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Hot Flash Club #2
The Hot Flash Club Strikes Again
The fabulous women from The Hot Flash Club are back in top form, welcoming the stressed-out and pampering-deprived through their discreet spa doors–as Nancy Thayer returns with a witty, sexy, and heartwarming novel. The Hot Flash Club Strikes Again also introduces four new women, ready for massages and seaweed wraps, each struggling to reconcile her secret dreams, biggest fears, and deepest feelings as topsy-turvy events shake up her life.After eighteen years of trying to make peace with her husband’s cold-as-ice mother, Polly vows to be the perfect loving, accepting, and determined to keep her mouth shut. Then her son marries Amy, a Birkenstocked gal whose organic farm and family ooze a rather creepy serenity. Ever the optimist, Polly puts her best foot forward . . . so why does it end up in her mouth?A shy and brilliant professor-to-be, Beth has lived a sheltered life. Then she meets Sonny, a rugged, sexy carpenter who sweeps her off her feet. The problem? Beth may not survive his loud, affectionate, athletic family–especially when the very beautiful and earthy woman everybody wanted Sonny to marry is still hanging around the family dinner table.Heiress to one of New England’s oldest paper companies, Carolyn is the driving force behind the brand. Now, at thirty-seven, the workaholic executive is finally pregnant with her first child, and high blood pressure is forcing her to do something totally relax. But how can she let down her guard when her seventy-something father has gone and eloped with a young bank clerk named Heather, whose rather plain looks and unassuming nature still manage to fill Carolyn with suspicion.A free-spirited photographer, Julia has married a man she loves, but he’s come packed with baggage. Tim is a widower with a young daughter, and Julia has bravely stepped up to the plate, doing her best to provide maternal support. But as if being pinned down by the child’s slightly manipulative ways and (dare Julia say it) spoiled behavior wasn’t enough, there’s Tim’s ex-mother-in-law, whose meddling is getting nastier by the week.For Polly, Beth, Carolyn, and Julia, the time has come to stand up for what matters–for their passions, their hearts, and themselves. As they maneuver through family drama and embrace unexpected change, they come to find that life is much easier (and a lot more fun) when you’ve got friends, wine, and chocolate along for the ride.
368 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2004
227 people are currently reading
1526 people want to read
About the author
Nancy Thayer
51 books4,041 followersNancy Thayer has published 35 novels, including Family Reunion and Secrets in Summer. She has lived on Nantucket Island year-round for 38 years with her husband Charley Walters. They have two children and five grandchildren.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 175 reviews
March 6, 2011
I loved book 1 maybe because I read it at "that certain age" where it really hit home. This was a let-down. I had a hard time reconnecting with who was who from the first book then she adds 4 new characters and their assorted children, in-laws, & boyfriends to keep track of. TOO MUCH! Seemed much less focused than the first. So while I still like the series and will continue to read (ending seemed to set us up for #3) this entry missed the mark.
April 4, 2013
I read the first book, but apparently it was too long ago, because I had a hard time keeping track of who the club members were. All the new characters were great, and this book focused far more on them then the club members. The story was well written though, enough to draw and keep my attention. She does a nice job wrapping the story up happily without making it too perfect and sappy. This happy ending lover was content.
May 12, 2020
In this 2nd book in the Hot Flash Club series, new girls are added to the fun.
Shirley has always wanted a wellness spa, and she gets help to be able to open one and she calls it The Haven. Faye ends up teaching art therapy and they all have their own ways of using the spa.
Even though this book doesn't a complex plot, it'll keep you laughing enough to make it worth your while. The women are adults and some of the humor is definitely very relatable. It's a light, funny, relatable story, especially for mature women who are probably mid-life age on. Not that others wouldn't enjoy it too, but that seems to be the targeted audience in my opinion.
Shirley has always wanted a wellness spa, and she gets help to be able to open one and she calls it The Haven. Faye ends up teaching art therapy and they all have their own ways of using the spa.
Even though this book doesn't a complex plot, it'll keep you laughing enough to make it worth your while. The women are adults and some of the humor is definitely very relatable. It's a light, funny, relatable story, especially for mature women who are probably mid-life age on. Not that others wouldn't enjoy it too, but that seems to be the targeted audience in my opinion.
May 5, 2019
I have read Nancy Thayer"s more recent books and thoroughly enjoyed them so I started with Book 1 in the Hot Flash Series and also enjoyed it, although it was a lighter read. Book 2 started off rather disjointed with the introduction of 4 new characters when I was still wondering what happened with the characters in the first book. I read half-way through and then abandoned the book which is extremely rare for me. Some of characters were very stereotypical, predictable and one dimensional such as Polly's rich mother-in-law, Beth's boyfriend Sonny's beautiful ex-girlfriend still hanging with his family, and Julia's husband Tim's ex-mother-in-law making unannounced visits to criticize Julia....etc. I know Thayer needed to create tension amongst the characters to make it interesting but there were too many unbelievable, over-the-top characters that made me want to gag and put the book down in disgust. So I did. Thayer's later books are much better written.
October 2, 2017
So anxious to start book 3. These women are like a group of friends everyone would love to have. And the new group just adds to the different elements of relationships and life experiences on so many levels. Polly is probably my favorite. Can't wait to see what the future holds for her!!
June 25, 2019
a lot of characters, a little hard to follow at first on audibles
September 20, 2014
THIS SUMMARY/REVIEW WAS COPIED FROM OTHER SOURCES AND IS USED ONLY AS A REMINDER OF WHAT THE BOOK WAS ABOUT FOR MY PERSONAL INTEREST. ANY PERSONAL NOTATIONS ARE FOR MY RECOLLECTION ONLY
Likes the first one better :-)
Listened to The Hot Flash Club Strikes Again (Hot Flash Club #2)by Nancy Thayer. The fabulous women from The Hot Flash Club are back in top form, welcoming the stressed-out and pampering-deprived through their discreet spa doors–as Nancy Thayer returns with a witty, sexy, and heartwarming novel. The Hot Flash Club Strikes Again also introduces four new women, ready for massages and seaweed wraps, each struggling to reconcile her secret dreams, biggest fears, and deepest feelings as topsy-turvy events shake up her life. After eighteen years of trying to make peace with her husband’s cold-as-ice mother, Polly vows to be the perfect mother-in-law: loving, accepting, and determined to keep her mouth shut. Then her son marries Amy, a Birkenstocked gal whose organic farm and family ooze a rather creepy serenity. Ever the optimist, Polly puts her best foot forward . . . so why does it end up in her mouth? A shy and brilliant professor-to-be, Beth has lived a sheltered life. Then she meets Sonny, a rugged, sexy carpenter who sweeps her off her feet. The problem? Beth may not survive his loud, affectionate, athletic family–especially when the very beautiful and earthy woman everybody wanted Sonny to marry is still hanging around the family dinner table. Heiress to one of New England’s oldest paper companies, Carolyn is the driving force behind the brand. Now, at thirty-seven, the workaholic executive is finally pregnant with her first child, and high blood pressure is forcing her to do something totally alien: relax. But how can she let down her guard when her seventy-something father has gone and eloped with a young bank clerk named Heather, whose rather plain looks and unassuming nature still manage to fill Carolyn with suspicion. A free-spirited photographer, Julia has married a man she loves, but he’s come packed with baggage. Tim is a widower with a young daughter, and Julia has bravely stepped up to the plate, doing her best to provide maternal support. But as if being pinned down by the child’s slightly manipulative ways and (dare Julia say it) spoiled behavior wasn’t enough, there’s Tim’s ex-mother-in-law, whose meddling is getting nastier by the week. For Polly, Beth, Carolyn, and Julia, the time has come to stand up for what matters–for their passions, their hearts, and themselves. As they maneuver through family drama and embrace unexpected change, they come to find that life is much easier (and a lot more fun) when you’ve got friends, wine, and chocolate along for the ride. I give this book 4 stars and a 8. A fun book.(
Likes the first one better :-)
Listened to The Hot Flash Club Strikes Again (Hot Flash Club #2)by Nancy Thayer. The fabulous women from The Hot Flash Club are back in top form, welcoming the stressed-out and pampering-deprived through their discreet spa doors–as Nancy Thayer returns with a witty, sexy, and heartwarming novel. The Hot Flash Club Strikes Again also introduces four new women, ready for massages and seaweed wraps, each struggling to reconcile her secret dreams, biggest fears, and deepest feelings as topsy-turvy events shake up her life. After eighteen years of trying to make peace with her husband’s cold-as-ice mother, Polly vows to be the perfect mother-in-law: loving, accepting, and determined to keep her mouth shut. Then her son marries Amy, a Birkenstocked gal whose organic farm and family ooze a rather creepy serenity. Ever the optimist, Polly puts her best foot forward . . . so why does it end up in her mouth? A shy and brilliant professor-to-be, Beth has lived a sheltered life. Then she meets Sonny, a rugged, sexy carpenter who sweeps her off her feet. The problem? Beth may not survive his loud, affectionate, athletic family–especially when the very beautiful and earthy woman everybody wanted Sonny to marry is still hanging around the family dinner table. Heiress to one of New England’s oldest paper companies, Carolyn is the driving force behind the brand. Now, at thirty-seven, the workaholic executive is finally pregnant with her first child, and high blood pressure is forcing her to do something totally alien: relax. But how can she let down her guard when her seventy-something father has gone and eloped with a young bank clerk named Heather, whose rather plain looks and unassuming nature still manage to fill Carolyn with suspicion. A free-spirited photographer, Julia has married a man she loves, but he’s come packed with baggage. Tim is a widower with a young daughter, and Julia has bravely stepped up to the plate, doing her best to provide maternal support. But as if being pinned down by the child’s slightly manipulative ways and (dare Julia say it) spoiled behavior wasn’t enough, there’s Tim’s ex-mother-in-law, whose meddling is getting nastier by the week. For Polly, Beth, Carolyn, and Julia, the time has come to stand up for what matters–for their passions, their hearts, and themselves. As they maneuver through family drama and embrace unexpected change, they come to find that life is much easier (and a lot more fun) when you’ve got friends, wine, and chocolate along for the ride. I give this book 4 stars and a 8. A fun book.(
September 1, 2020
This book is well written, good character development but some of the scenarios they are put in are a little hard to take. As a fellow middle-ager, I take great offense at how hideous these women find themselves as they age! I mean come on, so they aren't perfect anymore. These women are in their 60's at most & they are written like they are in their 80's. They say they are physically decrepit but attend yoga classes among other exercise classes at the spa. Women in this age range are marathon runners & tremendous athletes. I get that this is supposed to be a light hearted look at aging but it goes too far for my liking. The "beaus" she comes up with are also stereotypical: a mid-life crisis cheater, premature ejaculator, a lothario, a man who had prostate cancer surgery & then can't have sex after. I don't think that's typical but I'm not an expert on that.
I do like that they come together to help each other & try new things. They are very supportive of each other & don't act like retirement is the end of everything. I am interested enough to continue with the series. Overall it is an enjoyable read if you overlook some ludicrous situations they get in.
I do like that they come together to help each other & try new things. They are very supportive of each other & don't act like retirement is the end of everything. I am interested enough to continue with the series. Overall it is an enjoyable read if you overlook some ludicrous situations they get in.
April 4, 2009
This second novel was even better than the first! I'm definitely keeping this in my 'permanent collection' right alongside the first Hot Flash Club!!
From back cover:
When Polly, Beth, Carolyn, and Julia meet in a hot tub at the spa, they find a common thread of experience: toxic relatives. What's there to be done about undermining, meddling, scheming in-laws? These amazing women decide to fight fire with fire, and vow to help one another resolve their individual problems - no matter how much secret videotaping, surreptitious snooping, and fiendish strategizing they must resort to. For the time has come to stand up for what matters - for their passions, their hearts, and themselves. As they maneuver through family drama and embrace unexpected change, this fantastic foursome comes to find that life is much easier (and a lot more fun) when you've got friends, wine, and chocolate along for the ride."
EXCELLENT NOVEL, I hope there is a third!!
From back cover:
When Polly, Beth, Carolyn, and Julia meet in a hot tub at the spa, they find a common thread of experience: toxic relatives. What's there to be done about undermining, meddling, scheming in-laws? These amazing women decide to fight fire with fire, and vow to help one another resolve their individual problems - no matter how much secret videotaping, surreptitious snooping, and fiendish strategizing they must resort to. For the time has come to stand up for what matters - for their passions, their hearts, and themselves. As they maneuver through family drama and embrace unexpected change, this fantastic foursome comes to find that life is much easier (and a lot more fun) when you've got friends, wine, and chocolate along for the ride."
EXCELLENT NOVEL, I hope there is a third!!
August 22, 2016
I have determined that I truly like this author for her 'on the money' depiction of friendships among women of a "certain age". This was my second meeting of the women of the Hot Flash Club and I was delighted to learn more about them. However four new women are introduced in this book, each with her own individual drama. They set out to help each other and in particular to figure out if the father of one has hooked up with a young gold-digger. This calls for a little espionage. The dialogue is again witty and full of funny references to the inevitable changes that come with age. I related and enjoyed. This offering also deals with the serious issues of caring for a proud aging relative, handled in such a touching and loving way. Very moving. I do recommend that you read all of the books in order.
July 31, 2019
As I listened to the audiobook of this book, I fell in love with the Hot Flash Club! In fact, I've bought a paper copy of this book and all of the books in this series. I can't wait to read the other books and share them with friends and family.
There were a lot of characters to keep track of and I'm hoping by reading the book, I will be able to remember who is who and how they are connected.
This book had me chuckling and I'm sure people who saw me laughing by myself in the car driving down the road wondered what I had been drinking! But it was too entertaining to not laugh. I'm really looking forward to the other books in the series and finding out more of the adventures these ladies have as they endure this point in their lives!
There were a lot of characters to keep track of and I'm hoping by reading the book, I will be able to remember who is who and how they are connected.
This book had me chuckling and I'm sure people who saw me laughing by myself in the car driving down the road wondered what I had been drinking! But it was too entertaining to not laugh. I'm really looking forward to the other books in the series and finding out more of the adventures these ladies have as they endure this point in their lives!
January 8, 2019
Ook dit boek moest op het einde uit. Het verhaal is qua opzet deels hetzelfde als deel 1. Vier vrouwen leren elkaar kennen en helpen elkaar bij hun problemen. Toch heb ik erg genoten van het verhaal. De vier vrouwen uit deel 1 kwamen er ook weer in voor. Dat was leuk. Al hoewel met name Faye een prominente rol had. Op naar deel 3.
December 10, 2017
not great introduces new members from 1st book
August 24, 2018
I can relate!
October 19, 2018
I almost wish these women were real, live people so we could all become friends!
February 19, 2019
Good read
May 10, 2019
Another lovely women's story
A new group of gal pals helping each other out. Bonding, growing & living life! Good ideas and resolutions along with new friendships
A new group of gal pals helping each other out. Bonding, growing & living life! Good ideas and resolutions along with new friendships
December 16, 2019
Very hard for me to follow so many characters. The story line was good. Was just a lot of skipping about between the new women in this book and the original women in the previous book.
April 29, 2020
This is the second in a series. While I like Nancy Thayer's writing and enjoyed the first book, this one just irritated me. New characters were introduced and they were so intent on pacifying other people to maintain peace in a family situation, that their own selves were lost. These were women focused on being someone for a man's family or another relationship. Also, the original foursome seemed to be overly concerned with sex and making sure they all had a man in their life. In the first book, they were much more becoming women who had grown into themselves at 50+ yrs, confident in who they are as people vs who they dress themselves to be or who they are for a man's pleasure or anyone else's perception. I realize this book was written in a different age, but it was not an age where a woman had to be someone else to satisfy the needs if another. I had to put it down before reaching 100 pages. Not worth the time.
June 15, 2023
I really liked this book but not quite as much as the first one. I gave the 1st one in this series 5 stars but this one 4. I liked seeing the return of the original characters and their experiences, and also enjoyed the introduction of new characters that formed new supportive groups for these women. One thing about this book I didn't appreciate was that Polly received absolutely no recognition at all from taking care of suddenly critically ill family member. She was a champ at it and the person she took care of was absolutely miserable to her in the beginning and remained stoically so. I did not enjoy that!! I am naturally kind, and wanted there to be some acknowledgement there; however small. I hope I didn't give too much away here regarding it. But please enjoy this book.
January 27, 2025
I read the second book in the series because I wanted some thing where I didn’t have to think too much. The only problem with this book is there’s so many characters I had to stop and think who was who. Overall the storyline wasn’t too bad but it still was a little hard for me to follow with characters from the first book and then the introduction of new characters and children in this second book. 3 stars ⭐️
April 19, 2021
It started off with introducing some new characters. It took me a little longer to get into the book. I had read the Christmas one first, part of it is me reading out of order.
Part of it was hard for me to read since it's close to the 1st anniversary of my mom's death. I enjoyed the book but not as much as the 2 I had already read. Off to the last one.
Part of it was hard for me to read since it's close to the 1st anniversary of my mom's death. I enjoyed the book but not as much as the 2 I had already read. Off to the last one.
November 17, 2022
The continuing saga of the four original Hot Flash Club women with a parallel storyline featuring four women who met at the spa (three young and one middle-aged) who start a close knit friendship.
A quick, entertaining read. This series reminds me of cozy mysteries just minus the murder. The endings tie all of life's messy complications and characters' story threads into a neat bow. I like that!
A quick, entertaining read. This series reminds me of cozy mysteries just minus the murder. The endings tie all of life's messy complications and characters' story threads into a neat bow. I like that!
January 3, 2020
Omg. This series is fabulous. I laughed and cried at the same time for easily five minutes or more. It's probably best for those of us 45+ years old because there are a bunch of relatable people and circumstances. So so funny!
August 2, 2020
Funny!
Great summer light read, love this series. For those of us heading into or in menopause, this will give a little bit of laughter. I can definitely relate to some of these characters!
Great summer light read, love this series. For those of us heading into or in menopause, this will give a little bit of laughter. I can definitely relate to some of these characters!
October 26, 2020
Book 2 of the Hot Flash Club adds lots of unnecessary characters, in my opinion. Luckily, not all of them stay around for books 3 and 4, or they
pop up in minor roles.
The original group is the best, including the addition of Polly.
Book 3 is good; Book 4 the best.
pop up in minor roles.
The original group is the best, including the addition of Polly.
Book 3 is good; Book 4 the best.
September 7, 2021
I do love Nancy Thayer books! Started with her recent books and now reading the older ones. Love the Hot Flash Club as women my age and can relate! She always writes about several women and friendships they have which I enjoy. Really cute stories!
February 14, 2025
I so enjoyed this continuation of the Hot Flash Club! The original characters were still interesting and evolving in good ways. The new group brought in were very likable and just as fun. Soon I'll be starting #3 in the series, Hot Flash Holidays, for which I have very high expectations!
March 25, 2025
I had a hard time reading the first half of this book. As a domestic violence survivor, it was hard to read about 4 women being abused by family members. Once things started to get better for them I enjoyed it a lot more.
March 26, 2025
Cute sequel. The characters continue to develop and additional storylines are presented. Not quite as funny as the original, but this plot also brings a group of younger ladies into the mix with the opening of the new Retreat. Easy light hearted read.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 175 reviews