Friday, January 23, 2015

Review: It's Complicated (Tucker Springs #7) by L.A. Witt

L.A. Witt always knows how to pull at my heartstrings and just feel her characters.

This was no different. I was so reluctant to read it because a lot of my friends warned me away or whatnot, so I was just kind of afraid because I love L.A.'s books so much. I didn't want to read a book of hers that I would hate. lol
But today I finally got the courage to and oh man.. I have NO regrets. I truly don't.

In fact, I'm upset it took so long to read it! lol....

Now remember, These are just my own thoughts and opinions. 

But if you like what I have to say and don't mind my little warnings, please, PLEASE give it a try.
I loved this so much. I hope you might too.

After their umpteenth breakup, Brad Sweeney and Jeff Hayden are living apart and starting over from scratch. The morning after a promising first date, they’re more optimistic than ever that they can make it work this time . . . until Jeff’s ex-wife and business partner calls to announce she’s pregnant with Jeff’s baby. Brad’s already competing with a demanding business for Jeff’s time. Now there’s a baby on the way, and worse, he’s afraid Jeff is still carrying a torch for the woman who’s carrying his child.

Jeff is desperately trying to keep his life together, but before he can even get his head around the news that he’s going to be a father, his ex announces that she wants to leave Tucker Springs. Now he either has to take over her role at the shop while ferrying the baby back and forth from Denver, or move the business—and himself—with her.

Brad and Jeff knew reconciliation wouldn’t be easy, but they’re rapidly running out of room for compromise. And sooner or later, something has to give.



Author: L.A. Witt
Genre: contemporary, drama, romance
Length: 205 pages (Word count: 52,000)


Purchase Links:
Riptide Publishing (Publisher site)
All Romance ebooks
Barnes & Noble
Amazon

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♦ My Review ♦






Again, I admit I put off reading this book for a while. Not just because of my friends but because of the blurb. It really did push me away too. I didn't know what to expect and the thought of this man--bi yes--but this man getting back with his ex-wife long enough to get her pregnant yet trying to stabilize his rocky relationship with his boyfriend, totally wasn't something I wanted to read.

I thought I knew where it was going. Heartache.

But I was so wrong! I mean, yes, there was no doubt Heartache on Brad but also on Jeff.
I'm not going to try to pretend to understand how or what Jeff was thinking, but I'm going to just assume on my part that sometimes, people, when they're just so torn down and just over with the way a relationship goes, wanted something, someone familiar to be with. Something that he knew was safe. And that happened to be his business partner and ex-wife Christine.

What I love about this book (and I assume was what everyone hated) was that It felt like I was witnessing an honest to god, real relationship and a real scenario. No, that's not always what a reader wants, we always want a HEA and an easy love read, but we all know life isn't always like that. Things happen, mistakes are made in the heat of the moment. In moments of anger and pain and exhaustion.

I loved this book because I felt every emotion that the characters felt. I was in every thought and insecurity Brad had. In every regret Jeff had. Just like how any gay man or woman or even straight man or woman just desperate for a connection for one night after breaking up with someone would go to a one-night stand, or someone familiar, Jeff went to his ex-wife who was just as lonely.

This happened while Brad and Jeff were broken up. Which in the for me, makes all the difference. Because if he had actually cheated on Brad I would have been so pissed at Jeff. For me no real reason would have excused him. But it just so happened that in a period of time that they were broken up, it happened.

Oh yeah, It's Complicated all right. Because of course, Brad always had that doubt. The doubt that maybe, just maybe, since they were business partners and all, that Jeff would one day cheat on him with his ex-wife. That one day, he'd rethink and regret that he left her and give their relationship another try, leaving Brad in the dust. And even though it happened when they were broken up, now it seemed as if his fears weren't completely unfounded. It wasn't that they were drunk, they were just both so worn out and tired, Jeff because of his "off again" status with Brad and Christine, the little hope that Jeff might still want them to work. Though it was clear that Jeff, though he loved her, he was no longer in love with Christine. Though at one point Brad and Christine do speak, and she lets it out that she felt she let Jeff get away that it wasn't actually a malicious plot to get him back. It wasn't.
But in the end, Brad was right in that, in a way, he would put Christine and now their child over Brad.

To see them try so hard, seeing them realize that all the little things they fought over were just plain stupid and had no rhyme or reason. It was so... well, really it was like watching two honest, real people going through and trying to salvage a relationship they don't want to end. The back and forth, back and forth, again and again and again. But still not giving up because they just loved each other, DO love each other SO DAMN MUCH! Because they KNOW they're good together. They KNOW they can make it work. They just needed to find... whatever it was that had them always fighting.

Oh my goodness, I felt every single anguish of that. Of the despair that this situation had brought onto their already rocky relationship. But in no way was Brad actually an enemy to Christine. She actually was really nice and fun to read about too. They made a sorta awkward friendship but it wasn't ever hostile.

And see, this was something I wanted Brad to do. He was, is, such a good man that he never asked Jeff to put him first. Not from his Job with his relationship with Christine, nothing, but I SO WISH Brad had yelled that he so badly WANTED to come first. WANTED to be what Jeff chose over his job and everything else.
But in the end, he only settled himself with, He could no longer be last.
And now it was up to Jeff to figure out... what was it he could and could not live without?

It sorta makes Jeff look like the bad guy, but he really wasn't. He too was just stuck in this spiral of work, fighting, work, fighting, trying to salvage, it was just a mess. Even when they were broken up it was work, work, work. The guy really just needed a freaking vacation with time away to really see a clear, clear view of everything. But in the end, even though it was wonderful with Brad that stress of work, work, work was what got him.

It really got me. Right in the gut. Right in my heart, and that's what I think this book was meant to do. For me it really did.

Now I get it, this will certainly not be for everyone. Not everyone wants that angst and back and forth and shit. But sometimes, you really gotta see the whole storm and earthquake through to see that wonderful light at the end of the tunnel.

Absolutely Beautiful

Thank you so much for these wonderful characters and beautiful story!



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