My Readers Roundtable review of this book:In many respects, The Hot Flash Club by Nancy Thayer is chick-lit for the over-forty crowd. It’s also more—a literary melange of sassy, edgy, somber, enlightening, adventurous, funny, sad, and hopeful womanhood.It is indisputably a woman’s book, although men could profit from reading it (many mysteries of the opposite sex will be explained!). It should appeal most intensely to older women, who will find all or part of themselves in the four characters; as will younger women, though for them it’s more of a crystal ball foreshadowing what may come. Anyone who likes capers, however, will appreciate what the hot-flashing foursome goes through to right the wrongs of their, and their loved ones’, lives.I found the book scary, in a way. A good scary, as in being shaken by surprise. As a person who reads more than a hundred novels a year, I’ve never had a book kick me in the gut the way this one did. The first four chapters, in which each character is introduced, were downright painful, yet I couldn’ tear myself away. They described so much of what I’ve experienced in the latter half of my life that I felt a need to thrust the book into all of my peers’ hands, exhorting them to read it.From chapter 5 on, though, I had trouble buying it as a story, even though every page contained something I could directly relate to. The women’s project involved too much risky deceit for my taste, and they made several stupid mistakes. But don’t we all? Advancing age makes one’s mistakes all the more clear, and it becomes easier to understand how anyone can make them—and to forgive oneself (and others) for making them. So despite the characters’ blunders, I felt compassion if not empathy. Perhaps that’s why that section of the novel felt so . . . squirmy.Part of what emotionally engaged me was the author’s superb writing. It flows, it paints, it hypnotizes, moving seamlessly between narrative and dialogue. Each female character is richly and lovingly portrayed, and believable. Men aren’t so well treated. But places, appearances, thoughts, and feelings are evocatively presented, and the dialogue is both realistic and character-revealing. The author injects some snappy one-liners, as well. (Two favorites: “If you’re born a cockroach, you will not evolve into a butterly.” And: “Where there’s a phallus, there’s bound to be a fallacy.”)I wanted to fold down page corners and highlight sentences throughout the book—restraining myself only because I knew I’d be passing it on to others. Instead, it’s bristling with sticky notes reminding me to go back and extract quotes to add to my collection and send to all my girlfriends. Considering that reaction, there’s only one thing I can say for The Hot Flash Club: Read it!Rated 5 Gold Crowns by Caro!http://thereadersroundtable.com/mains...
Listened to The Hot Flash Club (Hot Flash Club #1)by Nancy Thayer. Meet Faye, Marilyn, Alice, and Shirley. Four women with skills, smarts, and secrets—all feeling over the hill and out of the race. But in a moment of delicious serendipity, they meet and realize they share more than raging hormones and lost dreams. Now as the Hot Flash Club, where the topics of motherhood, sex, and men are discussed with double servings of chocolate cake, they vow to help each other . . . and themselves. Faye, the artist. A determinedly cheerful widow and connoisseur of control-top pantyhose, she’s struggling with creative block and an empty, lonely house. Now she’s got a tricky problem to bring to the club’s table: how can they catch her perfect son-in-law cheating on her only daughter Laura?Shirley, the healer. Though her yoga-slender body belie her years, decades of dating losers and the strain of being broke make her feel her age. Shirley has a secret dream: a wellness spa that nurtures body and soul. But first she needs to believe in herself, in her abilities, and in her friends at the club. Marilyn, the brain. A paleontologist who has spent so many years looking at dried-up fossils, she’s almost become one herself. Worried that her brilliant but nerdy son is about to marry the very wrong woman, she gets some help from the HFC, who transform her from a caterpillar to a butterfly, with amazing results. Alice, the executive. Black and regal, she soared to the top of the corporate ladder. Now her shoes are murder on her arthritic back and the younger jackals are circling in for the kill. But as the inspiration behind the HFC, she’s about to discover something extraordinary: contentment. For Faye, Shirley, Marilyn, and Alice, the time has come to use it or lose it—be it their bodies, their brains, their spirits, and their sense of fun. Together they realize that they can have it all, perhaps for the first time in their lives. And though what sags may never rise again, feeling sexy has no expiration date— and best of all, with a little help from her friends, a woman can always start over . . . and never, ever, give up what matters most. I so enjoyed this book and fell in love with all these lady's. I give this book 5 stars and a 10. A most wonderful read.
What do You think about The Hot Flash Club (2006)?
While I usually prefer more serious fiction, every now and then I like to relax with some fun chick lit. Some of it is excellent, incisive, insightful, and even well written in some cases.This is none of those things. It's just fluffy nonsense and as easily forgotten as an ice cream. I was half way through before I realised I had even read it before. I can't remember what I thought of it first time round, but this time I found it poorly written, poorly constructed, with poor characterisation, full of plot "mistakes", full of episodes that stretched credibility to the utmost... all in all just a crap book.Easy to read though, I'll say that. The only saving grace was that it managed to just about hold my interest so I wanted to see what happened next. I also had nothing else to read.UPDATE to review: Ha ha ha. Recently we were short of paper to light a fire and I suddenly remembered how I hated this book. So I burnt it. Never burnt a book before. It felt sacreligious quite thrilling.
—Fiona
Review from BookCrossing: I read this on the plane on a business trip to New Jersey, and now it's back on DMA7's desk, waiting to be sent to the BCer who was interested in it :) (long story, but it boils down to this -- I only take books on trips that I can release or give to someone on the other end. I don't want to take them back home with me once I've read them. So I brought an envelope and stamps with me, knowing I'd finish that book this trip, and then never got close to packing tape or a mailbox. . .)Anyway, I liked this book, but I have to say it was odd. It was literally menopausal chick lit! And there's certainly nothing "wrong with that", but all the chick lit I've read before was about 20-somethings. Given the ages of the women in the book, I just automatically assumed it would have a little more depth. Silly, no? I thought it might be a little bit more like Angry Housewives Eating Bon-Bons, but it wasn't. It had elements of the female friendships, but not quite the depth.This did give me a bit to think about, and was fun to read -- great for a plane ride or a beach, I think. And the flight attendants who sat across from me during takeoff and landing thought the title was hysterical. Always good to get people interested in books, in any way possible, I say!
—Antof9
From Nancy Thayer comes a series of books for women of a certain age. Hillariously funny and spot on, Thayer nails the challenges facing women pre and post menapausal. The beginning of this series introduces us to Faye, Shirley, Alice and Marilyn and puts a real and funny spin on dating, life changes, and change of life. These four women become fast friends, even though they come from different social situations the things they have in common bind them. Follow the HTC on they funny and real journeys as they deal with loss, grandchildren, health issues, body image issues and many other dilemmas facing middle age women of today. Nancy Thayer has found a way for women to find humor in all the changes bodies go through as they age and make women realize they are not alone in their struggles.
—Edwena
