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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

<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.

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.

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.

“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 %.

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.

I enjoyed this book just as I did I Don't Know How She Does It by this author a number of years ago. Kate Reddy is back, and after staying home with her kids for seven years, she is returning to the work force. Those children are now teenagers, and her husband has quite his job to pursue training as a counselor. Most of the time he is off on his bike, off to his own therapist, to mindfulness classes--always away somewhere. The family is facing serious financial shortfalls, and Kate must find employment. The problem is her "advanced" age, as she is nearing 50.
Just as I remember the first book being, this was at times hilarious. It was also so on the mark for so many things that women face--caring for aging parents who are becoming increasingly dependent on their midlife children; teenagers who are aloof and scoffing, then needy and dramatic; a workplace where older women are often discounted and ignored; a house that needs constant attention; and, luckily, friends who really do understand everything one is going through. Kate handles all these things, telling herself continually, "how hard can it be?"
This was a thoroughly enjoyable and satisfying read.
My thanks to Netgalley, St. Martin's Press, and Allison Pearson for the opportunity to read this book.

I am sure that I am within the target audience for How Hard Can it Be by Allison Pearson. The book primarily deals with Kate Reddy as she is facing turning 50. Since I just turned 60 this year, I totally understand dealing with these big birthdays.

The book is both humorous and entertaining.

Kate is turning 50 and she is constantly dealing with all of the symptoms of peri menopause, which she calls Perry. She forgets things, she has hot flashes, and her libido has vanished. On top of that, she is dealing with her husband who is having his own midlife crisis. He has taken up biking and counseling and all things mindful. Of course, there is no time for a job with all his new mindfulness, so Kate has to look at returning to work at age 49.

In addition to finding a job, being exasperated with her husband she has to deal with her teenage son and daughter. She is constantly walking on eggshells with her teenage daughter.

Then there is Jack. The almost love of her life. They met years ago and almost started something but didn’t. Well, he’s back and Kate is wondering if maybe it’s not too late.

A fun book, with insights on a lot of areas. A lot of social issues are covered in a humorous manner, like ageism in the workforce and the social media pressure of teenage girls. She manages to address these issues in a funny way, while still shedding light on the fact that they are issues.

I enjoyed this book and look forward to the next Kate Reddy book.

I received an ARC of this book.

I liked this book, but kept thinking I read it before. Since that was not possible, it was because although the book was funny and kept moving, there wasn't really anything new in it. I have read other books by this author and authors in a similar vein and this seemed to be a bit of a re-hash. Good as a light beach read or as an audio book when you know you may miss paying attention to a few parts but don't want to have it screw up the plot.

**Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for a digital AND physical copy of this book!**

This book really hit home for me in the beginning. And it was uncomfortable. But I loved Kate Reddy, she is one strong cookie. She is in this big house that needs to be redone and her husband has lost his job and decided to retrain as a counselor. So, it is up to Kate to get back to work.

I couldn't get enough of this one. She's starting with the life change - which is a nice change of pace for a main character. She's trying to reenter the workforce (I'm living that nightmare now), and she is dealing with children who are full-on-teenagers, aging parents who need more and more care, and a husband who doesn't seem to be of much help.

But hey, how hard can it be?

This is the follow up book to I don’t know how she does it. We meet back up with Kate who is now closer to 50 than 40 and looking to return to the workforce. The problem is that no one seems to want to hire a 50 year old. Kate’s husband has checked out, her kids expect her to do everything and she is trying to help with ailing parents. Things seem to be going all wrong but can Kate keep it all together.

Funny and irreverent , with a quirky protagonist and plenty of laugh-out-loud moments. Very enjoyable!