Book Title: Flirting With 40
Author: K. Bromberg
Rating: 4⭐
Release Date: September 15th, 2020
Synopsis: Blakely Foxx is nearing 40 and is dealing with fixing her life after a messy divorce. And if that’s not enough, she’s being undermined at work and her ex is now engaged to someone new. Her life could get worse, but it could also get better. In the form of Slade Henderson, who sweeps into her world without knocking and completely turns it upside down. In all the right ways, of course.
Review: “Flirting with 40” was a lighthearted, fun read. The characters were fun too, making you want to soak it all up at one go. Blakely and Slade’s chemistry was sweet, more than hot. And while that would seem like a bad thing when reading a romance about two people falling in love, it’s actually a nice change from the trope. And K. Bromberg wrote these two characters to be relatable and to suck you right into their lives almost instantly.
“You should never let another woman steal your sparkle. You know that.”
Blakely Foxx is still working on getting her life together – dealing with her ex-husband and the new people at work. She’s just not having the best time. But she’s a tough woman. I love seeing her work side. While she’s soft and sweet when she’s with Slade and even her best friend, at work, she’s a powerhouse. Blakely won’t let anybody use her age and her experience against her in that kind of setting. She knows the skills she has and she knows what she can do for the company, especially since she’s been doing it all for so long.
Slade Henderson is 31 and a cardiothoracic surgeon on sabbatical for caring too much, if you will. He’s fun and wild and free and the complete opposite to Blakely. While Slade takes his job seriously, he’s also a really lighthearted guy and is looking for a good time. He might be handsome and sexy, but he doesn’t come off as a playboy, which is a nice change too. He’s not a bad guy, he’s just not good with long term commitment. But Slade brings out a side of Blakely that is so different and refreshing that even she can’t help but soak it all up.
When Blakely and Slade come together, it’s really great. He offers to help her find herself after everything that has happened and even though she’s hesitant at first, how can you refuse an offer like that? A company retreat at a camping ground turns into days of Blakely taking back what’s hers and finding that there’s so much more to life than what she’s been living so far. For Blakely, finding herself hasn’t been a priority till Slade comes in and reminds her of all the things that she could do and the person she used to be. He unwraps that part of Blakely one day at a time and ugh, it’s so beautiful.
“Quit letting them—whoever they are—put you in a mold, Blakely. Make your own damn mold. You might surprise yourself in the process.”
K. Bromberg weaves a story so captivating, but also uncomplicated, to suck you into Blakely and Slade’s world. It’s always so incredible to see the man support the woman so completely and effortlessly that you wish he was real. Slade sees a side of Blakely that she’s forgotten to pay attention to during her marriage and now that she’s free, she sees all that she could be. I also love that in situations where Blakely could have been an absolute bitch and made things ugly for everyone, she stood up taller. She fought for what she believed in, especially when it came to work.
“It was my pleasure watching you find yourself, Blakely. Don’t ever forget how you felt this week. Don’t ever forget who she is. We’ll talk soon.”
Age gap romances are a big favourite of mine and I absolutely loved this one. While the age gap isn’t as big as you’d imagine, it’s still big enough for Blakely to get hung up on the difference rather than focus on the good things that Slade brings into her life. While Slade and Blakely are great together, I felt like the chemistry wasn’t sizzling. Not because of the lack of open-door sex scenes, but because it felt more like two friends getting to know each other better rather than two people falling in love. All that aside, I soaked up this book completely and I love what K. Bromberg has done with all the characters!
Thanks to K. Bromberg and Valentine PR for an ARC in exchange for an honest review!
anna reads here 