Book Tour for It's Complicated by L.A. Witt (Review & GIVEAWAY)

Welcome to the Riptide Publishing/L. A. Witt blog tour for Tucker Springs #7, It’s Complicated!

Every comment (with a way to contact you included) on this blog tour enters you in a drawing for a choice of one ebook off L.A.'s backlist (excluding It’s Complicated) and a $10 Riptide Publishing store credit. Entries close at midnight, Eastern Time, on May 4th, and winners will be announced on May 5th.  Contest is NOT restricted to U.S. entries.

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.

It’s Complicated is available April 28th from Riptide Publishing.

MY IMPRESSIONS OF THIS BOOK:

The title of this book is very appropriate as the journey to HEA proves difficult for two men struggling to balance the drama of real life and love.  From the first page to the last theirs is an emotionally draining story where their happiness is in doubt to the very end....

Jeff and Brad have had a tumultuous relationship with a few break-ups along the way.  But just when things start to look up for them Jeff's ex-wife deals an unexpected blow to their recommitment that once again has them struggling to decide what's most important to them and just how much fight they have left in them.  Brad is a truly understanding man, the one who always compromises, and I felt sympathetic towards him as he was the one often left out in the cold behind Jeff's work, his ex-wife, and the child soon to be born.  He was drawn to Jeff against all he knew to be true about where he stood but still fought to keep them together.  He even wanted to go to a couples counselor which was nixed by Jeff too.  He was willing to put forth the effort in their relationship whereas Jeff just let things happen.  Jeff wanted to have everything his way and expected Brad to be there whenever he could find the time for him.  I was especially disappointed by his interlude with his ex-wife, even though he and Brad were on a break.  It felt like a betrayal as he had no care for the possible ramifications of their encounter.  He wanted to bury his problems instead of dealing with then head-on like Brad and it wasn't until the very end that I felt his commitment to Brad.  

Their HEA still feels uncertain, to me at least, and I hope future installments will revisit these lovers to see how they're fairing.  It's clear that their connection is strong on a physical level as is seen by their numerous steamy encounters.  It's outside the bedroom that they struggled and that forced them to put forth the effort to be together.  In this struggle it was especially nice that Brad had the support of couples seen in previous Tucker Springs books as he was often on his own.  It was inspirational seeing such compatible couples still together and gave Brad hope.  From start to finish this was an emotionally draining read that left me exhausted and frustrated at times.  The characters, especially Jeff and his ex-wife Christine, might not have acted as I wish they would have but I was still fully immersed in the story's outcome and applaud Ms. Witt's not taking the easy way out in depicting Brad and Jeff's relationship.

My rating for this is a B.

*I received this book from the author for review in exchange for my honest opinion.

AUTHOR INFO:

L.A. Witt is an abnormal M/M romance writer currently living in the glamorous and ultra-futuristic metropolis of Omaha, Nebraska, with her husband, two cats, and a disembodied penguin brain that communicates with her telepathically. In addition to writing smut and disturbing the locals, L.A. is said to be working with the US government to perfect a genetic modification that will allow humans to survive indefinitely on Corn Pops and beef jerky. This is all a cover, though, as her primary leisure activity is hunting down her arch nemesis, erotica author Lauren Gallagher, who is also said to be lurking somewhere in Omaha.

L. A.’s backlist is available on her website, and updates (as well as random thoughts and the odd snarky comment) can be found on her blog or on Twitter (@GallagherWitt).

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