Flirting with Forty

The first thing I have to say is that whoever wrote the Publishers Weekly review that mentioned the "gratuitous" sex scenes has never been a woman dating a sexy younger man (and too bad for her:-). Ditto for the reviewer saying the heroine cried too easily. I seldom cry, but I sure cried a lot when my heart was broken, and I cried reading this book. I don't even have children, but I could relate to Jackie, her guilt over perhaps not putting her children first, her anger over being expected to behave a certain way and to settle for something that everyone else thinks is right for her, and her fears that she's lost the chance (too old) to have what she wants, and I daresay every other woman out there can too. I loved this story, the show more characters, but especially the honesty with which Ms. Porter portrayed Jackie's emotions. This story gives us all hope that if we lead (or live!) with ours heart, we'll get what we deserve. A GREAT read full of honesty, heart, and hope show less

When I read the description...I had to have this book. Let me say...I loved it. :) Being a former single mom, I could definitely relate to part of Jackie's dilemma. You want to be a good mom, but you also need to not just let your life slip away. There is no crime in being happy. Though I was a single mom with no real parental involvement from the other half...I kind of envied her ability to even go to Hawaii. :) I just don't know anyone who can do that.

Jane captures much of the vulnerability that so many of us women have felt in our lives as single women, single moms, even married women. Sometimes our desire to be happy is beaten down by what we need to get done. Often we cannot live in the moment, because of fears. It was touching, show more seeing Jackie reach out for a happy life, a love life and a balanced life. She learns to find joy in all things. She learns to find happiness and not just in a man but in life.

There are things that Jackie does that I would not do...NOW. That is because I have been where Jackie has been. I am now happier on the other side. :)

I really enjoyed this book more and more as I got into it. I liked that sex was involved, but it wasn't about heaving body parts or remotely graphic. I felt for Jackie through a lot of her emotions. It has definite highs and lows. It is not entirely realistic, but then again...it is. show less

In a nutshell: I LOVE this book! Jane Porter has written a wonderful book about Jackie, a newly divorced mother of two who is finally becoming an "adult," discovering herself, taking chances and finding love. Written in a wonderfully fresh style by a Seattleite who has obviously visited Hawaii herself - what could be better (I live near Seattle!). There are some wonderful "ah-hah" moments within the book. I am not one to dog-ear a book, but this one has about nine - NINE - because there were comments or thoughts I wanted to ponder and return to. This book was recently made into a Lifetime Movie starring Heather Locklear which will air on December 6th. It was a lot of fun to read the book with the image of Heather as Jackie!

My Review:
I show more found out that Flirting With Forty by Jane Porter had been made into a Lifetime Movie starring Heather Locklear that will air on December 6th. Because of that I had to read the book FIRST! I absolutely fell in love with the style of writing and the characters. I was also amazed at how easily I could relate to Jackie! (And no - I'm not 40 yet - I've got just over 8 years to go still)

First of all, the book starts of with a bit of comedy surrounding the Christmas tree - from searching in the rain for the perfect tree, to settling and simply trying to get it home and into the house. If you don't end up chuckling at some point within the first few pages, there is something wrong and you must HATE the holidays!

Jane has included some great "ah-hah" moments for me. For example, she has some great insights into women, such as how we see ourselves, how we feel about our kids, and how we simply think TOO much sometimes! (My husband tells me that all the time, and through this book, I was able to see what he is talking about - talk about a wake-up call)! Jackie seems like she is much happier when she isn't thinking quite so hard - you will know what I mean when you read the book!

Characters: All the characters in the book are wonderfully written, each with his or her own personality. They seem so real - with real happiness and real sorrow - real people like you and me, only they have something to share with the reader. The chemistry between Jackie and Kai seems very real, as are her relationships with her kids and her friends.

Story-Line: Life after a divorce in a world where your friends are all married with kids isn't easy, especially since you are no longer "popular" because you are no longer a "couple" with kids doing things with your "couple" friends and their kids. Add in a special vacation and a long-distance boyfriend who changes the way the main character sees herself, and this is a fun and insightful read! Don't get me wrong - the story has humor, adventure, love, friendships, heartbreak and loss - but you won't be disappointed! Sometimes you need the sorrow in order to appreciate the things in front of you.

Readability: I found the book easy to read . . . and fun. The book started off with a humerus bang and just kept me enthralled! The dialog is fun and entertaining, and the descriptions are great.

Overall: I simply adore this book, which is even more fun with the knowledge that Heather Locklear will be playing the role of Jackie in the upcoming Lifetime Movie! With some great insights, fun adventures, and supportive friends, this book is a must-read. It has a bonus in that Jane has stated on her blog that she loves to see her characters happy - the ending won't disappoint! show less

Thanks to Miriam at Hachette Book Group I was lucky enough to get Flirting With Forty to read for the Early Bird Blog tour over at Book Blog.

Jane Porter has written an amazing book about a woman caught in the middle of her life, 40, not knowing what direction her life is taking her. Jackie is a mother, ex-wife and alone, until her girlfriend gives her a trip to Hawaii for them to take for her 40th birthday. After her girlfriend has something come up and she can't make it, Jackie is once again alone with her thoughts about what is missing in her life. Not knowing what to do with herself, she finds Kai. He is handsome, tanned, younger, and a surfboard instructor. A passionate fling begins. Both think it will last only until the end of show more Jackie's trip, but it becomes much more than that. The distance in their separation is the pacific ocean, but this only intensifies their love. Will the differences of age and lives pull them apart? With all her friends against her, Jackie must make a decision...that may change her life forever!

I absolutely love this book. If I can start a book, not want to put it down and then think about the characters even when not reading...I know it is a GREAT book. Jane Porter has created great characters in her book that come to life from beginning to end. This story is much more than age difference, social status or older woman with a younger man. It expressed to me that two people who enjoy being with each other should work hard to make things work, no matter what conflicts they might face. The wit and wisdom Jackie showed in not giving in to 'just being' in a life that gave her no fulfillment, clicked on a lightbulb in my head (yes, I can relate being 44). Jackie's ability to step out of her comfort zone by taking surfboard lessons, opened new doors for her life to follow. We all need a little fun and relaxation in our lives, so make sure to have a marguerita by the pool sometime. You never know who might be walking by..... show less

I want to go to Hawaii so bad. I've been there once for a layover on the way to Malaysia but that doesn't count. Therefore, I adore books where I get to armchair travel to this spot. Luckily for me this book allowed me to travel several times throughout the course of the story. Jackie's story, while not one I can relate to, was enjoyable to read and it was really nice to read how she was able to finally come out of her shell. She got to enjoy herself and discover that there was a part of her that existed that didn't have to have ties with her ex husband.

I did like Kai, though at times I was a bit worried for Jackie's sake that he wasn't as faithful as she was. Of course, we only got the perspective from Jackie so we don't know what was show more going on meanwhile back in Hawaii with Kai. Without spoiling the story, I felt that an extremely crucial situation in the book could have been handled differently. At the very least, anyone involved in the situation should have been told regardless of the outcome and by the end of the story, it is not mentioned if it ever will be. There are a few sex scenes in the book but there's nothing too graphic.

I really did not like Jackie's ex husband. He was the typical ex-husband who has no problem leaving his wife for a younger woman but God forbid she wants to start having a life. Jackie should be glad she's not married to him anymore and his new girlfriend must live in a bubble if she thinks she's found the perfect guy. I just wanted to hit him several times. I also wanted to strangle Jackie's friends. Right from the get-go, I knew they were not the best friends for her. As soon as Anne calls and tells her she can't go on the trip with her and gives a flimsy excuse about her husband, I knew that we were dealing with some weak women. Instead of being happy for her or at least giving her sound good advice, her so called friends keep bringing her down and keep trying to discourage Jackie. I don't know if it was jealousy or just plain cattiness but I got really mad at them.

Overall I really enjoyed this book as I have other Jane Porter books. It's a light funny read and I would describe it as older chick lit, but not quite hen lit yet.

By the way I was able to catch some of the Lifetime movie that was based on this book. Let me tell you the book is SO much better than the movie. From the 30 minutes I was able to view, I was deeply disappointed in how they changed Kai's character to Kyle and how Heather Locklear looks way older than 40 and heavily botoxed. That is all. show less

Flirting with Forty is the second Jane Porter novel I have read [review of Mrs. Perfect], and I can't believe it's actually taken me this long to pick up her books! They are funny, heartwarming, and completely addictive; they have this quality where they draw you in and keep you there until the novel is over. And even at that point, they leave you wanting more.

I really enjoyed reading about Jackie's self-exploration and development in this novel. I liked how she wasn't perfect; she'd make a vow to be happy, but just a few pages later, she'd be upset about something. The point was that while it wasn't going to be easy to succeed, she was trying. It was both realistic and reassuring; too often in novels, once a character makes a show more realization about him or herself, the change is lightning quick. Jackie's experiences assure the reader that life is not supposed to be that easy or simple; if you want to make a change, you have to work at it.

I have to say that I didn't really like any of the secondary characters in the novel. Of course, I enjoyed reading about Kai, and Jackie's children were fine, but both Jackie's friends and her ex-husband were pretty despicable. My problems with her ex-husband were pretty self-explanatory. He was a miserable person who did his best to find fault in and criticize Jackie every opportunity that he could. Her friends are a bit more complicated. They are entirely unsupportive and can't seem to understand Jackie's desire to have something different in her life. Even if they don't approve, isn't it the job of a friend to express concerns and reservations, and once these are aired, to be supportive? The character of Anne especially irked me - the way she could dish out criticism of Jackie's every movie, yet she couldn't bear to hear criticism of herself.

All of that being said, Flirting with Forty was an extremely enjoyable read that kept me hooked until the very last page. Jane Porter's novels are longer than the average chick lit read, but it doesn't seem to make a difference. The books don't drag on at all and the pages fly by quickly because her stories are so engrossing.

Flirting with Forty is now a Lifetime movie starring Heather Locklear which premieres on Saturday, Dec. 6 at 9 PM ET/PT [website]. I'll write a review of the movie after I watch it, so make sure to check back!

And finally, I just want to give a big thank you to Miriam at Hachette for sending me this book to review!

From S. Krishna's Books show less

It is Christmas and Jackie is having a rough time. She has been divorced for a year and is struggling to raise her two small children while watching her ex strut around with his new hot girlfriend. As if that wasn't enough, in a few short weeks she will be turning the big 4-0. It's a low point, no question.

Fortunately Jackie has friends that love her. They are all married friends from her pre-divorce days but still, they are supportive. When one of them insists on a girls weekend in Hawaii to celebrate the dreaded birthday, Jackie reluctantly agrees. It seems par for the course that her friend has to cancel at the last minute but insists that she go on alone. By herself. Fun, fun, she thinks.

But once there, it's quite nice. Warm sun, show more blue water. And the surprising surf instructor, Kai, who shows a flattering interest in Jackie. He's gorgeous, ten years younger, but they hit it off and soon a vacation fling has been flung. But to Jackie it feels like more than that. Now she is arranging her schedule so that she can return to Hawaii and spend more time with Kai. Never mind that she has responsibilities, that it can never work out between them. A little happiness after the difficulties that Jackie has been through is what she desperately needs.

This is the story of a woman recreating herself, breaking out of the sameness of her life and learning to reach for the happiness and joy that everyone deserves. It is a thoughtful but fun book that I greatly enjoyed. Jane Porter has a nice way of blending the serious with the playful. show less