First Line Fridays is a feature hosted by Hoarding Books.
TGIF, everyone! I am participating in the blog tour next month for The Guests on South Battery, the fifth in the Tradd Street Series series by Karen White, another of my favorite southern authors and a favorite series to boot! I am currently reading it and enjoying this installment, so I wanted to share a bit of it with you.
Today my first lines are:
There is no escaping the dead. On the slender peninsula that is Charleston, we cannot help being surrounded by them, packed as they are into ancient cemeteries behind ornate fencing. Beneath our streets. And under our homes and parking garages. Land is at a premium here, and it was inevitable that over the course of time the living and the dead would eventually rub elbows.
Synopsis from Goodreads:
THE NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER
Karen White invites you to explore the brick-walked streets of Charleston in her fifth Tradd Street novel, where historic mansions house the memories of years gone by, and restless spirits refuse to fade away…
With her extended maternity leave at its end, Melanie Trenholm is less than thrilled to leave her new husband and beautiful twins to return to work, especially when she’s awoken by a phone call with no voice on the other end—and the uneasy feeling that the ghostly apparitions that have stayed silent for more than a year are about to invade her life once more.
But her return to the realty office goes better than she could have hoped, with a new client eager to sell the home she recently inherited on South Battery. Most would treasure living in one of the grandest old homes in the famous historic district of Charleston, but Jayne Smith would rather sell hers as soon as possible, guaranteeing Melanie a quick commission.
Despite her stroke of luck, Melanie can’t deny that spirits—both malevolent and benign—have started to show themselves to her again. One is shrouded from sight, but appears whenever Jayne is near. Another arrives when an old cistern is discovered in Melanie’s backyard on Tradd Street.
Melanie knows nothing good can come from unearthing the past. But some secrets refuse to stay buried….
Please share with me the first line(s) of the book you are currently reading! I would love to read it! Have you read The Guests on South Battery, or any of the Tradd Street series, or do you plan to? Happy Friday reading! ~ Jennifer THR
Loved the post 😍😍
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Thank you, Priyasha! ♥️
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I’ve got this series on my shelf. Good to know you’re enjoying the books!
I’m reading Not Her Daughter and here’s the first line:
“I grip her hand. Dirt clings to her small palm and makes caked half-moons under her nails.”
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Thanks, Jonetta! I think you’ll enjoy this series too! Those are great first lines. I’m so excited to hear your thoughts on NHD! Happy Friday! ♥️
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Happy Friday! I recently read a book set in Charleston. It’s fun to go back to visit a place I vacationed a couple of times!
Here’s the first line from Elizabeth Goddard’s “Stormy Haven,” a Love Inspired Suspense book.
“Only three more miles…”
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Happy Friday, Suzie! It is so fun to “revisit” Charleston in books! I was fortunate to live close by for four years. I am really intrigued by your share!
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I love this post! Here is my first line Friday….”Its a beautiful day in the city.” (Sadie by Courtney Summers).
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Aw, thanks, Holls! That’s a great first line and wow, are you in for a story ahead of you! ♥️ Enjoy and happy Friday!
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☀️good morning!!
Here is my first line from A Long Walk To Water…
Going was easy. Going, the big plastic container held only air. Tall for her 11 years, Nya could switch the handle from one hand to the other, swing the container by her side, or cradle it in both arms.
Based on a true story, this African girl that walks 8 hours a day to fetch water for her family.
Ok, I have to ask you Jennifer, I’ve been wondering for months… what is a blog tour?😳
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Oh, wow, Lana, I definitely want to read that! It’s on my list for sure. I can’t wait to hear what you think of it. I’ll send you an email with some info on blog tours! Hope you are having a wonderful Friday! 💗
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Thank you! 🙏🙏I see them often on book blogs, I just have never known… ❤️
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I’m happy to do it! 💕
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Happy Friday! I am reading Sadie by Courtney Summers. It takes place in Cold Creek, Colorado. Population eight hundred.
It begins with a dead girl. The first line is “It’s a beautiful day in the city.” I plan to read TGOSB. ❤️📚
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Happy Friday, Virginia! I really hope you enjoy Sadie’s story and also that your Friday has been wonderful! Xo 💕
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“The men lock Roxy in the cupboard when they do it.” The Power by Naomi Alderman
Really enjoying it so far
Fun post!
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Thanks, Paul, and great share! I am definitely interested in that one after reading Vox!
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It’s a very interesting read. Worth the time.
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Happy Friday Jen!😎 It’s been a long time since Ive read q Karen White book!😥
My first lines come from a book I’m reading shortly, Living in Harmony by Mary Ellis.
The rain’s finally stopped. We’re late. I’d better get you home before your father comes looking for us carrying his squirrel rifle—thunderstorm or no.”
“Hmm,” replied Amy. John’s attempt at humor fell short of its mark.
Have a relaxing weekend and happy reading!😊
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You definitely have me intrigued, Sus! I hope you can read a KW novel soon! I need to read her newest that’s not in the series myself and I have several in her backlist I haven’t read. I hope you have a wonderful weekend, too, with lots of reading and relaxation! I can’t wait for that NG haul! 😉 💕 xo
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Yup! Hehehe I got a few more today……but still have something like 15 in pending…….😂😂😱😱 I will get the haul posted before I go school shopping tomorrow😰 have a great weekend Jennifer!😊💖
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Wow, you really did have fun! And have “fun” school shopping tomorrow! 😂 💕 ♥️
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I haven’t read anything by Karen White, but that sounds like a good book.
I just started reading Under My Skin by Lisa Unger. First line: “I like him. I do.”
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That’s a great starting point, Darinda! I have not read anything by Lisa Unger, but I’ve meant to! Karen White is a wonderful storyteller. Her stories are full of southern charm if you like that kind of thing. Thanks for sharing with me, and I hope you have an amazing weekend! ♥️
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Happy Friday! I love Karen White, something about how she does southern fiction–like no one else!
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Her writing is so charming, and you sink right into it! I’m so happy you love her too. Hope you both have a great weekend! ♥️
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Ooh! I’m definitely adding this to my tbr! I just started reading Leave No Trace, by Mindy Mejia and the opening line is: By the time the boy in ward four attacked me, I’d already nicknamed him The Lost One in my head.
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I hope you enjoy it, too, Kim! I really want to read Leave No Trace at some point, and what a start! I can’t wait for your review! Happy weekend! 🤗
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Happy Weekend Jennifer!🤗
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Those lines paint quite the picture. Great storytelling and writing! The book I’m sharing on my blog is “His Bluestocking Bride” by Sally Britton. Here, I will share the first line from Chapter 17. “Tucked up in her favorite chair by the library fire, Ellen turned the page in an interesting volume on the subject of astronomy.” May you be able to fully enjoy your weekend!
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I’m intrigued, and it sounds cozy! Thank you so much for sharing with me, Anneliese, and I hope you have a wonderful weekend, too, with plenty of reading time.
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My first line comes from The Choice by Robert Whitlow,,,
Rutland, Georgia, 1974
Sandy Lincoln nervously twirled her long blond hair around her index finger.
Happy Friday and happy reading!
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Oh, Caryl, what a start- I want to know more! I tried to find your blog, but didn’t have any luck. If you see this, let me know so I can come visit you! I hope you have a wonderful weekend with great reads, too!
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Ooh, that sounds delightfully spooky! And I like the writing in those first lines. Hope you enjoy it! 😀
Here’s mine:
“The slap of spades in dense peat was an unmistakeable sound. They slipped in and out of rhythm; overlapping, separating, cascading, then coming together again, much like the men’s heavy breathing.”
What do you think they’re burying?? 😱 It’s from Broken Ground by Val McDermid.
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Oh, yours sounds kind of spooky, too, FF! I look forward to your thoughts on that! Karen White is a little lighter than your typical fare, but her storytelling is reliable and brilliant. I hope you enjoy Broken Ground!
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I haven’t read these book, but I know I want to visit Charleston. 🙂 Happy reading Jennifer!
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Thank you, H! I really hope you get to visit Charleston someday. It is an unforgettable place full of culture and charm, not to mention, the beautiful sights and architecture. Happy reading to you, too, and thanks so much for stopping in to see me!
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Oooh old mansions and ghosts? Yes please! I’m reading Bloody Rose by Nicholas Eames right now, which is about a mercenary band. It’s a LOT of fun so far. 😀
Tam’s mother used to say she had a Wyld Heart. “It means you’re a dreamer,” she told her daughter. “A wanderer, like me.”
“It means you ought to be careful,” her father had added. “A Wyld Heart needs a wise mind to temper it, and a strong arm to keep it safe.”
Happy Friday, Jennifer! ❤
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Yes, I love the paranormal element in this series, Kathy! So good! You have completely intrigued me once again with your read. I’ll be lookign for your thoughts on that one as well, Kathy. You are going to make me a fluent fantasy reader one of these days! ♥️ I hope you have a relaxing weekend!
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I tried Karen White earlier this summer with Dreams of Falling, and sadly it became a DNF for me. I just couldn’t get into the story and found the heroine annoying. It’s the only one of hers I’ve tried, so don’t know about this series.
The first line of the book I;m currently reading is “The yellow-and-black Checker cab nosed its way down Second Avenue in the rain. It’s from Not Our Kind by Kitty Zeldis.
Fun post!
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Thanks, Susie! I’m intrigued by your first line and look forward to your thoughts on it! I’m sorry to hear about Dreams of Falling. I’m hoping it to read it soon. I need to make a visit over at Novel Visits! 💕
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That is hauntingly beautiful! I loved how the author has used her words to create an image of the town.
I live in a town that is believed to have many old graves , our apartments are rumored to have been built on graves. Its interesting how the author paints such a vivid picture of the town with just a few lines. Thanks for sharing, Jen!
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Thank you, Diana, and that is fascinating about your town. It’s amazing how an author can paint a picture, right? Hope you’ve been having a great Monday!
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