I'm not a fan of publishing 3 star reviews unless I have to but I enjoyed Porter's writing and would pick up another book by the author. While Wolf's taciturn personality works well for the beast in the book, the way he treats Andi towards the end (and the way that she is wilts away until she decides to come back to him) wasn't my favorite. Maybe if there had been a bit more growth on his side I might have been better with it.

I quite enjoyed this older couple romance between a widow and a divorced recluse. They are quite different characters, with Wolf being a military vet who has a difficult relationship with his ex and has endured the loss of a son and Andi, a vibrant woman who is still grieving her husband and has a stepson who has mostly abandoned her now that his dad is gone. I liked how the relationship progressed though I did feel that some of the things Wolf did are not so easy to forgive (I'm not sure what I've have done in Andi's shoes). None-the-less I was hooked from first page to last and wanted to see how it would work out for them. Being older characters means more life experience and baggage to deal with, but they get a satisfying happy ending that is the sweeter for having to work for it.

This book just made me sad.

This book popped up in more than one email and I was very interested to read what they call a later in life romance. This book depressed me so much I just couldn't finish it. Let me outline why.

Andi McDermott lost her husband, Kevin, about five years prior to the start of the story. As we start, she was waiting on Christmas eve for her stepson to show up for Christmas with his new fiancé. Luke calls her at the last minute to say that his mother purchased show tickets as a surprise and they would make time to see her before they left town again. Surprise, she doesn't hear from him again. At first I was a little confused, as Andi tell us that she and Kevin met in college and they were together about two decades, so where does a stepson come in? Just to clear it up, Kevin got his high school girlfriend pregnant. There really didn't appear to be tension between Andi and Luke's mother, but I didn't hang around long enough if we ever go back to that. That does mean that Andi acted as a supportive and loving stepmother to Luke for most of his life. Yet, he pretty much writes her out of his life completely after his father dies. In fact, during the course of the story, Andi was waiting for an invite to Luke's Spring wedding only to realize it was now technically Spring and she hadn't received an invite.

What makes this sadder is the fact that Andi couldn't have children. She wanted to adopt but Kevin stated that he already had a biological father so as far as he was concerned, he checked that box and didn't need anymore. So Andi's desire to be a mother was ignored. This is a red flag among many, many red flags we see waving the more that Andi talks about her dead husband. It appears that Andi didn't even finish college to move with Kevin and support him in his future career. Andi spends the next 15 years or so molding herself into the perfect wife for Kevin and it was only after his death and after therapy for depression that she begins to make friends that she likes and tries to untie the knots binding her to that role as Kevin's support staff.

Put a pin in that, we will be back.

Andi's neighbor in the remote cabin is Wolf. Wolf is a loner. He works from home and while he has some biker friends he rides with, he likes to be alone with his big German Shephard. Now we learn that that Wolf had three sons, only one who bothers to stop by and see his father. The youngest doesn't care and the oldest was killed in action in the Middle East. Since all his sons followed in Wolf's military footsteps, his ex-wife blames his son's death on Wolf and his son's desire for his father's attention. It seems Wolf spent most of his marriage reenlisting for active duty. He was stop home long enough to get his wife pregnant, decide playing husband and father was too much work, and run back to the service. His wife eventually had enough and divorced him. As this story starts, his wife is also fed up with her daughter-in-law. The deceased son had gotten married and just before he left that last time, got his wife pregnant. Three years later and she was still suffering from depression over the death of her husband and not really taking care of her son.   She wants to get away from the oppressive mother-in-law (who has been taking care of her grandson while the daughter-in-law sleeps all day) and now she wants to move in with Wolf. He takes them both in but can't return to the remote mountain cabin since the plan is for the daughter-in-law and her son to both go to school.

We are gonna put another pin here. I am sorry. I am jumping around a bit.

When Andi is left alone on Christmas, she goes with her new friend to her mountain cabin. It appears that Kevin and Wolf didn't get along, and there was some pending deformation lawsuit that Andi didn't know much about (really?) and let the lawsuit drop after Kevin's death. Andi hasn't really interacted with Wolf and is terrified of his big dog. Her girlfriend wants to flirt with Wolf so there is some awkward interaction between Wolf and Andi and we learn from Wolf's thoughts that he might just be interested in sex with this more relaxed Andi. Wow. Thanks.  And that was it.  Just he might want to have sex with her.  He didn't give her much internal thought besides that.

Andi's friend leaves before the upcoming snowstorm, but Andi apparently decides to wait until she loses power and heat and leave in the middle of the storm, getting stuck in the snow. Duh! She has no choice but to ask Wolf for help and he decides to kiss her and suggests no-strings sex. I guess she was cold enough to no longer be afraid of him and his dog. Wolf then plows her driveway and opens her pipes...no, those aren't euphemisms. While Andi is sleeping off the many, many orgasms (or again, just enjoying the warm bed), Wolf goes out to plow the driveway and open her pipes so they don't freeze and burst. This is the first moment in a long time that someone has done something for Andi and she jumps from a few awkward interactions to "I miss him." But she goes home because Wolf said "no strings."  

So far, this story has just made me sad.  First, Andi made Kevin the absolute sun in her universe with everything centering around what he wanted.  The big fancy house.  No children for her. Parties for all their friends who were his work companions. She had no personality outside of him and when he died, she went from Kevin's wife to nothing and she didn't know what to do with herself or who she was. She was nice to the only child she would have, and he couldn't even give her a crumb of his time.   Secondly, Wolf lost his family due to his own actions. He just wanted to be left alone and so he eventually got his wish.  This story so far was so depressing.  Where's the romance?

Back to Wolf moving to take care of his daughter-in-law and grandson. Turns out his other residence is only a few blocks from Andi's house as we learn when they bump into each other at local coffee house. When Andi hears the story of why Wolf moved back, she offers to help look into pre-schools for his grandson and take his daughter-in-law to the group grief counseling that Andi goes to.   Wolf is clueless and is very happy for Andi's help.

At this point, Wolf stops by with flowers and an offer of dinner and as Andi and Wolf begin to date, this is where I dropped out.    This story starts out depressing enough, but I could clearly see Andi beginning to center her universe on Wolf this time and Wolf, once again, allowing someone else to handle all his family drama so he could be left alone.   Wolf was supposed to step up but he happily allowed Andi to take over, but from what we learned about Wolf, I could see that we were building up to that point where Andi would step over Wolf's boundaries and he was gonna blow up at her for taking over and/or getting too entwined in his life.    This sad story got even worse because neither of them learned anything from their past mistakes and we setting themselves up for the same failure.  

While I really wanted to know the story between Wolf and Kevin which led to a defamation lawsuit, I just don't need to spend time reading a book that will lead me to needing therapy for depression.  I couldn't see a happily ever after and I don't think I could have believed it if it ever came.    Please walk away from this one for your own sanity.

I always love reading about a grumpy sunshine romance trope. And add in a forced proximity and next-door-neighbor romance trope, then sign me up for all the tension between the character. Flirting with the Beast is such a perfect rom-com read for any day. It will make you giggle while you read the characters banter with each other. It will also make you swoon when they both start falling for each other. It's just a cute rom-com read. Pick up a copy if you can.

In romance novels, the heroine is almost always under thirty. When older women--those over 50--appear in romance, it's usually as a secondary character who, if she's very beautiful and has either a fortune or a heart of gold, might be lucky enough to have a lover of her own. Romance novels where the lead is over fifty are are as rare as Oscar winning rom coms. Flirting with the Beast, by Jane Porter, breaks that mold by featuring lead characters Andi McDermott and Wolf Enders, both of whom are well over 50 and sexy and smart.

Andi McDermott is a widow at 58--her rather controlling husband Kevin died five years ago. Since he died, she's found a job she loves and made new, supportive friends but still, something is missing. She's lonely--she and Kevin never had kids although she is a stepmom to Luke, Kevin's son whom he had as a teen. As the book begins, Luke has just blown Andi off for an early Christmas dinner Andi put a great deal of effort in preparing. Hurt and uninterested in spending the holidays in the giant house she and Kevin built--his dream home, not hers--she decides to head up to his family's cabin four hours north on California's Lake Arrowhead.

Andi is a total babe--her husband was the college stud every girl wanted and since his death she's dated men all who have been more interested in her than she is in them. Her marriage was.... fine. The lack of children was a huge disappointment for Andi but not for Kevin and over the decades, their passion and connection faded to a partnership rather than a romance. But while Andi didn't really love being married to Kevin, she loved being married and would like to find a man with whom she could share her life.

One man Andi is sure is not for her is Wolf Enders, her only neighbor up at the cabin. Wolf is... a lot. He's big, tattooed, absurdly sexy--Kevin loathed him--and every time Andi makes eye contact with him she suddenly feels as though she's naked. Of course, almost as soon as she gets to the cabin, she encounters Wolf and it's as uncomfortable as ever. She plans to avoid him over her stay but when a major snow storm comes in and all of Lake Arrowhead loses power AND Wolf has a generator, Andi begins to see Wolf--all of Wolf--very, very differently.

Wolf--let me take a moment to fan myself--is the man of my many a woman's dreams. He's a decorated ex-Marine who now makes a living designing and drafting homes. He married young and is now, and has been for decades, bitterly divorced from his ex-wife with whom he had three sons. All three followed him into some sort of military service--his oldest, Stone, was blown to bits by a roadside bomb in Afghanistan.  Wolf cares deeply for his family but he loves his solitary life on the lake--he's a man whose past mistakes have made him believe he's a beast at relationships. He enjoys sex--he loves sex with Andi--but commitment is a hard pass for him. When it's time for Andi to return to her home in San Juan Capistrano, he tells her their holiday tryst is a one and done.

However, when Wolf's ex wife tells him that Stone's young widow Lindsay is a mess and is endangering her three year old son Charlie, Wolf invites his daughter-in-law and grandson to come and live with him in California... at his house in Andi's neighborhood. Andi is shocked to run into Wolf at her favorite coffee shop--she had no idea he had a home near her--and despite Wolf's determination to stay aloof, he and Andi end up back in bed and in each other lives.

Oh how I love this book.

Andi and Wolf are electric together. Their sex life is hot, inventive, energetic, and integral to their growing feelings for one another. It's a gift to read about older lovers whose bouts in the sheets rival that of their much younger peers. They each think the other is gorgeous--I especially love that while Andi is sure she should lose the weight she's gained since Kevin died, Wolf thinks she's sexy as sin just as she is. Their conversations are droll and engaging and illuminate how happy they make one another.

Flirting with the Beast deftly explores the complexities of relationships and the growth of love between two emotionally mature characters. Both Wolf and Andi care deeply for Lindsay and Charlie--the latter is one of the better rendered children I've read in romance--and that makes their lives together complicated. This is a book about growth, often hard won.The happy endings in this book feel earned in the best way and I loved watching all the characters find the joy they deserve.

Flirting with the Beast is one of the best romances I've read in the past year. I'd love it even were the protagonists younger but to have them be my age, well, that makes this book sublime. It's a delightful, steamy read that will have you rooting for Andi's and Wolf's happily ever after. It gets a DIK from me.

“It might have taken Dad a decade plus, but he finally stormed the castle, and got the girl.” As a girl who grew up wanting her own version of a beauty and the beast love story this just melted my heart. Honestly this book is so much more than one might expect based on the cover. My only qualm is during the third act the way he acted definitely changed my feelings towards him a little but I think when considering the book and story as a whole it makes sense. I loved the fact that this featured mature protagonists and was a lot more complex than just a grumpy sunshine small time romance. Overall I enjoyed this story a lot and found it to be emotionally mature and interesting.

Brought to you by OBS reviewer Andra

Flirting with the Beast is the second book in the Modern Love series by Jane Porter. As well, it is the second book that I have read by Ms. Porter. With just a few words – I must say I love this series and this second book is even more engaging than the first book, Flirting with Fifty.

The reader is once again engrossed in the life of a member of the staff at Orange University. What interesting staff members at this university 😊. Makes one wish they had gone to that university.

The story begins with Andi McDermott preparing her home for a festive early Christmas meal (decorations as well as the feast itself) for her stepson Luke and his fiancé. This is the first time in the five years since Andi’s husband Kevin passed away that she has felt like celebrating the holidays. Andi had prepared everything and at the VERY last moment – Kevin cancels. With a heavy heart and a need to get away for the remainder of the holiday season, Andi decides to go to the Lake Arrowhead cabin that she had shared with her husband Kevin for many years. History regarding this property is that Kevin had a feud with the next door neighbor – so Andi is a wee bit apprehensive about possibly seeing Wolf Enders (the neighbor). Being a romance book and all…you can guess what may happen so no need to write out the details (just know that some very HOT interactions occur) – I shall leave those for you to read. And an entertaining endeavor that will be for you reading about the hunky next door neighbor and widow and their journey.

What I liked about the story is that the journey was not smooth – similar to life. There were many hiccups but both Andi and Wolf. Both needed to learn how to interact with each other as their life experiences had affected them and their natural responses to events that happen. What they both failed to realize (at least at the beginning) is that when different people are involved, their automatic responses might need to be altered. Additionally, learning that each new relationship cannot be compared to the previous one was also an important realization for them both.

The way the author brought together many different storylines for various other family member was so poignant. Life is not smooth and frequently people misinterpret one’s actions – as was the case a number of times throughout this story. I kept thinking to myself – communicate people – communicate. Of course – looking from the outside in is easy … The other interactions also give more context as to why Wolf is like he is with respect to communicating with others. Hopefully Andi can break down his barriers without crushing her spirit.

The path to a HEA (happily ever after) was not smooth – but then life is not smooth. So that aspect was spot on in my mind. I also liked that the protagonists were mature people – about time that someone is writing love stories for mature persons 😊. Everyone deserves to fall in love – regardless of age.

The only thought I have that is not 100% positive is the title of the book. Not sure I liked the moniker of “Beast” for Wolf. But that may just be me. It at first gave me pause as to why he is referred to as the beast.

If you enjoy a romance that is filled with angst, love, sweet moments and all around life like scenario’s – then pick up Flirting with the Beast by Jane Porter, cuddle up in your favorite reading spot with a cup of tea (or some such other beverage of your choice) and settle in for a few hours of reading enjoyment. I know I plan to seek out more titles by Jane Porter!

Writing this review is a bit of a struggle for me, so here goes.

There is a lot to love about this romance. The dynamic between Andi and Wolf is really good and believable. Andi is a widow, and Wolf is divorced. They realistically come to this relationship with baggage. The way all of that was handled (except for Wolf's major overreaction to the third act conflict,) worked well for me. They both truly cared about one another before the actually fell into sleeping together, and I could appreciate that.

My biggest problem with this novel was the fact that the sex scenes felt stinted in a way to me. There wasn't quite enough detail, so it was hard to follow. I think I almost would have enjoyed it better closed door than what I got, but a little more detail there would have been lovely, and worked well for me.

All in all, I think it's a great romance. Solid. Love that it featured an older couple, as everyone deserves love at any age.

Andi is still finding her way after losing her husband five years ago, has dated a little without much success. After preparing a fancy dinner her stepson didn’t show for, Andi decides last minute to drive up to her cabin in Lake Arrowhead. She ends up running into her gruff neighbor, Wolf, a man her late husband loathed to the point of suing. Long story. To be honest, Andi’s late husband sounded like a selfish, prissy peacock on so many levels. I was outraged for Andi over a few things. To me, she was better off without him, even if she was a bit lonely.

There’s a spark of attraction between her and Wolf. He definitely likes to ruffle her feathers and there’s some push and pull before they end up spending a passion filled couple of nights. Wolf makes it clear he doesn’t do relationships and so they part ways when Andi goes home and she’s more than a little brokenhearted.

Circumstances bring them back together and Wolf ends up relying on Andi, growing close to the point he’s over his aversion to relationships. I enjoyed the inevitability, the magnetism between them. It felt real, relatable, and hot!

Wolf was abrasive at times, but he had a big heart under that. Wolf was the kind of guy that took care of things without being asked and had a protective streak a mile long. I didn’t like the last-minute conflict where Wolf was a complete jerk. I thought it was over the top, but I got that it came from a place of fear, and he did do quite a bit groveling.

Loved having a mature romance featured and (this couple is late 50s & 60) at a point where most are more settled in their own skin and are honest about what works and doesn’t work. No games. I had minor quibbles with the last-minute Wolf meltdown, which he did atone for, but other than that I loved the story!

I've been waiting for a romance to really grab me and it's been a while. I wanted the kind of romance that keeps you reading until the final pages, the one you can't put down because you've just become so engaged with the characters and their journey.

Flirting with the Beast satisfied that for me. I read this in less than 24 hours, and loved Andi and Wolf. This was an interesting and fresh romance for me.

Andi is a widow, having lost her husband 5 years ago. In her late fifties, she's coming out of her grief and wants to embrace life again. She's excited to enjoy the holidays until someone she cares about acts in an inconsiderate manner, forcing her to find alternate arrangements. She ends up going to the family cabin.

There's a bit of a history to the cabin -- her husband had feuded with their neighbor Wolf, who'd always made Andi feel just a bit anxious. Their
re-acquaintance is cute and uncomfortable, and a snow storm changes everything. I loved Andi here as she examines her feelings about Wolf. It's really cute. They both are. But Wolf is not a relationship kind of guy.

He's also got some family issues to deal with in the form of his daughter-in-law and her hyper three year old. Wolf's sense of responsibility puts him back in Andi's orbit, and things get sweet again... for a while.

I adored the uncertainties in this relationship as I thought it mirrored real life, and just when things are getting into a nice groove for them -- BAM! it's painful and messy and wrong on so many levels that I wondered how they could ever make it back from that point, but the author does a great job of putting them back together in a very believable way with a message about love and forgiveness.

I love a romance that draws me right in and knows how to pull on my emotional strings as a reader. Flirting with the Beast did just that. I couldn't put it down, and I really loved Andi and Wolf's romance. It was a story that shows that "lightning-bolt" kind of love can happen at any age, but there might be a cost to pay too. I was blown away by this story and loved it all. Will definitely be on my favorites of 2022 list.

Jane Porter is one of my favorite authors and I never pass up the opportunity to read her latest book offering. Flirting with the Beast is an engrossing story that I could not put down. The two main characters are likeable, complex and real. This is a meaningful and impassioned romance that I enjoyed very much.

This is the love story between Andi McDermott and Wolf Enders. Andi is a widow who is finally beginning to experience life again. She ends up falling in love with Wolf, the neighbor that her late husband dispiezed. Wolf is a grump and a bit unnerving, however, he has a lot of love in his heart.

This is a sexy love story with an interesting plot and well-defined older characters. Ms. Porter's writing style continues to be smooth and easy to read. I felt the sizzle between Andi and Wolf immediately and truly enjoyed watching them evolve their relationship.

Complimentary copy provided by the publisher via NetGalley.

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.

I loved reading Wolf and AndI’s story. I thought it was emotional and touching and I never wanted it to end. What I found intriguing and different about this story is that it is about two mature adults. They have both had their ups and downs in life and don’t expect to find love again.

Andi is a widow feeling adrift since her husband died. She is lonely and feels stuck; she is ready for some changes in her life.

Wolf is a strong alpha male, he is former military, down to earth and enjoys the solitude his cabin provides. He is big, muscled and imposing and the exact opposite of AndI’s former husband.

Wolf and Andi are great together and they have loads of chemistry. They are two broken people and together they fill each other's holes. Wolf is afraid to take a chance on love again but he finds it impossible to resist Andi. I liked all their scorching looks and all of their encounters.

Wolf and AndI’s story is both heartwarming and heartbreaking. They are opposites in many ways but yet they fit together so well. AndI’s sweetness and trust help break down Wolf’s walls. Her kindness and openness helps open Wolf’s heart and keep his grumpiness at bay.

They are two mature adults trying to navigate a relationship while dealing with kids, grandkids and family drama. I loved reading their story and I was rooting for them to get their HEA. I enjoyed the plot and all of the interesting secondary characters. I highly recommend reading Flirting with the Beast.

***ARC Provided by the Publisher via NetGalley***

I love a 2nd chance romance, and it's fun to read about characters who are older than their late 20's. So, I was looking forward to Andie and Wolf's story.

There were things I liked about this book, but unfortunately I never really felt fully invested as the story seemed to skip over the intense things and give them to a reader as more of a "tell" than a show that allowed the reader to experience it with the characters.

I also had issues with the pacing and timeline of the story, as it felt like time elapsing was used as a way to explain why characters felt a certain way, or changed how they felt, rather than getting into the actual character development.

I did enjoy parts of this story, but am unable to fully recommend this title.

Finally! A romance heroine over the age of 50 gets her due in Flirting With the Beast. It’s about time.

I really enjoyed this book. I don’t feel like we get enough romance books featuring characters over the age of 40, let alone 50, so I relished the chance to read this one. Why do we feel like romance only happens to those under 40? I have no idea. Older characters make for such great stories! 

I loved Andi’s character. She is so sweet, caring. Even after spending the first half of her life as a dutiful wife and step mother and losing her husband to a sudden heart attack, she is slowly rebuilding her life with optimism. Andi is the sort of person you would want in your corner. Always ready with a cup of tea or wine and a listening ear. She makes people around her feel comfortable and cared for. I found myself wishing we could be friends!

Wolf is a swoon-worthy love interest. The ultimate bad boy. Ex-military, muscled and tattooed, his grumpiness is the perfect foil to Andi’s sunshine. I was glad Jane chose to make this a dual viewpoint book so we got to know Wolf more deeply. Without it, he would have come off as too much of a stereotype. Even with knowing his story, I did find him a little harsh for my liking. There were points when I thought he didn’t deserve sweet, caring Andi. Their chemistry is well constructed and the slow way their relationship develops seemed to be well suited to the characters. I just wished the dialogue was a little more polished. 

Overall, a worthwhile read. Flirting with the Beast is the story we all need to remind ourselves that romance doesn’t end at 40. 

Thank you, Berkeley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Andi McDermott has been widowed for five years, something she never expected while in her 50's. When plans with Andi's stepson fall through, she decides to head to the family cabin in Lake Arrowhead instead. While at the cabin Andi runs into many difficult situations. To Andi's surprise, her grumpy neighbor, Wolf Enders keeps coming to her rescue. What starts out as an awkward friendship, quickly sizzles into something more and for the first time since Kevin passed away, Andi is having feelings that she hasn't felt in a long time. When Andi and Wolf finally give in to their attraction, they very quickly realize that what they experienced together is not a normal thing.....too bad Wolf doesn't do relationships after his disastrous marriage and they part ways. When things in Wolf's life start going crazy, he moves to his other house which is in the same city that Andi is in. The first time Wolf sees her, he quickly realizes that she means more to him than he wanted to admit and they pick right back up where they were. Just as Andi is being included in Wolf's life, things look perfect until the past comes rushing back and blows everything up. It will take a huge leap of faith for these two to find their way back to each other, but when they do it is just perfect!

I really loved this older couple love story. Wolf was all bark, but no bite and inside was really just a squishy teddy bear. Andi was just looking to find her new place in life when the life that she knew was taken away from her. Together these two just worked. They both gave something to the other that they were missing. Overall this was a great 4.5 star read.

Flirting with the Beast by Jane Porter is the second book in her Modern Love series. We meet our heroine, Andi McDermott from the start, when she is preparing a Christmas dinner for her stepson and his fiancée. Andi lost her husband 5 years ago, and now she is slowly starting to live again, including dating. When her stepson cancels in the last minute, Andi is devastated, and decides to go to her cabin in Lake Arrowhead, which she hasn’t been in years.

Andi runs into her neighbor, Wolf Enders, who had a feud with her husband in the past. When a major snow storm hits, she loses power, and Wolf invites her to come to his cabin to have dinner and even stay until power returns, he also has a dog, Jax, who will slowly get used to Andi. In a short time, Andi begins to see Wolf in a different light, with the chemistry between them sizzling, they start an affair. Wolf is a loner, having been in the military for a long time, and early on, he comes comes across as rough & tough, but he finds himself enamored with Andi; as she is to him. What I really liked about this romance, was that both Andi and Wolf were older characters, both close to 60; but they were awesome together.

Where Andi has no children, with the exception of her stepson, whom she rarely sees; Wolf is divorced, with two sons (a third son died tragically in the military), and his grieving daughter in law, Lindsay, who has a 4-year-old son, Charlie. Wolf’s ex-wife hates him, and Lindsay isn’t happy staying with her mother-in-law, and decides to move in with Wolf. Quickly, Andi and Lindsay become friends, with Andi helping her move on. I really loved how close they became, and Charlie was the cutest and fun child.

This is not only a romance, but the story was very emotional, with a number of obstacles along the way, including issues such as mental health, depression, grief, therapy, loss of beloved family members, and taking care of a child. The last ¼ of the book had me not happy with Wolf, as his behavior was not good, with lots of drama. Will they end up together?

Flirting With the Beast was a wonderful story, that was also emotional and intense at times. I loved most of these great characters that Jane Porter created, which was also very well written by Porter. I totally suggest you read Flirting with the Beast.

I have only just discovered Jane Porter and am thrilled to be reading romances about couples in their fifties! Andi was such a wonderful character and a women who I can only ascribe to be. She was warm, understanding, and used her brain before reacting to uncertain situations. I loved how she handled the more volatile Wolf. He was a loner who didn’t want a woman to upset his solitariness, but he’d always found Andi attractive and their chemistry was too much to ignore. Being ex-military his character was definitely more rigid and he made many missteps in his treatment of Andi. However, she reacted like a mature woman, thinking through her own actions before reacting. While reading through her inner monologue I kept thinking “Wow, I wish I could be more like this!”. Well, she is a fictional character after all and not a real woman but I felt myself liking her so much.

These characters have great backstories which gave them a depth that they needed. Their insecurities and needs turned them from two dimensional to full technicolor and the story was filled with an emotion that felt real and not fabricated. There were moments where I definitely wanted to kick Wolf in the knee and shake him a bit, but he was the perfect foil to Andi’s more calm demeanor. It would’ve been super boring if both partners were too much alike. The conclusion was also satisfying, with Andi showing some fire in fighting for what she wanted.

Flirting with the Beast is a wonderfully mature adult romance. Yes, these characters weren’t perfect, but then, who is? I sped through this book forgetting about all of the other things I needed to do and spent four hours relishing this love story. I hope this book will hit the right note for anyone who picks it up, regardless of their age, but for this older broad, it was sublime. ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

I received a copy of this book through NetGalley and the publisher for an honest review and it was honest.

Flirting with the Beast by Jane Porter is an emotional read that is intense in many ways. I love the mature couple focus in Flirting with the Beast. So many feelings ring so true in this one!

Flirting with the Beast by Jane Porter, book two in her Modern Love series, is a delightful take on Beauty and the Beast, with grown up love, obligations, family, and old baggage. Widowed Andi is trying to come to terms with her husband's death while also realizing that maybe her marriage actually wasn't all that great. Her stepson ignores her and she is lonely. She loves her job, but something is missing. Ready to celebrate Christmas once again but with things not going right, Andi travels to her husband’s mountain cabin for a badly needed retreat. An awkward encounter with her gruff neighbor, Wolf, doesn't help. When a storm hits and she's stranded at the cabin, Wolf unexpectedly comes to her rescue; showing a side to him that she had not realized before. Questioning everything she thought she knew about Wolf leads to sparks and passion; feelings she never had with another man. Wolf is an ex-Marine, and a true alpha-male; called a beast by his ex-wife, Wolf is a loner. He enjoys his alone time, loves living in the woods, away from the world. He has a distant relationship with his sons, while grieving the loss of the eldest Wolf has insulated himself from the outside world while living and working in his cabin. As he gets to know Andi, whose dead husband was his neighbor nemesis, the rules change and he finds himself attract to woman she has become. In addition he rearranges his life for his widowed daughter-in-law and grandson, who need his help.

The night Andi and Wolf spent together was supposed to be a one-time fling, but when he shows up in her hometown, things reignite. Andi is ready to open her heart as she is trying new things and getting out of her comfort zone. Andi finally seeing Wolf for who he is, and not just the neighbor her late husband disliked, added depth to the relationship. Their love was so real, so raw, even with all the emotions and thoughts women of a certain age go through. While falling for a Beast like Wolf wasn't in the plan, it could work, if only he could learn to trust and share. Andi deserved to be love for who she is, not as someone else expects.

Ms. Porter gave so much emotion and depth to this story: family issues, learning how to move forward after major life changes, learning to trust and crack open closed hearts, and definitely realizing that family means more than just blood. She created a perfect balance in her characters: gruff and tough, sizzling hot Wolf and sweet, but strong Andi, who are perfect for each other, while delicately balancing those new feelings and emotions in a different matter. This story is filled with strong attraction, intensity, humor, and passion in this awesome must read story. I highly recommend Flirting with the Beast to other readers.

I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book.