Complicated

By: Kristen Ashley

Narrated by: Lance Greenfield, Erin Mallon

Length: 18 hrs and 22 mins

Publisher's summary

From the New York Times best-selling author of the Rock Chick series comes a story of love, murder, and second chances....

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 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.

©2017 Kristen Ashley (P)2017 Audible, Inc.

One heck of a listen!

Recently, I was given the opportunity to listen and review Complicated, a book written by Kristen Ashley specifically for the audio format and it was one heck of a listen! Some authors might have taken advantage of the complex storyline to write a trilogy or series with cliffhangers and all that, but, thank goodness, Kristen Ashley didn’t take that route. The storyline has it all: a handsome sheriff who deserves a second chance at love, a beautiful, feisty hairdresser blessed with the voice of an angel but cursed with a mother from Hell, and an unsolved murder in a town that has almost no crime. Add a spoiled brat of an ex-wife, an over-protective ex-husband, and a town full of people who all know each others business. Sprinkle liberally with super steamy romance, toss in a pinch of angst, and what you have is Complicated. My favorite thing of all . . . the ingredients cook up into one neat and delectable dish by the end.

Narrator Lance Greenfield tells Hixon's story from 3rd person POV while narrator Erin Mallon performs as Greta in 1st person POV. Ms. Mallon gives an excellent interpretation of the gritty and lovable Greta Dare. Lance Greenfield is convincing as Hixon Drake — his performance is flawless with the exception of an entire chapter in which he mispronounces the name of one of Hixon's children repeatedly, a production error which should have been caught.

Kristen Ashley's many fans are going to find Complicated on a par with her other work. From the opening scene to the final lines, it is filled with the detailed and descriptive writing that is typical of her books. There will be those who are not fans of audiobooks who will be disappointed by not having something printed to hold in their hands. Not to worry, there will be a printed version in November, but until then, I do highly recommend the audiobook. It will require just over an 18 hour time commitment, but I think listeners will find it well worth the investment for its very engaging characters and a story which is, well . . . Complicated

Long and Boring

This author has published a lot of books and if they’re all like this steamy romance, no thanks. The two main story lines are weak and included a murder without much suspense. The love scenes are nasty graphic and probably draws interest from some people. I’d have loved that in Jr High.

Beware of explicit descriptive sex scenes

Also frequent use of the F word. Story has enough going for it without all the soft porn. Entertaining perspective that perfect, good-looking people have their life dramas too.

Good story but to much trash talk

I liked the story and voice, however I won't listen to anything by this author again. There was way to much of the "f" word and the sex was nothing but porn, just my opinion.

I loved Hixon and Greta!

Hixon and Greta are about the most realistic characters you could find. Their backgrounds, their lives, their struggles and hopes and finally, their shared dream. All so real.

Their journey was far from perfect, but whose journey is without hurdles and pain and loss. It's all mixed with the love of a good partner. And it's a beautiful story.

Nice job by the narrator's.

Kind of annoying

The narrarator had this thing of sighing after every sentence... it was kind of annoying. I know she was trying to portray feelings but hearing it so much annoyed me that I had to stop for a month and then go back to it. The story I thought was kind of drawn out... but it was ok.

Sweet, with a Dash of Spicy

Some of the reviewers complained about vulgarity and graphic sex scenes; while there is a bit of each of these things, overall, it seemed to me to be on the sweet side of romance. What I mean by this is that, despite their occasionally-adventurous sexy-time, there still seemed a greater emphasis on the emotional, sappy side of romance than on the lusty side of it.

Despite the book's title, its plot was quite uncomplicated; thus, a length of 18 hours really isn't justified. I feel like all the important elements could easily have been conveyed in far less time, which would have greatly improved my overall impression of this book. At times, the story felt ponderous and plodding, and I wondered where was the editor, to judiciously excise the superfluous stuff.

Though this occurred a few times throughout the story, I would say it was most pronounced at the end. The epilogue was really long...I mean, way longer than it had any right being. I was actually eager for it to end. That said, I did enjoy the story, and I think this is largely due to the character development, more so than the plot itself. The characters were all sympathetic--even Hope (though probably not so much Tawny)--but I probably felt more invested in Hix than in Greta.

At times, Greta's personality became a little flat, and a little too saccharine, to the point that she seemed more an archetype than a fully developed character, almost like she was just a plot device, rather than the supposed main character. On that note, I found the shifting POV a little odd, for a couple reasons: first, Greta's POV was first-person, while Hix's was third-person, BUT Hix actually felt more like the real main character of the book, and it really seemed like more of the story (as in, more pages of text), was told through his perspective than through hers.

The narration was good, and, in this respect, I did appreciate the dual points of view; however, I wasn't overly fond of Lance Greenfield's female voices. It's a sound that sort of grates on the nerves.

Exceptional!

Love the story. Amazing characters, and narrators are excellent.

Definitely on my replay list!

This is the first time I've listened before reading, and I'm so not disappointed. It lives up to all my expectations of a KA story.

Writers should use this book as a reference

They need to use this book as a reference, not to mushy, overly sensual (for sensitive readers) and a decent mix of drama and suspense. I've listened many, when i find 1 thats good, i take the time to comment.

Sweet Read

Loved the characters in this book. They were so real & the Narratives brought it to life fabulously. This should be a Lifetime Movie.