A review by gnomepatronus
It's Complicated by Eden Finley

funny hopeful fast-paced

3.0

I’m a little conflicted about this one. If I had read it as a standalone novella, completely separate from the rest of the series, I probably would’ve loved it. For the length of the story, it had everything: a whirlwind pace, the “wrong place, wrong time” trope, childhood crushes that grow into love, forbidden romance with a brother’s ex, and a chaotic, over-the-top family dynamic. All of that together made for such a fun, spicy, and quick read.

But I didn’t read this as a standalone—I read it in order, right after Deke. In that book, we already met Ash and Max, and their personalities in Deke just don’t line up with how they came across in this novella. I get that maybe it’s because Dekeshowed them from someone else’s perspective, and seeing their story through their own eyes is naturally going to feel different. But even so, I didn’t connect with them the way I’ve connected with the other characters in the series.

It’s not a bad novella by any means—it’s fun and hits all the right beats—but for me, it didn’t quite hit.