Welcome to First Line Friday! Each Friday I pick a book and share the first line with you. In return, I hope you’ll share with me a first line from whatever book you have at hand!
In honor of February, the “little” month, I am sharing a “little” story with a big punch. Below you will find the first line from No Small Storm by Anne Mateer, a novella I read last month and will be reviewing in full on February 10th.
Here are the first lines:
Remembrance Wilkins – Mem to her friends and family – shivered, feeling to her bones the coolness of stone walls which never warmed.
September 1815, Providence, Rhode Island
Thirty-year-old Remembrance “Mem” Wilkins loves her solitary life running the farm and orchard she inherited from her father and has no plans to give up her independence. Especially not for the likes of Mr. Graham Lott. But when Mem is unable to harvest the apples on her own, she accepts the help of the man she despises.
Fresh off a boat from Ireland with his four-year-old son in tow, Simon Brennan secures a building in which to ply his trade as a cobbler. Still healing from the grief of his wife’s death a year earlier, he determines to focus only on providing a good life for his son. But when he intervenes in an argument on behalf of the intriguing Miss Wilkins, sister-in-law of the tavern owner who befriends him, he suddenly finds himself crossways with his landlord, Mr. Lott, and relieved of his lease and most of his money.
With no means of support, Simon takes a job helping Mem with her harvest, relieving her of the need of Lott’s help. But their growing attraction to each other makes them both uneasy. Mem gladly escapes to town when her sister begins labor, and Simon, believing it best to distance himself from Mem, takes his son and leaves.
But neither anticipates the worst gale New England has ever seen—or that the storm will threaten all they hold dear.
Be sure to sign up to follow my blog so you don’t miss out on my full review of this novella!
Now it’s your turn to grab the book nearest to you and leave a comment with the first (or your favorite) line!
Then head over to Hoarding Books to see who else is participating:
Sounds like an interesting read!
I’m in historical fiction lover’s heaven this week, with the first line from Jocelyn Green’s “A Refuge Assured” on my blog and the first line from Kristy Cambron’s “The Lost Castle” below:
“Crumbling walls were rare, beautiful things.”
I’ll leave you to ponder that thought. 🙂
Hmm. I like it! Sounds like my kind of week, too. Thanks for sharing! 🙂
Happy Friday! I’ve not read any of Ann Mateer’s books…so many authors, so few hours in a day.
Here’s are the first couple lines of a Love Inspired Suspense I finished recently but haven’t featured: Her head throbbed and grogginess gripped her. She rocked as if on giant waves. (from Thread of Revenge by Elizabeth Goddard.
This was my first book by her, also. It definitely won’t be my last.
Sounds like the character in Goddard’s book has been knocked over the head. Uh oh. Thanks for sharing!
March 1936
A long black train scrapes across Mr. Sutton’s fields. – Into the Free by Julie Cantrell
Happy Friday and Happy Reading!
Interesting tense choice. Thanks for sharing! 🙂
This sounds like an interesting read!
I’m sharing Be the Hands and Feet by Nick Vujicic on my blog today, but the first line that I’ll share here is The Saturday Night Supper Club by Carla Laureano. Loving this book so far!
“Three hours in Saturday night dinner service and she was already running on fumes.”
Happy reading! 🙂
Sounds like a busy night. Thanks for sharing! 🙂
This sounds like it would be an engaging story. I look forward to reading your review! Have a wonderful weekend!
Yes and I’m looking forward to sharing it! 😉 Thank you for stopping by! Happy weekend!
Happy Friday!
This week my FLF comes from Still Me by JoJo Moyes.
It was the moustache that reminded me I was no longer in England: a solid, grey millipede firmly obscuring the man’s upper lip; a Village People moustache, a cowboy moustache, the miniature head of a broom that meant business.
Have a great weekend and stay warm!
Ha ha ha. That first line is hysterical. Thank you for sharing! 🙂 My weekend forecast calls for temps in the upper seventies. Someone forgot to tell San Diego it’s still winter.
It’s 11 here and the wind is crazy! Wanna trade??😵😵
Ummmmm nope. I think I’m good. LOL Make a snow angel for me! (At least I’m assuming you are at least getting some snow out of those crazy low temperatures.)
Of course, we get over 100 inches here every winter! I have an extra winter coat…….come on! Hahaha😁
LOL I will never live where it snows a ton, but I don’t mind visiting the snow so long as I don’t have to drive in it. Or walk in it. Or really, be in it. LOL Just kidding… mostly. 😉
Ooo! I like the sound of this story! Consider me intrigued! 🙂
It was quite an adventure. I’m excited to be sharing my review soon. Thanks for stopping by! 🙂
Great cover! I’m so glad you shared this. I plan to add it to my to-be-read list. On my blog, I’m featuring Serendipity by one of my favorite authors, Cathy Marie Hake. Here, I’d like to share a line from the 30th chapter of The Captivating lady by Carolyn Miller, which is the book I’m currently reading. “The hope filling his heart leaked out the next day when he saw the way Charlotte barely looked at him.” May you enjoy a blessed, joyful, and restful weekend.
Yay! Be sure to let me know what you thought once you’ve read it! 🙂
Ha ha. I was just at your blog and added Serendipity to my TBR. 😀 Guess we’re even. 😉
Ooooohhhhhh!!!! I love that line! Okay. Now I’m going to have to go check out The Captivating Lady. 🙂
Aaaaand my TBR just grew again! LOL 😀 Thanks!
Ohhh! I will have to check out No Small Storm! Happy Friday! My first line is from Kizzie’s Kisses by Zina Abbott:
“Kizzie Atwell felt her breathing become more labored.”
Please let me know what you think if you read it! I love hearing what others think about books I’ve reviewed!
Hmm. Stress, exercise, or some other condition? Intriguing. Thanks for sharing!
The first lines give me chills and I wonder what happens. Today I am featuring one of my favorite authors and probably my book of all times. Helen MacInnes take of how words can effect an event or a person is view. This a novel was written during the “Cold War”. A very good relaxing read. There are few romances started during the month and one book accepted for publication.
Doesn’t it, though? Anne Mateer’s descriptions are just excellent.
Hmm. You have me intrigued. Thanks for stopping by!
Great post, Kathleen! Thanks for sharing.
I’ll share the first line from my next book on my TBR pile. “The Lost Castle” by Kristy Cambron. I love her books and will read ANYTHING she writes. 🙂
“Crumbling walls were rare, beautiful things.”
Have a great weekend!
Well that is the sign of a great author, for sure. 🙂 I love that first line, too. Enjoy your weekend and thanks for stopping by! 🙂
I’ll have to add this to my TBR pile. I’m sharing “A Letter to the Editor” on my blog today, but here I’ll share the first line of Chapter 8 from “Troubled Waters” by Susan May Warren.
“A man in paradise should not be this miserable.”
Have a great weekend!
I would say if a man isn’t happy in “paradise” then he is in the wrong paradise. 😉 Thanks for sharing!
Happy Friday!
Thanks for stopping by! Enjoy your weekend. 🙂
I’m currently reading Why I Hate Green Beans by Lincee Ray. The first line in the introduction is “I can’t recall the first time I tried green beans, but I do know I have decided to hate them forever.”
I hope you have a great weekend!
I don’t know whether to laugh or feel saddened by that first line. I love green beans – cooked properly, that is.
Thanks for sharing! 🙂
Over on my blog, I’m sharing the first lines from the three novellas in A Night in Grosvenor Square. It’s a new Timeless Regency Collection. I’m 1/2 way done, and I’m loving it so much. Currently, I’m starting chapter 5 in the second story, so I’ll share that first line here:
“In spite of Anne’s attempts to distract herself from thoughts of Davis Whitledge, hours of repetitive work allowed her mind to drift.”
I visited your FLF post yesterday and added that collection to my TBR list. Thank you! 🙂 Happy weekend!
The Isaac Project by Sarah Monzon
” REBEKAH
In the fourth grade we mad little rockets out of old film canisters, baking soda, and vinegar. ”
A contemporary romance
I really enjoy that book. Thanks for sharing! Happy weekend!