I liked it, didn't love it, not what I expected about alcohol addiction... This is funny and weird.
A couple who drinks too much and get into embarrassing situations, their daughter who decides to film them and post it online... How they try to get sober...
You wonder if those people can even communicate if not drunk!

I liked it, it made me laugh. But not my favorite book in 2018.

My first time reading Nick Spalding, I don't regret it.

Thank you NetGalley and Publisher for the ARC of this book! This is my honest review.

***3.5 rounded up to 4 stars***

A lighthearted fun read that was a good change up genre for me. Kate and husband Scott are drinkers..BIG drinkers; functioning alcoholics to say the least. They can be outlandish when they drink and therefore some parts of this book were showing a serious issue in a downplayed manner. When their daughter, Holly uploads an embarrassing drunken video of them on social media, it goes viral and they are forced to address their issues. I really enjoyed how modern day social media involvement was brought into this story. The alternating point of views from both Kate and Scott helped show the struggle both individuals went through which made you understand each character better. I was cheering for Kate and Scott's sobriety, had some laughs, and really enjoyed this read.

Special Thanks to NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for allowing me an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

DNF at 25%. I didn't find Dry Hard funny at all--and as it is supposed to be a comedic novel I knew that meant it's not for me.

if you loved Fat Chance by Nick Spalding, you will love this.
It confronts a social issue that in my view needs confronting but it isn't done in an offensive way.
You go on an emotional rollercoaster with the family featured in this book and I have to be honest I really enjoyed it, even if it made me cry towards the end.
Another great book by nick spalding

This was my first Nick Spalding book — it will not be my last. Fast and funny — I had a blast reading this and laughed out loud more than I can remember doing in a long time. Read this. You’ll enjoy it.

Sometimes I find books humorous enough to make me smile. This book had me laughing so hard that my husband asked me what was so funny. Nick Spalding has an amazing way with words. Dry Hard was a sweet, serious, but touching book about one family’s fight against alcoholism.

Meet Kate & Scott, two 30-something worker bees who seem to have a wee problem with alcohol. While the first two chapters delve into the more humorous aspects of what their lives are like, the next chapter exposes us to how their behavior affects their teenage daughter. It’s heartbreaking to see how what they do makes her so unhappy, but she has one novel way of dealing with her angst. Her teenage vlog lets her journal her life for the world to see. And after one rather frightening night of seeing her parents drunken behavior ruin yet another holiday, she decides to use her vlog to expose their behavior to the world.

Holly uploads the video of her parents enjoying their holiday just a tad too much. The video goes viral unexpectedly and the repercussions ensue. While Kate and Scott are mortified to know the world has seen them behaving badly, Holly wants to use this to her advantage to get them to quit drinking. This is how our story gets moving into the year of sobriety for Kate and Scott.

Even though alcoholism is not a funny subject, Nick Spalding does an amazing job of allowing us to see human frailty and recognize that these people were just doing their best when the alcohol took over their lives. Stress and other influences took what was once just a social and occasional thing to another level. I really appreciated how Spalding dealt with such a tough subject in a way that most of us can relate to.

This was a light read about a serious problem - alcoholism.

Kate and Scott Temple are an English middle-class couple in their forties. They have a teenage daughter and both are working long hours in their respective jobs.
Drinking has become a crutch for when bored, upset, stressed etc. Denial is their middle name until their daughter posts online a video of her parents drunk and acting stupid.

Sobering and embarrassing.

Dry Hard very quick read. I don't know if it's because I don't find drunks funny, but truth be told, I got irritated with our protagonists and their first world problems. Truth be told, I found the protagonists whinny and I got irritated with them, even when some of their struggles, issues rang true. I also thought that the author was trying too hard to make it funny.

★ ★ ★ 1/2 (rounded up)
This originally appeared at The Irresponsible Reader.
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Kate Temple's in PR, Scott Temple's a marketing director for a distillery. Both of them rely on alcohol to get through their days (and nights). They used to have each other to rely on and curb their use, but as they've become more successful, they have to do more things away from each other and they really don't have anyone to watch out for them. Also, because they spend less time with each other, both have a hole they need to fill throughout their days -- which usually involves more drinking.

Things are getting bad enough that they both endanger their jobs (not to mention the property and safety of others) thanks to drunken escapades. But this doesn't give either of them much pause -- if anything it drives them to the bottle even more. Their teenaged daughter, Holly, can't understand why these two can't see how bad their drinking is, how much it's hurting their marriage, how much it's affecting her life. So, at Christmas, she decides to secretly film them at their drunken worst (which starts pretty early in the evening) and then she shows it to them, hoping this video intervention will awaken them to their problem.

It doesn't work -- her parents defend their drinking, downplay the mortifying things they do on video and generally blow her off. So in a fit of adolescent pique, she uploads the video to YouTube so her friends can see it. But the video catches the attention of a couple of popular YouTube celebrities and next thing they know, Kate and Scott are a viral sensation.

This very public shaming convinces them that they need to make some changes, and decide to cut out drinking totally. Holly tries to get them public support by uploading videos chronicling their efforts to live dry for a year, attaching the hashtag #DryHard. Things do not go well -- well, maybe well, but not smoothly.

Now, here's where Spalding distinguishes himself from almost every other writer on the planet -- he makes all of that hilarious. Yes, Holly's going through a lot because of her parents, but even in the way that Spalding describes it, her hardships are funny. At the 14% mark, I wrote in my notes "I have no idea if he can tell a story, but Spalding can make me laugh!"

I can thankfully report, he can tell a story -- and still makes me laugh. The comedy comes from the situations, from the slapstick-y way his characters navigate the situations, and just the way he narrates (typically through the protagonists' voices). It's not just one thing that he does well -- he can bring the laughs through multiple channels. Yes, the couple are careening toward rock bottom, but you laugh about it; yes, they're dealing with very serious life and death issues -- but Spalding makes you find the humor in the situations; they have monumental struggles that don't go away just because they sober up, but you'll ber chuckling and chortling while watching them flounder.

Oh, also, this has nothing to do with the plot, but Spalding's description of Gin Fawkes -- a flavored gin using orange peel and cinnamon produced by Scott's distillery -- is enough to make me consider becoming a teetotaler. Fantastic stuff. Funny and horrifying in equal measures.

This is the story of a family in crisis and the great lengths they go to to preserve that family. That right there sells me on the book -- everyone wants the same thing -- Kate and Scott's marriage to recover. There's not one person in the family thinking of pulling away, there's not one more committed than the rest -- both spouses are flawed and fallible, even Holly makes mistakes and loses her way, however briefly. No one's blameless, no one's to blame, Scott and Kate have got themselves to this point together, and together they'll make it out. Too many books like this will take the "side" of one spouse -- one is committed, one is faithful, one is stupid and blind to their own faults and one is the bigger/wiser person, etc., etc. Spalding doesn't do that -- he presents the Temples as mutually dysfunctional, mutually aspirational, and human.

Unlike a lot of similar authors, if Spalding had the opportunity for an honest, heartfelt emotional scene or a series of laughs -- he'd pick the laughs 99 times out of 100. Thankfully, if he could go for a fairly honest and quite heartfelt scene with laughs, he'd go for that too. If he'd gone for fewer laughs and more of the honest and heartfelt moments, he might have a more complex, realistic, and substantive novel. Something more akin to Jonathan Tropper or Nick Hornby at their best. Instead, Spalding produced an entertaining, funny and frequently hilarious novel. The substance is there -- but it's hidden and easy to miss between the chuckles.

If you take the time to look for the substance/depth -- you'll find it and appreciate its presence. If you don't and just laugh, you'll be fine and have a good time -- either way, you win.

This was my first Nick Spalding book -- it will not be my last. Fast and funny -- I had a blast reading this and laughed out loud more than I can remember doing in a long time. Read this. You'll enjoy it.

Disclaimer: I received this eARC from Amazon Publishing UK via NetGalley in exchange for this post -- thanks to both for this.

Kate and Scott have always enjoyed a drink, throughout their marriage.  Recently though, the drinking has started to get out of hand.  Finally their daughter Holly has had enough. She takes an embarrassing video of her parents whilst drunk and uploads it to YouTube.  This sparks the start of #dryhard, where Holly and her parents chronicle their struggle to quit alcohol on social media. Can they overcome their struggles, save their marriage and their family and move towards a happier future?

I really enjoyed reading this, it was just what I needed after a few heavier or more serious books.  This actually did make me laugh out loud whilst reading, which almost never happens. I enjoyed it so much I read it in a day!

I really liked the three main characters. The family was fully believable, and I can imagine many households going through similar struggles to the Temples.  I liked that the author showed the characters' flaws, and also showed the silly situations alcohol put them in, without making them ridiculous or caricature like.

The novel moves quickly, keeping the plot going and keeping readers interested.  I thought it was quite an original idea, and the idea of drinking too much is something that a lot of people would be familiar with.  It even made me question my own drinking habits (I decided I don't need to worry too much just yet haha!)

A really enjoyable read, it's funny, engaging and heartwarming in all the right amounts.  I definitely recommend it, particularly if you're looking for a lighthearted read that still has substance to it.  I'll also be likely to go read more of Spalding's back catalogue too.

Thanks to NetGalley and Amazon Publishing UK for an arc in exchange for an honest review

I am a huge fan of Nick Spalding, so I was delighted to receive an arc of this book.
Kate and Scott are a middle aged married couple with a fondness for the drink. Their teenage daughter Holly is fed up being embarrassed by their behaviour and decides to post their drunken antics on youtube, and the footage soon goes viral. The couple decide to give up alcohol for a year for the sake of their daughter, however, the cracks in their relationship soon become apparent.
Laugh out loud funny in parts, the drunken fireworks display and Kate driving the tractor had me in hysterics, this was a really entertaining read. The couple weren't in the depths of alcoholism so it wasn't as dark as I feared it might be! The way social media is so prevalent in our culture was spot on too, I am just as mystified as Kate about youtubers and how they make so much money!
I would recommend all of Nick Spalding's books, they certainly appeal to my sense of humour.

Amazing book. Loved it from beginning to end.
Well written which kept me captivated throughout.
I will definitely be reading other books by this author

I love Spalding’s books - in fact, they were the thing that made me keep my Kindle Unlimited subscription for so long. This one, ironically, did feel dry for the first quarter and I wasn’t sure I would make it to the end. However, it picked up remarkably and I’m glad I did finish, however implausible I found it. There were some laughs to be had, but not as many as in his other novels - perhaps because of the subject matter.

Not one I’ll reread, but an enjoyable story nonetheless.

I’d forgotten how much I love Spalding’s style! ‘Dry Hard’ is a hilarious exploration of the role that alcohol plays in modern relationships, and the rise of social media which has left us forty-somethings somewhat bewildered at times and created a gulf between generations.

A humorous look at alcohol addiction, family and the generation gap!
As a parent to teenagers, I could certainly relate to Holly and her parents' complete confusion at some of the things she said: my sons' often translate for me! I also look on in bemusement at the range of 'you-tubers' that they so religiously follow just as Holly does in the book.
The intense and all-consuming nature of alcoholism was slightly glossed over but I suppose this was a novel designed more to make you laugh, which it did do.
Overall, it was an enjoyable read if lacking a little of the rawness of the subject matter in the real world.

Alcohol addiction in comedic fiction? Surely, you jest. No one could take such a serious subject, make it funny and still tastefully handle the topic. Well, you’re not jesting. Speaking from firsthand experience, I’m a sober newbie, I thought the subject was wonderfully handled. It didn’t delve into the ugly underbelly of what alcohol addiction can be, but nobody said it had to. Not every related to alcohol abuse has to devolve into utter despair and the daily rock bottom that has a never ending trap door. It was funny, fast paced, witty, and warm. The characters are deliciously entwined in this recovery dance with each other and while I do find some of what they go through a little unrealistic, when you’ve been drinking as long as they have the likelihood of multiple relapses is astronomically high, as well as the lack of withdrawal symptoms that they experienced, overall the story was just an enjoyable read. Thanks to NetGalley

Nick Spalding has done it again – made me snigger, snort and guffaw out loud while on the London Underground. As always, his writing is so skilled that as I read each hilarious incident I can see where it is going and yet I can’t stop the belly laugh; and yet his writing is deeply moving and he is able to climb inside the head of the mother, father and child and make me feel empathy towards each of those characters. Well done Nick!

You're looking for a funny book that is intelligent and insightful. Here it is.

I've read several books by the same author and this one did not disappoint. How many times did I start giggling or shout out with a gaffaw? Dozens, as I did with the others.

The book takes a shot at adding humor to alcohol addiction, which could really make one cringe if handled improperly. As someone who knows alcohol addiction from a close proximity, it's usually not a laughing manner and I was nervous to start the book for that reason. I thought it was handled with humor and respect (again, as much as you can do while also making the audience laugh). The characters' descriptions of their perception of their attachment to alcohol were less serious or sinister than I thought they should be, based on my experience. However, I leave room for the fact that addiction manifests itself differently in different people.

The book also pokes fun at and utilizes the [silly] world of social media and YouTube channel making and obsessing. It hit the mark and makes me think twice about my own over-use. Though, at no point was it preachy or self-righteous. Just funny.

A theme that this author always seems to provide and I always appreciate: Marriage is important and it isn't a given. You have to work at it.

Dry Hard is a wonderful laugh out loud funny read with some really cringe inducing moments.
Scott and Kate have become so used to using alcohol as a crutch to forget their everyday stresses it has become an embarrassment and worry to their 17 year old daughter, so she decides to film their antics on Christmas Day when they are totally steaming drunk. It becomes an internet sensation and they both realise they will need to change. This story then takes us on their journey and how they cope with sobriety, often really very very funny but there is a depth here that is extremely thought provoking.
There are some awful characters, one of them completely repulsive and I have to admit to having to speed read through his 'bits' in the book, although he is quite a main character, can't say more as it could spoil the story.
All in all as usual with this immensely readable author a funny and enjoyable story, which didn't pull back from this families struggles.
My thanks to net galley and publisher for opportunity to review this book

Fans of 90's comedies, who miss a time when humor was making fun of someone, will enjoy this book.

Spalding's comical writing is good, if overly wordy. But the story, type of humor, and specific details referenced throughout the book are out of place. Most of the jokes are at someone's expense, at times mean spirited. Something I don't find funny at all. Maybe there's still a market for this kind of humor, but it feels dated.

There were some details that didn't make sense, like a man who doesn't know what Youtube is, or never hearing of Krav Maga, cupping, or wild boar as an entree in a restaurant. These are all normal things people know yet Dry Hard treats them as anomalies that confound our main characters in forced drama. My 70 year-old mother knows Youtube and she lives out in the boonies. I find it very hard to believe someone, anyone, wouldn't have heard of Youtube.

The story took a long time to get where it was going. There isn't much personal conflict until ~70% into the book. Up until then it's mostly situational comedy that transitions between two first-person narratives and a single third-person omniscient narrative. The alternating narratives are odd. Not good or bad, just and odd choice that I don't quite see how it benefited the story.

I received a copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Story: 1 star
Character Development: 3 stars
Writing/Prose: 2 stars

Another fantastic Nick Spalding read, never fails to disappoint, it made me laugh as I knew it would, it was hard to put down and was finished in a day while on my holiday drinking wine and to be honest it actually made me think about my drinking habits, a cracking job Mr Spalding