Bookish, Spotlight

The Gustafson Girls: First Line Friday

Beth Erin

First Line Fridays hosted by Hoarding Books

December, when did you get here?! I’m so surprised to see you! I guess I really should do some Christmas shopping now… Today’s featured first lines are brought to you by one of my November Favorites, The Gustafson Girls series! Be sure to hop over and check them out. I’d love to hear about YOUR favorites from last month, reader friends!

The Gustafson Girls series by Becky Doughty



goodreads | amazon | bookdepository
series review

 

“Juliette stared wide-eyed into the rear-view mirror at the red and blue lights flashing behind her.“

 

 “What on earth is there to do on a Tuesday night in this town?” Renata asked from across the room.“

 

 “Put your clothes on, Brandon,” Phoebe ordered. “We’re done here.“

 

 “Gia stood in the hushed foyer, dressed in apple green and carrying a button bouquet of peach roses and paper-petaled Bells of Ireland.“

 

A couple of disclaimers for my girls here…
Juliette IS being pulled over but her ebook is FREE!
Renata’s first line is actually from the second paragraph but I couldn’t let Phoebe steal her thunder 😉
Phoebe is an artist but Brandon the model IS wearing undies!
Gia is the baby of the family and is NOT getting married in the first line of her story 😀

If you want to learn more about the Gustafson sisters, hop over to my series review!

 

Giveaway

In addition to her book 1 ebook freebie, Becky Doughty is sponsoring TWO giveaway opportunities for y’all today!!!

FIRST, one winner will receive their choice of
a signed Juliette and the Monday ManDates paperback
OR
the complete Gustafson Girls series in ebook format

The Gustafson Girls series by Becky Doughty giveaway on Faithfully Bookish

paperback US only
complete giveaway rules

a Rafflecopter giveaway
https://widget-prime.rafflecopter.com/launch.js

PLUS, one winner will receive their choice of a Gustafson Girls series ebook
enter by commenting whose book you would choose to win
Renata, Phoebe, or Gia

Juliette’s ebook is FREE

First Line Fridays on Faithfully Bookish hosted by Hoarding Books

Find more FLF bloggers at Hoarding Books!

95 thoughts on “The Gustafson Girls: First Line Friday”

  1. The sisters in the series sound like a very interesting group of people. I love series that deal with one main figure from the group in each book of the series.It gives youdifferent perspectives of each the main characters. I got the free book from amazon and if I should be the 2nd winner I would like the book on Renata. At this time I want to thank y’all for giving me the opportunity to win this series. ❤

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    2. I had a lot of fun focusing on each sister in her own book – unwrapping how each of them with their different personalities dealt with the things life threw their way – but the beauty (and challenge!) of writing a series like this was being able to draw them all back into a family unit time and time again. Good luck!

      Becky Doughty

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  2. Thanks so much for having The Gustafson Girls over today! I’m thrilled to be able to share them with your readers. Yeah – Phoebe’s opening line is pretty provocative, isn’t it? But then, that’s her whole MO – cover up the pain with sass, right?

    I’ll check back in later today and see how things are going!

    Becky

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  3. I’m sharing the first line from Heather Gray’s An Informal Christmas on my blog today. The first line from the book I’m currently reading is “His footsteps echoing, Ryan Savage walked the first grader from the cafeteria toward the media center.” The Christmas Baby by Lisa Carter.

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  4. My first line Friday is from Christmas Magic by Cathy Kelly

    Primrose Cottage sat at the very end of Johnson’s Lane, an enchantingly pretty little house with wisteria snaking into the low roof and rose bushes clustering up to peer in the windows.

    Happy Friday!

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  5. Happy Friday, Beth!

    Today I’m featuring Cowboy Christmas Guardian by Dana Mentink (because it’s December and all).

    The first line of the book I’m reading is: “Not Now. For the love of candy canes, not now.” From I’ll Be Home for Christmas Collection by Bonnie Calhoune, Jill Kemerer, Allie Pleiter, and Lenora Worth

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  6. I’ve read Juliette and the Monday Man Dates. It was a fun book. And thanks for clarifying the details on that third book’s first line. 🙂

    I reviewed the anthology, A Grand Tour, a couple weeks ago, but it has such a great first line, it had to get included. This is from the first book, A Lord’s Chance

    Southern coast of Spain, October 1852
    The smell of deck tar warming under the Mediterranean sun made Miss Isabelle Strathmore smile beneath the brim of her second-best bonnet.

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    2. Phyllis – oh, yes, our Phoebe girl. Having read Juliette and the Monday ManDates, you’ll probably remember that she’s the wild child, the rebel, the provocative sister… So of course, her first line had to be ridiculously provocative, too, right? Hope you get a chance to read her story – her’s might be my favorite of the bunch.

      Becky D

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    2. Julie – Thanks for dropping by! I hope you grab a copy of Book 1: Juliette and the Monday ManDates (it’s FREE!) and get to know these girls. They really did become like family to me and they are a lot of fun!

      Becky D

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  8. These look like fun reads that I need to check out!

    I’m sharing about The Austen Escape on my blog today, but the closest book to me is Christmas at Carton by Tamera Alexander, so I’ll use that here.

    November 13, 1863
    Franklin, Tennessee
    21 Miles South of Nashville

    “Very nice stitching, Mrs. Prescott.”

    Happy Friday!

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    2. Becky – These girls, even in the middle of their sister issues and growing pains, ARE a lot of fun. They were fun to bring to life, and I love when readers embrace them as “friends” – I hope you do, too.

      Becky

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  9. Shared everywhere – Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Google+ and with friends personally – but I sure would love to win the Juliette and the Monday Mandates paperback books. 🙂 Thanks for the chance! ❤

    My first line is:
    The compressed sand burned my bare feet as I ran towards the crystal clear blue water with brilliant sunlight cascading down upon it.
    A Cookies & Chance Mystery –
    BAKED TO DEATH by Catherine Bruns

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    2. Kay – Beth Erin has a good point, especially about this last book in the series. Although each book could be read as a standalone, their stories are written in chronological order, so Gia’s book inevitably has the most spoilers about the other books in it. That said, I encourage you to at least read Juliette & the Monday ManDates (its FREE!) so you get to know the girls a little first! And hey, maybe you’ll win them all! 🙂 Thanks for stopping in – hope you enjoy getting to know the Gustafson Girls.

      Becky D

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  11. I haven’t read Becky’s books yet, but I have the first one Juliette and the Monday ManDates.

    Happy Friday!
    My first line is from First Street Church Romances: Love’s Christmas Cheer by Alexa Verde:

    “Hurting her co-chef wasn’t an option,”

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  12. Happy Friday, Beth! I’m not familiar with the Gustafson Girls.

    PROLOGUE
    LONDON, ENGLAND
    MAY 1817

    I sat across the table from the man I most admired, feeling self-conscious. – The Secret of Pembrooke Park by Julie Klassen

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    2. Caryl – thanks for dropping by. I hope you grab a copy of Book 1 – Juliette and the Monday ManDates (it’s FREE!) so you can meet these zany sisters. They’re a lot of fun!

      Becky D

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  13. I love the Becky Doughty books I’ve read so far, Elderberry Croft and Pemberton Manor. Her flawed characters leap from the pages determined to tell their stories and thoroughly engross the reader. Thank you for show-casing the Gustafson Girls series. I would love to win one of these books; regardless they are on my list of ‘to-reads’ when I have some spare change to purchase!

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    2. Stacy – Lovely to see you here! I love hearing how readers relate to my characters – thank you for sharing! I’m glad you’re going to meet the Gustafson Girls – another set of flawed characters with stories of their own to tell.

      Becky D

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  14. Happy Friday!

    I have never heard of these books by Becky Doughty before. I will have to check them out. And, thank you for the giveaway opportunity.

    Today, over on my blog, I am showcasing Cara Putman’s novel, Imperfect Justice. I am so excited to review this book. I have heard so many good things. On my site, I used the first lines from the prologue, so here I will share the first sentence from chapter 1.

    “Emelie Wesley glanced at her watch and frowned.”

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    2. Thanks for stopping by – I love meeting people who haven’t met the Gustafson sisters yet! I hope you grab a copy of Book 1: Juliette and the Monday ManDates (it’s FREE!) so you can get to know this zany family! I’ll have to check out your website!

      Becky D

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  18. I’ve joined a Miss Read read-along (#MissReadalong) on Instagram, so my first line is from Christmas at Thrush Green:

    Chapter One
    Albert Pigott Makes a Decision

    ‘I know there’s a saying that “if March comes in like a lion, it will go out like a lamb”,’ said Winnie Bailey, gazing out of the kitchen window, ‘but is there a saying about this dreadful December wind?’

    As for the Gustafson Girls, I think I’d choose Renata’s book, mainly because Juliette is waiting on my kindle and I do like to go in order when I can 😀

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  19. I’m currently finishing up “Twelve Slays of Christmas” by Jacqueline Frost
    Chapter One
    “I have two cups of Santa’s cinnamon tea, one spicy apple cider, and a peppermint twist hot cocoa,” I said, setting the mugs on the table surrounded by rosy-cheeked women wearing matching holiday sweaters.

    I’m into reading Christmas mysteries at this time. My favorite genre are cozies. I like to read cozy holiday mysteries are the holiday the book surrounds. Hense today’s first line as above.

    as for the Gustafson Girls, like Yvette before me, I’d choose Renata’s book because I already have downloaded “Juliette” to my kindle and will read that first so they can be read in order. 🙂

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  20. These books sound like a lot of fun!

    I’m sharing from The Last Summer by Brandy Bruce on my blog today. Great book!

    I’m currently reading Out of the Ordinary by the always-witty Jen Turano. Here’s the (long) opening line:

    Slipping through the crowd gathered on the upper deck of a most extravagant yacht, Miss Gertrude Cadwalader drew in a breath and adopted an air of what she hoped would be taken for nonchalance.

    With a start like that, I’m expecting another winner!

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    2. Iola – Nice to see you here! These girls WERE a lot of fun to write about! Jen Turano is a go-to favorite for me. I just love her sense of humor and her delightful characters.

      Becky

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  21. The light from the oil lamp flickered, making it increasingly difficult to see the tiny writing she had jotted down throughout the month.
    This is from The Amish Widow by Katie Fisher. I just started and now I’m engrossed in the story.

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  23. Loved the Elderberry Croft series so much I read the first 2 books in the Gustafson Girls series. Would love to win so I can finish the series!

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      1. So glad you’re an Elderberry Croft fan! Willow Goodhope is who I want to be when I grow up! And I’m thrilled you’ve discovered these sisters, now, too – yay! Thanks for dropping by.

        Becky D

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  24. This series sounds really good. I haven’t read any of these books yet, but I did snag Juliette’s story and if I had to choose I would want to win Renata’s story if I could only win one ebook (for the sake of order). But all these books are definitely going on my TBR list.

    My First Line is from Merrily Ever After by Julia Keanini, which is a cute, fairy tale-inspired read I just finished. I cheated a little and went a few paragraphs down, but this one reads better than the first.

    “There are two things you need to know in life.” Five-year old Drake knew what his father was saying was important. But Drake had no idea it would be the last advice his father would ever give him.

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  25. My first line is from a wonderful little book by Anita Higman called A MERRY LITTLE CHRISTMAS.

    “Mother always said that if humans ever landed on the moon the first thing they would need is music.”

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    1. Natalya – love the spelling of your name! And thank you – the covers are fun, aren’t they? It’s remarkable how much one can learn about a person from their legs, isn’t it? Hee! Thanks for stopping by.

      Becky D

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    1. Kai – love that about your book club. If your club ever opts to read one of my books, I enjoy doing Skype or Facebook chats with book clubs! Hope you pick up a copy of Juliette – it’s free!

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  31. First line: I am a girl of eight, skipping home at the end of a typical school day, having completed the kilometer-long trek with a few other village kids and, on occasion, my brother–Number 5. From Fire Road by Kim Phuc Phan Thi

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  33. THIS IS WRONG ON EVERY COUNT. First line from Colleen Coble All is Calm All is bright. I think I would choose Renata since her name is a bit different like mine is.

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    1. Perrianne – What a WONDERFUL name! And Colleen Coble’s first line is great! I hope you grab a copy of Juliette and the Monday ManDates – it’s free – and then if you win, you’ll be on track for Renata’s book!

      Becky D

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  34. Juliet and the Monday Man Dates is one of my Favorite books! Haven’t read the other sisters but would love to ♡

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    1. Raechel – love the way your name is spelled! I hope you grab a copy of Book 1 – Juliette and the Monday ManDates so you can introduce yourself to the Gustafson Girls. They’re a lot of fun! Thanks for stopping by.

      Becky D

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