Sometimes an author writes a first line that is so beautiful or startling, it takes your breath away. Those books capture the reader’s imagination from the very first page and are hard to put down.
Here are eight first lines guaranteed to hook you right away.
"I was five years old the night the stars fell from the sky."
About the Book
Secrets So Deep by Ginny Myers Sain
Genre: YA Thriller
Book Review
A deliciously dark treat of a thriller, this book dishes up all the right ingredients: an isolated theater camp filled with ambitious students, a mysterious drowning, and a nightly fog haunted by whispers and shadowy figures.
Avril has returned to the theater camp where her mother drowned long ago. She’s seeking the one thing she doesn’t have: memories of her mother, even if they are second-hand from people who knew her. But as soon as she arrives, she hears the legend of the sea calling to those it claims. And she’s one of the ones who can hear the whispers. Haunting, atmospheric and creepy, this book draws you into its dangerous fog.
The camp begins to trigger memories, and every night the fog sets in, bringing ghosts and confusion. But Avril finds an ally and a romantic interest in Cole, the son of the playwright, Willa, who also happens to have been her mother’s best friend. Together, they fight off the darkness.
This book is a page turner, with twists and turns will keep readers guessing. In the end, Avril and Cole may find out that the most dangerous thing of all is lurking in the fog: the truth.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advance review copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
"It’s a widely known fact that most moms are ready to kill someone by eight thirty AM on any given morning."
About the Book
Finlay Donovan is Killing It by Elle Cosimano
Genre: Humor, Mystery
Book Review
This is the most hysterical book I’ve read all year. Finlay is a mystery author meeting with her agent to discuss why her latest book is behind. As they’re discussing potential plot points, a woman overheard and thought Finlay was a hit woman.
A typical suburban mom trying to be a hit man is as hilarious as you’d expect, and the plot perfectly toed the line between ridiculous and genius. I am so excited for the sequel later this year!
"My daughter didn’t have to testify against me. She chose to."
About the Book
Darling Rose Gold by Stephanie Wrobel
Genre: Thriller
Book Review
If you like thrillers, this is a must-read!
Rose Gold’s mother spent her childhood poisoning her so she’d always be sick and helpless. She’s served her five years in prison and now she’s getting out. And moving in with Rose Gold and baby Adam. I can’t say any more without giving spoilers! But if you like the genre, read it!
Thank you to the publisher for the advance review copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
"The woods came for Emeline the way they always did: creeping in with the shadows, seeping up through the cracks."
About the Book
Edgewood by Kristen Ciccarelli
Genre: YA Fantasy
Book Review
“She counted a dozen nightmares in the darkness.”
In this dark fairytale, once Edgewood has gotten its roots in you, you can never truly be free.
Whenever Emeline sings, the woods come to her and call to her, but no one else can see them or hear them. She’s not sure if it means the scary tales she grew up with about the Wood King are true or if she’s losing her mind. Either way, she’s determined to focus on her record deal, until her beloved Pa goes missing, leaving a tithe marker in his place. He’s been taken by the Wood King, and Emeline needs to venture deep into Edgewood to try to reclaim him.
Emeline obviously never heard the warning to never make deals with the fey, because she keeps on doing it. Unbeknownst to her, she has a history with the Wood King’s court, which both gives her power and places her in grave danger. In a world filled with shiftlings, fairies and courtiers with shadowy motives, Emeline struggles to learn who to trust. Emeline also finds herself strangely drawn to Hawthorne, the collector of the Wood King’s tithes, despite his part in her grandfather’s disappearance and a warning that he will betray her from a dragon who can see the future, the present and the past, but he can’t tell you which is which.
This novel serves up atmospheric, creepy haunted woods along with a spark-filled romance between Emeline and Hawthorne. This novel is an instant fantasy favorite.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advance review copy of this book.
"A long time ago in another country, I nearly killed a woman."
About the Book
The Christie Affair by Nina de Gramont
Genre: Historical Fiction, Mystery
Book Review
This cleverly plotted, engrossing story will keep you frantically flipping pages to find out what happens next. This takes the story you think you’re getting: of a man who leaves his wife for a younger woman, and the wife is so distraught, she disappears for a week, then it turns the trope on his head.
This book is based on the true story of Agatha Christie, the famous author, who, when she found out her husband was having an affair, disappeared for a week, prompting a countrywide hunt for her. She was finally found checked into a spa under her husband’s mistress name. And no, telling you that doesn’t give you any spoilers. This book was very unexpected, in a good way.
Agatha was memorable as the scorned wife playing her cards to get her husband back. Nan’s the clear-eyed younger woman who knows exactly what she’s doing and sees all the faults in , but wants him anyway. And Archie Christie is the man who thinks he knows what he wants, until he doesn’t. But the further you read, the more unexpected layers these characters have. The two separate love stories that play out are both bittersweet and engaging. There’s murder, lust, star-crossed lovers and characters taking charge of their own destiny, despite the societal forces that conspired against them.
This book also takes an insightful look at wealth and privilege, and how it can lead to carelessness with others’ lives. If you’re a fan of historical fiction, this is one you won’t want to miss.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advance review copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
"A week was too long to be a widow."
About the Book
In a Garden Burning Gold by Rory Power
Genre: Fantasy, Mythology
Book Review
This book was hard to put down.
In this fantasy tale, Rhea and Lexos are twins and children of the legendary Stratagiozi, whose powers can be split apart and gifted to his children. Lexos controlled the stars and tides, while Rhea had to change the seasons. Her task took her far from home, as each season, she married a new consort, who had to be killed to change the season to the next. She had found her fall consort hard to kill and put it off longer than she should have, delaying winter and facing her father’s anger. So she’s determined all go well with the selection of the winter consort, but Lexos has political reasons for wanting her to cross her father again.
This book alternates between a beautiful love story and an intense political drama. Rhea finds herself falling for her winter consort, as they both surprise each other. Meanwhile, Lexos tries to secure his father’s failing grip on the throne, even going behind his back to shore up alliances and make bargains. But there’s a player no one has counted on who has their fingers in everything and will change their world forever.
I fell for the siblings. Rhea’s both fierce and tender as she struggles to decide how much responsibility she really bares for the way things are. The younger sister Chrysanthi, who paints the colors in the world and brings happiness to everyone around her, is an absolute delight, albeit very naive and sheltered. Lexos is the type who thinks he’s the smartest one in the room, but he’s not always right as he gets outmaneuvered more than once.
This book is the start of a series, and I cannot wait for the next book! I want to spend more time with Rhea and her family.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advance review copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
"Death has a way of leaving breadcrumbs, little particles of the past that catch and settle and stain."
About the Book
A History of Wild Places by Shea Ernshaw
Genre: Mystery
Book Review
Reminiscent of M. Night Shayamalan’s The Village, this book tells the story of a community, Pastoral, that is afraid of anything outside of its borders.
Travis Wren has a gift. From holding an object belonging to a missing person, he can trace their path through flashes of their memory. He’s a last resort for families who have given up on finding their loved ones through traditional means, and he’s returned many missing people, though more of them were dead than alive.
Travis is tracking missing reclusive author Maggie St. James when he stumbles across Pastoral, a 1970’s commune that the outside world thought had been abandoned. But he discovers that the community has strayed far from its peaceful, open roots, and now operates from a fear of the outside world. They even fear the contaminants the rain may bring to their idyllic world. Travis wants to find Maggie and get out, but he never returns.
Years later, Theo, a resident of Pastoral who broke the rules to stray past the boundary, finds Travis’s abandoned truck and begins to suspect that not everything they’ve been led to believe is true. Despite reluctance from his wife Calla, Theo becomes obsessed with finding out what happened to Travis once he arrived in Pastoral, and as he pokes at Pastoral’s secrets, he begins to believe that the true rot may lie within.
This slow-burn story pulls you into the deceptively tranquil world of Pastoral, then pounces on you with razor-sharp secrets that threaten to tear everything and everyone apart. This book questions how far people will go for the sake of order and to protect their way of life.
"My mother died screaming my name"
About the Book
Together We Burn by Isabel Ibanez
Genre: YA Fantasy
Book Review
An enthralling fantasy with dragons, flamenco dancing and burning love.
Zarela’s the daughter of the most famous couple in Hispalia. Her mother’s flamenco dancing is legendary, and her father’s reknown as a Dragonador (dragon fighter) is second to none. Zarela’s feared dragons since the day a runaway burned her mother to death right in front of her. She’s following in her mother’s footsteps, dancing as her father’s opening act on their famed dragon arena. However, when the dragons escape during their 500th anniversary celebration, the dragons attack the crowd and injure Zarela’s father. With the Dragon Guild threatening her with fines and more, Zarela is determined to do whatever it takes to keep the family business, even if that means facing a dragon in the ring herself.
But first, she’ll have to face the only dragon tamer willing to train her: the surly Arturo, a former Dragonador who refuses to fight dragons himself anymore. Arturo’s determined not to be won over by Zarela, even if her ferocity and endurance proves him wrong in calling her a spoiled little rich girl. However, Zarela quickly finds out that his grumpy exterior hides a protective heart of gold. Sparks begin to fly between these two, even as Zarela’s father tells her to date anyone but Arturo. This forbidden romance brings heat and longing to the pages.
The poetic language brings the rich colors and dangers of Hispalia to life in the reader’s minds. The characters live under constant threat of attack from wild dragons, despite their thinning the population by hunting dragons for the arena. However, Arturo is convinced that dragons aren’t innately evil and refuses to kill them himself. My favorite part of the story was when one particular dragon’s personality began to shine.
The beauty of the ending left me stunned. This was an instant favorite.
Thank you to NetGalley for the advance review copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
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