Product Description

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.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #1337137 in Books
• Published on: 2006-08-25
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 304 pages

From Booklist
The chirpy heroine in Downey's debut is surprised to find herself at a crossroads when, at age 39, her husband ("Ex-Rat") leaves her with two children and an identity crisis, presumably to join Sex Addicts Anonymous and gallivant around with a new girlfriend. Saddled with a sassy best friend, a flaky mother, and a gigantic crush on a charming professor ("Perfect Guy"), she thinks that it's a miracle when she finds time for herself. She tries meditation, she tries a part-time job, she even tries shopping for sexy lingerie, all while parenting and hosting holiday dinners. Told in flashes, Bridget Jones-style, the short, page-length snippets, with titles like "A Manic Moment" and "Cheese Danish," give the sense that the author, like her main character, is always on the run. Still, Downey pulls off the fast pace, and readers will root for this single mom to find her prince, however unconventional the pursuit may be. Will she end up with Perfect Guy? Ex-Rat? Rugged Alaskan Man? Now that she is thriving, who cares? Delightful. Emily Cook
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Review
“This sexy single mom is a heroine I can relate to, and Annie Downey—that rare author who pays attention to the way people actually behave—tells her story with perfect pitch. Hot and Bothered has the quick inspiration of a pop song and the lasting power of modern myth.”—Ariel Gore, author of Atlas of the Human Heart

About the Author
Annie Downey is a regular contributor to Hip Mama and Vermont Woman. Her work has appeared in Harper’s magazine and the Utne Reader, as well as on NPR. She lives in rural Vermont.

Customer Reviews

a pure delight
I have to say, I couldn't put this book down. Downey is masterful at creating a flawed and lovable heroine who any mother will completely relate to. The pervading sense of chaos is almost too realistic, but you will envy her boyfriend choices, cringe at her romantic misteps, and applaud her final solution.

But calling this a romance or chick lit wouldn't be doing it justice: it is not just about romantic love. Downey's character grows as the book progresses and her relationships with her children are central to her life. The writing is crisp, fast-paced (echoing the live of her character) and literary. I was particularly taken with how she portrayed the older women in the work such as her mother, grandmother and funky aunts. They are sexy, smart and there isn't a apron-clad blue hair among them!

Brava, Annie Downey, brava.

great beach read
I simply loved this book, it was funny, touching and unique. I would recommend it especially for all mothers and daughters.

Wonderful, and a MUST read especially for a divorced mother
Weeks later I am still thinking of the characters in the book and how I miss them. Just recently went through a divorce and this book did wonders for my mental health; it made me laugh, feel supported, and helped me see I am not alone in the feelings that come with divorce.
I highly recomend this book for any mother, especially a divorced mother!