Thursday, Dec 4, 2008

Book Review: Flirting With Forty

I Want A Hawaiian Hunk!

I was fortunate enough to be included in this very fun, and for me very relatable, book tour with the Early Birds Blog Tour Group. When I signed up for the tour, I had no idea that I would receive a handful of Jane Porter’s books! Awesome! So, I dug in right away and found a lot of fun in Porter’s books.

First and foremost, you must know that Jane Porter is Jane will be appearing on the Grand Central Publishing Blog Talk Radio Station on 12/5 at 1PM ET (See info on how to get in on it -in blue type- below). So, if you are a fan, dial in and enjoy!

Also, this delightful book has been made into An Original Lifetime Movie starring Heather Locklear and it airs tomorrow night! So, if you’re busy reading… set your TIVO’s or DVR’s!

A little background… the heroine and narrator of this story is Jackie. She is a 39 year old, divorced mother of two facing her 40th birthday. Sound familiar? TOO FAMILIAR! So, Jackie and I are in the same boat… time to put on my comfy robe and dig in!

The Review:

Title: Flirting With Forty, A Novel

Author: Jane Porter

Author’s Website: www.JanePorter.Com

Publisher:5 Spot Group – Hachette Books USA

Publisher’s Website: www.5-spot.com

Type: Fiction

Number of Pages: 354 (Paperback)

ISBN #: 978-0-446-69726-2

Flirting With Fortyis a “right up my alley” kind of book. I just love getting lost in books similar to this one. I guess you can best compare it with Jennifer Weiner’s style. Jane Porter has written a story that divorced moms, nearing 40 can relate to. Jackie, our main character, is a lovely 39 year old woman dealing with being divorced and a mother of two children. The book starts out with a scene of Jackie taking her kids out Christmas tree shopping. Of course, it was raining, the kids weren’t on their best behavior, and she is responsible for lugging it home and getting it up. This totally cracks me up, because I HAVE been there! So, now… I have the loveliest, pre-lit ARTIFICAL tree to avoid such drama scenes as the Christmas Tree Capers. Immediately, I could relate to Jackie.

Jane With Jackie (Locklear) and Kai (Buckley)

Jane does a terrific job in bringing the kids true characters and voices to life in the story. It sounds like a scene out of my home, only mine is worse with the twins! Jackie hosts a Christmas Eve Party, in which she has cooked for “50″ and invited three of her friends and their families. She goes to great lengths to cook the perfect food, have the place just right, and present herself well, only to have them all leave early and not eat the dinner she prepared. They had assumed that they were coming over for drinks and appetizers, but needed to be home early enough to get their turkeys out of their ovens. Jackie is devastated…. I’ve been there too! It’s hard to adjust to a single mom life. You don’t really fit in with your married friends anymore and you certainly cannot relate to single friends without kids.

Jackie’s friend attempts to make it up to her by planning a trip to Hawaii to celebrate Jackie’s 40th Birthday. Jackie discovers, at the airport, that her friend cannot make it and ends up traveling to Hawaii alone. It is there that she meets Kai and rediscovers herself.

The book is a fun read. Although Jane claims that this is a book about friendship, I don’t think that I found Jackie’s friends to be as supportive as they should have and could have been. It’s a perfect book for beach time or poolside… an escape. Although, I live by the beach and my toesies are staying warm until it heats up around here!

Favorite Quote of the Book:

“Maybe that’s why I am divorced and my friends aren’t.

I don’t agree with the way we humans function. I don’t want to be human, mortal, if men biologically need a million women; and women get married and then bored of sex; and children battle, are difficult to raise, and then leave home and never look back.

Who made up this life anyway? Who designed people to be so hurtful and lonely and alone?”

Ingredients For Love in Hawaii:

Mai Tai

This is the authentic traditional Mai Tai recipe from the “Mai Tai” Bar at the Royal Hawaiian Hotel in Waikiki. The original Mai Tai was created by Victor J. Bergeron in 1944 and brought to Hawaii in 1953 at the Royal Hawaiian, Moana and Surfrider Hotels.

INGREDIENTS:
» 1 oz. Dark Rum
» 1 oz Light Rum
» 1 oz Orange Curacao
» 2 oz Orange Juice
» 1/2 oz Lime Juice
» 1 oz Pineapple Juice
» Dash Orgeat
» Dash Simple syrup (bar syrup)

PREPARATION:
Combine all of the ingredients in the order listed in a Old Fashioned style glass over shaved ice. Stir with a swizzle stick. Garnish with a slice of pineapple and a cherry.

Jane will be appearing on the Grand Central Publishing Blog Talk Radio Station on 12/5 at 1PM ET. Here are the details:

Speak live with Jane Porter, author of FLIRTING WITH FORTY, on Blog Talk Radio on December 5th at 1PM ET. If you have a question for Jane, please email it to miriam.parker@hbgusa.com. Then call into (646) 378-0039 on December 5th at 1PM. If you’d like to listen online or sign up for a reminder, visit: http://www.blogtalkradio.com/stations/HachetteBookGroup/grandcentralpub/2008/12/05/Live-Interview-with-Jane-Porter-author-of-FLIRTING-WITH-FORTY

Sher’s “Out of Ten Scale”:

Well, first of all, I have been to Hawaii alone. I drank MaiTai’s at Duke’s and met a very handsome young man there. Although, that was a couple of years ago. I could picture in my mind the sunsets, catamarans, surfing instructors and views of Diamond Head. I could picture myself in Jackie’s scene. That was quite enjoyable.

Second, I’m a slave to Fiction. This is the kind of book that is an “escapist” book for me. It’s like going to a romantic comedy and being lost in the movie for 2 hours while you’re at the theatre. I like those kinds of books, especially when they are sprinkled in a line up of more “heavy” books. It’s definitely a pleasure read.

For that sub-genre of fiction that I am now deeming “Fiction: Women: Pleasure” I would give this book an 8. The scenes with the kids were so well written. In addition, I think Porter did a great job in building Kai to be a character that remained true to himself throughout the book.

On The Library Thing/Amazon.Com Scales:

Out of ♥♥♥♥♥:

I would give this book a ♥♥♥♥

Book GiveaWay:

The publisher has been gracious enough to allow me to raffle off A FOUR PACK of Jane Porter’s Books! That includes:

Flirting With Forty

The Frog Prince

Mrs. Perfect

Odd Mom Out

So, if you are interested in the giveaway, all you have to do is the following:

Leave a comment below. For triple entry, mention my review and contest on your site.

Send me an email at anovelmenagerie@aol.com

A couple of housekeeping items:

All entry submissions must be received by no later than December 10th, 2008

Prizes must be claimed within 72 hours of contact, otherwise a re-draw will be conducted

You must be able to provide a shipping address

You can purchase a copy of Flirting With Forty on Amazon.Com

34 Comments

| Posted in Books Books Books, Contests

34 Responses

Thursday’s Thoughts: What is Your Definition Of…? « Thursday’s Thoughts

December 4th, 2008 at 12:22 am

[...] possible contests to enter. First, you may head over to http://www.ANovelMenagerie.Com and enter the Flirting With Forty book giveaway contest. You will receive all four of Jane Porter’s [...]
Darby Lohrding

December 4th, 2008 at 10:19 pm

I yet to read any of Jane’s books and this would be a wonderful opportuntiy!!
Thank you so much for this opportunity,
Darby
darbyscloset at yahoo dot com
Sue A.

December 5th, 2008 at 5:46 am

I’ve read Jane’s HP books. But I’ve yet to read her books outside of that imprint. I saw Heather Locklear on the Tonight Show where she talked a little about Flirting with Forty. I think the movies fairs better if I see it before I read the book. Great timing! The book has gotten a lot of great press.

(I’m assuming as the administrator of this site you have access to my e-mail – if this is not the case leave a message on this post as I’ll check back. Thanks!)
Anna

December 5th, 2008 at 6:45 am

This book sounds so good! I’d love to be entered!! I will add the giveaway to my sidebar right now!

diaryofaneccentric[at]hotmail[dot]com
Denise

December 5th, 2008 at 9:18 am

What a great prize pack. I’d love to win.
dapowers at hotmail dot com
Sunny

December 5th, 2008 at 9:49 am

I like the “escapist” kinds of books too. Sounds like a fun read. I’d love to be entered!
sj3girls AT hotmail DOT com
Heather

December 5th, 2008 at 10:55 am

This book has definitely piqued my interest because of the blog tour… I’d really love for a chance to win! Thanks for a great giveaway.
Carmen T

December 5th, 2008 at 12:21 pm

Hi.
The book and movie looks great. I would love a chance to win Jane Porter’s books. Please enter me.
I also blogged about your review and contest here:
http://c-alexis.livejournal.com/29663.html

Thanks. =)
Tamara Baff

December 5th, 2008 at 3:19 pm

Sheri,
I enjoyed the book but I really loved your review because the story was relevent to you.
I can’t really identify with the divorced and single mom but I do know what it is to feel misunderstood and alone…we experienced so many different things that other people really don’t understand since our son died!
Thanks for such a great blogtour stop!
Tamara
Shana @ Literarily

December 5th, 2008 at 7:26 pm

You’ve been to Duke’s??? That is so cool, Sher. If I could meet up with a guy like Kai (or one who looks like Robert Buckley) I might like to go alone too

Jackie’s friends REALLY pissed me off. I mean, c’mon. At least half of us are not that far off from where Jackie found herself so what were they acting all high and mighty about???
Christy H.

December 6th, 2008 at 4:32 pm

What a great giveaway! The book and the movie sound wonderful.

hawkes(at)citlink.net
Theresa N

December 6th, 2008 at 9:17 pm

Please sign me up for the contest. Thanks:)
nicole

December 7th, 2008 at 11:09 pm

Oh wow i’d love to be entered into this awesome giveaway!! hope i win!!

nicolemarielum(at)gmail.com
katelin

December 7th, 2008 at 11:12 pm

wow that movie looks amazing i would love to read her books!! please enter me in!!

glittergurl04(at)hotmail(dot)com
Michelle

December 7th, 2008 at 11:15 pm

i’ve been wanting to read that book ever since my friend told me all about it! i would love to be enterd! thanks sooo mcuh!!
Dawn

December 8th, 2008 at 5:02 am

Hi Sher – I’d love a chance in this giveaway! The book(s) sound like a lot of fun. Sorry to read that you weren’t thrilled with the movie last night (I didn’t watch it, as I prefer to read the book first). Sometimes those adaptations work, other times, not so much!

Thanks for the opportunity!
Sherry

December 8th, 2008 at 9:55 am

Sounds like a wonderful read! Thanks for the chance to win. I love your blog and reviews.
michelle rosborough

December 8th, 2008 at 8:39 pm

Gonna be a great movie
Gwendolyn B.

December 9th, 2008 at 12:21 pm

I need something fun – this sounds great! Thanks for the chance. (I’ve got to catch that movie!)

geebee.reads AT gmail DOT com
veens

December 9th, 2008 at 9:48 pm

is this contest open internationally?!
If it is, enter me
Thanks!
Jo-Jo

December 10th, 2008 at 11:04 am

Oh please enter me in the contest…I would love to win this book!
joannelong74@gmail.com
cheryl c.

December 10th, 2008 at 3:22 pm

I really want to start reading her books! Please enter my name.

castings[at]mindspring[dot]com
Wrighty

December 10th, 2008 at 3:50 pm

I would love to be entered for this contest! I saw the movie over the weekend and it was really good. I expect the book will be even better. I just heard about your contest here and I love your site! I’m going to check out all of the neat things you have here. Thanks for your contest!

I also added this contest to my blog.
http://www.wrightysreads.blogspot.com
Shelly Burns

December 10th, 2008 at 7:25 pm

I would love to read these books! I posted about the contest here.

shelcows AT gmail DOT com
Donna

December 10th, 2008 at 8:12 pm

Great contest. I havent read any or her books yet but after reading the reviews for the book and movie I cant wait to get ahold of some now.
melissa

December 10th, 2008 at 11:32 pm

wow that looks like an awesome giveaway!! please enter me in!
Nicky

December 10th, 2008 at 11:36 pm

great review!! i hope i’m not too late to enter! i would love to win these!!
Melissa

July 2nd, 2009 at 10:13 am

Entering the July contest… Flirting with Forty is my favorite book!!
Andrea

July 2nd, 2009 at 3:18 pm

I have this book in my TBR pile and after reading your review, I’m bumping it up!
.-= Andrea´s last blog ..Contests- June 29- July 6 =-.
Jessica

July 2nd, 2009 at 6:38 pm

I tried to win this when it came out not a winner then but I’d love to win the new one. Maybe my luck is better this time around.
.-= Jessica´s last blog ..That’s the best line you have! Really. =-.
Pam Rivera

July 2nd, 2009 at 7:10 pm

I’m definitely aware of becoming ever closer to 40, especially as my friends celebrate that milestone one by one. I’m hoping I don’t have to relate to the single mother of 2 kids part of the story as I’m the married mother of 2 kids and that’s stressful enough! Her friends don’t sound particularly supportive based on your review; I really hope I’m a better friend to my friends… Sounds like a good read though! Love the name Kai – is he as hot as his name?
Tashiana

July 11th, 2009 at 5:17 am

jane porter looks like an awesome author (in the reading about her reviews sense, not the how she actually looks sense lol)
can’t wait to read one of her books
Lesley

July 12th, 2009 at 7:28 am

Beyond the fact that the book (and Lifetime movie) look great, it is amazing how great Jane herself and Heather Locklear look! That may sounds shallow, but it was one of the first things that hit me.

While I’m younger than 40, my mom faced a somewhat similar situation (raising me alone, facing 40), and I think that I might connect with the character on that level.
Benita G.

October 11th, 2009 at 5:09 pm

What great fun! The possibility of winning a package of books! Thanks.

bgcchs(at)yahoo(dot)com