{"product_id":"the-hot-flash-club-chills-out-isbn-9780345485540","title":"The Hot Flash Club Chills Out","description":"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\u0026amp;R.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eWhen 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.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eSoon 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?\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eBut 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.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eNancy 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.Praise for Nancy Thayer\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe Hot Flash Club\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“Frank and entertaining.”\u003cbr\u003e–Janet Maslin, The New York Times\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“Warm, lively, wise, and as much fun as a girls’ night out.”\u003cbr\u003e–Kristin Hannah, author of Comfort \u0026amp; Joy\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“Nancy Thayer’s gift for reaching the emotional core of her characters [is] captivating.”\u003cbr\u003e–Houston Chronicle\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe Hot Flash Club Strikes Back\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“Thayer has the knack of creating likable characters who grapple with problems that will strike a chord with many readers.”\u003cbr\u003e–The Boston Globe\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“Thayer’s writing often reminds me of Elizabeth Berg, Jeanne Ray, and Anne Tyler.”\u003cbr\u003e–Women’s LifestyleNancy Thayer is the nationally bestselling author of The Hot Flash Club, The Hot Flash Club Strikes Again, Hot Flash Holidays, and Between Husbands and Friends. She lives in Nantucket, Massachusetts.1\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e      Faye released the tiebacks on her bedroom curtains. With a silky whisper,  the heavy, luxurious panels fell together, blocking out the night, turning  her bedroom into a private chamber. Crossing the room, she folded back the  floral quilt, exposing the crisply ironed ivory linen sheets. She plumped  the already puffy pillows, leaning them invitingly against the headboard.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e    She paused, listening. Aubrey was still in the bathroom. Always  fastidious, she knew he would be especially particular with his grooming  tonight.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e    Tonight they would make love for the first time.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e    She didn’t want to be caught admiring herself, but her full-length cheval  mirror invited her to appreciate her appearance. The curves of her  voluptuous body were enhanced by the drape of her silk nightgown. The  slenderest of straps supported a bodice of exquisite lace dipping to  reveal her full breasts. The loose cut allowed the material to skim the  rest of her body without emphasizing her other bulges. She’d kept her long  white hair in the low chignon she often wore—she was planning, at some  appropriate moment, perhaps when she was on top of Aubrey, to reach up  with both arms and remove the barrette, so that her hair would tumble down  around her shoulders, just as it did on the heroines in romance novels.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e    Bringing her face closer to the mirror, she inspected a freckle on her  nose. In spite of her straw hat, the work she’d done in her garden had let  the spring sun darken the small, pea-sized blemish. Because it was on the  same level as her eyes, it gave her the unfortunate appearance of having  three eyes, so she’d had it lasered off a few years ago, even though it  wasn’t precancerous. Now she’d have to do it again. Taken with all the  other changes on her face and body, it made her look not just older, but  peculiar.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e    Water ran in the bathroom. Faye squinted at the mirror. She wore the  beautiful gold filigree necklace Aubrey had given her for Christmas this  December. Should she remove it? She never wore jewelry to bed. But then,  she hadn’t gone to bed for this purpose for years. The necklace was very  pretty, lying against her chest. It led the eye down to her bosom. She’d  leave it on.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e    Walking around the room, she took up a pack of matches and lighted all the  candles she’d set out earlier in the day. The candles made eager, almost  erotic, little gasps as their wicks took the flame. The sound sent her  into a hot flash. Oh Lord, she hoped she didn’t have a hot flash while  they were making love! She grabbed a perfume bottle and pressed its cool  glass against her flaming cheek. Did she have time to get a glass of ice  water? Probably. But if she had a drink of water, she’d have to get up to  pee right in the middle of this long-awaited romantic interlude. No, she  couldn’t take the chance. She picked up another bottle and held it to her  other cheek. Wow, she really was a little radiator. What a shame she  couldn’t somehow channel all this extra heat into some kind of battery.  She could run her house for the winter.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e    Aubrey was still in the bathroom. She chided herself for impatience. After  all, what was the hurry? She had all evening. All night. But her back hurt  from standing all day painting, and her arms and shoulders ached from  preparing the light dinner of fish, fruit, and salad. She folded back the  covers and slid into bed. Ah, it felt so good to lie down! She chuckled to  herself, thinking how sexual cravings changed during a lifetime. In her  youth, desire often made it impossible for her to sleep. Now she was in  her fifties, and she wasn’t sure she could stay awake to make love.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e    Well, that was only to be expected, she supposed, now that she’d traded  her birth control pills for K-Y Jelly. She opened the drawer of the  bedside table and took out the new tube she’d bought yesterday. When  should she put it on? Should she wait and let Aubrey put it on? Would he  want to? He was a bit finicky when it came to the earthier parts of being  human.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e    Which reminded her, she should bring some towels to the bed. Sex was such  a messy business, and Aubrey was such a tidy man. The only child of a  wealthy family, he’d been coddled and fussed over and raised to live up to  certain standards of elegance. He was the only man she’d ever met who  actually owned, and sometimes wore, a cravat. He loved squiring Faye to  operas, ballets, concerts, and the many charity events to which he donated  generously. Tall, handsome, possessing a thick head of gleaming silver  hair, Aubrey was also deeply kind. Faye didn’t know that she loved him,  but she was terribly fond of him, and thought he was equally fond of her.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e    That didn’t necessarily equate to sexual passion, but the night they first  met, that exciting, surprising spark had been there. One spring evening,  at an open house at The Haven, they’d begun chatting in front of the art  exhibit. Over the course of the evening, they’d lingered, feeling more and  more drawn to one another. In fact, by the end of the evening, they’d  found themselves making out in the front seat of Aubrey’s Jaguar like a  couple of hormone-driven teenagers. Yes, Faye remembered, with a smile and  a little shiver, they definitely had been sexually attracted to each other.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e    Unfortunately, Aubrey’s daughter Carolyn had interrupted them, rapping on  the window, nearly snarling at Faye. That had cooled their ardor, and  since then, events had conspired to make it difficult, if not impossible,  to regain that passion. They were busy people, occupied with family duties  and private interests. They were older, and they were less energetic.  Furthermore, Aubrey, who was in his early seventies, almost fifteen years  older than Faye, had made a brief, bad, marriage to a young gold digger  just before he met Faye. While the marriage had been annulled and his  fortune safely protected, his self-esteem had been damaged. He knew only  too well how sexual desire could get him into trouble.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e    Well, everyone at the hot-flash stage came with a burden of history. Faye  knew she was one of the lucky ones. She had loved her husband Jack for all  the thirty-five years of their marriage. His unexpected death when he was  only sixty-four had plunged her into a well of grief. With her daughter  and granddaughter around, she’d eventually struggled back into a life of  something like happiness, and with the help of her Hot Flash Club friends,  she’d begun to have fun again. They’d encouraged her, a year or so after  Jack’s death, to try dating. What a bizarre quartet of experiences that  had occasioned! She snickered now, remembering   the four different men and the disastrous dates. At least she’d ridden a  motorcycle—she’d always be just a bit proud of that.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e    Jack had been the only man she’d ever slept with in her life, except for  the brief affair she had the year she turned thirty. Back then, Jack had  put in eighteen-hour days at a law firm, and Faye had kept house, mothered  her baby, and organized the obligatory cocktail parties. Zeke, an old  friend, just back from leading a hiking tour in New Zealand, had seemed  like freedom, danger, fresh air. He didn’t love her, he didn’t even care  for her—he was just furiously sexually attracted to her. When they made  love, it was fierce and completely physical. Kindness, trust, love, and  the responsibilities of family weren’t in the same room—they weren’t even  in the same universe.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e    Remembering those few, brief, crazy meetings brought a smile to Faye’s  face, and then—oh, damn!—another hot flash! This one was   accompanied by its familiar comrade, irrational crankiness. Why was Aubrey  taking so long? She huffed in exasperation. In a way, it seemed rather  cold, making love this way, after they’d performed their necessary  ablutions, but Aubrey was easily embarrassed by the indignities of age.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e    The bathroom door opened. Finally! Faye’s heart did a little salsa step  and she sat up, smiling.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e    “Sorry to be so long,” Aubrey apologized. “Candlelight. How nice.”\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e    He was completely naked as he came toward the bed, and Faye gave him full  points for courage. She wasn’t ready to walk naked in front of him. With  her clothes on, she felt attractive, and she wondered briefly whether it  would be possible for her to keep her nightgown on while they made love.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e    Aubrey slid into the bed next to her. He was in excellent shape for a man  in his seventies, yet beneath his silver chest hair, little pouches of fat  hung, and Faye was glad. They lay side by side, smiling at each other.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e    Aubrey put a warm hand on Faye’s arm. “You look very elegant.”\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e    She blinked in dismay. “I look like an elephant?”\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e    Aubrey laughed. “I said,” he repeated carefully, enunciating each word,  “you look very elegant.”\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e    “Oh,” Faye laughed, too, relieved. Great, I’m going deaf, too, she thought.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e    Aubrey moved his hand, gently slipping the nightgown strap down her arm.  The lace bodice folded delicately over, revealing her breast.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e    Aubrey said, “You’re beautiful, Faye.”\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e    Leaning forward, he kissed her. His mouth tasted of both mint and  cinnamon, and Faye was slightly amused at all his careful grooming, but as  they moved together, touching with hands and mouth and lips and teeth  different parts of each other’s body, she was glad he smelled so very  good, so clean, and slightly spicy. As he delicately explored her, bits of  her body woke up, like plants lifting their faces to the sun after a long  winter. Now she was glad he moved so slowly. Her flickering thoughts—the  day’s warm sun, the delicious evening meal, her lovely house, this shadowy  room—melted away in concentric rings, like the reverse of a stone tossed  into a lake. The world grew smaller, tighter, more concentrated, on the  bed, on their bodies, on her skin—and then, beneath her skin, in the warm,  nearly forgotten space between her thighs. Aubrey spotted the tube of  moisturizing jelly. Without speaking, he opened it and gently and very  slowly spread it on Faye, his fingertips painting spirals of sensation on  tender, long-unnoticed skin. He lay on his back, pulling Faye on top of  him, and for just a moment, she thought Oh, no. All my double chins! but  he adjusted himself, moving her hips with his hands, and she gave herself  over to pure feeling.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e    Oh, my, her body said. I remember this. This is very nice.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e    Goodness! her body said. This is very, very . . .\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e    Scoot forward just an inch! her body demanded. Tilt forward! No, more!  More! NOW!\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e    “Aubrey,” she gasped.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e    Tilting her pelvis forward, her body found a spot she’d forgotten existed.  She moaned aloud as she adjusted herself. In response, Aubrey put his  hands on her breasts, both arousing and supporting her as she lifted and  lowered her hips. She’d forgotten to take out her barrette, but her hair  fell loose of its own accord, a strand of it sticking in the sweat on her  forehead. This was really a kind of labor, like climbing a mountain, a  breathtaking endeavor, a struggle, and she was so close, so close, so  close, she was almost—\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e    “Aaah!” Aubrey cried out, dropping his arms to his chest.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e    With the sudden loss of his support, Faye fell forward, losing her  momentum and nearly crashing into Aubrey. She caught herself on her hands  just in time.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e    “Aaah!” Aubrey groaned. He grasped his right arm at shoulder level.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e    “Aubrey?” Sexual sensations vanished. Dear God, was he having a heart  attack? “What’s wrong?”\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e    “Shoulder,” he groaned. His face was contorted in pain.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e    Faye moved her confused, trembling body off Aubrey’s. Kneeling next to  him, she touched his arm. “How can I help?”\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e    “Aspirin,” he gasped. “Heating pad. Brandy.”\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e    Faye hesitated. “Um, is it safe to take aspirin with alco—”\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e    “Please!” Aubrey’s voice was thick with pain.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e    “But are you—”\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e    “It’s only bursitis,” Aubrey panted. “But it hurts like the devil.”\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e    Faye scooted off the bed, nearly tripping as her foot caught in one of the  straps of the silk nightgown that had been discarded at some point in  their lovemaking. Grabbing it up, she wrapped it around her like a  makeshift towel to cover her rear as she scuttled toward the bathroom. She  grabbed her robe off a hook, pulled it on, filled a glass with water,  sorted through her medicine cabinet, found the aspirin, and hurried back  to Aubrey, who lay clasping his arm, his teeth gritted in pain.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e    “Shall I help you sit up?” she asked.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e    “Don’t touch me,” he barked, adding, “please.”\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e    As she watched, Aubrey rolled over to his left side, got his feet on the  floor, and sat up, all the time keeping hold of his right arm. He took the  glass she held out and swallowed the aspirin. Beads of sweat gleamed on  his forehead in the candlelight.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e    “I’ll go downstairs and pour you a brandy,” Faye told him. “Then I’ll get  the heating pad.”\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e    “Thank you.” Gingerly, Aubrey leaned against the headboard, his face  etched with pain.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e    Faye brought him the snifter of brandy. She blew out all the candles and  plugged the heating pad into the electric socket just behind the bedside  table. When Aubrey said he’d like to lie down, she arranged pillows to  support his arm. He closed his eyes. His face relaxed. Faye slipped her  nightgown on and sat down on the other side of the bed.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e    “Ouch!” Aubrey’s eyes flew open.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e    Faye jumped up, alarmed. “What happened?”\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e    “You made the mattress move. Any movement jiggles my shoulder and makes it  hurt.”\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e    Faye winced. “Oh. Sorry. Well, um, would it help if I slept in the guest  room?”\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e    “Would you mind? When my shoulder goes out like this, even the slightest  alteration is agony.”\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e    “Of course I don’t mind. I’m so sorry, Aubrey.” Very, very lightly, she  kissed the top of his head. “I’ll see you in the morning. Sleep well.”New York Times bestselling author","brand":"Ballantine Books","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46300946759909,"sku":"NP9780345485540","price":19.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1842\/7735\/files\/9780345485540.jpg?v=1767739830","url":"https:\/\/k12savings.com\/products\/the-hot-flash-club-chills-out-isbn-9780345485540","provider":"K12savings","version":"1.0","type":"link"}