Joannie is on her first date in Johnnie’s backyard, it’s her first since her divorce. All of a sudden a hot air ballon crashes into the pool and her first kiss/camp crush now billionaire (Jonathan) and famously philanthropic wife Julia emerge from the wreckage. Julia suggests an interesting idea of how to spend the night and the weekend just gets weirder from there.

I’m not sure what this novel was supposed to be but with 4 awful characters and a bratty child I didn’t find it an enjoyable read. What I did think was well done was the questions it raised, what is success and what is true philanthropy. Julia is a philanthropist but mainly out of boredom and the need for adoration. While I am generally bored with the rich behaving badly because they have money trope - time is was balanced with the fact that the non rich were also behaving pretty terribly as well so that part worked for me. I guess in the end, I enjoyed the message and what it brought up for me in terms of some bigger questions, but not the novel itself because I generally felt uncomfortable the whole time reading it. I listened to about 75% since I had a lot of walking and packing to do and it was a quick listen and I do think the narrator was right for the book, but not my favorite listen.

3.5 stars

Thank you to Knopf and NetGalley for the ARC to review

Hot Air is a short, messy, weird book that explores relationships among the main characters, Joannie, Julia, Jonathan, Johnny, and occasionally Joannie's daughter. It's an enjoyable book. but I wish it went a bit deeper.

The more books I read from Dermansky the more excited I get for her next release. This too as with Hurricane Girl is both witty and strangely different in the best of ways. Set during the pandemic, this starts off with a first date + one terrible kiss + a hot air balloon crashing into a pool. The book then spills over into relationships, parenthood, money, power and ego. All messy people doing messed up things. All shallow and eccentric. Is a fast read with short chapters told in alternating POV’s, each chapter labeled with the MC it’s referring to. One tiny thing was my mixing-up their names.. Johnny, Joannie, Jonathon and Julia. This cleared up after settling in to the story. Entertaining for sure! 4.25 stars — Pub. 3/18/25

Thanks to NetGalley for the arc. All opinions are my own.

**Hot Air** by Marcy Dermansky is a hilarious and absurd take on love, lust, and money. It follows Joannie, a single mom who gets pulled into a whirlwind of messy relationships after Johnny, a guy with an unimpressive kiss, invites her and her daughter to dinner. Things get wild when Joannie’s childhood crush, Jonathan—a billionaire she’s never quite forgotten—lands his hot air balloon in Johnny's swimming pool, kicking off a crazy weekend.

Dermansky has a knack for capturing the ridiculousness of modern relationships. Joannie is caught up in a web of feelings for Jonathan while trying to sort through her connection with Johnny and the intrigue of Jonathan’s wife, Julia.

The book dives into themes of wealth and desire, featuring characters who are both relatable and deeply flawed. With sharp humor and keen observations about power dynamics between the rich and everyone else, **Hot Air** is a funny and touching look at our obsession with money and status. It’s energetic and unpredictable, making it a great read about love and the chaos that comes with it.

This is my first book by this author and i had a lot of fun reading it! It was entertaining quick read with fun characters! Thank you NetGalley and publisher for early arc!

I tried my best to get into this story but the writing style did not work for me. It felt like a rough draft instead of a completed novel. I appreciate the opportunity to read this book in advanced.

Somehow there was so much that happened in this book, but also not much at all?

One thing about me is I love a good weird book and this book was giving weird.

We meet Joanie and Johnny at the beginning of the book, as they are on a first date at Johnny's house when all of a sudden a hot air balloon crashes into Johnny's pool. Enter the uber wealthy Johnathan and Julia. (yes the names were low key kind of mixing me up). But, turns out, Johnathan was Joanie's first kiss a long time ago at summer camp. The rest of the book follows what happens when they decide to have a sleepover and the aftermath of switching partners (kind of).

There are a lot of interpersonal relationships I wish were explored a little more in this book, specifically between Joannie and Julia, and Joannie and her daughter. But the open ended-ness of it leaves the floor open for some good discussion, I was very invested in the story line, but I just wish there was some more detail, and a more rounded out conclusion but that is just a me problem.

But it was a fun and quick read, with messy characters and who doesn't enjoy that.

Thank you NetGalley and Knopf for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

This book was just too much of everything. Too many characters, too many sub plots and way to much dialogue.

I can not believe I finished this book. I kept thinking it was going to get better, it did not. What a poor excuse of families. marriage and adults in general.

This is one amusing book. Nutty and mostly unlikeable but entertaining characters. The air balloon ends up in a pool and the craziness never stops. I don't know why, but I really liked it. Fast read too!

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC!

CAN WE SAY MESSY IN UNISON?!

Ooof, this one was M E S S Y!

I am so thankful to Knopf books, Netgalley, PRH Audio, and Marcy Dermansky for granting me advanced digital and audio access before this chaotic girlie hits shelves on March 18, 2025.

Joanie, Johnny, Jonathan, Julie, and Vivian have all seemed to find themselves in quite the conundrum. All not really knowing each other too well until after one fateful night when Joanie and Johnny are sharing an awkward kiss and Jonathan and Julie's hot air balloon comes ripping through the sky to land in Johnny's pool. Jonathan and Joanie shared an elementary fling at sleepaway camp, many moons ago and in some very awkward interactions, the two couples participate in a date-swap of sorts, making things even messier than they were before.

Told from multiple perspectives, we hear from Vivian, Jonathan's assistant - who is very opinionated about this odd crew's nighttime activities and then let's not forget to mention Joanie's young child, who Julia wants to adopt and will do anything for upon first laying eyes upon her.

This entire book is a thoughts not plots vibe and quite a rich person's fever dream, all while happening in the heat of a global pandemic. Phew I definitely need a breather after intruding in this crew's life lol.

Hot Air by Marcy Dermansky is a funny, utterly unpredictable story, but it didn’t quite live up to my expectations after reading Hurricane Girl. The premise promised a wild ride with eccentric characters and surprising twists, but while it certainly delivered on the humor and unpredictability, it didn’t hit the level of chaos I was hoping for. Joannie’s life takes a turn when her childhood crush, now a famous billionaire, crashes his hot-air balloon in her date’s pool, setting the stage for a quirky, offbeat adventure.

However, I found myself not enjoying spending time in these characters’ heads. Joannie’s internal monologue didn’t connect with me, and I didn’t quite click with the dynamic between her and the others. The book’s unpredictable nature is fun, but I felt like I was waiting for more unhinged moments than it ultimately gave me. While I still appreciated Dermansky’s writing style, it didn’t reach the same level of delight I found in Hurricane Girl.

Screaming crying throwing up at Marcy Dermansky's latest (which I do every time I get my hands on her latest). Dermansky just keeps raising the bar on weird novels with strange characters that have me rip roaring through the pages because I have to see what will happen next. Her minimalist writing bumps up against her maximalist ideas in the very best way, and I just truly need her to keep writing a book a year please and thank you.

HOT AIR begins with Joannie, a single mom recently divorced, going on a first date at the house of a rich single dad. She brings her daughter along so she can play with the son, and while they are having dinner, a GOSH DANG HOT AIR BALOON FLOWN BY A BILLIONAIRE TECH IDIOT lands in the pool. Surprise! Joannie also knows this guy from when they were kids at summer camp where they shared a first kiss. Things devolve from there, as we are taken on a journey of multiple POVs, attempted swinging, visits to Universal Studios, and so much more. It truly is just a total trip that I loved and my only complaint is that it was too short.

**** UNPOPULAR OPINION TIME***

I did not like this book at all except for when this book was over and the cover. The cover was great. There are 4 main adult characters in this book. Neither of these characters have any growth from start to finish in this book. They are all equally terrible and insufferable. Joannie is the hardworking single-mom and Johhny is the man who is into her, even though he is a horrible kisser. Enter super wealthy married Jonathan and Julia, who happen to land a hot air balloon in Joannie's pool.

Sparks ignite everywhere, but not how you expect. Waaayyy back in the day Jonathan and Joannie had a relationship and Joannie never forgot about him. Then Johhny and Julia start talking, he takes her side when she starts sharing issues about her marriage with Jonathan.... these characters make one appalling decision after another and it was not a good reading experience.

Cannot recommend. 1 star for the cover.

Thanks to Netgalley, Marcy Dermansky and Knopf, Pantheon, Vintage & Anchor for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

available 3/18/25

Hot Air is the perfect title as a double entendre of both a hot air balloon crash that literally drops characters into each other’s lives … and the things damaged (and not very sympathetic) people say to each other, and themselves. Often very character-driven books don’t move at a fast pace but Hot Air does; it’s a little bit of a riff of on “Bob and Ted and Carol and Alice” (I think) with a cute 8 year old and a bright young too-capable assistant thrown in. All of these characters are yearning: for money, for love, for a baby, for a visit to Hogwarts, for success… or… are they?

Thanks to NetGalley for this ARC.

This might sound mean, and I promise it's not meant that way!! Hear me out...

Marcy's reading makes me realize I do require more of a plot than I've been saying I do. I thought I was fine w no plot just vibes, but 2x now I've really enjoyed the beginning of one of her novels, continuing thru the 50% mark in hopes of a payoff, then there's no payoff and I'm grumpy about it as that's what kept me holding on for at least the last 35% and now I can't let go until the ends are tied (I don't wanna tie them myself, above my paygrade).

Again, not at all a knock on Marcy. It's a "me" problem.
And this is why I hate being forced to rate w numbers on NG & GR, it's not at all fair to the author. I either have to imply the book was essentially bad (vs just not for me), or have my account reflect an opinion that doesn't match how much I actually enjoyed it. For this reason I'm giving 5 stars on NG and not reviewing elsewhere.

The best word to describe Hot Air by Marcy Dermansky is "cringey." This short novel follows four entitled adults who meet under bizarre circumstances towards the end of the COVID pandemic. Several times I wanted to put the book down because of the sexual awkwardness but I made it to the end of the book. The book was thought provoking and disturbing, in just the right way. If you liked Entitled by Ruman Aman, this book is for you.

Thank you to NetGalley and Knopf, Pantheon, Vintage and Anchor for an advanced reader copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Marcy Dermansky can be a hit-or-miss author for me (loved Very Nice, couldn't get into Hurricane Girl) and this is...another hit! The premise is insane (on a date, Joannie's childhood billionaire crush crash lands in a hot air balloon in the pool) but you have to appreciate when an author starts at an 11 and just keeps going from there. I can see from other reviews this is getting a lot of 1 stars or 5 stars, and that's precisely the type of book it is—you're going to be on board from the beginning, or totally turned off right away. People should read a preview to see which camp they fall in. I loved the experience of reading this " joyfully unhinged" book, as her own publisher calls it.

Joanne, a single mom, has not been on a date in seven years. So she is excited when Johnny, a single dad, invites her and her daughter over. Both Johnny and his son are sweet and, with his beautiful house (complete with a pool), she starts to imagine perhaps they could build a blended family. Then after a first kiss in Johnny’s backyard that is nothing special, a hot air balloon crashes into Johnny’s pool. It turns out the hot air balloon is improbably being piloted by Joannie’s first kiss, Jonathan, now a billionaire who was trying to impress his wife, Julia, for their anniversary.

Johnny invites Joannie, Jonathan, and Julia to sleep over. From there begins one of the most unlikely weekends of their lives, as Joannie, Jonathan, Julia, together and separately, explore what they want out of their lives, which have not turned out like any of them thought.

From an unlikely premise, the author insightfully and with nuance explores some of the most fundamental aspects of the adult experience as the main characters face midlife, including careers, children, and love. The author excels at depicting complicated emotions and the way characters often struggle to articulate even to themselves what they really want out of life.

Highly recommended.

I tried to get into this story but it just didn't hold my attention. I'm sure it's a wonderful novel but just not for me.