This review first appeared in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette Feb. 16, 2025
After years of social media posts with complaints about how no one talks about it, the big P is suddenly being talked about. A lot.
It’s not easy to discuss perimenopause, the period of a woman’s life shortly before menopause. But with headlines like “Famous women are finally talking about perimenopause,” and “Celebrities who have gotten real about going through perimenopause,” no Gen Xer can finish a night’s sweat without seeing a new story about the woes and fun parts (hello, libido!).
In the last few years there has been so much perimenopause talk, it’s like women are having one extended, collective hot flash. And protagonist and TV executive Lisa Darling is one of those people.
In “It’s Getting Hot in Here,” by Jane Costello, Lisa shuttles her best friend to, and sits with her through, cancer treatments. She takes her youngest to school and the park and debates potential family pets. She organizes PTA events, as she tries to navigate the murky waters of another son, an athletically untalented teenager who dreams of a sports career and has discovered a love for alcohol.
Lisa is a Supermom. Like many moms, she’s trying to do it all – and she does all of this while perimenopausal.
Her life gets more complicated when Zach Russo, a big-shot media guy from LA, temporarily takes over her best friend’s job. Lisa is irked by his mere presence, all while being drawn to him and getting a bit – ahem – hot and bothered. Even so, she blames her hormone replacement therapy in those moments and ignores the chemistry between her and Zach, until they end up in several intimate situations. Suddenly, Lisa remembers what it’s like to not be defined by being a mom.
So many of us can relate to this.
“It’s Getting Hot in Here” highlights the challenges and day-to-day life of women who have been married more than once and are juggling multiple exes, something not as commonly seen in a romcom. The central story revolves around Lisa’s quest to be a successful businesswoman, and mom, while juggling the men in her life – it’s not a novel about menopause, despite the double entendre title.
But those of us experiencing the same life stage will nod along as we read, sometimes while sticking their heads in a freezer (I did that just before writing this review).
The novel also subtly dips a toe into less commonly known perimenopausal ailments – such as migraines, heart palpitations and juggling colds that never materialize – without being heavy-handed at all. Women might feel less alone when they realize their symptoms are universal.
But don’t be fooled – this romcom can, and should, be enjoyed by all.
Costello deserves an award for channeling her inner teenage boy to write several touching and sometimes upsetting scenes about Lisa’s teenage son. She also nails PTA mom drama in text chats and how parents often help others before they help themselves. Perhaps the thing she tackles best is the complex and difficult topic of eating disorders, which is a thread running through the plot.
The book has some laugh-out-loud funny moments like when Lisa attends an award ceremony wearing a super low-cut dress in the front and back. She orders a special undergarment on Amazon for the occasion, but as she mingles, one of her bra straps pops out hitting, and blinding, a man in one eye. (As he staggers around, some well-tread, entertainment-business humor happens: “Are you calling an ambulance?” someone asks. “No, his agent.”)
Even through the levity, Costello manages to tackle some important and weighty issues in a way that is real and honest. This slow-burn romance will make readers laugh and think. In short, it’s hot stuff.