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:
Only one person in the entire world had the power to make Jonathan Eaton, the Earl of Sykeston, push everything aside and ride like the devil over the fields at breakneck speeds to reach her.
Constance Lysander.
Do you recognize these swoon-worthy lines?
Hint: It’s the first book in a new historical romance series.
Still not sure? Here’s another hint:
It’s written by Janna MacGregor.
The First Lines Friday book is:
Rules for Engaging the Earl
About the Book:
Title: Rules for Engaging the Earl
Author: Janna MacGregor
Series: The Widow Rules #2
Page Length: 384
Publication Date: April 26, 2022
Publisher: St. Martin’s Paperbacks
Synopsis: Get ready for lost wills, broody dukes, and scorching hot kissing all over London.
Constance Lysander needs a husband. Or, so society says. She’s about to give birth to her late husband’s child―a man who left her with zero money, and two other wives she didn’t know about. Thankfully, she has her Aunt by her side, and the two other wives have become close friends. But still―with a baby on the way, her shipping business to run, and an enemy skulking about, she has no time to find the perfect match.
Enter Jonathan, Earl of Sykeston. Returned war hero and Constance’s childhood best friend, his reentry into society has been harsh. Maligned for an injury he received in the line of duty, Jonathan prefers to stay out of sight. It’s the only way to keep his heart from completely crumbling. But when a missive from Constance requests his presence―to their marriage ceremony―Jonathan is on board. His feelings for Constance run deep, and he’ll do anything to make her happy, though it means risking his already bruised heart.
With Constance, Jonathan, and the new baby all together, it’s clear the wounds―both on the surface and in their relationship―run deep. But when the nights come, their wounds begin to heal, and both come to realize that their marriage of convenience is so much more than just a bargain.
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Have you read Rules for Engaging the Earl? What do you think of the first lines? Comment below!
I have never read the book but I definitely will consider buying it now!
Nice! I hope you love it if you do pick it up. 🙂
Ooh, this sounds good! Those first lines definitely have my interest piqued
Right! Super swoon-worthy right from the start!
The lines a great! It really starts with a bang and makes me curious lol.
Right! I love it!