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:
Nathaniel Stanton, the Earl of Foxstead, stopped short, arrested by the sight of Mrs. Eliza Pierce headed toward him. How could he have forgotten how beautiful the widow was? It had scarcely been a year since they’d seen each other, and even then, only briefly while surrounded by friends and family.
Yet she still took his breath away.
Do you recognize the lines?
Here’s a hint:
It’s a new historical romance and the second in a series.
Still not sure? Here’s another hint:
It’s written by Manda Collins.
The First Lines Friday book is:
A Spinster’s Guide to Danger and Dukes
About the Book:
Title: A Spinster’s Guide to Danger and Dukes
Author: Manda Collins
Series: A Lady’s Guide #3
Page Length: 352
Publication Date: March 28, 2023
Publisher: Forever
Synopsis: Miss Poppy Delamare has been living a lie. To escape an odious betrothal, she hid as the quiet and unassuming Flora Deaver, secretary to London’s most infamous female crime reporter. When her beloved younger sister is accused of murder, however, Poppy returns home to keep her sibling from the hangman’s noose.
But a collision with the most unexpected—and unwelcome—of travel companions interrupts her journey. To her surprise, the arrogant, albeit handsome, Duke of Langham offers to help clear her sister’s name . . . in exchange for a favor of his own.
Despite his rakish reputation, Joshua Fielding, the Duke of Langham, has no intention of abandoning a lady—or ladies—in need. A fake betrothal will benefit both him and Poppy. Langham will have protection from the society misses flocking to his grandmother’s birthday celebration, and Poppy will have the power of the dukedom when proving her sister’s innocence.
Only the longer the ruse goes on, the less pretend the engagement feels, until neither are acting at all. But before Langham can propose in truth, their search reveals a tangled web of lies and betrayals leading back to his own family. With time running out to save Poppy’s sister, can Poppy and Langham find the true murderer before the curtains fall?
LINKS: Goodreads | Amazon | Review
