3 STARS

Flirting With Forty by Jane Porter is an elegantly written, thoughtful, honest novel and excellent Mom Lit reading.

I am 44, single and childless, and cannot personally relate much to the main characters who are all either married or divorced with children and live within an extremely comfortable income tax bracket not wanting for anything but love and attention. However, I can totally agree with main character Jacqueline’s statement,

“Because honestly, I’ve lived long enough to know we don’t always get what we deserve. We don’t always get the good we should.” As well as, “I am still, at forty, too romantic, too emotional, too sensitive, too intense.”

That’s very true of me and my experience. Jacqueline, of course, does get the good she should in the end and her life, and Jane Porter’s, might surprise her occasionally with challenges, but for the most part they are incredibly blessed, beautiful women who lead charmed lives. It’s hard not to be envious of them.

Perhaps the lesson here is that we can all lead charmed lives if we take risks and believe that we deserve to have what we want and to never settle for less. But how many of us really get to have the gorgeous, younger, six-pack toting, surf instructor boyfriend who makes us feel sexy? Ah ha, that’s what I thought. That being said, I’m looking forward to reading more of Jane Porter’s books.

Flirting With Forty was made into a television movie starring Heather Locklear and Robert Buckley and aired on Saturday, December 6, 2008 on the Lifetimechannel. You can learn more at www.mylifetime.com. Entertainment Weekly reviewed if very favourably too.

For all things Jane Porter (and you should get to know her because she’s a really lovely lady!), go to her official website.

Jane also has a MySpace profile and a Facebook fan page.