Blending humor with sharp critiques of wealth and privilege, this novel featuring a billionaire couple's anniversary gone awry, and a protagonist mixed up in the middle is full of biting wit and plenty of satire. Lots of romantic drama, who will end up with who? But at the end of the day, eat the rich.

HOT AIR
Marcy Dermansky


The cover of HOT AIR is indicative of what you’ll find inside.

HOT AIR stars (don’t make me list all of their names, please) Joannie. Joannie is a date. He’s an auto-generated character, and his name doesn’t matter. Just know he has a pool. And he’s a bad kisser. So they’re on a date, and some other couple lands in a hot air balloon in his pool.

Joannie thinks this other guy who landed in the pool might be a better kisser. Although he is married, and his wife landed in the pool in the hot air balloon with him, everything and everyone is on the table tonight.

This is very confusing to the man we’ll call Man #1. Who cares what Man #2 thinks? The wife is well, that’s the book.

HOT AIR is possibly the worst book I’ve read in 2025. Out of 65 books, this is the worst.

The character names are purposefully confusing. That was just annoying. I did not care about one single character, one single storyline, or one single aspect.

There is nothing in this book.

The cover is magnificent. Just look at it. That’s all. It’s not meant for reading. It’s not meant to give thought, it’s not meant for discussion, it’s not even meant for book reviews.

The book is full of HOT AIR.


Thanks to Netgalley, Knopf, Pantheon, Vintage, and Anchor | Knopf for the advanced copy!

HOT AIR...⭐️⭐️

Social satire has a thin edge to scale along, and while many novels attempt, not all come across as equally, or, in many cases, even reasonably adept at it. Add to that, the complexity of COVID-19, that can be a goldmine of unusually turbulent scenarios, and you have a cornucopia of ripe ideas.

Hot Air attempts to be that novel, and its snappy writing and nearly-deplorable characters make it a great read, but it doesn’t seem to have heft to the narrative. The story, that starts off with a hot air balloon crash, and ends at Universal Theme Park in Orlando ticks off a lot of checks along the way, but ultimately fails to get to any resolution or even respectable closure for any of the characters. No one is redeemable, and nothing is sacrosanct. Yes, granted that is the whole point of a social satire, but by the end, one begins to question who or what we are here for. Who must we look to, and what do we get from the story?

The universe is not fair, and no one is perfect. One liners can only take one so far, and while some of the character interactions definitely benefit from pithy dialogue and almost-clever thoughts, if not dialogue, for the most part, the story seems to keep trying out things to anchor itself to, and can’t seem to hit on one big idea. Is it the shallowness of the rich, or the equally dimensionless existence of the poor, or is it the vapid sense of entitlement of both of them? The justifications that come flying out of the story from nearly all of the seven characters (including Lucy, Vivian and Fern, and the four Js!) are enough to make you wonder where this is going and how is it going to end, but by the time the promised last page comes up, one realizes with a certain inevitability that anything more would have been lost to these characters anyway.

The author does make a sincere effort, but doesn’t seem to know how to conclude her ideas, some of which are whimsically absurd while others are rather exaggerated but interesting nonetheless.

Maybe the disdain emanating from the characters was intentional by the author, and if I could have come away with that thought definitely, I’d have gladly taken it. The impression I’m left with, instead, is one of a motley crew of whiny, entitled people who have no interest in being any better, and who fail to evoke a sense of empathy in me.

Thanks to NetGalley and the Publishers for providing an eARC, for this honest and original feedback.

It was very tough to connect with a single character in this boom which I suppose is the point. It's short and that's almost to its detriment, the action starts quickly and the premise comes totally out of left field. I also just do not appreciate a book that is constantly referencing the pandemic with no plot value.

Hot Air is such a quick, messy, and funny read about what happens when a billionaire crash-lands his hot air balloon in the middle of someone’s first date. It follows four characters whose lives tangle together in all kinds of chaotic, selfish, and voyeuristic ways. Nobody’s particularly likable, but honestly, that’s half the fun. If you’re into stories that are absurd, a little unhinged, and full of messy relationships, this one will definitely keep you entertained.

Joannie, Jonathan, and Julia are all discontent with their lives when they randomly and memorably find themselves in Johnny's house. Johnny just wanted a date with fellow single parent Joannie. Jonathan wants to win back his wife despite constantly cheating on her and feeling ennui at his millionaire life. Julia wants a child, a pretty little girl like Joannie's. And Joannie doesn't really know what she wants.

The blurb promises hilarious fun and a fantastic story, but I found it to be nothing more than desperate people trying to find a purpose in anything but themselves. It's a constant of them having something wonderful and wanting anything else, only to then decide that that something else isn't what they want either.

I found it a slog to read through because I didn't like half the characters and found no reason to care about the rest. The writing is okay, but with zero reason to connect with the story, I just wanted to get it over with.

Thank you to NetGalley and Knopf for the chance to read it.

This is silly, fast-paced, somewhat absurd, and you will hate every single character. That being said - it's fun and has short chapters which are perfect for finishing this book in just a couple sittings.

Bonus points for having one of the best book covers I have seen in a while!

Thank you Knopf and NetGalley for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Hot Air will appeal to anyone who loves quirky, character-driven fiction. At just over 200 pages, it’s a quick read, and yet it packs a powerful punch.
Full review published on BookBrowse.

Hot Air a quick read and I found the characters pretty unlikeable which is usually not a dealbreaker for me. The premise is super; an unhappily married couple is on a date and crash-lands their rented hot-air balloon into a suburban pool (where another couple is on a date). The second couple (pool owner and potential mate) have their two children in tow and from the very first scene, Dermansky flips the tables as the children in this book make better decisions than all the grownups combined.

I found myself wanting a little more from this book-again, it showed lots of promise from the beginning, but any message toward the end got swallowed up.

I received an advance review copy of Hot Air from the publisher through NetGalley.

“Hot Air” by Marcy Dermansky is one of the most entertaining books I’ve read this year 🤩⁣
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Thanks AAKnopf for my gifted copy! “Hot Air” came out 3/18, so get your copy now!⁣
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Did I delete my Kindle post to give this book the photograph it deserves? I absolutely did. 😌 “Hot Air” is a book that does quirky really, really well. A single mom is on her first date in years when her childhood crush/summer camp fling (a man who’s now a billionaire) crashes his hot air balloon into her date’s pool. For real, that happens within the first few pages. ⁣
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What happens after that is unhinged, but it makes for a fantastic read and . It’s under 300 pages, so you will fly through it. If you’re looking for something really different, I highly recommend “Hot Air.”

Marcy’s books always make me question things, think big thoughts, and wonder whether I actually liked the book. And yet, I keep returning to her work because she explores big ideas and themes through the lens of deeply flawed, often despicable characters. If you’re a literary reader who enjoys stories about people making questionable decisions and grappling with themes of womanhood, marriage, and sex, this is an engaging and thought-provoking story you can read in a day!

This book was good but a bit odd. It told a whole story but never got to what the point of it all was. The ending was abrupt and gave no resolution. I liked the story part of it, but the ending just fell very flat. Good, complex characters, but they literally went on a trip and then that was it. A bizarre ending, if you ask me.

The premise of a hot air balloon crashing into a fraught, fragile situation grabbed my attention as did the beautiful cover for HOT AIR by Marcy Dermansky. However, the world of the uber-rich and their insatiable desires and lack of personal agency quickly soured this light read for me. I did not understand nor empathize with a single character, so as well-written and wonderfully plotted as the story was, it failed to hold my attention and interest. Maybe if I had read it in one fell swoop, sitting by a pool with a tall, cool drink of something delicious, it might have struck me differently. What little I do know of the ultra-wealthy does ring true throughout this novel, but it's a world that fails to enthrall me even in a train-wreck-watching perspective. I received a copy of this novel and these opinions are my own, unbiased thoughts.

I enjoyed one of Marcy Dermansky's previous books, and had seen discussion of this one on social media, so I was excited to receive an early copy - but sadly this book did not work for me,

I can see some people being turned off by the subject matter of partner swapping, but that part didn't bother me at all -- I found the characters to be incredibly unlikeable and the whole plot felt really farfetched. The description of it sounds like something I typically enjoy - but it didn't work for me in execution.

Thank you to NetGalley for the advanced copy of this book!

The publisher calls it “a joyfully unhinged story of money, marriage, sex, and revenge,” which honestly feels like an incredibly polite way to challenge me, personally. It is a quick sprint of a novel, gloriously messy people making gloriously messy choices, with threads of power, relationships, ego, and parenthood tangled up in all the right ways. It’s absurd, tumultuous, and somehow still manages to say something sharp beneath it all.

Things kick off when billionaire Jonathan and his wife Julia crash their hot air balloon into a stranger’s backyard pool. Unfortunately for Johnny, who’s mid–first date attempt with Joannie, it’s his pool. From there, the plot spirals exactly the way you hope it wouldn’t: through swinger culture, down to Universal Studios Florida, and into a series of increasingly poor decisions made with impressive confidence. Told from the rotating perspectives of all four characters, it’s a front-row seat to people making bad choices with great enthusiasm, all in pursuit of connection, meaning, or just a better story.

This book had me chuckling and wincing, sometimes in the same breath. The writing style has a compulsive, punchy rhythm, daring you to even try putting the novel down. The characters? Disasters, each one vain, chaotic, arrogant, and somehow still magnetic. You know they’re making terrible choices, you know they’ve earned the fallout, and yet— there you are, hoping they come out of it with just a little dignity left, if not an outright happy ending.

Effortless and clever, a perfect read for those who enjoy basking in the uncomfortable choices of others.

Every character in this novel is damaged. They come together as a result of a bizarre accident. The two couples desire to swap partners is overwhelming. The two children are overlooked. Two days turn into a nightmare. We are privy to their thoughts and machinations. An interesting look into the lives of the rich and not rich. My thanks to the author and NetGalley for a complimentary copy of this book

A fantastic quick read. All of the characters are flawed and unlikeable, but the book was a delight.

The plot centers on a group of characters who are forced to share space with one another after a billionaire and his wife crash their hot air balloon into the middle of a first date between another couple. I was immediately intrigued by this premise, as well as the striking cover. Most of the characters in the book are extremely wealthy, and all of them are, more often than not, insufferable and self-absorbed. Despite their mutual disdain, however, there is an undeniable attraction between them - much like the morbid fascination one might feel for a trainwreck.

Dermansky excels at capturing the often inappropriate inner monologues of her characters - exposing their struggles with desire, self-image, failure, wealth, status, and narcissism. The novel does a brilliant job of showcasing how the ultra-rich frequently suffer from a “savior complex,” not out of any genuine desire to help others, but to elevate their own self-image. These characters, in the hands of a lesser writer, could easily become loathsome; yet Dermansky imbues them with moments of vulnerability that offer brief glimpses of tenderness, humanizing them in small but meaningful ways. Still, they remain irritating and shallow.

That said, I did find it difficult to understand some of the characters' motivations, as the shifts in their behavior - from one line to the next - often felt abrupt and inconsistent. While I appreciated the brisk pacing and the book’s short length, this pace sometimes left the character dynamics feeling underdeveloped. Nevertheless, due to its lighthearted subject matter and beautiful cover, this book could easily become a popular beach read during the summer months.

Thank you to Netgalley, the author (Marcy Dermansky), and the publisher (Knopf) for an advanced copy. Thoughts and review are completely my own.

This book is pure chaotic fun—in the best way. A hot air balloon crash kicks off a whirlwind of drama, desire, and dysfunction, told through a cast of characters who are messy, ridiculous, and weirdly relatable. It’s sharp, quick, and totally unhinged at times, but Marcy Dermansky somehow makes it all feel oddly profound. Perfect if you love your literary fiction with a side of absurdity and sass.

The premise to this short little novel sounded right up my alley, but unfortunately it was a little too odd for me.