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    How Hard Can It Be?
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    How Hard Can It Be?
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    How Hard Can It Be?
    Audiobook13 hours

    How Hard Can It Be?

    Written by Allison Pearson

    Narrated by Poppy Miller

    4/5

    ()

    Unavailable in your country

    Unavailable in your country

    About this audiobook

    Kate Reddy is back! The follow-up to the international bestseller I Don’t Know How She Does It, the novel that defined modern life for women everywhere. This time she’s juggling teenagers, ageing parents and getting back into the workplace, and every page will have you laughing and thinking: It’s not just me.

    Mail on Sunday’s Books of the Year

    Kate Reddy is counting down the days until she is fifty, but not in a good way. Fifty, in Kate’s mind, equals invisibility. And with hormones that have her in shackles, teenage children who need her there but won’t talk to her and ailing parents who aren’t coping, Kate is in the middle of a sandwich that she isn’t even allowed to eat because of the calories.

    She’s back at work after a big break at home, because somebody has to bring home the bacon now that her husband Rich has dropped out of the rat race to master the art of mindfulness. But just as Kate is finding a few tricks to get by in her new workplace, her old client and flame Jack reappears – complicated doesn’t even begin to cover it.

    This is a coming of age story for turning fifty. It’s about so much more than a balancing act; it’s about finding out who you are and what you need to feel alive when you’ve got used to being your own last priority. And every page will leave you feeling that there’s a bit of Kate Reddy in all of us.

    As funny as Helen Fielding and Caitlin Moran, this is straight-up brilliant fiction about how to have it all and not end up losing yourself on the way.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherHarperCollins
    Release dateSep 21, 2017
    ISBN9780008150563
    Unavailable
    How Hard Can It Be?
    Author

    Allison Pearson

    Allison Pearson was born in South Wales. She is a columnist and feature writer for the Daily Telegraph. Allison’s first novel, I Don’t Know How She Does It, was an international bestseller; translated into 32 languages it was made into a movie of the same name. Oprah Winfrey called the book ‘A Bible for the working mother’. Allison lives in Cambridge with her family and two poodles. You can find her on Twitter @allisonpearson

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    Reviews for How Hard Can It Be?

    4/5

    101 ratings22 reviews

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    • 4/5
      This book is massive and it is wonderful. It is a feel good story of a struggling mother with a ne’er do well father and kids who can’t tell you if it’s a Tuesday but know how many seconds ago one of the Kardashians posted on Instagram. Kate is our female hero, who shows how unfairly women are treated compared to men who are in the same stage of life, simply because they are women and that’s how it’s always been done. An older woman is of no value in business compared to a man of the same age. Because....no good reason actually! Women who are no longer attractive to men in a male-dominated line of work become redundant....useless. How awful. [spoiler] Of course, Kate comes out on top but I wouldn’t have wanted the story to end any other way. [/spoiler]This was a very fun read and very relatable, even though I’m nowhere near in life that Kate was. Her reality felt real and I rooted for her the whole time. Might’ve sworn me off kids for good though...
    • 5/5
      Smart, touching, extremely funny and full of truths and insights.
    • 3/5
      Kate Reddy is no longer the hard-driving hedge fund manager who is determined to have it all. In her earlier novel, "I Don't Know How She Does It," Allison Pearson showed her heroine juggling deadlines at work while trying to tend to her family's needs. Now that she is approaching fifty, Kate is feeling a bit depressed. The house that she and Richard bought is more of a money pit than she had anticipated; her children have become surly teenagers who are wedded to their cell phones and video games; as she approaches the big five-o, her hormones are acting up; and Richard is unemployed and obsessed with cycling.

      Now Kate frets over her body (it's okay, but not as toned as she would like). Her daughter, Emily, is getting into trouble with social media, Kate and Richard are drifting apart emotionally and physically, and although Kate wants to go back to work, she wonders if she should shave years off her age in order to get hired. Pearson finds comedy and pathos in Kate's situation, although the laughs are often bittersweet.

      "How Hard Can It Be?" should find an appreciative audience among middle-aged women who struggle to balance their personal and professional lives. They will identify with this desperate housewife who tries to make ends meet without losing the romantic spark she and Richard once shared. There are aspects of this novel that are entertaining and amusing. The spirited dialogue, mockery of Richard's new age pretentiousness and egotism, Kate's attempts to fit in with a younger staff, and her reunion with Jack Abelhammer, an amiable and attractive hunk who won Kate's heart with his wit, intelligence, and kindness, keep us invested in the story. Ultimately, however, this novel, which shines when the author satirizes the sexism and ageism of our times, is weakened by its excessive length, contrived and cluttered plot, and wildly implausible conclusion.
    • 4/5
      This book is massive and it is wonderful. It is a feel good story of a struggling mother with a ne’er do well father and kids who can’t tell you if it’s a Tuesday but know how many seconds ago one of the Kardashians posted on Instagram. Kate is our female hero, who shows how unfairly women are treated compared to men who are in the same stage of life, simply because they are women and that’s how it’s always been done. An older woman is of no value in business compared to a man of the same age. Because....no good reason actually! Women who are no longer attractive to men in a male-dominated line of work become redundant....useless. How awful. [spoiler] Of course, Kate comes out on top but I wouldn’t have wanted the story to end any other way. [/spoiler]This was a very fun read and very relatable, even though I’m nowhere near in life that Kate was. Her reality felt real and I rooted for her the whole time. Might’ve sworn me off kids for good though...
    • 5/5
      Having enjoyed “I don’t know how she does it” when my kids were small, it was with great joy that I picked up a copy of this book and realised that, right now, Kate Reddy is exactly the same age as me! The book was sold, no question.As might be expected, there is much humour to be had, sharply satirical takes on modern life that had me nodding and agreeing time after time. So many things that rang true about being a parent of teenagers (her son has stretchmarks across his back exactly the same as mine, except that I didn’t know what they were and thought someone had been thrashing him – wish I’d read this first), trying to get back into work after raising a family, and coping with elderly parents. Hilarious, smart, entertaining escapism – though whether I can really call it escapism when so much of it mirrored my own life, I’m not sure.
    • 2/5
      Kate is tired of having to deal with teenagers, a husband pursuing a second childhood at breakneck speed, and the lack of professional respect. The author packs the tome with ageism stereotypes that include cheating husbands, angst teenagers, pre-menopausal conditions, and technological aversion in the workplace. There were some humorous situations, but overall Kate’s inability to recognize reality gets old really fast.
    • 3/5
      How Hard Can it Be? presents an interesting look into a woman’s life as she battles going back into the work force, family, and her increasing age. Overall this book is full of laughs and deep emotions as the main character has to decide how much she can deal with for herself as well as her children.
    • 4/5
      This was the second book and I read it not knowing it was a continuation. However it stood out on its own. Very enjoyable and so interesting on how to raise adolescent, cope with middle age etc
    • 5/5
      I liked this a lot and I found myself wanting to read every single word---no skimming -- as I kept agreeing with this author and the layer upon layer of discoveries she was having about herself.Now, do I need to go back and read the first book about Kate?
    • 4/5
      Classic British Chick Lit, but with an interesting twist of an older protagonist.
    • 4/5
      This novel is an amusing yet realistic take on the "Sandwich woman". Middle age women layer parenting on one side and elder caregiving of parents or in-laws on the other. In the middle are home and career responsibilities. Add in a dose of marital malaise and menopause, and you have Kate's life in a nutshell. It is complicated and sometimes completely overwhelming. Presented in first person, Ms. Pearson, the author, makes the story fresh by using comic satire and mixing in text and email messaging. Kate's life is not easy and certainly not fair, but it makes for a great read.I would recommend this title particularly to women who might relate to the middle aged Kate: a working mom going through menopause with a husband who doesn't appreciate her and leaves her responsible for finances, kids, and parents while he reinvents himself. It is entertaining and highly readable. Thankfully Kate's patience and long suffering pay off when she finally reaches her own wished for hopes and goals. I found this story to be both fun to read and important. This would be a good book club choice for a women's fiction group.My thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this title.
    • 4/5
      How Hard Can It Be? ByAllison PearsonWhat it's all about...Oh my goodness! Kate is a disaster. Her two children...Emily and Ben...as well as her husband Richard...are the reasons for her disastrous life. She hasn’t worked in years, her husband’s parents need her, her mother needs her, her husband quit his job to find himself and her old gem of a house is literally falling apart beneath her feet! And...they are running out of money and no one cares except for Kate! And she is menopausal! Yikes! Why I wanted to read it... I loved this author’s first book about Kate. I love this author’s second book about Kate. Kate is clever and funny and almost desperate to please everyone. Seriously one of my fave parts was when she tries to text her children but she refuses to shorten anything so her texts are long and labored! Ben and Emily hate it but Ben and Emily are not often nice to Kate even though Kate is always almost sickeningly sweet and lovely with them. That’s the only annoying part of this book. I just wanted Kate to stop and scream at her lazy bike riding unemployed husband and her disrespectful kids. But Kate is just too caring and sweet. She takes on the burdens of her entire family. Her husband becomes a new age non working vegetarian? Kate gets a job even if she has to recalculate her age to do it. What made me truly enjoy this book...Everything about Kate made me enjoy this book. Why you should read it, too...Even if you didn’t read the first book...this one will make you get to know Kate...laugh with Kate and admire Kate. I wished her to have a bit more backbone but...Kate will be Kate! I received an advance reader’s copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley and Amazon. It was my choice to read it and review it.
    • 4/5
      Changes are in the air for Kate, and not just because she’s turning 50. Juggling more balls than a circus performer, she is bound to drop one or two along the way. But she just scoops them up and continues her act. Having to go back to work because her husband lost his job and is taking two years to retrain in a new career, she feels compelled to shave seven years off her age to land a job. It works, but brings new problems to her life. And she still must deal with her teenage daughter who is having a social media crisis of her own doing, a son who is plugged into a virtual life rather than a real one, a mother with health problems, and a set of in-laws experiencing the pain of advancing Alzheimer’s. Kate’s cup overflows when she hears from that special someone she thought she’d never see again. Author Allison Pearson handles all these problems with surprising truthfulness and a liberal dose of humor. The under-forty crowd may not get it, but this book will strike a chord with anyone that age and older. It lets you know that yes, you are getting older, but the best is yet to be.
    • 4/5
      I had no idea when I started this book that it was book 2 in a series. This was such a fun book to read that I definitely need to get book 1 in the Kate Reddy series on order. (From my experience, it's no problem to read these books out of order.)In her late 40s with two teenage kids and a husband who has quit his job and is trying to 'find himself', Kate has decided that its time to go back to work. Her kids, especially her daughter, are horrible and her husband has totally checked out on his family life. Add to the mix, a mother who is very forgetful and a mother in law with dementia. Kate has her first struggle writing her CV - she knows that at her age, she will be immediately out of the running for any job. Plus she is dealing with the invisibility that comes with age. Kate faces lots of different problems but it is all handled in a humorous way that is fun to read but doesn't over shadow the issues. This is a book that will make you smile as you go through life with Kate.The author deals with a lot of current issues - being part of the sandwich generation, marital problems after being married with children for many years, social media and teenagers. Despite some of the serious subjects, its all handled with just enough humor to make it fun.Thanks to the publisher for an advance copy to read and review. All opinions are my own.
    • 4/5
      I was fortunate to win this book from St. Martin's Press as well as a copy from Net Galley.I did not read the first book by Allison Pearson, and I gather the two books are related. That's okay, I understood this book perfectly and will probably go back and read the first book simply because I like her writing style.I am older than Kate is in this book, but I distinctly remember so many of the issues she addresses. I think every woman can relate to the feelings concerning menopause, teenagers, and even parents that are aging and having problems. We may all be going through different life experiences at different times, but some of the feelings will be the same. I enjoyed the directness of the problems presented, the timely, or not so timely as the case may be, recognition of some of the problems, mixed with a sense of humor. Where would we be if we failed to see the humor sometimes?I enjoyed the book more than I expected and intend to recommend it to friends. The characters are real and understandable, the reading flows nicely. It's a good read and addresses many current issues that previous generations were not faced with.
    • 4/5
      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.
    • 5/5
      Title: How Hard Can It Be?Author: Allison PearsonPublisher: St. Martin's PressSeries: Kate Reddy, #2Reviewed By: Arlena DeanRating: FiveReview:"How Hard Can It Be?" by Allison PearsonMy 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.
    • 5/5
      Can it Be?” by Allison Pearson St. Martin’s Press June 5, 2018“How Hard Can it Be” by Allison Pearson is the book that follows the bestselling book by Allison Pearson “I Don’t Know How She Does It”. This can be read as a stand alone. The genres for this book are Fiction, and Women’s Fiction. This novel also has some humorous parts, and some parts where you want to laugh and cry at the same time.The colorful cast of characters are complex and complicated. In this sequel, it is seven years later and Kate Reddy is now a “Returner”. Kate is approaching fifty, and has to re-enter the job market. She is in the sandwich generation, with teenage children, and parents that are needy. Kate’s husband is going through some kind of mid-live crisis, after losing his job, and trying to find himself.Kudos to Allison Pearson for discussing such contemporary subjects as abuse of the media for teenagers, Alzheimers, menopause and other related female issues, being part of the sandwich generation, peer pressure and cutting, mid-life crisis, inequality in the workplace between men and women, and problems with youth and aging.The author mentions the importance of self- worth, growth, family support, love and hope, forgiveness and acceptance. I would highly recommend this intriguing and captivating novel for readers of Women’s Fiction. I received an ARC from NetGalley for my honest review.Edit
    • 4/5
      3.5 starsKate Reddy's husband is having a midlife crisis which puts the pressure on her to return to the workforce after spending years away raising her children. She knows she is facing an uphill battle finding a job given the fact she is almost 50 and companies typically shy away from older applicants. With a distant husband, teenagers acting like teenagers, in-laws in poor health, and an old flame reentering her life, Kate has a lot on her plate. But hey, how hard can it be? This is the second book in a series featuring Kate Reddy.Normally, I don't find it too difficult to jump into the middle of a series but in this case I wish I had read the previous book first. It took me a long time to warm up to Kate and feel invested in her story line. However, eventually the story seemed to pick up and it turned out to be a pretty decent book about a woman dealing with motherhood, going back to the workplace, and relationships.I won a free copy of this book in a giveaway but was under no obligation to post a review. All views expressed are my honest opinion.
    • 3/5
      I won an ARC through goodreads. I’d say it’s a bit like Bridget Jones turns 50. I hadn’t read the first book but found it wasn’t necessary to enjoy this sequel. It was a fun, fast read and perfect for my recent holiday in Mexico celebrating a milestone birthday of my own.
    • 4/5
      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.
    • 4/5
      Loved this sequel to I Don't Know How She Does It. Kate Reddy is back, with her children now teenagers, glued to Smartphones and getting into trouble on social media. She's now coming up on her 50th birthday, facing down menopause, and has had to lie about her age to get a job at the financial firm she left years before. Her husband, Richard, having lost his job at an architectural firm, has decided to retrain as a "mindfulness counsellor" and spends his time at training sessions or marathon bike riding, earning no money and leaving Kate to support the family financially and every other way. And then Jack Abelhammer, the love of Kate's life from the first book, reappears. I enjoyed every minute of reading this book and didn't want it to end.