First Lines Fridays is a weekly feature for book lovers. What if, instead of judging a book by its cover, its author or its prestige, we judged it by its opening lines?
The Rules:
- 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:
The pounding at the door was loud enough to wake Cecilia Chenoweth from a dead sleep.
Do you recognize the line?
Here’s a hint:
It’s a new historical romance.
Still not sure? Here’s another hint:
It’s written by Courtney McCaskill.
The First Lines Friday book is:
The Duke’s Dark Secret
About the Book:
Title: The Duke’s Dark Secret
Author: Courtney McCaskill
Series: The Astley Chronicles
Page Length: 340
Publication Date: Nov. 9, 2023
Publisher: Hazel Grove Books
Synopsis: Secrets, Lies, and a Lock Ever since her father’s unexpected death, Cecilia Chenoweth has felt like the heroine of a bad Gothic novel. In addition to leaving her alone and destitute, her father made a deathbed confession that it was no mere fever that took her mother’s life some twenty years ago. Then he pressed a sinister key into her hands, bidding her to go forth and uncover the truth. If only she knew where to find the lock that will open to the mysterious key…
Cold, Bold, and Dangerous to Know There is one man who recognizes the black key bearing the emblem of a Marcus Latimer, the newly minted Duke of Trevissick. Now that his abusive father is rotting in hell where he belongs, Marcus is eager for his life to stop resembling a bad Gothic novel. No one would ever have thought to pair the dangerously handsome duke with the meek little rector’s daughter. But as he helps Cecilia on her quest, Marcus discovers a well of passion hiding behind her sloe eyes that may just be a match for his own.
Two Hearts on a Perilous Path But Cecilia’s search for the truth about her mother’s death unearths dark secrets from Marcus’s past, secrets that will destroy the new life he has built for his beloved sister and condemn one of the few people he cares about to death. What will he do when he is forced to choose between loyalty… and love?
Have you read The Duke’s Dark Secret? What do you think of the first line? Comment below!
Usually, I can’t recognize the first line
I know, I usually don’t guess correctly either. It’s fun to try though!
I like the sound of this one and that cover is a good one. I hope you enjoyed this one.
Thanks, Carla!