A book’s first line is an invitation into the story. This week’s we’re looking at the first line of Almost A Bride by Rula Sinara. I’m really beginning to enjoy the first lines of the novels I’m reading.
I used to just immediately jump into a story drawn in by the author’s first words to me on a page. Now, before I start reading any book, I take a moment to really think about what the first line is saying before I start reading.
The First Line of Almost A Bride
GRAYSON ZALE BIT back a curse as he ducked between the weather-beaten posts that hoisted the pier at Turtleback Beach over the clawing surf.
This great first line of Almost A Bride does a number of things.
- It introduces a character.
- It provides you with a setting.
- Hints at a mystery.
Immediately, you start to wonder,
- Why is Grayson hiding? Is he a bad guy?
- Who is he hiding from?
- Why is he hiding from that person?
- Does he have an over-zealous female pursuing him?
As you continue reading Almost A Bride, Grayson’s reason for hiding becomes clear. He’s in the witness protection program and he’s trying to avoid having his picture accidentally taken.
The reader begins to feel sympathy for Grayson as we get a hint that his life is not easy. Constantly having to be aware of your surroundings and trying to avoid your location being accidentally broadcast to the bad guys must take a toll on you.
The reader is also further intrigued to find out why he’s in the witness protection program and who he is hiding from. While this information is not evident in the first line of Almost A Bride, it is shared within a few paragraphs so you are not left for long trying to figure out why Grayson’s acting shady.
As a reader, you almost have an expectation that the bad guys will find out his location and you have an insatiable desire to get to that point in the story. We get all of this because the author did a great job of weaving the story that we were able to unearth from the first line of Almost A Bride throughout the rest of the novel.
How This First Line Plays Out in Almost A Bride
The more you read Almost A Bride, the more you realize that Grayson has mastered the art of evasion. He evades questions about his past, photographs, and anything that could blow his cover. But the hint is always there that someone–somewhere–is going to do something to expose his true identity.
There is at least one close call in the book but when his identity is finally exposed, you are left quivering with indignation on his behalf. What did you think of the first line of Almost A Bride?
About Almost A Bride
Can he love her…
And keep her safe?
No one in Turtleback Beach knows that veterinarian Grayson Zale is in the witness protection program—not even the woman who left him at the altar. When a joint inheritance brings Mandi Rivers back to their small seaside town, Gray can’t deny that their connection is as strong as ever. But his mysterious past remains between them; can he reveal the truth without endangering Mandi—and their future?
About Rula
Award-winning and USA Today Bestselling author Rula Sinara lives in rural Virginia with her family and crazy but endearing pets. She loves organic gardening, attracting wildlife to her yard, planting trees, raising backyard chickens and drinking more coffee than she’ll ever admit to. Rula’s writing has earned her a National Readers Choice Award and HOLT Medallion Award of Merit, among other honors. Discover more at www.RulaSinara.com, where you can sign up for her newsletter.
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