I haven't had this much fun reading a book in quite some time. Nothing really compares to the shock of having your first date interrupted by a hot air balloon crash. I loved the multiple POV chapters of the book so that you get the story from everyone's perspective. The author did a wonderful job of looking at how having/not having money affects your relationship with others. The characters are mostly likable and you get enough of the backstory of the ones who aren't likable to understand, a bit, why they are like they are. This would make an excellent book club book because the multiple character POV and the themes around money are excellent fodder for discussion. Now I need to go read the author's backlist!

"Hot Air" by Marcy Dermansky made me giggle. Characters who are unhinged and make some questionable decisions because they are unhappy make for some of the best reading experiences. Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for providing me a copy of the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

What a quick, fun and engaging read! This novel was full of drama and messy characters that hooked me right from the start.

A Marcy Dermansky book is always a fun trip, and Hot Air is no exception.

This short novel, takes you down a rabbit hole and into the psyche of an unhappy and unlikely slew of characters, set over the span of a few nights. Amid the ugliness it manages to, somehow, be an utterly delightful read.

I just love that I never know what to expect next in each novel I’ve read of Dermansky’s (Hurricane Girl and the Red Car), except that I will always be entertained.

This was a very weird, fast book to read. It takes place over just a few days, starting with a hot air balloon landing in a backyard. It was funny and strange and enjoyable.

I gave this book 10 chapters and had to DNF. It is just not for me.

I'm sorry.

First the names of the characters "4 J's" Johnny, Jonathan, Joannie and Julia....why? It's confusing. Maybe it's explained later in the book but an editor should have discouraged this.

Second, the story is so stupid. A hot Air balloon drops from the sky into someone's back yard with a billionaire and his wife in the tow. (This was interesting) But then the billionaire wife says let's all sleep together and everyone is like ok. I guess people behave like this but not any I know.

I find the conservative bashing and Covid talk unnecessary and a turn off.

Life is too short to spend on bad books.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC.

The conceit was fine, however the execution lacked depth.

Joannie and Johnny are single parents on a dinner date at Johnny's house when a hot air balloon lands in Johnny's pool. The billionaires, Julia and Johnathan, that climb out of the balloon are arguing on their anniversary. So they all agree to partner swap. Okay...

The chapter switches narrators between chapters, which is a great idea in theory, however none of the voices is distinguishable from the other.

When a hot air balloon falls out of the sky and into a neighborhood pool, Johnny, Joannie, Julia, and Jonathan's lives are scooped up in interwoven couple drama mixed with heated desires. Alluring, snappy banter and quick sentences pull the reader in, and pages fly by as a few days pass wildly for the characters. Jonathan and Julia are billionaires, and they use their fortune absentmindedly to entice those around them for their own entertainment. Joannie, experiencing motherhood and writer's block, becomes entangled in the billionaires' promising adventures. Passionate and reflective, this novel is lighthearted, tantalizing, darkly humorous, and quick. Chapters told from alternating perspectives breathe the character's desires and confusion in charismatic, amusing ways. Ideal for readers that enjoy contemporary literary fiction and messy characters with big personalities. This book is an absolute hit and recommended for all collections.

Ummm I’m not even sure what I just read. First- it was short- novella/short story? The story was told in chapters - each given to one of the 5 adult characters and 1 child. It was almost written like a stream of consciousness. Very, very weird things happened. Some of the paragraphs didn’t even make sense from one to another. First these people (complete strangers) were acting like swingers and then they were on a flight to Florida with the kid? I literally don’t even know what the literary point of this “novel” was.

This was a whirlwind of a ride that I thoroughly enjoyed and flew through. Think All Fours by Miranda July meets Colored Television by Danzy Senna. Each character makes horrible decisions and is completely unhinged but in the best way. This short little novel is cringey from start to finish. Once you start you simply cannot look away.

This was both hilariously weird and compulsively readable. Despite both unreliable and unlikeable toxic characters, I could not not know how the story was going to end.

Joanie, a single mother and washed up desperate writer, finds herself on a passable date with. a wealthy man named Johnny. He invites her and her daughter Lucy to his home, and while Joanie finds Johnny to be just okay, she is quite impressed with his luxurious lifestyle. While Joanie is considering the pros and cons of continuing to date this average man, a billionaire and his wife crash their hot air balloon into Johnny's pool.

Instead of going home, the adults decide to have a little fun and see where the night takes them. This leads to a whirlwind of a weekend, full of poor decision making and bad judgement calls.

The characters are completely flawed but in a funny, satirical way. Even the Joanie's daughter is completely insufferable. The writing style is quite blunt, which I would not typically enjoy except that in this case it was the correct tone for the book.

This is a great take on the dangers of covetousness, hypocrisy, and entitlement. Especially as you realize that while the filthy rich are certainly guilty of this behavior, so too is the average person.

Bizarre in a good way, I liked it!

As a fan of Dermansky’s HURRICANE GIRL, I was thrilled to have a chance to get a peek at HOT AIR before its release. It did not disappoint. Dermansky writes sharp prose full of plot with characters with edges and flaws that make for interesting dives into the greater themes of the novel. HOT AIR is a novel that you’ll devour in a day. It’s about money, lust, marriage, and sex. A woman is on a dinner date at the home of a divorced dad from her daughter’s school, fantasizing about having the house and financial stability but mid on the date, when a billionaire couple crashes in a hot air balloon in the backyard pool. A whole lot of mess follows along with big questions about our relationship to money and other people. It’s a great read filled with complicated characters. A huge thank you to Netgalley and Knopf for an early peek at the eARC. HOT AIR releases March 18.

This novel is comparable to White Lotus and would be enjoyed by fans of the show. It main themes are class differences, power, gender, sexuality, race, and parenting. The book is tightly written and fast paced while also changing the perspective frequently. The novel is written in the close third person so it adds to its cinematic feeling. Overall, a quiet and enjoyable read but not the most groundbreaking thing I’ve consumed.

One misspelling toward the end of the book where the character is spelled “lucie” and “Lucy” as she was referred by throughout the novel.

This was not my typical read and I felt uncomfortable at times. Having children in this story is what made me so uncomfortable.
Since this book was not my typical read I don't think I could provide good feedback.

quick, quirky, and fast well-written lit fic about some very fun characters in a very fun setting. 5 stars. tysm for the arc.

Hot Air by Marcy Dermansky was a quick read about sex, money, marriage, dating, revenge and many unhappy people. I loved every minute of it

Seeing the chapter list I was worried I wouldn’t be able to keep everyone straight but I quickly realized all the characters were distinguishable and I knew who was who. But seriously why so many J names?

I liked the cover and the story seemed interesting. It’s not what I’d normally read but I really enjoy this. It took a while to digest with so many emotions and new things popping up when I thought more about this book. I kept thinking about things as this story really stuck with me.

Thank you for the digital ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I will update closer to the with my social media posts.

Hot Air by Marcy Dermansky
This one had an interesting concept.
Joanie and Johnie go on a date at his house, because she doesn’t have chidcare. A hot air balloon crashed in Johnie’s pool. The couple riding in the ballon consists of a man that recognizes Joanie from high school, and it goes downhill from there. There were some funny moments but the characters were entitled and annoying. The story line was choppy and the characters all had names that begin with “J” which made it difficult to follow. As the story was told from multiple points of view without good transition between characters, the story just didn’t flow well. It was like a stream of consciousness writing style. The story fell flat and was shallow without good character development and lots of bad decisions.
On a positive note, the cover is fabulous! 2/5⭐️
I would like to thank NetGalley for the opportunity to review an ARC of this book.

Four messy characters with names that start with J. A nice, short read. It was a little confusing to keep track of the characters since their names were so similar. I really liked Hurricane Girl, but struggled a little with this one. Thank you NetGalley.

Thank you so much for making this available to read.

Imagine a hot air balloon crashing in the middle of your first date in seven years, right after a god-awful kiss. It turns out your summer camp fling and his wife were sky-high celebrating their anniversary when they suddenly took a dive into a pool and ruined your awkward date. Do you cut your date short and run, or decide to sleep over and have a strange, unpleasant adult sleepover?

This is what happened to Joanie, and she stayed, possibly because she was wet from jumping into the pool to save Jonathan, a love interest from her past who probably was a much better kisser than her current date. The only thing good her date had going on was a lovely house with all the comforts Joanie and her daughter were missing. Marcy Dermansky places the reader in the middle of the action with her novel Hot Air. The unexpectedness of the situation is enough to keep you on the edge of your seat. You are sure to encounter turbulence, and frankly, it is a hell of a good time.

Multiple POV's take us through the events that happened during that weekend. Each chapter focuses on a different character, letting the reader see more than what the characters actually show to each other. Their desires, choices, entitlement, ambition, and resentment make these characters highly complex. It made me consider that this mess was not just pure entertainment but also a reflection of ourselves. Dermansky allows space for the reader to connect with the characters in this hot mess. Anyone dealing with divorce or a struggling partnership rooted in disagreements over wanting different things can identify with some of these characters. The relatability of these characters is what makes this novel so engaging. Moreover, if you feel stuck, Joanie is such a great example of catching wind of life's crazy moments and being proactive in the creation of the life you envision for yourself.

Hot Air is an easy read that is fast-paced and stirring. You either like these characters for their drama or hate them. Regardless, you are sure to be entertained by them. The novel's entertaining nature is bound to keep you hooked from start to finish.

Be on the lookout! Dermansky's novel comes out on March 18.

Thank you to NetGalley for the advanced copy! This was a fun and very quick read. I hated all of the characters, but I couldn’t stop reading it. I was very impressed by this! It was definitely an odd book, but I am so happy I read it. I wish that the names of the characters didn’t all start with J (this was very frustrating). Originally, this book started out very strong but then the characters got on my nerves. I wish they were just a little more likeable. Still, good and quick read.