Hot Tropics and Cold Feet (Paperback)

by Diann Hunt (Author)
Key Phrases: gaze shoots, hot tropics, Cold Feet, Donny Osmond, Siesta Key (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

When the going gets tough, the tough hit the beach.

After years of being single, Lily's about to head down the aisle again. But just as she's about to take the plunge, she gets cold feet--ice cold.

To calm her pre-wedding jitters, Lily and her girlfriends take off on a getaway to Siesta Key, Florida. Harkening back to younger days, they stalk Donny Osmond, get tattoos (henna!), and turn the heads of local studs. But not far from any of their minds are the challenges of midlife: grown children coming home to roost, husbands in midlife crisis mode, and--could it be?--a first-time pregnancy at forty-five.

The "girls" all have their baggage in tow, but the salty air and laughing with friends is just what the doctor ordered--if they can weather the hot flashes until wedding bells ring!

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.

Chapter One

"Maggie, you've got to help me. Lily is acting weird," Ron Albert, Lily's soon-to-be-husband, says in a higher-than-normal baritone voice.

"Lily is weird, Captain." Once he and Lily started dating on a regular basis, I began calling him Captain. Everyone thinks I call him that because he loves boats. The reality is he reminds me of Captain Kangaroo. "She was born that way, and there's not a thing I can do about it. I'm her best friend. I've earned the right to say that." With coffee mug in one hand and my cordless phone in the other, I walk into the living room and sit down on my sofa, causing the dappled sunlight to splay across my black pant legs as the recliner stool flips out.

"Come on, Maggie," he says, followed by a heavy sigh.

Okay, he's serious and I'm, well, not. "Sorry. What's up?" Lifting the warm cup to my lips, I take a quick sip. The smell of coffee mingles with the cinnamon scent coming from a nearby wall plug-in. The aroma relaxes me while Captain tries to undo my contented moment.

He lets out another exasperated sigh that gets my attention. I can almost see him raking his fingers through his white hair, a habit to which I've become accustomed. And let me just say here that Captain has a mustache as thick as his hair. But who am I to talk? I did, too, until I discovered that waxing thing. My husband hates it when I talk that way. Gordon says I'm perfect. Peacemaker that I am, I'm not about to argue.

"I don't know. She's acting as though she's having second thoughts about the wedding," Captain says, pulling my thoughts away from Gordon.

That comment makes me smile. How cute. He's getting jitters that she'll back out. Placing my coffee cup in a coaster on the stand, I mentally put on my counselor's hat. "What makes you think that?" Fingernail clippers on the stand catch my attention, and I reach for them. There's a hangnail on my right pinkie that has been driving me wild.

"Last night when I told her everything was set for the honeymoon on Bermuda Island, she said she wasn't sure she wanted to go."

I stop midclip. This is serious. If there's one thing I know about Lily Newgent, it's that she would not miss a chance to go to Bermuda Island. She's wanted to go there ever since she heard about that whole Triangle thing. Twisted, I know, but there it is.

"Maybe she was just tired. She had to do two perms yesterday." Okay, that excuse sounds lame even to my ears, but it's the best I can do on short notice. Back to clipping.

"I can't help thinking it's more than that." There's no mistaking the concern in his voice. It's probably that going from baritone to high tenor deal.

"Maybe she just needs some time to relax. She's been busy planning the wedding and all. She's probably worn out." With the determination of a lion going in for the kill, I snip off that troublesome hangnail and set the clippers aside, feeling rather victorious.

"That's why I'm calling you," he says. "I know this is asking a lot, and maybe you can't arrange it, but well, I was wondering if you could gather your coffee group--the Late Girls, or whatever you call yourselves--and take her somewhere to talk things out. You know, sort of a weekend getaway or something."

"Um, that would be Latte Girls." Get it right, will ya? Why is it men always put the words late and women together in the same sentence? "You really think it's that serious?" And I'm questioning this, why? A weekend getaway sounds heavenly.

"I wouldn't be calling you if I didn't. Every time I try to talk to her about the wedding, she changes the subject to that dollhouse she's decorating," he says.

She'd rather decorate a dollhouse than plan a wedding? Frighten­ing moment here. This is our call to arms. Lily's in trouble, and we have to do something about it.

Doggone her, anyway. My nerves cannot handle any more. First Lily's Internet dating, then our son Nick comes home--laundry and all--and insists that he is not going back to college in the fall. Now this? She has to marry Captain so I can get my life back to normal. Well, as normal as my life tends to be anyway. Besides, I know Lily, and there is no doubt in my mind she loves him. If I can see it, why can't she?

"Let me call the girls and see what I can do. By the way, what exactly is it that you want me to do?"

"Convince her that marrying me is the right thing."

Someone has the jitters, and I don't think it's Lily. But if there is any truth to his way of thinking, as stubborn as Lily is, I'd put that challenge right up there with obtaining world peace.

"Maggie, the wedding is about six weeks away. We need to settle this now." Okay, now his voice could pass for a soloist in the Vienna Boys' Choir. I'm picturing him in a navy robe with a sailor-type sash. Somehow the white hair isn't working for me--to say nothing of his bushy eyebrows. The Fuller Brush Man could market those babies.

Vacation spells freedom, and with freedom right around the corner, my adrenaline kicks into gear. "Okay, Captain. Don't worry. I'll see what's going on." I plump the decorative pillows on my sofa, already attempting to formulate a plan. Some of my best ideas come while I plump pillows.

"It's going to take more than a little talk. She needs some girl time or something."

Plumping stops. "You know, most men would be clueless. That alone should get her to the altar."

He lets out a nervous laugh. Think chicken before the slaughter. "Hopefully, you're right."

"I'll call the girls."

"Maggie, dive into bushes if need be. Do whatever it takes."

"I dive into a bush one time to protect my best friend and people just can't let that die."

"Well, you have to admit that was a bit extreme, Maggie. Even for you."

My back straightens. "If you want me to help you, you're going about this all wrong."

"Okay, I'm sorry. Thanks for your help."

"No problem," I say, softening a tad when I hear the concern in his voice.

As soon as we click off, I dial another number. "Hello, Jill? We have an emergency. My house, tomorrow morning at ten. Tell Louise when you see her."

-----------

"Now, Maggie Lynn, you know how I feel about you interfering in other people's affairs," my husband says after brushing his teeth, rinsing off his toothbrush, tapping it against the sink for good measure, and putting it away.

Though I'm in our bedroom and Gordon is in the adjoining bathroom, I hear him pour mouthwash into a cup. His gargling resembles the caw of an exotic bird choking to death, and I'm suddenly transported to an isolated jungle, surrounded by monstrous plants and gnarled trees. The chance of him hearing me over his tribal ritual is remote, so I wait a moment before I respond.

He rinses out his cup then steps back into the bedroom. I half expect him to beat his chest and feel a twinge of disappointment when he doesn't. Instead he does another manly thing and picks up his socks with his talented viselike toes.

Too bad his colleagues at the law firm will never see this talented side of my husband.

"Lily is my best friend, Gordon. If she's having second thoughts, I need to help her." I spritz on some perfume and rub in the last of the cold cream on my neck, which, by the way, is so slick, it's a wonder my head can stay on my pillow at night.

"She and Captain will be better off without people interfering." It's cute how Gordon's picked up my nickname for Ron. "This is a decision only she can make, Maggie. Other people should not push their feelings upon her." After checking the alarm clock, he takes off his slippers and glasses, then crawls in between the bedcovers.

"Yeah, right, like that's gonna happen. Lily won't let us push her. You know as well as I do that if she thinks we're pushing, she'll back out of the wedding for sure." I remember well how my concerns for her Internet dating didn't deter her in the least. In fact, it ignited her passion for adventure. I crawl between clean, icy sheets. After my recent bouts with hot flashes, this is sheer bliss.

Gordon grins and rubs his jaw. "I guess you're right about that. Still, you always have fussed too much over her. She's your best friend, not your daughter." He turns to me. "By the way, Heather called tonight while you were at the grocery."

"You mean our married daughter whose husband took her five hours away from our Charming, Indiana, home to live in Illinois, that daughter?"

"Well, since she's the only one we have, I'd say she's the one."

I fluff the blanket around me. "I'm still bitter about that."

"I can see that."

"Is everything okay?"

"Yeah, she just called to talk." Gordon nuzzles next to me, and his goatee tickles my forehead. What Gordon lacks in sandy-brown hair on top of his head, he makes up for in his bushy, peppered-with-gray goatee. What a man. His cold feet press against the tops of my feet, soothing me. My skin hasn't been cold since 1998.

"So how's my favorite brunette?" Gordon gives me a squeeze.

"Okay, we both know that's using the term loosely, since I have a little help from my hairdresser."

"Hey, whatever works," he says, reminding me of all the reasons I married him.

"Oh, I meant to ask you, what time is Nick coming home?"

"He said something about midnight."

"Boomerang kids."

"What?"

"They call his generation the boomerang kids. They leave home and come back."

"How about we throw him one more time and see what happens?" Gordon says in a teasing voice.

Visions of Nick's messy room flood my mind. "Might not be a bad idea."

"After all you went through with the empty nest, I figured you'd be happy that he's back home."

I straighten around and look at Gordon. "See, that's just it. I've finally settled into this new life. You're working less hours--well, you keep promising to...

Product Details

• Paperback: 320 pages
• Publisher: Thomas Nelson (January 9, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1595541934
• ISBN-13: 978-1595541932
• Product Dimensions: 12.9 x 8.3 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #195,838 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars I had so much fun reading, I didn't want it to end!, January 18, 2007

By	Novel Reviews "www.novelreviews.blogspot.com" (Every City, USA) - See all my reviews

Diann Hunt keeps getting better and better. I chuckled through Hot Flashes and Cold Cream; RV There Yet? held side-splitting moments, but Hot Tropics and Cold Feet has topped them both! I howled with laughter.

When Maggie, Lily, Jill and Louise hit the beach, things start happening. With antics like escaping a resident alligator, parasailing, and rescuing baby sea turtles, you'll laugh your way through this book. I had a hard time putting it down. Part of me wanted to keep turning pages, while the other part told me if I didn't stop soon, I'd turn the last one. And I didn't want it to end. I was having too good of a time with the "girls." But willpower lost the battle and I read it in two sittings. Well I had to get SOME sleep.

Any woman with a group of close girlfriends will see herself in this bunch. What I didn't expect were the tears Hunt elicited from me, when Lily's new husband is moving her away from Charming, Indiana--and Maggie. I've moved away from close girlfriends before, and it brought back sweet memories of long-standing friendships.

From health-nut Jill, wrinkle-free Louise, indecisive Lily to hot-flashing Maggie, these characters truly will leap off the page and into your hearts. Well, maybe leap is too strong a word. Jog? No, not Maggie--too much like exercise. Well, anyway, you know what I mean. You'll love them.

Hot Tropics and Cold Feet receives Novel Reviews top recommendation- a 5 and goes into the line-up for my pick as book of the year for 2007. This one will be hard for anyone else to beat.

Reviewed by Ane Mulligan
www.anemulligan.com

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars This won't stop readers from enjoying another zany adventure of the Latte Girls., June 5, 2007

By	FaithfulReader.com (New York, New York) - See all my reviews

If you like good, clean, mid-life chick-lit fun, then you'll enjoy HOT TROPICS & COLD FEET, the sequel to RV THERE YET? and HOT FLASHES & COLD CREAM.

The four "Latte Girls" are back, trading barbs and wit and coping with midlife. Maggie Hayden's living-back-home-again college-age son Nick seems to have a future only as a professional video game player, and he's making Maggie and her husband Gordon crazy. Nick eats them out of house and home, leaving a trail of clutter in his wake.

Her friend Jill, the fitness queen, is suddenly (and annoyingly) after the women to shape up and eat right. And although Jill is married, her "casual" friendship with a fitness trainer is raising question marks in everyone's mind. And why is the most toned of the foursome feeling a little off? Is something wrong with Jill?

Louise maintains her size-10 figure and well-maintained look while pushing Mary Kay cosmetics on everyone ("...Mary Kay skin products can keep your face as soft as a baby's bottom.") But Louise's husband's new conversion to Christianity is driving her crazy; "he's acting all superior and self-righteous." She's not sure how to cope.

The cold feet in the title belong to the widowed Lily, who is engaged to Ron ("Captain"). Her future daughter-in-law is kicking up a fuss, however, and Lily is having second thoughts. Should she come between a dad and his daughter? And is she marrying Captain because he reminds her of her first husband? Or does she really love him?

When the Latte Girls have difficult problems to solve, they like to hit the road. This time it's Siesta Key, where they do the expected things people do in Florida and a little bit more: jet ski, pedal a surrey, parasail, rollerblade, get henna tattoos, have their hair cornrowed, and make the rounds of the local tourist attractions. Maggie gets a chance to indulge her Donnie Osmond fixation at a concert, which threatens to become a full-blown obsession. Anyone who grew up listening to "Puppy Love" will relate.

When the reasons for Jill's odd behavior finally surface, the menopausal women are in for a shock. "This being friends thing can work havoc on the nerves," muses Maggie.

The plot of HOT TROPICS & COLD FEET moves along through lots of dialogue and banter. All the midlife issues are here: hot flashes, second marriages, adult children living at home, unwanted facial hair, mood swings, coffee and chocolate. Diann Hunt keeps up a running patter of jokes and asides that will tickle many readers' funny bones.

Maggie's musings on exercise provide some of the best moments: "It takes me a good fifteen minutes every day to twist, tug, bend, and work my panty hose all the way up to my waist. Trust me, once those babies are on, I've surpassed my target heart rate."

There are some Christian insider jokes ("you could be another Chondra Pierce") and a few groaners ("I redistribute my weight and can almost hear the bag groan [the suitcase, not Lily])." Sometimes, the text feels a little instructional, such as a section on sea turtles or a preachy page or two on the importance of annual exams. But, although the pacing slows toward the end, this won't stop readers from enjoying another zany adventure of the Latte Girls.

--- Reviewed by Cindy Crosby

5.0 out of 5 stars --, April 18, 2009

By	Christian Review of Books - See all my reviews

Maggie thinks everything is going as planned with her friend, Lily's wedding--until Ron calls, concerned that Lily might be slipping away. He begs Maggie to do something, anything, so he doesn't lose his bride-to-be. Maggie gathers her friends and they decide a girls' time out would be just the thing.

Jill offers her cabin in Siesta Key, Florida, and the girls head off, excited because Donnie Osmond and his family are vacationing there. Maggie hopes to get a few pictures, and even orders tickets on-line so they can hear them in concert.

Even though the ladies are on vacation, family pressures are never far from their minds. A son had quit college and returned home. A husband is going through mid-life crisis. And one of the four women is facing a first time pregnancy at 45. Will they be able to get Lily married, and settle all their other difficulties?

HOT TROPICS AND COLD FEET is not the first lady lit I've read by Diann Hunt, but it is one of the best. I think she's improving with every book. Maggie could be you--or the woman next door. She's sweet and sassy and full of spunk. Her friends too are realistic. Lily is concerned about getting remarried. Jill is the fitness guru of the bunch, trying to get even Maggie on the move. Louise loves to cook and would bake up a storm if anyone would eat it.

While I'm not exactly at the point in life as these ladies, I felt I could be their friends. Or their daughter. I could identify with some of their issues--or imagine myself in their place. It was fun to read about how they all handled their problems differently, and I was cheering for them all. Pick up HOT TROPICS AND COLD FEET for a warm, cozy read that will warm even the coldest of toes. Discussion questions are included at the end of the book as well as a sample chapter of RV There Yet, Diann's earlier book. $14.99. 314 pages.