The Hot Flash Club Chills Out

Hot Flash Club #4

by Nancy Thayer

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 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.

Genres: Fiction, Chick Lit, Humor, Mystery, Contemporary, Womens Fiction, Audiobook

352 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1995

About the author

Nancy 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.

Reviews

[Cynthia · Rating 4 out of 5]

I laughed so hard through this book that I had to re-read sections so they would make sense. This is a story of five women "of a certain age" who come together to support each other through the challenges of aging parents, empty nest syndrome, adult children, new romance and just living with aches day to day. As a woman "of a certain age" I not only related but I had many thoughtful moments where is empathized with the women of the unusual club. You experience the individual story of each woman as she faces a different dilemma or life change. You experience the friendship bonds of the women together as they spend a summer taking turns caring for a house on Nantucket. Together they unravel a mystery of two island families that heals a wound between two other women who have held onto a family grudge that survived generations. Its a humor-filled, hopeful and inspiring story about aging, friendship and women.

[Toni · Rating 4 out of 5]

Book 4 from the Hot Flash Club Series by Nancy Thayer, published in the early 2000’s.

The women open the spa, spend various weeks one summer on Nantucket in a home generously offered by a board member.
They solve family issues, their own and others, meet new people, young and older, and continue to discover themselves.
They even solve a hundred year old mystery for their benefactor and her neighbor.

Just a fun and lovely, spirit-lifting read, perfect for our turbulent times!

Naturally, I have read the books out of order, again. (note, Jaidee) It just proves they do stand alone.
Done with 1 and 4. On to: 2 and 3. 🙄🤓

Note to Nancy Thayer: A Book 5 would be lovely!
Just pretend it’s the following year in the book, and Faye, Polly, and Shirley have all moved to Nantucket. Alice is stubborn and stays in Boston; so does Marilyn & Ian. 😎 😊 Please?!

[Amy Smith · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have enjoyed this series ... although this one might be my favorite because it takes place on Nantucket where I spent my honeymoon. :) A lot of people gave bad reviews on this book because they said they couldn’t keep the characters straight ... but this is the 4th book in the series, and if you read them in order (which you really need to do for the continuing storylines to make sense) you shouldn’t have any problems getting to know each woman and learning her story. Fingers crossed for a 5th book?

[Rachel]

I like all these books because, even though I am not at the hot flash age, I think they are pretty honest. I see that I have lots to look forward to. What I find interesting is how much these women caretake and how it is important to do what you enjoy. I always think, when I am older I will have time for myself. What I am beginning to understand is, I better make time now so I can get into the habit!

[Hannie · Rating 4 out of 5]

En uit is deel 4. Dit is het laatste deel van de serie. Hoewel ik ook van dit boek genoten heb, ben ik nu ook wel klaar met de serie. Ook vond ik dat de vrouwen op een gegeven moment wel wat zaten te klagen om niks. Maar later werd het verhaal wel weer leuk, dus daarom heb ik het toch vier sterren gegeven. Alle vier de boeken vormen een mooi verhaal over vriendschap, familie en relaties. Wat ik ook leuk vind is dat de hoofdpersonen ouder zijn. Veel van dit soort boeken gaan over jonge vrouwen. En ook al behoor ik nog niet tot de doelgroep, toch heb ik erg van genoten. Deze serie is zeker een aanrader en ik verwacht dat ik die nog wel een keer ga lezen.

[Gaylia · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have thoroughly enjoyed these books. I do hope that Nancy writes another one to continue tying up the characters and their links to the groups and to the men in their lives. This one is a bit of a mystery on the getaway vacation for the 5 ladies. They discovery that all of them are ready for some new adventures, there is a wedding, a new romance, some changes to the families and some great fun for all of them. They still have their hot flash moments and there is some interesting histories that are uncovered. I would recommend it to mature women and those who are loving and loved by mature women.

[Barbara Loggia · Rating 4 out of 5]

The forth and final book with these funny ladies brings them to Nantucket for sun, R&R, a mystery ghost and -always- romance along with hot flashes~

[Terry Moreno · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very witty and enjoyable

[joanne · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not the best Nancy Thayer book I’ve read. It was just a bit silly and over the top. I finished it, but didn’t like it enough to read the others in the series, maybe they were better? I did enjoy the fact it was about summer on Nantucket.

[Chris · Rating 3 out of 5]

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

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. (less)

[Criket333 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well, I have mixed feelings on this latest book. I find it a little strange that the younger group they had put together of Beth, Julia, Polly & Carolyn has been almost totally dropped in subsequent books. Why introduce them in such detail to just drop them?

I swear that Polly's beau Hugh's ex-wife in earlier books was named Betsy. In this book she is now called Carol. Am I wrong? I am listening to these on audiobooks from the library so I can't just look back to check.

Also they mentioned in this book that many people associated with the Haven have lived in the apartments & that some still lived there. In the last book they said Starr the Yoga instructor had lived there but moved into a cute little house. Now in this book she apparently never left & still lives there.

Either I'm having memory issues or there is a continuity problem between books. Anyone else notice this?

I have read other Nancy Thayer's books on Nantucket so I enjoyed going back there with her. It would've been interesting to meet some of those characters but I believe that these books came first. I like authors that do that. It's a nice little treat for the readers.

At the point when Adele showed up talking with Faye, I couldn't remember who she was & where she had met the gang. I tried replaying chapters but couldn't find her entrance in the book. I did like the little mystery of the older woman who lived next door.

The writing was good as ever. She creates very likable characters & places. I am still a fan & will follow her books wherever they go.

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really maybe three stars because these women worried constantly about their blubber - Thayer’s word, not mine - and they had an ungodly amount of hot flashes. But five good friends making it through life, one teaching at MIT, a couple running spa as a lifelong dream, one trying to balance helping her son, but then given the opportunity to use a friend’s house on Nantucket for the summer. Whoa. Thayer is too skilled a writer to let that slip. The five are rarely at the house at the same time, a fact that kept the storyline from becoming trite. Each has separate individual interests, but their personalities mesh well, and the chaos of their lives runs fairly smoothly. Men, family, careers, the future... we all think about some of these things. The support of strong friendships is an emphatic thread running through this book.

[Sandi · Rating 4 out of 5]

good read; addresses many mature woman issues. very similar to Saving Grace and Angry Housewives Eating Bon Bons. I had trouble keeping the characters straight. Perhaps if I had started with the first book in the series I could have done better remembering who was who.

Group of mature women who have become best friends. Their time spent on Nantucket. Their issues regarding being with and without men and they solve a little mystery.

[Cathy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this novel. The girls are back together again and spending the summer in Nantucket. I so want to go now. Not only do their problems follow them, men, children, health, relationships but the house they are staying in thanks to a friend is being robbed. They soon realize that this quaint little island is a great place to lose their problems and find peace and relaxation among other things.

[Erin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun read about a group of over 60 friends. If you liked the Golden Girls television show you'll like this. It was fun to listen to on audiobook and it was one of those impulse (I saw it on the library shelves) check outs that I don't regret.

[Debbie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have so enjoyed this series and I am very sorry to see it end. I'm hoping to catch up with these wonderful ladies in the future....maybe?

[Lindsay Forness · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun, light book with well developed characters and a colorful description of Nantucket. Book three in the series.

[Diane Sweeney · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved all of the hot flash club books. Wish there were more.

[Peggydivers · Rating 3 out of 5]

Humorous and easy read.

[Ross Sandie · Rating 3 out of 5]

A fun read. I enjoyed the first book, and look forward to reading the rest of the series.

[Bev · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cute story of 5 close friends in the HOT FLASH stage of life, witty and enjoyable story. I didn't start at book 1 and was not an issue as in this book I was introduced to all the women in the series.

[Avid Series Reader · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Hot Flash Club Chills Out by Nancy Thayer is the fourth book of the Hot Flash Club series. A heartwarming tale of friendship and love, set on contemporary Nantucket Island in the summer. Alice, Shirley, Marilyn, Faye and Polly are each challenged by changes in their lives. They're exhausted on a daily basis, but determined to continue serving their loved ones. A few of them are dissatisfied with the men in their lives, but scared to drive them away.

Shirley's friend Nora needs house sitters for her Nantucket historic home - all summer! A dream vacation beckoning the Hot Flash Club, if only they didn't have so many commitments...

They agree on a schedule for at least one HFC member to be in Nora's house every day, and for most of them to enjoy the island as many days as they can break away from their obligations. For all HFC members except Alice, Nantucket is paradise. Marilyn the paleobiologist has plenty to study on the seashore, Faye expands her painting into landscapes, Polly loves the island crafts, and Shirley falls in love. Alice can appreciate the chance to rest and admire the island beauty, but she's slightly bored, until she finds just the right niche for her administrative skills.

The HFC solves a mystery: how and why are heirlooms disappearing from Nora's house? While solving the mystery, they uncover a hidden secret, and carefully, gently, mend a lifetime feud.

It's a joy to read about Nantucket, a vicarious vacation without travel expense. One morning they're up before dawn, and scurry to the easternmost beach to watch the sun rise:
The sky was silver, and a line of violet glimmered on the horizon. The beach was a soft blur of sooty gray, like a smudged thumbprint, the ocean black. Barefoot, they hurried down to the shoreline. Now a ribbon of gold glimmered beneath the violet streak, and they could see the white ruffle of foam surging up toward them, pulling the dark cover of ocean behind. The sky brightened into the iridescent gray of a pigeon's breast, illuminating the shoreline. They had front-row seats to the best view on earth, and here it came, the golden sun, majestic, radiant, moving in its own sweet time. The sky around it went pink, and the ocean beneath it blushed in response. With splendid indolence, the sun ascended, unveiling the sky like Salome, in gauzy swathes of coral, then violet, then robin's egg blue, and the ocean beneath deepened to sapphire.

[Cindy (BKind2Books) · Rating 2 out of 5]

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.

[Lenore Kuipers-Cummins · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another great read from Nancy Thayer. Her books are fun to read because they are a combination of humor, mystery, and the power of friendships. I particularly liked this one because it was about "middle-aged" women..."The Hot Flash Club". Middle-aged women questioning themselves, their loves, their friendships, and what they were always taught to believe.
This time the Hot Flash Club gets a three month chance to care for a friends' house in Nantucket. They can shop, swim, just chill, and do things that they've never tried doing before. Marilyn marries Ian, who left Scotland for her,Shirley hooks up with a local fisherman, Faye finds the perfect "dream house" to paint from, Polly is enthralled with all of the possibilities she has as a "craft maven" to do what she loves to do, and then there is Alice, Nora, and Lucinda.

[Laurie · Rating 4 out of 5]

this is my 2nd book by Nancy Thayer. My first in the Hot Flash Series.This story revolves around Marilyn,Shirley,,Faye, Alice and Polly.All members of the Hot Flash Club. The friends who run businesses together ,stay at a friends summer home in Nantucket.Each woman has a different relationship with a man in or out of their lives. They are their own support group,having fun,discussing life,old memories and new adventures for their future and solutions to life;s dilemmas. This is a light enjoyable summer read. Many women can identify with the female humor in this book. Lots of chuckles,smiles and friendly moments.

[Mary · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book. I was going to call it a night but after reading chapter 47, I had to stay up and finish it. The Haven is thriving. Faye and Polly get to enjoy Nantucket the most. They seem to be bonding more as well. Shirley and Alice find something new there as well. Even though they can irritate each other at times, they also help each other out. Marilyn has a lot of changes this time with some twists.
It's a wonderful story of ladies in their 50's and 60's but they find some older friends as well. It's a reminder that being old depends on who you are with. We all need a Hot Flash friend.

[Debbie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I didn't know this was a series and I found out after I finished the book it is the last one in the series. Now I want to go find the whole series and read it from the start. This book is entertaining, funny, and I enjoyed everything about it. The characters draw you in. Could not put it down. Its about women who are friends and at the stage of their lives trying to live their lives while dealing with menopause this is done with humor and a believable outlook on it. Can't wait to read the whole series.

[Jeannine Wickliffe · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a great book about five middle age friends who help each other out while running a The Haven. The Haven is a spa that does more then just gives you a spa day. The five friends are all facing stressful decisions and one receives a letter begging them to spend the summer on Nantuckett. This gives each of the ladies a chance to unwind and come to some life changing decisions. They have some laughs and solve a mystery along the way. This is a fun read and addresses some of the challanges that women face as they grow older

[Dianne · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was better than I thought it would be. It was a book that Beth brought out at Thanksgiving and said “we” might want to read it. I was insulted at the time but I read it anyway. It wasn’t the most well-written book I’ve ever read, but I have to say that by the end I was hooked. I really wanted to know what happened to that group of “hot flash” women. And of course, I could relate to their laments about their aging bodies. Unfortunately.

[Phyllis · Rating 2 out of 5]

Ok, just shoot me. I read the first book in this series and it was ok....not fabulous.....think Hallmark Movie. I thought book #2 might be along the same line but it was just awful....the shoot me refers to the fact that I actually finished the book instead of abandoning it when I first thought I should.