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First Time: Ian
Newly divorced and romantically pessimistic, Ian Pratchett doesn’t know why he’s been set up with Penny Parker. She’s unrelentingly positive, utterly superstitious, and sexually inexperienced—everything Ian is not. But when sparks fly between them, Ian sees the possibility of a life he’d given up hoping for…with a woman he would never have expected.
238 pages, ebook
First published July 28, 2015
About the author
Abigail Barnette
51 books1,264 followersAbigail Barnette is the pseudonym of Jenny Trout (alias Jennifer Armintrout, an author, blogger, and funny person. Jenny made the USA Today bestseller list with her debut novel, Blood Ties Book One: The Turning. Her American Vampire was named one of the top ten horror novels of 2011 by Booklist Magazine Online. As Abigail Barnette, Jenny writes award-winning erotic romance, including the internationally bestselling The Boss series.
As a blogger, Jenny’s work has appeared on The Huffington Post, and has been featured on television and radio, including HuffPost Live, Good Morning America, The Steve Harvey Show, and National Public Radio’s Here & Now. Her work has earned mentions in The New York Times and Entertainment Weekly.
She is a proud Michigander, mother of two, and wife to the only person alive capable of spending extended periods of time with her without wanting to kill her.
As a blogger, Jenny’s work has appeared on The Huffington Post, and has been featured on television and radio, including HuffPost Live, Good Morning America, The Steve Harvey Show, and National Public Radio’s Here & Now. Her work has earned mentions in The New York Times and Entertainment Weekly.
She is a proud Michigander, mother of two, and wife to the only person alive capable of spending extended periods of time with her without wanting to kill her.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 52 reviews
June 4, 2016
First Time: Ian is a contemporary adult romance written by Abigail Barnette. Note: This novel is based off of characters featured in Ms. Barnette's amazing The Boss series, but I don't think you would be missing out horribly if you were to read it as a standalone novel. (Although, I highly recommend the series - it's one of my favorites!!!)
As soon as I read that Ms. Barnette was publishing a new book, I one-clicked the preorder without any question. I am a loyal follower of her The Boss series and when I saw this was Ian's story I was sooooo excited. Ian isn't necessarily a main character in the series but he has had his moments in the spotlight and his character has definitely worked his way into my heart ♥. First Time: Ian adds gorgeous layering to Ian's character via family and spiritual elements and he is without a doubt the leading man in this book.
Ian's character is not ego-driven, he's not a millionaire or some cocky bastard...he's a fifty-three year old, down-to-earth man who is generous, loyal, protective, and just an all-around great guy. So as a reader, I want the best for him. His love interest, Penny, is a beautiful, sweet, and honest gal who I immediately liked. It's hard not to.
Oh...did I mention she's twenty-two?
Yes, I just wrote that bit with a raised eyebrow and cocked head. I'll let you know up front that I'm a hypocrite for judging. The main characters in The Boss series have a huge chunk of age difference between them and I have yet to bat an eye. The difference? Maturity. Sophie is a young but emotionally strong woman. Penny? Well, I started out loving her. After all, anyone who can make sweet, self-depreciating Ian feel like a superstar gets a thumbs up from me. But after the initial infatuation wore off and I got to know Penny a bit more, I was like...Ian, are you serious???? She is a sweetheart for sure, but for a twenty-two year old, she has got some major emotional baggage and overreaction tendencies. As a reader (and huge fan of Ian's), I don't support this pairing. She's a young, hot thing with a good heart, but she needs to grow up some before I approve.
Regardless of some negatively noted above, I still gave First Time: Ian four stars. There was a lot of humor and for a good portion of this book, I literally could not put it down. Crushes and new love can be so intoxicating and all of that positive energy was palpable - I was in a constant state of smile. That kind of experience is damn hard to ignore :)
Disclaimer: Ms. Barnette has published two different perspectives for this story: one in Ian's (First Time: Ian) and one in Penny's (First Time: Penny). I have not yet read Penny's perspective, but based on Ms. Barnette's storytelling talent, I won't be surprised at all if I change my mind about Penny's character once I'm done.
My favorite quote:
"Sometimes, we want to love a person more than they deserve to be loved by us. And we'll do a lot of rationalizing to fool ourselves into believing that they deserve it."
As soon as I read that Ms. Barnette was publishing a new book, I one-clicked the preorder without any question. I am a loyal follower of her The Boss series and when I saw this was Ian's story I was sooooo excited. Ian isn't necessarily a main character in the series but he has had his moments in the spotlight and his character has definitely worked his way into my heart ♥. First Time: Ian adds gorgeous layering to Ian's character via family and spiritual elements and he is without a doubt the leading man in this book.
Ian's character is not ego-driven, he's not a millionaire or some cocky bastard...he's a fifty-three year old, down-to-earth man who is generous, loyal, protective, and just an all-around great guy. So as a reader, I want the best for him. His love interest, Penny, is a beautiful, sweet, and honest gal who I immediately liked. It's hard not to.
Oh...did I mention she's twenty-two?
Yes, I just wrote that bit with a raised eyebrow and cocked head. I'll let you know up front that I'm a hypocrite for judging. The main characters in The Boss series have a huge chunk of age difference between them and I have yet to bat an eye. The difference? Maturity. Sophie is a young but emotionally strong woman. Penny? Well, I started out loving her. After all, anyone who can make sweet, self-depreciating Ian feel like a superstar gets a thumbs up from me. But after the initial infatuation wore off and I got to know Penny a bit more, I was like...Ian, are you serious???? She is a sweetheart for sure, but for a twenty-two year old, she has got some major emotional baggage and overreaction tendencies. As a reader (and huge fan of Ian's), I don't support this pairing. She's a young, hot thing with a good heart, but she needs to grow up some before I approve.
Regardless of some negatively noted above, I still gave First Time: Ian four stars. There was a lot of humor and for a good portion of this book, I literally could not put it down. Crushes and new love can be so intoxicating and all of that positive energy was palpable - I was in a constant state of smile. That kind of experience is damn hard to ignore :)
Disclaimer: Ms. Barnette has published two different perspectives for this story: one in Ian's (First Time: Ian) and one in Penny's (First Time: Penny). I have not yet read Penny's perspective, but based on Ms. Barnette's storytelling talent, I won't be surprised at all if I change my mind about Penny's character once I'm done.
My favorite quote:
"Sometimes, we want to love a person more than they deserve to be loved by us. And we'll do a lot of rationalizing to fool ourselves into believing that they deserve it."
September 13, 2019
Audio - 4 stars
Story - 3.5 stars
Story - 3.5 stars
August 27, 2015
Content warnings: mentions of abuse, mentions of murder & death, mentions of BDSM, high sexual content, abusive parenting, religion based slut shaming
Disclaimer: I received an ARC from the author in exchange for a fair and honest review.
I need to start this out by saying I ADORE this author. Both in her writing and her as a person. She's one of the few white authors that I don't feel bad about adoring because she acknowledges her privilege and fuck ups and works to better herself and lift up the voices of the not so privileged people (which I think is fantastic) without talking over them.
Now, onto the actual review.
This is a spin off from The Boss series (of which I've read the whole series but not properly reviewed it yet). As The Boss series is one of my favourite series (closely followed by the Fit trilogy) I'm very attached to a good portion of the characters. Including Ian. Whose story this particular version this is.
I'm going to skip spelling and punctuation mistakes in my review since this was an ARC that is still being edited before it gets released to the general public and instead talk about things that I liked.
I liked the use of condoms. I liked that they weren't shied away from. It's one of the huge things that bothers me in the romance and erotic romance genres (and any other genres that have either erotic or romance in their names). And the on going consent between partners.
I LOVED the fact that despite him liking sex and wanting sex with her, he was a decent guy who actually respected her and didn't try to make her feel like shit for wanting to wait.
Another thing I loved so much that I actually tweeted about it on my personal twitter account. When Ian goes down on Penny to give her oral sex and describes how her vulva/vagina smells. He doesn't describe her smelling like fruit. Or flowers. Or anything else that it's NOT suppose to smell like. He describes her smelling like a person with a vagina should smell. Usually, in erotica/erotic romance/et al, the first oral sex scene is what initially will turn me off (presuming nothing else prior to that has turned me off). But this? This turned me on immensely. And not because I like reading about sex (because I do but that usually isn't a turn on in and of itself). But because it was described in a way that I can identify with. That I've experienced (as a pansexual individual I've had sex with individuals of different genders). That I can go out and experience. That, as a vagina owner, I can identify with. And not feel ashamed/insecure that mine never smells like roses or pineapples or whatnot.
I like that Ian didn't really pressure her into anything. Though the ending kind of felt a little hastily slapped together and rushed I'm willing to overlook it for the rest of the good in this.
I LOVED reading about his reaction to her enthusiasm. Because enthusiasm is awesome. And can be sexy as hell.
I LOVED that Ian's fight with his sister felt real. That Ian and Penny's fight felt real. And I mean felt like fights that real people would actually have. Not just contrived Hollywood type fights for added drama/impact.
I HATED Penny's parents. I'm very glad, grateful, and lucky mine were never like that. But I've had a great many friends whose parents were/are like them. And the second hand resentment I feel towards them probably isn't anything compared to their anger and resentment towards them. And I don't blame them one bit. If your child doesn't live up to how you "think" they should be. And they aren't "perfect". That doesn't make them less. It doesn't make them a disappointment. It makes them their own person. And that should be celebrated rather than shamed.
I'm going to really enjoy reading Penny's side of the story tomorrow.
Disclaimer: I received an ARC from the author in exchange for a fair and honest review.
I need to start this out by saying I ADORE this author. Both in her writing and her as a person. She's one of the few white authors that I don't feel bad about adoring because she acknowledges her privilege and fuck ups and works to better herself and lift up the voices of the not so privileged people (which I think is fantastic) without talking over them.
Now, onto the actual review.
This is a spin off from The Boss series (of which I've read the whole series but not properly reviewed it yet). As The Boss series is one of my favourite series (closely followed by the Fit trilogy) I'm very attached to a good portion of the characters. Including Ian. Whose story this particular version this is.
I'm going to skip spelling and punctuation mistakes in my review since this was an ARC that is still being edited before it gets released to the general public and instead talk about things that I liked.
I liked the use of condoms. I liked that they weren't shied away from. It's one of the huge things that bothers me in the romance and erotic romance genres (and any other genres that have either erotic or romance in their names). And the on going consent between partners.
I LOVED the fact that despite him liking sex and wanting sex with her, he was a decent guy who actually respected her and didn't try to make her feel like shit for wanting to wait.
Another thing I loved so much that I actually tweeted about it on my personal twitter account. When Ian goes down on Penny to give her oral sex and describes how her vulva/vagina smells. He doesn't describe her smelling like fruit. Or flowers. Or anything else that it's NOT suppose to smell like. He describes her smelling like a person with a vagina should smell. Usually, in erotica/erotic romance/et al, the first oral sex scene is what initially will turn me off (presuming nothing else prior to that has turned me off). But this? This turned me on immensely. And not because I like reading about sex (because I do but that usually isn't a turn on in and of itself). But because it was described in a way that I can identify with. That I've experienced (as a pansexual individual I've had sex with individuals of different genders). That I can go out and experience. That, as a vagina owner, I can identify with. And not feel ashamed/insecure that mine never smells like roses or pineapples or whatnot.
I like that Ian didn't really pressure her into anything. Though the ending kind of felt a little hastily slapped together and rushed I'm willing to overlook it for the rest of the good in this.
I LOVED reading about his reaction to her enthusiasm. Because enthusiasm is awesome. And can be sexy as hell.
I LOVED that Ian's fight with his sister felt real. That Ian and Penny's fight felt real. And I mean felt like fights that real people would actually have. Not just contrived Hollywood type fights for added drama/impact.
I HATED Penny's parents. I'm very glad, grateful, and lucky mine were never like that. But I've had a great many friends whose parents were/are like them. And the second hand resentment I feel towards them probably isn't anything compared to their anger and resentment towards them. And I don't blame them one bit. If your child doesn't live up to how you "think" they should be. And they aren't "perfect". That doesn't make them less. It doesn't make them a disappointment. It makes them their own person. And that should be celebrated rather than shamed.
I'm going to really enjoy reading Penny's side of the story tomorrow.
February 7, 2017
Niente di eclatante, comunque meglio di The Boss. Se non ci fosse stato il pov di Penny sarebbe stato anche meglio.
September 7, 2015
This review will be a mess, (much like this book) forgive the grammar and spelling errors, I'm on my iPad.
I was highly disappointed with this book. I was expecting much more from Jenny because I very much enjoyed The Boss series. This however was boring, uninteresting, and on top of that the romance was rushed and heavily forced. Their was literally no reason for Ian and Penny to fall in love, other than Sophie's " you both want the same thing" bullshit. THAT DOESNT MEAN ANYTHING. I just want to know what was going through Jenny's mind. Why she thought Ian and Penny. Whyyyyy? Like, it doesn't make sense to me, I don't give a shit about them and this book didn't make me give a shit. I was rolling my eyes the whole time and trying not to pull out every last bit of my hair. I read Ian's story,(yawn), and he spent most of the time sexualizing Penny. Like, I get it. Her tits are awesome.
And then just the random bullshit Penny pulled and her weird obsession with octopuses (hahahhahahaha) just seemed like an desperate way to give this Mary fucking sue a personality and make her interesting but it just made her really annoying and juvenile. I'm 19 and I felt like Penny was soooo much younger than 22. I hated her. Honestly. Her character seemed so different in the boss...
AND OH, OH.MDONT GET ME FUCKING STARTED ON THE SEX SUPERSTITIOUS BULLSHIT. I ALMOST THREW MY IPAD ACROSS THE ROOM. IT WAS SO FUCKINGSTUPID AHHHH. LIKE WHO..., THE FUCK..... BELIEVES THAT?????????? NO. NO, I CANT.
IAN. THIS motherfucker. She was trying to make him this cool Scottish guy who cussed a lot and was so cool and sooo cool but also hurt and sad from his recent divorce ANd fROM THIS RANDOM ASS MURDER OF HIS TWIN AND HIS BROTHER. WHYYYYY THE FUCK WAS THIS ADDED? WHAT DID THIS BRING TO THE STORY??? NOTHIGNNNGGG. It was such bullshit to. Brought up so fucking randomly and kind of mysteriously but it was lame and bullshit and it made me scream because it was sooooo dumb, random and cheesyyyyyy . And then this bullshit with gena, okay, after like years of trying....don't you thing it's time to find another option? Like how many times are you going to disappoint yourself? And although it was shitty what gena did, I feel like he was playing victim like.... You acted like you were okay with her lifestyle and you guys were together in this lifestyle for so long....like... do you get what I mean? They were fooling each other. They both were sucky spouses who wanted different tho ha but didn't have the gull to say so.
I have so much more to say but I'm too lazy to write it. Just know that I hated this book and I am upset and disappointed .
And I would have loved LOVED to read a holli and deja spinoff but I guess lesbians and trans woc are only good as side characters :)
I was highly disappointed with this book. I was expecting much more from Jenny because I very much enjoyed The Boss series. This however was boring, uninteresting, and on top of that the romance was rushed and heavily forced. Their was literally no reason for Ian and Penny to fall in love, other than Sophie's " you both want the same thing" bullshit. THAT DOESNT MEAN ANYTHING. I just want to know what was going through Jenny's mind. Why she thought Ian and Penny. Whyyyyy? Like, it doesn't make sense to me, I don't give a shit about them and this book didn't make me give a shit. I was rolling my eyes the whole time and trying not to pull out every last bit of my hair. I read Ian's story,(yawn), and he spent most of the time sexualizing Penny. Like, I get it. Her tits are awesome.
And then just the random bullshit Penny pulled and her weird obsession with octopuses (hahahhahahaha) just seemed like an desperate way to give this Mary fucking sue a personality and make her interesting but it just made her really annoying and juvenile. I'm 19 and I felt like Penny was soooo much younger than 22. I hated her. Honestly. Her character seemed so different in the boss...
AND OH, OH.MDONT GET ME FUCKING STARTED ON THE SEX SUPERSTITIOUS BULLSHIT. I ALMOST THREW MY IPAD ACROSS THE ROOM. IT WAS SO FUCKINGSTUPID AHHHH. LIKE WHO..., THE FUCK..... BELIEVES THAT?????????? NO. NO, I CANT.
IAN. THIS motherfucker. She was trying to make him this cool Scottish guy who cussed a lot and was so cool and sooo cool but also hurt and sad from his recent divorce ANd fROM THIS RANDOM ASS MURDER OF HIS TWIN AND HIS BROTHER. WHYYYYY THE FUCK WAS THIS ADDED? WHAT DID THIS BRING TO THE STORY??? NOTHIGNNNGGG. It was such bullshit to. Brought up so fucking randomly and kind of mysteriously but it was lame and bullshit and it made me scream because it was sooooo dumb, random and cheesyyyyyy . And then this bullshit with gena, okay, after like years of trying....don't you thing it's time to find another option? Like how many times are you going to disappoint yourself? And although it was shitty what gena did, I feel like he was playing victim like.... You acted like you were okay with her lifestyle and you guys were together in this lifestyle for so long....like... do you get what I mean? They were fooling each other. They both were sucky spouses who wanted different tho ha but didn't have the gull to say so.
I have so much more to say but I'm too lazy to write it. Just know that I hated this book and I am upset and disappointed .
And I would have loved LOVED to read a holli and deja spinoff but I guess lesbians and trans woc are only good as side characters :)
August 7, 2015
I think I liked reading from Ian's POV even more than Penny's. Part of it be because 9 times out of 10 romance novels are written from the point of view of the girl and so this felt really different. Regardless, Ian was adorable and charming and just the right amount of secretly awkward. I fell in love with both him and Penny. I can't help but want to know where their story leads in the future (too bad I'm pretty sure this is all we're getting) (fingers crossed for them being mentioned in passing of showing up in future novels in The Boss series?).
April 18, 2016
I loved this one. or ones since I'm trying to dual reading.
The same book, same dialogue, same time frame but different POV... I should be annoyed by that but I loved them so much.
where neil and his zillions and others things were the plot for a story, Ian and Penny were quite more approachable...
No pervy vibes sure with Ian's age, history, friendship with Neil, it was doomed to see any positive sides but he came out like a guy, great great guy!
I also laughed with this one!
Now I'm off finishing Penny's.
The same book, same dialogue, same time frame but different POV... I should be annoyed by that but I loved them so much.
where neil and his zillions and others things were the plot for a story, Ian and Penny were quite more approachable...
No pervy vibes sure with Ian's age, history, friendship with Neil, it was doomed to see any positive sides but he came out like a guy, great great guy!
I also laughed with this one!
Now I'm off finishing Penny's.
December 1, 2015
Same story as Penny's but we get Ian's POV which I thoroughly enjoyed. What I really enjoyed about Ian is that he isn't afraid to show his emotions. I loved how he understood Penny and her quirks. Even though the age gap is significant, the author did a great job in showing that it shouldn't be a big deal. Looking forward to more of their relationship.
*Loaned*
*Loaned*
December 19, 2017
Questa recensione potrebbe intitolarsi Rosaria vs Barnette parte seconda. Nonostante non abbia apprezzato la precedente serie, ho voluto dare ancora una possibilità a questa autrice. Era come se qualcosa mi dicesse che dovevo provare, e non mi sono sbagliata, fino a metà libro, almeno.
First Time racconta la storia di Ian Pratchett, già incontrato in The Boss, perchè amico di Neil Elwood e compagno di giochi erotici della coppia Neil/Sophie.
Lo ritroviamo qui, reduce da un recente divorzio. Ian e la moglie hanno deciso di separarsi a causa di insanabili divergenze di vedute. Le loro idee viaggiavano su binari paralleli da tempo e per Ian mandare avanti una commedia del genere era diventato insostenibile. La caratterizzazione del personaggio, in questo libro, subisce una brusca virata. Da amante del sesso promiscuo, conosciamo adesso un altro lato di Ian, quello dell'uomo dedito alla famiglia, dai forti valori, molto religioso e osservante. Si è assunto per intero la colpa del fallimento del suo matrimonio, guadagnandosi l' astio della sorella che lo accusa di aver rovinato una famiglia che invece avrebbe dovuto preservare.
Stanca di vederlo prostrato, la sua cara amica Sophie decide di organizzargli un appuntamento con la sua assistente, Penny.
Ian, nervoso e insicuro, non era sicuramente pronto ad accogliere la ragazza che gli si sarebbe presentata davanti quella sera: bella e...giovanissima.
Ritorna il tema della differenza d'età, tanto caro alla Barnette, ma stavolta la storia è affrontata con una delicatezza tale da toccare le corde del cuore. Tra Ian e Penny ci sono ben 22 anni di differenza, cosa che potrebbe scoraggiare alcuni lettori, eppure la costruzione dei personaggi fa il modo che si entri subito in sintonia con la loro vera essenza. Come vi dicevo, Ian è un uomo maturo che ha già vissuto una vita piena ed ogni tipo di esperienza. Entrare in contatto con una bellezza candida come quella di Penny, lo mette in seria difficoltà. La differenza di età è un peso che sente, continuo e insistente, che si insinua tra le pieghe di un'attrazione che non riesce a frenare.
"Non ne ero sicuro. Star seduto accanto a Penny era come orbitare attorno a una bellissima stella. Anche se non credevo all’amore a prima vista, credevo nella possibilità. Non era difficile immaginare di stare con Penny, da sei mesi a un anno da allora. Qualunque cosa volesse dire, avrei cercato di non giudicarla."
Penny lo mette davanti alle sue più grandi paure, di fronte a limiti che non avrebbe mai creduto di riuscire a rispettare, tutto per quella giovane ragazza che in poco tempo ha saputo rapire il suo vecchio e martoriato cuore.
La ragazza seppur giovane si dimostrerà in alcuni frangenti, molto più matura di Ian, che sembra non riuscire a venir fuori dalla sua spirale di autocommiserazione.
Penny è giovane, è vero, ma è anche forte e determinata. Ha degli obiettivi ed è decisa nelle scelte che compie, anche se le persone che avrebbero dovuto sostenerla l'hanno mortificata e ferita profondamente.
First time è una bellissima storia d'amore, tenera e delicata, che parla di personaggi reali, con paure e fragilità che tutti possiamo trovarci ad affrontare.
First time è anche una metafora sulle "prime volte", sia per Sophie che per Ian. La scoperta dei sentimenti, del piacere di fidarsi l'uno dell'altro, di donare il proprio cuore interamente ad un' altra persona, vincendo la paura di soffrire. Un' educazione sentimentale in tandem, perchè non si è mai troppo giovani o troppo vecchi per lasciarsi trasportare dai sentimenti.
Questa storia è la dimostrazione che sono i personaggi che fanno una storia. Tutti i punti che mi avevano infastidito in The Boss, l'estrema immaturità di Neil e Sophie nell' affrontare la vita ed il loro rapporto, sono stati spazzati via da Ian e Penny, che al contrario escono fuori come caratteri vincenti. Le loro fragilità costituiscono la lor forza e insieme riescono a compensare le mancanze dell'altro.
Ho apprezzato tanto la scrittura dal POV di Ian, perchè non è facile incontrare una lettura che ci offre uno spaccato delle vedute maschili.
La sessualità portata alla stremo in The Boss, è resa in First Time in modo più delicato e passionale. Il sesso è una parte importante del rapporto tra Ian e Penny, ma non ne è il fulcro, bensì la naturale espressione dell'attrazione tra due persone che piano piano si lasciano andare, fidandosi l'uno dell'altro.
"Lei posò la testa sul mio petto e sembrava adattarsi perfettamente al mio corpo, come se lo avessimo fatto tantissime volte, e non poche. Quella sensazione mi provocò un dolore dolce nel petto.La abbracciai più forte. «Sei l’unica donna con cui mangerei la pizza a letto, sappilo».«Sei l’unico uomo a cui non nasconderei il ciclo», disse lei, sbadigliando."
...
Adesso arrivati esattamente a metà libro, copiate e incollate quello che ho appena detto sopra, vedetela dal POV di Penny e avrete l'altra parte della storia. Al di là della scelta di Newton Compton di voler riunire i due libri in un unico volume, anche la Barnette poteva risparmiare di scrivere questo surplus di pagine.
Quindi, anche se l'ho letto interamente, giudicherò Firtst Time fermandomi a Ian.
First Time racconta la storia di Ian Pratchett, già incontrato in The Boss, perchè amico di Neil Elwood e compagno di giochi erotici della coppia Neil/Sophie.
Lo ritroviamo qui, reduce da un recente divorzio. Ian e la moglie hanno deciso di separarsi a causa di insanabili divergenze di vedute. Le loro idee viaggiavano su binari paralleli da tempo e per Ian mandare avanti una commedia del genere era diventato insostenibile. La caratterizzazione del personaggio, in questo libro, subisce una brusca virata. Da amante del sesso promiscuo, conosciamo adesso un altro lato di Ian, quello dell'uomo dedito alla famiglia, dai forti valori, molto religioso e osservante. Si è assunto per intero la colpa del fallimento del suo matrimonio, guadagnandosi l' astio della sorella che lo accusa di aver rovinato una famiglia che invece avrebbe dovuto preservare.
Stanca di vederlo prostrato, la sua cara amica Sophie decide di organizzargli un appuntamento con la sua assistente, Penny.
Ian, nervoso e insicuro, non era sicuramente pronto ad accogliere la ragazza che gli si sarebbe presentata davanti quella sera: bella e...giovanissima.
Ritorna il tema della differenza d'età, tanto caro alla Barnette, ma stavolta la storia è affrontata con una delicatezza tale da toccare le corde del cuore. Tra Ian e Penny ci sono ben 22 anni di differenza, cosa che potrebbe scoraggiare alcuni lettori, eppure la costruzione dei personaggi fa il modo che si entri subito in sintonia con la loro vera essenza. Come vi dicevo, Ian è un uomo maturo che ha già vissuto una vita piena ed ogni tipo di esperienza. Entrare in contatto con una bellezza candida come quella di Penny, lo mette in seria difficoltà. La differenza di età è un peso che sente, continuo e insistente, che si insinua tra le pieghe di un'attrazione che non riesce a frenare.
"Non ne ero sicuro. Star seduto accanto a Penny era come orbitare attorno a una bellissima stella. Anche se non credevo all’amore a prima vista, credevo nella possibilità. Non era difficile immaginare di stare con Penny, da sei mesi a un anno da allora. Qualunque cosa volesse dire, avrei cercato di non giudicarla."
Penny lo mette davanti alle sue più grandi paure, di fronte a limiti che non avrebbe mai creduto di riuscire a rispettare, tutto per quella giovane ragazza che in poco tempo ha saputo rapire il suo vecchio e martoriato cuore.
La ragazza seppur giovane si dimostrerà in alcuni frangenti, molto più matura di Ian, che sembra non riuscire a venir fuori dalla sua spirale di autocommiserazione.
Penny è giovane, è vero, ma è anche forte e determinata. Ha degli obiettivi ed è decisa nelle scelte che compie, anche se le persone che avrebbero dovuto sostenerla l'hanno mortificata e ferita profondamente.
First time è una bellissima storia d'amore, tenera e delicata, che parla di personaggi reali, con paure e fragilità che tutti possiamo trovarci ad affrontare.
First time è anche una metafora sulle "prime volte", sia per Sophie che per Ian. La scoperta dei sentimenti, del piacere di fidarsi l'uno dell'altro, di donare il proprio cuore interamente ad un' altra persona, vincendo la paura di soffrire. Un' educazione sentimentale in tandem, perchè non si è mai troppo giovani o troppo vecchi per lasciarsi trasportare dai sentimenti.
Questa storia è la dimostrazione che sono i personaggi che fanno una storia. Tutti i punti che mi avevano infastidito in The Boss, l'estrema immaturità di Neil e Sophie nell' affrontare la vita ed il loro rapporto, sono stati spazzati via da Ian e Penny, che al contrario escono fuori come caratteri vincenti. Le loro fragilità costituiscono la lor forza e insieme riescono a compensare le mancanze dell'altro.
Ho apprezzato tanto la scrittura dal POV di Ian, perchè non è facile incontrare una lettura che ci offre uno spaccato delle vedute maschili.
La sessualità portata alla stremo in The Boss, è resa in First Time in modo più delicato e passionale. Il sesso è una parte importante del rapporto tra Ian e Penny, ma non ne è il fulcro, bensì la naturale espressione dell'attrazione tra due persone che piano piano si lasciano andare, fidandosi l'uno dell'altro.
"Lei posò la testa sul mio petto e sembrava adattarsi perfettamente al mio corpo, come se lo avessimo fatto tantissime volte, e non poche. Quella sensazione mi provocò un dolore dolce nel petto.La abbracciai più forte. «Sei l’unica donna con cui mangerei la pizza a letto, sappilo».«Sei l’unico uomo a cui non nasconderei il ciclo», disse lei, sbadigliando."
...
Adesso arrivati esattamente a metà libro, copiate e incollate quello che ho appena detto sopra, vedetela dal POV di Penny e avrete l'altra parte della storia. Al di là della scelta di Newton Compton di voler riunire i due libri in un unico volume, anche la Barnette poteva risparmiare di scrivere questo surplus di pagine.
Quindi, anche se l'ho letto interamente, giudicherò Firtst Time fermandomi a Ian.
October 4, 2015
Quick light read. He is 30 years older than her but the author made it work. I am not reading the 2nd book, per the reviews it is a re telling in her POV to a certain extent.
January 23, 2021
GUYS THIS IS THE START!!!!
Okay, so story time for a story. As part of my "grade school brain candy" tag, this book was discovered on Radish. I honestly can't remember what "trope" it was tagged with that made me pick it up. But it is book number two in my "Apparently Makayla digs older men romances!" series. And my first book by Abigail Barnette <3 Because this was on Radish, it was actually a combination of this book and book 1.5, which is from Penny's perspective. I think this means that the Radish editors stitched together bits and pieces from both books to make it into a cohesive story, which means I might not have read all the scenes in this book. But I liked how I read it on Radish.
In terms of romance, this one is fairly mild, especially when compared with Barnette's other series *swoons* But I fucking love the emphasis on consent in it. Honestly, Barnette knows how to do kinky and sexy people who still put consent and the other partner's happiness/safety/pleasure/ect. first. And Ian being Catholic is way cool. That's a hard religion to tackle in romance novels, and she does it fairly well I think. Overall, I recommend to people who like romances that are more than vanilla sexiness, but not full BDSM sex crazy. Because I live on the edge, it's not a series I continued, but I only have good things to say about the author based on my love of her other series.
Okay, so story time for a story. As part of my "grade school brain candy" tag, this book was discovered on Radish. I honestly can't remember what "trope" it was tagged with that made me pick it up. But it is book number two in my "Apparently Makayla digs older men romances!" series. And my first book by Abigail Barnette <3 Because this was on Radish, it was actually a combination of this book and book 1.5, which is from Penny's perspective. I think this means that the Radish editors stitched together bits and pieces from both books to make it into a cohesive story, which means I might not have read all the scenes in this book. But I liked how I read it on Radish.
In terms of romance, this one is fairly mild, especially when compared with Barnette's other series *swoons* But I fucking love the emphasis on consent in it. Honestly, Barnette knows how to do kinky and sexy people who still put consent and the other partner's happiness/safety/pleasure/ect. first. And Ian being Catholic is way cool. That's a hard religion to tackle in romance novels, and she does it fairly well I think. Overall, I recommend to people who like romances that are more than vanilla sexiness, but not full BDSM sex crazy. Because I live on the edge, it's not a series I continued, but I only have good things to say about the author based on my love of her other series.
November 30, 2019
un totale flop. ho visto all'inizio che le traduzioni sono state fatte da due donne diverse, una per il pov di lui e l'altra per quello di lei. ho iniziato la lettura aspettandomi come spesso accade dei capitoli alternati. e invece no. il pov era sempre maschile. allora ho immaginato che fino a un certo punto della storia saremmo stati nella testa di ian e da un certo punto in poi in quella di penny. sbagliato di nuovo. insomma, la storia finisce, poi ricomincia dall'inizio dal pov di lei. e a quel punto mi sono proprio annoiata. tutto uguale. magari qualche dettaglio sarà variato, ma mica 'sto granchè. insomma, ho mollato lì tutto e ciao. e dire che la trama era anche intrigante, ma non ci ho proprio capito il senso. per me il romanzo poteva finire a pagina 278. avrebbe avuto più presa su di me. magari l'avrei anche conservato per rileggerlo...
August 19, 2018
Ian Pratchett is an almost divorced 53-year-old man who gets set up on a blind date by his friends Sophie and Neil (from The Boss series.) He's pretty surprised when his date turns out to be 22-year-old Penny Parker. Despite an awkward beginning, Neil finds he really likes Penny. This was another great story by Abigail Barnette - I wish it would have been longer, though. There is a companion book from Penny's POV (this one is from Ian's POV) so maybe unanswered questions are addressed, although I would rather have had one longer book. I listened to the audio version and loved the narrator!
February 10, 2019
Okay, so it was really absurd and weird to read about a love story, between a 22 year old virgin and a 53 year old man. But if I don't count this fact, this book was actually an enjoyable, good read.
There is an other version of this story, with Penny's POV, but I chose Ian's, cause it's rare to read a book with only a male's perspective. The book ended a little suddenly, but it was still good.
There is an other version of this story, with Penny's POV, but I chose Ian's, cause it's rare to read a book with only a male's perspective. The book ended a little suddenly, but it was still good.
December 16, 2020
Great book!
Ian is HILARIOUS! I'm sure the second time I read this I'll suddenly see all the flaws but having just finished it the first time around, I love it- particularly the narration- it's hilarious AF😂
Unlike the Boss series, there's no BDSM in this book (for anyone who, to like me, was expecting that)
Ian is HILARIOUS! I'm sure the second time I read this I'll suddenly see all the flaws but having just finished it the first time around, I love it- particularly the narration- it's hilarious AF😂
Unlike the Boss series, there's no BDSM in this book (for anyone who, to like me, was expecting that)
June 6, 2017
Per essere uno spin-off e per essere una storia dalla trama semplice, che può fare affidamento solo sui due protagonisti ... direi che ci sta. Abigail Barnette non da il meglio, ma in fatto di romance il suo nome è ancora una volta sinonimo di garanzia.
August 18, 2019
I finished it with hope that there would be a twist where they split romantically but remained close...but it is a romanticized story of an older man grooming a woman 30 years younger than him into being the "perfect" partner.
July 10, 2017
3,75 ⭐️⭐️⭐️
August 7, 2017
Très belle surprise, hâte de lire la suite des aventures de Ian et Penny
December 27, 2017
Silly, light, breezy romance novel that still contains some erotic content but waaaaay less kink than Abigail Barnette's The Boss series. I enjoyed it for pure brain candy purposes.
March 6, 2018
4.5 stars.
November 14, 2019
Well, this was just too cute. Loved the devout Catholic who liked group sex and the agnostic virgin. Oh the irony. Super sweet story- definitely recommend.
January 22, 2022
Read on Radish. Love Ian and Penny!
February 24, 2022
âge gap 30 ans! j’ai adoré cette histoire, j’ai trouvé que l’écriture changeait de ce que j’avais l’habitude de lire, Ian et Penny sont très attachants
February 6, 2017
In First time la Barnette ha trattato un tema decisamente inusuale e di certo non facile come quello della notevole differenza di età che divide i due protagonisti di questo libro e lo ha fatto costruendo due personaggi assolutamente perfetti nel loro essere persone comuni e imperfette e imbastendogli intorno una storia credibile, delicata, romantica senza essere sdolcinata, verosimile e dalle sfumature inusuali anche se la trama non è particolarmente originale. La differenza la fanno le personalità dei personaggi, il loro modo di approcciarsi alla loro storia, come gestiscono quello che li circonda.
Penny è semplicemente strepitosa, solare, naif, innamorata della vita e amante degli animali, fortemente superstiziosa al punto da farsi condizionare la vita da una falsa maledizione familiare che i suoi genitori (che persone spregievoli..) le hanno fatto credere per impedirle di lasciarsi andare un po' troppo con i ragazzi. È proprio il fatto che ha aspettato l'uomo giusto fino a 22 anni che l'ha esposta ad una serie di delusioni amorose che l'hanno resa meno innocente, diffidente nei confronti dei maschi, e restia a lasciarsi andare. Ian la conquisterà con tutta la calma e la pazienza che si usa per avvicinare gli animali selvatici, anzi, di più, la prudenza di un riccio che si avvicina alla sua potenziale compagna cercando di non ferirsi. Ed è proprio questa la bellezza strepitosa del personaggio di Ian, che è esattamente l'opposto del classico maschio Alfa sicuro di se, carico di testosterone e pessime intenzioni che siamo abituate a leggere ultimamente. Ian è pacato per natura, docile, serio e prudente, ferito dalla vita e dalle esperienze, che fa un lavoro in cui è bravo ma che non ama particolarmente, che vuole solo mettere su famiglia e vederla crescere. Rimane sconcertato e affascinato dalla particolare personalità di Penny e si rende conto subito che lei è quella giusta, che per lei vale la pena aspettare, avere pazienza, lasciare che sia lei a dettare i tempi. È dolcissimo, innamorato, impacciato, profondamente devoto, provoca nel lettore una tenerezza incredibile e per questo è assolutamente irresistibile. Leggere poi il suo punto di vista, vedere Penny con i suoi occhi, conoscere i suoi sentimenti, le sue paure, è il punto di forza di questo libro, esattamente come conoscere e vedere lui con gli occhi di lei Continua su CrazyForRomance
Penny è semplicemente strepitosa, solare, naif, innamorata della vita e amante degli animali, fortemente superstiziosa al punto da farsi condizionare la vita da una falsa maledizione familiare che i suoi genitori (che persone spregievoli..) le hanno fatto credere per impedirle di lasciarsi andare un po' troppo con i ragazzi. È proprio il fatto che ha aspettato l'uomo giusto fino a 22 anni che l'ha esposta ad una serie di delusioni amorose che l'hanno resa meno innocente, diffidente nei confronti dei maschi, e restia a lasciarsi andare. Ian la conquisterà con tutta la calma e la pazienza che si usa per avvicinare gli animali selvatici, anzi, di più, la prudenza di un riccio che si avvicina alla sua potenziale compagna cercando di non ferirsi. Ed è proprio questa la bellezza strepitosa del personaggio di Ian, che è esattamente l'opposto del classico maschio Alfa sicuro di se, carico di testosterone e pessime intenzioni che siamo abituate a leggere ultimamente. Ian è pacato per natura, docile, serio e prudente, ferito dalla vita e dalle esperienze, che fa un lavoro in cui è bravo ma che non ama particolarmente, che vuole solo mettere su famiglia e vederla crescere. Rimane sconcertato e affascinato dalla particolare personalità di Penny e si rende conto subito che lei è quella giusta, che per lei vale la pena aspettare, avere pazienza, lasciare che sia lei a dettare i tempi. È dolcissimo, innamorato, impacciato, profondamente devoto, provoca nel lettore una tenerezza incredibile e per questo è assolutamente irresistibile. Leggere poi il suo punto di vista, vedere Penny con i suoi occhi, conoscere i suoi sentimenti, le sue paure, è il punto di forza di questo libro, esattamente come conoscere e vedere lui con gli occhi di lei Continua su CrazyForRomance
August 4, 2015
I'm torn about the rating.
The pessimistic, sad person in me: It was good, and there were some moments I truly loved, but overall, my excitement seems to have gotten the better of me and raised my expectations a tad too much.
Maybe this isn't meant as a stand-alone novel (or duo, as weird as it is to call two books “stand alone“) and that would be fantastic, because Abigail/Jenny hinted at so many great/complex things that, when there weren't 40k words for each single one of them, which I fully expected even as the 60, 70 and 80% mark passed me by, I was really sad about it all.
I really liked the characters, it's just that I'm sad about the book ending where it did. Their conflict (or that one particular conflict) was introduced rather late in the story, and when it was resolved, the story also just.. ended. I'm like, "The curtain's close, on a kiss god knows; we can tell the end is near... Where do we go from heeeeere??"
No, Jenny, where DO we go from here? TELL ME. Is this going to be another series? Are there going to be some novellas or whateverlength short stories? WHY WOULD YOU SINK YOUR HOOKS INTO ME WITH THE AWESOME TWEETAGE AND THEN LEAVE ME HANGING LIKE THIS? /PUTS ON FEDORA /BITES LIPS /HASHTAGS APPROPRIATELY (I hate myself so much right now.)
(Give me ice cream. I read this first, thinking it would prepare me for Magic Shifts. I wanted to have a good time before Ilona and Gordon would suck the life right ouf me, but no. I'm already bookdown going into this.)
The pessimistic, sad person in me: It was good, and there were some moments I truly loved, but overall, my excitement seems to have gotten the better of me and raised my expectations a tad too much.
Maybe this isn't meant as a stand-alone novel (or duo, as weird as it is to call two books “stand alone“) and that would be fantastic, because Abigail/Jenny hinted at so many great/complex things that, when there weren't 40k words for each single one of them, which I fully expected even as the 60, 70 and 80% mark passed me by, I was really sad about it all.
I really liked the characters, it's just that I'm sad about the book ending where it did. Their conflict (or that one particular conflict) was introduced rather late in the story, and when it was resolved, the story also just.. ended. I'm like, "The curtain's close, on a kiss god knows; we can tell the end is near... Where do we go from heeeeere??"
No, Jenny, where DO we go from here? TELL ME. Is this going to be another series? Are there going to be some novellas or whateverlength short stories? WHY WOULD YOU SINK YOUR HOOKS INTO ME WITH THE AWESOME TWEETAGE AND THEN LEAVE ME HANGING LIKE THIS? /PUTS ON FEDORA /BITES LIPS /HASHTAGS APPROPRIATELY (I hate myself so much right now.)
(Give me ice cream. I read this first, thinking it would prepare me for Magic Shifts. I wanted to have a good time before Ilona and Gordon would suck the life right ouf me, but no. I'm already bookdown going into this.)
August 9, 2015
Disappointingly similar to the version of this written from the heroine's perspective. I don't expect two people to recount (in the first person) identical snatches of conversation in identical quotes. On the other hand he seems like a sweet guy.
On the other hand, we see zero attempts by him at the start of the book to be dating anyone age appropriate, and, aside from wishing he were not so old and creaky (his words, not mine) and that he could understand more of her pop culture references, he does not seem to have any sense of what's missing when you date someone so very young.
The generation gap doesn't seem to exist, nor do they have any real strains, aside from his knees popping, due to their different places in life.
One hopes that as one ages, and accrues knowledge, experience, wisdom, funny stories, whatever, one gains. He does not feel any loss whatsoever in dating a woman who is basically a tabla rasa compared to women his age. He just admires her physical condition and is psyched she can have babies, unlike women his age.
I wonder if, as the author ages, she'll begin to think differently on these matters. 50-something women can be far more fascinating than 22 year olds. I hope she learns that someday.
On the other hand, we see zero attempts by him at the start of the book to be dating anyone age appropriate, and, aside from wishing he were not so old and creaky (his words, not mine) and that he could understand more of her pop culture references, he does not seem to have any sense of what's missing when you date someone so very young.
The generation gap doesn't seem to exist, nor do they have any real strains, aside from his knees popping, due to their different places in life.
One hopes that as one ages, and accrues knowledge, experience, wisdom, funny stories, whatever, one gains. He does not feel any loss whatsoever in dating a woman who is basically a tabla rasa compared to women his age. He just admires her physical condition and is psyched she can have babies, unlike women his age.
I wonder if, as the author ages, she'll begin to think differently on these matters. 50-something women can be far more fascinating than 22 year olds. I hope she learns that someday.
January 26, 2016
I love this story...maybe not the characters so much but the story in general was really good.
Penny... hhhmmm she was a bit juvenile but it was ok with me, I just needed her to stop being so extra "bubblegummy"
Ian...when did he become this self deprecating, loser? I mean he wasn't as suave as Neil in The Boss however the role that he played in the book was a lot better than what his character was in this book. I did still like him however the vision of him that I'd had in my mind in The Boss was not what I had of him in First Time; which is unfortunate because unlike Neil Ian kinda seemed like the old guy that did whatever it took for young tail (but only Penny's). IDK I liked the book but I just was not in love with how Ian was. I knew he wasn't an alpha male...but did that mean he had to be so passive?
There were a few moments when he "showed up" the parent scene and when his sister annoyed the shit out of him...and maybe twice with Penny. He just seemed to not have a back bone.
Ok...I've spazzed all over Ian enough.
I'd read the book again, it was really cute...nowhere near as amazing as The Boss but still a good read
Penny... hhhmmm she was a bit juvenile but it was ok with me, I just needed her to stop being so extra "bubblegummy"
Ian...when did he become this self deprecating, loser? I mean he wasn't as suave as Neil in The Boss however the role that he played in the book was a lot better than what his character was in this book. I did still like him however the vision of him that I'd had in my mind in The Boss was not what I had of him in First Time; which is unfortunate because unlike Neil Ian kinda seemed like the old guy that did whatever it took for young tail (but only Penny's). IDK I liked the book but I just was not in love with how Ian was. I knew he wasn't an alpha male...but did that mean he had to be so passive?
There were a few moments when he "showed up" the parent scene and when his sister annoyed the shit out of him...and maybe twice with Penny. He just seemed to not have a back bone.
Ok...I've spazzed all over Ian enough.
I'd read the book again, it was really cute...nowhere near as amazing as The Boss but still a good read
February 13, 2020
i finished reading the boss series then started the "by the numbers set." "first time" was way better than any of the boss series because it wasn't heavy or depressing. i fell in love w/ian because he was just a normal older man (of course w/money!) who had a 2nd chance at love w/a woman half his age. the sparks were mutual and i loved how he taught her everything. i didn't want to read about his experiences from the boss series & use it in this book when he first started dating penny. i just wanted a normal relationship for them. i liked that the series was his pov w/c generally never happens & also loved the fact that he was vulnerable. oh & the fortune cookies!!!
May 19, 2016
Maybe it's timing or the different POV but I loved this book! Seeing everything through Ian's eyes was really enjoyable. I almost regret giving Penny's version a low rating since I admit I was probably comparing it to the Sophie saga. Since I am further removed from that story now, I can view everything with a fresh eye and I really liked their chemistry.
My only complaint is the duel books setup. I don't want to read the same story twice. Alternating POVs would probably help keep things new and moving.
But I can't wait for the next books! Hope this goes on for a while!
My only complaint is the duel books setup. I don't want to read the same story twice. Alternating POVs would probably help keep things new and moving.
But I can't wait for the next books! Hope this goes on for a while!
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