The Hot Flash Club Strikes Again

November 15, 2004
Fans of The
Hot Flash Club
will be pleased that Shirley, Faye, Marilyn and Alice are doing fine—although Marilyn still needs nudging about her dowdy wardrobe and Alice's Thanksgiving was a headache. But in this sequel, the fab menopausal four serve only to bring together a new quartet of gals who bond at Shirley's Boston-area wellness center, the Hot Spot Spa. The theme is in-laws. Polly is trapped into service to her late husband's granite-hearted mother, who is determined to die elegantly, while Polly's daughter-in-law, who has just given birth, is equally determined to keep Polly at arm's length. Delicate Beth has won the heart of rugged Sonny but not that of his mother. Julia is a dream stepmother to Belinda, who hasn't spoken since age five, when her mother died, but Belinda's grandmother hates Julia for stepping into her deceased daughter's place. Rich Carolyn is finally pregnant at 37, but the high blood pressure that brings her to the spa isn't her only problem: her widowed father's new wife, giggly, thick-ankled Heather, can't wait to get her hands on his checkbook. The ladies find one another's problems welcome relief from their own, and they plunge right in to expose Heather and sandbag Sonny's mother. The story moves along, but without the brass, bawdiness and heart of the flawed but lively first. Agent, Meg Ruley.

August 1, 2004
More members join The Hot Flash Club. Four women of varying ages meet at a spa and decide to join forces against meddling in-laws.

Copyright 2004 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

November 15, 2004
In this charming sequel, Thayer continues the adventures of her characters from " The Hot Flash Club" [BKL N 15 03] while focusing on a new foursome. Faye, Shirley, Marilyn, and Alice are on the hunt to find single Faye a man, but they also find time to engineer the formation of a new group of friends, made up of four women who attend classes at Shirley's spa. Polly has just become a grandmother, but her daughter-in-law is keeping her away from the baby, and her ailing mother-in-law has suddenly decided that Polly is going to be her caretaker. Pregnant Carolyn is shocked when her father brings home a much-younger bride. Perky Beth has found her dream guy in Sonny, but his family clearly favors his ex-girlfriend, who was Sonny's high-school sweetheart and is still practically a member of the family. Julia is happily married to Tim, but his deceased first wife's mother is omnipresent and supercritical of Julia. The original Hot Flash Club brings this new foursome together, hoping they can commiserate about their difficult relatives and help each other through their current rough spots. A warm, engaging read. (Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2004, American Library Association.)