Hot Air - by Marcy Dermansky (Paperback)

About the Book

"A mischievous story of money, marriage, sex, and revenge unspools when a billionaire crashes his hot air balloon into the middle of a post-pandemic first date. Joannie hasn't been on a date in seven years when Johnny invites her to dinner. His house is beautiful, his son is sweet, and their first kiss is, well, it's not the best, but Joannie could convince herself it was nice enough. But when Joannie's childhood crush, a summer camp fling turned famous billionaire, crash lands his hot air balloon in Johnny's swimming pool, Joannie dives in. Soon she finds herself alighting on a lost weekend with Johnny the bad kisser, Jonathan, the billionaire, and Julia his beautiful but manipulative wife. Does Joannie want Jonathan? Or does Jonathan want his assistant, Vivian? Does Joannie want Julia? Or does Julia want a baby like Joannie's? A tale of lust and money and lust for money, Hot Air is as astonishing as it is blisteringly funny, a delirious, delicious story for our billionaire era"--

Book Synopsis

A joyfully unhinged story of money, marriage, sex, and revenge unspools when a billionaire crashes his hot-air balloon into the middle of a post-pandemic first date.

Joannie hadn't been on a date in seven years when Johnny invites Joannie and her daughter to dinner. His house is beautiful, his son is sweet, and their first kiss is, well, it's not the best, but Joannie could convince herself it was nice enough. But when Joannie's childhood crush, a summer-camp fling turned famous billionaire, crash-lands his hot-air balloon in Johnny's swimming pool, Joannie dives in.

Soon she finds herself alighting on a lost weekend with Johnny the bad kisser, Jonathan the billionaire, and Julia, his smart, stunning wife. Does Joannie want Jonathan? Does Julia want her husband? Or Joannie? Or Joannie's beautiful little girl? Does Johnny want Julia? Does Jonathan want Joannie, or Julia, or maybe, his much younger personal assistant, Vivian, who is tasked to fix it all? A tale of lust and money and lust for money, Hot Air is as astonishing as it is blisteringly funny, a delirious, delicious story for our billionaire era.

Review Quotes

"Slim and potent....Known for her direct style and evocative storytelling, she's exceptional as a sharp satirist. This arch, edgy comedy is no exception....Dermansky finds the bruises made by unchecked capitalism and applies firm pressure to make you wince....Dermansky is at the top of her game: an iconoclastic writer."
--Lauren LeBlanc, The Boston Globe

"How can a simple mechanism like a hot air balloon bring so much joy and wonder? How can Dermansky pack so much incisive humor into 200 pages? Some things prove ineffable, like this multi-perspective story of a woman, her daughter, her personal assistant, her so-so suitor, her long-ago camp crush and his wife -- all of whom spend a weekend together. Not only does it get off the ground, it soars, alternately fueled by cluelessness and bombast.
--Bethanne Patrick, Los Angeles Times

"Unapologetically and pleasurably absurd....This novel is a romp, full of the witty, razor sharp prose characteristic of all Dermansky's books. I cannot recommend this novel enough."
--Roxane Gay, New York Times best-selling author of Bad Feminist

"Run, don't walk, to get your mitts on this hilarious book."
--People Magazine

"Wonderfully disorienting....Surprising....[Dermansky] maps the small moments in which characters have close encounters with their deepest selves as they interrogate and then express (or fail to express) their desires."
--Chicago Tribune

"What is more fun than a new novel from this wildly imaginative and reliably hilarious author? ....You've never seen... 'there are things money can't buy' done quite like this."
--Marion Winik, Oprah Daily

"Hot Air is the definition of a fun time. The plot is kooky...and...charming. The story explores topics that dominate all of our lives, including money, marriage, and power but with an easily digestible humor that makes it all go down easy."
--Alana Al-Hatlani, Southern Living

"A hilarious and highly clever new novel."
--Bustle

"I can always rely on Marcy Dermansky to write a book packed with ridiculous, reality TV-level drama....If you love stories of money, marriage, sex, and jealousy, pick this one up."
--Margo Ghertner, The Skimm

"Marcy Dermansky has a rare talent for writing stories that are as emotionally charged as they are wryly funny. With Hot Air, she offers up another witty saga on relationships, power, and money."
--Harpers Bazaar

"[A] happily madcap, devour-me-in-a-single-sitting story.... If this one's anything like Dermansky's previous books, we can expect uproarious laughs amidst the smart social observations."
--Lit Hub, "Most Anticipated Books of 2025"

"A ridiculous and funny comedy of errors, Marcy Dermansky's Hot Air has Joannie, a woman who hasn't been on a date in seven years, convincing herself that the mediocre Johnny is a suitable partner. But when her old summer camp crush -- now a billionaire -- crashes into Johnny's pool, this new option -- or even his wife, or his assistant -- seems a lot more intriguing.
--Our Culture

"[A] hilarious novel about second chances and quirks of fate.... The fun of this lightning-fast read is what Dermansky does with [the] setup....Marvelous."
--Michael Magras, Shelf Awareness

"Dating is weird most of the time....We can all agree on that. Know what makes dating even weirder? When a billionaire in a hot air balloon enters the picture. That's the complication at the heart of Marcy Dermansky's new novel, a comedy of manners that memorably explore[s] contemporary anxieties."
--Vol. 1 Brooklyn

"A sharp, irreverent comedy about money, love, and the messiness of human desires."
--Sean Loughran, Avocado Diaries

"[An] engrossing novel of (mis)manners."
--George Yatchisin, California Review of Books

"A new Dermansky novel is like a holiday declared out of the blue.... Vivian is a genius character, but honestly, they all are, and their inner monologues prove once again that Dermansky knows just how awful people really are inside, and can make it very, very funny. You might find yourself trying to put this book down so it won't be over too soon. And when it is, you might start it all over again to see how the heck she did it. Has any writer made so much happen in just over 200 pages?"
--Kirkus, Starred Review

"Dermansky's hilarious latest kicks off with a hot air balloon crash in a backyard pool.... In classic Dermansky style, hijinks ensue....Exuberantly told from alternating perspectives, the narrative explores each character's secrets, betrayals, and desires. The highlight is Dermansky's slapstick action and dialogue....It's a hoot."
--Publishers Weekly

"[A] scorching satire of wacky relationships, iced with a juicy layer of saucy seduction.... Dermansky distills a potent brew from the sad consequences of power disparities among people. No arena of domestic human emotions is safe from her biting wit and analysis. Mother-daughter, employer-worker, husband-wife, rich-poor conflicts: all get their moment in the spotlight. It's a laugh-till-you cry experience."
--Library Journal

"Dermansky's slim volume packs a punch. It's full of gimlet-eyed observations about privilege, desire, and satisfaction (or lack thereof)....Daring and wise."
--Booklist

About the Author

MARCY DERMANSKY is the author of the critically acclaimed novels Hurricane Girl, Very Nice, The Red Car, Bad Marie, and Twins. She has received fellowships from MacDowell and The Edward F. Albee Foundation. She lives with her daughter in Montclair, NJ.