Amazon Editorial Review

Since opening up their day spa, The Haven, the wonderful women of the Hot Flash Club have been busy indulging the beleaguered, nerve-frazzled throngs. Now, in Nancy Thayer’s hilarious new Hot Flash novel, it’s the friends’ turn to grab some soothing, and much-deserved R&R.

When a long-time Haven client asks the gals to housesit her Nantucket hideaway for the summer, they’re beyond thrilled; the cozy island enclave is the perfect place to shop, swim, chill, and plan Marilyn’s upcoming wedding to Ian, her Scottish fiancé. And Marilyn desperately needs the break, since Ian’s grown son has crashed at the couple’s place with no departure date in sight.

Soon after they arrive, the other hot flashers surrender to their own summer flings: Shirley entertains a steamy dalliance with a scruffy, sexy local fisherman that could lead to something deeper; Faye finds her dream house, but restoring it could be a costly nightmare; craft-maven Polly is enthralled by the island’s bounty, from shell art to lightship baskets; and even hardboiled Alice swoons with romantic adventure–or is it seasickness?

But this lovefest among the sand and ocean breezes is not without its consequences. Each woman must determine for herself what she is willing to give up in order to hold onto what she has found–and all of them fear that Shirley is on the brink of making a huge mistake, one that threatens their harmony and their business. But these concerns may be eclipsed by the mystery surrounding the disappearance of family heirlooms at the house where they are staying, and rumors that the place harbors spirits other than Grey Goose and Tanqueray.

Nancy Thayer continues her hugely successful Hot Flash series with this wickedly funny, delightfully bawdy tale. These irresistible women spring to life–along with their passions, their sorrows, their joys, and, most importantly, their friendship. So pack your bags and join these fabulous five for a season of fun, sun, love, sex, and estrogen therapy.

Happy Summer Gift Giving 2013.

Thank you for this RABCK - I appreciate your kind words. We belong to a club no one wants to be in and whether you had your child for a brief time or your child was grown, the pain of loss is still heart-wrenching.

Thanks for your kindness and friendship.

I read #1 and #2 in this series a while back (2005, 2006) but somehow never got around to reading this one back then. I probably should have. I can't say if I've passed the target demographic or if this one just was less fun than the first two. While the writing was good, the descriptions were almost over the top and too flowery. The novel was set in Nantucket and while I've never been there, the author made me feel as if I had. You could almost feel the salt breezes and sandy beaches. But what really frustrated me were the characters. The novel revolves around the women of the Hot Flash Club:

- Marilyn, a doormat who is planning a wedding to Ian while her elderly mother lives in the basement, Ian's reclusive son Angus lives in the attic bedroom (playing video games and otherwise contributing nothing), and Ian brings his best friend's widow back from Scotland to live on the couch while she grieves. Marilyn never grows a backbone but a few of these issues will be resolved by the end of the novel and surprise! the wedding takes place.

- Shirley was not much better. She's been married and divorced three times, and by the end of the book manages to find another man. Maybe this time is the charm?

- Alice is her own worst enemy. She allows her son and daughter-in-law to take advantage of her love for her granddaughter. She is running herself into the ground, but cannot relinquish any control.

- Polly is a wimp, but she eventually grows a spine. She actually confronts the man in her life once she figure out that she is in third or maybe fourth place in his life (after his EX-wife, children, and grandchildren).

- Faye is an outlier. She dumps the control freak Aubrey and decides that she is going to get back to painting while on Nantucket and begins to reinvent her life.

There's a minor mystery and a few other plot lines, but really all I could think while reading this was these women need to get a grip. The book wraps it all up neatly, but really did you expect less? Overall, there were humorous bits and it comes off as a decent beach read, not too taxing, if you can get past the spineless characters.

Please enjoy the box of books for your enjoyment or releasing.

Your box made it here safely. Not sure yet if this is one that will be read or wild released right away.

Left on a counter in the tye eat in area by the condiments.