See video at (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wbwrpdad4aI)

A Hook is the fishing line at the beginning of a story designed to reel you in and hopefully, never let go. Sometimes even long after it’s over. People always say a hook is important, but how important? Is there actually a correlation between the quality of a book’s first sentence to the success of a book?

To find out, I took the top 100 romance books on a random list on Goodreads and rated all their first lines in the following tier list:

S -iconic, unforgettable 

A- oops, I read four chapters.

A- -Piqued my interest

B – Got the ball rolling

B- -Serviceable

C -Confusing, but in the intriguing sort of way

C- -Confusing, in the bad writing sort of way

D- Actively disinterested

Pride and Prejudice Jane Austen

Historical Romance, Published in 1813.

“It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife.”

S tier: It’s just… it’s iconic, and I looked it up again for this research and accidentally read two chapters.

Sense and Sensibility Jane Austen

Historical Romance, published 1811

“The family of Dashwood had long been settled in Sussex.”

B- Tier: Ladies and gentlemen, We have a family and we have a place.

Emma Jane Austen

Historical Romance, published 1815, 

“Emma Woodhouse, handsome, clever, and rich, with a comfortable home and happy disposition, seemed to unite some of the best blessings of existence; and had lived nearly twenty-one years in the world with very little to distress or vex her.”

A- Tier: It’s such a fun and distinctive description of a heroine.

Persuasion Jane Austen

Historical Romance, 1817.

“Sir Walter Elliot, of Kellynch Hall, in Somersetshire, was a man who,

for his own amusement, never took up any book but the Baronetage;

there he found occupation for an idle hour, and consolation in a

distressed one; there his faculties were roused into admiration and

respect, by contemplating the limited remnant of the earliest patents;

there any unwelcome sensations, arising from domestic affairs

changed naturally into pity and contempt as he turned over

the almost endless creations of the last century; and there,

if every other leaf were powerless, he could read his own history

with an interest which never failed.”

C tier: Well, I looked up what the Baronetage is and I’m still kind of confused. Intrigued though. How is this one sentence?

Jane Eyre Charlotte Brontë

Historical Romance, published 1847,

“There was no possibility of taking a walk that day.”

B tier: It does make me ask: why can’t you take a walk? So I suppose that’s something.

Wuthering Heights Emily Brontë

Historical Romance, 1847,

“1801 — I have just returned from a visit to my landlord — the solitary neighbour that I shall be troubled with.”

B Tier: The question of who this landlord is and why this will be the narrator’s only neighbor is the momentum that carries the audience forward.

North and South Elizabeth Gaskell

Historical Romance, published 1854

“Edith!” said Margaret, gently, ‘Edith!”

D tier: 5 words, 3 of which are names, 2 of which are the same name. I have so little to go off of.

Gone with the Wind Margaret Mitchell

Historical Romance, 1936.

“Scarlett O’Hara was not beautiful, but men seldom realized it when caught by her charm as the Tarleton twins were.”

A Tier: I love this. You get such a clear image of this woman and the situation, without an actual description of either.

Secrets of a Summer Night Lisa Kleypas

Adult Historical Romance. 2004

“A marriage-minded girl could overcome practically any obstacle, except the lack of a dowry.”

S tier: I have a soft spot for this kind of opening. What can I say?

The Bronze Horseman Paullina Simons 4.30

Adult Historical Romance. 2000

“Light came through the window, trickling morning all over the room.”

B tier: It doesn’t tell me much, but what a gorgeous image. 

Water for Elephants Sara Gruen 4.10

Adult Historical Romance. 2006.

“Only three people were left under the red and white awning of the grease joint: Grady, me, and the fry cook.”

B- tier: I don’t really have thoughts about this one. It’s fine, but it doesn’t excite me.

The Thorn Birds Colleen McCullough 4.24

Adult Historical Romance.1977.

“On December 8th, 1915, Meggie Cleary had her fourth birthday.”

B- Tier: It gets the job done. No pizazz.

Memoirs of a Geisha Arthur Golden

Adult Historical Romance. 1997

“Suppose that you and I were sitting in a quiet room overlooking a garden, chatting and sipping at our cups of green tea while we talked about something that had happened a long while ago, and I said to you, “That afternoon when I met so-and-so… was the very best afternoon of my life, and also the very worst afternoon.”

B tier: I don’t know how I feel about this one. It’s a long run-on sentence that could be several times shorter, but it absolutely captures the ambience it is trying to achieve.

Hush, Hush #1 Hush, Hush Becca Fitzpatrick

Young Adult Paranormal Romance. 2009.

“Loire Valley, France. 1565. Chauncey was with a farmer’s daughter on the grassy banks of the Loire river when the storm rolled in, and having let his gelding wander in the meadow, was left to his own two feet to carry him back to the meadow.”

C- Tier: It’s kind of clunky and definitely boring.

Devil in Winter Lisa Kleypas

Adult Historical Romance. 2006

“As Sebastian, Lord St. Vincent, stared at the young woman who had just barged her way into his London residence, it occurred to him that he might have tried to abduct the wrong heiress last week at Stony Cross Park.”

A tier: Glorious. It gives you the best kind of “what on earth did I just read” energy.

Wallflowers #0 Again the Magic Lisa Kleypas

Adult Historical Romance. 2004

“A stable boy wasn’t supposed to speak to an earl’s daughter, much less climb up to her bedroom window.”

S tier: The setting. The danger. The risk. The stakes. It all unfurls before you all at once.

Lairds’ Fiancées #1 The Bride Julie Garwood

Adult Historical Romance. 1989.

“They said he killed his first wife.”

A tier: What an opener! We’ve just started and someone might be a murderer.

Westmoreland Saga #1 A Kingdom of Dreams Judith McNaught

Adult Historical Romance. 1989

“A toast to the duke of Claymore and his bride!”

B tier: This tells the audience we have skipped straight to the wedding, which raises a few questions, so that’s good.

Mackenzies & McBrides #1 The Madness of Lord Ian Mackenzie Jennifer Ashley

Adult Historical Romance. 2009

“I find that a Ming bowl is like a woman’s breast,” Sir Lyndon Mather said to Ian Mackenzie, who held the bowl in question between his fingertips.

A- tier: I snorted, so it got points for that. 

Outlander Diana Gabaldon

Historical Time Travel Romance, published 1991, popular tv show.

“People disappear all the time.”

A tier: Simple, yet instantly evocative.

Twilight Stephenie Meyer

Young Adult Paranormal Romance, First published 2005,

“I’d never given much thought to how I would die—though I’d had reason enough in the last few months—but even if I had, I would not have imagined it like this”

A- tier: This is an amazing opening line that is brought down by the clunkiness of the wording. Why do you need to specify that you should have thought more about death in these last few months? Remove everything between the em dashes and it would be at the top of this list.

The Host #1 The Host Stephenie Meyer

Young Adult Dystopian Future Romance, 2008, 

“The Healer’s name was Fords Deep Waters.”

C Tier: The most interesting thing about this is the name. And also the most confusing 

Divergent #1 Divergent Veronica Roth

Young Adult Dystopian Future Romance, 2011

“There is one mirror in my house.”

A- Tier: deceptively simple, but actually makes the audience extremely curious. Why is there only one?

Matched #1 Matched Ally Condie

Young Adult Dystopian Future Romance, 2010

“Cassia Reyes, the Society is pleased to present you with your match.”

B Tier: it’s cold and clinical, but that’s clearly the point, setting the tone of the setting right away.

“Now that I’ve found the way to fly, which direction should I go into the night?”

Delirium #1 Delirium Lauren Oliver

Young Adult Dystopian Future Romance, 2011

“It has been sixty-four years since the president and the Consortium identified love as a disease, and forty-three since the scientists perfected a cure.”

S Tier- it’s such a bonkers concept, delivered so matter a factly that you can’t help but pay attention

Shatter Me #1 Shatter Me Tahereh Mafi

Young Adult Paranormal dystopian Romance. 2011

“I’ve been locked up for 264 days.”

A Tier- this beautifully raises so many questions and gives you nothing in return. Who is locking the protagonist up? Why? How? Where? 

Fallen #1 Fallen Lauren Kate

Young Adult Paranormal Romance, 2009

“Around midnight, her eyes at last took shape.”

B- tier: This falls under the popular category of being perfectly reasonable in the context of the opening paragraph. It doesn’t have the pop of others, but there’s nothing wrong with it.

The Wolves of Mercy Falls #1 Shiver Maggie Stiefvater

Young Adult Paranormal Romance. 2009

“I remember lying in the snow, a small red spot of warm going cold, surrounded by wolves.”

A tier: Everything is better with wolves. I’m biased that way.

Existence #1 Existence Abbi Glines

Young Adult Paranormal Romance, 2004.

“Don’t look at him and he’ll go away.”

A- tier: It’s simple and I like it. It’s comedic, but it makes the audience ask: who is he?

The Darkest Night Gena Showalter

Adult Paranormal Romance, published 2008

“Every night death came, slowly, painfully, and every morning Maddox awoke in bed, knowing he’d have to die again later.”

A Tier: What an opening. It invites so many interesting questions upon the audience.

Black Dagger Brotherhood #1 Dark Lover J.R. Ward

Adult Paranormal Romance, 2005

“Darius looked around the club, taking in the teeming, half-naked bodies on the dance floor.”

B Tier: Some would have rated it higher, and on deeper contemplation, I see their point. This does a clear job of setting an aesthetic, a location and a frantic energy. At the time of rating this though, I thought it lacked specificity. Perhaps my snap judgment was harsh.

Vampire Academy #1 Vampire Academy Richelle Mead

Young Adult Paranormal Romance, 2007

“I felt her fear before I heard her screams.”

A Tier: I’m weak to implications of telepathic shenanigans. What can I say?

Night Huntress #1 Halfway to the Grave Jeaniene Frost

Adult Paranormal Romance. 2007

“I stiffened at the red and blue lights flashing behind me, because there was no way I could explain what was in the back of my truck.”

S tier: This is awesome. One sentence in and the audience is already asking questions like: what’s in this person’s truck? Will the police find out? Instant tension. It’s glorious.

The Lair of the Wolven #1 Claimed J.R. Ward

Adult Paranormal Romance, published 2021.

“Lydia Susi’s Destiny came for her in the veil, on a random Thursday in the early spring.”

B- Tier: It’s very dramatic, but the lack of specificity with what shape this destiny takes really hampers the reader’s ability to envision it.

Significance #1 Significance Shelly Crane

Young Adult Paranormal Romance, 2011

“I waited for this day, for this one thing to complete me.”

B- tier: It’s fine. Personally, I find the lack of specificity paired with the melodrama somewhat trite, but I recognize that may just be my taste.

A Walk to Remember Nicholas Sparks

Contemporary Romance, 1999

“When I was seventeen, my life changed forever.”

B Tier: Personally, it feels too melodramatic because it’s such a generalized statement.

The Notebook Nicholas Sparks

Adult Contemporary Romance

First published 1996, has a movie,

“Who am I? And how, I wonder, will this story end?”

B tier: It’s fine. It makes sense in the context of the book, but since it’s the beginning of the book, when the reader doesn’t have context, it feels more pretentious than it actually is. 

Crossfire #1 Bared to You Sylvia Day

Erotic Contemporary Romance- BDSM, published 2012

“We should head to a bar and celebrate.”

D Tier: I guess you could say the audience is wondering what these people are celebrating, but personally, it didn’t entice me. The lack of specificity or establishing work leaves the sentence feeling hollow.

Love #1 Love Unscripted Tina Reber

Erotica Contemporary Romance, first published 2008

“You never know which way the wind blows” was one of my father’s favorite expressions.”

B tier: Simple. Sweet. And potentially offers the audience a theme.

Neighbor from Hell #1 Playing for Keeps R.L. Mathewson

Erotica Contemporary Romance, first published 2011

“Oh, no, no, no, no, no!” Haley murmured in disbelief as she sat there, helplessly watching as her pink, white, and yellow tulips were viciously ripped from the ground and-”

A tier: This gives the audience immediate conflict, immediate tension, and if you are of the gardener persuasion, immediate panic.

On the Island #1 On the Island Tracey Garvis Graves

Adult Contemporary Romance, first published 2011

“June 2001 — I was thirty years old when the seaplane T.J Callahan and I were traveling on crash-landed in the Indian Ocean.”

A tier: It’s dramatic. It’s striking. And cuts through all the frills of set up.

Bet Me Jennifer Crusie

Adult Contemporary Romance, first published 2004

“Once upon a time, Minerva Dobbs thought as she stood in the middle of a loud yuppie bar, the world was full of good men.”

B tier: I love the sentence structure. I feel the ending lacked a bit of the punch that I anticipated with the set up.

Bridget Jones #1 Bridget Jones’s Diary Helen Fielding

Adult Contemporary Romance, first published 1996.

“Sunday 2, January—129 lbs. (but post-Christmas), alcohol units 14 (but effectively covers 2 days as 4 hours of party was on New Year’s Day), cigarettes 22, calories 5424.”

S tier: The hard facts mixed with excuses paints such a hysterical picture of the writer’s mind set. Instantly relatable. Instantly engaging

Cocktail #1 Wallbanger Alice Clayton

Erotic Contemporary Romance, 2012

“Oh, God.” 

Thump.

A- Tier: It’s simple, but paired with the name of the book, it’s simple comedy.

The Time Traveler’s Wife Audrey Niffenegger

Adult Contemporary Romance- time travel 2003

Claire: “It’s hard being left behind.”

A- Tier: At first I thought the opening line was “Imagine that you are living your life out of order: Lunch before breakfast, marriage before your first kiss” and I was about to put it in S tier. Then I realized it was the opening for the 10th year anniversary author’s note. The actual first line works fine, but the memory of just how good the author’s note opening was made it look lackluster by comparison.

Kiss an Angel Susan Elizabeth Phillips

Adult Contemporary Romance, published 1996

“Daisy Devreaux had forgotten her bridegroom’s name.”

S Tier: A magical opening that’s been making me smile everytime I think about it.

Fifty Shades #1 Fifty Shades of Grey E.L. James

Erotic Contemporary Romance- BDSM, published 2012

“I scowl with frustration at my reflection in the mirror.”

B- Tier: For a book with it’s reputation, you’d expect something that would invoke an emotion.

Nobody’s Baby But Mine Susan Elizabeth Phillips

Adult Contemporary Romance, published 1997

“Let me get this straight,” Jodie Pulanski said. “You want to give Cal Bonner a woman for a birthday present.”

A Tier: Immediate audience double take. I just have so many questions.

The Sweet Gum Tree Katherine Allred

Contemporary Romance- Abuse?, 2005

“Growing up in the Crowley Ridge area of Arkansas, I paid little attention to the sweet gum tree except to admire their brilliant colors during the fall.”

A- Tier: Gorgeous imagery paired with giving the audience a distinct sense of time and place.

Ain’t She Sweet? Susan Elizabeth Phillips

Adult Contemporary Romance, published 2004

“The wild child of Parrish, Mississippi, had come back to the town she’d left behind forever.”

A- Tier: I like the immediate implication of drama and backstory here.

Just the Sexiest Man Alive Julie James

Adult Contemporary Romance. 2008

“Taylor Donovan may have been new to Los Angeles, but she certainly recognized a line of bullshit when she heard one.”

S Tier: You have a distinct tone, and you immediately want to know what the bullshit is.

Can You Keep a Secret? Sophie Kinsella

Adult Contemporary Romance. 2003

“Of course I have secrets.”

A- tier: Immediately making the audience a confidant is a smart move. You feel yourself lean forward in your chair just a little.

FBI/US Attorney #1 Something About You Julie James

Adult Contemporary Romance. 2010

“Thirty thousand hotel rooms in the city of Chicago, and Cameron Lynde managed to find one next door to a couple having a sex marathon.”

S Tier: The situation and place is established all while making me laugh. Goal achieved.

Rock Chick #1 Rock Chick Kristen Ashley

Adult Contemporary Suspense Romance, 2008

“Until now, I’ve never been in trouble with the law.”

A Tier: Immediately tells you that we’re cutting straight to the inciting incident of the plot.

Rosemary Beach #1 Fallen Too Far Abbi Glines

Contemporary Erotica, 2012

“Trucks with mud on the tires were what I was used to seeing parked outside a house party.”

A- Tier: Frankly, looking at the sentence now, I can’t explain why I read the entire chapter. It gives you insight into the protagonist’s background and tells you there’s a house party, but beyond that…nothing. May be it was that curiosity that got me going?

The Travis Family #1 Sugar Daddy Lisa Kleypas

Adult Contemporary Romance, 2007

“When I was four, my father died in an oil-rig accident.”

A- Tier: It’s dramatic, although now that I really think about it, I don’t actually think it made me want to read it. I’d put it in B tier now.

Fancy Pants (Wynette, Texas series Book 1) by Susan Elizabeth Phillips 

Adult Contemporary Romance, published 1989

“‘Sable sucks,’ Francesca Serritella Day muttered under her breath as a series of strobes flashed in her face.”

A Tier: This really belongs in C tier (confusing, but in a good way) but I read 3 chapters of the absurdity that follows this line, so there must be something here.

Dream Man #1 Mystery Man Kristen Ashley

Erotic Contemporary Romance, 2011

“I felt the covers slide down my body then a hand light on the small of my back.”

A- Tier: This immediately tells the audience that we aren’t wasting any time to reach steaminess.

Chicago Stars #1 It Had to Be You Susan Elizabeth Phillips

Adult Contemporary Romance, published 1994.

“Phoebe Somerville outraged everyone by bringing a French poodle and a Hungarian lover to her father’s funeral.”

S Tier: This has time, place, character and audacity. This has it all.

Practice Makes Perfect Julie James

Adult Contemporary Romance, published 2009

“The alarm clock went off at 5:30 a.m.

D Tier: There’s nothing wrong with it, but something about it grates on me. Maybe because just the thought of the buzz of an alarm clock is inherently grating.

Me Before You #1 Me Before You Jojo Moyes

Adult Contemporary Romance, first published 2012

“When he emerges from the bathroom she is awake, propped against the pillows and flicking through the travel brochures by his bed.”

B- tier: I’m impressed at how such a long sentence could make me feel so little, but there is meat here if you give yourself time to chew on it. The travel brochures imply a desire to escape? And she’s already with a guy, so maybe it will jump directly into something spicy. Hard to say. The feeling this is supposed to invoke is nebulous

Miracle Johnathon Nicolaou

Young Adult? Contemporary Romance- High School. 2023

“Connor groaned, burying his head under his pillow.”

B- Tier: I assume this is someone trying to get up in the morning, but there’s so little to go off of

In Death #1 Naked in Death J.D. Robb

Science fiction suspense romance, 1995.

“She woke in the dark.”

B- Tier: This might be great in the context of the paragraph it comes from. I don’t know. By the rules of this experiment, I can’t be sure if this is stressful jolting type of waking up or a slow regain of consciousness.

This Lullaby Sarah Dessen

Young Adult Contemporary Romance, 2002.

“The name of the song is “This Lullaby.”

B- Tier: The only advantage is that it sort of makes you wonder what this song is? That’s about it.

Contours of the Heart #1 Easy Tammara Webber

Young Adult Contemporary- College, 2012

“I had never noticed Lucas before that night.”

B- Tier: The sentence is supposed to make you wonder: who’s this Lucas and what happened that night? It does do this, but I think it could be structured to make that interest stronger or at least give some characterization for the narrator. This told me nothing about her.

Lock and Key Sarah Dessen

Young Adult Contemporary Romance- high school, 2008

“And finally,” Jamie said as he pushed the door open, “we come to the main event. Your room.”

B tier: A room description wouldn’t usually be interesting, but I like that this sets up the audience to expect some sort of grandeur with that upcoming description.

The Moreno Brothers #1 Forever Mine Elizabeth Reyes

Young Adult Contemporary Romance- high school, 2010

“Sarah went numb.”

B- tier: There really isn’t enough meat on this to have an opinion on it. I feel numb too.

Gabriel’s Inferno #1 Gabriel’s Inferno Sylvain Reynard

Adult Erotic Contemporary Romance- College, 2011,

“The poet stood next to the bridge and watched as the young woman approached.”

B- tier: The most interesting thing about this sentence is that it has a poet in it. Probably a sign it could use some work.

On Dublin Street #1 On Dublin Street Samantha Young

Adult Contemporary Erotica Romance. 2012

Surry County, Virginia— I was bored.

B- tier: It establishes an emotional state. That’s it. There really isn’t anything else to say.

Slammed #1 Slammed Colleen Hoover

Young Adult Contemporary Romance- High School, 2012.

“Ken and I load the last two boxes into the U-Haul.”

B Tier: It’s a dull sentence, but it does imply the narrator is moving, which means she’s probably teetering on the precipice of change. That’s something, I guess.

The Mortal Instruments #1 City of Bones Cassandra Clare

Young Adult Paranormal Romance. 2007.

“You’ve got to be kidding,” the bouncer said, folding his arms across his massive chest.

B Tier: There’s an implication that there might be a conflict with a bouncer, but the context and implications lack punch.

The Infernal Devices #1 Clockwork Angel Cassandra Clare

Young Adult Paranormal Romance. 2010

“The Sisters would like to see you in their chambers, Miss Gray.”

B- Tier: The capitalization of “Sisters” is ominous, but beyond that, all you can ascertain is the formality of the sentence.

The Vincent Boys #1 The Vincent Boys Abbi Glines

Young Adult Contemporary Romance- High School, 2011.

Seven Years ago…”You notice anything different about Ash?” my cousin Sawyer asked as he climbed up the tree to sit beside me on our favorite limb overlooking the lake. 

B Tier: Sets up both a location and question for the audience. Of course, since the audience lacks the context to contemplate that question for themselves, it’s not a particularly engaging one. Personally, the “seven years later” timeskip opening  “Why couldn’t I have just made it home without seeing them?” is much stronger.

Hamilton High #1 The DUFF: Designated Ugly Fat Friend Kody Keplinger

Young Adult Contemporary Romance- High School, 2010.

“This was getting old.”

B- Tier: Without any clarity on what “this” is, the only question carrying us forward was what “this” even referred to.

Hopeless #1 Hopeless Colleen Hoover

Young Adult Contemporary Romance- High School. 2012.

“I stand up and look down at the bed, holding my breath in fear of the sounds that are escalating from deep within my throat.”

B Tier: I don’t mind what this is actually saying. It seems that the protagonist is having a panic attack, but the writing itself seems clunky to me. The active verbs describe the boring parts (standing and looking), while the description of the panic is buried beneath nonessential words.

Colorado Mountain #1 The Gamble Kristen Ashley

Contemporary suspense Erotica, 2011

“I looked at the clock on the dash of the rental car, then back out at the snow.”

B Tier: rental car implies that we’re in a new environment; the clock implies we care about time. Beyond that? I have nothing.

Breathing #1 Reason to Breathe Rebecca Donovan

Young Adult Contemporary Romance- High School, 2011.

“Breathe.”

B- Tier: Really keeping to the theme of the title, are we?

The Boy Who Sneaks in My Bedroom Window Kirsty Moseley

Young Adult Contemporary Romance- high school, 2011

“I sat on the kitchen counter, watching my mom make pasta bake.”

C- tier: who on earth describes it as “make pasta bake?” Why not “bake pasta?” This is the first line. Who was editing this?

Perfect Chemistry (A Perfect Chemistry Novel Book 1) Simone Elkeles

Young Adult Contemporary Romance- high school, first published 2010, now a movie,

“Everyone knows I’m perfect.”

A tier: There’s a simplicity to this one I love. You intrinsically know the sentence is false, which draws you to read the next sentence if only to grasp at the truth. I had read the whole page before I remembered what I was doing.

Forget You Jennifer Echols

Young Adult Contemporary Romance- high school, 2010

“Every strong swimmer has a story about nearly drowning.” This is mine:

A tier: This sets the audience up for suspense and danger. I love it.

Beautiful Disaster Jamie McGuire

Young Adult Contemporary Romance- College, first published 2011.

“Everything in the room screamed that I didn’t belong.”

B tier: It immediately sets the reader on edge, and draws you into the emotional state of the protagonist in one fell swoop.

Flat-Out Love #1 Flat-Out Love Jessica Park

Young Adult Contemporary Romance- College, published 2011

“Julie Seagle stared straight ahead and promised herself one thing: she would never again rent an apartment via Craigslist.”

A tier: Funny and charming. This sets up the tone right away.

Wait for You #1 Wait for You Jennifer L. Armentrout

Young Adult Contemporary Romance- College, published 2013

“There were two things in life that scared the ever-loving crap out of me.”

A- Tier: Right off the back, you have the voice of the narrator crisp and clear in you head.

Thoughtless S.C. Stephens

Young Adult Contemporary Romance- College, published 2012,

“It was the longest drive I had ever been on.”

B- Tier: At least it calls upon the audience to wonder about this “drive.”

The Summer I Turned Pretty Jenny Han

Young Adult Contemporary Romance, 2009.

“We’d been driving for about seven thousand years.”

B Tier: The funnier, more character driven older brother of Thoughtless’ first line.

Along for the Ride Sarah Dessen

Young Adult Contemporary Romance, 2009

“The emails always began the same way.”

A- Tier: It immediately invites your eye to read just a little longer, if only to know how the emails start.

The Sky Is Everywhere Jandy Nelson

Young Adult Contemporary Romance, 2010

“Gram is worried about me.”

A- Tier: Why is she worried about you? That question carries the reader forward. There’s even a bit of tension. After all, everyone knows you shouldn’t worry a grandma.

Hundred Oaks #1 Catching Jordan Miranda Kenneally

Young Adult Contemporary Romance- High School, 2011.

“I once read that football was invented so people wouldn’t notice summer ending.”

A- Tier: An amusing thought that does a great job of setting up the subject matter.

Sea Breeze #1 Breathe Abbi Glines

Young Adult Contemporary Romance- High School, 2011.

“Life has always been a struggle for me.”

B- Tier: Such classic teenage angst. Personally, I feel like this thought could be conveyed in a unique, engaging, and character revealing way. Describe something specific in the narrator’s life that makes it a struggle and it would be far more memorable.

Going Too Far Jennifer Echols

Young Adult Contemporary Romance, 2009

“That’s the worst idea I’ve ever heard,” I told Eric.

A- Tier: Everyone wants to know what the worst idea ever is. It invites the audience to brace for something potentially impulsive in the coming pages.

Leaving Paradise #1 Leaving Paradise Simone Elkeles

Young Adult Contemporary Romance- High School, 2007.

“I’ve been waiting a year for this moment. It’s not everyday you get a chance to get out of Jail.”

A Tier: I know it’s two sentences, but in this case, it felt an unfair assessment without the second line considering how they are basically one thought and it’s one hell of a thought.

Pushing the Limits #1 Pushing the Limits Katie McGarry

Young Adult Contemporary Romance- High School, 2012

“My father is a control freak, I hate my stepmother, my brother is dead and my mother has…well…issues.”

B Tier: Classic angsty teen romance opening, but it certainly gets the job done.

Anna and the French Kiss #1 Anna and the French Kiss Stephanie Perkins

Young Adult Contemporary Romance, 2010.

“Here is everything I know about France: Madeline and Amelie and Moulin Rouge.”

A Tier: This sets our expectations about both the narrator and how she will approach the setting.

The Edge of Never #1 The Edge of Never J.A. Redmerski

Young Adult/Adult Contemporary Romance, 2012.

“Natalie has been twirling that same lock of hair for the past ten minutes and it’s starting to drive me nuts.”

A- Tier: As someone with a parent that does this all day long, I found this a little too relatable.

The Fault in Our Stars John Green 

Young Adult Contemporary Romance, 2012

Late in the winter of my seventeenth year, my mother decided I was depressed, presumably because I rarely left the house, spent quite a lot of time in bed, read the same book over and over, ate infrequently, and devoted quite a bit of my abundant free time to thinking about death.”

A Tier: Immediately, we are painted a clear image of where we’re starting from and it draws you in.

The Truth About Forever Sarah Dessen

Young Adult Contemporary Romance. 2004

“Jason was going to Brain Camp.”

B Tier: What’s brain camp?

Forbidden Tabitha Suzuma

Young Adult Contemporary Romance- incest?, 2010

“I gaze at the small, crisp, burned out black husks scattered across the chipped white paint of the windowsills.”

D Tier: Bold move to start your novel with a description of dead insect carcasses. It’s dressed up to read in an artistic way, but no lingering incentive is baked into the sentence to read further.