I'll be honest, it took me a bit to get into this book but I never should have doubted this dynamic duo called Claire Raye. I may have only read one other book of theirs (Pin-Up Pilot which I honestly can't stop recommending to people) but they've already proved to me they can work miracles.
Complicate Me is a new-adult romance centred around Reid and Sienna, two childhood friends embarking into the real world, escaping difficult pasts, leaving behind Sienna's brother and Reid's best friend, Caleb, and trying to find themselves while at the same time struggling to keep their feelings for each other locked down tight.
Before they leave home, Caleb asks Reid for a favour; Reid must look out for Sienna and make sure to keep her away from guys that will hurt her and Reid believes he's one of those guys Caleb wants him to protect Sienna from. So Reid takes it to the extreme because he feels like he can never touch Sienna, his best friend's sister. He sleeps around with any girl thrown his way while scaring guys away from Sienna, leading them both down a path that's covered with screaming matches and a distance between them that was never there before. They grow so far apart that they're close to resenting each other. Until a tragedy forces them to go back home after both vowing to never return.
This story was emotional, getting you right in the gut when you think about how close they were their whole lives and how all of them, Reid, Sienna and Caleb, had formed their own little family when they were just little kids because of their individual circumstances at home and ended up drifting so far apart. It was obvious to everyone that Sienna and Reid were perfect for each other despite the pain they both caused each other, because they could be absolutely real and raw with one another. They didn't need to hide the past full of scars and nightmares that would have been hard for anyone else to understand. They accepted each other on an instinctual level and they love they felt was timeless.
And I knew this story was going to end on a cliffhanger but dear lord it was like a punch straight through the heart, the amount of questions that are left will drive me crazy until second book in this duet comes out!
I loved how real and open and carefree Reid and Sienna were with each other once they got started with their roadtrip and I simply adored that Sienna didn't change into a lovesick fool once they got together but stuck to her guns, had a backbone and was not a doormat. As for Reid, I FREAKING LOVED how he was with Sienna when she needed him and how he loved her and cherished her and helped her be happy and carefree as an early 20-something young woman should be without life dragging her down.
I could keep writing, gushing about this story and probably not make any more sense that I already do (which I doubt it's much) but I'll just say that if you can't handle cliffhangers, buy the book and wait for the conclusion to come because you'll be going out your mind needing explanations and answers for what happens at the end of this book.
*ARC provided in exchange for an honest review*
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