Review: Turning Thirty-Twelve by Sandy James

Turning Thirty-Twelve by Sandy James

Publisher: Siren-Bookstrand Publishing
Genre: Contemporary Romance

Heat Rating: 2

Blurb

Jackie Delgado didn't want a new man in her life until a dreaded blind date turns out to be more exciting than she'd ever imagined.

When her youngest son leaves for college, Jackie is hit hard by empty nest syndrome and pours herself into her work as a teacher. Bowing to pressure from friends, Jackie agrees to a blind date. But when Mark Brennan calls, she realizes the date won't be "blind." He's the father of one of her students.

Widower Mark Brennan isn't looking for love. After only a few dates with Jackie, he realizes he's quickly forming deep feelings for her. Wracked with guilt that he's "abandoning" his late wife, Mark resists the pull toward dynamic Jackie. When Mark's daughter begins to date Jackie's son, things become more complicated.

Can Jackie and Mark find the courage to leave the past behind and embrace a new love? And how will a surprise pregnancy affect all their lives?

Kris’ Review

I have to say that I thoroughly enjoyed reading “Turning Thirty-Twelve”. Sandy James writes with a classy wit that is refreshing. As someone who in real life is turning the big 4-0 or ‘Thirty-Ten’ as Sandy would say, I could really relate to the story. Comments like “those twin sisters are most definitely middle-aged and falling faster than the thermometer in a Minnesota winter,” kept me chuckling throughout the book.

Jackie Delgado is a high-school biology teacher who is turning forty-two. Or as her and her girl-friends have decided is the twelfth anniversary of her thirtieth birthday. She is a divorced, single mom of two boys, Patrick and Nate, a senior and freshman in college, respectively. She vows that this year will be a year of self-discovery and she will not be a clichéd middle-aged woman. After her husband David, left her two years ago for his twenty-year old secretary he’d knocked up, Jackie has some self-esteem issues.

I loved Jackie’s character because she is so ‘real’. Throughout the book, she’s constantly worried about her appearance and how anyone could/would find her attractive.

Detective Mark Brennan is a forty-eight year old widow, father of two girls Kathy and Carly, who are freshman in college, and a freshman in high school, respectively. He has just started dating again, two years after his wife Elaine, died of breast cancer.

Mark and Jackie are brought together by a mutual friend on a blind date. When they mean, the first word that comes to Jackie’s mind to describe Mark is ‘yummy’. She balks because she can’t fathom how a gorgeous man like Mark Brennan would want to spend time with her?

As they start to date, each feels strong desire, chemistry between them. Then suddenly, Mark doesn’t call her for six weeks. She’s convinced he’s just discarded her like her husband had.

The plot thickens up when on Parents’ Day, Jackie discovers her son Nate is dating Mark’s daughter Kathy. Where do they go from here? On one fast roller coaster ride that involves all six of them. The ride will keep you on the each of your seat as some dangerous curves are thrown their way. Overcoming these obstacles will change their lives forever, for better or worse.

‘Turning Thirty-Twelve’ will be a quick favorite for any woman in her ‘forties’ because it shows all the insecurities that women feel at that time in their life. For example, women can relate to Jackie’s anxiety when Mark sees her naked for the first time, in day light, or God forbid, without makeup. This is a fun, witty, charming love story that will make a nice easy read book to take with you to the beach this summer.

5 Tea Cups and a Recommended Read!