Flirting with Forty - Jane Porter

Flirting with Forty tells the story of Jackie. It's her second year as a divorced woman. Her two kids live with her and she loves them to death, but there's something definitely lacking in her life. It's bad enough that her husband left her for a younger woman, but her fortieth birthday is looming. Her friend Anne takes decisive action - she books them into a resort in Hawaii for a getaway. But when the time comes, Anne can't go. Jackie takes a deep breath and decides to going alone.

"I remember loving my husband and children. I remember loving them, and somewhere I must have stopped loving me... "

After sitting by the pool alone and watching movies in her room, she makes a decision.....

"I want more. More happiness. More love. More laughter. More sex. More of everything. I want to be everything I know I am.

It is at a surfboarding lesson that she meets Kai - a young, sexy, muscular, laid back, surfer kind of guy. She is very attracted to him, but he's younger and lives life to a different rhythm. What would he see in her?

Does she or doesn't she? Does she find happiness? Or answers with heartache? What about her ex?- after all the kids want them to get back together. And her friends - what would they think? I had to force myself not to flip to the back of the book and read the last chapter midway through.

Jane Porter has put to paper many questions I think a lot of women have asked themselves at some point in their lives. Written with humor and empathy, Jackie's character is true to life. The idea for this novel came when Porter was on holiday in Hawaii. (Did I mention she's dating a surfer?) It's a delicious read combining chick lit, romance and some thought provoking ideas all in one. I loved it and I'm sure you will too. You can enter a giveaway for a copy here. You can also join Grand Central Publish Blog Talk Radio for an interview with Jane on Friday, December 5th at 1pm/ET. Join in here.

OR

You can watch the movie on Saturday December 6th at 9ET/8C on the Lifetime Channel. Yep - that's Heather Locklear as Jackie. Why not make it a girlfriend's movie night? With an island theme? Here's a recipe for Pineapple Upside-Down Cake from Amy Sedaris's book I Like You.(You can win a copy here!)

Pineapple Upside-Down Cake
(reprinted with permission)

12 tbsp butter
1 cup dark brown sugar
1/4 cup pineapple juice
5 whole pineapple rings
1/2 cup milk
1 egg
1 1/2 cups flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1/2 cup white sugar
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Melt 4 tbsp of butter in the bottom of an 8 or 9 inch pan or ovenproof skillet. Stir in the brown sugar and stir until it dissolves. Take off burner and add your pineapple juice. Arrange the 5 whole pineapple rings in one layer in the pan. Set aside. Melt the rest of the butter. Remove from heat and stir in the ilk and egg, beating well. Add all the dry ingredients together in another bowl and add the milk mixture t that and beat until smooth. Pour overt the pineapple slices and bake for 35 minutes . Let cool in pan for 10 minutes and flip over onto a plate, pineapple side up. Serve with whipped cream.

Check out what my fellow Early Bird Bloggers - Amy, Kathy, Sharon, Carey , Marcia, Sally , Deborah, Allison, S.Krishna, Shana, Julie , Cheryl, Cindy , Tamara , Bethany , Sheri S , Wendi , Tracee, Carrie , Sherri, Toni , Book Maniac , Lisa, Kalea and Alyce thought of the book and some other recipes!