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Modern Love #2
Flirting with the Beast
A woman expecting to spend the holidays alone finds warmth in the iciest man she knows in this steamy and charming later-in-life romance by New York Times bestselling author Jane Porter.
It's been five years since Andi McDermott lost her husband, and she's finally starting to feel like herself again, ready to live fully--she's even started dating again. But when her holiday plans with her stepson and his fianc�e fall through, she refuses to spend another Christmas alone while everyone is celebrating with their families. Impulsively, she decides to go up to her cabin in Lake Arrowhead, a place she used to love to visit but hadn't gone to in years, not since the feud started between her husband and their nearest neighbor.
Andi starts to rethink her decision when being alone at the cabin proves to be more challenging than she expected--a heavy snowstorm hits the area, and Andi finds herself trapped there with no one to help except for her neighbor, Wolf Enders. A military vet who lives full-time on Lake Arrowhead, Wolf is as grumpy and intimidating as Andi remembers. But he's also unexpectedly kind and uncomfortably sexy--his presence reminds Andi that she may be older, but her body still works perfectly fine, thank you very much. But can this good girl tame this sexy beast of a man, and will this snowy fling turn into a love of a lifetime?
It's been five years since Andi McDermott lost her husband, and she's finally starting to feel like herself again, ready to live fully--she's even started dating again. But when her holiday plans with her stepson and his fianc�e fall through, she refuses to spend another Christmas alone while everyone is celebrating with their families. Impulsively, she decides to go up to her cabin in Lake Arrowhead, a place she used to love to visit but hadn't gone to in years, not since the feud started between her husband and their nearest neighbor.
Andi starts to rethink her decision when being alone at the cabin proves to be more challenging than she expected--a heavy snowstorm hits the area, and Andi finds herself trapped there with no one to help except for her neighbor, Wolf Enders. A military vet who lives full-time on Lake Arrowhead, Wolf is as grumpy and intimidating as Andi remembers. But he's also unexpectedly kind and uncomfortably sexy--his presence reminds Andi that she may be older, but her body still works perfectly fine, thank you very much. But can this good girl tame this sexy beast of a man, and will this snowy fling turn into a love of a lifetime?
336 pages, Mass Market Paperback
Published November 29, 2022
36 people are currently reading
3020 people want to read
About the author
Jane Porter
626 books2,052 followersBorn in Visalia, California, I'm a small town girl at heart. I love central California's golden foothills, oak trees, and the miles of farmland. In my mind, there's nothing sweeter in the world than the heady fragrance of orange blossoms on a sultry summer night.
As a little girl I spent hours on my bed, staring out the window, dreaming of far off places, fearless knights, and happy-ever-after endings. In my imagination I was never the geeky bookworm with the thick coke-bottle glasses, but a princess, a magical fairy, a Joan-of-Arc crusader.
My parents fed my imagination by taking our family to Europe for a year when I was thirteen. The year away changed me (I wasn't a geek for once!) and overseas I discovered a huge and wonderful world with different cultures and customs. I loved everything about Europe, but felt especially passionate about Italy and those gorgeous Italian men (no wonder my first very Presents hero was Italian).
I confess, after that incredible year in Europe, the travel bug bit, and bit hard. I spent much of my high school and college years abroad, studying in South Africa, Japan and Ireland. South Africa remains a country of my heart, the people, the land and politics complex and heart-wrenching.
After my years of traveling and studying I had to settle down and earn a living. With my Bachelors degree from UCLA in American Studies, a program that combines American literature and American history, I've worked in sales and marketing, as well as a director of a non-profit foundation. Later I earned my Masters in Writing from the University of San Francisco and taught jr. high and high school English.
I now live in Seattle and Hawaii with my three sons. I never mind a rainy day, either, because that's when I sit at my desk and write stories about far-away places, fascinating people, and most importantly of all, love. I like a story with a happy ending. We all do.
As a little girl I spent hours on my bed, staring out the window, dreaming of far off places, fearless knights, and happy-ever-after endings. In my imagination I was never the geeky bookworm with the thick coke-bottle glasses, but a princess, a magical fairy, a Joan-of-Arc crusader.
My parents fed my imagination by taking our family to Europe for a year when I was thirteen. The year away changed me (I wasn't a geek for once!) and overseas I discovered a huge and wonderful world with different cultures and customs. I loved everything about Europe, but felt especially passionate about Italy and those gorgeous Italian men (no wonder my first very Presents hero was Italian).
I confess, after that incredible year in Europe, the travel bug bit, and bit hard. I spent much of my high school and college years abroad, studying in South Africa, Japan and Ireland. South Africa remains a country of my heart, the people, the land and politics complex and heart-wrenching.
After my years of traveling and studying I had to settle down and earn a living. With my Bachelors degree from UCLA in American Studies, a program that combines American literature and American history, I've worked in sales and marketing, as well as a director of a non-profit foundation. Later I earned my Masters in Writing from the University of San Francisco and taught jr. high and high school English.
I now live in Seattle and Hawaii with my three sons. I never mind a rainy day, either, because that's when I sit at my desk and write stories about far-away places, fascinating people, and most importantly of all, love. I like a story with a happy ending. We all do.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 132 reviews
October 17, 2022
Emotional and intense in many ways. Love the mature couple focus.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I have so much love for this story. For one it hits right into the perfect age group for me. Just because the clock is ticking doesn’t mean love is impossible for the second time around or even more.
Porter pours so much emotion and depth into this one. 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 takes the time to craft a perfect balance in her characters. Gruff and tough, smoking hot Wolf and sweet, but strong and resilient Andi are just right for each other. Delicately balancing those new feelings and emotions is a different matter. Porter showers us with sexy steam, intensity, humor, and passion in this awesome read.
Emotional and intense in many ways. I love the mature couple focus in Flirting with the Beast. So many feelings ring so true in this one!
* copy received for review consideration
* full review - https://amidlifewife.com/flirting-wit...
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I have so much love for this story. For one it hits right into the perfect age group for me. Just because the clock is ticking doesn’t mean love is impossible for the second time around or even more.
Porter pours so much emotion and depth into this one. 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 takes the time to craft a perfect balance in her characters. Gruff and tough, smoking hot Wolf and sweet, but strong and resilient Andi are just right for each other. Delicately balancing those new feelings and emotions is a different matter. Porter showers us with sexy steam, intensity, humor, and passion in this awesome read.
Emotional and intense in many ways. I love the mature couple focus in Flirting with the Beast. So many feelings ring so true in this one!
* copy received for review consideration
* full review - https://amidlifewife.com/flirting-wit...
October 17, 2022
There is such a dearth of romance books portraying couples over 40 years old that I hastily jumped on Flirting With the Beast as soon as I spotted it on Netgalley. If 40+ characters are relatively scarce in romance, what is to say about 50+ lovers? They are unicorns of this genre, let me tell you.
I've read over 3000 romance books and I can barely name a handful, despite the fact that I tend to naturally gravitate toward mature and older characters in my romance and have been actively looking for them these past few years.
I loved the main romance arc, two archenemies surprisingly finding themselves gravitating toward each other a few years after the heroine's husband passing.
Flirting With the Beast hooked me in quite easily. I mean :
❄Remote mountain cabin
❄Mountain blizzard
❄Next door neighbors
❄Hate to love trope
❄Grumpy marine vet (60)
❄Widowed sunshine heroine (late 50? 57?)
Now, this is mostly romance centric and not without family dynamics. That being said this part of the story dealt with heavy topics so I believe CW are appropriate here (death of spouse, death of a child, grief, mental health, depression, suicide, child neglect, infertility). Yeah, it sure sounds heavy but it didn't suffocate the romance arc too much. There's a good balance between the family drama, the romance and the female friendship dynamics.
At the very beginning I was afraid it would be a fade to black romance book but with each new encounter between Andi and Wolf the steam increased and so did the sex on page.
With all that being said, I could have done without the unnecessary drama at the end especially since it lacked a proper grovel in my opinion and felt so out of character for Wolf to treat And this way BUT I find it so difficult to find romance books with romance leads over 50 years old that I'm willing to allow some leniency and put my annoyance away.
I ended really enjoying Flirting With the Beast and will assuredly check others books by this author if she has more older characters in her backlist.
I've read over 3000 romance books and I can barely name a handful, despite the fact that I tend to naturally gravitate toward mature and older characters in my romance and have been actively looking for them these past few years.
I loved the main romance arc, two archenemies surprisingly finding themselves gravitating toward each other a few years after the heroine's husband passing.
Flirting With the Beast hooked me in quite easily. I mean :
❄Remote mountain cabin
❄Mountain blizzard
❄Next door neighbors
❄Hate to love trope
❄Grumpy marine vet (60)
❄Widowed sunshine heroine (late 50? 57?)
Now, this is mostly romance centric and not without family dynamics. That being said this part of the story dealt with heavy topics so I believe CW are appropriate here (death of spouse, death of a child, grief, mental health, depression, suicide, child neglect, infertility). Yeah, it sure sounds heavy but it didn't suffocate the romance arc too much. There's a good balance between the family drama, the romance and the female friendship dynamics.
At the very beginning I was afraid it would be a fade to black romance book but with each new encounter between Andi and Wolf the steam increased and so did the sex on page.
With all that being said, I could have done without the unnecessary drama at the end especially since it lacked a proper grovel in my opinion and felt so out of character for Wolf to treat And this way BUT I find it so difficult to find romance books with romance leads over 50 years old that I'm willing to allow some leniency and put my annoyance away.
I ended really enjoying Flirting With the Beast and will assuredly check others books by this author if she has more older characters in her backlist.
December 7, 2022
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!
A copy was kindly provided by Berkley in exchange for an honest review.
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!
A copy was kindly provided by Berkley in exchange for an honest review.
January 1, 2023
Check out all my reviews at: https://www.avonnalovesgenres.com
FLIRTING WITH THE BEAST (Modern Love Book #2) by Jane Porter is an emotional romance/women’s fiction addition to the Modern Love series. This is a story featuring a mature woman in her sixties moving forward after major life changes. This book is a part of a series, but each book stands on its own.
Andi McDermott has mourned for her husband and long-term marriage for five years and has decided it is time to move on and date again with the encouragement of her girlfriends. When her stepson disappoints her by not coming for her planned Christmas dinner to meet his fiancée, she refuses to mope and takes off for the family cabin at Lake Arrowhead and invites her best friend, Margo to join her. Everything is going well, until Andi once again must deal with her closest neighbor, who had been feuding with husband for years.
With the threat of a major snowstorm, Margo returns home, but Andi does not leave in time to safely get home and finds herself snowed in. When her power goes out, she turns to the neighbor who is not quite what she imagined.
Wolf Enders enjoys the solitude of living full time at Lake Arrowhead. The Marine vet, divorced father lives as he pleases and while Andi has always found him intimidating, when she comes to his cabin, she finds him kind and uncomfortably sexy. Wolf finds he is attracted to Andi and wants to take this good girl to bed, but he is not interested in a relationship. But life keeps throwing these two together and Andi just might be the one to tame the beast.
This is a wonderful read, not just a romance, but an all-around emotional journey not only for the H/h but their family members also. Andi has grown personally since her marriage ended and while she now stands up for herself and what she wants, she is still kind and loving. Wolf needs his space, is gruff on the outside and is one of those men that takes care of his family in the things he does for them and not necessarily verbally. The on again off again relationship is very believable as they both deal with family drama, grief, and fear. The sexual relationship was well written and steamy. This story is based around the romance between Andi and Wolf, but the realistic situations with grown children, friends, and life in general makes this story multilayered and memorable.
I highly recommend this mature romance/women’s fiction!
FLIRTING WITH THE BEAST (Modern Love Book #2) by Jane Porter is an emotional romance/women’s fiction addition to the Modern Love series. This is a story featuring a mature woman in her sixties moving forward after major life changes. This book is a part of a series, but each book stands on its own.
Andi McDermott has mourned for her husband and long-term marriage for five years and has decided it is time to move on and date again with the encouragement of her girlfriends. When her stepson disappoints her by not coming for her planned Christmas dinner to meet his fiancée, she refuses to mope and takes off for the family cabin at Lake Arrowhead and invites her best friend, Margo to join her. Everything is going well, until Andi once again must deal with her closest neighbor, who had been feuding with husband for years.
With the threat of a major snowstorm, Margo returns home, but Andi does not leave in time to safely get home and finds herself snowed in. When her power goes out, she turns to the neighbor who is not quite what she imagined.
Wolf Enders enjoys the solitude of living full time at Lake Arrowhead. The Marine vet, divorced father lives as he pleases and while Andi has always found him intimidating, when she comes to his cabin, she finds him kind and uncomfortably sexy. Wolf finds he is attracted to Andi and wants to take this good girl to bed, but he is not interested in a relationship. But life keeps throwing these two together and Andi just might be the one to tame the beast.
This is a wonderful read, not just a romance, but an all-around emotional journey not only for the H/h but their family members also. Andi has grown personally since her marriage ended and while she now stands up for herself and what she wants, she is still kind and loving. Wolf needs his space, is gruff on the outside and is one of those men that takes care of his family in the things he does for them and not necessarily verbally. The on again off again relationship is very believable as they both deal with family drama, grief, and fear. The sexual relationship was well written and steamy. This story is based around the romance between Andi and Wolf, but the realistic situations with grown children, friends, and life in general makes this story multilayered and memorable.
I highly recommend this mature romance/women’s fiction!
November 9, 2022
Four and a Half Stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭒
Flirting with the Beast by Jane Porter is the second book in her popular modern love series, and can easily be read as a stand-alone novel. This series features older characters who fall in love and I found Flirting with the Beast an excellent addition to this series.
Story Recap:
Andi McDermott has been a widow for over five years and is finally feeling like herself again. When her stepson and his fiancée change plans and tell her they can’t spend Christmas with her, Andi decides to spend the holiday in her cabin up in the mountains in Lake Arrowhead. She hasn’t spent any time in the cabin since her husband passed, but she knows she needs a change of scenery to help her get over the disappointment of spending Christmas alone.
When Andi gets snowed in, she needs to ask her neighbor, Wolf Enders, for help. Wolf and Andi’s husband have been feuding for years until Andi’s husband’s death. Wolf is a military vet and is grumpy and intimidating, but Andi is surprised that she sees a kinder, gentler side when he helps her at the cabin.
My Thoughts:
One thing I love about this series is the older characters. Andi is ready to move on, and she has been dating a little bit, but no one has intrigued her enough to keep around.
The romance between Andi and Wolf was the main theme of the book, but I liked all the family issues that had to be resolved as well. With older characters, there are usually adult children in the mix, and they can affect relationships, and this is certainly the case in this book. But, they added so much to the overall story and gave me more insight into the main characters and their motivations and issues.
The attraction between Andi and Wolf is very strong and the book is a bit steamy. But, there is so much story between the steamy scenes that made this such a well-rounded book.
Recommendation:
I highly recommend Flirting With the Beast to anyone who enjoys romance books. I received a complimentary copy of this book. The opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
Flirting with the Beast by Jane Porter is the second book in her popular modern love series, and can easily be read as a stand-alone novel. This series features older characters who fall in love and I found Flirting with the Beast an excellent addition to this series.
Story Recap:
Andi McDermott has been a widow for over five years and is finally feeling like herself again. When her stepson and his fiancée change plans and tell her they can’t spend Christmas with her, Andi decides to spend the holiday in her cabin up in the mountains in Lake Arrowhead. She hasn’t spent any time in the cabin since her husband passed, but she knows she needs a change of scenery to help her get over the disappointment of spending Christmas alone.
When Andi gets snowed in, she needs to ask her neighbor, Wolf Enders, for help. Wolf and Andi’s husband have been feuding for years until Andi’s husband’s death. Wolf is a military vet and is grumpy and intimidating, but Andi is surprised that she sees a kinder, gentler side when he helps her at the cabin.
My Thoughts:
One thing I love about this series is the older characters. Andi is ready to move on, and she has been dating a little bit, but no one has intrigued her enough to keep around.
The romance between Andi and Wolf was the main theme of the book, but I liked all the family issues that had to be resolved as well. With older characters, there are usually adult children in the mix, and they can affect relationships, and this is certainly the case in this book. But, they added so much to the overall story and gave me more insight into the main characters and their motivations and issues.
The attraction between Andi and Wolf is very strong and the book is a bit steamy. But, there is so much story between the steamy scenes that made this such a well-rounded book.
Recommendation:
I highly recommend Flirting With the Beast to anyone who enjoys romance books. I received a complimentary copy of this book. The opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
August 16, 2022
One of the best books I have read in a while.
This is a Beauty and the Beast type story, but told in such a way that it became an addiction to me. I wanted to know what happened, but I didn’t want the book to be over. It is a very emotional story. Many times, I had to stop reading because my eyes were too blurry with tears. And then there were the happy parts that were just so perfect and felt so real. I love the characters, the locations, the plot; I just loved everything about this book.
I was happily surprised when Andi finally saw Wolf for who he was and not just the neighbor her late husband disliked. Their love was so real, so raw, so much like everyday life; with all the emotions and thoughts women of a certain age go through. This is my new favorite Jane Porter book.
This is a Beauty and the Beast type story, but told in such a way that it became an addiction to me. I wanted to know what happened, but I didn’t want the book to be over. It is a very emotional story. Many times, I had to stop reading because my eyes were too blurry with tears. And then there were the happy parts that were just so perfect and felt so real. I love the characters, the locations, the plot; I just loved everything about this book.
I was happily surprised when Andi finally saw Wolf for who he was and not just the neighbor her late husband disliked. Their love was so real, so raw, so much like everyday life; with all the emotions and thoughts women of a certain age go through. This is my new favorite Jane Porter book.
January 20, 2023
Having protagonists of my own age demographic was definitely a pull toward this latest from Jane Porter’s Modern Love series and I was in the mood for a widow starting over with a crotchety divorcee’. I’ve enjoyed some of the author’s older books and was prepared for her character-driven romance and layered, fascinating characters and I was not disappointed.
Flirting With the Beast is second in a series, but easily reads standalone. It opens with poor Andi McDermott getting to a place after the loss of her husband where she’s ready to engage with life again. She starts with getting into the holiday spirit and inviting her step-son over, but he stands her up. Feeling the need for a retreat she heads to the cabin up on Lake Arrowhead to do the holiday alone. A brief uncomfortable encounter with her late husband’s arch-enemy neighbor, then a storm and said neighbor coming to the rescue brings Andi and Wolf together.
I wasn’t sure what the author would do to make it clear that the figures in this story were older, but still vibrant lovers. I felt right away Andi’s reemergence as her own person after, for years, being the perfect wife who lost herself to be the woman her husband demanded of her was interesting particularly as it corresponded with getting to know Wolf who is another forceful, dominant man. Being the older generation to her step-son, burying a husband of many years and looking back on a childlessness that was a private source of pain when her husband didn’t want more children. On Wolf’s part, looking back on serving in the Marines, a divorce to a pill of an ex, sons he’s not close to, loss of his oldest son in war and now helping his son’s girlfriend and her child by putting them up. Obviously, the pair are weathered by some life and gave authenticity to this romance for a woman in her late fifties and a man in his sixties. They can’t have a romance that is isolated and other people factor into it like Andi taking on a friendship with Lyndsay, Wolf’s son’s girlfriend.
They think to have a brief one-time sexual encounter, but are both surprised when desires do not bank down and they both want more. Wolf ends up coming back into her orbit and they decide to give it a go. This pair caused mix feelings in me. Wolf was overly jerkish and Andi was overly mild. I struggled with the push and pull this put on their romance development. To be fair, he’s not only that and neither is she. Wolf’s a protector and saw quality and worth in Andi that her husband never did, but whew boy, does his taciturn, irascible nature really get ugly on poor Andi near the end and I was with her friend who wondered if Andi shouldn’t have put the whole thing off. Andi did take a temporary time out and made it clear how badly he messed up which showed she was not the same woman who would do all the bending in a relationship.
All in all, I was engaged with reading their story. It wasn’t an easy romance and they had struggles, but it was real and passionate. Returning to a Jane Porter book was a success and now I want to read the first book in the series. I would definitely recommend this one to those who want a seasoned pair in their contemporary romance.
I rec'd a finished copy from Berkley Romance to read in exchange for an honest review.
My full review will post on The Reading Frenzy Jan 11th.
Flirting With the Beast is second in a series, but easily reads standalone. It opens with poor Andi McDermott getting to a place after the loss of her husband where she’s ready to engage with life again. She starts with getting into the holiday spirit and inviting her step-son over, but he stands her up. Feeling the need for a retreat she heads to the cabin up on Lake Arrowhead to do the holiday alone. A brief uncomfortable encounter with her late husband’s arch-enemy neighbor, then a storm and said neighbor coming to the rescue brings Andi and Wolf together.
I wasn’t sure what the author would do to make it clear that the figures in this story were older, but still vibrant lovers. I felt right away Andi’s reemergence as her own person after, for years, being the perfect wife who lost herself to be the woman her husband demanded of her was interesting particularly as it corresponded with getting to know Wolf who is another forceful, dominant man. Being the older generation to her step-son, burying a husband of many years and looking back on a childlessness that was a private source of pain when her husband didn’t want more children. On Wolf’s part, looking back on serving in the Marines, a divorce to a pill of an ex, sons he’s not close to, loss of his oldest son in war and now helping his son’s girlfriend and her child by putting them up. Obviously, the pair are weathered by some life and gave authenticity to this romance for a woman in her late fifties and a man in his sixties. They can’t have a romance that is isolated and other people factor into it like Andi taking on a friendship with Lyndsay, Wolf’s son’s girlfriend.
They think to have a brief one-time sexual encounter, but are both surprised when desires do not bank down and they both want more. Wolf ends up coming back into her orbit and they decide to give it a go. This pair caused mix feelings in me. Wolf was overly jerkish and Andi was overly mild. I struggled with the push and pull this put on their romance development. To be fair, he’s not only that and neither is she. Wolf’s a protector and saw quality and worth in Andi that her husband never did, but whew boy, does his taciturn, irascible nature really get ugly on poor Andi near the end and I was with her friend who wondered if Andi shouldn’t have put the whole thing off. Andi did take a temporary time out and made it clear how badly he messed up which showed she was not the same woman who would do all the bending in a relationship.
All in all, I was engaged with reading their story. It wasn’t an easy romance and they had struggles, but it was real and passionate. Returning to a Jane Porter book was a success and now I want to read the first book in the series. I would definitely recommend this one to those who want a seasoned pair in their contemporary romance.
I rec'd a finished copy from Berkley Romance to read in exchange for an honest review.
My full review will post on The Reading Frenzy Jan 11th.
January 26, 2023
I finally got to sit down with this book and was completely captivated. It takes a talented writer to bring out to a reader the sexual chemistry between two characters without writing a very descriptive step by step sexual encounter. Definitely some fade to black with some teasing of open bedroom.
And the storyline! The characters! Jane Porter has been blended with a skill to write a storyline with the perfect amount of conflict.
I. LOVED. THIS. BOOK!!!! Here's more...
Andi McDermott is a widow. She and her husband were together over 30 years. It's been 5 years since her husband has been gone. Andi is starting to feel like she can live fully again. After some holiday plans with her stepson and fiance fall through, Andi decides to go up to her cabin in Lake Arrowhead. She hasn't been to the cabin since the feud began between her husband and their very gruff neighbor, Wolf Enders
After all the years that have gone by, Andi has a run in with Wolf and he has stirred all kinds of emotions in her. Wolf is a strapping man, tattooed, chiseled, and SEXY man! In other words, beastly. Wolf doesn't know how to handle emotions. He's very gruff, grumpy, and to the point. Wolf is also very kind and loves his family. An unexpected snow storm hits the mountains and Andi is trapped there with no one to help except her neighbor.
Can a good girl tame this sexy beast or will the fling turn into something more?
Thank you, Jane Porter, for sending me your book! I will always be a fan and will seek out your books! Remember me. ☺️
And the storyline! The characters! Jane Porter has been blended with a skill to write a storyline with the perfect amount of conflict.
I. LOVED. THIS. BOOK!!!! Here's more...
Andi McDermott is a widow. She and her husband were together over 30 years. It's been 5 years since her husband has been gone. Andi is starting to feel like she can live fully again. After some holiday plans with her stepson and fiance fall through, Andi decides to go up to her cabin in Lake Arrowhead. She hasn't been to the cabin since the feud began between her husband and their very gruff neighbor, Wolf Enders
After all the years that have gone by, Andi has a run in with Wolf and he has stirred all kinds of emotions in her. Wolf is a strapping man, tattooed, chiseled, and SEXY man! In other words, beastly. Wolf doesn't know how to handle emotions. He's very gruff, grumpy, and to the point. Wolf is also very kind and loves his family. An unexpected snow storm hits the mountains and Andi is trapped there with no one to help except her neighbor.
Can a good girl tame this sexy beast or will the fling turn into something more?
Thank you, Jane Porter, for sending me your book! I will always be a fan and will seek out your books! Remember me. ☺️
January 30, 2023
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.
A copy of this story was provided by the publisher via NetGalley.
A copy of this story was provided by the publisher via NetGalley.
November 30, 2022
Actual Rating: 4.5 Stars
See the full review & more at HarlequinJunkie
My heart is a little battered and bruised but was pieced back together in the sweetest, most satisfying of ways after reading Jane Porter’s Flirting With the Beast–a love story with a touch of a holiday theme that I simply could *not* put down.
I am completely smitten with Jane Porter’s Modern Love series. The combination of her clear writing voice that is always filled with incredibly genuine emotions paired with a more mature cast of characters is utterly perfect. Going into these romances–particularly with widow Andi and Wolf, a former Marine–you would think they would know themselves better than the twenty-somethings typically written about. And they did, for the most part... Read More
See the full review & more at HarlequinJunkie
My heart is a little battered and bruised but was pieced back together in the sweetest, most satisfying of ways after reading Jane Porter’s Flirting With the Beast–a love story with a touch of a holiday theme that I simply could *not* put down.
I am completely smitten with Jane Porter’s Modern Love series. The combination of her clear writing voice that is always filled with incredibly genuine emotions paired with a more mature cast of characters is utterly perfect. Going into these romances–particularly with widow Andi and Wolf, a former Marine–you would think they would know themselves better than the twenty-somethings typically written about. And they did, for the most part... Read More
November 29, 2022
A seasoned romance that proves you are never to old to find love again and start all over. This is an emotional love story that I could not put down. Bring on the tissues, I needed a few through out the story.
Andi has decided the perfect Christmas holiday is to spend it at her cabin when a heavy snowstorm strand her there longer and her neighbor, Wolf comes to her rescue. The only problem is that there has been a feud with Wolf and her deceased husband for years. Wolf is pure alpha and comes across gruff and grumpy but soon Andi finds the softer side, this will be a holiday to remember.
Will Andi and Wolf find their HEA, with family and life obstacles that they need to overcome. It will be a journey to find. Love the friendships the Andi has along with special relationship that forms with Lindsay. This a book that I highly recommend.
Andi has decided the perfect Christmas holiday is to spend it at her cabin when a heavy snowstorm strand her there longer and her neighbor, Wolf comes to her rescue. The only problem is that there has been a feud with Wolf and her deceased husband for years. Wolf is pure alpha and comes across gruff and grumpy but soon Andi finds the softer side, this will be a holiday to remember.
Will Andi and Wolf find their HEA, with family and life obstacles that they need to overcome. It will be a journey to find. Love the friendships the Andi has along with special relationship that forms with Lindsay. This a book that I highly recommend.
January 21, 2023
I picked this up from the library, intrigued both by a recommendation at AAR and by the fact that the romantic leads are both in their 50s. I appreciated Porter's skills as a writer, but the book's underlying conservative assumptions about gender roles made this so not for me.
58 year old good-girl Andi has been a widow for five years. She was happily married to a man whom the story reveals assumed he had the right to decide all the important things in their lives, and did. And Andi went along with him, because you (a wife) sacrifice to make a marriage work, a belief the narrative affirms rather than questions. Raised to embrace conventional gender roles, white, professional-class (though jobless) Andi embodied them without much question, and was pretty much happy to do so.
A Christmastime visit to the family's winter cabin ends up with Andi having a brief, hot affair with next-door neighbor Wolf, a taciturn former Marine who is not at all interested in any long-term relationship (he's divorced, and is grieving himself for the death of his eldest son, a Marine killed in action). But when Wolf's widowed, depressed daughter-in-law Lindsay and grandson come to live with him at his house in San Juan Capistrano, Andi (who also lives there) and Lindsay become friends, and Andi and Wolf fall into a romantic relationship despite Wolf's previous certainty that he didn't want one.
But when Lindsay , Wolf blames Andi for keeping secrets from him, and abruptly ends their relationship. After giving him some time to cool down, Andi tries to reconcile with him, but he rejects her again, quite harshly. It takes him weeks to forgive her (for something that was not at all her fault, to my mind) and apologize. But by that time, she's had enough, rejecting Wolf, quitting her job, and moving hours away to try and start a new life. But months later, she's still so unhappy without Wolf that she decides to accept his apology after all. Reconciliation and marriage follow.
The narrative wants us to be happy that after 58 years, Andi finally finds her backbone: "I've bitten my tongue before. I've let things go and held things in and avoided conflict so there would be more peace, and maybe I didn't mind at twenty. Maybe I didn't mind at thirty and forty, but I'm headed toward sixty and I realized today that I now very much mind. I want to be an equal with a man. I want to be respected. I want him to listen and set aside his ego now and then. And if he can't do that, I'm not interested." (278). But her decision to take Wolf back, without anything really motivating it but her own sadness and her long explanations to her doubting friend Margot about how she understands why Wolf acted like such an ass and why she doesn't think he'll do it again, undermines even that little hint of Andi sticking up for herself and her own needs. I only felt sad for Andi, despite the book's insistence that I should celebrate what it terms her "rebellion."
58 year old good-girl Andi has been a widow for five years. She was happily married to a man whom the story reveals assumed he had the right to decide all the important things in their lives, and did. And Andi went along with him, because you (a wife) sacrifice to make a marriage work, a belief the narrative affirms rather than questions. Raised to embrace conventional gender roles, white, professional-class (though jobless) Andi embodied them without much question, and was pretty much happy to do so.
A Christmastime visit to the family's winter cabin ends up with Andi having a brief, hot affair with next-door neighbor Wolf, a taciturn former Marine who is not at all interested in any long-term relationship (he's divorced, and is grieving himself for the death of his eldest son, a Marine killed in action). But when Wolf's widowed, depressed daughter-in-law Lindsay and grandson come to live with him at his house in San Juan Capistrano, Andi (who also lives there) and Lindsay become friends, and Andi and Wolf fall into a romantic relationship despite Wolf's previous certainty that he didn't want one.
But when Lindsay , Wolf blames Andi for keeping secrets from him, and abruptly ends their relationship. After giving him some time to cool down, Andi tries to reconcile with him, but he rejects her again, quite harshly. It takes him weeks to forgive her (for something that was not at all her fault, to my mind) and apologize. But by that time, she's had enough, rejecting Wolf, quitting her job, and moving hours away to try and start a new life. But months later, she's still so unhappy without Wolf that she decides to accept his apology after all. Reconciliation and marriage follow.
The narrative wants us to be happy that after 58 years, Andi finally finds her backbone: "I've bitten my tongue before. I've let things go and held things in and avoided conflict so there would be more peace, and maybe I didn't mind at twenty. Maybe I didn't mind at thirty and forty, but I'm headed toward sixty and I realized today that I now very much mind. I want to be an equal with a man. I want to be respected. I want him to listen and set aside his ego now and then. And if he can't do that, I'm not interested." (278). But her decision to take Wolf back, without anything really motivating it but her own sadness and her long explanations to her doubting friend Margot about how she understands why Wolf acted like such an ass and why she doesn't think he'll do it again, undermines even that little hint of Andi sticking up for herself and her own needs. I only felt sad for Andi, despite the book's insistence that I should celebrate what it terms her "rebellion."
November 23, 2022
I really enjoyed that this grumpy/sunshine, next door neighbors love story featured two leads in their 50s but overall I found ex-marine turned architect Wolf way too gruff and unforgiving. I get that he was characterized as a 'beast' but I found his reaction in the third act break up hard to forgive and just didn't care much for these two getting together after that. Much thanks to @prhaudio for a complimentary audio copy in exchange for my honest review. Would recommend to fans of books like Architecture and Artistry by Nora Everly.
CW: death of loved ones, accidental drug overdose
CW: death of loved ones, accidental drug overdose
March 4, 2024
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 was 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 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 post-Kevin 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.
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 was 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 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 post-Kevin 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.
December 16, 2022
It all begins in the mountains of San Bernardino County, Ca. Lake Arrowhead to be exact. This attracted me to the book immediately because I am so familiar with the area. It is a beautiful place and definitely needs an Andi and Wolf as residents. They are two of my favorite characters now!
Andi is a widow who only has a stepson for family and a few good girlfriends. She has lost interest in her latest fling and feels as though being alone is the way to go. She has a cabin in the mountains that she doesn’t visit often enough. Wolf lives next door in this mountain community and he has been a BEAR of a man. His dog is mean and he was embroiled in a lawsuit with Andi’s late husband when her husband passed away. Wolf and Andi are not excited to be next door to each other and have words in the beginning.
Time goes on and Andi’s best friend Margot comes up to visit over Christmas and this brings some excitement and love into Andi’s world. Margot is good for Andi. Over time, they run into Wolf here and there and eventually get to know this angry, hard-ass of a man. Is he a hard-ass under all of that testosterone laden exterior? Is his dog really mean? She is learning things about him that she assumed were different over the past few years that he had been her neighbor.
I love this story as it is chock-full of quality characters and family dynamics that we can all relate to. I feel that Jane Porter really captures her readers with mesmerizing details and characters that we can get to know and continue to want more of well after the story is concluded. This is a great book to read any time of year but especially at Christmas or when you need a little hot romance in your life!
Andi is a widow who only has a stepson for family and a few good girlfriends. She has lost interest in her latest fling and feels as though being alone is the way to go. She has a cabin in the mountains that she doesn’t visit often enough. Wolf lives next door in this mountain community and he has been a BEAR of a man. His dog is mean and he was embroiled in a lawsuit with Andi’s late husband when her husband passed away. Wolf and Andi are not excited to be next door to each other and have words in the beginning.
Time goes on and Andi’s best friend Margot comes up to visit over Christmas and this brings some excitement and love into Andi’s world. Margot is good for Andi. Over time, they run into Wolf here and there and eventually get to know this angry, hard-ass of a man. Is he a hard-ass under all of that testosterone laden exterior? Is his dog really mean? She is learning things about him that she assumed were different over the past few years that he had been her neighbor.
I love this story as it is chock-full of quality characters and family dynamics that we can all relate to. I feel that Jane Porter really captures her readers with mesmerizing details and characters that we can get to know and continue to want more of well after the story is concluded. This is a great book to read any time of year but especially at Christmas or when you need a little hot romance in your life!
December 17, 2022
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.
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.
November 29, 2022
Firting with the Beast by Jane Porter
This story starts out with Andi and her heart is broken. She's lost her husband and thinks after all these years she is ready to celebrate Christmas again.
The big disappointment is the stepson and his girl won't even get to stop in this year, same as all the previous years. She had decked out the house and kitchen had so much food to feed an army.
She heads up to their cabin in the woods and tries to recreate it there with her friend Margot. She even chops down a tree. OK well she wasn't using the right tools and it wasn't even on her property but the neighbor let her know all this...
Wolf, big burly man and she had dropped the lawsuit after her spouse Kevin had died and even paid all lawyer fees. Kevin hated him with a vengeance.
Love how Wolf explains about the use of tools and when to use each of them, so informational and caring.
Her and Margot are having a great time enjoying the winter weather, the location and then she meets Wolf as he gives them a ride up the hill to their house. She even invites him for dinner and a movie and Andi tries to object...
We also are able to hear what Wolf thinks about all this during the same time things are happening. Like how Andi is able to remember things her and Kevin had done with their son, Luke while he was growing up. She is a good mom but at her age she will never have kids.
Love hearing all the detailed descriptions. I can smell the food prepared and can see and feel the cold of the snow around the cabin in the woods. Love how she doesn't like to ask for help she can do it all herself, might take her a bit longer it will get done.
Just when things are going well with them events occur and they are no longer together. Andi is heartbroken and leaves to spend time with her friend....
You wonder if they can ever patch things up again, seems impossible.
Super love the relationships from all different age groups. perfect family setting.
It's not often at all that a story makes me cry, this one got me TWO times, so close and realistic.
Received this review copy from the author and this is my honest opinion.
November 24, 2022
For the first time in 5 years since her husband passed away, Andi McDermott was excited to celebrate Christmas with her stepson and his fiancée. When they cancel their plans Andi decides to head up to the cabin in the mountains. Andi runs into her neighbor, Wolf Enders, as soon as she arrives and he has always intimidated her. He is a big man with scars and very gruff but during a snowstorm she realized that while he may consider himself a “Beast” he really is very kind and thoughtful. Wolf awakens feelings in her that she thought were long gone, especially at her later age. Wolf had feelings for Andi but feels he can’t be in a relationship with her since it will only be destructive for both of them. Can they overcome their past and see what the future might hold! This was an incredible book and I loved it so much that I didn’t want it to end. I actually read it twice.
November 29, 2022
Christmas isn't going well for Andi who's finally ready to celebrate again, so a trip to the mountain cabin is the retreat she needs. An awkward encounter with her gruff neighbor, Wolf, doesn't help. But when a storm hits and she's stranded, Wolf is her unexpected rescue. Questioning everything she thought she knew about Wolf leads to sparks and passion. Wolf is gritty, an ex-Marine, and a true alpha-male.
It was just supposed to be a one-time fling, but when he shows up in her hometown, things reignite. It will take a lot to penetrate the walls of Wolf's heart. Andi is ready to open her heart as she is trying new things and getting out of her comfort zone. Falling for a Beast like Wolf wasn't in the plan, but it could work, if he could learn to trust and share.
With a nod to Beauty and the Beast, this seasoned Christmas romance delivers on heart, sizzle, and love
It was just supposed to be a one-time fling, but when he shows up in her hometown, things reignite. It will take a lot to penetrate the walls of Wolf's heart. Andi is ready to open her heart as she is trying new things and getting out of her comfort zone. Falling for a Beast like Wolf wasn't in the plan, but it could work, if he could learn to trust and share.
With a nod to Beauty and the Beast, this seasoned Christmas romance delivers on heart, sizzle, and love
January 26, 2023
I’ll be honest about this book, it was a little all over the place. I feel like the writing could have benefited with an editor who was honest with the author about sharpening what characters to focus on in the narrative. There was quite a lot of storyline including secondary and tertiary characters that felt superfluous but overall I liked Andi and Wolf.
June 7, 2023
An enjoyable romance, sprinkled with a lot of side characters; mostly family and one best friend. I did like all the family and friend interactions however, as they fleshed out the story. The H/h are 60 and 58, which I liked. (As an older reader.) There is a slow burn relationship, with some steamy scenes and quite a lot of angst and drama Their story seemed very real. I've read a lot of books by this author over the years, as she also writes for Mills and Boon. 4 😍 stars.
December 8, 2022
I loved every part of this book! I think I may have loved it more than the first book in the series and I loved that one as well! Just a fabulous story about a real woman and a real man.
December 21, 2022
Very good, really enjoyed this via audiobook.
April 10, 2023
This was a pretty good read. I like the details of the story, I just didn't love the part towards the end where there was a big conflict.
November 18, 2022
I voluntarily read a advanced reader's copy of this book for a honest opinion.
Another great story by Jane Porter. Flirting With the Beast is the second book in the Modern Love series. I loved everything about the storyline, the characters, character development, dialogue, and so much more. Emotional and intense at different times throughout the book. A top read for sure for me.
Another great story by Jane Porter. Flirting With the Beast is the second book in the Modern Love series. I loved everything about the storyline, the characters, character development, dialogue, and so much more. Emotional and intense at different times throughout the book. A top read for sure for me.
December 9, 2022
I liked this story quite a lot! The Heroine and Hero are not the usual young characters. Wolf is in his 60’s and Andi is and widow in her late 50’s. It had more heat than what I was expecting, but not too much.
Usually I don’t like a whole bunch of drama, but the drama didn’t detract from the story so much that I hated it.
Usually I don’t like a whole bunch of drama, but the drama didn’t detract from the story so much that I hated it.
August 9, 2024
3.5 stars I really liked this seasoned romance and at the same time, I had a number of issues with it. That makes it hard to rate.
Andi’s deceased husband hated their neighbor Wolf at the cabin so she’s not pleased to run into him when she escapes to the cabin for Christmas. Wolf is a grumpy hermit but he also enjoys getting under Andi’s skin and he wouldn’t mind doing more than that. Andi, however, isn’t interested. That is, until a blizzard hits and she winds up at Wolf’s cabin. Wolf doesn’t do relationships since his divorce many years ago but when he and Andi run into each other in San Juan Capistrano, where they both live, he’s hard-pressed to stay away from her.
Now this was a very promising set up. I love a good neighbors-to-lovers and I can’t resist a grumpy mountain man. But I had concerns about Andi and how she allowed herself to be treated in relationships. Her life was all about her husband Kevin’s needs. She dropped out of college to marry him, never had kids because he already had Luke (teen father) and didn’t feel like investigating the options, and volunteered instead of working because that’s what he wanted. His tastes and preferences guided everything from the style of their home to the friends they had. Frankly, he sounded like a selfish waste of space that she idolized for some unfathomable reason.
Wolf is Kevin’s opposite in just about every way. He’s gruffer and coarser but he also pays attention to Andi, both in and out of the bedroom. While he’s initially not interested in more than a fling, once he changes his mind, he’s pretty much all in. That is… So if I doubt the romance itself, why did I still enjoy it as much as I did? I honestly have no idea but it must come down to Andi. As much as her people pleasing tendencies frustrated me, there was something endearing about her and I felt invested in seeing her go after a fresh start. Plus, it made me cry, which goes a long way.
One other struggle I had was the Lindsay subplot. Wolf’s daughter-in-law has been struggling since the death of his son who was deployed four years ago. Her son Charlie is almost 4 and they’ve been living with his ex-wife, who has basically assumed all of Charlie’s care while Lindsay sinks further into depression. Neither Wolf nor his ex seem to be aware of depression or the fact that Lindsay has needed help for a long time. Instead of getting her to a doctor for a prescription and to a therapist, Wolf moves Lindsay and Charlie to live with him in California and then is shocked when Lindsay doesn’t follow through on any of her plans. It took forever for her to get the actual help she needed and I couldn’t figure out why. Wolf and Andi both should have known better and I have no idea why his ex enabled Lindsay for this long. Not only was she not parenting her son, she was neglecting him. She probably should have lost custody a couple of years ago. But the thing is, none of that needed to happen. She managed to get anti-anxiety medication so how did that prescriber not also see she needed to be on an anti-depressant??? The plot choices around this whole subplot were both concerning and frustrating, especially how manipulative Lindsay could be. I wish she’d had better people in her corner. Andi might have cared but she made several missteps I found it laughable that Lindsay decided she wanted to be a counselor when she hasn’t done more than go to a grief group. She needs to heal herself first.
Now all that aside, I’m definitely interested in trying the next book in this series about Andi’s friend!
Characters: Andi is a 57 year old white math department chair executive assistant and a widow. Her stepson is Luke. Wolf is a 60 year old white draftsman and Marine vet. He has three sons: Stone (deceased), Lincoln, and Maverick. Stone’s wife Lindsay and their 3 year old son Charlie come to live with him. He has a German Shepherd named Jax. This is set in San Juan Capistrano and Blue Jay/Lake Arrowhead, CA.
Content notes: accidental overdose (secondary character mixed Xanax and alcohol, which is initially perceived as a suicide attempt), undiagnosed and untreated depression (secondary character), concern that secondary character self-medicates with alcohol and pills, child neglect (Lindsay with Charlie), missing child (Charlie leaves the house without permission while his mom is passed out and goes to the park; he’s safe), past death of FMC’s husband (heart attack), past death of MMC’s son (roadside bomb while deployed), fatphobia, weight loss and gain (stress, diet, grief), ageism, privacy violation (FMC’s friend gives her address and phone number to MMC without checking with FMC first), past death of MMC’s pet dog, past dog attack, past child emotional and physical abuse by MMC’s father, past infidelity (secondary character’s ex cheated on her; MMC slept with a married woman when he was in high school or college [unclear if he was underage when it happened]), MMC’s son reveals his mom used to drive intoxicated when taking him to or from practice, past divorce (MMC’s ex-wife wanted him to retire from the Marines but he reupped instead so she filed), infertility , past death of MMC’s estranged father (car accident), past death of FMC’s mother (Alzheimer’s), secondary character’s dad left when she was a baby, past unstable childhood (secondary character), body scars, unsafe sex practices (penetrative sex without a condom without ever discussing STI prevention and they have both had sex with other people in recent months; FMC is likely in menopause and dealt with infertility while married but the odds of pregnancy aren’t discussed), on page sex, alcohol, inebriation, cigarettes (secondary character), diet culture, casual ableism, gender essentialist language, ableist language, hyperbolic language around addiction, mention of past car accident
Andi’s deceased husband hated their neighbor Wolf at the cabin so she’s not pleased to run into him when she escapes to the cabin for Christmas. Wolf is a grumpy hermit but he also enjoys getting under Andi’s skin and he wouldn’t mind doing more than that. Andi, however, isn’t interested. That is, until a blizzard hits and she winds up at Wolf’s cabin. Wolf doesn’t do relationships since his divorce many years ago but when he and Andi run into each other in San Juan Capistrano, where they both live, he’s hard-pressed to stay away from her.
Now this was a very promising set up. I love a good neighbors-to-lovers and I can’t resist a grumpy mountain man. But I had concerns about Andi and how she allowed herself to be treated in relationships. Her life was all about her husband Kevin’s needs. She dropped out of college to marry him, never had kids because he already had Luke (teen father) and didn’t feel like investigating the options, and volunteered instead of working because that’s what he wanted. His tastes and preferences guided everything from the style of their home to the friends they had. Frankly, he sounded like a selfish waste of space that she idolized for some unfathomable reason.
Wolf is Kevin’s opposite in just about every way. He’s gruffer and coarser but he also pays attention to Andi, both in and out of the bedroom. While he’s initially not interested in more than a fling, once he changes his mind, he’s pretty much all in. That is… So if I doubt the romance itself, why did I still enjoy it as much as I did? I honestly have no idea but it must come down to Andi. As much as her people pleasing tendencies frustrated me, there was something endearing about her and I felt invested in seeing her go after a fresh start. Plus, it made me cry, which goes a long way.
One other struggle I had was the Lindsay subplot. Wolf’s daughter-in-law has been struggling since the death of his son who was deployed four years ago. Her son Charlie is almost 4 and they’ve been living with his ex-wife, who has basically assumed all of Charlie’s care while Lindsay sinks further into depression. Neither Wolf nor his ex seem to be aware of depression or the fact that Lindsay has needed help for a long time. Instead of getting her to a doctor for a prescription and to a therapist, Wolf moves Lindsay and Charlie to live with him in California and then is shocked when Lindsay doesn’t follow through on any of her plans. It took forever for her to get the actual help she needed and I couldn’t figure out why. Wolf and Andi both should have known better and I have no idea why his ex enabled Lindsay for this long. Not only was she not parenting her son, she was neglecting him. She probably should have lost custody a couple of years ago. But the thing is, none of that needed to happen. She managed to get anti-anxiety medication so how did that prescriber not also see she needed to be on an anti-depressant??? The plot choices around this whole subplot were both concerning and frustrating, especially how manipulative Lindsay could be. I wish she’d had better people in her corner. Andi might have cared but she made several missteps I found it laughable that Lindsay decided she wanted to be a counselor when she hasn’t done more than go to a grief group. She needs to heal herself first.
Now all that aside, I’m definitely interested in trying the next book in this series about Andi’s friend!
Characters: Andi is a 57 year old white math department chair executive assistant and a widow. Her stepson is Luke. Wolf is a 60 year old white draftsman and Marine vet. He has three sons: Stone (deceased), Lincoln, and Maverick. Stone’s wife Lindsay and their 3 year old son Charlie come to live with him. He has a German Shepherd named Jax. This is set in San Juan Capistrano and Blue Jay/Lake Arrowhead, CA.
Content notes: accidental overdose (secondary character mixed Xanax and alcohol, which is initially perceived as a suicide attempt), undiagnosed and untreated depression (secondary character), concern that secondary character self-medicates with alcohol and pills, child neglect (Lindsay with Charlie), missing child (Charlie leaves the house without permission while his mom is passed out and goes to the park; he’s safe), past death of FMC’s husband (heart attack), past death of MMC’s son (roadside bomb while deployed), fatphobia, weight loss and gain (stress, diet, grief), ageism, privacy violation (FMC’s friend gives her address and phone number to MMC without checking with FMC first), past death of MMC’s pet dog, past dog attack, past child emotional and physical abuse by MMC’s father, past infidelity (secondary character’s ex cheated on her; MMC slept with a married woman when he was in high school or college [unclear if he was underage when it happened]), MMC’s son reveals his mom used to drive intoxicated when taking him to or from practice, past divorce (MMC’s ex-wife wanted him to retire from the Marines but he reupped instead so she filed), infertility , past death of MMC’s estranged father (car accident), past death of FMC’s mother (Alzheimer’s), secondary character’s dad left when she was a baby, past unstable childhood (secondary character), body scars, unsafe sex practices (penetrative sex without a condom without ever discussing STI prevention and they have both had sex with other people in recent months; FMC is likely in menopause and dealt with infertility while married but the odds of pregnancy aren’t discussed), on page sex, alcohol, inebriation, cigarettes (secondary character), diet culture, casual ableism, gender essentialist language, ableist language, hyperbolic language around addiction, mention of past car accident
June 11, 2022
Christmas isn't going well for Andi who's finally ready to celebrate again, so a trip to the mountain cabin is the retreat she needs. An awkward encounter with her gruff neighbor, Wolf, doesn't help. But when a storm hits and she's stranded, Wolf is her unexpected rescue. Questioning everything she thought she knew about Wolf leads to sparks and passion. Wolf is gritty, an ex-Marine, and a true alpha-male.
It was just supposed to be a one-time fling, but when he shows up in her hometown, things reignite. It will take a lot to penetrate the walls of Wolf's heart. Andi is ready to open her heart as she is trying new things and getting out of her comfort zone. Falling for a Beast like Wolf wasn't in the plan, but it could work, if he could learn to trust and share.
With a nod to Beauty and the Beast, this seasoned Christmas romance delivers on heart, sizzle, and love.
It was just supposed to be a one-time fling, but when he shows up in her hometown, things reignite. It will take a lot to penetrate the walls of Wolf's heart. Andi is ready to open her heart as she is trying new things and getting out of her comfort zone. Falling for a Beast like Wolf wasn't in the plan, but it could work, if he could learn to trust and share.
With a nod to Beauty and the Beast, this seasoned Christmas romance delivers on heart, sizzle, and love.
November 30, 2022
***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.
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.
August 17, 2022
Oh what a great plot line, very sexy at times with off the charts chemistry and at other times heart wrenching but always a page turner keeping the reader enthralled.
Andi and Wolf’s lives and personality’s are so different, can their love find a way and be strong enough to let them have a together forever life?
Andi and Wolf’s lives and personality’s are so different, can their love find a way and be strong enough to let them have a together forever life?
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