What people say about our books

Top Tips for making new friends and enjoying successful relationships by friendsfirst

“Thank you very much for responding so promptly to my application from.  I'm very impressed with the Top Tips booklet: sensible and thoughtful.” (Pat, Practice Nurse)

“Your accompanying booklet ‘Top Tips’ – I find that absolutely brilliant – congratulations to you. I’m looking forward to making new friends.”  (Carol, Retired)

“I found the free Top Tips book you sent me at the beginning of my membership very useful and I was able to apply a lot of it to myself.” (David, Bank Clerk)

“Your Top Tips book has excellent tips in it.” (Jan, Administrator)

“Your book has been very useful. It gives you the confidence to contact other people and realise that everyone is nervous”. (Anon)

“Your booklet for tips on making friends really is excellent”    (Jeanne, Organist)                                                                                                              

 “Your Top Tips book is wonderful, some of the points made are so useful”  (Martin, Lawyer)                                                                                                        

 “I found reading your top tips booklet very useful and it helped me to feel more confident about starting making contacts”   (Maureen, Counsellor)

“Your 'Top Tips' book is well put together and very useful to someone who has been out of the dating game for a while” 

(Joy, Translator)

“I’ve read your 'Top Tips' booklet and it really inspired me. It put me onto a completely different wavelength and has really opened my mind up to new possibilities. I really like the way you wrote it.”   (Jane, Child Minder)

“Thank you for all the literature you’ve sent me on joining friendsfirst. I’ve found it really really useful. The 'Top Tips' is a great read and it’s got some really sensible advice in it. Writing it was an excellent idea – it’s fantastic. Thank you.”                        (Janice)

“Many thanks indeed for sending me the M&S vouchers – much appreciated! I have just read right through the ‘Top tips’ book, and think it is really excellent, so honest and helpful- and the drawings are wonderful! Thank you again for all your help. Best wishes.” 

(Susan, Translator)

"I found your top tips book very practical and very good. A really nice guide.” (Wendy, RGN)

“Your top tips books was great. The bit on maturing age was excellent and how to write and contact people was very very helpful.” 

(Alan, Retired)

“I'm really pleased with the book you sent me. It has a wealth of information in it that is very useful. I found it very good indeed. It's really helped me to take the bull by the horns and get on with contacting others. It's been very valuable to me and I've also been very encouraged by it.” (Kevin, Postman)

“It is a good book. It was very helpful with regards to correspondence and how to approach people and how to keep a friendship open. I need it all and it was really helpful. It's helped me to contact other people.” (Daniel, Accountant)

“There's some very valuable content in your top tips book which I found very useful. It's obvious but sometimes you nee the obvious pointed out to you to make you think about it.” (Linda, Nurse)

“Many I thought it was very good. It is true that I'm not very good at making friends but it has given me confidence. This kind of thing isn't easy - sometimes it can be diffcult and embarrassing.” 

(Pam, Housewife)

Risking Romance again - Dating After Divorce - by David Robertson

“I’ve read David’s book [Risking Romance Again – Dating after Divorce] from cover to cover many times. It’s absolutely brilliant and it’s been fantastically helpful. It’s excellent and I’ve been recommending it to all my friends.”  (Theresa, Local govt Officer)

“Your book – Risking Romance Again, Dating after Divorce – is brilliant. It’s just so real. I’ve read my copy 3 times. The author really hits the nail on the head. He really understands what it’s like to be divorced and starting again. I’ve never read anything like it. I’ve bought another copy to give to a friend. I’d definitely recommend it to others.”  (Bridget, PA)

“The book about risking romance after divorce is excellent”      (Karen, Doctor)

"I found it to be a concise, well-structured and funny short book containing

a wealth of wisdom and advice.  I will find it a valuable reference aid if I ever progress

to the "courtship" stage!  (Mary, Teacher)

Looking for love the second time round - a guide to making new friends and relationships for widows and widowers by friendsfirst

“Thank you for sending the ‘Looking for Love the Second time round’ book. Infact it was the information in it that decided me to join your organisation.” (Noel, 66 - Retired)

"I have enjoyed reading the widows guide and I think you are going to help a lot of people with it." (Bernard)

"Though I have been happily married for 9 months now (Jan 07); I have found this book very helpful and informative. Reading it reminded me of the struggles I had faced, and I realized I hadn't gone through some of the issues written about until I’d read the book. It was helpful to know that others had faced similar issues and were prepared to share them.

Reading about comparing potential partners with one’s deceased spouse reminded me of when I’d written my profile for friendsfirst. I was so conscious of not wanting to replace my first husband that I went too far the other way. I made the description of who I wanted to meet so different, and I set my expectations so high that it was possibly quite off putting for some people reading it. In fact this is what happened Brian read my profile and although he was initially interested he was also put off by some things I’d said. It was only because I rang him and we had a few conversations, and then met and got to know each other, that we both realized we were compatible. We then realized what each of us were looking for, and the rest is history as they say.

However after marriage I have found myself comparing him to my first husband, without realizing it, and reading this book has reminded me of the dangers of doing this.It is true that a person doesn’t have to have been through the same life experiences in order for a relationship to work. In my case I’d often told Brian, in the early stages of our relationship, that I didn’t see how it could work out, as he had never been married, bereaved or had children as I had, so could never understand me. However to his credit he persevered, replying that he didn’t believe this, and wanted a chance to try to understand, by asking questions and listening, which he did, and still continues to do. His willingness and success in doing this has been greatly responsible for the success of our relationship. Living in a new partner’s house, I believe, is a difficult one as the books mentions."  (Sheila, Foster Carer)

"I found the widows guide to be really well put together and the added sense of humour is brilliant - one needs that!!"  (John - Financial Advisor)