Tough Crowd by Andi Osho is a wonderful contemporary novel about family, friends and love.
Family is important. There are many different types of family. We see one where the matriarch rules the roost, with a poison tongue. Vicious barbs still hurt a life, even as an adult. It requires courage to stand up and speak out.
We see a split family where each parent is doing their best. As a new girlfriend of a single Dad, it is hard to be accepted by the family. Clashes with a teen are inevitable. Trying too hard to appear in control takes its toll. It is okay to ask for help. We need to be brave enough to be truthful when life overwhelms.
We follow characters trying to break into the comedy circuit. It’s a difficult nut to crack, but being anecdotal and true to oneself is always good advice.
All the characters were well drawn, likable and realistic. We see the action in the first person from the point of view of the leading lady. She is a blend of bold and sassy, with a vulnerability that is easy to empathise with.
I thoroughly enjoyed Tough Crowd. It was the perfect way to spend a couple of afternoons.
I received a free copy from the publishers. A favourable review was not required. All opinions are my own.

A fun story but with so many undercurrents, being single, finding someone, blended families and dealing with disapproval from your own parent, Andi, you smashed it 'babes'

I really enjoyed this book! Abi was a fun, exciting character, who I really enjoyed watching her develop throughout this book. She had such a clear voice and presence - Andi Osho has done an incredible job of fleshing her out and making her feel like a real person!
I feel that the romance between Abi and Will happened pretty quickly. I would have liked to see more build up and development between the two of them.
Nevertheless, this was a really lovely story that I enjoyed and made me laugh out loud in bits!

I enjoyed this, but although it was about a comedian and was written by a comedian, it wasn’t overly funny. There were some great observations and it was interesting to see Abi’s character develop, but I was really hoping for laugh out loud. I did snigger at the cowgirl joke though!
I think that it was also a little bit too neat in places, dating in real life is hardly ever that convenient or that forgiving.

An ideal beach or holiday read, some lovely laugh out loud moments and sighs of recognition - and even though the ending isnt the biggest surprise in the world, its still an entertaining and emotional journey to get there! Easy relaxing reading

I enjoyed Tough crowd. The story premise was fun and I liked the family dynamics that played out.

I think I wanted it to be a little more funny though and just wanted something more from it. I found myself losing interest in some parts and predicted what was coming.

Overall it was an enjoyable light hearted read though and I would probably read something else from this author.

This was a simple, fun, easy and quick read. The perfect type of book for your holiday, beach, pool kind of read. The E-Book could be improved and more user-friendly, such as links to the chapters, no significant gaps between words and a cover for the book would be better. It is very document-like instead of a book. A star has been deducted because of this.

This is a first for me by the author and one I enjoyed and I would read more of their work. The book cover is eye-catching and appealing and would spark my interest if in a bookshop. Thank you very much to the author, publisher and Netgalley for this ARC.

Thank you Netgalley for this ARC!

This was such a fun and heartwarming read! Abi was an incredibly lovable and realistic protagonist who I’m sure everyone can relate to in some way; I absolutely loved her and her narration. It was so personal and funny - it felt like she was talking directly to me as if I was a friend. I thought the character building was great, I got a really vivid sense of the characters and their relationships with each other.
I do wish we saw more development of Abi and Will’s relationship as that happened quite quickly, but I understand that the focus of the book was Abi and her journey so I didn’t mind.
I absolutely LOVED her development with Elle, the back and forth was funny and authentic, and their inevitable companionship towards the end had me smiling from ear to ear.
Overall, this is a touching and emotional book about love, family, growth, and acceptance and I loved every page.

Having loved her debut, Asking For A Friend, I was beyond hyped to see Andi Osho's new book being available! My expectations were quite high, I wouldn't say they were quite met but they were satisfied enough. The premise is a great one, Abi is a comedian in her 30s. After countless disappointments, in both her professional and romantic life, things start to look on the up when she starts dating Will. But Will has two daughters, and winning them over will be her toughest job yet.
The only problem I had was how repetitive the middle section was. Tensions between Abi and Will's eldest daughter, Elle, don't escalate so much as stagnate. It stopped the book from being a fun. breezy read - instead it just became quite dull and a bit of a chore to read.

Witty and fun read. Really funny in parts and most women can identify with Abis struggles to juggle a relationship, career and children. The task is doubly difficult if you're also a step-parent coping with a blended family. Good read.

I was thrilled to be asked to read Andi Osho's latest offering, having enjoyed her debut very much,
Tough Crown is well written, funny, and emotional journey for the female MC Abi, who is battling negativity from her mother for her chosen path, becoming a comedian, as well as navigating a new relationship that brings her into new territory of not only being girlfriend but needing the approval of children...
I loved Abi. She knows what she wants in life, and despite everything, is trying her hardest, even though there are successes all around her, sometimes ready to make her vow never to cross a stage again. And to be thrown into the role of 'Dad's new girlfriend', well, that's gotta be pretty tough for someone who never thought they wanted kids!
There is a great supporting cast, including Will, her new beau, who could be The One, but with some excess baggage.
The kids, Elle and Elsie are two opposite characters, but they truly make Abi work for her own money, Elle especially.
But I loved Abi's father. Only has a small role within the book, but he is a star, ever her cheerleader, and someone who has his own mini-character arc within the book.
This a good insight into the stand-up comedy circuit gigs and how those comedians struggle to make it big... if only it were that easy to just stand on stage and rattle off a few jokes...
A great read. Again. Well done Andi Oshi!
Many thanks to NetGalley and HQ for an ARC.

I really enjoyed this. The life of a stand up comedian was really interesting to read about and the relationships between the characters developed really well. Recommended.

I really enjoyed this book and loved the writing style. Unfortunately at times it fell a little flat for me and took a little while to read. Overall it was a fun book to read but not my favourite.

This was a really fun read with a FMC comedian who brings plenty of banter and LOL moments to the book!

I really enjoyed watching Abi and Will navigate their new relationship, especially as Will was a father to two girls, one of which being a teenager and we all know how they can be if you're lucky enough to have 1! Lol.

There was maybe a little too much of Abis stand up comedy routines throughout but I really loved how she came into her own as the story progressed and she chose to speak on topics that were more relatable.

This book had a great fresh, 2023 feel to it, and if you like comedy, you'll really enjoy this one! 3.5 stars!

Thank you to netgalley for my arc copy