First Lines Fridays is a weekly feature for book lovers hosted by Wandering Words. What if instead of judging a book by its cover, its author or its prestige, we judged it by its opening lines?
- Pick a book off your shelf (it could be your current read or on your TBR) and open to the first page
- Copy the first few lines, but don’t give anything else about the book away just yet – you need to hook the reader first
- Finally… reveal the book!
First Lines:
Constance Wentworth’s task was simple: sidle along the edge of the ballroom, looking like a forgettably plain woman making a discreet exit. The safety of the archway lay a mere two yards distant when Robert, Duke of Rothhaven, turned his gaze in her direction.
Surprise flashed in her green eyes, as fleeting as distant lightning on a summer night.
Bollocks and bedamned, he recognized her.
Do you recognize the lines?
Hint: It’s an historical romance by Grace Burrows.
Still not sure? Here’s another hint:
It’s part of the Rogues to Riches series.
The First Lines Friday book is:
Title: The Truth About Dukes
Author: Grace Burrowes
Series: Rogues to Riches (Book 5)
Page Length: 400
Publication Date: Nov. 5, 2020
Publisher: Piatkus
Synopsis: Robert Rothmere is hiding a past no duke should have endured, but he’s not hiding it well enough. Sooner or later, his enemies will learn that he spent years locked away at a private asylum. To get their hands on his wealth, they’ll try to send him right back to his worst nightmares. If Robert is to foil their schemes, he needs to marry a perfectly proper, blessedly boring, deadly dull duchess, immediately—and he knows exactly which quietly delightful lady he’d love to entrust with that role.
Lady Constance Wentworth has cultivated a reputation for utter forgettability. She never speaks out of turn (in public), never has a daring thought (that she admits aloud), and never comes close to courting scandal… as far as anybody knows. Her path crossed Robert’s years ago, though, and she’s never forgotten the extraordinary lengths he traveled to keep her safe when she hadn’t a friend in the world. She longs to be his demure duchess…but little does he know that to marry her would be utter madness.
LINK: Goodreads
I just love a good historical romance, and this one is great! Grace Burrows always writes interesting stories with dynamic characters!
Have you read anything by Grace Burrows? What do you think of these first lines? Comment below!
Well- no. Right now, I am reading yet another classic
Ooh, yes, I’m curious! I guess this is another one going on my TBR right now 😛
Lol – I’m bad for your TBR! 🙂