Anything but Easy by Susie Tate is a contemporary romance. Kira Murphy is a liability: always has been. She might be small but her personality and heart are not: a sexual health doctor with a foul mouth, pink streaks in her hair, a bizarre world view, a reputation for being ‘pathologically social’, and a huge crush on the current Minister of State for Business, Energy and Clean Growth . . . she’s weird and lovable in equal measure. The last thing Barclay Lucas needs is a liability. He’s made it into the cabinet with single-minded determination, sheer grit, and serious conservatism. But then a crazy, pink-haired, tiny dynamo turns his life upside-down and serious for Barclay is a thing of the past. But he’s never liked feeling out of control – something he experiences with Kira on a daily basis. So he pushes her away when she needs him the most, and unfortunately for him she retreats at head-spinning speed. It’s only then he realizes that although being with Kira is anything but easy, the grey, boring alternative is far worse. He’ll have to use all his hard-earned political negotiating and maneuvering skills to get her back. Because after being dragged from black and white into full Technicolor with Kira, Barclay knows that, however serious and worthy his life is, he can’t live it without her.
Anything but Easy is a romance with all the feels. There is drama, giggles, and fair warning- plenty of swearing and outrageous behavior. Kira is a wild card. For the most part she says exactly what she thinks, and does everything she can to help those around her. I will admit that her own lack of concern for her own safety irked me a time or two, it was consistent with her character. She generally has zero filter, which both helps and hurts her throughout the book. Barclay is struggling with control and emotions. He has a driving need to fix things, and it was fun reading the banter between Kira and Barclay. I found myself grinning through most of their encounters. There is a good deal of swearing, hysterical nicknames, and a good number of emotional moments. While my personality is much closer to Barclay's than Kira's, I could identify and sympathize with her on several levels. I also liked the secondary characters, and the deep friendships that play such an important role in the book, and know that a few of them have books featuring their own love stories (which I am now going to have to go find). I really enjoyed the read and look forward to reading more from Tate.
Anything but Easy is a book that had me grinning for most of the read. Every Tate fan will enjoy the read, and while she is not for everyone, I suspect she will gain new fans as well.
