Welcome back to Jen’s Jewels - your go-to destination for the hottest new reads and swoon-worthy escapes. Today, I’m diving into FORTY LOVE by Jane Costello, a sexy, feel-good rom-com packed with second chances, sharp wit, and plenty of heart. If you love stories that prove it’s never too late for love, this one deserves a spot on your reading list.
LIGHTNING ROUND
What’s your favorite writing season: hopeful spring, beachy summer, reflective fall, or cozy winter, and why?
Spring because I’m a born optimist and am never happier than when I can look out of my window and see the first blossom and glimmers of blue sky.
If your main character had a motto, what would it be?
It’s never too late to start over. However, it’s probably too late to win Wimbledon.
What’s one small thing that instantly puts you in a creative mood?
Reading a book.
THE SPRING SPARK
May often signifies the start of something new. In what ways did this story represent a new chapter for you as a writer?
The book is all about reinvention in midlife and that’s something I can relate to. My main character Jules is persuaded to pick up a tennis racket for the first time in her mid-forties, just like I did. It changes her life.
What was the very first image, line, or idea that sparked this book?
I loved the idea of a woman who has hated sport since she was a teenager but now lives next to a tennis club and has to watch the guy she has history with displaying a killer forehand in direct view of her bedroom window.
Tell us about a scene that changed significantly from your first draft to your final version. What made you rethink it?
The opening scene. It is always that one – and has been with all 16 of my books. Only by the time my first draft is completed do I know my characters inside out. Only at that point has my vision for the springboard of the book really made itself known.
Setting can shape a story in powerful ways. What role does the setting play in your book, and what inspired you to choose it?
Choosing to set the story around a tennis club was a challenge but a joyous one. I know from personal experience that being on court can evoke a lot of emotion – good and bad – as well as drama, growth and, in Jules’s case, romance. I had particularly good fun writing a steamy scene in an equipment shed and have had to stress to everyone I know that this is purely fictional!
THE PERSONAL TOUCH
What’s a behind-the-scenes detail about writing this book that readers might never guess?
My first decision when I knew I was going to write a romance about tennis was to make sure that the hero was not the coach – a. because it’s been done so many times before and b. because I didn’t want any gossip about my real-life tennis coach!
Every book comes with its challenges. Was there a moment during this one that reminded you why you fell in love with writing in the first place?
I always find starting a book difficult, but there is a point – usually about a third in - when the characters are established in my head and there is some momentum behind the story. I loved it when it happened with this novel. Spending time in the lives of Jules and the other characters was pure joy.
If readers could step inside one scene from your book and experience it in real life, which scene would you choose and why?
You wouldn’t have to be a sports fan to appreciate La Manga, the tennis resort in southern Spain where several chapters of the book take place. Nothing beats being there in real life of course, but I hope I’ve done justice to what it feels like to play on those famous courts and sit sipping rose wine in the sun overlooking them afterwards. Bliss!
LOOKING AHEAD
Can you give readers a sneak peek into your next project, minus any spoilers?
I can’t say much at this stage beyond the fact that, like FORTY LOVE, it hones in on a personal passion of mine (though nothing sporty this time!)
Where can readers connect with you and keep up with your latest writing news? (Website, social media, newsletter, etc.)
I have a newsletter with a loyal community of readers – please do join! You can find it on my website.
BONUS: The Author’s Playlist
Share 3–5 songs that capture the mood of your book or that helped inspire you while writing.
Lizzo - Juice
Sia - Unstoppable
Kygo and Whitney Houston - Higher Love
Florence and the Machine - Shake it Out
Jackie Wilson - Higher and Higher
A fun, sexy rom-com about a woman who discovers it’s never too late to pick up a racket and take another shot at love.
Jules has lived next door to the local tennis club for years without picking up a racket. As a full-time buyer for a chain of lifestyle stores and a single, widowed mother of a teenager, she doesn’t have time for a hobby–or for a potential run-in with her old school crush, Sam, whose killer forehand is now in direct view of her bedroom window.
In a surge of boldness and facing the anxiety of an empty nest, Jules decides to stop playing it safe and accepts an invitation to join the amateur tennis team. They are desperate for players, and the fact that she doesn't really play doesn't seem to matter.
As rallies are hit and friendships are formed, Jules is astonished to find herself in the grip of a passionate, all-consuming relationship . . . and not only with the tennis. Now Jules is facing a whole new kind of match with her insecurities, her desires, and maybe—just maybe—a second shot at love. And boy, does it have some spin on it.
Romance Comedy [ Zibby Books, On Sale: May 19, 2026, e-Book, / ]
JANE COSTELLO writes bestselling romantic comedy books that celebrate all that’s great about midlife - and make you laugh about anything that isn’t.
She is the Sunday Times bestselling author of 15 novels, five of which were published as Catherine Isaac.
Her new book, IT’S GETTING HOT IN HERE, is a spicy rom com about a 40-something TV exec and mum-of-two navigating perimenopause, a moody teenager, the to-do list from hell . . . and some delightfully steamy thoughts about a handsome new colleague at work.
Her novels have been translated into 26 languages, selected by the Richard & Judy Book Club and she has won a Romantic Novelists’ Award twice. She was born in Liverpool, where she still lives with her husband and three sons.
Jennifer Vido is the author of The Gull Island Series, sweet Lowcountry romances inspired by her love of coastal living and small-town charm. Serendipity by the Sea won Best First Book from the New Jersey Romance Writers Golden Leaf Contest, and Baltimore Magazine readers named her Best Local Author in 2024 and 2025.
A Vanderbilt graduate, Jennifer traded in teaching French to follow her dream of becoming an author. She loves discovering and sharing literary gems through her Jen's Jewels column, celebrating the books that make her heart happy.
Jennifer lives in Maryland with her husband and is mom to two grown sons. Her rescue dog, Fripp, is her constant companion, though he's better at napping than editing. When she's not writing, you'll find her at the beach with her toes in the sand, dreaming about her next romance.
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