Rating: 
Summary: Bridget Jones 10 years later
Review: For some reason all of the books I'm reading lately are by English authors. This one reminded me very much of "Bridget Jones Diary" - the chaotic life at work and home, the hilarious british humor, the wacky characters. The one big difference is that the main character, Kate Reddy, is married with two children and a successful career in the male dominated world of high finance. I throughly enjoyed the diary-style of writing and all of her ups and downs; being a woman in the corporate world myself I can only hope to be able to tie everything up in such a nice package should I ever be faced with this working mother dilemna. I definitely recommend this book!
Rating: 
Summary: Luckily, this is not a soapbox
Review: The story of Kate Reddy, the city trader mother of two small children who struggles to be perfect in both the home and work spheres, while battling an industry that doesn't believe in giving mothers a break. In her attempt to be good at absolutely everything, she never manages to reach any of her high standards. This is a great book, with large lashings of humour that many readers will identify with - even if you are not a mother (or not even a woman) you are sure to find moments in this book you identify with - the struggle to reach your goals, annoying relatives, attempting to keep up with the Joneses. There is a 'story' to hold this all together and try to make it more than just a list of goings on (this book developed out of a newspaper column), and while that works, I found the day-to-day description of Kate's life the interesting thing. In the end, it all comes to a head, and Kate acknowledges something has to give (Don't read any further if you don't want to know a main plot point)and chooses family over work - her husband is a big factor in this. Her choice feels a bit of a let down/sell out - I wanted her to manage both and show everyone it can be done - but even when she 'retires' she can't quite give up, hatching future plans. I liked Kate, and even though I don't have children myself, I identified with her - the unfairness of expectations on who does what in the home sphere being an annoyance I totally understand. I also like the fact that the author doesn't resort to making all the male characters bastards and all the female characters angels. This is a really enjoyable book - like me, you might come to this book expecting a soapbox, but luckily, you would be wrong.
Rating:
Summary: Cross between Briget Jones and Nanny Diaries
Review: Wow, this first novel is a goodie, written in diary-like first person narrative of Kate, mother of two living the good life and struggling to hold it all together: perfect kids, perfect job, perfect house, perfect marriage. She wants all that she has, wants still more, and knows the price on marriage, family, and self. But instead of being a downer, it's all told with high intelligence and humor, many laugh-aloud moments and some touching ones, and, for good measure, the men are often pretty good guys instead of insensitive cads.
Even if you think you ought to be turned off by this book, even if it sounds like a light fluffy beach read, well, read it anyway. You'll be delightfully surprised.
Rating:
Summary: the best I've read in years!
Review: I just loved this book!! I read it on the beach and laughed out loud all the time. As someone who has always been challenged by balancing work and kids, I related to everything in the book. Wonderful read. A must read!
Rating: 
Summary: Hard Character To Sympathize With
Review: While Pearson does a remarkable job of describing the nearly impossible juggling act that is required of working mothers, I wish she had created a character that I could sympathize with. I couldn't stand Kate Reddy. She was horrible to her husband, condescending to her co-workers, and short-tempered with her children. When she began her email adultery, I absolutely couldn't stand her anymore. I just kept thinking that the whole family would be better off without her. As a single mother myself, I was thrilled to see such a talented author illustrate the complexity of managing career and family--- except that Kate didn't really manager her family. Instead, she criticized the way her husband and nanny did things. By the time the novel ended, I didn't care what Kate did. I just felt sorry for everyone who had to live with her.
Rating:
Summary: Kate Reddy Superwoman or Super Exhausted
Review: This was an enjoyable book by Allison Pearson that takes a more than humorous look at society, motherhood, family and marriage. Kate Reddy is a character that the reader cheers for, loathes, envies and grieves for all at the same time. She is a somewhat over the top working mom who is continually juggling her career, family and marriage and feeling that she is less than successful at any one. At work she feels like an imposter, at home she feels like an inferior mom and in her marriage she feels exasperated. Throughout the book, Kate searches as we all do for who she really is. She makes decisions and puts herself in situations that appall me such as; thoughts about an affair, leaving a sick child, jealousy over her nanny, admitting how stifled she feels by the neediness of her children and her feelings of inadequacies around stay at home mothers. This is the beauty of this novel. It arouses feelings that all mothers have regardless if they work or stay home. When does it become okay for a mom to be a woman who enjoys more than caretaking. These are questions that people feel very strongly about including Kate Reddy. The struggles that she goes through in the novel are written in a humorous and sometimes heartbreaking manner by Pearson. At one point Kate describes her mixed feelings about motherhood "The need of children is never-ending. At what point is it all right to say when. Never. And to serve so selfessly, you have to subdue something in yourself. I admire the women who can do it, but the mere thought makes me sick with panic." Is Kate loathsome because she admits her weaknesses? Is she a better woman for following her heart? Do her children suffer because of her actions? Does her marriage? Does she? Yes to all and the heartbreaking reality of Kate Reddy is that no one can really have it all and each of us must struggle with their own definition of what works in their life. A very inciteful book written in a humorous way that makes accurate observations about life for women in the workplace, at home and in marriage. Well done!
Rating:
Summary: Every Working Mom Needs to Chuckle Now and Then...
Review: A very funny novel about a high powered married working mother of two children trying to balance work and motherhood. It is a very humorous but thoughtful tale of the daily trials of being female in the workplace and the key decision maker at home. I laughed out loud at times. Though the main chracter lives in London, her tale is universal. Very good beach/vacation reading. I read it in 2 days!
Rating:
Summary: A Good Read
Review: Although the woman-trying-to-juggle-career-marriage-and-children is a somewhat overworked theme, Pearson's crisp and witty writing style give the plot of this story some freshness. As a stay-at-home mom who formerly worked outside her home, I found plenty of situations and characters in this story that were not only funny, but rang all too true(especially the "muffia"). The reason that I rated this book with 4, instead of 5, stars is because it did go on a bit too long with a far-fetched ending.
Rating:
Summary: Reading this book made me exhausted!
Review: I DON'T KNOW HOW SHE DOES IT is the story of a British Female Executive with an eighty-hour work week who also happens to be married with two young children. This book made my life when I had two small kids years ago (while teaching school, Sunday School, having a Girl Scout Troop, and carting kids to ballet, art, piano, gymnastics, soccer, scouts, cheerleading, cooking dinner every night, and a ton of other things) seem like a Rip van Winkle snooze! Kate Reddy, the thirty-five year old investment broker travels all over the world to oversee her multitude of accounts. Her long hours away from home eventually take their toll on her family as well as herself. She works in the stereotypical office (with men who are all chauvinistic pigs); the double standard is alive and well at Edwin Morgan Forster.
This is a great vacation book, easy to pick up but also easy to put down. Allison Pearson's writing is descriptive, colorful, and often times funny. Take it with you to the beach!
Rating:
Summary: funny,balanced with the truth of living with our own choices
Review: I really loved this book. First, it was very funny. While I found it sad in parts, I didn't see it as an indictment of working mothers or a negative work overall. I think there is something there for all moms. What stay at home mom can't identify with a seconds matter lifestyle (showering, grocery shopping and cleaning in 1 hr 45 minutes between feedings), or how ridiculous competitive child rearing has become? What working mom can't identify with feeling like there is yet another thing you should be doing but are not? All the wit of Bridget Jones with a more serious theme....
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