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Dry Hard

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<i>Dry Hard</i> is a hysterically funny novel that chronicles one couple as they move through the stages of addiction recovery. From their manic highs in the throes of drunken oblivion to their lows of hitting rock bottom, author Nick Spalding infuses enough humor to make the journey one in which the reader fully engages, cheering for the characters to make it to full sobriety.

Spalding’s genius here is in his ability to make us laugh, even whilst we simultaneously wince. Kate and Scott Temple, both in their forties, are given voice in alternating chapters, the first several of which detail their drunken behaviors in separate high profile, awkward situations. The farcical nature of their retelling of events will cause even the most cynical of readers to truly laugh out loud, but not without an underlying feeling of unease and perhaps even a bit of guilt over finding the couple’s alcohol-induced actions amusing. This tightrope is walked throughout—we snort at their slapstick antics then silently follow Kate and Scott as they explore the depth of their self-deception and fight to recover.

The other character here that plays heavily into the plot is the couple’s sixteen year old daughter Holly. While her parents’ chapters are told as if Kate and Scott are speaking directly to the reader, Holly’s actions are retold through a narrator who addresses us as if we are sitting next to him. This was an interesting choice on the part of the author, and one that results in seeing Kate and Scott as unreliable storytellers, often drowned in their own indulgences. The recounting of events through an omniscient narration, however, is felt to paint a more authoritative picture, as we find ourselves audience to Holly’s internal teenage angst, revealed without a filter.

<i>Dry Hard</i> also takes a comical swipe at the iconography of British contemporary culture. YouTube is featured as both a vehicle of destruction and of redemption, and Spalding takes shark-jaw-sized bites out of Krav Maga, Piers Morgan and even Boris Johnson. <i>Jools Holland’s Annual Hootenanny</i> is also skewered in one of the funniest paragraphs in the book:

<i>The Temples are watching</i> Jools Holland’s Hootenanny.

<i>Nobody in their right mind watches</i> Jools Holland’s Hootenanny. <i>It’s one of the rules of New Year. The BBC broadcast it—as is their right—and the entire population of Great Britain completely ignores it, as is theirs.

Only those suffering severe infirmity, or suicidal loneliness, have ever sat through </i>Jools Holland’s Hootenanny. <i>To do so under any other circumstances would just be plain wrong.</i>

In the end, <i>Dry Hard</i> does devolve into a bit of banality, but the trip there makes this novel deserving of a read and worthy of high praise. Well written, with a focused plot, no extraneous filler and loads of laughs, <i>Dry Hard</i> may be destined to take its place among the funniest books written this year. Spalding will most certainly widen his fan base with this release—and rightfully so. The book definitely made a fan of this reviewer.

Thanks to NetGalley and Amazon Publishing UK for providing me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

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I like reading this author's books. They are always very easy to read if sometimes a teeny bit crude.
This story was a little sad, Scott and Kate drink too much and their daughter Holly is fed up, so they end up trying to gice up drink live on line. Things don't go swimmingly, though.

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This was just what I needed after a overload of thrillers and historical fiction. I devoured this light and hilariously funny book. Far fetched but a few home truths being a similar age to the main characters with teenagers and a love of wine myself! Wonderful characters that are so well described you can visualise them so well. A laugh out loud book with stunning commentary.

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I'm yet to be disappointed by a Nick Spalding book.

He has a real talent for mixing real hard hitting problems with comedy which enables us to laugh at the situation and not necessarily at the protagonist.

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Hilarious! Entertaining! Giggle inducing! These are the weird set of words that come to my mind when I think about Dry Hard . I really really enjoyed reading this one.
Dry hard is refreshing, crazy, dramatic , witty & hilarious ( one again) !! I really liked the plot, the underlying serious angle to it.
The characters are written so well with their equally witty dialogues. For once, I loved all the characters equally.. (usually I am more of leaning towards one character ).
A must read if you are looking for something light weight but with substance.
#DryHard FTW!
Thank you #Netgalley for suggesting yet another good read

Readometer rating - 4/5 *

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Diana Berns

4.0 out of 5 starsEntertaining.

14 January 2019

Format: Kindle Edition

Love this book. Laughed from beginning to end. The subject of alchohism is quite hard and serious but Nick Spalding has added so much humour to it. I will defiantly be reading more of his books as this is my first. Thank you netgalley and Amazon publishing for my ARC copy.

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I genuinely have moments in Nick Spalding’s books where I laugh out loud. I have since his first books, learned NOT to read them in public as it avoids embarrassing spontaneous outbursts of laughter, snorting when trying to control the outbursts, and dribbling tears and saliva out my eyes and mouth.

As we have come to expect with Nick Spalding he cleverly mixes the difficult situations in life with such slap-stick comedic scenes, that it is not understated to say the readers’ experience will be an absorbing rollercoaster ride of emotions.

Dry Hard involves the Temple family; husband Scott, wife Kate and 17-year-old daughter Holly. Scott works for a Gin brewery with easy access to alcohol, and Kate works for a PR agency that often means nights out and dinner with clients. Both Scott and Kate have always enjoyed alcohol and they seem to live jovial, pleasant and relaxed lives. Holly has watched their constant displays of drunken antics that are often lewd, foolish and offensive, hidden to them, behind a forgetful boozy mist of altered reality.

Life is full of choices and decisions, some feel small and incidental, while others feel so monumental that we fear to make them. Each decision, however, has an impact, not only on our own lives but on those around us and acutely on our families. Scott and Kate are confronted by a video of their drunken antics at Christmas, captured by Holly and accompanied by a threat to post on YouTube unless they stop. Unwilling to do so, or to believe Holly would actually follow through, they suddenly find themselves the focus of a video that has gone viral with the hashtag #DryHard.

Scott and Kate are initially humiliated and ashamed of their behaviour but eventually come to a decision that the video should be kept online as a huge motivation to stop drinking. The constant reminder being all too persistent and the horrible realisation of how drinking was affecting their daughter are the main incentives to commit to a year without alcohol. Holly also commits to this endeavour providing a regular online update to a growing number of subscribers that put her in a unique category of bloggers that can generate financial rewards. This brings the attention of others that have made millions with their own YouTube channels and are always looking to capture new opportunities.

These multiple threads are well woven into a good fast-paced story which is an easy read. The storyline proceeds as expected – the moments of lapse and its repercussions, the greedy online social media stars wanting to manipulate a young naïve girl and the expected relationship issues now their view of the world has been altered.

I didn’t feel this was as good as previous novels from Nick Spalding. It felt convenient at times and obvious in the plotting. I lost interest in Scott and Kate’s endeavour at various moments and Holly’s actions with regards her parents were a little off for my appreciation.

I would rate the book 3.5 stars but with Nick’s comedic scenes and his conclusion to the story laying out our challenges in making decisions, and how we can appreciate life and accept its failings are important messages, so I would happily round up to 4 stars.

Many thanks to Amazon Publishing and NetGalley, for an ARC version of the book in return for an honest review.

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The first person we meet is Kate. As a PR she's attending a wedding for a new client, along with one of her colleagues. At this wedding Kate isn't happy or even remotely okay with being there, so she unknowingly drowns her sorrows in Prosecco. After (at least) one too many glasses of the sparkly wine, her alcohol induced mind throws caution to the wind and find it a totally good idea to drive a tractor. Who wouldn't!

Then it's time to meet Scott, who's a marketing director for a gin distillery. Part of his job is to promote the companies alcoholic beverages and convince clients they're ahmazing, by drinking it. Yep, this man is basically paid to drink and tell people how great the gin is. But when he almost burns down an event, after thinking it's a great idea for himself to be in charge of the fireworks. Both Kate and Scott have a shared epiphany during their drunken escapades: things are better when they're together !

But when Kate and Scott join drinking forces on Christmas, their 17 year old daughter, Holly, has had enough. She films their out of control, embarrassing and quite frankly pathetic behaviour, to show them what they really look like. But when mum and dad doesn't take her serious, she decides to take drastic measures. She uploads the entire thing to YouTube. Thanks to a big time Vlogger named PinkyBud sharing it with his audience, the entire thing goes viral. Not only are Kate and Scott proper named and shamed in the public sphere, they're also forced to take a closer look at what they're labelling "just having a good time". Following this they both decide to go sober for an entire year, and Holly are to upload regular recordings of how they're doing, to her YouTube channel. This is how #DryHard comes to be the new way of living in the Temple household.

Going from needing alcohol to just getting by on a day to day basis, both Kate and Scott are forced into coping with life in a different way. Like that's not enough, the big time Vlogger that's sooo interested in "helping" out Holly turn this into a career, is obviously just a slimy no good dude that's taking advantage of their poor vulnerable teenage daughter. But when they can't even pull their own lives together and live up to the promises they make to her, how can they even hope to help someone who just wants to get away from them?

Earlier in the year - okay the year basically just started so it's only really like a few weeks ago - I stumbled across one of Nick Spalding's books. And in the genre of romance there's so many authors that it can sometime be hard to spot the uniqueness in their writing, because most things have been done (and over done) so many times. Enter Nick Spalding who most definitely has a unique voice. When I requested this book from Netgalley I was a bit worried, that it wouldn't live up to the pedestal I have placed Nick on but my worries were unnecessary. This story had me laughing out loud over and over again, but my personal favourite quote:


'You don't sound fine, Kate. What's going on?'
Oh Christ. Oh fuck. Oh shit. What do I do? What do I tell him? I can't just pretend I'm fine any more!
Think of something, you dim-witted cow!
'I've got the shits,' I blurt out.
'What?'
Yes ... what indeed, you drunken clot?
'The shits! Really bad ones.'
'Really?'
'Yes! And ... and my period. It's a really, really heavy one!'
Oh fucking hell. That's really gilding the bloody lily, isn't it? Either terrible excuse would probably have been enough, but no - I have to throw them both out there, like a total fool. I should just tell him I've come down with the Ebola virus while I'm at it, and have done.


As this book is all about a very serious issue: alcoholism, Nick is taking a big risk by almost making it a laughing stock in his sarcastic and fun novella. But it not only works, it's such a breath of fresh air, from all the politically correctness going on in the world. And even though the book is served with a lot of humour, Nick doesn't make light of the struggle. The fact that the chapters are from different point of view, also helps to connect with the Temple family. The only thing I would want to change if possible, is that Holly's chapters are third person point of view, whereas Kate & Scott's are first person. That doesn't help me connect with Holly, as much as I do with her parents. But then again, it doesn't ruin the story as teenagers can be hard to connect with under any circumstances.

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I have enjoyed all Nick Spalding’s books and Dry Hard was no exception. Published with impeccable timing for ‘Dry January’, it tells the tale of a middle aged couple who have come to depend on alcohol a little too much for enjoying themselves, much to the horror of their teenage daughter, who posts a video of their excesses online with amazing results.

The characters were all very true to life, especially Scott and Kate, who could quite easily be someone you know, or even yourself and your partner. I have to admit that some of their set-piece comic antics were a tad over the top for me, but all in all this is a good-hearted book that provided some much needed entertainment in these dark sober days after the festive season.

Another massive hit for Mr Spalding and a joy to read.

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I enjoy Nick Spalding's writing and there were places where his usual wit was present. However, I was a bit confused with the use of humour to deal with what is essentially a serious issue. A daughter traumatised by her parent's alcoholism just isn't really funny-maybe that's based on personal experience. I found the Youtube element and the idiot bloggers to be just plain ridiculous and maybe they belong in another book. It's a hate it or love it kind of book!

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Publisher’s Description: “Kate and Scott’s marriage has always been a lot of fun, with alcohol at the heart of it. After all, what’s more entertaining than a good laugh and a large drink… or six? But recently, those relaxing drinks have become more crutch than comfort—and the couple have almost forgotten how to talk to each other sober. Then their teenage daughter Holly uploads a video of their humiliating drunken escapades, which gets picked up by YouTube superstar PinkyPud—and goes horrifyingly viral. In a last-ditch attempt to prove to the world they’re more than just boozy idiots, Kate and Scott quit alcohol completely. But with Holly’s… er… ‘help’, what begins as a family promise soon escalates into a social media phenomenon: #DryHard! With the eyes of the Internet upon them, can Kate and Scott stay teetotal—and save their marriage in the process?”

The description on this one is a little misleading, I think. When the book begins, you definitely realize quickly that Kate and Scott have serious issues with alcohol, and their daughter Holly is ridiculously embarrassed by them. What we don’t see in the beginning is what the publisher describes as Kate and Scott having almost forgotten how to talk to each other sober. I actually didn’t get that impression. At one point, each one of them is at a work event without the other, and we hear both of them talking about how they are better able to control their drinking and navigate events with the other one around. The difficulty talking to one another comes much later – and after Holly uploads the video and they decide to quit drinking.

This is a humorous take on a very serious issue, and the author succeeds in entertaining. In a time when social media presence is increasing on a daily basis, he plays well into the idea that our kids are recording EVERYTHING these days and there are consequences to what is posted online. And once something goes online, it never really comes down.

I'm going 3 stars on this one though. I know some reviewers have said it was a little slow in places, and I agree, but that’s not why I'm giving it the "maybe" rating. The pace is realistic when Kate and Scott try to get sober. That’s kind of the point of the story…they’re not perceived as being as exciting or fun as they are when they’re drinking. What knocked it down from 4 to 3 for me was that the resolution came a little too easily. (Keep reading for spoilers that explain.)

****SPOILERS****

Kate and Scott have quit drinking cold turkey, but for some reason Holly was furious when each of them regressed…just once. I’ve known a few people who have quit an addiction – drinking, smoking, etc. – and it’s not easy. A quick Google search will tell you that recidivism rates for alcohol abuse are in the 40-60% range. It’s unrealistic for us to believe that both Kate and Scott would be able to quick cold turkey without some sort of relapse at some point.

Additionally, Kate and Scott decide to try marriage counseling because they have realized that alcohol has always been a part of their relationship, and they’re not sure they know how to communicate without it. They have ONE rather questionable counseling session at which they come to the realization that they’re mad at Holly, and suddenly all is right with their marriage? And it never seemed like they were projecting on each other their subconscious anger at Holly, which is what the counselor makes them realize. It seemed like they just didn’t have as much fun with each other without alcohol. It felt like their marriage had bigger, longer-standing issues that they should have addressed, and that wouldn’t take just one session with a counselor. Like I said, it all felt a little too easy.

I did like how PinkyPud got his comeuppance, although it was a little predictable what was going to happen there.

There are plenty who really loved this book. For me, it was ok. I didn’t hate it. It's an ok read. Just not something I would be on my must-read list.

Thanks to NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing/Amazon UK Publishing for a free copy in exchange for an honest review.

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Absolutely loved this & the fact it’s dealt with a serious topic in a numerous way. First book I’ve read by this author bit have now bought more for my kindle. Refreshing change for me. Would recommend this author to anyone.

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Ive been a follower of Nick Spalding for quite a while now and his new book 'Dry Hard' doesn't disappoint. Great comical one liners and a story i believe we can all relate to in some way or another. The story is well researched
and thoughtfully put together in another comedy masterclass in writing. Funny all the way with some serious cliff hangers to keep you reading. Altogether a pleasure to read and can't come highly enough as a recommendation. If you have never read a book by Nick, now is the time to start!

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What a fantastic lighthearted and comedic read on the serious topic of alcoholism.

I will admit I did struggle with the first 30 odd percent of this book. I struggled to maintain engaged, but once the plot and the complexity of the characters picked up, it was a fantastic read. I did actually love that each chapter was narrated by either Kate, Scott or Holly, and each chapter was a different narrator. It was also easy to see who's POV it was written from.

I absolutely loved the complexity and real feeling of all the characters, especially Scott and Kate. I loved the growth of Scott and Kate, but also Holly by the end of the book. I loved how Spalding used the topic of YouTube and using YouTube as a social media platform to show how Scott and Kate's growth from alcoholics to staying sober for a year. Holly's growth through her YouTube channel and how she learnt from her mistakes and choices that were typical of a teenager amazed by another Youtuber that she looked up to and adored. I loved that the book touched on this topic as well.

Thank you very much to Lake Union Publishing for providing me with a copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

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I’m a big fan of Nick Spalding books, so was delighted to be given the opportunity to read Dry Hard. Thank you Netgalley!

Scott and Kate are completely oblivious to the effect their drinking is having on their and their daughter’s lives, embarrassing themselves, their employers and the final straw for their daughter Holly - their family during Christmas dinner.
She decides to film them to let them see how bad they are, but when challenged with the video they shrug it off as normal. Holly decides to upload the video to YouTube to shame her parents, not realising that due to support from a well known blogger the video will go viral.
Scott and Kate decide to go sober for a year, and make the announcement publicly via their daughter’s blog where she will record their progress throughout the year.
A light hearted book about a serious subject, I did find myself laughing out loud often at their escapades, and sympathising with Holly.
Not my favourite Nick Spalding offering but a good read regardless.

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Mr. Spalding has that magical ability to write a book about an entirely not-funny situation (alcoholism) without being crass or making light of it. In Dry Hard, two of his main characters are married alcoholics and their teen daughter uses social media to hopefully embarrass them enough to change their ways. The story adds humor to a difficult situation without ignoring the seriousness of the root problem. Other than surface issues of being alcoholics, or a teenage girl, I don't feel like character development was as strong in this book as it has been in many of Mr. Spalding's previous books. Perhaps because alcohol took up such a big part of their lives?

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Dry Hard is a genuinely funny novel by a new author to me, with a dark side, as he explores the effects of alcohol addiction on an ordinary English family. As the daughter of unrepentant high-functioning alcoholics, who also enjoys a wine or three, but knows her limits (or is that what they all say?) this hit a few nerves, but also had me sniggering out loud in public at several scenes.

Scott and Kate have been happily married for twenty years, and have a comfortable life with their seventeen year old daughter Holly, despite rather frustrating jobs. They know how to ease the days stresses and have a good time, and if they sometimes go a bit far, well, who doesn’t....? Except maybe they have a problem. When Kate’s over-indulgence at a wedding leads to a deeply embarrassing escapade involving a tractor, and Scott almost blows up his workplace drunkenly setting of fireworks, Holly hatches a plan to shock them into change, but the video of their inebriated antics goes far further than she could have dreamed. Horrified that their personal lives are now all over the Internet, Scott and Kate vow to change, and #DryHard begins - but will their relationship survive now the party is over?

I really liked this, even though some chapters made me cringe, because the characters were so real, human and relatable. There are some wonderfully despicable villains too. The whole social media subplot kept it bang up to date and the therapy scene cracked me up. I will definitely be looking for more from this author.

My thanks to NetGalley for the arc in exchange for an honest review. Dry Hard is available now.

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A funny, insightful story about a couple who try to give up drinking at the request of their teenage daughter after she shows then how destructive it actually is to their family. It had so many hilarious and cringeworthy antics throughout it but also a sense of sadness and a realization on just how much the alcohol really affected and changed them. I enjoyed this book.

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Kate and Scott have a comfortably boozy relationship; they use alcohol as the crutch to get them through the everyday mundanity of life and as such have fallen into a downward spiral culminating in them making complete arses of themselves pretty much any time they touch a drink. Much to the disdain and horror of their young daughter Holly, who decides that there is need for an intervention, which will take place in the form of a horribly embarrassing show and tell all on YouTube. Kate and Scott don’t even know what YouTube is. Until they do. And when they see the ugly truth and turn into a social media phenomenon overnight, things start to snowball.
As a relative newbie to the comedy writers genre and in fact to Nick Spalding’s books themselves, I approached this book with caution. I’m glad to say that my trepidation was short lived - I laughed so hard at this book that I annoyed my husband because I was shaking the bed so violently from trying to quell my giggling outbursts! Whilst this book deals with serious topics related to alcohol and it’s perceived abuse; it does so with stunning comic timing and long hard belly laughs along the way, potted with a crazy insight into the world of social media and so called YouTube stardom. A must read if you’re looking for something light-hearted and fun - I’ll definitely be looking for more Nick Spalding in my next bookshop visit!
Thank you so much to Netgalley and Lake Union Publishing who provided me with an ARC Kindle copy of this novel so that I could read it and write an honest review.

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Holly, sick of her parents getting blind-drunk and embarrassing her, decides on a plan to keep them sober.

That is the basic outline of the story and I fear revealing more would spoil the fun. Each chapter is told first person from each of the characters, allowing you to sympathize with each character's view. I laughed out loud numerous times and was also touched by some of the honest revelations as Kate and Scott try to remain sober.

I've had the pleasure of reading all of Nick Spalding's books and this is his best one yet.

Highly recommended

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