, contemporary and romantic fiction. An American ex-pat, she lives in a small market town in Wales with her husband and five young(ish) children, along with their two Golden Retrievers.
Thanks for the heads-up nudge, Heidi. Life can get pretty busy, but I do enjoy doing this one. So glad you’re enjoying it.
Happy Friday & welcome to the 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 of Count the Night by Stars by Michelle Shocklee. Now this is the same author I featured last week with her book Appalachian Song which is a book I have read and loved. The one I am featuring today I have not read but hope to very soon, enjoy.
FIRST LINE(S)
May 29,1897
My darling,
No one could accuse Luca Moretti of being a coward. I thought you brash and arrogant that day I saw you in the lobby of the Maxwell House Hotel. You stood taller than all the other men in their tailored suits, not caring that the elbows of your coat were worn or that one of the brass buttons was missing. Instead, you kept your shoulders back and your gaze steady, even when the mean treated you as though they bettered you somehow. I’d never seen that kind of boldness before, and it intrigued me.
414 pages Tyndale Fiction March 22, 2022 publication date
ABOUT THE BOOK
Count your nights by stars, not shadows. Count your life with smiles, not tears. 1961. After a longtime resident at Nashville’s historic Maxwell House Hotel suffers a debilitating stroke, Audrey Whitfield is tasked with cleaning out the reclusive woman’s room. There, she discovers an elaborate scrapbook filled with memorabilia from the Tennessee Centennial Exposition. Love notes on the backs of unmailed postcards inside capture Audrey’s imagination with hints of a forbidden romance . . . and troubling revelations about the disappearance of young women at the exposition. Audrey enlists the help of a handsome hotel guest as she tracks down clues and information about the mysterious “Peaches” and her regrets over one fateful day, nearly sixty-five years earlier.
1897. Outspoken and forward-thinking Priscilla Nichols isn’t willing to settle for just any man. She’s still holding out hope for love when she meets Luca Moretti on the eve of the Tennessee Centennial Exposition. Charmed by the Italian immigrant’s boldness, Priscilla spends time exploring the wonderous sights of the expo with Luca—until a darkness overshadows the monthslong event. Haunted by a terrible truth, Priscilla and Luca are sent down separate paths as the night’s stars fade into dawn.
I hope you’re having a wonderful weekend. Thank you for stopping in today.
192 pages Kensington Cozies August 20, 2024 publication date
ABOUT THE BOOK
Melanie Travis and her pedigree poodles are back on the case in an adorably giftable, fall time-themed hardcover by award-winning author Laurien Berenson!
It’s autumn in Connecticut and there’s a chill in the air, the fall leaves are a riot of color, and pumpkin spice is the flavor of the season. Melanie Travis is perennially busy, of course—but when the owner of a local pet supply shop is found murdered, sleuthing tops her To Do list . . .
Between taking care of her family and assorted Standard Poodles, Melanie is also working as a special needs tutor for Howard Academy, a private school in Greenwich, where her younger son attends kindergarten. This year, the headmaster has come up with an idea for a school fundraiser. All students will participate in a town-wide treasure hunt, with grades competing against each other.
Tokens shaped like pumpkin spice muffins have been hidden in downtown stores. Students will scramble to collect as many as they can in exchange for prizes. At first all goes smoothly, and the uptick in foot traffic to the stores is a win-win. . . . . Until the pet supply shop owner lodges a complaint. When Melanie stops by to smooth things over, she instead finds the man dead, a knife in his back, and his loyal, ever-vigilant Chow Chow locked in the storeroom.
Over the headmaster’s objections, Melanie is once again drawn into an investigation. It doesn’t take her long to gather a list of suspects, from neighbors balking about the number of rescue Chows the man was fostering in his home, to the landlord who’d filed an eviction notice against him, to the bitter ex-wife who is happy he’s gone. With the fundraiser soon drawing to a close and celebrations imminent, Melanie will have to follow every clue—before the biggest prize is staying alive . . .
Vector portrait of Labrador retriever dog wearing autumn leaves crown. Hello fall illustration. Oak, maple, chestnut, rowen. Hand drawn pet portait.
MY THOUGHTS
Connecticut is the perfect place for Fall. They seem to go all out for it, especially this small town, festively dressed up with falling leaves and grinning pumpkins.
One of the shops participating in the fundraiser, the pet shop has the owner filing a complaint and when Melanie goes to talk to him things couldn’t get any worse than finding him deceased and his Chow, Cider locked up.
One character you don’t want to get on the wrong side of is, Aunt Peg. This woman is involved in dog shows but she’s no fluff ball.
Howard Academy, a private school in Greenwich which is holding the fund raiser is against Melanie, a special needs teacher at the school investigating er should I say doing some snooping in this case to find the suspect. This isn’t her first rodeo and she and her standard poodles are on the case once again. A fast-paced fall themed dog filled cozy mystery that was an enjoyable read.
I was given a complimentary copy of this book. All opinions expressed are my own.
MEET THE AUTHOR
Laurien Berenson is the award-winning author of the long running Melanie Travis canine mystery series and the new Senior Sleuths series starring Peg Turnbull and Rose Donovan as a pair of seventyish sisters-in-law who are learning to put aside old grudges and myriad differences as they work together to solve mysteries. Fun Facts: Laurien has curtseyed to Princess Grace, eaten snake in Kowloon, and ridden a horse down a New York city street. A Connecticut native, she lives with her husband on a farm in Kentucky surrounded by dogs and horses.
325 pages Cinnamons Rolls and Pumpkin Spice series September 24, 2024 publication date
ABOUT THE BOOK
n a city known for its romantic clichés, can reality surpass the fantasy?
Paris in the fall. The Eiffel tower, the blanket of colorful leaves on the ground of the Jardin du Luxembourg, the picturesque cobbled streets of Montmartre. Sounds amazing, right? That’s exactly what I thought when my boss offered me to come here to critique restaurants.
Well, the reality is a completely different beast.
There is no accordion music playing in the street, the city smells like smoke, and I have yet to see a single guy wearing a beret! This was all a lie.
To top it all, I’m now a prisoner of this city because of a national strike keeping all planes on the ground and flooding hotels capacities. At least one cliché wasn’t false.
Enter Olivier Brun, chef of a Michelin star restaurant and as hot as a pizza oven who offers me a room and even cooks me breakfast. So, when he asks me to pretend to be his date for his matchmaking mom’s birthday, I return the favor.
As we get to know each other through pun-filled cooking lessons, farmer’s market outings and autumn festivals, I start to fall in loaf with Paris… and Olivier. Suddenly, the idea of relocating here isn’t as crazy.
But does Olivier feel the same? And if he does, will he be able to get past the fact that I lied about my job?
Paris, Pumpkins & Puns is a closed-door romcom with cozy autumn vibes, plenty of cooking puns and an irresistible Frenchman.
Fans of Fake Dating and Secret Identity, you’ll enjoy this standalone novel full of laughs and sizzling chemistry without the explicit scenes!
Enjoy the other full-length books in the Cinnamon Rolls and Pumpkin Spice series, which can be read in any order:
Hating the Cinnamon Roll CEO by Camilla Evergreen Falling for Autumn (Again) by Jen Atkinson Paris, Pumpkins & Puns by Marion De Ré Fall With Me by Amanda P. Jones Cinnamon & Spice Conundrum by Leah Busboom Cinnamon Roll Set Up by Genny Carrick Coffee Break with the Billionaire by Holly Kerr The Friendly Fall by Kristine W. Joy
MY THOUGHTS
It’s almost Fall so what am I doing? Reading Fall themed books of course and this one hits the nail right on the head. Who doesn’t love a rom com with the cutest Fall cover?
An American food critic is sent to Paris to do food reviews for her work. Now a person dining alone in Paris maybe should set off bells but after taking over his dad’s restaurant head chef, Oliver doesn’t think anything about it he just wants to impress his customers. He can’t help thinking how pretty this American customer is but she’s less than impressed with this bland cooking.
When she can’t find a place to stay at a hotel he offers her a room at his house. She takes it on a friends only basis. But when his mother tries once again to matchmake for him he tells her he has a new girlfriend, let the fake dating begin.
What happens when your fake dating rules seem to become more of a bother as each day comes along. This foodie rom com is filled with delicious sounding food preparations on every page, the essence and elegance of Paris, and marvelous Fall vibes. What happens when you want to stop the fake dating and for it to become the real thing?
When Oliver realizes she has kept a huge secret from him will she have to leaf? Filled with fun puns and lots of French language which only added to the charm of the story. I’d love to read more by the author.
I was given a complimentary copy of this book. All opinions expressed are my own.
MEET THE AUTHOR
Marion De Ré is an Amazon Bestelling author of closed-door romantic comedies with sass, swoonn and sizzle. She lives in the French countryside with her husband and adorable cat. You can expect all your beloved tropes in her writing as well as a good dose of humor and all the feels. When she’s not reading or writing, you can find her on a plane to a far-away destination or in a Champagne cellar, indulging in a tasting of her favorite drink.
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