When small town Nebraska sheriff Hixon Drake meets Greta Dare, the connection couldn’t be stronger, but the timing couldn’t be worse.Dealing with the fallout of a divorce he never wanted and setting up a new home for his kids, Hix becomes that guy, that one he never wanted to be, and puts a stop to things before they can even start. Protecting his kids, and himself, is his only priority.Greta, on … priority.
Greta, on the other hand, has found the place for her and the brother she adores that’s perfect for them—a sleepy little town in Nebraska. She’s learned from life that there are no hopes and dreams. The only thing to look forward to is peace. And that’s what she works hard to build for herself and her brother. Right up until Hix walks into her life.
Hix can’t fight the pull and stay away from Greta for long. And Greta’s finding it hard not to hope for something more with all the promise that is Hix.
But when the first murder that’s happened in over five decades rocks his small, sleepy county, Hix has got to learn to trust again, convince Greta to take a shot with him, and at the same time catch a killer.
In other words, things are definitely…Complicated.
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The characters were lovable without being to good to be true. Kind but not always, compassionate but occasionally thoughtless. Human and realistic.
I swear Kristen Ashley can do no wrong when it comes to her books, I had been waiting for this one to come out in book format, especially after hearing rave audiobook reviews. Now I love all of her series, but was super excited for something stand alone and away from her other awesome character.
Complicated follows Greta, a woman who has finally found a great small town for her and her brother. As the big sister, she has always been there for her brother, his accident as a teenager left him need great care and that’s all Greta wants for him, is the best. But when she has a smoking hot run in with the newly separated Sherriff Hix, as well as threats from her mother, and now a shocking murder happens in their town, it seems like Greta is in for a lot more of a bumpy ride than she hoped for.
Greta is as sweet as can be, she’s hard working, will do anything for her brother and loves to just relax and sit on her porch people watching. I adored her, I wanted her to have something happy, something that would help ease everything on her shoulders. When she meets Hix, there are a ton of ups and down especially since his ex is a raging mean girl. She is super easy to connect with, I felt for her when it came to the bashing from Hix’s ex and the craziness from her awful mother, but this woman keeps it together.
Hix is an alpha male to the max, he loves his children and loved his wife, but she wanted more, and not showing her appreciation in a nice way. Thus is why they divorced. When Hix meets Greta, their connection is off the charts hot and sweet. She so different from his ex and she’s definitely what he needed. But he’s a stubborn man, and when a murder put his town in danger, he has the spot light on him more than he wanted. I loved this guy and wanted to scream at him sometimes, Greta is a sweet woman, and sometimes he handles her wrong. Luckily I know Ashley always makes up for her male characters behavior. So he warmed up to me and brought that charm and yumminess that I adore in an alpha male.
Overall I loved this story, it started steamy, had a ton of emotional ups and down, and the murder mystery kept me on my toes. I love small town stories. Ashley always is my go to author and she knows her characters and really pulls me into her world building. Loved it!
Like a lot of KA books, I struggled with the first part of the book. The hero always seem to be jerks in the beginning. The reason I keep reading them is all due to how the heroes transform when they go all in for the heroine. When that happens, they are the type of man I can’t get enough of.
Her heroes are not great at apologizing or groveling because they are too manly to do something like that, but once they love a woman, they’re very protective and possessive with them. It’s what truly makes it worth going through the jerky behavior for me as a reader.
There is ex-wife drama in this one but for the most part, I loved how Hixon handled it. I also love that for once the heroine had an ex that was a good guy. I hate when heroines always have loser ex’s when heroes always have models for ex’s. It levels the playing field.
I originally gave this book 4 stars but since I’m on my third re-read, I think I can officially say this is a favorite of mine and it deserves 5 stars. I guess I don’t mind this particular heroes jerky moments.
Audiobook review: One thing I think this author really excels at is choosing narrators for her books. I’ve found a lot of new favorite narraters because of Kristen Ashley. I highly recommend listening to Complicated on Audible.
4.5 Stars! Complicated is my very first audiobook. Getting past the newness of someone narrating the story, it was everything we’ve come to expect from a KA story.
Summary:
Sheriff Hixon Drake is at a point in his life he never thought he’d be. Divorced. He had been with the same woman for nearly two decades and it all of a sudden fell apart. Now, the divorce papers are signed and Hix must find a way to move on. For him and for his three kids. Despite needing to get on with his life with a desperation that’s a little scary, the moving on plan never included a woman complicating matters. But Greta Dare isn’t someone Hix can easily forget about. She’s just not that type of woman, and their connection is too strong no matter how much Hix wants to protect himself and his family. Since she moved to town, Greta has had the occasion to watch Hix, and she knows the kind of man he is. A good one. A protective, empathetic, and fair one, who is a fantastic father and was a devoted husband. Having his attention on her is amazing. But she’s finally found her perfect place. Is it too much to hope that she could have a future with Hix? Life and it’s hard lessons lead her to believe it is. But neither one of them can stay away from the other. It’s all very, complicated. Can Hix trust in what he feels for Greta, convince her he’s worth the risk, and catch the first murderer in over five decades in his sleepy county?
I was nervous about this book, it being my first audiobook. It took me a bit to settle into the story, not being able to read the words on the page myself. That said, I did finally settle and begin to like the options it opened up for me. I can listen to a book and still get my house cleaned or make dinner, or even run errands. I liked that. Now to the story. I really liked Greta. She was strong, independent, smart, loving, kind, generous, and loyal. I loved that she had these qualities despite the heartache and pain life often threw at her. But best of all, I love that she had the courage to demand better for herself from the hero, no matter how much she wanted him. I also liked Hixon, but his initial behavior toward Greta aggravated and disappointed me. He had a terrible temper, and made a habit of acting before thinking, and doing that harshly. Once he pulled his head out and did an adequate and thorough job of groveling, though, he was the perfect swoon-worthy hero. I loved his protectiveness, his intuitiveness, his kindness, his strength, and his faithfulness. He was an amazing father, too. At the beginning, I was afraid he’d be too hung up on his ex-wife, and although he did still have feelings from that relationship (it would have been weird if he didn’t considering they spent 19 years together), it wasn’t overwhelming or a constant refrain. What little feeling we read coming from Hix about his ex-wife was mainly confusion, and it was all helped with how amazing a couple he and Greta were. They had intense chemistry, had both experienced the pain of divorce, and were on the same page in what they wanted from life. The hiccups in the start of their relationship were serious and disrupting, but the emotion behind their actions and reactions were worked through together. I loved the banter between them, and that it could be fun and flirty or hot and a little bit dirty. Their intimate scenes were sexy and highlighted their raw physical connection. Overall, I really came to enjoy this story concept and a lot of the characters it included. I fell in love with Andy, and Hix’s kids were just as amazing. I also appreciated Hix’s deputies and friends, Gemini, and Lou and her girls. I actually wouldn’t mind a story about several of the supporting cast, even Keith, but especially Shaw. I hope he found his ONE. This wasn’t a suspenseful or action-packed read. There was a hint of a murder mystery, but I also feel it didn’t take any focus from the budding romance and the conflicts it needed to overcome. My enjoyment and contentment with the outcome of the story was only overshadowed by one wish, although it’s a big one. There was one aspect of Hix and Greta’s relationship that I wished with all my might they’d experience together. Not because I felt they needed it to compete with Hix’s first marriage or any preconceived notions of what a happy marriage must contain. It’s solely because, I wanted them to have everything. They deserved that after all they’d been through. I also didn’t feel Greta had to have it because she was a woman and it’s expected. I wanted her to have it because it’s beautiful, and she deserves that beauty. She deserved to experience it without it being forced on her, allowing her to lay all the love, generosity, and beauty she contained on that experience. The story was great without including this, but it’s still something I hope they achieved.
I waited several years to read this one and I could just kick myself. Kristen Ashley does again with this one. Hixon and Greta are great characters, along with secondary characters that easily I could be friends with. I loved the storyline, there was some back and forth on Hixon’s part, but he finally pulled it together!! As always, the epilogue was perfect!!
I love it.
I have read every book Kristen Ashley has released but this has to be my all time favorite book! This book gave me all the feels and pulls you in right away! The realism of life is woven in this book and it builds to what I can only say is a masterful story! After re-reading it 5 times, I can only say….its amazing!
I loved that this book is about couple finding themselves as people and as a couple in their late thirties after divorce. The side characters were fun and trouble causing. The beat part of the book is Hix and Greta’s journey. LOVED IT!!
Small town sheriff trying to raise his three kids after a divorce he didn’t want and now he falls for the local hairdresser/part-time lounge singer and BAM! it is the worst timing but it is what it is and they cannot stop fate from intervening and bringing them together. Small towns have a way of doing things and this one does it right. This one was so good. There was even a little suspense with a side murder mystery thrown in to spice up the story. Great narration and I listened to this one over two days because I couldn’t put it down.
Ok I am going to be totally honest, I might be a little bias because I love most everything Kristen Ashley writes. Sometimes I have to read a book 1 time and love it sometimes 2 or more.
This was a 1 and done for me. I loved it. I love the relationship Hixon has with his kids, with the community. I just loved Hixon.
Greta has not had an easy life but she never lets it get her down not once. She does what needs to be done and she moves on. But when she met Hixon all bets were off.
The connection between these two is undeniable. And you root for them. It’s not easy and it takes work. But the end justifies the means, right?
I lllloved the narration. Erin Mallon is awesome! And Lance Greenfield does a fantastic job. I already know this is going to be a re-listen.
Sheriff Hixon Drake is on everyone’s radar in the small town of Nebraska that he lives. Everyone knows he didn’t want to divorce his wife, everyone knows he treated his wife like a queen, everyone knows why his marriage ended but him. The small town whispers are rampant and when Hixon meets Greta Dare, hairdresser and lounge singer on the weekends, everyone knows he spends the night with her. However, Hixon doesn’t plan on it being anymore then a one night stand but he did not clue in Greta before he made his move.
Greta thought there was something with Hix, she wanted to explore it but it quickly becomes evident he was just after one thing. Greta steels herself for the town gossip but then Hix makes another move, he wants to see what they are even if things for him are complicated. The second time around ends even worse then the first but Hix quickly realizes his mistake and decides he is unwilling to let Greta go again and proves about getting her to trust him. Throw in an ex who wants him back, his three kids who need his time and a murder of a local citizen that doesn’t make a lick of sense and you have a page turner of a story.
Another great read from Kristen Ashley. Hix has a temper which I think given the circumstances of his ex you completely understand. I thought that Greta was fantastic and a perfect pair for Hix. The only issue I had was his ex, her logic made zero sense to me but other then that a book I couldn’t put down.
This was my first Kristen Ashley book, and I am so glad I finally had the chance to read/listen to one of her books. The beginning was a bit slow to start off but it didn’t take long for the story to really grab me and pull me in. Hixton and Greta had a bit of a back and forth tug going on, and they definitely had a few misunderstandings and crossed signals but they were great characters.
The audio performance by Lance Greenfield and Erin Mallon was very well done. The voices were clear, the emotions were on point, overall it was a great listen.
I have always attempted to give ‘star’ ratings on my completed reads, just as a tracking method for my titles that I have completed. I have unlimited packages for audio, kindle, and utilize the local/state library.
However, I do not check the ‘I recommend this book’ unless I am willing to reread a book and or a series.
[I read about 5-15 books a month through kindle, and I listen to about 15-30 books monthly]
I have a full life as a nurse, professor, wife, daughter [daughter in law], sister, and mother. I love to read and love a thousand other lives by turning the pages in countless books.
Thank you for the opportunity to provide a review. Happy reading 🙂
I definitely see the appeal for this author’s fan base. Kristen can really tell a story. And a story this one is. Just a fair warning. This review is going to be mostly critical…
Where to start. This book was too much for me. Too many pages. Too wordy. Too much magnifying things that should be more simple. Characters with great qualities but too much hero in every last one.
I would have thought I would have liked Kristen’s writing style more since she writes how I think… scattered, off topic. But no. Not so much. Most of the book was constant diverging into side thoughts that had nothing to do with what was going on at that moment. Basically, pages of extra filler that were completely unnecessary and took away from the actual story.
The characters are very likeable. Too likeable in the sense that she has made every character seem like a super hero. Their flaws, which are few, are ignored and their positive qualities are overdone.
By the time I reached the halfway mark of this book, I was ready for it to be done. I may have enjoyed it up to that point, but it was dragging on an on, and I just wasn’t sure if I could commit. But I did push on so I could get the HEA I knew would come.
Then there is the mystery angle to this book. I was highly disappointed in this. There was a huge build up with the murder. Many pages in the first half of the book dedicated to it. Then it disappeared and came back much later. When there is a mystery to solve, I expect it to be a suspect. I mean, we get the killer, but it was so underwhelming and incomplete from all of the build up, I was highly disappointed.
Like I said before, I see the appeal for her books. I am not so sure that they are my thing though.
Love this book and the characters
I loved it so much, and the title really does clue you in to the journey that takes place in this wonderful KA novel.
The biggest thought in my mind about this book is that it could easily be reduced from 15 hours of reading to about 7 hours of reading without losing any of the plot or the story line. I really did skip so many pages because of run on conversations with phrases repeated multiple times. There was just too much rambling going on. I liked the characters and the plot was decent. I think the basic theme put forth is that everyone has a good side, even the bad guys. This was my 51st book by KA and some of the older ones from Mystery Man, Colorado Mountain and the Burg series are books that I’ve re-read multiple times. But it’s been quite a while since I’ve read a new KA book and checked my box for read again. If you like KA then this book is worth the time and I’m sure many will love the book. To me, it was just ok but not something I’ll go back to.
This was awesome! I really liked the main characters, watching them come together and fall in love, and all the smaller stories happening that were woven in. It was a page turner!
I loved this book. I ran the emotional gamut as I always do in a Kristen Ashley novel. She’s eloquent, bringing characters to life in your head and making them real so you invest in them & care what happens. She is thought provoking (like women who call out their friend’s man for being a douche canoe, do they really worry about backlash? I don’t understand this, I want my friend’s to care enough to take my back & not be silent).
Always, Kristen writes a thoroughly enjoyable read, and I can never wait for the next one at the same time I’m sad this one is done.
Kristen Ashley is amazing. Love her writing. This is a story about a small town Sheriff recently divorced and has no idea why his wife wanted it and is trying to rebuild his life while trying to solve a murder. He meets an amazing woman and starts a kinda relationship with out the relationship part. Lots of stuff happen and it is a bumpy ride to the HEA but they do get one. Love Ms Ashley!