Review: Flirting with Fire by 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?

 

My Review:  

Was it love?  Or were they just caught up in the act?

Margot Hughes was done with the entertainment industry and everyone in it.  After spending twenty-five years on Broadway and suffering a devastating breakup with her boyfriend, she was back in California, and had created a whole new life.  Everything changed when Margot’s boss, Sally, asked Margot to help out with her new play.  Margot reluctantly agreed.  She would do anything for Sally.  Margot had no idea she would end up starring in the play and the famous actor, Max Russo, would be her co-star.  Working together, Margot and Max fell for each other pretty quick.  But when Max’s past comes back to haunt him, is their relationship strong enough to withstand it?  Or were they just caught up in the moment?

This is such an amazing story.  I enjoyed seeing Margot and Max’s journey, through their ups and downs, and how they worked through issues when they came up. I was definitely not ready for this book end.  I loved everything about it.