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How Hard Can It Be?

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Member Reviews

I’ve never met a book so quotable and hilarious! If I would have started highlighting while reading, my whole book would be glowing yellow right now.

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f your eggs have been “reduced for quick sale,” run, don’t walk, to get a copy of Allison Pearson’s new book How Hard Can It Be? (St. Martin’s Press). With great humor, charm, and a nice dollop of wisdom, Pearson sketches the travails of Kate Reddy, mom of two teens who is married to a mid-life crisis, and is also a hopeful “returner” to the workplace. Kate is also on the cusp of turning 50, and her “sell by” date is the biggest obstacle to her much needed employment in a world that doesn’t allow women much leeway in the dual and competing roles of breadwinner and primary parenting. Much beleaguered by hormones (hers and those of her teenagers), Kate is also dealing with the increased frailty of elderly parents (hers and her husband’s) who are now reliant on her to navigate the basic needs of life. Sandwiched between her children, husband, and parents, Kate’s own needs fall to the wayside as her role as breadwinner compels her to lie about her age in order to wedge her way back into employment. Overall, Pearson has given readers a funny and bittersweet tale of love, friendship, sacrifice, appreciation, and self-value that will resonate with women everywhere, and hopefully with men as well

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As I am the target audience for this book (working mother in mid-40's), I really appreciated the funny and relatable situations and feelings in this book. Kate has lied about her age to return to work and tries to balance a career with family demands of two teenagers, a husband facing a mid-life crisis and aging parents. Kate's sarcastic humor and comic predicaments make for a fun and engaging read.

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If you found yourself relating to Kate Reddy back when she was juggling work and small children , you'll now enjoy her take on surviving teenagers, aging parents and revitalizing her career.

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How Hard Can It Be?
By
Allison Pearson


What it's all about...

Oh my goodness! Kate is a disaster. Her two children...Emily and Ben...as well as her husband Richard...are the reasons for her disastrous life. She hasn’t worked in years, her husband’s parents need her, her mother needs her, her husband quit his job to find himself and her old gem of a house is literally falling apart beneath her feet! And...they are running out of money and no one cares except for Kate! And she is menopausal! Yikes!


Why I wanted to read it...

I loved this author’s first book about Kate. I love this author’s second book about Kate. Kate is clever and funny and almost desperate to please everyone. Seriously one of my fave parts was when she tries to text her children but she refuses to shorten anything so her texts are long and labored! Ben and Emily hate it but Ben and Emily are not often nice to Kate even though Kate is always almost sickeningly sweet and lovely with them. That’s the only annoying part of this book. I just wanted Kate to stop and scream at her lazy bike riding unemployed husband and her disrespectful kids. But Kate is just too caring and sweet. She takes on the burdens of her entire family. Her husband becomes a new age non working vegetarian? Kate gets a job even if she has to recalculate her age to do it.

What made me truly enjoy this book...

Everything about Kate made me enjoy this book.

Why you should read it, too...

Even if you didn’t read the first book...this one will make you get to know Kate...laugh with Kate and admire Kate. I wished her to have a bit more backbone but...Kate will be Kate!

I received an advance reader’s copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley and Amazon. It was my choice to read it and review it.

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My Thoughts

‘Here I am, at half-time. At best, fifty is half-time, isn’t it? And the need to feel alive, to be reminded one is still alive, not merely chauffeuring one’s kids to their own lives, is suddenly intense.’

How Hard Can It Be? (Kate Reddy, #2) is a sequel to I Don't Know How She Does It (Kate Reddy, #1 - there is even a film of it with Sarah Jessica Parker). Having not read the first book, I was not at any disadvantage as the current story can very much be read as a standalone. If you are a woman who has experienced any of the following - marriage, bringing up kids, have aging parents whilst trying to hold down a job - then this is the book for you. If you are in your 40s, maybe approaching 50, then go grab your copy now!

‘So yesterday, I Googled “Perimenopause.” If you’re thinking of doing it, one word of advice. Don’t.’

Allison Pearson has most definitely written a book for what she calls the ‘sandwich’ generation - she totally gets what many of us are trying to get through day in, day out. The main female leads story will be one that is all too familiar to many of us, juggling so many things and trying to keep everyone happy whilst trying to assess exactly where you are personally with such a milestone as 50 years approaching. Pearson will have you laughing, crying and nodding your head in agreement; with a perfect mix of comedy and drama where everything from teenage hormones, to ‘Perry’ perimenopause, to partner’s midlife crisis and parent senility will confront you. Laugh or cry, you will easily recognise the challenges and conflicts faced by the most engaging characters.

‘Once, when my phone flipped to selfie mode and I found myself looking at my own face, I recoiled. It was unnatural.’

Underlying it all, truthfully speaking, is a study of some serious contemporary issues. Yes, they may be dealt with in a light fashion given the nature of the read, however, there is always that element of truth even in the joking. eg. infidelity, social media sharing, online bullying, aging and medical conditions tied together with openness, honesty and truth. The one thing I did not like was the appalling way Kate’s children spoke and treated her - should not be okay in anyone’s book, really.

‘Take away a teenager’s phone and you remove the threat of dangers which are invisible to the maternal eye, plus the constant pressure on a girl to peacock herself for the peer group, then get crushed when she doesn’t get enough Likes. Unfortunately, you also take away their life, or the only part of their life they care about.’

So, if you are a female of the ‘sandwich’ generation and would like to take a break and have a few laughs (or commiserations) then this is a most worthwhile read.

‘As the plane begins its descent, the thought still isn’t quite formed. Something like, if I have to save everyone else, I need to start by saving myself first. How hard can it be?’

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I really enjoyed "I Don't Know How She Does It," by Allison Peason. Kate and I are of an age with similar aged children. But, while her story resonated with me before, grown up Kate and her children fell a little flat for me. The story wasn't as gripping. However, Kate is still a likable character and I feel many readers can identify with where she is. While the story wasn't everything I had hoped, it was still an enjoyable read and it was fun to catch up with a favorite character. 3 stars.

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

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As a 50-something woman, I could relate to Kate's consternation at the changes that occur to the body when you hit the half-century mark. There were a lot of laugh-out-loud moments, but I don't know why she put up with the insolence of her children or with that drip of a husband. For someone who was so strong in other areas of her life, she certainly let her family run all over her.

Overall, this was an easy, funny read if a bit too long.

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This book made me laugh out loud. The main character Kate Reddy's home life is so funny and sad too. At times I wanted to hug her and others scream at her to wake up. This book reflects how challenging life is for a woman that is trying to keep things going at home and at work both and keep your sanity.
I think anyone would enjoy this book.

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I really enjoyed multitasking mom Kate Reddy in Allison Pearson's "I Don't Know How She Does It" so I was excited to see her return in this follow up novel, "How Hard Can It Be?" (June 5, 2018 / St. Martin's). While I definitely chuckled several times, I wouldn't say this is a great sequel. Kate is a whip smart hedge fund manager but she's absolutely clueless about what is happening within her own family. I found it far fetched and frustrating that Pearson made her so ditzy this time around.

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I had to set this one down. I had high hopes, since I enjoyed I Don't Know How She Does It, but I could not connect to the characters or the story at all this time around. It felt a little too whiny and not as funny as I expected. Not the book for me.

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How Hard Can it Be
Allison Pearson
Narrated by Poppy Miller

STORY 5
Pearson’s sequel to I Don’t Know How She Does It or Kate Reddy book 2 is BRILLIANT! A heartwarming, roll on the floor funny and tragically realistic tale about a Twenty-first century UK woman who’s about to turn 50 and all the hormonal, emotional, familial, career and age crap fighting against her. The fly-on-the-wall first person POV from Kate’s mouth to God’s ear narrative is perfection, giving the audience an inside track of everything that’s going on in Kate’s crazy busy life and never quiet mind. Giving names to her lost memory retriever (Roy) and her Perimenopause condition (Peri) is hilarious and along with the true to life characters and fast flowing storyline concretes a master storyteller moniker for this fantastic author. Fans of satirical humor, family drama and who love an older protagonist, fans of women’s fiction and literary fiction will love this best-seller-bound novel.
NARRATION 5
Poppy Miller’s narration (currently starring on Broadway in Harry Potter and the Cursed Child) is phenomenal, giving a flawless rendition and making this remarkable novel even more unforgettable. She’s perfection personified for all characters, voices and accents but her portrayal of Kate is absolutely brilliant!
SUMMARY:
Ex financial wiz now stay-a-home below-stairs servant mum, Kate Reddy is a prisoner to her almost fifty-year-old hormones who are making her hot, hairless is some places hairier in others amongst other demoralizing dastardly happenings, her crumbling down three hundred year old (fixer-upper NOT) home, her fourteen-year-old son who may be a cyborg according to all the electronic devices attached to him, her sixteen-year-old daughter who may or may not have a picture of her naked bum floating around the internet ether and her husband, Richard who after losing his job as an architect found (as Kate put it) his inner Dalia Lama and lost his mind, Oh and dealing with both her own mum’s aging problems plus those of Richard’s parents too. Now her assignment is to get a job back in her old financial industry where being fifty might as well come with an epitaph instead of a resume so she can single handedly save her family, which means working twelve hour days and still of course do all the things she did before.

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I loved I Don't Know How She Does It when it came out and was thrilled to find out that there was a sequel. I've got to admit, this was a hard read. I had to take a break and Google a few reviews to make sure that there was a happy ending in store for our girl Kate!

I'm nowhere near her age or situation in life, but I could see my future in her, and it terrified me. I have a loving boyfriend and plans for future children. Who's to say they won't turn out crap? It takes all my effort now to take care of myself; I'm not sure if I'll have any left to take care of an elderly parent and/or pair of in-laws down the road. And I'm already tired all the time; I don't need Perry and the Menopause's help!

But that was also the point of the book. By the end everything has worked itself out one way or another - some good, some not-so-good...but that's life. And Kate has hung on and is still here, God bless.

Highly recommended to women of all ages (and them men who live with and love them).

I received a digital ARC from the publisher via Netgalley.

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Impossibly hard. I couldn't get into the first book and I found it hard to get into the second one. Why did I think it would be any different. Was I different? Was she? Was the author? The answer to all these questions was yes, no, and no. Pass on this one.

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Chick lit in its finest form is how I would describe this book. It's a great summer read about a woman who is nearing 50 (of course, I couldn't relate...ahem), who is juggling kids, an emotionally-distant husband, a "lost but born-again love," being a part of the "sandwich generation," and trying to start up again in the workforce in a world of young people. There were many parts of the book that I could relate to, or could relate to through the stories of my friends. Some parts even made me laugh out loud. She talks about her unwelcomed friend Perry the Menopause and her doctor, Dr. Libido, who helps her through this trying time in a woman's life. Truly, though, it's a book about mothers and daughters and their relationships. If you can relate to any of the above scenarios, you will enjoy this book. It is a sequel, but I never read the first one, and I didn't feel like I was missing out on any part of the story.

I would actually give this book 3.5 stars if I could. I enjoyed the book, but it was a little long at times. I actually liked the second half of the book much more than the first half.

I was given this book for my honest review.

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<b>How Hard Can It Be?</b> is the sequel to Allison Pearson's debut novel <b>I Don't Know How She Does It</b>. Kate Reddy is a middle-aged wife and mother who is returning to work after spending several years at home managing house and family. <b>How Hard Can It Be?</b> allows us to experience the humour of hormonal rages, the pitfalls of aging and the challenges of raising teenagers, all while navigating a world controlled by social media. At times How Hard Can It Be? is humorous. At other times I caught myself judging Kate for some of her decisions. I found I had to question my own motives as I realized some of her story hit quite close to home. Although this was a sequel I found that it worked quite well as a standalone novel as I had no troubles keeping up with the plot despite never having read <b>I Don't Know How She Does It</b>. I would recommend <b>How Hard Can It Be?</b> for those women who put on a smiling face and invisible cape everyday despite sometimes feeling self-conscious about their appearance and doubting their own abilities.

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Laugh aloud novel, and like all good comedy with a serious message. Allison Pearson is a great writer and the voice of her character, Kate, so perfect that it feels as if she is writing a memoir. To me it was definitely a mid-life version of 'Bridget Jones' Diary'. It made me very glad I was past having to deal with children of the teenage variety with their social media bullying, self-absorption and selfies/belfies. The serious teenage issues, and the ending of Kate's long marriage, were rather lightly treated, but if one reads this primarily for enjoyment and a lot of laughs then it works well. The ending seemed to lose steam, almost as if the author was over it all and just wanted to find the quickest way to tie up all the loose ends.

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Charming and funny novel about motherhood, working, and getting older. Allison Pearson's "I Don't Know How She Does It" was written so long ago that I read it before I had kids myself. Though at the time I couldn't personally relate to the plight of the working mother trying to find balance, I still really enjoyed it. Many years later, she has written a sequel, in which Kate is now nearing 50, and trying to claw her way back into the workforce while dealing with teenage kids, aging parents, and menopause. Once again, this book is a little ahead of where I am in life, while still being funny and relatable. And you don't necessarily have to have read the first book - I read it 15 years ago so it's not like I remember the details. There were lots of laugh out loud moments, as well as very poignant parts that brought a tear or two to my eye, and some really great lines that really resonated.

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“How Hard Can It Be” is a great title because the answer is really hard. Hard to get into the book. Maybe some people want to hear how bad one 49 year old woman’s life is to make theirs seem so much better. I stopped reading at 15 %.

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This book was well written. It would make a good read for the summer, but is equally good for other times of the year. The protagonist is interesting and provides a unique perspective on her life and challenges, especially once she turns 50. It also deals very well with almosts and what could have happened. I read the book, but I did find the story a bit hard to enjoy. I suppose I could not relate to the protagonist.

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