I absolutely adored the writing style. You truly FEEL the story. You just sink right into every word you read. They are projected onto you in such a way that you have no choice but to internalise them. Live with them. Feel them.

Jane Porter unique style, full of short, crisp sentences that pack a punch and a half. While not really a ‘light read’, this wonderful novel will fill your heart with hope and have you dying to discuss it with someone else who’s read it. Going to highly recommended it.

Forty-nine-year-old Margot Hughes doesn’t plan on getting back into the theatre scene. Living a gypsy sort of life for twenty-five years, traveling and performing and then having her plan of retiring and starting a family shattered has soured her on that life. She’s come back to her California to the coastal town of Cambria, close to her hometown intent on settling down. Only Margot hasn’t been able to find love and it seems her dream of having children has all but passed her by.

However, when Margot’s boss, Sally has a health scare and Sally’s production of Bare Foot in the Park is in danger of collapsing, Margot steps in as both director and female lead. Little does she know that superstar Max Russo will be her co-star.

After years in the business, Max’s career has taken off and he owes a dept of gratitude to Sally, one of his father’s past wives, for helping him through some rough years growing up. Without her support and love he wouldn’t be where he is now, so when he hears about her health scare and the issue with the play he doesn’t hesitate to come back and help.

There’s an instant mutual attraction between Margot and Max. Hours spent in rehearsal, brainstorming over dinner and sipping wine by the ocean have Margot and Max forming a bond of friendship and more. Their chemistry is intense, but their ideas for the future are different. Margot wants a family and marriage. Max hasn’t had the best history with marriage and doesn’t want to repeat his father’s mistakes with raising children. Can they bridge the gap and make things work long-term?

Flirting with Fire was another mature romance from Jane Porter, the couple are both in their late forties, and I thoroughly enjoyed that! At this point in life most are past playing games romantically and I’m all for that. I appreciated how they tackled the issues, even though it was painful at times for them.

Loved the setting of Cambria, California, a place I’ve visited often over the years. Ms. Porter captured the essence of this gorgeous location: its quaint town with picturesque shops and restaurants and the breathtaking miles of Pacific Ocean coastline!

Because sometimes it’s nice to read a feel-good story that reminds you that at any stage of life there is life, there is love, and there is friendship.

Thanks to NetGalley for an advanced e-book in exchange for an honest review.

This is a good book. The two main characters are Margot and Max. Margot works for a theater company. Max is an actor. There is an instant attraction. The theater company owner gets Margot and Max promise to star in the next production. They start dating. They each have trust issues but together they work them out and fall in love.

Flirting with Fire by Jane Porter
Narrator: Sara Sheckells
Rating: 4 stars
Steam: 1 chili
Pub Date: 7/25

Flirting With Fire is a charming story that shows us romance knows no age limits. It’s bound to leave you with a heart full of warmth and a smile that just won't quit.

Margot Hughes, a seasoned theater veteran who's sworn off the stage after a heart-wrenching breakup, finds herself unexpectedly plunged back into the spotlight. Returning to her coastal California hometown, she takes a job in real estate, thinking she's left the world of drama far behind. But when her friend Sally's theater project teeters on the brink of failure, Margot's called upon to step in and direct the struggling play. Enter Max Russo, a charismatic former soap opera star who oozes charm and sincerity. As the two are cast together as leads, the stage lights up with more than just acting chemistry.

Max and Margot are fun and relatable. Margot's journey of self-discovery, marked by vulnerability and courage, resonates deeply. And Max? He's not just a swoon-worthy cowboy – he's a genuine, kindhearted soul who effortlessly wins your affection. The interactions between Margot and Max are a perfect blend of witty banter, electrifying tension, and a heartwarming connection. Their slow-burn romance ignites the pages, leaving you rooting for them every step of the way.

Jane Porter perfectly balances humor, chemistry, and heartache while creating a captivating narrative that will have you turning pages well into the night.

Thank you so much to Berkley and PRH Audio for my gifted copy and ALC.

Read if you like:
•mature romance (40s)
•divorcees
•forced proximity
•found family
•small town

I have really enjoyed the three books in this new trilogy by Jane Porter. Mature couples bring with them a multitude of life experience - and baggage - adding texture and interest to both their individual characters as well as new relationships.

Of the three couples, all of whom I liked, Margot and Max are my favorite. There's so much to cheer for with these two. I liked them as people, related to their life experiences, especially Margot's. Approaching her 50th birthday, she's faced with a number of realizations: unfulfilled dreams, paths not taken, but also new opportunities on the horizon. If she's courageous enough to take the first step. Her journey with Max is a reminder that sometimes second acts can be the best acts. That's a theme that flows through all three books in this series and one Porter navigates well.

As a theater geek, I loved all the intricate details of the community theater and the fact that Max's character is a working - and successful - actor. Just like Margot, I couldn't help but fall for Max. I wanted to hug the little boy in him for all he had endured, climb the rugged, sexy man he had become, and reassure him that he wasn't broken but, in fact, has overflowing amounts of love and commitment for the right person. I was cheering him on the entire way.

The secondary cast is well drawn, bringing the right amount of support, conflict, and texture to the story without detracting from the main couple. Porter blends them all together seamlessly into an intriguing, empowering, emotionally satisfying story of growth, forgiveness, understanding, new beginnings, and love.

I don't know if Porter plans to continue these stories featuring couples in their 40's and 50's but if she does I will definitely be here for them. They are an important reminder that love can find us at any age and new beginnings are always just around the corner.

ARC received from publisher via NetGalley. Fair and unbiased review.

Brought to you by OBS reviewer Andra

Each book I read in the Modern Love series by Jane Porter gets better and better, and thus my enjoyment of Flirting with Fire was beyond my expectations. From the beginning to the very end (which ended MUCH too quickly for me) I was engaged in the lives of Margot and Max. Being fully immersed in the story I am reading takes me to my happy place…☺

Margot Hughes is closing in on 50 years of age and living back in Paso Robles, California after a successful 25-year career on Broadway. It was nice to be living the ordinary life among good, kind, ordinary people. All she wanted was to be a wife and mother…unfortunately at the age of 41 her fiancé, Sam abruptly broke up with her, which led to the move from New York back home. Margot worked at Cambria Coast Development – owned and operated by a powerhouse – Sally Collins. Sally had a pet project in theatre…she had purchased Cambria’s playhouse plaza – where a wonderfully old 1938 stucco theatre had been renovated and recently reopened. The play billed for the summer months is Barefoot in the Park.

Max Russo is a successful actor with many, many movies under his belt as well as a TV series and commercials. He is a “hot commodity” in the entertainment industry. As well, he is a close friend (more like a son actually) to Sally Collins. Their relationship goes way back (something for you the reader to discover while enjoying this book).

When Sally is hospitalized due to a heart attack, Max comes rushing back to Cambria and there it becomes evident that Sally will not be able to work on the summer play. So she begs and pleads with both Margo and Max to put the show on in her stead. And the rest is history (i.e. a VERY enjoyable read).

I found that Max was a very well developed character. His life story was very in-depth and as this reader found out details as the story progressed – I liked him more and more. He was not just a shallow Hollywood star! Good looking and substance….

Margo has had a hard go of life in that she had but a few goals which included having a family… and it has eluded her. Probably a tale of many a woman in this day and age. Hard when we as women are expected to be able to have a career, family – basically – have it all.

Given that both Margo and Max have such deep love and respect for Sally – it was natural for them to agree to run the play. It turns out that both actually end up playing the leads. So naturally, being a story with the title Flirting with Fire, there are lots of fireworks. I enjoyed the progression of their romance with all the expected hiccups that go along with a romance novel. The supporting characters were great and don’t get me started about what a great character Sally is.

The cadence of the story as it progressed flowed very well. I really can’t say enough about this story. Well, other than make sure you leave sufficient time to read it all in one sitting (or three sittings as I did) as you will not want to put it down!

If you love romance, then I highly recommend Flirting with Fire by Jane Porter. You will not be disappointed.

I really like this author her books always feel so wholesome and down to earth so I was excited to grab this book and it did not disappoint. The word that came to mind when first started off reading it was refreshing, so many other books you find this immature feel to it and that was not the case with this one. I feel like the author did such and amazing job capturing each character from the main ones to the others who make appearances in the book. I felt like one big family to be honest right from the start. I liked Margot while she knew what she wanted to still put other before herself and had the biggest heart. Max while we all have demons in the past we fight was seemed more like it was better left in the past until it wasn't. He to had a huge heart for those he loved you just had to get beyond the wall. Overall this was a really fun book with some fun twist. This book does have some sexual content so may not be suitable for all.

My mood reading has been a bit fickle recently. I read the previous one and was eager to give this one a go. I loved how natural the friendship formed between Margot and Max, which made the pacing of their relationship perfect. To me, everything was going rather perfectly, but there was something on the back of my mind that had me wondering how they'd work through it.

One of my favorite parts of this book was the theater aspect, we get all the backstage scenes, but I was hoping that when it came to opening day. We'd get some of the on-stage show, I absolutely would have loved to see that.

The major thing that bothered me a bit was towards the end. Their differences in what they wanted for their personal life, it wasn't believable that love would help them conquer it all. With Max's very traumatic childhood, I wished he went to therapy or talked to someone to help work his way through it all, especially before considering a long-term future with Margot. And I couldn't get on-board with Margot on how accepting she was of the sliver of possibilities when it came to their relationship.

I truly did enjoy this and have become a fan of Jane's writing, just didn't like how things wrapped up.

3.5/5

I enjoyed this story but I wasn't a fan of the last 12%. As much as I liked Max and Margot together for a majority of the story, that ending made me second guess if I thought they should end up together.

<spoiler>I didn't like that Margot said that she was okay with not having a kid as long as she had Max, but as soon as Max even hinted that he MIGHT be okay with TALKING about a kid later down the road, she was ready to start planning for it to happen sooner rather than later. Then the way that he was just immediately okay with going ahead after it being such a sticking point with both of them. I just don't feel secure that if things hadn't worked out with him being receptive to the idea immediately, that she would have actually been okay choosing him. It all just felt too easy.</spoiler>

Despite not enjoying the way this book played out, I enjoyed the writing style and will definitely be picking up another book from this author.

*I received an ARC from NetGalley for voluntary review

Jane Porter is one of my favorite authors and I never pass on the opportunity to read her latest book. Flirting with Fire is an emotional story that I could not put down. The two main characters are complex, engaging and real.

Margot Hughes is almost fifty years young. Unfortunately, she spent her child-bearing years with a man who outgrew her. She loves live theater and immediately after high school made her way to New York City. She immersed herself into acting and spent years on the road with Broadway show touring companies. As time went on, she always dreamed of living closer to her father, having a family of her own and moving back to her hometown on the west coast. So when her relationship of many years ended, she moved home and gave up her love of acting for a steadier lifestyle in real estate investments.

Max Russo is a talented and good looking 45-year-old actor. After years in the trenches, he is the star of a successful TV series and has many other offers vying for his acting expertise. In spite of a horrible childhood, he found happiness by entertaining others. Max's success is partly due to one person, Sally, one his father's former girlfriends. She was the only person to care about Max way back when. She showered him with encouragement, which enabled him to create a future. Sally is in her sixties and her real estate company keeps her hopping.

Margot and Max end up co-starring in the play Barefoot in the Park. Sally owns the community theater and convinces Margot and Max to do the play. Margot is actually overseeing the entire production. Overtime they fall into lust and love.

I really liked this heartwarming and passionate story. Ms. Porter's writing style continues to be uncomplicated and easy to understand. Both Margot and Max are well-defined characters that I enjoyed getting to know. Their backstories were quite compelling. The epilogue is terrific.

Complimentary copy provided via the publisher via NetGalley.

Margot Hughes had given up her acting career after the dissolution of a long-term relationship and a need to move in a new direction that will get her what she wants. She returns home to her California coastal town to live a simple life helping her friend Sally with her business. When Sally's passion project of creating a community theater is about to fail, Sally asks Margot to dust off her acting hat and direct the play.

Well-known actor Max Russo is also asked to give a hand. He's family to Sally, and he agrees to play the lead opposite Margo. Max is not just good-looking -- he's got impeccable manners and he's sensitive to others. He's a good guy. It's no wonder that Margo is falling from the minute she meets Max, even though she knows it can't go anywhere.

Over the course of prepping for the play, Max and Margo spend more time together and they become friends. It does get uncomfortable for Margo to play her part since it involves lots of kissing and I really thought this was so well done. Margo's hesitancy along with the pull she has toward Max is really a delightful part of their romance. They are just so darn cute!

They try to take things slow, even when it's clear they are both on the same page. They are adorable together and I loved this older romance. Margo's reawakening of her physical feelings was a nice part of the story and when they finally do give in to what they are feeling with each other, it's explosive and wonderful!

But there's a bit of conflict when they realize they want very different things in the future. It's a bit of a heart-breaker here for sure, but this is a romance with a very lovely HEA, so I won't say anymore. It does take some big shifts in thinking for both character's. In spite of some things happening very quickly, I really did enjoy this romance and was rooting for Max and Margo all the way.

Once I started this book, I didn't want to put it down. There was plenty of humor, many cute moments, and lots of heat between Margo and Max. I really did love them together, especially how their relationship helped their creative process. Max was just pretty awesome, and Sally's big heart had room enough for everyone and she turned out to be a key change-agent when Max and Margo really need it.

I really enjoyed this romance and would recommend it to all romance readers, and especially those looking for a more mature romance. Flirting with Fire captures the age group perfectly and I liked that the most about it. It's just a very entertaining sweet romance between forty-somethings and I loved it!

Flirting with Fire by Jane Porter, book three in her Modern Love series, is emotional and eye-opening in many ways; diving deep and bringing unexpected tender deeply romantic feelings right along with it. Margot Hughes was done with the entertainment industry and everyone in it. After twenty-five years on Broadway and enduring a disastrous breakup with her boyfriend, she was back in California, and created a whole new life; excluding anything theater related. Everything changed when Margot’s boss, Sally, asked Margot to help out with her new play. Margot reluctantly agreed, as she would do anything for Sally. Margot had no idea she would end up starring in the play and the famous actor, Max Russo, would be her co-star. Working together, Margot and Max fell for each other pretty quickly. When Max’s past comes back to haunt him, they will have to dig deep within themselves to determine if their relationship is strong enough to withstand it.

Ms. Porter gave so much emotion and depth to this story. Her characters deal with so much: learning how to move forward after major life changes, opening up closed off hearts, as well as learning to let go and trust. . I enjoyed seeing Margot and Max’s journey, through their ups and downs, and how they worked through issues when they came up. I was definitely not ready for this book end. I loved everything about this amazing, must read story. I highly recommend Flirting with the Fire to other readers.

I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book.

Even though Flirting with Fire can be read as a standalone novel you will find some familiar characters popping up from the other Flirting novels by Jane Porter. I’m not sure if her other books have more mature hero’s and heroine’s but I have thoroughly enjoyed reading a novel about people who have similar thoughts and feelings to my own. Margot is 49 years old and while Max is slightly younger, it’s refreshing to read a novel with a solid story with some sizzle with characters who are a bit more mature. Margot had appeared in the other Flirting novels and I was eagerly anticipating her own love story because her devastating breakup had already been told and I was happy to see her get her own hea. She and Max had an instant attraction but what I really loved about the two of them together was they understood each other’s life decisions. It was easy to like and root for them.

I’ll admit I love books set on the stage. It’s not something I’ve ever aspired to do but it sure is fun to read about putting on a production and the team work it takes to make it happen. Margot and Max made a great team and their energy made for some fun reading! This novel hit all of my buttons and once I picked it up I couldn’t put it down.

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

Jane always makes sure that her characters in her books are real, flaws and insecurities included. She succeeds again in this slow build story of a woman who has left her career after a disastrous break up and moved back home. But she slowly gets pulled back into that industry to help a friend.

What I really enjoyed about the book is the age of the characters - no struggling with angst 20 somethings. These characters are fully in their middle years, with the H a few years younger than the h. Again, realism!

Jane succeeds again!

Margot Hughes left California at 18 years old to perform in New York on Broadway. Life is going well until her now ex-fiance, Sam, dumps her after she supported him while he trying to make it big as a playwright. Deciding she was done with acting and the theater, Margot quits and heads back to Cambria, CA taking a job with Sally Collins, owner of a real estate developing company. Working as Sally's right hand person has given Margot new meaning in her life until Sally ends up having a heart attack and asking Margot to take over her summer production of Barefoot in the Park at the local theater. Reluctantly Margo agrees and comes to find out that everything is in shambles. Luckily, Max Russo, another local who made it big in the acting world has agreed to take over the male lead role if Margot agrees to being the lead female role. As Max and Margot spend more time together, the sparks begin to fly until they finally give in to their attraction. What harm can come from a summer fling? Well the past comes roaring back in a big way and throws a huge wrench into their fling. Now these two just have to decide if this attraction is only for the summer or for a lifetime. Once the dust settles, Margot and Max will finally find their happy ever after in such a surprising way!

I really enjoyed this sweet, heartfelt romance. Margot was feeling as though she was missing out on certain things in her life. Once she met Max she thought he may be the answer to all her prayers. Too bad things from the past was stopping that from happening. I really enjoyed Max. He was just the type of guy that Margot needed in her life. Once they finally realized this, everything just fell into place.

I love that Jane Porter writes about "older" couples finding love again. I've read all the books in this series and have really enjoyed them. Even though I'm 52 I sure don't feel like it and I love reading about romance for those closer to my age.

Flirting with Fire is about Margot and Max. They end up coming together to help a friend with her community theater for the summer and fall in love even though both have different ideas of what their futures will look like. Their humor was just plain ole fun and the love scenes are open door so keep that in mind if you'd like to read this.

All in all, I think this is my favorite in this series. Can't wait for more by Jane!

Thank you Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review. All opinions are my own.

Publication date: 25 July 2023

This book is a part of a series, but the crossover is simply in some of the secondary characters so you can definitely read this as a standalone too.

One thing Porter does so well is her highly descriptive scenes. It is like you are right there in the book with the characters. Waking the beach; smelling the air and hearing the crashing waves. Absorbing the sounds and chaos of the theater.

She is also fabulous in creating characters that stand out in the story. The women are your new best friends. The guys are your newest crush. She fills the story with depth and emotion that tug on your heartstrings.

Porter pours so much into her books. The characters go through so much like learning how to move forward after major life changes as well as learning to let go and trust. Crack open closed hearts and take a chance on a new life with someone special

This book is emotional and eye-opening in many ways. Porter holds nothing back as Flirting with Fire dives deep and brings those tender deeply romantic feelings right along with it.

Flirting with Fire is Jane Porter’s ode to the community theaters that gave her so much joy as a young person. The idea of a small town summer production was appealing. The main characters are Margot and Max. Both are in their late 40s and have survived trauma and their share of failed relationships. Although the attraction is strong is it enough to overcome differences in what they thought they wanted in life? I enjoyed this contemporary romance focused on older MCs. There were the expected dramatic challenges to overcome on the way to the HEA. If you’re a fan of the genre and Jane Porter I recommend tossing Flirting with Fire in the beach bag this summer!