Hot and Bothered Book

She’s offbeat, off balance, and at times off-the-wall, a late-thirties mother of two living in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and trying to figure out who she is now that her husband has left her. He’s a rat, anyway, and currently attends Sex Addicts Anonymous. He still comes by the house, though, as do her hippie, macrobiotic mother; her feisty, alcoholic best friend; her God-fearing grandmother; and that Perfect Guy, the one with the beatific son who plays with her daughter, the one who happens to have a winning smile, wild black hair, a professorship at Harvard—and (drats!) a gorgeous doctor girlfriend.

Told in short takes that perfectly mimic the frantic nature of our busy lives, Hot and Bothered follows its heroine through the streets of Cambridge, where she spends far too much time staring into space and sipping mocha lattes with extra whipped cream; to church, where she prays for a little salvation; to Alaska, where she believes a rugged outdoorsman might just be that salvation; and to Cape Cod, where, in a little house by the sea, she might finally see the light. Annie Downey has written an updated Cinderella story for all single moms.

Library Journal

Meek and passive, this book's unnamed-until-the-last-minute thirtysomething narrator juggles her acidic ex-husband, recalcitrant children, meddling maternal relatives, tough best friend, and dueling paramours. It's no wonder, then, that she doesn't feel like she fits in-to her own house, her own family, or her own skin-until she decides to take charge of her life. When an unexpected detour in Cape Cod puts her resolve to the test, this newly independent woman finds out if she's got the mettle to stick to the changes she's made in her life. Downey, a regular contributor to Hip Mama and Vermont Woman magazines, has penned a debut novel full of wit, humor, and offbeat characters. Her journal-style prose offers readers an immediate intimacy with the narrator's life and sharp-edged personality, at some expense to the development of the other characters. No matter, Downey delivers with a well-worth-it conclusion, the strongest part of this unconventional mom lit that dares to let it all hang out. Recommended for larger public libraries.-Amy Brozio-Andrews, Albany P.L., NY Copyright 2006 Reed Business Information.