Book Review for Flirting with Fifty by Jane Porter

 Flirting with Fifty by Jane Porter 

Genre:  Contemporary Romance

Paperback, 336 pages

Published May 24th 2022 by Berkley Books

 

Taken from Goodreads:  A sexy and sparkling later-in-life contemporary romance about a woman who leaps out of her comfort zone and takes a chance on love by New York Times bestselling author Jane Porter.

Paige Newsom is finally at a place in her life where she's comfortable. She loves her job as a college professor in Southern California, lives close enough to her mother to visit her regularly, and has three daughters who are flourishing in their own careers. Paige has no plans to upend her life again after her divorce eight years ago, but she's about to embark on a new adventure: co-teaching a course that includes a three-week international field study.

Paige can think of a dozen reasons why she shouldn't go, one being a dazzling Australian biologist who will be teaching alongside her. Professor Jack King is charismatic, a world traveler, and more like Indiana Jones than Indiana Jones, all of which unsettles Paige, who prides herself on being immune to any man's charms. As the two co-professors lead the rigorous program together, first on campus, then in beautiful Tanzania, Paige's biggest challenge will be working closely with Jack while resisting the undeniable chemistry she feels when she's with him.

My Thoughts:  Jane Porter is an author I have read before and enjoyed so much.  Flirting with Fifty is a book I was looking forward to and am so happy that I read.  I love the characters, Paige and Jack are interesting “older’ characters who are not looking for love, but both deserve to find a happy ever after.  I love that they had a history together, but that history did not define where their relationship could head in the future.  Mostly, I love how Paige, since her divorce, has come into herself.  She knows what she wants and deserves and is not willing to settle. 

Flirting with Fifty is an easy read.   The story had some depth, lots of romance, “older” characters that are very relatable, and a storyline that pulls the reader right in.   I felt like I was right with Paige and Jack as they work through their current lives.   Their children play a small role in their decision-making, as they should since they are all grown.  I enjoyed how they talk to their children but do not make decisions based on their children. Their hearts are the true leaders in what will happen next for each of them. 

I recommend this book to anyone who loves an Indiana Jones-type male character and a smart, independent female character.  

**Thank you Chelsea Pascoe at Penguin Random House for a copy of the book in exchange for my honest review.

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Meet Jane Porter (Taken from Goodreads):  Born in Visalia, California, I'm a small town girl at heart. I love central California's golden foothills, oak trees, and the miles of farmland. In my mind, there's nothing sweeter in the world than the heady fragrance of orange blossoms on a sultry summer night.

As a little girl I spent hours on my bed, staring out the window, dreaming of far off places, fearless knights, and happy-ever-after endings. In my imagination I was never the geeky bookworm with the thick coke-bottle glasses, but a princess, a magical fairy, a Joan-of-Arc crusader.

My parents fed my imagination by taking our family to Europe for a year when I was thirteen. The year away changed me (I wasn't a geek for once!) and overseas I discovered a huge and wonderful world with different cultures and customs. I loved everything about Europe, but felt especially passionate about Italy and those gorgeous Italian men (no wonder my first very Presents hero was Italian).

I confess, after that incredible year in Europe, the travel bug bit, and bit hard. I spent much of my high school and college years abroad, studying in South Africa, Japan and Ireland. South Africa remains a country of my heart, the people, the land and politics complex and heart-wrenching.

After my years of traveling and studying I had to settle down and earn a living. With my Bachelors degree from UCLA in American Studies, a program that combines American literature and American history, I've worked in sales and marketing, as well as a director of a non-profit foundation. Later I earned my Masters in Writing from the University of San Francisco and taught jr. high and high school English.

I now live in Seattle and Hawaii with my three sons. I never mind a rainy day, either, because that's when I sit at my desk and write stories about far-away places, fascinating people, and most importantly of all, love. I like a story with a happy ending. We all do.