Francis Ray

Borrowing characters from a previous novel, I Know Who Holds Tomorrow, Ray uses general contractor Zachary and his wife, Madison Holman, the adoptive parents of Manda, as the launching pad for this latest series, A Family Affair. In this first book, WHEN MORNING COMES, readers meet Dr. Cade Mathis. Cade is an accomplished neurosurgeon, determined to shake off the dust of his abusive childhood. He can’t understand why his mother never wanted him, and he has no idea who his father might be. show more Doesn’t matter, as he’s become the success he is in spite of them both.

Hospital patient advocate Sabrina Thomas transferred from her prior position after her outspokenness and loyal concern for her patients made her working environment untenuable. Her background is completely different than Cade’s, and yet not as different as he may think. Sabrina and Cade must work together on a hospital project, and she determines to find the humanity beneath the cold, unfeeling surface of Dr. Mathis.

This explosive story begins deceptively, as an ordinary—although no story in the hands of Francis Ray could ever be called “ordinary”—romance. But as the story unfolds, Ray drops a bomb or two into her plot that elevates the story to another level. Expecting to enjoy the story, I went from gently turning pages to whipping them to get from one to the next as quickly as possible.

What I enjoy about Ray’s romances is that she makes readers feel her characters’ angst. Her writing is savvy, as are her characters, as she recounts her romantic tales in smart, sensuous terms, giving readers enough to get them hot and bothered by the taut action as much as by the gratifying romance.

An added bonus is the additional story of Kara Simmons, Sabrina’s neighbor and also a hospital employee, who struggles with honoring a commitment to her dying father to care for her overbearing mother. She finds respite in her art, something she has kept to herself, that is, until she meets Tristan Landers. Two satisfying romances for the price of one is always a good buy. WHEN MORNING COMES is a highly recommended read. show less

Shannon goes to Texas hoping to find some peace from the land, after a devastating death in the family has her questioning her future as a nurse. The old homstead that a friend willed to her seems like the perfect place to rest and reflect--but when her friend's brother Matt finds her on the land--his land!--he seems bound and determined to drive her off--despite the intense physical attraction between them.
The story in this romance novel is engaging enough, and the emotional barriers that show more have to be broken down for these two to get together makes the romance interesting as well. I'd rate 'R' for the sensuality though. show less

This was the first book by Francis Ray I've read and I thoroughly enojyed it. The characters where well developed and felt like people you might meet in your own town. The story itself was well written, I loved that there wasn't just one flawed person just as in real life every person had their own quirks and sruggles. Worth the reading time.

Attracted to this book because the author has previously been on the NYT best selling lists, and the description of a successful doctor, abused by his adoptive parents, who reconnects with his family in surprising ways. I was not expecting your typical romance. Had I known, I probably would not have sought out this book. Even so, it was a generally engaging tale. Some of the plot twists were hackneyed and the 'deus ex machina' ending felt contrived to me. I finished in a few hours, found it show more an easy read and would recommend to those who do enjoy romance novels. show less