TITLE: "Complicate Me"
SERIES: The Good Ol" Boys
AUTHOR: M. Robinson
GENRE: Contemporary Romance
RELEASE DATE: September 14, 2015
It was complicated, it was also just the beginning. A decision. A simple choice. There is always that one moment in life where things could have been different. That one moment where you could have chosen a path that would lead you down a certain road. A different life. It was easier to pretend that we were still best friends, and that she was my girl and I was her boy. Pretending was better than knowing the truth... I. Ruined. Us. I had her. I lost her. I love her. All I did was complicate us.
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REVIEW
***Complimentary ARC provided in exchange for an honest review ***
"Complicate Me" is the first book in M. Robinson's new series The Good Ol' Boys. While it is being categorized in the contemporary romance genre, it can also be deemed as a new adult, or a coming of age read.
"Complicate Me" is the story of Alexandra (Alex), and Lucas, two childhood friends with a adoration and love for each other that changes after they share an innocent first kiss. A friendship that was once playful and protective, becomes complicated as Lucas and Alex are not only dealing with their feelings for each other, but also the emotional, mental and physical pressures of maturing.
The story takes place in Oak Island, North Carolina, which is described as one of those small towns, where everyone in the community knows each other and are life long friends. The town is beautifully and vividly described right from the very beginning, so that you can feel the spirit of this small town and characters that reside in it. While the first book focuses on the relationship/characters Lucas and Alex (Half Pint and Bo), you get to meet the rest of the "good ol' boys" and get an idea of the close bond that they have with each other. They share a common role as protector to Alex, who is more like their baby sister, than their tag along, tomboyish friend. It truly is a beautiful introduction.
"Complicate Me" will give you "all the feels", as it is a very emotional read, full of angst. It's characters and their situations are relatable and speak to all of your emotions. You cannot help but to smile at the beauty and innocence of the friendship between Bo and Half Pint (Lucas and Alex's endearing nicknames for each other). They are adorable with their unfiltered declarations of love for each other. Because at that point in their lives, LOVE was just hanging out with their besties all day. One of my favorite moments is when Lucas asks Alex, if she likes him. She unequivocally, answers back, "No, I love you." It is all so sweet and innocent. As the story progressed, I had moments of aggravation towards Lucas, your typical guy, doing stupid things and most times unintentionally hurting Alex. My heart bled for Alex for having to see and feel all of that. I was truly invested in these characters.
In addition to that, there are other raw and tearful moments in "Complicate Me". All I can say, is the tears were flowing throughout the entire read. The next day, I was spent emotionally and physically, because I decided to read it, in one sitting.
All in all, "Complicate Me" is a crazy ride of emotions, THAT I ENJOYED!
If the first book in The Good Ol' Boys Series, is any indication of the remainder of series, it will be amazing, and I will be anxiously awaiting the second book.
My brown eyed girl sat on our blankets with her arms wrapped around her knees, hiding her face. The tiny frame that I adored so much shook uncontrollably, only heightening the deepest sobbing that escalated with each passing second. It was such an intimate moment, not to be shared with anyone, especially me. Alex didn’t cry. I watched her bawl for the first time in my life. I had never seen anyone cry like that before, and it shook me to my core, slicing me whole, and making me feel like I was dying. Carving a memory that I would take to my grave. There was no going back…
No erasing.
No do overs.
No deleting.
What I witnessed tonight would be my purgatory; I would now close my eyes and forever see her falling apart in front of me. Shattering before my very own eyes and I found it hard to breathe.
Hard to move.
My feet were glued to the goddamn floor as she continued to weep, sob, bawl, violently sucking in air that wasn’t available. I accepted it all; each tear that fell from her face becoming pieces of me. Circulating through my veins and blood, it flowed endlessly, a river of her sadness and sorrow and of my broken promises. No beginning or ending to her cries, just an infinite current, flooding the hole where my heart should be. The shadow of her trembling petite body reflected off the walls, leaving a trail of regrets in its wake.
Mine.
Hers.
Ours.
Growing up in a small town you overheard a lot of things. People talking, stories told, town gossip. You listened a lot. You learned a lot. Tourists, townies, friends, and especially family all shared wisdom and advice that you think you will never need.
Bunch of bullshit. They say you have that one moment in life where
things could have been different, that one moment that changes the course of your life or the direction you could have taken. That one moment that could forever change you and everything you wanted to be true, everything you wanted to believe. One simple decision could alter your entire future.
My entire world.
I would forever remember this moment for the rest of my life. This is the moment that changed everything. This is the moment where I took another direction, another road that led me to my own demise. My own regrets. I should have walked in there. I should have apologized. I should have begged for her forgiveness. I should have promised that I would never hurt her again. I should have done whatever it took to make her look at me the way she had our entire lives.
But I didn’t…
I did none of those things…
Not one.
Nothing was said between us.
No words.
No actions.
I was a coward and couldn’t do it. I couldn’t see her like that. I couldn’t look into her eyes and know that I had hurt her. That I had disappointed her. That I ruined her love and lost her respect for me. The boy who promised he would never hurt her.
The boy who swore he would always protect her.
The boy who vowed he would never let anything happen to her.
That same boy was me.
I was the reason she was bawling.
I was the reason she was hurt.
I was the reason she was broken.
She knew the truth. It had finally caught up to me… I shattered her illusion that I was hers. I ruined the one good thing I had in my life. The girl that owned my heart was bleeding out for me in a way that I had never seen before. The house was no longer our safe place.
I had brought my hurricane with me…
I couldn’t risk the possibility of losing her permanently if I walked in there and admitted my truths. She wouldn’t love me anymore, she wouldn’t look at me the same anymore, and she wouldn’t be mine anymore.
My brown eyed girl.
The girl that I had loved all of my life.
The same girl that I would love for the rest of my life.
Alexandra.
I gave her the only comfort I could in her moment of despair. I turned around and left. I walked down the stairs and got into my truck. I turned the engine on and drove my sorry ass home. I took a shower and never once looked at myself in the mirror. I pretended that nothing changed. That I didn’t cause her pain, and that she didn’t know the truth. That I didn’t see her sobbing and that she wasn’t even bawling to begin with. That we were still just best friends, and that she was my girl and I was her boy.
My Half-Pint and her Bo.
It was better than knowing…
I ruined us.
Best Selling Author M. Robinson loves to read. She favors anything that has angst, romance, triangles, cheating, love, and of course sex! She has been reading since the Babysitters Club and R.L. Stein. She was born in New Jersey but was raised in Tampa Fl. She is currently pursuing her Ph.D in psychology, with two years left. She is married to an amazing man who she loves to pieces. They have two German Shepherd mixes and a Tabby cat.
