First Line Fridays: The House at the End of the Moor by Michelle Griep

Happy Friday! 

First Line Fridays is hosted by Hoarding Books and participants share the first line from a nearby book.

Today, I'm sharing the first line from The House at the End of the Moor by Michelle Griep:

"Death prowled the cellblock like a dark animal seeking prey -- especially the weakest."

Have you read this book? Book blurb below and you can read my review here.

What are you reading this weekend? I'd love for you to share your book's first line!

Happy reading!

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About the Book:

What Can a London Opera Star and an Escaped Dartmoor Prisoner Have in Common?

Opera star Maggie Lee escapes her opulent lifestyle when threatened by a powerful politician who aims to ruin her life. She runs off to the wilds of the moors to live in anonymity. All that changes the day she discovers a half-dead man near her house. Escaped convict Oliver Ward is on the run to prove his innocence, until he gets hurt and is taken in by Maggie. He discovers some jewels in her possession—the very same jewels that got him convicted. Together they hatch a plan to return the jewels, clearing Oliver’s name and hopefully maintaining Maggie’s anonymity.

April Reading Re-Cap & Expected May Reads

My April 2020 Reads: 

I realize I'm posting this a bit early, but I know I won't finish any more books before the end of the month so I thought I'd go ahead and share.

April brought lots of challenges into our household and I found myself gravitating toward lighter reading. Usually I'm all about deep character development and moving stories. But this month, the lighter, less probing books met my reading tastes.

In April, I finished:

1. Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen, annotated by Karen Swallow Prior. - ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ - Read my review.


2. Daughter of Rome by Tessa Afshar - ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ - Read my review.


3. Stay with Me by Becky Wade - ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ - Read my review.


4. Emberhawk by Jamie Foley - ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ - Read my review.


5. The House at the End of the Moor by Michelle Griep - ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ - Read my review.


6. The Chisholm Trail Bride by Kathleen Y'Barbo - ⭐⭐⭐⭐ - Read my review.


7. Fierce, Free and Full of Fire: The Guide to Being Glorious You by Jen Hatmaker. - ⭐⭐⭐⭐ - Review coming 5/12/20.


8. The Prophet and the Dove by Kirby Lee Davis - ⭐⭐ - Review to come.

With so many five star reads, there's no way I can pick a favorite. 🤷 It was a great reading month! 🙂

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Expected May 2020 Reads:

In May, I hope to read:

1. An Uncommon Woman by Laura Frantz. - I've been looking forward to reading this book for months!!! It's my local book club's selection for May and we'll be chatting with the author! Can't wait! 🙂


2. Storing Up Trouble by Jen Turano. - This author is not new to the Christian fiction scene, but she is new-to-me.


3. Ruby Moon by Jennifer Knipfer. - Both this book and it's sequel have been sitting on my shelf for months! Sometimes I get soooo behind! 🙈


4. The Lost Lieutenant by Erica Vetsch. - A new to me author. I've already heard lots of good buzz about this novel.


5. A Mosaic of Wings by Kimberly Duffy. - Looking forward to this one!


6. The Penderwicks by Jeanne Birdsall. - A group read I'm doing with some friends.

What will you read this month?

Book Review: The House at the End of the Moor by Michelle Griep

About the Book:

What Can a London Opera Star and an Escaped Dartmoor Prisoner Have in Common?

Opera star Maggie Lee escapes her opulent lifestyle when threatened by a powerful politician who aims to ruin her life. She runs off to the wilds of the moors to live in anonymity. All that changes the day she discovers a half-dead man near her house. Escaped convict Oliver Ward is on the run to prove his innocence, until he gets hurt and is taken in by Maggie. He discovers some jewels in her possession—the very same jewels that got him convicted. Together they hatch a plan to return the jewels, clearing Oliver’s name and hopefully maintaining Maggie’s anonymity.

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My Thoughts:

In her newest release, The House at the End of the Moor, author Michelle Griep brings readers a multi-layered story of danger, mystery, and romance. As always, Griep’s writing features lyrical prose to paint a vivid setting before sweeping the reader into all the romance, drama, and mystery of the story. The novel held my attention from the start and the mystery of the stolen jewels elevated my interest. While certain characters give the novel a bit of a dark, creepy feel, it’s not a heavy book. I was pleased with the character development of Maggie and Oliver. The novel’s exploration of themes about justice, forgiveness, and mending relationships offers spiritual encouragement to the individual reader, but also provides plenty of discussion topics for book clubs.

The House at the End of the Moor by Michelle Griep is a stand-alone novel and will likely appeal to fans of inspirational historical romance.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a complimentary copy of this book from Barbour Publishing and was under no obligation to post a review.

March Reading Recap & Expected April Reads

My March 2020 Reads: 

How life has changed since the last time I posted a reading recap! Unlike some other readers, my reading time has not seen a dramatic increase even though I am staying home during COVID-19. As it is, I only read after my daughters are tucked into bed for the night.

In March, I finished:

1. The Socialite by J'nell Ciesielski. - ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ - Read my review.


2. Don't Overthink It by Anne Bogel - ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ - Read my review.


3. A Wing and a Prayer by Julie Lessman - ⭐⭐⭐⭐ - Read my review.


4. Before I Called You Mine by Nicole Deese - ⭐⭐⭐⭐ - Review coming soon.


5. His Lady in Hiding by Jen Geigle Johnson. - ⭐⭐⭐⭐ - Read my review.


6. The Basic Bible Atlas: A Fascinating Guide to the Land of the Bible by John A. Beck - ⭐⭐⭐⭐ - Read my review.


7. Formula for a Perfect Life by Christy Hayes. - ⭐⭐⭐⭐ - Read my review.


8. A Lady's Maid by Jen Geigle Johnson - ⭐⭐⭐ - Read my review.

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Expected April 2020 Reads:

In April, I hope to read:

1. Daughter of Rome by Tessa Afshar - My local book club's selection for April. Though we won't meet in person, we'll still discuss it via multiple emails.  


2. The Prophet and the Dove by Kirby Lee Davis. - Currently reading.


3. The House at the End of the Moor by Michelle Griep - I love Michelle's books and was thrilled when this one arrived in the mail!


4. The Lost Lieutenant by Erica Vetsch. - A new to me author.


5. Fierce, Free and Full of Fire: The Guide to Being Glorious You by Jen Hatmaker. - I've followed Jen on social media for awhile now, but this will be my first book by her.


6. Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen, annotated by Karen Swallow Prior. - I read Sense and Sensibility years ago, but I'm a fan of Karen Swallow Prior's works, so revisiting this classic seemed like a great idea!


7. Emberhawk by Jamie Foley - A fantasy, way out of my normal reading, but it sounds very interesting. My husband has already read it and loved it!


8. Stay with Me by Becky Wade. - With this large list, I'm not sure if I will get to the book in April or May. Either way, I'm looking forward to it!  😃

What will you read this month?