Kira Murphy is a liability: always has been. She might be small but her personality and heart are not: a sexual health doctor with a foul mouth, pink streaks in her hair, a bizarre world view, a reputation for being ‘pathologically social’, and a huge crush on the current Minister of State for Business, Energy and Clean Growth . . . she’s weird and lovable in equal measure.

The last thing Barclay Lucas needs is a liability. He’s made it into the cabinet with single-minded determination, sheer grit, and serious conservatism. But then a crazy, pink-haired, tiny dynamo turns his life upside-down and serious for Barclay is a thing of the past.

But he’s never liked feeling out of control – something he experiences with Kira on a daily basis. So he pushes her away when she needs him the most, and unfortunately for him she retreats at head-spinning speed. It’s only then he realizes that although being with Kira is anything but easy, the grey, boring alternative is far worse. He’ll have to use all his hard-earned political negotiating and maneuvering skills to get her back. Because after being dragged from black and white into full Technicolor with Kira, Barclay knows that, however serious and worthy his life is, he can’t live it without her.

Funny, fun, and irreverent.

Susie Tate is a new author to me but after reading Anything But Easy that’s going to change.
If you are looking for a fun, entertaining read that will have you laughing out loud this is the book for you. This is an opposites attract romance and it’s Barclay and Kira’s story.
Barclay is a very serious grumpy politician and he meets Kira a flirty free spirit doctor who is looking after his brother when the treatment is not going well. Kira is one of those people that lights up a room and she has a way that puts her patients at ease so why can’t she get through to Barclay’s brother so she turns to Barclay for help and as soon as this couple meet sparks fly...
Can the wacky, free spirt bring light and laughter to the seriously grumpy politician ... guess you need to read the book to find that out. I laughed or should I say snorted a lot durning this book, I loved the characters and the story and I’m looking forward to reading more by this very talented author.

4.5 Stars. ANYTHING BUT EASY was the first Susie Tate book that I’ve read. The story is an “opposites attract” trope and shares an energy along the lines of “Bridget Jones Diary.” I pictured Colin Firth of the latter’s movie version or maybe even a British Justin Trudeau for the part of Barclay. Justin does get a mention and Barclay sounds equally as sexy badgerish. (YAY JT.)

What I most enjoyed about this story were the creative words or phrases that Kira used: “lying wankpuffins,” “bog standard human,” “sexy badger,” “Let sleeping cockwombles lie.” I also liked the supporting characters, especially Mark, Millie and Henry. I liked that in addition to the light comedy, the book tackled important topics like work bullying/sexual harassment as well as sexual health education.

I appreciated that although Kira’s character faced challenges, she remained true to herself when push came to shove.

Last, I loved the Epilogue! The updates using media coverage news was brilliant. I appreciated that Barclay took Kiki’s physical safety seriously as in real life, sketchy neighborhoods with open doors is often a recipe for disaster.

Two complaints: Kiki’s character occasionally became a caricature and the zany went overboard to unbelievable. I know several free spirited hippy types and none are quite this level of eccentric. Second, there needed to be tighter editing or proofreading to catch what seemed at times to be typos or grammar shortcomings. Maybe some sort of Autocorrect was used because there were places where that would explain a wrongly used homonym.

I read later that the author is a doctor and that did not surprise me. The medical speak was believable without overkill.

I read a copy of this book courtesy of Net Galley in exchange for an honest review. #AnythingButEasy

Anything but Easy by Susie Tate is a story about Kira Murphy a bizarre women with pink hair streaks, a foul mouth, weird dressing sense and has a huge crush on Barclay Lucas, the current Minister of State for Business, Energy and Clean Growth. She is totally bizarre but has a heart of gold. Every one loves her. But what happenes when she meets her television crush with nice arse in real life?

Barclay Lucas is no exception. He loves the crazy going women, Kira. But she is a liability and that's the last thing he wants in his life. He is a successful minister with a dream of changing the world and on his way of being the Prime minister. He likes to have everything in control and Kira can be anything but controlled. So will he accept the spontaneity that comes with Kira or will he go against his heart?

Anything but Easy is light and funny read. Kira was definitely the queen in the story and she stole my heart. She was quirky and fun with a kind heart which is rare to find now-a-days. Working as a doctor for Genitourinary medicine and infectious diseases she faces sexual assault which still doesn't dull her spirit. As the author said, "she is a small tornado sweeping everything and everyone along with her on a wild ride, but keeping those close to her safe in the eye of the storm."

Barclay Lucas is described as handsome. He is tall with broad shoulder, nice arse and a dedicated and hardworking minister. He rarely smiles and is known for being like a robot. Post Kira his life was dull and gray and with Kira his life becomes totally unpredictable.

The story flows with ease. Written in simple english it is easy to read and understand. The author started with creating some tension between the two characters which later turned into attraction, that way the story became more interesting and held my attention. The storyline of the book was also amazing. The characters were well-developed. With Kira being cool and Barclay being the serious one it was easy to relate to the characters.

The only flaw I found in the book was that the dialogues of the characters did not have much difference. Each of the characters were unique and good but I found that few of their dialogues were just repeated word for word.

I loved the climax of the story. I have read books where I do not find anything exceptionally good at the end, it just ends the same was it started but with Kira and Barclay story it was totally different. Everything just changes at the end and the story leaves you with the want to read more.

This book is definitely a page turner. I would recommend this book to people who love romantic comedy, romance novels or just want to have a light read. Just go for the book. The book has a lot of profanity which may not be okay with some people

Anything but Easy is another fun read by Susie Tate.

I was excited to hear about this book coming out. I enjoy Tate's books a lot and there hasn't been a new one in quite a while.

While I did enjoy the book, I didn't always like Kira's character in past books. She is a loud mouth and can be mean when she feels slighted. By the time I read this book I had warmed up to her character, and felt like I had a good idea of who she was as a person. I didn't always understand her choices, but I was able to see her as someone who just a different idea of fun and does not intentionally ever harm anyone.

Barclay took me a while to warm up to in the book. He is very much a stick up his bum type of person for most of the book. He seems to actively resent his attraction to Kira and finds her ridiculous and makes very little effort to understand her as a person. He does get better, thank goodness, but there were definitely times I felt like someone should have throat punched him.

I did feel, by the end of the book, that Kira and Barclay belonged together. Their very different personalities complimented each other and they did their best to strengthen each others' weaknesses.

I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys contemporary romance.

i really wanted to like this book, but alas, i didn't. sometimes books just don't work for people. and that's okay. no guilt here. thanks bai.

About the book:
Kira Murphy is a loud-mouthed, big-hearted infectious diseases doctor with the NHS who's quicker at making friends than you can count to three. She has the biggest (most harmless) crush on the Minister of State for Business, Energy, and Clean Growth, who's a Tory, compared with her much more Labour party sensibilities. Barclay Lucas, said Tory, has made it to his minister position with extreme discipline; he's Kira's polar opposite. But it's no matter - it's not like she'll ever see him anywhere other than the TV. Until she does, after (unknowingly) doing him a favor. Soon, she's more entrenched in his life than she could have imagined, and she doesn't want to disentangle. Weirdest of all, neither does he.

TL;DR:
- 4.5 stars
- A LONG book! Lots of plot that could probably be a bit quicker, but such sharp humor and dialogue. Worth picking up if you like a truly quirky lead (<i>TRULY</i>), some opposites attract, and a happy ending.

Loved:
- This book tackled some SERIOUS issues. You really wouldn't be able to tell from the synopsis, but there's coverage of HIV/AIDs, sexual assault, healthcare accessibility, recreational drug use, etc. It's all done pretty tastefully and is really important stuff, but it's not a purely fluffy romance. Just a little content warning if you need it. That being said, it really was all handled very well, and felt natural to the storyline.
- Kira and Barclay are really well-rounded characters with classic British humor and wit. I loved them to bits.

Less into:
- Kira was incredibly grating for at least the first third of the novel. She didn't value her own life or safety, she didn't take credible threats to her person seriously, she was too headstrong for her own good. It was hard to read at times, honestly. She also struggled to understand that she had to adjust her personality because she was in a relationship with a literal MINISTER! No one was saying she had to completely ditch her wild ways, but a little bit of decorum. Just a little.
- The relationship between the two was SO unbelievable, in that one is an NHS doc, and one is a serious politician with a security detail. But that's not REALLY a ding - it's nice to read things that are fantastical sometimes! A couple times it's pointed out that Kira has super famous friends, which again, doesn't ring believable, but it's not a story dealbreaker at all.

Overall a solid read, more serious than expected, and with a happy ending to boot.

Certified "Sex Doctor," Kira Murphy has always been a free spirit. She's passionate about preventing STIs, making sure kids get all of their vaccines, and celibri-stalking her favorite politician - Barclay Lucas. Sure, he might be a Tory (for U.S. Peeps that's the equivalent of the Republican Party), but despite his party trying to dismantle social protections he's one of the good ones. He's out to save the world and look good in a Savile Row suit. But celebrity crushes aside, Kira's out to make sure her patients receive the best care possible. So when a depressed, young man with HIV enters her examination room she's going to do what she can however she can to make sure he's given the help he so clearly needs.

Barclay Lucas has always been the responsible one. The reliable one. Mr. Fix-it. But when his brother, Henry, is diagnosed with HIV and falls into a depressive spiral, Barclay doesn't know what to do. However he doesn't need to, the eccentric and quirky doctor at the NHS hospital has managed to get through to him. But she's not his actual doctor. So Barclay needs to change that.

And with that, staid and conservative Barclay meets weird and wonderful Kira and their lives will never be the same.

--

I'm torn about this book. I've loved Susie Tate's writing in the past and Kira's been a long time favorite of mine since I first read about her in Beg, Borrow, and Steal. So I was super excited to read this book. Anything but Easy has two of my favorite tropes -- Fake Dating and Enemies-to-Lovers -- it's like this book was tailor made for me.

Kira is still her quirky fun self. She's unpredictable and has a very idiosyncratic way of speaking. I loved seeing her interact with her patients. She's like the definition of Manic Pixie Dreamgirl. She's tiny. Quirky. Out to save the world. And she possesses very little in the way of common sense or self preservation. But, just like the character herself says (which nice lampshade hang) she's a bit of an acquired taste.

Barclay didn't grab me the way I wanted to. And I admit a lot of it is because of the current political climate. The Tory party is the one behind Brexit. The party of Boris Johnson, Theresa May, and Margaret Thatcher. I had a hard time rooting for him because for all that he was a nice guy, he's still on the political side of a party that has caused a great deal of harm to marginalized people. So I didn't really like him.

Which played into my "meh" feeling regarding the romance. It didn't land for me. The chemistry felt forced. I'm also leery of obsessed-fan hooks up with the object of their obsession and finds true love. As someone who has had to be the person to stand between the fan and the person they're obsessed with, I can tell you this isn't how it works.

The writing is on point. Funny. Witty. Great banter. Seriously I really love Susie Tate's writing. The scenes with Henry and Kira's friends are some of the best. The creative nicknames and insults are faboo. I will need to add some of them to my repertoire.

The story toes the line on sexy. It's steamy and acknowledges that sex takes place but most of the scenes are closed door or hinted at. So people looking for super clean, this likely isn't for you. Nor is this for someone who wants spank bank material in their romance. Personally, I liked it so there's that.

I wasn't the biggest fan of the ending. It was okay. Not bad, per se. Just not my cup of tea.

This book needs a whole heap of content warnings including: depression, suicidal ideation, frank discussion of STIs, frank discussion of HIV/AIDS, sexual harassment, workplace sexual harassment, parental neglect/abandonment, mentions of past child neglect/abandonment, mentions of stillbirth/miscarriage, ableistic language in regards to mental illness, sexual assault, use of the g-slur in reference to clothing/appearance, use of food descriptors for POC skin, microaggressions in descriptions of natural hair.

The last three are things that are easily correctable. But they are things that do exist and I hope the author educates herself as to why they are problems.

In all, I liked and both disliked this book. I still love Kira. I loved Henry. Libby, Mark, and Millie are great as always. But because of the issues I've listed above I feel like I can only give this:

Three Stars.

I really really wanted to like this one because I thought the premise was funny and the main characters were right up my alley in the beginning. I can honestly say I loved the writing, Kira, and the overall story. Unfortunately I started disliking Barcley halfway through the book. The first time he seriously put down Kira in front of other people I thought okay, his redemption arc for being stuck up is starting. But then he did it again even WORSE. That was already a bit much for me and in my eyes he doesn't redeem himself at all. At first he's not even really sorry. This has to be the first time I was actively hoping the female lead would not take the main guy back. Barcley was totally self absorbed and the perfect example of a relationship where one person obviously invests a lot more than the other. He doesn't ask about her day, her job, etc, acts dismissive towards her efforts towards him, actively avoids her, and does not take an interest in her job. Kira is being harassed at work, which everyone but him knows. Even after Barley comes to realize he is in the wrong he puts his need to apologize before Kiras need to have a little time. In the end he doesn't even change, he simply makes a gesture he doesn't actually have to make a sacrifice for or show he has changed and Kira simply takes him back.
As I said I liked the writing and the other characters which is why I'm still giving two stars but Barclay is getting a VERY big no from me. I am somewhat confused why Kira's friends and mother rooted for them.

*ARC provided by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review*

I'm afraid I didn't get very far into this book before abandoning it to just skim through to the end. A few scattered thoughts on why.

First, the heroine, Kira, is Quirky! She dresses unconventionally! She swears! She doesn't have a smart phone! She is a Free Spirit! She is So Quirky that even Barclay, a Tory politician, finds her annoyingly irresistible:

"Everything about this woman was getting under my skin: her feistiness, quirkiness, sharp wit and the way she moved - flitting around like a woodland fairy, leaving chaos in her wake."

I mean, this is a truly impressive single-sentence definition of Manic Pixie Dream Girl, I'll give it that.

Barclay, conversely, is not just a Tory politician but a member of Cabinet, which makes him automatically suspect to me, to be honest – we are told that he went into politics because he wanted to make the world a better place and he is now trying to get Britain into renewable energy etc, but... look, to get as far as a Ministry in a Tory government, you have to be on board with Tory policies. Which, right now? Do not seem like something that a self-avowed outspoken hippy and feminist who works as a doctor in the NHS and is opposed to private healthcare would just... brush off because she thinks Barclay is hot. We are not at a point in history where we can treat political affiliations on the same level as barracking for football teams.

But in fact, Kira seems more annoyed by the fact that Barclay has, in her view, a stick up his butt.

Look, I don't even know what to say here. I'm pretty left wing, hippyish, unconventional and, dare I say it, quirky, myself. I can't stand Tory politics. And yet, I actually found myself in sympathy with Barclay early in the book, because for all his dubious politics, he is actually a grownup dealing with some grownup stuff, whereas Kira comes across as irresponsible and annoying beyond belief. (Also, for someone who is meant to be all feminist and sex-positive, she is rather inclined to stereotyping people based on their sexuality, and also constantly uses 'pussy' as an insult, which I could have done without.)

Skimming ahead, Kira becomes a bit less of a loose cannon but Barclay then develops a controlling streak, so that wasn't a great improvement. There also seemed to be some interesting and thought provoking plot threads, around the treatment of HIV patients and around abuse of trainees in hospitals, which were done quite well, as far as I could judge. The bits about how healthcare and hospitals work were, unsurprisingly, right on the money – I gather the author is a medico herself.

But ultimately, these things really couldn't override my desperate antipathy towards the hero and heroine.

Summary: An unconventional, out-there doctor named Kira Murphy meets clean-cut, no-nonsense politician Barclay Lucas. While both are more than glaringly wrong for each other in so many ways, they somehow can't let the other go, thus learning to embrace their differences as things that can make their love stronger.

Right off the bat, this book sinks its claws in by introducing us with the colorful, loud, hilarious Kira Murphy. Honestly? She's one of the best things about this book. I felt like I knew her—or better yet, that I wanted to keep knowing her. I wanted to keep turning the page, keep reading to find out where her antics would take her, or how else could her kind, loving heart change the world. All while laughing along with the things that came out of her mouth. 'Anything but Easy' brilliantly gave us a heroine we wanted to root for; we followed her journey, met her friends, got roped in by Barclay Lucas too, and we wanted all of it to work out for Kira. She was so human in such an imperfectly perfect way (I know that's such a cheesy thing to say, but it applies so well in relation to this character).

Kira's every interaction with other characters let us into the beautiful way she saw the world, but also shone a light on difficult topics. One of them is HIV. When Kira met Henry, the topic was breached. Instead of it becoming a sub-plotline of loaded information, it was a journey. Yes, Henry experienced depression because of his illness, but it was not a sob fest. HIV was navigated through different lenses, but it always finished with Henry living a normal life, allowing himself to want to be happy and allowing himself to be loved again.

One of the themes I loved about this book was embracing individuality. Kira, well aware of who she is, never let anything change her. She knew and accepted she wouldn't always be everyone's cup of tea, but she did not let it render her weak. Even when it was Barclay judging her. It is because of this that I almost did not want them to end up together. Shocking, I know. The heart of this book is love. And while I am a sucker for polar opposites falling in love with each other, Kira deserved better.

As such, the only negative comment I have about this book is Barclay's redemption. I liked his character—I understood his character. He carried the weight of the world on his shoulders since he was a boy, thus closing him off to things that weren't in his control. Enter Kira, someone who would keep hurling surprise after surprise at him. Of course Barclay's anxiety would be through the roof, BUT he still broke her heart. He said awful things at the height of his anger. His journey to gain forgiveness from Kira needed to be more fleshed out. I wanted to see him really deserve her by the end of the book.

Still, the ending was so beautiful. My heart sprouted wings reading the epilogue. It was the perfect way to wrap up their stories.

I had so much fun reading this book. Most of it because of the main character, Kira. Damn she is a free spirit and the way she cursed people is so weird but funny at the same time. She is the weirdest character that I've ever known and I love her! Kira is a sexual health doctor and she love her job.

She got a crush on Barclay, a politician. One day, their paths cross when he need her help. They fought and insulted each other but at the same time they are kinda attracted to each other. Goshhh cute!!

I laugh out loud most of the time and my eyes kind of teary when things are hard for both of them.


Thank you Netgalley, publisher and author for Anything But Easy ARC!

I have to confess my first impression of the book was not good - I found Kira totally over the top - but that was only until I got to know her better. I am glad I pushed through my initial misgivings and read the book. Lots of romance and fun - some of the characters in this book have their own stories in previous novels by the author. I am planning to order those books soon.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the arc.

I'm sure that I'm about the millionth person to say this, I've been in a reading slump. It's not really the lack of good books.
It's the difficulty focusing. & relaxing to read for fun. I've been reading a few good books lately, so it's been getting better. I just needed a mood builder. I was telling my husband that I wanted a book like the 2 that I'd read by this British author (Susie Tate) a couple years ago-. that really touched my heart. They were funny, sweet and romantic.I was on Netgalley a few weeks ago & I saw that this book was available!. I grabbed it right away. I loved the blurb. I needed to read this.

I just love an opposites attract/growly-grumpy Hero.(Barclay) & Free-spirit Heroine Kira
The Heroine, Kira is a force to be reckoned with. Kira is a Doctor in training. She's so wacky and unconventional. She has a way with her patients. One of them, Henry, isn't doing very well with his treatment. He's non-compliant in taking his meds. He's depressed and has just about lost hope.
Kira helps him get back on track. She meets his brother Barclay.. There's a spark between them.
Barclay is a politician & is all serious.- until he meets Kira. She breaks down a lot of his barriers. He can't resist Kira's sunshiny personality.
If you liked the book, by Christina Lauren: "Josh and Hazel's Guide to Not Dating", then you might like this.

In real life, I've met a few free spirited people like Kira. I've learned not to turn my back on them. In this book, though, Kira really and truly is a nice person. Some of her antics bothered me. Her apartment situation, The cell phone resistance (she's a Doctor!);, the too short skirts-even at work & out for special occasions.. Those minor points were over-shadowed by how much I liked this couple and their story.
I wanted to have one person especially have his consequence spelled out more.To get what he deserved! I laughed at a lot of Kira's situations,but there was a serious point in the story that really got to me.

I loved the ending-omg. So funny and original. I'm not spoiling too much when I say Barclay really is a great guy.
Hint: I was reminded a little bit of Outlander opening credits and of that movie Love Actually.
Great supporting characters- I loved Henry, Sam, Libby (from "Beg, Borrow or Steal"); Pav & Millie (from the book "Limits") & Rosie-Libby's daughter.

So I have to admit I wasn't feeling it at the beginning and took a minute to get past English sayings and words that made no sense and was seriously dragging the story for me. But Kira won me over and yes you want things to work with Barclay but she was such a firecracker and hilarious that you just can't help fall for her. Definite spirit animal. Loved the opposites attract vibe between these two (a Bridget Jones nod for sure).
I received an advanced copy of this book from Netgalley for my honest review.

I've read Susie Tate before and was looking forward to this one.

Pros - lots of fun to read. However madcap Kira is, she's a competent professional in sexual health - unusual to see a potentially ditzy character actually be anything but. Great to catch up with some of the past couples I've read about too and see glimpses of their lives now.

Cons - didn't love Barclay, he was a little stodgy for me and unlike Kira, politicians really don't do it for me. And Kira was perhaps a little too bonkers, she'd be exhausting to meet in real life, that's for sure!

Over all, a light hearted read with a solid basis in medicine, but not really my favourite Susie Tate book.

This was anything but hard to read!

"Anything but easy" is my first Susie Tate title and I can say that I enjoyed it a lot. The book had a good pace and a writing that kept me hooked. I liked the characters too, but it was Kia who got my full attention. Most people do not like this type of character and find them annoying, but she was to my liking... what can I say? she was no pushover.

The only downside is that I was constantly waiting for the big drama to happen and it took a while to arrive, but that's a me thing! and in taste there's nothing written, so... I would totally recommend this!

I am so glad I got to read this book! Anything But Easy by Susie Tate totally took me by surprise and I couldn’t be more happy to have fallen in love with it chapter by chapter. It’s chock full of competence porn (the heroine is a doctor), some of my favorite tropes; fake relationships and opposites attract and has great story and character development.

Our heroine Kira is a total gem. She’s a genitourinary and infectious disease specialist and is quite unique to say the least with her colorful dressing sense, tendency to loudly discuss sexual health and STIs, and just unapologetically be herself all the time. To outsiders, she’s kind of weird and sometimes a hot mess but she (mostly) has it all together. Enter our very stuffy and serious hero, Barclay Lucas, who is pretty much as opposite of Kira as can get. Barclay is a young politician with the conservative party in charge of the government and Minister of State for Business, Energy and Clean Growth. He’s stiff, occasionally grumpy, a complete workaholic (what’s not to love?) and completely determined to get Kira to help his brother Henry.

Barclay convinces Kira to be a part of Henry’s life and support him while he hesitantly deals with the emotional and physical repercussions of his HIV diagnosis. Kira, being the person she is, refuses to take money from Barclay to help Henry and the two soon become good friends. Kira’s crush on Barclay is adorable but even more so is Barclay’s fascination and attraction to her that he cannot even explain to himself. When he asks her to fake a relationship with him to help his political image, she and I both squealed with delight.

I absolutely adored getting to see Barclay open his heart and slowly fall in love with Kira. All of their differences were slowly pushed aside as they brought out the best in each other. But not everything is rainbows and roses. Eventually, Barclay and Kira’s relationship strains because of the fundamental differences between their personalities and careers and they splinter. I felt all the feels here and kind of just wanted to punch Barclay in the nuts for being so selfish and callous of Kira’s feelings and never giving his best to take interest in her life, career and what is important to her. He does adequately grovel and make it up to her at the end but I would have been happy to let him suffer a little longer.

This book is fantastic for its humour and witty dialogue but along with its loveliness, it deals with serious topics such as sexual harassment in the work place, discussion and advocacy of sexual health along with the serious mental health issues of people that are dealing with infectious disease diagnosises. The author does a great job developing multifaceted characters and underlying storylines that run concurrently with the main love story. I suffered with Kira as her heart broke and her career was put into jeopardy and cheered for her as she overcame it with her perseverance and strength.

So much thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read this fantastic book!.

I have read all of Susie Tate’s books and it’s always my favorite when there’s a crossover or mention of some of my most loved characters of all time.

This book reminded me so much of Beyond Repair. Kira is quirky but competent. Barcley is uptight but a caretaker. These two were perfect complements. Kira’s antics kept me in stitches laughing but I also shed more than few tears for her.

The epilogue was the BEST!! I loved seeing that picture of the future for these characters!!

Didn't like this book! It sounded like a fanfic: the girl has a massive crush on a public figure and they somehow end up in each other's life. The characters annoyed me a lot too and I couldn't connect to them. Kira was sooo quirky that it became irritating and Barclay was too judgemental.