I Don't Know How She Does It by Allison Pearson

Title: I Don't Know How She Does It

Author: Allison Pearson

Released: January 2002

Meet Kate Reddy, fund manager and mother of two. A victim of time famine, Kate counts seconds like other women count calories. Factor in a manipulative nanny, an Australian boss who looks at Kate's breasts as if they're on special offer, a long-suffering husband, her quietly aghast in-laws, two needy children and an email lover, and you have a woman juggling so many balls that some day something's going to hit the ground.

Rating: 3 Stars

Positives: I absolutely love the sense of humour contained within this book. One of my biggest laugh out loud moments was when Kate is thinking about how "Women used to make mince pies and fake orgams. Now we can handle the orgasms and have to fake the mince pies." The funny thing is that she is absolutely spot on! Or my other favourite moment which I had to text to one of my friends immediately after reading was her list of reasons for not having an affair with someone. 1. Haven't waxed legs since Hallowe'en. Whereas being married was relegated to number four. 

Humour aside it was funny seeing how Kate tries to keep all the balls juggling, but of course no one can juggle that many balls forever. I especially loved hers and Momo's revenge on Chris Bunce. What an ingenious idea. I may try it sometime. Now I just need to meet a hedge fund manager who can piss me off easily. 

Negatives: I don't know if it's just me but whilst funny it didn't really feel like the story was going anywhere. There was a long time where I wanted Kate and Jack to get together, purely so something would happen. 

Then there was the epilogue. The ending for Kate was so damn predictable. We'be seen enough of her character over the course of the book to know what would happen the moment her sister phoned her. I just get the feeling that it's only going to be one more cycle of the same story. 

In all honestly I was a little disappointed with this book. 

Would I recommend this book? If I'm honest no I wouldn't. I didn't feel the gripping need to read just one more chapter, and I didn't really engage with the characters. A rather lacking book in all.