Contemporary Romance published by Berkley 24 May 22
The older I get (I’ve been reading romance for approximately 50 years, so you do the math!), the more I find myself becoming irritated with some of the younger heroes and heroines I read. So when I get a chance to read more mature characters, I try to go for it. It’s an extra bonus that Jane Porter happens to be a favorite author for me, so I figured I’d win all the way around with this one.
For the most part I did win. I enjoyed both Jack and Paige, though it is Paige who gave me fits here and there. She and Jack have a brief history. They had a quick fling during the time they studied abroad thirty years before. She’s now a professor who will be assisting Jack during his lectures/classes at her university. They both are stunned when they realize at different points they’re going to be together again – and they both at first pretend they don’t’ remember the other. Paige has decided to keep to herself after her divorce, and Jack has been happy raising his son after his wife’s death, as well as keeping busy with his work travels around the world. He would like to get to know Paige better since their reunion, but Paige is still keeping her distance, despite the attraction that still sizzles between them.
And this is where I got a bit miffed with Paige. It’s all well and good to be wary. She’s lived through a lot, with a good portion of it being unhappy. But she has her girls, and they do their best when they can to keep in contact and be with her. However, I’m not a fan of running away in my romance, especially when it’s a lot of running, which Paige does. After a while, she decides to live a bit more and goes on a student trip with Jack. I really like she’s finally spreading her wings. Then she clips those wings when she allows doubt and misunderstanding to creep in. I realize that’s in keeping with her character, but that realization only goes so far. At this time in the story, I wanted more of her growth to show through, her new-found belief in Jack to show through. But instead, she runs, literally. That bothered me.
We do know, of course, things will work out. We’re reading romance after all. And Ms. Porter does a credible job of making that happen, though I feel Paige should have groveled, so to speak, or come to her own realizations earlier. But it’s Jack who saves the day. He’s patient and understanding with Paige’s vulnerabilities and he’s willing to do what it takes to make it work between them. Their chemistry is still as strong as it was that one night long ago, and I’m glad Paige finally lets go to see that, after that wild ride to get there.
Still a good story to take some time with, spend good as well as not-so-good times with charming, flawed characters, and visiting a couple of places most of us will never see.
Grade: B+
Summary.
Paige Newsom is finally at a place in her life where she’s comfortable. She loves her job as a college professor in Southern California, lives close enough to her mother to visit her regularly, and has three daughters who are flourishing in their own careers. Paige has no plans to upend her life again after her divorce eight years ago, but she’s about to embark on a new adventure: co-teaching a course that includes a three-week international field study.
Paige can think of a dozen reasons why she shouldn’t go, one being a dazzling Australian biologist who will be teaching alongside her. Professor Jack King is charismatic, a world traveler, and more like Indiana Jones than Indiana Jones, all of which unsettles Paige, who prides herself on being immune to any man’s charms. She isn’t looking for love, and it turns out, neither is he. But as the two co-professors lead the rigorous program together, first on campus, then in beautiful Tanzania, their biggest challenge will be working closely together while resisting the undeniable chemistry they feel when they’re with each other.
Read an excerpt.
