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texannie's review
4.0
A few of the stories were amazing, some were decent and a couple I couldn't get through. All and all this is a good book to pick up for moments when you want to read a short story (or two) in full just before bed.
elisquared's review
5.0
I found this anthology completely by accident when I browsing the digital shelves of Barnes & Noble. And I'm glad I did! This anthology is filled with delightful stories about all sorts of first times. Each author does an amazing job in such a few short pages, and you can't beat the price at $2.99!
There is such a great mix within the anthology as well! There are the contemporaries, the fantastical, and the supernatural. Pretty much something for everyone. Some authors write in worlds which may be familiar to their readers, and others start in a new world. But each story doesn't leave you in the dark, and that's what makes an anthology like this work.
Each story is able to stand-alone on it's own merits, allowing the reader to enjoy them even if they haven't read the book series the tale may be set in. A high selling point for me! Of course I did have my favorites of the bunch: The Trouble with Firsts by Charity Tahmaseb, When Skies are Gray by Leigh Brescia, Freedom by Cyn Balog, Selling Mr. Peanut by Lara Zielin, Once Burned, Twice Shy by Jessica Verday, Turn Here by Jackson Pearce, and Heart On by Rohnda Stapleton.
Each story was as different as night and day, but all were so well-written and engrossing I wanted more. When I want more I know the book or story or poem was really something. I laughed, I cried, I screamed, and I cringed at one point or another in each story. When authors really dig into human characteristics like that, it is a gift.
If you're looking for an amazing anthology that is an amazing deal then look no further, The First Time will satisfy that need! However, as with too much of a good thing, you can overdose if you try to read the whole anthology in one sitting. The rollercoaster of emotions, styles, and plots will have you dizzy by the end, so I suggest flipping through and reading two to three at a time. This way you can really experience your first time with the story (see what I did there? Huh? huh?)!
There is such a great mix within the anthology as well! There are the contemporaries, the fantastical, and the supernatural. Pretty much something for everyone. Some authors write in worlds which may be familiar to their readers, and others start in a new world. But each story doesn't leave you in the dark, and that's what makes an anthology like this work.
Each story is able to stand-alone on it's own merits, allowing the reader to enjoy them even if they haven't read the book series the tale may be set in. A high selling point for me! Of course I did have my favorites of the bunch: The Trouble with Firsts by Charity Tahmaseb, When Skies are Gray by Leigh Brescia, Freedom by Cyn Balog, Selling Mr. Peanut by Lara Zielin, Once Burned, Twice Shy by Jessica Verday, Turn Here by Jackson Pearce, and Heart On by Rohnda Stapleton.
Each story was as different as night and day, but all were so well-written and engrossing I wanted more. When I want more I know the book or story or poem was really something. I laughed, I cried, I screamed, and I cringed at one point or another in each story. When authors really dig into human characteristics like that, it is a gift.
If you're looking for an amazing anthology that is an amazing deal then look no further, The First Time will satisfy that need! However, as with too much of a good thing, you can overdose if you try to read the whole anthology in one sitting. The rollercoaster of emotions, styles, and plots will have you dizzy by the end, so I suggest flipping through and reading two to three at a time. This way you can really experience your first time with the story (see what I did there? Huh? huh?)!
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