[4.25 stars]

Hot Air is a tiny book (just over 200 pages) that is NOT going to be for everyone. But, it’s unique and the right reader will love it (i.e. you like something zany, fun, and purely entertaining, but it may not have a deep point to it). This is a fairly outrageous premise and you just have to roll with it throughout the story. What happens after the hot air balloon crash is like watching a slow motion car crash…I knew this wasn’t going to end well, but I couldn’t stop watching to see what more weird stuff was going to happen along the way. The situation Demansky created is incredibly awkward and chock full of eyebrow-raising dynamics. If you have a hard time watching awkwardness that ventures into cringy, this is not the book for you. And, all 4 of the main characters are highly dislikable AND highly dysfunctional. Every one of them makes questionable decisions and does things for selfish reasons. But, I loved the “women in mid-life” element to this story and I highlighted a lot of “yes, that’s exactly how it is” observations. A fun, “out there” break from my usual reading!

If you've ever wanted to freeze a scene and listen to the internal monologue of every person in it, this book is for you.

I definitely thought this story would take place on a hot air balloon and even though it doesn't, that doesn't make it any less fascinating. Both the book and the story are concise: a motley crew of similarly-named acquaintances (Joannie, Johnny, Julia, and Johnathan) spend a weekend together after a freak accident with a hot air balloon turns a bad date into a weekend adventure.

A light plot leaves room for wry observations as the point of view ping-pongs from one character to the next. Julia, wife of billionaire Johnathan, observes that the Rainforest Cafe is an "atrocious restaurant" akin to a "contemporary version of hell" replete with an "artificial waterfall, animatronic animals, ..., plastic plants, and laminated menus." When Julia becomes enamored with Joannie's daughter, Lucy, Johnathan reminds her "they are people, not pets" noting that "they had done this before. Adopted people." When she finds herself in a limo for the first time, Joannie reflects that she "knew how impressed she was by money" almost as if "she had been raised by wolves. Or in a foster home."

If you enjoy sardonic humor and strong characterization and don't mind a relatively plotless book, pick this one up! It's a quick read and worth an afternoon.

Love it! So much fun. All her books are fun and this is no exception. The characters are wacky and believable.

Hot Air is a witty, sharp novel that explores family dynamics, secrets, and the complexities of relationships. Dermansky’s writing feels fluid and engaging, with plenty of candid moments that keep you hooked. While some parts lean a little toward the predictable, the story’s humor and emotional depth balance it out.

Overall, a strong 4-star read. Great for fans of smart, character-driven fiction.

this was a surprising and enjoyable read. Thank you to NetGalley the publisher for gifting me this arc.

What a wild ride, both literally and figuratively! This was a quick read, but it was fun and unique enough that it definitely kept me entertained. When a billionaire crash-lands his hot air balloon in the middle of someone’s first date, everything goes haywire for four people (fair warning: there's partner swapping). Also, keep in mind this story is satire: its tongue-in-cheek tone is quirky enough you'll be able to see what's really happening here: an engrossing look at the dysfunction of ultra-rich people. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this advance copy!

When I read the synopsis for this book I was totally in. Love people randomly being thrown together.
This book had that, but it was also just so very strange.
I honestly don’t know what to think of it. There was quite a bit of sexual partner switching, I wasn’t prepared for that either. The ending was odd.
When a hot air balloon crashes into the pool of a guy on his first date, it feels like the beginning of the most random night ever.
Not sure about this one. But 3 stars for its unique qualities.

What a weird, lovely little book! I both loved and hated the characters at so many various times, but I enjoyed every second of the ride. The one thing that made reading difficult were the character names - Jx4. It was funny, but not worth the amount of confusion. Overall, I really liked this!

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.