It's Getting Hot in Here

Hilarious, relatable, and delightfully swoon-worthy, It’s Getting Hot in Here is the laugh-out-loud, coming-of-middle-age, rom-com meets mom-com readers have been waiting for.

In this "celebration of midlife and all its marvelous messiness,” Lisa Darling, a high-flying TV executive and twice-divorced mother of two, is navigating life with an opinionated teenager and a pet-obsessed grade-schooler, organizing PTA events, and supporting her best friend through breast cancer treatment, all while in the throes of perimenopause. It’s no wonder her to-do list is on overdrive and she never has time for Pilates or that DIY interior design project she keeps setting aside.

But when LA-based media hotshot Zach Russo swoops in as a temporary stand-in for her best friend’s job, Lisa starts feeling overheated and flustered. But that’s just the menopause, right? She chooses to believe her hormone replacement therapy needs some adjusting, until she finds herself in a sexy―and seriously ill-advised―cinch with him. As things snowball, Lisa has to confront these long-forgotten feelings and ask herself if she’s finally ready to choose herself.

These discussion questions were provided by the publisher, Zibby Media.

Book club questions for It's Getting Hot in Here by Jane Costello

Use these discussion questions to guide your next book club meeting.

The reader’s first introduction to Lisa Darling’s life is her to-do list. What was your initial impression of her based off of the line items on it?

Lisa and Zach Russo’s first interaction does not go smoothly. What do you make of Lisa’s impression of Zach? Do you think it was accurate? How did you initially feel about him?

Rose is going through chemotherapy for breast cancer and Lisa does her absolute best to be there for her friend. Have you ever had a friend go through a similar experience? How did you handle it?

Being a good and attentive single parent to Leo and Jacob is one of Lisa’s main priorities, and as a result, she worries about it constantly. Can you relate to this? Or is there someone in your life that is going through a similar experience?

Lisa’s relationship with her eldest, Leo, is rocky throughout the novel, culminating in a blowout fight. Do you think Lisa’s parenting style is effective? Do you think she should’ve done things differently?

Brendan and Lisa have been divorced for a while when we first dive into the book. Why do you think Lisa essentially lets Brendan off the hook when it comes to parenting their sons? How would you have handled him if you were in her shoes?

In addition to her career, her children, and her new love interest, Lisa is also dealing with perimenopause, a stage of life that is being highlighted more frequently in women’s fiction. Do you like that the author incorporates it into Lisa’s story? Does it make her feel more relatable?

Mother-son dynamics, workplace romance, single-parenting, cancer, perimenopause, underage drinking/smoking are all themes explored in the novel. What resonated with you most as a reader, and why?

By the end of the novel, Rose is cancer-free, Lisa gets the guy, and her relationship with Leo has been transformed for the better. Did you like how everything played out? Do you wish it ended differently?

Who would you cast in a movie adaptation of It’s Getting Hot in Here?

It's Getting Hot in Here Book Club Questions PDF

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