The Hot Flash Club Chills Out

July 3, 2006
In their fourth outing (after Hot Flash Holidays), Thayer's menopausal quintet are in dire need of downtime. Marilyn wants to plan her wedding to Ian, but is too busy keeping together a hectic household. Faye's yearlong relationship with older Aubrey fizzles instead of sparks. Timid Polly wants a commitment from Hugh, but he's busy tending to his ex-wife's dramas. Intense Alice needs to relax for the sake of her troubled heart, but she helps care for her baby granddaughter, whose parents can't stop fighting. Romantically inept Shirley's finally found a guy her friends approve of, but he's terminally boring. Luckily, a business associate of Shirley's has offered up her home on Nantucket for the summer. The catch is that some antiques have disappeared, so the ladies will have to keep an eye out. And, of course, the house may be haunted. Once on Nantucket, Faye's reawakened passion for painting replaces her desire for Aubrey, and a charming stranger piques Shirley's interest. Thayer mixes in some local intrigue, but, as with the ghost subplot, lets the tension unspool by dedicating swaths of pages to fluffy, repetitive chatter. Thayer is at her best when detailing her characters' rich inner lives; thankfully there is plenty of that, too.

September 11, 2006
In their fourth outing (after Hot Flash Holidays), Thayer's menopausal quintet are in dire need of downtime. Marilyn wants to plan her wedding to Ian, but is too busy keeping together a hectic household. Faye's yearlong relationship with older Aubrey fizzles instead of sparks. Timid Polly wants a commitment from Hugh, but he's busy tending to his ex-wife's dramas. Intense Alice needs to relax for the sake of her troubled heart, but she helps care for her baby granddaughter, whose parents can't stop fighting. Romantically inept Shirley's finally found a guy her friends approve of, but he's terminally boring. Luckily, a business associate of Shirley's has offered up her home on Nantucket for the summer. The catch is that some antiques have disappeared, so the ladies will have to keep an eye out. And, of course, the house may be haunted. Once on Nantucket, Faye's reawakened passion for painting replaces her desire for Aubrey, and a charming stranger piques Shirley's interest. Thayer mixes in some local intrigue, but, as with the ghost subplot, lets the tension unspool by dedicating swaths of pages to fluffy, repetitive chatter. Thayer is at her best when detailing her characters' rich inner lives; thankfully there is plenty of that, too.

Copyright 2006 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

June 1, 2006
The fourth of Thayer's engaging Hot Flash Club novels finds the hormonally challenged pals enjoying a rent-free summer home in Nantucket. For Alice, Faye, Marilyn, Polly, and Shirley, the quaint island provides the haven they need to escape their stressful Boston lives. Alice is taking care of her beloved granddaughter as her son and his wife work themselves and their marriage into the ground. Faye's ardor for her lover may be cooling in the wake of his whiny demands for nursing care, while Nantucket's pastoral vistas provide her with a more satisfying outlet for her passion. Between an elderly mother, a recalcitrant soon-to-be son-in-law, and a voluptuous old friend of her fiance's, Marilyn may never wed Ian. Meanwhile, Polly's love affair with Hugh suffers every time he runs to his ex-wife's aid, and Shirley thinks she may have found the fourth Mr. Right right there on the beach. Seemingly insurmountable problems are made manageable with the healing combination of cool Atlantic breezes and warm, trusting friendships. Thayer's resilient, reassuring friends lend credence to the adage that old age is not for sissies. (Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2006, American Library Association.)