I enjoyed this book and found it funny and could really relate to many things going on in Kate's life. Perimenopause, menopause, intimacy issues, kids, caring for an elderly parent with dementia, and just dealing with getting older. Yeah, I'd say I can relate. While there were parts that I found a little annoying, overall I found the book to be very entertaining with many laugh-out-loud moments. I didn't realize this was the second book in a series, but I feel this can be read as a stand-alone book. I may have to read the first one, though, as I did like Kate Reddy and would love to see what she was up to before this book.

I listened to the audiobook given to me by a friend, but began the book in digital format that I received from the publisher via NetGalley. The narration in the audiobook was very well done by Poppy Miller.

Kate Reddy is about to turn the big 5-0 and she's ready to re-enter the workforce. Her children are in their teens and her husband is having a mid-life crisis, so Kate takes it as an opportunity to throw herself back into her work. Nearing 50, Kate feels the pressure of jumping back into the workforce and she finds herself lying about her age on her resume in order to land a job! She's back at the office where she worked almost fifteen years ago...but everything has changed. Everyone is noticeably younger, smarter, and far more tech savvy than Kate is. She can easily juggle her husband, her in-laws, her children, and the responsibilities of her work, right? Well it may prove to be harder than she originally thought. Although I am not yet a mother and I'm not close to my 50th birthday, I could still relate to Kate and her attempt to juggle all of her commitments while hitting roadblock after roadblock! This book is the follow-up to Allison Pearson's debut novel I Don't Know How She Does It,but it isn't necessary to have read the first one to enjoy this book. I thought the characters were really well developed and I found myself laughing along as Kate got herself stuck in these highly hilarious situations while trying to remain young! This book takes on issues such as social media, age in the workplace, and real-life and turn them into witty situations that we can all relate to. 


*this review will be shared on my blog this week!

How Hard Can it Be? By Allison Pearson

I received a free advanced copy from St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley.

Kate is heading toward her 50th birthday and trying to keep it all together. Mainly trying to understand her teenage children and enter the workforce again which requires a little bit of flexibility on her actual birthdate.

This is a sequel to I Don’t Know How She Does It - but not reading the first book didn’t make this book any less enjoyable!

I love Pearsons wit! Mainly in the character of Roy - Kate’s “brain butler” who she requires to remember things.

“Roy, who is this woman in the pink suit waving to me? She looks familiar...”

Great summertime read - light plot with humorous commentary on parenting and getting older.

If you’re a woman over 40 — either working or going back to work after taking time off to raise children — you’ve got to read this. Actually, if you’re any woman you’ve got to read this. You’ll either identify with it because you’re just like Kate, or you’ll identify with Alice or Candy or Sally. If you’re a husband you should read it for its eye-opening characteristics. If you’re a single guy with a job, well, it might enlighten you too, man.

I’m just going to admit it. This is exactly what’s it’s like to be a 40ish woman going back to work after a decade off. Luckily I have a husband and colleagues who are a little more forgiving, but other than that, How Hard Can It Be is the cold unvarnished truth about raising teenagers, the pressures and interruptions of managing a home and extended family problems, the difficulty finding time to exercise, and the change of life that hits everyone with XY chromosomes.

It’s funny, authentic, heartbreaking. I furrowed my brow wondering how Kate could miss so many red flags with her kids, but in her defense, she had a LOT going on., And throughout every chapter I thought It is so nice to know I’m not the only one in this particular boat!
https://randombookmuses.com/2018/06/16/review-how-hard-can-it-be-by-allison-pearson/

Totally related to the character and her situation! She is authentic, funny and intelligent. I enjoyed this book and will share with my patrons.

Things have taken a bit of a turn for Kate Reddy--she's nearing 50, her husband has lost his job and spends most of his time cycling, and her kids are busy teenagers. With Richard out of work, Kate has to return to work. However, she finds that the financial community isn't welcoming to a woman on the cusp of fifty. When Kate decides to pretend she's seven years younger to enter the working world, she winds up working at the hedge fund she originally started. Once back at work, though, she finds herself overwhelmed dealing with everything: the unhelpful husband, the ungrateful kids, the demanding colleagues, and an unexpected appearance from an old flame.

This was a tough one for me. It was a slow read, although in its defense, I read it during a very busy time at work. I empathized with Kate's return to working motherhood--especially juggling kids and work and dealing with a male-driven workplace. I didn't enjoy the intense focus on how old Kate was, making her seem nearly decrepit at fifty. It's one thing to deal with turning the big 5-0 and its ramifications, but its another to make it seem like it's the end of the world. Even worse, while Kate could seem so strong in the workplace, she was such a pushover with her children. She was supposedly clueless with technology, unable to keep up with their exploits, and a complete doormat. (I also couldn't handle the endless endearments she used with her kids--there's only so many "sweeties" and "darlings" I can take.)

There are certainly humorous moments in the novel. This is a sequel to Pearson's first novel featuring Reddy and the parts I enjoyed here were the parts I liked about the first one: Kate's wit, her ability to take on the "big boys" at her fund, and the snippets of emails between her and her friend, Candy. There were definitely pieces of the novel that I found myself nodding along with--her moments of anxiety; her rants about how working moms are treated; some insights into kids and the social media era, etc. And Kate certainly doesn't have an easy go of it, with her clueless husband, helpless kids, crumbling house, aging parents, and stressful job.

That being said, I could see most of the plot twists coming a mile away, and you couldn't help but get frustrated that Kate couldn't see them too. Overall, while I found parts of this novel funny, refreshing, and quite apropos, I couldn't really get over Kate's obsession with her looks or her one-sided relationship with her children. In the end, 3.5 stars, probably bumped up a bit for a little Kate Reddy nostalgia.

I loved this book! I remember reading the first one and loving her writing style. This was the same. I was sucked in from the first page. Being a 50 something myself, it was completely relatable. I hope her next one deals with retirement and who follows!!

I loved the first Kate Reddy book, I Don't Know How She Does It, so I was excited to get an advance copy of How Hard Can It Be? To be honest, it can be very hard. Raising kids, navigating a failing marriage, finishing this book.

It was a hard book to read because Kate's life was like your worst day over and over again, but she owned so much of it. Her teenaged daughter sends a picture of her ass across the school internet and her biggest concern is how many likes it didn't get. Her son is busy killing people via video games while swearing with his friends. Honestly, these kids both needed a swift kick. But Kate fawns over them, keeping the butt pic a secret from her husband, doing her daughter's homework and groveling for any crumbs of kindness she can get from her teens.

Her husband is so obviously checked out and having an affair, but Kate doesn't seem to notice his lack of interest in her or their family and his daily disappearances, although he has quit his job to pursue his dream of being a therapist, forcing Kate back to work.

Kate goes back to work at her old fund, and is immediately successful, showing up younger men easily. And suddenly an old flame shows back up into her life, stirring up feelings that she never got over.

So, the book that showed how hard it is to be a working mother ends up making a rich ex-flame the solution to all of Kate's problems. He fixes things behind the scenes just to help her. Blah, blah, blah. How about Kate can solve her own problems?

The other part of the book the I didn't love was the constant description of how old and awful Kate felt like she looked, how her body, her uterus, and her skin were failing her, along with her memory. The constant references to "Roy" as the keeper of her memories was super annoying. I'm the same age as Kate and I don't feel that bad about myself - reading this was depressing.

That may have been why I didn't enjoy this book - it made me feel like my life was over at 47, and the only way to make it better was to find a rich man. No thanks. But i may be alone in my opinion, because it's got a really great Goodreads rating.

A funny sequel to "I don't know how she does it". I find Kate to be a likable character that I am rooting for. A fun summer read. Go Kate!

How Hard Can It Be? is a very realistic and entertaining book. Although this is a sequel, it was the first book I read featuring Kate and I had no problem "catching up". Kate is almost 50 and is forced to plunge back into the business world. She has two teen age children and a selfish husband going through his own mid-life crisis. Kate is smart and strong and always open to making new friends. She is an interesting character and the novel is full of surprises. Life can be very hard, but Kate is a fighter.

After a somewhat slow start to this book, I am happy to report that this book was absolutely delightful! Although I have not quite reached the age of our main character, there is so much about this book that is right for women of any age. I completely adored the writing, and could completely identify with the struggle of raising teenagers, going back to work, and juggling all the different moving pieces and parts of life. The satirical "belfie" at the beginning of the story has proven to be more relatable than I would like to admit. It's a moving tribute to today's society, and how parents are just trying to run as fast as they can to keep up with this ever-shifting cultural norm. It was endearing, and engaging, and had me rolling with laughter. I will definitely be recommending this book to my friends, colleagues, and those asking for book recommendations, Thank you to the publisher for a free copy of this book.

⭐️⭐️⭐️💫 / 5 rounded up.

So, I have a confession to make. I didn't realize How Hard Can It Be? by Allison Pearson was a sequel to I Don't Know How She Does It when I started reading it. BUT, I don't think that mattered all that much.

I really hope this book becomes a movie starring SJP. I loved the movie I Don't Know How She Does It and I think this book would also make a great movie (maybe even a better movie than a book??). This book does seem like a good standalone, but maybe I shouldn't have watched the movie of the first book before I read this. The book and the movie of I Don't Know How She Does It definitely don't seem to match completely (from what I gathered from this book), so maybe don't watch the movie adaptation before reading this expecting it will make things more clear. I think it actually made things more confusing for me. Example: In the movie Kate only has eyes for her husband and no interest at all for Jack Abelhammer (who I literally can only picture as Pierce Brosnan now), but in this book it sounds like they were in love?? Very confusing.

How Hard Can It Be? expands upon the life of Kate Reddy who is now approaching the big 5-0. She needs to go back to work because her husband decides to take 2 years out of the workforce to train to become a counselor. Noble? Maybe, but he is no help to Kate financially or otherwise. Lets just say he won't be winning any husband or father of the year awards any time soon. Kate is dealing with hitting 50 soon, trying to find a job where everyone seems to be discriminating against her age and the time she took off to spend with her kids. Plus she is dealing with problems with her kids, her husband Richard's parents, her mom, her sister, and other random issues.

I think this book could have been a lot funnier than it ended up being. I thought it would make me laugh quite a bit, but there were only a few instances where I thought anything was particularly funny. I did love the short chapters though, and the fact that Kate calls her memory "Roy." All I could picture was this little old man shuffling around in her head finding her memories. She would often talk to "Roy" as well which was pretty funny.

How Hard Can It Be? was a little disappointing to me because the premise seemed better than the execution. But that was mostly because I was expecting lots of laughs, which I unfortunately didn't really get. I also think the book was a bit too long. I think it could have easily been around 300 pages and would have been perfect.

Final Thought: I think that lovers of (the book) I Don't Know How She Does It will be happy with how this one turns out. I do like Kate as a character and I thought there were a few very loveable characters in this book. Some of the lingo was a little confusing, but nothing I couldn't handle. I think this book would be much better in movie form though so I hope that happens. How Hard Can It Be? is a funny, interesting look at sexism/ageism in the workplace, turning 50, and dealing with everything life can throw at you.

How Hard Can It Be? in 3-ish words: Sweet, Honest, Insightful

It is not hard at all to return to Kate Reddy's world. One of the most powerful and indelible heroines in recent fiction, Kate used her brains, beauty, determination, but most of all her huge heart to land herself in a small village in a magnificent old wreck of a house with a garden, with small children and a renewed bond with her husband. Now, on the verge of 50, Kate once again is challenged with returning to the world of work after years away from the job, coping with dramatic, lost teenagers, a husband out of work and obsessed with living healthy, and aging parents.
Kate's story of how she copes with the tsunami of turning 50 in the middle of the chaos of her life is by turns hilarious, moving, heartbreaking; ultimately the story of how she comes to terms with her life and her world is memorable, authentic, genuine, Her voice is powerful and wonderfully well-wrought and it feels as if you are truly inside her head and her heart living her days of doing her best. Challenged on every front, Kate moves forward and we're cheering her on, imagining ourselves in her pumps making her own way in a very different world from the one she left. I profoundly enjoyed my time with Kate and her adventures in this exceptionally well-written, well-wrought tale.

This is book 2 in the Kate Reddy series. It works well as a standalone. I do not feel as if I missed anything by not reading the first book.

From serious to LOL funny, this book covers a lot of territory about raising children, weight that doesn’t come off easily and getting back into the job market when you are almost 50. Kate’s husband has decided to “find” himself, which means he’s busy studying for a new career and going to therapy sessions. He also spends a lot of time on his recently acquired obsession: bicycling; this hobby requires lots of accessories and a skintight outfit that don’t appear to be the best choice for him. Because he isn’t working, Kate is forced to find a job, and this is not such an easy thing to do for a forty-nine-year-old female. Kate decides the only good way to pull this off is to take some years off her age by lying and trying to improve her weight and looks with very funny consequences.

Kate’s children are teenagers, and since her husband is so engrossed in his own activities, pretty much everything falls to Kate, including caring for them. Like many children these days, they are completely wrapped up in the internet and social media. Even though Kate tries to be a caring mother, with so many things to take care of, she misses some obvious clues about her daughter’s struggle to cope with being a part of a popular group.


The book is written with Kate’s point of view. It includes conversations with people, the occurrences in daily life and Kate’s mental ramblings. For the most part I enjoyed this book, but was disappointed in the appearance of the f word. Since Kate works as a professional and has children, I was surprised the author chose this word for this character to use in daily life. I don’t know any parents or professionals who curse. The word is really overused in all books these days, since it doesn’t add a thing, and many of us do not wish to pick up this filthy habit by being constantly exposed to it through books. . Kate tells her daughter to stop cursing when she says “shit”. It’s pretty unrealistic to think that’s the only bad word a child would use when mom and dad are always saying f this and f that.

Warning: adultery, teenage sex, drugs and drinking at a party in a home where parents are present. Language.

So many things to say about this book, but overall Allison Pearson nailed it. It’s been quite a while since the first Kate Ready book was written, so I’m not sure how long she’s been working on it, but this is the first book I’ve read that nails what it’s like to be a perimenopausal woman. It was practically self-help the way it describes what life is like when you hit this age and validates that you’re not alone. I guess that means I am precisely the demographic for this book (except I’m not a mother, but I related well to her parental pressures anyway).

It’s funny. Sometimes laugh out loud funny, as my boyfriend found out yesterday. It’s insightful, in how it addresses age discrimination in the workplace and how, in many high-stress jobs, people are considered shortly after 40 to be washed up. (And there’s a #MeToo moment as well.) It’s realistic, in that the way the romantic relationships and marriages are presented aren’t the torrid high-drama romances of your twenties and thirties. And it didn’t skimp on all the pressures of juggling your romantic relationship with your children with your parents with your job with your finances with your physical and mental health impacted by peri/menopause.

It’s on the longish side for a book of this nature, and it’s not always light, but the humor appropriately balances the gravity of an all-too-common story for women at this point in their lives. Some might find that it hits too close to home, but I’m glad I read it.

I received an advance copy of this book from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Bloody brilliant! In 2002 Allison Pearson wrote I Don’t Know How She Does It and introduced Kate Reddy. A working mother with young children. I loved it so much because Kate Reddy was me. I identified with everything.

16 years later Kate Reddy is back! She is funny with a snappy wit. The kids are older and she has taken seven years off of work to care for them and aging parents and in laws. She and her husband, Rich have bought a house that needs a lot more fixing up than they realized. Rich is not working. He invests most of his time in biking, meditating, and going to counseling. He’s a douchebag. Bills are piling up so it’s up to Kate to get back to work. She is looking at her 50th birthday soon and isn’t confident about entering the workforce again.

If you’ve ever gone back to work after taking time off, for whatever reason, you’ll identify with the fears and obstacles that Kate faces. I laughed a lot and teared up at the end and as a parent when we can’t shield our kids from every kind of hurt, especially the kind we know little about as our kids dive in head first into the social media shark infested waters.

Thank you, NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press, and Allison Pearson for the opportunity to read an advanced copy.

Well, I didn't get quite the laughs that I'm sure other people did with this book due to the fact that I lived a lot of it (still am, with a late 20 something still acting like a teenager). Well, at least I didn't have the "belfie" to contend with. Thank the Lord for that!!!

However, I did enjoy the book. The scenes with boy toy (was it boy or toy? Ha!!) I found especially funny. Kate's mother-in-law definitely gave her son the correct name. I certainly would not have put up with his crap!! My last line he would hear from me would be "Don't let the door hit ya, where the good Lord slit ya". Ha!!

I didn't read this author's first book, "I Don't Know How She Does It", but I did see the quasi good movie. And after reading this book, I am sure that the first book was a good one. Why can't Hollywood get it right? Is it really that hard?

I did learn something that I really needed to know from reading this book though. I NEED HRT!!!! I said yes to most of her questions. (shocked face!)

A very entertaining book that I did enjoy after I got through the teen angst. I especially loved the career side of the story. I could definitely relate to that working in a mostly men's industry of natural gas for so many years. I may have had a few up in the air fist pumps (well okay, several) while reading this part. And yes, there were a few tears at the end (see I need that HRT).

I'm really wishing now that I had read the first book, however, I can't read a book after I've seen the movie. I am, however, looking forward to the next one!

Thanks to St. Martin's Press and Net Galley for providing me with a free e-galley in exchange for an honest, unbiased review.

I had forgotten how much I liked Kate Reddy, and it was great to be back with her as she faces a new challenge: parenting a teenager who has made a really stupid mistake. This was the perfect read for my recent weekend vacation and reminds me how wonderful chicklit can be when done well.

Title: How Hard Can It Be?
Author: Allison Pearson
Publisher: St. Martin's Press
Series: Kate Reddy, #2
Reviewed By: Arlena Dean
Rating: Five
Review:

"How Hard Can It Be?" by Allison Pearson

My Thoughts....

Well how 'How Hard Can It Be" for Kate Reddy who is close to her 50th birthday? Let's see just what all she has before her: having to lie about her age as she is returning to the workforce due to the fact that her husband [Richard] is out there where he has distant [self-centered], into self help books and bike riding [midlife crisis]. Along with this Kate's daughter has gone on internet and posted a 'inappropriate photos' of herself, then we go on to aging parents [his parents and her mom] and lastly having to deal with menopause. So, just from all of this the reader can see that a lots has been thrown on Kate. Oh, I don't want to forget to add more to Kate's woes, a person [Jack Abelhammer] from her past has come into the scene so what will that bring to this story? So, will this story be a 'recipe for disaster, laughs and some heartwarming moment?

"How Hard Can It Be?" was quite a engaging, poignant read where a lots of what Kate Reddy had to go through was very relatable for many who have tackled many of these issues. I thought this novel was a good read that was not only well written, , clever and yes very real' that I would recommend as a good read.

A humorous look at motherhood, working, aging and juggling it all. Although I am not quite at the same age as Kate, and my child is under a year, rather than teenagers, I found I could still relate to what she was going through. This book was hilarious and I liked Kate as a character. She was relatable and entertaining. The story was well paced and well written. I hadn’t read the first book in the series but this work perfectly well as a standalone too.