Tuesday, November 29, 2022

Review and Giveaway - - Flirting with the Beast

Flirting with the Beast
by Jane Porter
Modern Love - Book 2
Publisher: Berkley
Release Date: November 29
Reviewed by PJ




It’s been five years since Andi McDermott lost her husband, and she's finally starting to feel like herself again, ready to live fully—she’s even started dating again. But when her holiday plans with her stepson and his fiancée fall through, she refuses to spend another Christmas alone while everyone is celebrating with their families. Impulsively, she decides to go up to her cabin in Lake Arrowhead, a place she used to love to visit but hadn’t gone to in years, not since the feud started between her husband and their nearest neighbor.

 
Andi starts to rethink her decision when being alone at the cabin proves to be more challenging than she expected—a heavy snowstorm hits the area, and Andi finds herself trapped there with no one to help except for her neighbor, Wolf Enders. A military vet who lives full-time on Lake Arrowhead, Wolf is as grumpy and intimidating as Andi remembers. But he’s also unexpectedly kind and uncomfortably sexy—his presence reminds Andi that she may be older, but her body still works perfectly fine, thank you very much. But can this good girl tame this sexy beast of a man, and will this snowy fling turn into a love of a lifetime?

PJ's Thoughts:

I am thoroughly enjoying the mature love stories in Jane Porter's new Modern Love series. These characters have a fair amount of life experience and all that brings with it. They're proving you're never too old to start over, to fall in love, and to grow. I love that Porter has created complex characters with complicated family dynamics, unpacked emotional baggage, relationship wariness, and sizzling desire. 

Andi and Wolf are fully developed, realistic and very relatable. In Wolf, Porter has perfectly captured a true alpha, very stubborn male. It was fun to watch the sparks he and Andi created, especially in light of his contentious past with her late husband. Watching Andi grow into her confidence and strength was especially satisfying. In many ways, even though she has several decades behind her, this is her coming of age story and it was heartening to see her take control of her life. 

There were times when I wondered if these two would be able to find their way through their own emotional roadblocks. Porter gave them the time to work through issues - separately and together - before leading them to their happy ending.  They created laughter, steam, friction, and deep emotional upheaval along the way but that made their eventual happily ever after all the more satisfying and believable.

If you enjoy heart-tugging contemporary romance with mature lead characters, give Flirting with the Beast a try. I highly recommend it.


Do you enjoy alpha heroes?

Have you read any romances featuring mature characters that you would recommend?

Have you read any Jane Porter books yet?

One randomly chosen person who posts a comment before 11:00 PM, December 1 will receive a print copy of Flirting with the Beast.

*U.S. only
*Must be 18
*Void where prohibited

 


13 comments:

  1. Patricia Bennett BarberNovember 29, 2022 at 6:05 AM

    Love Jane Porter books and that these books are about women over 50!!!
    Love reading a book with a women that is single and over 50 with real problems. It's like , hey I know what she is going through.

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  2. Love Jane's books!

    Denise

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  3. I don't recall if I have read any of Jane's books; this one sounds wonderful. I have read a few with older h/h and one comes to mind, the Dad in the Godfather series by Roxanne St. Claire, Old Dog New Tricks.

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  4. Jane Porter's stories have given me enjoyment for years. When the story involves mature individuals it is even better since it relates to me now.

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  5. Since I am older than dirt, I like the idea that not everyone who falls in love must be 21. This is a new to me author. She sounds like someone I would enjoy reading. I know I have read some stories with older characters, but for the life of me I cannot recall a single title right now. Thanks for the terrific review.

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  6. (Not entering as not in the US) I love reading stories about mature couples, and did even when I was less than 40, which was a while ago. I remember reading Jane Porter's Flirting with Forty, at a time when things were a bit hard for me, and loving it. I recently read a few romcoms by Judy Leigh, a British writer who features heroines over 70 !! Which is still a long way off for me. A Year of Mr Maybes, for example. They are light, easy to read and fun, and they make me feel happy to think that life does not finish at 30.

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  7. There are not nearly enough romances with mature adults as the H & H! A sure sign is that I can't think of any that I've read recently. I know Jane Porter published Flirting with Forty, but haven't read it yet.

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  8. Love seasoned romances. Just proves no one is to old to find love!! Love Jane Porter’s books!!

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  9. Beauty and the Beast is my favorite trope, so this will be an enjoyable book. I do enjoy alpha heroes as long as they do not come on as too strong and a brute. They can be a strong alpha and still recognize the strength, intelligence, and worth of women.

    Sheila Roberts is an author I thoroughly enjoy. She does an excellent job of exploring and depicting relationships between couples of varying ages. Her current Christmas book, The Road To Christmas, is a perfect example. It deals with couples at different stages of their lives: 20/30's, their parents, their grandparents. They are all dealing with romance issues of different types and in different ways. Love takes many forms and is expressed in different ways but is valid and important in all of them.

    I have read a few Jane Porter books, but it has been a while.

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  10. Love Jane's books they are always an amazing read. Thanks for your great generosity. Linda May

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  11. I haven't read one of Jane's books in a while - this one is perfect for a December red.

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  12. I love alpha heroes!
    I have read several of Jane’s category romances. I own Flirting With Forty. I have not read Flirting With Fifty yet.
    Books with mature characters:
    Carla Neggers’ Knightsbridge series
    Robyn Carr’s Virgin River series
    Debbie Macomber’s Cedar Cove and Lost Harbor and several of her stand-alone books.
    Sherryl Woods’ Sweet Magnolias and Chesapeake Shores
    Susan Wiggs’ Lakeshore Chronicle series and her Bella Vista series

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  13. I have not ready anything by Jane Porter. Looking forward to checking out this new author!

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