Books: First Lines Fridays 30th October 2026
Ready for another First Lines Friday? It's that time of the week when we judge a book not by it's cover or even by its blurb. Instead we will be judging it's ability to hook us from the opening lines. Let's see if this week's pick will have you adding it to your TBR list or not.
Disclosure: The FTC Disclosure Provision is a law that requires influencers to disclose when they are being paid to promote a product or service. So please know that if I'm not making money through affiliate links/sponsored content on the post you're currently reading, it's an oversight on my part and will be corrected soon. Read the full
disclosure about all the legal stuff here.
I'm participating in First Lines Fridays as I think it's a great way to highlight more of the books that are on my bookshelves.
What is First Lines Fridays?
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!
My Pick For This Week
The first lines of the book:
I watch them through my window. They are almost obscured by the big white van parked in the drive. But I can just about see the woman, directing the men as they lug furniture into the house. She’s smiling. Her husband walks over and slips an arm around her. They hug for a second. There’s a big grin on his face too. Well, I guess they would be happy, wouldn’t they? Moving into a lovely new home in a leafy neighbourhood, a stone’s throw from the river. Their little girl runs over and clutches the woman’s leg with one arm. The other arm is pulling along a rainbow-coloured mini suitcase. They stand for a moment, picture-postcard perfect, before the woman pulls away and starts waving her arms at their movers. Seeing that little family unit, I feel more alone than ever, my nose pressed against a glass door that won’t open. They thought they were going to have an idyllic life in their new house, watching their daughter grow up happy and contented. I take one last look, before forcing myself to turn away. Should have been me.
Do you know which book this is from? Scroll down to find out!
And the book is...
Book synopsis The Woman at No.3 by Rebecca Collomosse
The moment we moved in, I knew something was wrong.
We’ve finally found our dream home. It’s perfect for our little family: my hardworking husband Mike, my two-year-old daughter Poppy, and me. Three nice bedrooms. An Aga. A river view. And, best of all, a garden for Poppy to play in.
But something is off.
A cracked stove. Scribbles on the wall. The lights flicking off every evening — always at the same time. Our daughter crying in the night, pointing at the corner of her room. “She has no face.”
Then I met Josie, the woman at No.3.
Pale. Polite. Smiling. Obsessed. She knows things she shouldn’t. Offers to babysit my daughter again and again. And when I told her no — she didn’t like that.
Now the gifts are arriving. Notes through the door. A bottle left in the kitchen with no explanation. And my daughter won’t stop screaming in her sleep.
Everyone thinks I’m imagining it. But I know what I saw. What I heard.
We finally found our dream home. But what if our worst nightmare lives next door . . . ?
Where to find The Woman at No.3 by Rebecca Collomosse online:
Have you read this book? On a scale of 1 to 10, how much do these opening lines make you want to read the book?
What would you like to explore next?
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Book Spotlight: He Loves Me (Not) by Máire Zepf
Today I'm part of a virtual book tour organised by The Write Reads for He Loves Me (Not) by Máire Zepf. The tour for ‘He Loves Me (Not)' will run from 28th October - 3rd November 2026.
Disclosure: The FTC Disclosure Provision is a law that requires influencers to disclose when they are being paid to promote a product or service. So please know that if I'm not making money through affiliate links/sponsored content on the post you're currently reading, it's an oversight on my part and will be corrected soon. Read the full
disclosure about all the legal stuff here.
Genre: Thriller
Age Category: Young Adult
Publisher: Little Island
Number of Pages: 224 Pages
Publication Date: October 8, 2026
Book synopsis for He Loves Me (Not) by Máire Zepf
A chilling YA thriller told in verse about online romance, obsession and the dangers hiding behind a screen.He made her feel seen. Then she vanished without a trace.
Daisy has always been quiet – the kind of girl who fades into the background. So when she meets a boy online who really sees her, she falls fast. He listens. He understands. He makes her feel special in a way no one at school ever has. Soon, Daisy’s world shrinks to a glowing screen. Her mum worries. Her best friend Erin is pushed aside. But Daisy doesn’t notice – she’s in love.
Then Daisy goes to meet him in real life. And she never comes back.
Left behind with guilt and unanswered questions, Erin is forced to confront the truth Daisy never saw. In a world where screens can lie and love can be faked, how can anyone know who to trust?
Where to find He Loves Me (Not) by Máire Zepf online:
About the author
Máire Zepf has written over 16 books for children, from picture books to a YA verse novel. Winner of the Children's Books Ireland children’s Book of the Year, 5 Literature Association of Ireland Children’s Book Awards and 2 international White Ravens among many others, her books appear in 10 languages worldwide. Her Rita series of picture books with illustrator Mr. Ando has recently been adapted for television. She is screen-writer and co-creator of the celtic anime series ‘Là Ban.’ The Co. Down author was the first Children’s Writing Fellow for Northern Ireland, based at the Seamus Heaney Centre for Poetry at Queen's University Belfast. Máire loves sea-swimming and crisps.
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Why I’m a "Read Once & Done" Reader: Mystery, Thrillers, and an Ever-Growing TBR
If you scroll through bookish social media, you’ll often see readers talking about comfort reads, returning to beloved stories and re-reading favourite books like visiting old friends. It sounds lovely and nostalgic, but if I’m honest? That’s just not how I read.
When it comes to the classic reading debate Read Once & Done vs. Re-reading Favourites I am firmly in Team Read Once & Done.
Disclosure: The FTC Disclosure Provision is a law that requires influencers to disclose when they are being paid to promote a product or service. So please know that if I'm not making money through affiliate links/sponsored content on the post you're currently reading, it's an oversight on my part and will be corrected soon. Read the full
disclosure about all the legal stuff here.
Here is why re-reading rarely happens for me and why moving straight to the next book works best for my reading lifestyle.
1. Life Is Too Short and My TBR Stack Is Too Tall
Let’s state the obvious: there are simply far more incredible books in the world than any of us will ever have time to read. My To-Be-Read (TBR) stack is already towering, and new, exciting releases are added to my list faster than I can clear them.
Given a choice between diving into a brand-new world or re-visiting one I’ve already explored, the lure of the unknown always wins. Spending time re-reading a book means putting off a new story waiting on my shelf, and I just can't bring myself to lose that reading time!
2. The Thrill of the Unknown (Especially in Mysteries and Thrillers)
A large part of my bookshelf is filled with mysteries and psychological thrillers. For me, the ultimate joy of reading these genres comes from the suspense:
Not knowing what wild plot twist is coming around the corner.
Trying to piece together the clues to work out "whodunit" before the main character does.
The heart-pounding anticipation of a dramatic reveal.
Once the secret is out and the mystery is solved, that specific magic can’t quite be replicated. Knowing who the killer is or how the big twist plays out takes away the very tension that makes those books so addictive in the first place.
3. Every Book Gets Its Moment
Reading a book just once doesn't mean I didn't love it. Some of my absolute favourite books are ones I will never pick up again—simply because the original experience was so complete and satisfying on its own. I prefer to keep those wonderful initial memories intact and move on to discover my next great read.
Over to You!
Where do you stand on this? Are you a Read Once & Done reader like me, or do you love returning to your favourite books time and time again? Let me know in the comments below!
What would you like to explore next?
Are you looking for your next favourite read, blogging tips, or a new challenge? Click a button below to dive in!
Books: First Lines Fridays 23rd October 2026
Ready for another First Lines Friday? It's that time of the week when we judge a book not by it's cover or even by its blurb. Instead we will be judging it's ability to hook us from the opening lines. Let's see if this week's pick will have you adding it to your TBR list or not.
Disclosure: The FTC Disclosure Provision is a law that requires influencers to disclose when they are being paid to promote a product or service. So please know that if I'm not making money through affiliate links/sponsored content on the post you're currently reading, it's an oversight on my part and will be corrected soon. Read the full
disclosure about all the legal stuff here.
I'm participating in First Lines Fridays as I think it's a great way to highlight more of the books that are on my bookshelves.
What is First Lines Fridays?
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!
My Pick For This Week
The first lines of the book:
Therapy was supposed to help Elena Drake trust her mind. Instead, someone is teaching her to doubt it. When Elena comes home to find her deadbolt unlocked, her lamp on, and her appointment book moved, she knows someone has been inside her apartment. Then Elena finds the Polaroid on her pillow—a photo of herself asleep in her own bed. Everyone tells her there must be another explanation.
Do you know which book this is from? Scroll down to find out!
And the book is...
Book synopsis The Perfect Patient by Paige Monroe
Therapy was supposed to save her mind.
But it might be an experiment meant to destroy it.
Elena Drake returns home to find things slightly out of place.
Her worst fear resurfaces - someone has been inside her apartment.
And that’s only the beginning.
No one believes her - not her boyfriend, her best friend, or the police.
At first, only her therapist, Dr. Roth, seems to understand. Kind. Calm. Always in control.
As Elena digs deeper, the line between memory and manipulation blurs.
Friends pull away. Doubt creeps in.
Is the real danger outside her walls—or inside her mind?
But the more she confides in Dr. Roth, the more her world tilts out of control.
Is the person she thought she could trust, the man meant to help her, the one pulling the strings?
Every discovery shatters what she thought she knew about her past, her sanity, and herself.
In a world built on deception, can Elena uncover the truth before she unravels completely?
Where to find The Perfect Patient by Paige Monroe online:
Have you read this book? On a scale of 1 to 10, how much do these opening lines make you want to read the book?
What would you like to explore next?
Are you looking for your next favourite read, blogging tips, or a new challenge? Click a button below to dive in!
If you'd like to support me, donating goes a long way to helping with the running of this blog. Thanks for your support 💗
Donate now
.jpg "First Lines Fridays")
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%20by%20M%C3%A1ire%20Zepf.jpg "Book Spotlight He Loves Me (Not) by Máire Zepf")
%20by%20Maire%20Zepf%20tour%20banner.jpeg "He Loves Me (Not) by Máire Zepf tour banner")
%20by%20M%C3%A1ire%20Zepf.jpg "He Loves Me (Not) by Máire Zepf (book cover)")
.jpg "Máire Zepf, author of He Loves Me (Not)")
%20by%20M%C3%A1ire%20Zepf%20(2).jpg "Book Spotlight He Loves Me (Not) by Máire Zepf")
.jpg "Read Once & Done vs. Re-reading Favourites")
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