Kate is almost 50 and finds herself in the same position as so many other women. Her kids need her, her parents need her and her husband is having a midlife crisis. I can relate!! Luckily she has a sense of humor and some great friends to lean on.

I remember reading and enjoying I Don’t Know How She Does It, but too much time and too many books have gone by, and I didn’t remember the actual story. Nevertheless, I was delighted to receive an advance copy of How Hard Can It Be to preview. I was able to thoroughly enjoy the sequel without remembering the original story.

Although I am older than the character, I could relate to her angst. It certainly made me appreciate raising my kids before social media became so invasive! I found it easy to relate to Kate’s experiences as a member of the “sandwich” generation. I admired her treatment of her mother and in-laws, but couldn’t understand her tolerance of the way she was treated by her husband and children.

The part of the book about her professional world was a little contrived, but I enjoyed the humor in it. I also enjoyed her friendships and her romance.

I thought the book was well-written, and there were a lot of interesting issues which would be worthy of a book discussion. I think there is more substance to this book than chick-lit. I recommend the book as a good representation of contemporary life.

Wowwwww! Many thanks to Netgalley for an ARC of this fabulous, witty, and incredibly charming book! Kate faces all the issues that so many women today are struggling with. Ageism, sexism, guilt, guilt guilt! Kate, a former fund manager needs to get back to work. Her husband, in his own midlife crisis has decided to change careers and become a counselor. As a result of this he will not be earning anything during the two years training and so it’s up to Kate to carry the load. Returning to the workforce is difficult, as she is nearing 50:. Translation, a goner in employment terms! And so she readjusts her age and gets a job at the place where she was a fund manager, however in a much more junior position. There is so much crammed into this fabulous read, I think it touches on just about every issue women today are dealing with! It is charming, so witty you laugh out loud. Her sketchy memory recall is hysterical. She has named it Roy and requests him to retrieve info from the library stacks, what a great analogy. On top of breadwinner, she is a Mom, and caretaker of not only her children, but both sets of aging parents. This is so crammed full of fun, timely issues and of course, let’s throw in some infidelity! A must read!

I really enjoyed this book that essentially describes my life right now. It’s a light hearted look at all the duties and responsibilities women deal with while trying to raise a family, work a demanding job, take care of aging parents, remain in friendships, all while dealing with a deadbeat husband. Thank you Net galley for the ARC!

Kate is funny to read - up to a point. She can amuse me as she describes her life - until I get annoyed with her. Perhaps I'd be more willing to be entertained by her first world problems if the real world was in better shape right now but it isn't and I'm not.

One can't help but wonder how in the world she does it as Pearson shows us just how hard things can be for a 49 year-old woman with an ungrateful husband, two sullen and spoiled teenagers, and a life that seems to be complicated in every single way possible. Hilarious at time, honest and raw through and through, it' a painfully honest view of how the best-laid life can go wrong, and what it takes to make it better.

A sequel to Pearson's I Don't Know How She Does It--I should have known better. This will too, no doubt, be a bestseller. BUT. NOT FOR ME.

As advertised: "Kate Reddy's comeback as a pushing-50 "Returner,” re-entering the workforce after a spell on the mommy track, is zesty, razor-sharp, and hilarious." Pretty much true, I just got tired of it. Definitely witty and well-written with many observations right on track, it just left me--somewhat cold.

I did love some of the phrases--for example, describing a husband's snoring as "What began as piglet snuflings twenty years ago is now a nightly Hog Symphony, complete with wind section." HOW CAN YOU NOT LAUGH OUT LOUD?!

"At forty-nine years of age, the tip of the tongue becomes a very crowded place."

Her description of Spanx--here called a shaper suit--and worming into it is quite funny as well.

And getting on a very large horse is "... like sitting on the deck of a furry aircraft carrier."

The story, filled with her job search and eventual job, teenage angst/problems--a son and a daughter, social media, aging in-laws --[mother-in-law with dementia], not the best marriage, and the reappearance of an old boyfriend, are all realisticallly described. Although I'm not in this cohort, it certainly resonated.

Worse, I figured out the trajectory far too early. And, I don't like neat and tidy endings [you won't get more from me].

Kate is currently 49, but will soon turn that "f-word" every woman dreads. Plus she's experiencing life's turmoils simultaneously it seems. An unemployed husband trying to re-find himself through cycling, therapy while ignoring his household duties. Two teenage children who delight at testing their independence boundaries while snickering at their Mom's technology naivete. Kids, you love them with all your heart while counting the minutes until they leave for college. Then there are the elderly parents: his, whom Kate loves and looks after but are now requiring more than assisted living; and her Mom, whose sweet but calls ten times a day. Combine this delightful bunch with her need to seek employment lest they lose their house and daily meals.
Kate has a decent resume, her problem is her age, and competing with all the twenty/thirty-somethings in the workforce. "Lie," say her friends. "Or at least twist the truth a little." (my paraphrasing) So she becomes 42, on paper.
That's all I can really tell you as a bit of an introduction, because the real story has too many events that takes Kate and her family on the Ups and Downs of LIFE. Told with humor and seriousness, at just the right time. She'll get the job and life will change, in many unexpected ways. But in the end you'll cheer for Kate and maybe even like her kids, a little. Enjoy!

4.5 Strong, Smart Women STARS! Thanks Netgalley, Allison Pearson and St. Martin's Press

How Hard Can It Be? is a sequel to "I don't know how she does it". I did not read the first book and I did not feel that I was missing anything but not having read that book first. This book worked very well as a standalone novel for me.

Kate Ready is almost 50, she is returning to the workforce and finds herself having to lie about her age to be considered for employment. Her husband is distant and appears to be more into his self-help books and bike riding than he is in her or their marriage. Her daughter has taken an inappropriate picture of herself and it was posted on the internet, she has aging parents and is dealing with the onset of menopause. Kate has a lot going on in this book.

There are some zany moments of Kate getting caught, as in she is stuck and can't get out of it, in her spanx-like underwear and trying to host her daughter's Christmas party but overall the book this book failed to really blow me away. The main character is dealing with just about everything but the kitchen sink in this book, and although some of it feels cliched, the character is in the age range where she would be dealing with aging parents, teenager angst, pre-menopause, juggling a career with raising a family, etc. So, I can't really fault the Author for throwing all of those into this book. A lot of readers will also be able to relate to a lot of the issues brought up in this book. To add to Kate's woes, a man from her past comes into the picture and she feels those long-ago longing stirred up.

This book deals with a lot of issues: how social media can be used in bullying/sharing of inappropriate pictures, infidelity, the aging process, teenage angst, friendship, return to the workforce, and coping with change. This book does deal with some heavy issues but does so in a light manner. That does not mean that this book takes those issues lightly, it just chooses to deal with them in keeping with the characters personalities.

I liked this book, but I didn't love it. I would not go out of my way to recommend it to someone, but at the same time, if I saw someone reading the book, I would most likely say "Oh yeah, I read that. Good book". Good not great. There were parts that I felt went on a little too long. I know there will be readers who will pick up this book and love it, but when there are sections which I just want to skim so I get through them and back to the part of the book which I enjoyed. There were some things I found to be unrealistic in this book such as Kate not telling her husband about their daughter's issues with her picture being distributed on social media. Perhaps this was done to show the distance between them in the relationship, but I found it unrealistic that she would not have told her daughter's father about the incident and how this was impacting their child.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I'm sure someone will enjoy this book, but not me. Kate Reddy is lying; to her family, to her employer, and to her family. I found myself not caring about any of the characters & just wanted to finish the book.

Kate Reddy returns and what a treat. Who would have thought that a novel about menopause would be hilarious? She is such a strong and sassy survivor putting up with sulky teenagers, a husband in a mid-life crisis and know-it-all co-workers.. On this journey of self-discovery, she is someone who most women will relate to and cheer her on.

Kate Reddy is back and as big a mess as ever in this terrific sequel to the iconic I Don't Know How She Does It. This time, she's got to lie about her age to hold down a junior position at her old fund. Really plumbs the depths of perimenopausal mania....

For whatever reason, when I picked this up from NetGalley, I had no recollection of having read the prequel, I Don’t Know How She Does It. It wasn’t until I started reading about Kate Reddy that it hit me that I already knew her! Kate is a little bit older in this book and dealing with troubles in her marriage, raising two teenagers, and being forced back to work as an “older” woman. Not a whole lot that I can personally relate to, but still, it’s hard not to fall in love with Kate and be cheering for her.

In some ways, she’s like a cross between Bridget Jones and Shopaholic Becky Bloomwood (this book also takes place in the UK), but more mature and relatable. There were some parts of Kate’s character that I felt were a bit exaggerated and bugged me a bit (much like with Bridget and Becky!), including the fact that her family and colleagues take serious advantage of her and she rarely sticks up for herself. But overall, this was a really fun read!

A special thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This is Pearson's part two of the Kate Reddy series—oh how I've missed you, Kate! I actually liked this book better than the first, which I think is an anomaly to like the sequel better than the original.

Kate Reddy is re-entering the work force after being at home with her children because her husband, who appears to be suffering an identity crisis, has gone back to school. To bag the job, she lies about her age. She is feeling the pressure from the much younger workforce, from her demanding mother, ailing in-laws, her contractor, and from her sullen teenagers. And to top it all off, her marriage is F-L-A-T, flat.

How hard can it be to face 50, your husband's mid-life crisis, and to restart your career? Pretty hard I would say, especially when you are shouldering the entire household workload as well because your husband is useless, and you are also feeling strangled not only from your shaping garments, but from your obligations.

Kate is every woman, whether old or young, as she embarks on this often hilarious journey of self-discovery—she's more than just a career woman, mother, sister, friend, or wife. She is as smart as she is funny, she is sassy and strong, and above all, resilient. With every turn of the page, you will be rooting for Kate and wishing she was your friend.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for a Kindle galley copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.. "How Hard Can It Be" is the type of book that I would describe as intelligent British chick lit, or as I like to say - Brit Chick Lit. I read one of Allison Pearson's other books, "I Don't Know How She Does It" several years ago when it was published. "How Hard Can It Be" follows our protagonist, Kate, as she is rapidly approaching the age of 50 and struggling to face it gracefully. She is in a marriage with no affection and has a preteen son and teenage girl, with all of the typical teen problems. It may sound like a heavy read but Allison Pearson's writing is light and very witty. I particularly enjoy the Brit references and the differences in the vocabulary. Read "I Don't Know How She Does It" first and dive head-first into "How Hard Can It Be" - they are both worthwhile, fun reads.

Kate is British, beautiful, married and forty-nine, almost fifty. To top it all off, she is trying to find a job and going through menopause while he husband is going through a midlife crisis. Her teenage daughter just got a naked selfie of herself posted (by accident) all over the internet and her mother has just learned how to skype. Meanwhile, Kate is considering lying about her age to get a job because she has to pay all expenses for her home renovations by a terribly sexy Polish handyman. Whew, Kate’s life is so complicated! This funny, rollicking story will have you laughing all the way through it! Kate’s plight is so normal in so many ways (or should I say, usual) that the reader can identify with the character and “feel her pain” and anguish. I loved the story and really appreciated finding another author that I can look forward to reading ! 

How Hard Can It Be? by Allison Pearson will be available June 5, 2018 from St. Martin's Press. An egalley of this book was made available by the publisher in exchange for a honest review.

I wanted to read this because it isn't something we would sell here at the store. It was an enjoyable book. I would recommend it to someone that would like to read a humorous drama book.

I must admit that I haven't read I Don't Know How She Does It (or seen the movie, for that matter), though I am familiar with the premise. That being said, I was still able to jump right into Kate's story and never felt lost or like I was missing a key piece of the puzzle. I enjoyed reading about how Kate handled turning 50 and raising teenagers, and her struggles made me a bit more grateful for only having to deal with the drama of a 7 and 3 year old. The only thing that would have made this book better is a bit more, well, something. Some pivotal moment or story line that took your breath away. Nevertheless, it was a good read.

I received this book free from NetGalley in exchange for my honest and unbiased opinion.

Very cliched writing; did not like the main character.

I remember reading I Don’t Know How She Does it by Allison Pearson back in 2001 when my kids were little and I loved it. Now my kids are big, I’m older, and so is the main character of the book, Kate who is nearing fifty. How Hard Can It Be? is going to speak to me (and you) on a variety of personal levels from impossible teenagers to aging parents to dealing with life in general.

Kate Reddy is facing her 50th birthday. Her children have turned into impossible teenagers; her mother and in-laws are in precarious health; and her husband is having a midlife crisis that leaves her desperate to restart her career after years away from the workplace. Once again, Kate is scrambling to keep all the balls in the air in a juggling act that an early review from the U.K. Express hailed as “sparkling, funny, and poignant…a triumphant return for Pearson.”

Will Kate reclaim her rightful place at the very hedge fund she founded, or will she strangle in her new “shaping” underwear? Will she rekindle an old flame, or will her house burn to the ground when a rowdy mob shows up for her daughter’s surprise (to her parents) Christmas party? Surely it will all work out in the end. After all, how hard can it be?

To answer the question, How Hard Can It Be? I’ll tell you, it’s very very hard! Thankfully there are talented writers like Allison who can help find the humor in life. I’m about twenty minutes from starting this book, I intend to read straight through until tonight!