Flirting With Forty: Jane Porter

Having just turned forty myself, and being a single mom on top of that, I picked up this book anticipating a fun, uplifting How Stella Got Her Groove Back type story.

A year has passed since Jackie’s divorce from her cheating husband. Now it’s Christmas, and nothing is the same. Daniel, the ex, has his younger, professional girlfriend. Jackie just has the blues, still trying to pick up the pieces and wondering what’s left. When her friend, Ann, plans a girls’ trip to Hawaii to celebrate Jackie’s upcoming fortieth birthday, it seems just what Jackie needs to get out of her rut. When Ann cancels at the last minute, Jackie takes the plunge and goes alone. When she meets Kai, the young hard bodied surf instructor, life as she knows it will never be the same.

I have to say this book was a big letdown for me. I felt I was stuck in the character’s very confused, depressed head and couldn’t escape. Like surfer boy states “you’re thinking too much.” This book would have held me longer if a little more detail and personality of character were added, let alone more dialogue. There wasn’t enough interaction with Jackie and Kai to even find this island romance believable. And I felt like pulling my hair out when Kai called Jackie “girl” for the seemingly millionth time. Even the sex was vague. I was left craving more, more, more.

The idea is good, and most women can relate to the conflicts Jackie is going through, but it’s hard to care enough about the character to do more than yawn. The most anticipation I felt was to see which of three predictable endings were in store for the reader; Jackie gets back with the ex, she meets a new more appropriate man for herself in Seattle, or she ends up making it work with the stud muffin from Hawaii and she lives happily ever after.

You’ll have to read it to find out.
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Paperback: 368 pages
Publisher: 5 Spot (July 13, 2006)
ISBN-10: 0446697265
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