First Line (The Riley & Ethan Trilogy Book 1): A Stirring Start to a Powerful Journey
Gracie Monroe’s First Line takes readers straight onto the rink, where ambition, pressure, and heart collide. Riley Carter is a young woman skating against the odds in a sport that doesn’t always make room for her. Her dream is simple: to prove she belongs among the boys, both on and off the ice. But chasing that dream comes with bruises that don’t fade easily, secrets that weigh her down, and emotions she’s tried too long to ignore.
The story follows Riley’s final year before graduation, when the stakes couldn’t be higher. Scouts are watching, every game matters, and her future depends on flawless performance. Yet perfection hides cracks she can’t afford to show. Between the grueling practices and mounting pressure, there’s also Ethan Cole—her best friend, team captain, and the one person who knows her better than anyone else. What she feels for him isn’t supposed to matter, but it does. Their bond adds warmth, tension, and tenderness to a story already filled with movement and emotion.
Gracie Monroe captures that delicate balance between strength and vulnerability. Riley’s determination is fierce, but readers can feel the quiet exhaustion behind her confidence. Each chapter skates between power and pain, ambition and heartache, until Riley must face what she’s been avoiding: the truth about her limits and what she’s really fighting for.
A Romance Built on Trust, Pressure, and Dreams
At its core, First Line is a sports romance, but Monroe makes it much more than that. She dives into what drives people to compete—the desire to be seen, to matter, to prove themselves. Riley’s relationship with Ethan is something deeper, built on shared history, trust, and the fear of what could change if either of them steps too far.
Ethan is carrying his own weight—expectations, leadership, and a growing need to protect someone who doesn’t want to be saved. Monroe writes their connection with authenticity, letting it simmer beneath every look, every unspoken word. Readers can feel the pull between them grow stronger as the season progresses. It’s a slow burn that feels real, messy, and worth waiting for.
As Riley’s bruises deepen and her exhaustion grows harder to hide, the romance intertwines with her emotional unraveling. Monroe asks difficult questions: How far should someone go for their dreams? When does drive become self-destruction? The result is a love story that feels earned—one that challenges both characters to be brave enough to see each other clearly.
Heart, Grit, and the Power of Facing the Truth
What makes First Line stand out is its emotional honesty. Monroe’s writing is fast-paced when it needs to be and tender when it counts. She lets the reader feel every victory and setback as if they’re skating alongside Riley. There’s energy in every scene, from the cold air of the rink to the quiet moments of reflection that hit harder than any goal scored.
Monroe writes about people in motion—flawed, determined, scared, and hopeful. Riley’s strength comes from her refusal to quit, even when her body and heart tell her otherwise. That makes her easy to root for and impossible to forget.
As the first book in The Riley & Ethan Trilogy, First Line sets the stage for bigger battles ahead. It leaves readers eager to see how Riley’s choices ripple through her future, on and off the ice. Monroe gives just enough closure to satisfy but leaves enough tension to make the wait for Book Two feel worth it.
Meet Gracie Monroe: The Voice Behind the Story
Gracie Monroe writes romance that bites a little. Her stories have grit, spark, and heart—the kind that keeps readers awake long after midnight. She writes under a pen name, but her voice feels familiar, like someone you might chat with at a coffee shop or pass in the hallway without realizing you’ve just met a storyteller.
Her debut, Breaking the Ice Ceiling, introduced readers to her signature style: strong heroines, emotional depth, and slow-burn chemistry that stays with you. Monroe believes in happy endings, but she also knows life’s messier than that. She writes about love that’s worth fighting for, even when it hurts.
With First Line, she invites readers into a world where ambition meets heart and where every choice carries a cost. It’s a story that celebrates resilience, friendship, and the courage it takes to face yourself. Monroe’s voice is confident, warm, and unforgettable—a perfect match for readers who crave emotion with their romance.