Rating: 
Summary: Just Like The First Time
Review: I took Like The First Time with me to Florida and read it in a couple days. A great love story about three strong women that became friends.Great read you won't be disappointed.
Rating:
Summary: I couldn't put it down!
Review: Being 30-something years old, recently laid off, and single...I could so relate to this WONDERFUL story of 3 determined women!!! I could not put the book down...I finished it in a day!!
What a wonderful read about 3 empowered, incredible, determined women who have each other's back! They go from being unemployed, not knowing how the bills are going to get paid...to being successful entrepreneurs.
This is a must read!
Rating:
Summary: Awesome
Review: I was first introduced to Ms. Ray through my other favorite writer, Brenda Jackson, when they were both featured in a book with 4 short stories in it and along with Brenda, she made the book worth the money. Will not speak on the other authors included. I was hesitant about purchasing "Like the First Time" when I saw it in the store and in fact, it took me more than 3 months to purchase it, but after reading it, I was sorry that it took me so long to purchase it. I should have trusted in her writing skills all along, because she is an awesome weaver of love tales.
She puts so much emphasis into her characters that it makes me want a man like she writes of in the stories. My favorite couple was Claire and Gray. I was so glad when she found out that her brother was only using her and I hated that she did not catch on when she needed him the most. I also loved the way that Gray would not give up although he was fighting it at the same time, in the end it worked out. Larraine's husband made me want to hurt him myself with his selfish ways. Although he had good intentions, he was selfish when she wanted to do more with her life than she currently was doing and he should have supported that more. But it all worked out in the end. John was a great guy of a man trying to get on with his life after his wife died and left him a single parent.
I am now on a quest to obtain all of Ms. Francis' previous writings and I am depending on previous readers of her work to help me out by posting things concerning the books I am researching. And I hope that I can convince someone to purchase this book by her because it was a must read and I definitely shall be reading it again and again and again and again.
Rating:
Summary: A MUST READ...LAZY SUNDAY!
Review: I will not begin my review with synonyms and/or descriptions of what some of the other writers wrote. I am very excited that several readers were just as delighted as I was when I finished the novel. I do, however, wish that some would have held back just a little because they tend to tell the story almost.
For anyone reading my review, go pick this book up and enjoy it with your favorite hot beverage, reading chair and/or office with a view....From the very beginning, you will not put this book down. Francis does a tremendous job with staying current (the troubled employment market, entrepreneurship, relationships taken for granted, success and best of all, feminine products/charm). Let me digress and point out that if BLISS doesn't truly exist, I am about to start it. The products make you want to run out and get them and how about the men? All 3 men in the book sound delectable to me and I am a happily married woman!
The book is inexpensive, well written and not so small that because it's so good you will finish it in one night like I often do.
This book is great for the sensitive male as well. Do go and pick up this book.
Rating:
Summary: inspiring tale of courage and loyalty
Review: In Charleston, South Carolina, computer repair Guru Claire Bennett thought her job was safe even with downsizing at Middleton Corporation; however after two years of employment, she is let go at a time she still deals with her older brother's bills. Brooke Dunlap is not concerned about losing her job at Middleton because she expects to marry wealthy Randolph Peterson III; instead she is downsized and her beau dumps her leaving behind the bills. Both women are shocked and not sure about their respective futures.Claire's friend Lorraine Averhart loves her spouse and her adult children, but is bored. She distributes Claire's homemade body lotion to her peers at a book club and everyone loves it and wants to buy the product. Lorraine thinks the three women can sell Claire's beauty products. As the entrepreneurs take off professionally, their personal lives still flounder but none of the trio seems concerned because through thick and thin and disputes they remain friends. LIKE THE FIRST TIME is an inspiring tale of courage and loyalty providing a ray of hope for the future no matter how dark it seems. Readers will appreciate the three women, who come across as neighbors because Francis Ray insures that her audience understands what makes them tick from their greatest fears to their greatest desires. Contemporary fans will take immense delight in a solid novel that encourages everyone to be all that they can be (even "Mcbook" reviewers). Harriet Klausner
Rating:
Summary: Inspiring love and teamwork for a Blissful business!
Review: Is there any thing else to be said about Francis Ray that haven't already been articulated about her writing? Accolades notwithstanding, now comes the latest of a trail laden with evidence of things seen and brazenly reported upon - that when it comes to real page-turners, Ms Ray takes a back seat to none. Her current novel, Like the First Time gives us much of what we've become accustomed to with this author. I read it and enjoyed every page marveling at how a simple set of circumstances can weave a heart-felt string of persevered resolve into a kaleidoscope of success for the heroines of this story. The aforementioned is the gist of why I feel readers will embrace the story wholeheartedly. Follow me as I set the stage for this drama: Enter Claire Bennet and Brooke Dunlop, two thirds of a triumvirate femme-fatale living a life in the fragile world of corporate America hoping to eke out an existence for status quo. This, amid the sudden loss of their jobs forces a reevaluation of their lives and relationships. The third part of this group is Lorraine Averhart, a woman under a cloud of uncertainty from a misbelieving husband. I really enjoyed this read. So much so, that I think this would be a great copy for would-be entrepreneurs to follow the blueprint set aside by the desires of these three enterprising women who with much trial and tribulation, struggle to become successful in love and in the corporate world. All it takes is to know and understand how an author such as Ms Ray can write such poignant stories that seem to hit us squarely in the middle in letting reality become the barometer in measuring truism. I hope readers see the in-depth research it took to write a story so compelling, with good characterization and a storyline that transcends to another level with each ebb and flow. We witness the mannerisms of each entity and what makes them different, but yet so apropos for this tale. Brooke is a head-strong, a bit conceited but confident in her ability to attract men, who becomes susceptible to the properties and power of true love. Claire shows unfamiliarity with romance but shows a resolve when it's time to allow muted affection play the vital role in her taming uncharted ground. Lorraine, who has always supported her husband, finds the going rougher when she realizes that her husband does not share her dream. It is the telling of a story where the distaff side comes to fruition with a dream, where determined grit graduates to assume the wherewithal for success, even amid the angst of getting there! If you've ever strived to attain a dream using teamwork, read this book for pointers. If for no other reason than to know that it's no fun without having to share sucess with, Francis Ray allows her knack for dispensing anticipated intimacy to interact favorably with the aforementioned for this page turner to be exactly like the first time! We always look forward to any Francis Ray book, and this one doesn't disappoint.
Rating: 
Summary: A Blissful Experience
Review: Like The First Time by Francis Ray is the story of three unlikely friends, Claire Bennett, Brooke Dunlap and Lorraine Averhart. When Middleton Corporation of Charleston, South Carolina is restructured, Claire and Brooke are among the many that must move on. Faced with mounting bills and few job prospects, the two have no idea where to turn. When Claire prepares gift baskets full of homemade bath and beauty products for her book club members, Lorraine sees a life long dream in the making, a way out for Claire and vehicle for Brooke to showcase her talent for marketing; a marketing plan that could be used as a blue print. But hold on, all is not as easy as one, two, three; with each woman there is a man that confronts their plan and fuels their emotions as Bliss is born. In addition to getting Bliss off the ground, these three women must deal with the men in their lives and their baggage. Claire seeks the business advise of Gray Livingston of Livingston Catalogue while harboring a childhood longing for the man. Gray, unlucky in love, vows never to give his heart and soul to another woman. Brooke seeks the shoulder of her lover Randolph Peterson III, only to find he is not there physically or emotionally and Lorraine's husband Hamilton, a guru in restructuring companies, is angry about their business endeavor because of insecurities that began in his childhood. Add to the facts, Gray's ex-wife, Brooke's nemesis John, the longing of a man in Lorraine's life and the savvy grass roots business sense of these women, Like the First Time becomes a blissful experience to read. Coupled with the strong themes of family, love and conviction and set in the picturesque town of Charleston, Francis Ray has given us characters we dislike, [the men in the story are a strange species] characters we like, admire, cheer for and find humorous and ties that bind like the first time! Reviewed by Dawn R. Reeves
APOOO BookClub
Rating:
Summary: never disappoints
Review: Like the First Time is about three very different women, who under normal circumstances probably would not be friends. They are brought together because of their circumstances. Claire, a very shy woman, who just lost her job but needs to find one immediately to prevent losing her parent's home. Brooke, a confident woman who gets every man's attention, also lost her job. After breaking up with her rich fiance, she needs to find a job to support her extravagant lifestyle. And then we have, Lorraine, a married mother of three grown children, who seems to be content with the exception of having recently lost her best friend in death. She promised her friend that she would fulfill their dream of opening a store. But at what expense?
Great book. Three strong female characters who took bad situations and made the best of them.
Rating:
Summary: A story of three women and their problems with men . . .
Review: No, it's not Rona Jaffe's "The Best of Everything." It's not Jacqueline Susann's "Valley of the Dolls." It *is* Francis Ray's "Like the First Time."
Ms. Ray puts her own spin on the time-honored, popular theme in women's fiction. "Like the First Time" is actually more of a mainstream romance, which means none of the women gets so distraught over the actions of a man that she hangs herself or swallows a bottle of pills (like the aforementioned titles.)
Clare, a lonely 39-year-old virgin, gets close to Gray while conducting business, and the attraction grows. But Gray holds back because He's Been Hurt. A typical romance plot, but to her credit, Ms. Ray paints a valid picture of Clare that doesn't make her status seem as incredulous as it sounds. She also throws in a family complication in the form of a character you'll love to hate. Ms. Ray also skillfully gives Clare more confidence in herself, a little at a time, where by the end of the story she's barely recognizable from the meek little milquetoast at the beginning.
More interesting to me was Brooke and John. Brooke has no problem with confidence. She's also somewhat of a gold digger, but she's always likeable. John is a working stiff, a widower with two young children, including a very solemn son who was touchingly but subtly portrayed as being very deeply affected by the death of his mother. The outcome of these characters, like the first set, is never in doubt, but it's nice to see Brooke become a more caring person in the process.
Most interesting to me was Lorraine, mainly because her outcome wasn't so clear. Ms. Ray also manages to give the reader insight into her unsupportive husband's (Hamilton) psyche and make him less unsympathetic. I still didn't like him, but at least I understood him better.
As I write this review I realize this book's strength is its rich character development. There are a few secondary characters tossed in, your standard villians and bad guys, but Ms. Ray ties it all in beautifully in the book's closing chapters.
Because no book is perfect, I must mention the typos, particularly in first third of the book. Misplaced commas confused some of the dialogue, making me unsure if the name mentioned was the person being addressed or the person being discussed. This threw me out of the story as I tried to figure it out. I found this annoying because I was so into the story. Fortunately, after a few times it stopped. I did find it amusing that when given ten minutes to change, Clare took "a quick bath." I also wondered how Clare, who never had much money to spend on clothes, could tell with one glance that her nemesis was wearing an Armani suit. Was the label sewn on the outside? I notice these things because I savor a good story like this one, and whenever I read something improbable it stands out like someone wearing a kente cloth outfit to a funeral.
Anyway, minor quibbles aside, this was a great book. Read it and enjoy!
Rating: 
Summary: Stinkola!
Review: This book is ridiculous. Although the story isn't horrible, it's isn't particularly involving and the incredibly hackneyed dialogue and descriptions are laughable. Try reading a passage out loud and see if ANYONE would speak like that. You'll sound like a fool. How did this get published?????
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