Light hearted easy reading and huge fun! The latest romcom from Jane Costello.
Really enjoyable but not my favourite of her books.
Lisa Darling is mother of two boys, divorced and career oriented, with a lot going on as well as supporting her best friend going through cancer treatment, but having to deal with her replacement at work is another thing altogether!
Nods to a women’s life load, raging hormones, family, love, and desire!
It’s a heady combination and one a lot of women can relate to. Well written, a little predictable but somehow that just added to the joy of reading this tale.
A new take on the rom com genre that brings it fully up to date with how life is in 2024 for many parents.
A few reminders on more serious issues throughout….
Thank you NetGalley and Hodder and Storting for the early read, much appreciated and savoured! Highly recommended.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book - the main character Lisa Darling is juggling a job and a family as a single parent and the book follows Lisa’s journey and it is just such an easy and enjoyable read. All of the characters are relatable and I didn’t want this book to end. Definitely five stars from me.

I've always been a fan of Jane Costello and it's wonderful to have a new book from her after quite a few years.

This book in particular appealed to me as being a woman of a certain age I can definitely relate to the main character's struggles with menopause. Although the book isn't filled with hot flushes and moments of brain fog. In fact I thought it was the perfect balance of humour, spiciness and real life struggles.

I really enjoy this author's writing style. It's easy to read with plenty of humour and funny side characters. It is wonderful to read a romcom that's aimed at an older reader.

My thanks to Netgalley and Hodder & Stoughton for providing me with an ARC.

Best mate is taking a leave of absence to beat cancer. Her opposite number in the USA is coming over to Manchester to temporarily replace her.
Loyalty to friendship and an awkward first meeting leads to resentment.
Single mum to two boys juggling work teenage behaviour, friendship and the PTA obligations. Liza small but supportive friendship group cheer her onwards.
You will recognise things in your own life and keep your fingers crossed for a hea ending.

This book was bloody brilliant from start to finish. Every woman above 35 with kids will be able to identify with Lisa. Weather you've started feeling the perimenopausal symtoms or not isn't important. This book has real laugh out loud moments, and some crying moments if you're anything like me who cries easily. I brought this book along while on watching my kids at the pool, which just really means it's an easy read where you'll still be immersed into Lisa's life.
Blurb;
Lisa Darling - high-flying TV-exec and twice-divorced mother-of-two - has enough on her plate without having to deal with the handsome New Yorker parachuted in to her best friend's job at work. She's already navigating life with a grotty teenage son, organising a PTA cheese & wine event, supporting her oldest friend through breast cancer treatment and, since she hit 47, facing a new perimenopause symptom every day. It's no wonder she never has time for Pilates or that DIY panelling she keeps seeing on Instagram (though she'd be the first to admit she'd rather share a bottle of wine with her friends any day).

A brilliantly funny (and saucy) read from Jane - one for any women in their 40s to have a read of!

Lisa is a single mum of two whilst working in TV and navigating the PTA, school emails, a less than hands on co-parent…. And maybe just maybe a new love interest?

This book made me laugh out loud. I’ve been lucky enough to attend a Q and A preciously by this author and she is just a brilliant in real life as is her writing.

This was such a fun novel! I loved how it made women of a certain age out to be like any other woman. It didn’t talk down to a certain age group of make women feel isolated or lesss than at a certain age. It had me laughing and enjoying the journey and all that is to come someday! It’s a great lesson life isn’t over it’s just getting started if we let it

I thoroughly enjoyed this despite not being able to relate to the FMC and her current stage of life! It kinda made me want to go and apologise to my mum after reading about teen Leo 😭 I found it really enjoyable and even funny at times. There were loads of sub plots within this book which I actually really liked as it was easy to read and follow. If you like romance then this is a very slow burn with all sorts of mishaps getting between Lisa and Zach. My only criticism is that I felt nearer the end it felt a bit rushed and I basically just wanted to read more of the details, and I felt the ILY moment with Zach came about a bit quickly. I would read more by this author, and I might buy this for my mum as I reckon she’d relate to some of the topics in this book!

This is a romantic comedy story that cleverly balances themes of motherhood, work, and personal challenges with light-hearted humor and relatable characters. The story follows Lisa Darling, a single mother of two, as she navigates the chaos of daily life, including dealing with her teenage son, managing a demanding job at a streaming service, and resisting the charms of her attractive new colleague, Zach Russo. The book touches on topics like menopause, but it isn't overwhelming, instead focusing more on the ups and downs of Lisa's life. The writing is witty and engaging, with plenty of subplots and action to keep readers entertained. Overall, it is a joyous and relatable read, with a perfect mix of humor, romance, and real-life challenges.

This book spoke to my soul! It was funny, very relatable and realistic, the perfect combination for me in a book. Our heroine is Lisa, a woman who is trying to do it all - work full time, support her friend through breast cancer as well as bring up two boys (one of whom is a challenging teenager). The story is how she manages to keep all of these plates in the air at the same time as well as manage with a new handsome man in her office (!) Lots of laughter and relatable moments, I loved it.

a fabulous fun riot of a read, perfect for securing on those long summer days (i was lucky i’m on holiday)
it had its proper laugh out loud moments but also showed what’s it’s like to juggle being a mum who is nearing 50 (which has its own challenges) not looking for love (but getting mcdreamy as a work colleague) and friendship
a treat of a read

If you've ever experienced the challenges of being perimenopausal, navigating life after divorce, juggling motherhood as a single parent, or dealing with the complexities of HRT, this book will resonate deeply with you. The story is a vibrant blend of humour and heart, touching on serious issues such as supporting a friend through cancer treatment while also providing plenty of laugh-out-loud moments.

The author strikes a perfect balance between lightheartedness and the exploration of real-life struggles, making it both an entertaining and meaningful read. The narrative is packed with fun and steamy moments that keep you hooked, but it also offers a genuine look at the ups and downs of life.

This book is a rollercoaster of emotions—both hilarious and heartfelt—and a must-read for anyone who appreciates stories that mirror the complexities of real life with a touch of humor and spice.

Oh, it's so brilliant to read Jane Costello book again, after so many years! I mean, her books as Catherine Isaac were absolutely beautiful, but I am truly, really glad that she's back as Jane.
"It's Getting Hot in Here" can have two meaning really, one: menopause and two: the hot, hot affair. Actually, the menopause is not so prominent and present on the pages as I have thought it's going to be, but it's not bad at all, as I have read another book a few days ago and there was too much of a menopause, so I've found my balance, so there :)

So Jane Costello is back, really, truly, she hasn't lost her touch and her brilliant, witty way with words. I immediately felt at home when reading the book and loved the characters from the very beginning. Lisa was such a relatable character, trying to juggle life a single mum of two, one of them a rather challenging teenager, being great at work, supporting her friends, navigating through PTA meetings and also trying not to fall under the charms of her new colleague, who's only staying in England for a moment, right, and descaling the kettle - just your ordinary character. Relatable, honest and genuine, having to deal with things that we all know just too well, high five Lisa, it was really like reading about myself sometimes, forgetting things and having to write lists, not to mention many, many more things you have to deal with every day...

There is so much going on in this book, but you never feel overwhelmed. It's light - hearted, with some poignant moments, uplifting and humorous, not only hot romance, but though parts showing life is hard but you can get through it. I thoroughly enjoyed it, the plot, the brilliant writing style and the characters.

Lisa Darling is a high flying senior exec for a TV company, but she is also a single perimenopausal mum to two boys and is trying to support best friend and colleague Rose, who is undergoing treatment for beast cancer.

To make things worse Rose's standin, the insufferable (and extremely good-looking) Zach seems hell bent on challenging the concept of her latest tv show pitch, making things difficult at work.

I really enjoyed this book, humurous with a smidge of sexual tension, a fun read for the summer!

Being a woman of a certain age I was really looking forward to reading this book in the hope that I could relate to it seen as I'm going through the menopause. Given the time and the description I really expected a lot more of the book to be directed at the menopause when in fact I didn't feel like it linked to it much at all. It was a good story but much like any other of Jane's stories and just not enough real reference to the menopause. I was expecting more,

Strong main female lead who pushed the conventions of what would normally be considered a female character in this type of book.

Thoroughly enjoyed this book. It was the perfect holiday read.

Romantic, funny, relatable and at times down rigtt he laugh out loud.

Lisa, the main character was someone that you were rooting for throughout and it was really nice for the female lead to be a parent and career woman and not just a damsel in distress.

Thanks for the opportunity to read.

Such a great book!

Very relatable, and funny, I loved the writing style and of course a happy ending!

I just knew from the blurb and the title that I’d love this! To me, a mother of two and a woman of a certain age, it’s so relatable and laugh out loud funny! I would definitely want to be friends with Lisa!

Lisa ~ a perimenopausal woman approaching 50, juggling a high powered job in TV with two failed marriages under her belt, two sons, one a challenging teenager, she can’t say no to the demands of the PTA on top of a never ending to do list, plus trying to support her best friend who is going through cancer treatment and then, Russo walks into her life 😍
Absolutely loved it! Big fat five stars from me 👏👏👏

PS buy yourself a new kettle Lisa 😉

Thank you to @hodderbooks for providing this advanced digital copy in return for an honest review via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

I'm really enjoying this new phase of menopause fiction! Great to acknowledge that the original readers of 90s women fiction are getting older. this book doesn't reinvent the wheel but it's a fast paced, fun read and I'd recommend it