Anyone looking for fresh eyes on your first chapter?

Okay. I swore  I wasn't going to blog today, so I could spend the whole day working on rewrites. I changed my mind. haha.  But, before I go into what this blog is about, if you want to read my entrance into the Ghostly Flash Fiction Blog Hop (please read and vote!!) click HERE.

If you want to enter my drawing for a critique on your first twenty-five pages, click HERE. I'll post the winner at noon on Friday.

Okay. Now that's out of the way, here is my situation. I (very responsibly I might add) spent most of the day writing. I ended up combining the first and third chapter of my book to make a new beginning. However, having done that, I have NO idea if it works. I was doing this on the awesome advice of my critique partner, so you'd think I could just ask her opinion. However, she's been reading my book. She knows my characters, their problems and the world I've created. Therefore, I'm not sure she'll be able to objectively say whether the beginning gives enough information to entice the reader--which is clearly what I'm going for. Or if it would just confuse the hell out of someone and make them put the book down. (NOT what I'm going for. haha)

So, I need a fresh set of eyes and I thought of my friends out in the blogging world. To me, beginning a book is harder than anything else. Drawing someone into your world and making them want to keep reading about it is a huge challenge. Therefore, I'm guessing I can't be the only one having this problem. If anyone else out there wants to trade first chapters with me, that would be great! (Mine is thirteen pages, so if yours is way shorter than that, feel free to send me two chapters)

I'd prefer someone who's done some critiquing but, mostly, all I really need is a fresh set of eyes. I need to know if my beginning makes sense or if it throws you into the story too abruptly. I'd like someone who could get this back to me fairly quickly (within two days or so)  and I'll do the same for you.

 I'm not looking for line edits, and I don't really have time to do that for someone else, cause I already have a few people I'm working with. I just need an overall opinion on whether the first chapter makes you want to read more or just confuses you. Also, if  it does confuse you, please don't just say, "CONFUSING!" Tell me what parts don't work. If you have a suggestion on fixing whatever is confusing, that would be great too.

So, that's it. Any takers? Also, while you are here--How do you guys handle this problem? Any easy tricks for instantly drawing someone into your story? TELL ME!!