Spotlight & Giveaway: Flirting with Fire by Jane Porter

Posted July 25th, 2023 by in Blog, Spotlight / 34 comments

Today, HJ is pleased to share with you Jane Porter’s new release: Flirting with Fire

 

Spotlight&Giveaway

 

Love isn’t just an act in this captivating and flirty romance by New York Times bestselling author Jane Porter.

Forty-nine-year-old Margot Hughes has lived and breathed theater for the past twenty five years. After a devastating breakup with her playwright fiancé, she wants nothing to do with the industry. She has sworn off New York, theater, actors—all of it. She returns to her hometown on California’s central coast and takes a job in real estate, where she manages significant investment properties. But Margot’s suddenly thrown back into the theater world when Sally, her friend and boss, who had been restoring and funding Cambria’s historic theater, has a heart attack. Before she knows it, Margot is tapped to take over the troubled summer production of Barefoot in the Park.

But the play is no walk in the park—the leads and director have all quit, and Margot struggles to find new actors…until Max Russo arrives. Forty-five-year-old Max is a former soap opera star turned rugged cowboy on TV’s most popular western series. Max has a huge following and is the perfect hero to step up and save the play, provided Margot stars opposite him. Although adamant she would never return to theater, Margot enjoys the long hours of rehearsal with a professional like Max, who is charming, witty, and passionate. But when the curtains close, can Margot allow herself to fall for Max when he represents everything she left behind?

 

Enjoy an exclusive excerpt from Flirting with Fire 

The terminal’s sliding glass doors suddenly opened and there he was.
Max wasn’t hard to recognize even with the baseball cap, polarized aviator style sunglasses, and dark bristled jaw. He was taller than average, and lean, with big shoulders, long legs. He was wearing jeans, cowboy boots, and a brown leather jacket over a tight-fitting t-shirt and looked every bit the film star. If Jen were here, she’d die.
Margot heard someone next to her murmur, wondering aloud if that was the guy from Stardust Ranch. She stepped forward, meeting him partway. “Max,” she said.
He nodded. “You’re Margot?” he asked, shifting his leather backpack to the other shoulder.
“I am. Flight okay?”
“No problems.” His dark eyebrows flattened, his bristled jaw tightening. “How is she?”
It went without saying that he was asking about Sally. Margot swallowed around the lump suddenly filling her throat. “She’s looking forward to seeing you. I’m to take you straight there.”
“Is she really going to be okay?”
The lump in her throat grew. “I hope so.” She nodded at his backpack. “Is that all you have, or is there a checked bag?”
“Just this,” he said. “Only here for a few days.”
“So, you’re not here to help with Sally’s play?”
Max looked at her, gaze hidden by his polarized glasses. “What play?”
“Barefoot in the Park. It launches the Cambria Playhouse’s summer season.” They were walking out of the terminal now, across the street to short term parking. The sun had dropped lower in the sky, creating a fine line of gold across the horizon.
“Just yesterday she told me the director had quit,” Margot continued, “as well as the leads. She asked me to step in and direct. This morning I agreed.” She glanced at Max as they reached her car. “I should have agreed last night. I shouldn’t have left her stewing all night. Maybe if I had, none of this would have happened.”
He lowered his backpack and then removed his sunglasses. His dark brown gaze met hers and held. “You think you’re the reason she had a heart attack?”
His eyes were beautiful. His face…beautiful. She sucked in a breath, suddenly a little lightheaded. “She was fine at the cocktail party.”
“I can’t imagine you were actually the trigger. Sally is driven. She has always worked hard, and unless something has changed, she doesn’t exercise, doesn’t eat right, and starts her day with a good vodka tonic.”
“She’s switched to vodka and orange juice.”
Max laughed, and creases fanned at the corners of his eyes, and his teeth flashed, blindingly white. Her pulse jumped and her mouth dried. Wow. “If you know her favorite drink, you two must have some history,” Margot said, unlocking the car and popping the trunk.
“That’s an understatement,” Max answered, dropping his backpack into the trunk before closing it.
Margot shot him a quick look, curious. There were a dozen things she wanted to ask, but right now, she needed to get him to the hospital. Sally was waiting and if Max could buoy Sally’s spirits and help her recover, then Margot would roll out the red carpet for him.

Excerpt. ©Jane Porter. Posted by arrangement with the publisher. All rights reserved.
 
 

Giveaway: 1 Finished copy of Flirting with Fire by Jane Porter / US only

 

To enter Giveaway: Please complete the Rafflecopter form and post a comment to this Q: What did you think of the excerpt spotlighted here? Leave a comment with your thoughts on the book…

 
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Meet the Author:

Jane Porter, the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of 70 romances, holds an MA in Writing from the University of San Francisco and has been a finalist for the prestigious RITA award six times, winning in 2014 for Take Me, Cowboy. In 2008, Jane’s popular novel, Flirting With Forty, was made into a Lifetime movie starring Heather Locklear, and in 2021 two of her novels were turned into holiday movies for the new GAC Family channel. Jane lives in sunny California with her surfer husband, three sons, and three dogs.

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34 Responses to “Spotlight & Giveaway: Flirting with Fire by Jane Porter”

  3. Pat Lieberman

    Always enjoy an older romance a story where heroine is a bit older than the hero.

  9. Crystal

    I loved the book excerpt, book title and cover and would love to read a print copy of this book. Also sounds like a good read I could escape in

  11. Diana Hardt

    I liked the excerpt. It sounds like a really interesting book. Thank you for sharing.

    • Dianne Casey

      I enjoyed the excerpt and I’m looking forward to reading the book.

  12. Janine

    The excerpt is great. I actually read this book early and it is one of my favorite Jane Porter’s books now.

  16. Joye

    This one sounds equally as good as her other books which I really enjoy reading

  19. Nova Conover

    Love all of Janes’s books. This one is no exception. Beautiful story.

  23. Sandra L Griffin

    This excerpt definitely caught my interest and I can’t wait to read the book! We are a theatre family (actors and directors) and so that definitely caught my notice.

  28. Patricia B.

    This excerpt expands on another I read showing more of who the characters are. It is nice to see two mature characters with life experiences deal with what life throws their way, including an attraction.

  30. Laurie Gommermann

    I liked their chemistry, similar interest in acting// theater, love of their friend Sally, similar age …
    I’m already rooting for Max and Margot to pull this play, Barefoot In The Park, off well and find their HEA!