The book I’m featuring today on First Line Friday is Rumors and Promises by Kathleen Rouser.
Stone Creek, Michigan
1900
“Sophia Bidershem jerked awake as the train whistle blew.”
I haven’t finished reading this book yet. I’m about halfway through it, so I can give a little glimpse as to what you can expect. What is unique about this book is the subject of single girls who found themselves in the most uncomfortable position of being with child. Some through promiscuous living, while other were seduced into believing this is how you show true love, while other’s were forced to submit. The pastor of the town feels burdened to start a home that will house these ladies and allow them the opportunity to keep their children or, if they prefer, give them up for adoption. Sophie arrives in town with a two-year-old child she claims is her sister, but you realize right away it’s actually her daughter. She feels terrible about the lie, but fears for her illegitimate child and how she might be treated hold her back from admitting the truth. The pastor and Sophie feel drawn to each other, but how will he react when he finds out Sophie has been lying? What will he do when the people in town find out the truth about Sophie? He’s still new in town and likes his new position. Will he choose to stand with Sophie and her child, and risk losing his job? The thing I wonder most about is, how will the ladies in such a home be treated by the town’s people? Will they truly be accepted or always looked down upon by many of their neighbors. How will their children be treated once they begin attending school? If you consider society’s frame of mind on this subject back in 1900, this is a situation that has countless obstacles to overcome. I will keep reading to see how the author brings about a happy ever after.
First Line Friday is something every reader can participate in. Pick up a book near you. Type the first line in the comments, along with the title of the book and the author. Then check out the books other readers have featured in the comments on this blog and on the Hoarding Books link at the end of this post. You might find a book you would like to read simply by reading the first line. You can also click on the title of the book above and it will take you to Amazon so you can see what the book is about, read the reviews other readers have shared, and purchase it if it interests you.
Happy Friday!
Today my First Line Friday comes from a book I will be reading next week. A Mother’s Gift by Charlotte Hubbard.
As Lenore Otto sat on the bed with Leah, wistfully watching the dusk of late November fill her daughter’s room, her heart was torn.
Have an awesome weekend!!
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That’s a good first line. It right away begs the question, why his her heart torn? I wish you a wonderful weekend, too.
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I’ll have to look for this book. Thank you for sharing it today! I hope you have a wonderful weekend!
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Thanks! I wish you a wonderful weekend, too!
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My first line is from Heart on the Line by Karen Witemeyer:
The cheerful tinkle of a bell alerted Grace Mallory to the arrival of a guest.
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I enjoyed that book. Karen Witemeyer is a talented author. Enjoy your weekend.
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You’ve just renewed my curiosity about this book 😀 I’m sharing from the Seven Brides for Seven Texas Rangers Romance Collection (read through NetGalley) today. Here’s the first line from Partners in Crime by Vickie McDonough:
“Run, Laurel. Run!”
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Seven Brides for Seven Texas Rangers was a good read. Have a nice weekend.
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That sounds like an intriguing novel. So many women were forced to give up their babies – it’s good to see a story where they had a choice.
I’m featuring Kill Shot by Susan Sleeman on my blog, which doesn’t have any link to pink or hearts (although it is romantic suspense so there is some romance). I’m currently reading, Focus on Love by Candee Fick which has a Valentine’s Day scene, even if it’s not central to the plot. Here’s the first line:
Elizabeth Foster ripped the Christmas wrapping paper from the box on her lap.
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This does sound like an intriguing story. I’ve recently be watching Downton Abbey reruns, and one of the main characters finds herself in the exact same situation, and it is interesting to see how she asks for help. Happy Friday!
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I’m probably one of the few people who never watched that series. I know I ought to.
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Happy Friday! Here are my lines from the blog: “It was her favorite dream.
The golden dagger lay before Valia on a velvet cushion. Beautiful. Powerful. Deadly. She picked it up, the golden hilt ice cold against her skin.”
These are the lines of a much awaited conclusion of the Falling Kingdoms series: Immortal Reign by Morgan Rhodes. Have a great weekend.
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Thank you! You, too!
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Another take on a very serious social problem On my blog I am featuring Elaine Orr’s Jolie Gentil series. It is set in the Jersey Beach. I am reading TILL DEATH DO US PARTY.
“Landing in Las Vegas was somewhat akin to touching down in Oz.”
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That sounds like a great book! Another for my ever growing TBR list. I hope you have a nice weekend!
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I enjoyed that book – a unique premise for CF!
My current first line is from Missy Tippens’ new novella “Her Valentine Reunion” (in the Back to You collection) – “In a preemptive strike against the Valentine’s Day funk that hit her every year in February, Abbie Rogers had been working on her latest craft project she’d dubbed Operation Kill Cupid.”
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Oh, my! What could that craft project be? Too funny!
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I know I’m late but yesterday was busy! Happy Weekend! My first line is from A Langhorne Romance (which is in Right Where We Belong collection) by Deborah Raney.
“No sooner had Lily O’Neal plunged her hands into the sticky bread dough than the doorbell rang. Why did it always work that way?”
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No problem. I know how time can get away from you sometimes. Have a great weekend!
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This sounds like a really interesting historical romance!
My first lines come from Vladimir –
“Vladimir Kolnikov sat in his Corvette in a nearly empty parking lot for a long time. Just a few feet away was the entrance to the private hotel where his friends, teammates, and the woman he loved waited for him to arrive. He was getting married in less than an hour, but instead of heading inside to change into his tuxedo, he was sitting here sweating. Thinking. Panicking.“ Las Vegas Sidewinders: Vladimir by Kat Mizera
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Doesn’t that just want to make you shout, “Why? Please don’t disappoint her!” Great first lines. Have a wonderful rest of your weekend.
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