Old lover getting mention brings thrill (6)
I believe the answer is:
excite
'thrill' is the definition.
(thesaurus)
'old lover getting mention' is the wordplay.
'old lover' becomes 'ex' (I've seen this in other clues).
'getting' is a charade indicator (letters next to each other).
'mention' becomes 'cite' ('cite' can be a synonym of 'mention').
'ex'+'cite'='EXCITE'
'brings' acts as a link.
(Other definitions for excite that I've seen before include "Get worked up" , "Elicit enthusiasm" , "Cause strong feelings in" , "Make (someone) eager" , "Stir up, stimulate" .)