For those of us “of a certain age “, hot flashes and mood swings are usually no laughing matter, right? Well, enter Lisa Darling, a menopause mama who might just change that mindset. I haven’t read that many romance books that deal with characters going through the Big Change, so I was pleasantly surprised to see the description of this one. There were so many relatable things about this character, from her feelings of not being able to do all that is being asked of her (not to mention the things she’s taken on that she should’ve said no to), to the frustrations of trying to be patient with a surly teenager, to juggling work and home at the same time, Lisa is like so many of us in real life. Add to that an ex-husband who talks a good talk, but never follows through, and you’ve got a heroine who is ready for some fun in her stressful life. This is where the hunky new man on the job comes in! You find yourself rooting for this lady who needs something to go right in her life, and it’s so satisfying to see her becoming the strong woman you know she could be, This isn’t your dime store paperback romance that’s 85% sex and 15% plot. Costello has you pulling for Lisa long before things get steamy. The storyline is quite engaging, as are the characters. I’ll be looking for other Jane Costello books in the future! Thank you to NetGalley and Zibby Publishing for the opportunity to read this eGalley.

Happy Pub Day to this super cute rom com about a perimenopausal divorcee mom navigating life’s complications and victories.

This made me laugh out loud several times, and I loved how authentic the characters and relationships were.

Thank you @zibbypublishing & the author for allowing me to read this perfect romance in time for Valentine’s Day! I think it is a great story for the middle aged perimenopausal ladies out here (me).

Shout out to our Bookstagram book club The Hot Flashes started by @electric_bookaloo - we are reading this for our monthly title. We needed this one - it brought me much needed levity and entertainment this week.

QOTD: The protagonist has a constant to-do list. What’s one item on your to-do list today?

my answer: catch up on my posts ✅

#happypubday #currentlyreading #romancereader #romancereading #recommendedreading #bookreviews #itsgettinghotinhere

Super cute, fun and a bit spicy tale of a single mom juggling parenting, career, a possible love interest and perimenopause. Well balance, engaging and relatable.

It’s Getting Hot in Here is the perfect blend of humor, heart, and heat, making it a must-read for anyone who loves a rom-com with a little extra life experience thrown in.

Lisa Darling is juggling all the things—a demanding career, two kids with big personalities, PTA obligations, and the chaos of perimenopause. Her plate is already overflowing, but when swoon-worthy Zach Russo enters the picture, suddenly, things get even hotter (and not just from hot flashes!). Lisa’s journey of self-discovery, second chances, and unexpected romance is both laugh-out-loud funny and deeply relatable.

The witty banter, real-life struggles, and steamy (yet messy) romance made this book a delight to read. If you love a rom-com that celebrates the highs and lows of midlife with plenty of laughs and swoon-worthy moments, It’s Getting Hot in Here is a must-read! 🔥💕

I had my eye on this book, and when #thehotflashes book club decided to read this for March, I was thrilled to receive a copy from @zibbypublishing to review.

It’s so refreshing to read books, especially romances, with characters that are my age (or at least in the vicinity). This story follows 47-year-old divorcee Lisa Darling in first person as she juggles her job as a TV executive and raises two kids in her primary custody. She also has a best friend with cancer, a PTA volunteer micromanager and the symptoms of perimenopause are affecting it all. Add in the new attractive American at the company who everyone in the office is fawning over as he temporarily fills in for her best friend while immediately giving her grief over her in-progress projects and it’s a lot for one woman to handle.

The characters in this story, especially Lisa and Rose were very relatable to me. I loved that Lisa was a list-maker. The story was very readable, if you know what I mean. I picked it up and immediately settled right into the story. While I admit that Lisa sometimes frustrated me with her parenting style, inability to resist guilt trips or say no at times, especially at her age, it left her with plenty of room for character growth and it made for a very satisfying culmination of events. I would not have been so diplomatic about being criticized for my volunteering efforts.

The story was entertaining and fun with relatable characters. I laughed throughout even if I did feel like Lisa jumped to some conclusions with love interest Zach, who I thought was a lovely bonus to the story. Recommended for the relatable characters and fun romance.

This novel is about a British woman in mid-life named Lisa Darling, who is juggling her career in tv production, being a single mom to a 10 year old and teenage sons, the PTA, and perimenopause - and that’s before a handsome new American co-worker comes to the office.

This one has a sort of light Bridget Jones/Sophie Kinsella vibe. I appreciate books that feature moms and other older characters as the protagonists and still allow them to have romance, and even more love the acknowledgement of the perimenopausal stage of life. Not the best of its genre, but it was a cute read.

3.5 stars

Thanks to Zibby Publishing for the widget for this book. We are reading this book for our book club called The Hot Flashes and trying to read on all thing perimenopause or about menopause. While the main subject of this was not perimenopause the MFC is going thru it and thru many other things that real life women go thru. She is a single mother ( I can say that because the ex has minimal involvement) with 2 sons and one is a teenager(enough said). Even though it does have romance in it. The takeaway for me was based on her relationship with her kids and her best friend and of course the to-do list. Also the many hats that we wear.

Lisa Darling's life is relatable to a whole group of women experiencing life in their mid-forties. Hot Flashes, health, work, family and friends are hard to balance. Keeping all the balls in the air, while falling in love will come with it's many ups and downs even when you may not know it is happening. Funny, witty and pleasant story. Just wasn't one of my favorites, hence the rating. I would enjoy a bit more with a larger problem that wouldn't have been so predictable.

Thank you to Zibby Books for the advance copy. I will always support and read your titles!

This was a DNF for me. The first DNF of a Zibby Books author. I don’t like to read much about a book before staring, but that can lead to choosing books that aren’t for me. I thought I was picking up a book about menopause. I want wrong about that, but I didn’t know it was going to be a steamy open door book also. For that reason I had to put it down.

Well, this is relatable! A fun, poignant, entertaining read with a lot of heart. Thanks to the author, Zibby Books, and NetGalley for this advanced copy and the opportunity to share my thoughts.

Lisa Darling is a TV executive and divorced mother of two facing midlife, hot flashes and all. She is supporting her best friend and co-worker through her cancer fight and is not feeling particularly friendly to her friend's temporary replacement Zach, even though he is overly qualified and cute to boot. Lisa's balance of all things children, job and Zach make her wonder if she needs to adjust her hormone therapy jut to make it through a day!

I seem to be in my perimenopause/menopause themed reading because this is the third book in the past two months that I have read featuring a character dealing with life's second puberty. I do think it's fitting having turned 50 last month so I'm not complaining that there are now some fictional characters facing the inevitability of getting older as a woman. This novel did start a bit slow for me, but most do to be honest, and I soon got very into it and found the story, the characters and the humor to be quite enjoyable. I love a single mom romance (even though I am not a single mom) and thought this novel did a wonderful job capturing women at this age and the humor we need to keep going.

4.25 stars

Thank you to Zibby Publishing and NetGalley for the ARC to review

I loved this book! Apologies for a late review, the flu hit the family and slowed me down. With appreciation to Zibby for maybe my new favorite from this publishing team. Thank you to LibroFM as well for the audio review copy (and supporting the Zibby books each month).

What can I say? Midlife is a whole roller coaster of all the things, hormones, caregiving, wanting more from life while wanting to be happy with what you have right now... It's Getting Hot in Here gets that, and with steam to boot, and Jane Costello does indeed capture the marvelous chaos of women's lives today, that menopause is far from an end point and that women can want all the things, and to be a priority in their own lives, no matter the chaos that surrounds them.

A fun, flirty romance with a lot of very real-life moments interwoven throughout! Lisa’s to do lists are even funnier because we know we all have made very similar ones, as are all the apps she downloads to her phone! Amongst the chaos, I found this book to be uplifting, empowering and made me feel seen.
A single, working perimenopausal woman with two teenage sons, Lisa is juggling the chaos that entails while supporting her best friend, Rose as she faces a serious health crisis. When Rose takes a leave of absence from work, her replacement Zach Russo steps in and on Lisa’s toes. Is the fact that her temp rises whenever he’s near a symptom of menopause or maybe something else?
Lisa is so relatable as she tries to balance work and committing to volunteering at her son’s schools; as she tries to allow her moody son to enjoy his teen years yet be responsible and respectful; co-parenting with a less than present ex; as she tries not to rely on her parent’s for help but can’t possibly do it without them; and as she tries to manage the symptoms of menopause and the impact it has on her body, her hormones and her mental state. Costello masterfully balances these real-life dilemmas with laugh out loud moments.

Absolutely hilarious a book about a middle age woman her life her relationships. I completely related to parts of her story laughed so hard I had tears running down my down my face.I will be recommending it to my girlfriends.#netgalley #Zibby

I had an absolute blast reading IT’S GETTING HOT IN HERE by Jane Costello! This rom-com checked SO many of my boxes, and had me giggling up a storm. As a woman in my mid-forties, I found it quite easy to relate to the main character, Lisa Darling. She’s around my age, a hardworking mother of two, has an awesome sense of humor, and most importantly, is a great friend. I truly appreciated all of the references on aging and menopause throughout. I’m definitely the target audience for this book! Ha!

THINGS I LOVED:

- 40-something protagonist
- Reflections on motherhood
- Strong female friendship
- Insight on raising teenagers
- Perimenopause experience
- PTA mama drama
- Perfect amount of spice/steam
- Multiple LOL moments
- Lisa’s never-ending to-do list

Costello’s latest will certainly appeal to the 40+ perimenopausal mothers with teenagers crowd! Hahaha! If you enjoyed IS SHE REALLY GOING OUT WITH HIM? by Sophie Cousen or PICK-UP by Nora Dahlia, then you gotta read this. It has the same “divorced mom finding love again at the workplace” vibes. 4/5 stars for IT’S GETTING HOT IN HERE! It’s out now!

Jane Costello's IT'S GETTING HOT IN HERE was the perfect antidote to everyday hurry, hustle, and chaos. This laugh-out loud rom com offered all the feels from empathizing with overwrought and wonderful Lisa Darling encountering the sizzling Zach Russo and facing the raucous and terrible realities of living divorced, mothering, and striving while putting everyone and everything before herself and coming to wonder if there might be another way to thrive. I dove in and so enjoyed this book -- a definite recommendation to my friends. I received a copy of this book and these opinions are my own, unbiased thoughts.

Lisa Darling is a mom to two boys and a high-powered TV exec who’s doing the best she can to keep juggling her career, her kids, PTA fundraising, a sick friend who needs her, just to name a few of the balls she’s trying to keep in the air. When Zach Russo, an exec from the network’s LA office, steps in as a temporary backfill while Lisa’s friend is on medical leave, the sparks are undeniable, leaving Lisa to wonder if it’s just a hot flash or her hot new coworker that’s making her sweat!

Perimenopausal FMCs are having a moment, and as a mother and career woman in the same age range and stage of life as Lisa, I am here for it! Lisa is smart, funny, self-deprecating, and completely relatable! I love the banter between her and Zach (when he calls her “Darling” - *swoon*) and their steamy chemistry, but I also love that it’s not the only focus of the story. The to-do lists she makes to keep herself on track are humorous and endearing (will that poor kettle ever get descaled?) and the writing style overall is so funny and engaging. I found myself nodding in recognition, laughing out loud, and totally connecting with Lisa Darling! This book is a gem!

Many thanks to NetGalley and Zibby Publishing for providing me an advance copy of this book.

It's Getting Hot in Here was very relatable to me as I am at a similar point in my life to the main character Lisa, both in age and in having teenage children. I could also totally relate to her overcommitting and always saying yes when asked to do volunteer work with the PTA. I appreciated the friendships Lisa had and the support she received from her mom, which she sorely needed as a single mother with an ex-husband who wasn't particularly helpful. There were also some great laugh-out-loud moments. This line from the book really resonated with me - "I'm not in denial about getting older. I just preferred the days when bending over to pick something off the floor wasn't accompanied by an involuntary grunt. Or a pulled muscle."

Thank you @Zibbypublishing and @janecostellobooks for my #gifted ARC and amazing PR package! #ZibbyBooksAmbassador #ZibbyBooks #ItsGettingHotInHere #JaneCostello

𝐓𝐢𝐭𝐥𝐞: 𝐈𝐭’𝐬 𝐆𝐞𝐭𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐇𝐨𝐭 𝐈𝐧 𝐇𝐞𝐫𝐞
𝐀𝐮𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐫: 𝐉𝐚𝐧𝐞 𝐂𝐨𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐨
𝐏𝐮𝐛 𝐃𝐚𝐭𝐞: 𝐅𝐞𝐛𝐫𝐮𝐚𝐫𝐲 𝟒, 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟓 - 𝐎𝐮𝐭 𝐍𝐨𝐰!

I loved everything about this laugh out loud rom-com! Perfect for middle-age readers, Jane Costello has crafted the most flawed, yet truly relatable main character. Readers can’t help but find a connection with Lisa in some way to their own lives. Her life is messy. She is a single mother of two teenagers, is on the PTA, a TV executive, and is helping her best friend and co-worker, Rose, through breast cancer treatment. She’s juggling a lot, and doing it all while struggling with perimenopause. When Rose decides she needs to take time of work to focus on her treatment, Zach Russo is sent in as a temporary replacement. All of a sudden, Lisa starts getting hot around him. She’s probably just needs to have her hormone replacement therapy adjusted. As time goes on, Lisa finally starts to realize that maybe it’s time to finally start focuses more on herself and her own feelings.

This was seriously such a fun and at times steamy book. There were to-do lists scattered throughout the book that always made me laugh. This book just brought so much joy, and I love how nice it was to read about a middle-age character. This book was an absolute gem and I cannot recommend this one enough!

Posted on Goodreads on February 4, 2025: https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/144922955?ref=nav_profile_l
**Posted on Instagram - Full Review- on or around February 4, 2025: http://www.instagram.com/nobookmark_noproblem
**Posted on Amazon on February 4, 2025
**-will post on designated date

This book should have been titled “A Day in the Life of EVERY MIDDLE-AGED MOTHER EVER!” It resonates with so many important women in my life. From venting sessions on Zoom with my cousin, a 44-year-old perimenopausal mother of two boys (ages 11 and 15), to text messages from my best friend, who is navigating the challenges of being a single mother working full-time, managing the delightful attitude of her “12 going on 20” son, and – being the habitual people-pleaser that she is – just doesn’t know how to say no and somehow always ends up volunteered for everything under the sun. I plan to buy this book for both of them as a “just because” gift.

While the younger crowd may enjoy a glimpse of what lies ahead, this book is definitely written as a warrior cry for women in their mid-forties and older – women whose bodies seem to have a mind of their own, whose kids are making them buy hair dye in bulk to hide the gray, and who just need a quick reminder that they are not alone in the insanity of their everyday lives.

With barely a minute to breathe – and that’s being generous – Lisa Darling is doing her best to handle it all, especially when her HRT kicks in! Planning PTA events? Check. Killing it at work? Check. Playing chauffeur, math tutor, seamstress, chef, and housekeeper to her two boys while maintaining a somewhat civil relationship with her ex-husband? Check and a high five. There seems to be nothing Lisa can’t do these days – except keep her focus around Zack Russo. Temporarily stepping in while her co-worker and best friend completes her radiation therapy for breast cancer, Zack quickly becomes both a thorn in Lisa’s side and the star of her late-night fantasies. Determined to blame it on perimenopause, Lisa just needs to survive the next six months; then Rose will be back, and Zack can return to LA. So what if he seems just as drawn to her as she is to him? Two ex-husbands are enough to prove that her judgment (and her whacked-out hormones) when it comes to men should not be trusted!

What I enjoyed most about this book is that Jane Costello doesn’t beat around the bush. If she hints at something that has a deeper story or more to it, you don’t have to wait until the end of the book for a big reveal. She tells you fairly quickly what happened. In fact, it is absolutely amazing how much she reveals in the first quarter of the book. It’s refreshing because it feels more real and natural for the character rather than forcing a dramatic, highly anticipated reveal later down the line. This approach allows the reader to settle into the book, reading as if we are listening to a girlfriend while hanging out – giving her the space to just be, vent, and breathe without judgment.

As I said before, this book is essentially a diary detailing the day-to-day life of Lisa Darling. We see her at work, interacting with colleagues and tackling projects and presentations. We are with her when she spends time with her friends, supporting Rose her best friend – through her treatments. We see how she navigates her relationship with her ex-husband, copes with co-parenting, and struggles as a single mother. On the outside, she is determined to be everything to everyone, but her to-do list just keeps getting longer and longer. Her free time is consumed by tasks she has postponed, leaving her no time to simply exist outside of her roles, to be selfish, or to just relax. We witness what women in her situation have mastered hiding: the self-doubt, the need for reassurance, and the judgment – whether self-imposed or delegated by others.

I loved that the story wasn’t depressing or sad. It didn’t bring you down or make you feel sorry for Lisa. If anything, you walk away feeling empowered, as the book pulls back the mask of someone you admire and says, “See, she is struggling just like you – don’t let the smile fool you. You’ve got this!” I already appreciated my mother, but looking back, I don’t know how she did it all!

The book was steamy, but just barely. There were sultry moments between Zach and Lisa, but the word choice and brief, workaround descriptions kept them from being truly spicy. Consider it open-door, but with a very heavy filter – you get the gist of what is happening in the scene, but none of the in-depth details. It’s perfect for someone who prefers closed-door romances or little to no spice in their books. Don’t get me wrong, the moments they kissed were out of this world! I always appreciate an author who can make a simple connection feel explosive.

I also enjoyed the play on words in the title, as you quickly learn that perimenopause isn’t the only thing making her hot under the collar. The struggle she has fighting her attraction is absolutely hilarious, and the running dialogue in her head kept me giggling.

I applaud Jane for writing a character who is sincere, vulnerable, real, and relatable. Whether it’s the never-ending to-do list, the obligations pulling her in multiple directions, decisions driven by fear, or hesitations rooted in self-doubt, a woman of any age can look at Lisa Darling and see herself – either where she was, where she is, or where she may one day be. I had already guessed how the book was going to end, but I still enjoyed it all the way to the very last page. If I were to take away anything from Jane’s book, it would be this: show yourself some grace and don’t be afraid to put yourself first. You can still be there for others, but if you give every little piece of yourself away, there will eventually be nothing left – then what? Trust yourself and your capabilities. You are doing the best you can, and no one can ask more of you than that.