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Not That #1
Not That Complicated
If this was your classic Cotswolds murder mystery (it’s not) and Ray was an amateur detective (he isn’t) then when he stumbles across something unexpected under his bedroom floor, he’d investigate the hell out of it.
Hard pass.
Ray’s just a thirtysomething graphic designer with a broken heart who doesn’t much like his life right now.
And he’s already having nightmares about the whole thing, come on. He’d rather not think about it. (Also, the police were kinda mean, and now everyone thinks he’s a serial killer.)
Luckily for Ray, the last man in the world he should be interested in has distraction on his mind, and it seems like all Ray can think about is Adam Blake. Adam is everywhere Ray turns. He is too young for Ray, too cool for him, too beautiful for him…and for some bewildering reason, Adam is always there for him when Ray needs him the most.
But Ray’s not falling for it. He’s not falling for Adam. Definitely not. Because Ray and Adam have a complicated history, and starting something would be a terrible idea.
Not That Complicated is a 74k-word romantic comedy that just so happens to also have some dead guys in it. There are very few details on the correct investigative procedure—not that Ray wants to know—and you can forget about any big reveal to wrap up the case. Ray is tangentially involved in the whole gross business at best, and that suits him fine. This is a romance. Which means there is flirting, awkwardness, some surprising discoveries in the bedroom, awkwardness, misunderstandings, more awkwardness, and the kind of love that changes your life forever.
Wait. No. Ray is not falling in love�
Right?
Hard pass.
Ray’s just a thirtysomething graphic designer with a broken heart who doesn’t much like his life right now.
And he’s already having nightmares about the whole thing, come on. He’d rather not think about it. (Also, the police were kinda mean, and now everyone thinks he’s a serial killer.)
Luckily for Ray, the last man in the world he should be interested in has distraction on his mind, and it seems like all Ray can think about is Adam Blake. Adam is everywhere Ray turns. He is too young for Ray, too cool for him, too beautiful for him…and for some bewildering reason, Adam is always there for him when Ray needs him the most.
But Ray’s not falling for it. He’s not falling for Adam. Definitely not. Because Ray and Adam have a complicated history, and starting something would be a terrible idea.
Not That Complicated is a 74k-word romantic comedy that just so happens to also have some dead guys in it. There are very few details on the correct investigative procedure—not that Ray wants to know—and you can forget about any big reveal to wrap up the case. Ray is tangentially involved in the whole gross business at best, and that suits him fine. This is a romance. Which means there is flirting, awkwardness, some surprising discoveries in the bedroom, awkwardness, misunderstandings, more awkwardness, and the kind of love that changes your life forever.
Wait. No. Ray is not falling in love�
Right?
296 pages, Kindle Edition
First published April 4, 2022
311 people are currently reading
2170 people want to read
About the author
Isabel Murray
10books377followersIsabel is a writer, a reader, and a lover of love. She couldn’t stick to a subgenre if her life depended on it, but MM romance is her jam. She lives in the UK, reads way too much, and cannot be trusted anywhere near chocolate.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 489 reviews
July 26, 2023
What a delight!!! This brought me so much joy. Not that complicated is snarky, hilarious and heartwarming as can be. There’s a cozy mystery element as well which I loved. I feel like that will get more page time in book two based on who the two main characters are and I’m here for it!!
This was so well written and had amazingggg steam holy hell. 🔥🥵 Also the jealous moments!!! Excellence.🤌🏼 Jealous Adam is everything to me, actually.
Ray is the narrator. Self-deprecating and anxious as can be (whilst simultaneously insisting that he’s not), he meets his match in the love interest, Adam; who calms him down and loves hims so fiercely! There is an age-gap. Ray is 32 and Adam is 23. I adored Adam’s confidence that clashed at times with how vulnerable his love for Ray made him feel. Whenever Ray would be like why on earth would anyone be with a frumpy mess like me especially someone as beautiful as Adam, Adam would always soothe Ray’s negative self talk and take care of him.
I moaned in horror. My cheeks were hectic and blotchy with arousal. My hair, even after Adam had smoothed it down, was a disaster. My eyes were wide and panicked with pupils so blown I looked high, and my lips were kiss-bitten and—I licked them—actually not far off sore. I looked a desperate, half-crazed mess. I clutched the sink. What was I doing? How could he�
“Oh, no,� Adam said behind me. I watched his reflection stride across the room in the mirror. “None of that.� He grabbed my hand and hauled me after him.
These two are just the sweetest and so so so much fun. I could read about them bantering and getting into nonsense all day long. I miss them already.🥹 Adam has his own worries and insecurities as well. He doesn’t appreciate feeling used and reduced to something as trivial as his looks. And Ray soothes Adam’s worries too. Adam doesn’t want to be looked at as just a hook-up instead of a serious romantic prospect. They rile each other up and calm each other down all within a few minutes.😌 The intimacy between them is so beautiful!!! Tender and passionate all at once. I love that Ray gets man-handled and tossed around and also worshipped from head to toe!!! So deeply reverent.❤️ And Adam demanding eye contact from Ray and being all bossy!!!! Again, excellence!!!!🤭
He rocked into me over and over. Now and then he dipped down to slide his tongue into my mouth and let me suck on it, but he always pulled back to watch, like I was something he didn’t want to miss, like seeing me come apart beneath him was something he couldn’t look away from.
Also one of my favorite scenes is where Ray’s ex shows up on his doorstep when Adam had just stayed over and Adam goes to answer the door and then proceeds to slam it in his face and sucks a hickey onto Ray and it’s iconic!!! More scenes like this please.😗
I would recommend this charming British rom-com to literally anyone but especially to fans of Lily Morton, Anyta Sunday and NR Walker. Ummm this was so great. I love love loved it. I’m jumping into book two ASAP!!
This was so well written and had amazingggg steam holy hell. 🔥🥵 Also the jealous moments!!! Excellence.🤌🏼 Jealous Adam is everything to me, actually.
Ray is the narrator. Self-deprecating and anxious as can be (whilst simultaneously insisting that he’s not), he meets his match in the love interest, Adam; who calms him down and loves hims so fiercely! There is an age-gap. Ray is 32 and Adam is 23. I adored Adam’s confidence that clashed at times with how vulnerable his love for Ray made him feel. Whenever Ray would be like why on earth would anyone be with a frumpy mess like me especially someone as beautiful as Adam, Adam would always soothe Ray’s negative self talk and take care of him.
I moaned in horror. My cheeks were hectic and blotchy with arousal. My hair, even after Adam had smoothed it down, was a disaster. My eyes were wide and panicked with pupils so blown I looked high, and my lips were kiss-bitten and—I licked them—actually not far off sore. I looked a desperate, half-crazed mess. I clutched the sink. What was I doing? How could he�
“Oh, no,� Adam said behind me. I watched his reflection stride across the room in the mirror. “None of that.� He grabbed my hand and hauled me after him.
These two are just the sweetest and so so so much fun. I could read about them bantering and getting into nonsense all day long. I miss them already.🥹 Adam has his own worries and insecurities as well. He doesn’t appreciate feeling used and reduced to something as trivial as his looks. And Ray soothes Adam’s worries too. Adam doesn’t want to be looked at as just a hook-up instead of a serious romantic prospect. They rile each other up and calm each other down all within a few minutes.😌 The intimacy between them is so beautiful!!! Tender and passionate all at once. I love that Ray gets man-handled and tossed around and also worshipped from head to toe!!! So deeply reverent.❤️ And Adam demanding eye contact from Ray and being all bossy!!!! Again, excellence!!!!🤭
He rocked into me over and over. Now and then he dipped down to slide his tongue into my mouth and let me suck on it, but he always pulled back to watch, like I was something he didn’t want to miss, like seeing me come apart beneath him was something he couldn’t look away from.
Also one of my favorite scenes is where Ray’s ex shows up on his doorstep when Adam had just stayed over and Adam goes to answer the door and then proceeds to slam it in his face and sucks a hickey onto Ray and it’s iconic!!! More scenes like this please.😗
I would recommend this charming British rom-com to literally anyone but especially to fans of Lily Morton, Anyta Sunday and NR Walker. Ummm this was so great. I love love loved it. I’m jumping into book two ASAP!!
April 11, 2022
well, this was quite the pleasant surprise. it was kinda strange but also quite sweet and delightfully funny. the humor here reminded of Alexis Hall’s writing style, actually; a bit weird (in a good way!) and over-the-top, but with strong character work and enough heart to still keep the story grounded despite the sometimes farcical circumstances of the plot.
i fell in love with Ray, our POV character, pretty much right away but Adam, the love interest, took until basically the epilogue to really connect with me. i’m just personally not a big fan of super cocky and confident characters, so he didn’t really appeal to me right away - although, like i said, i did grow to like him more by the end of the story. Ray, though, was a weirdo and a mess, and that just made him much more relatable as a character to me lol. their backstory also weirded me out a bit at first but ultimately their dynamic won me over in the end.
this was a really quick read, too. the writing was really snappy and fun (and, again, sometimes quite weird, which i enjoyed lol). i’m definitely keen to check out the author’s other works and will keep my eye out for their next releases, as well. 4 stars.
i fell in love with Ray, our POV character, pretty much right away but Adam, the love interest, took until basically the epilogue to really connect with me. i’m just personally not a big fan of super cocky and confident characters, so he didn’t really appeal to me right away - although, like i said, i did grow to like him more by the end of the story. Ray, though, was a weirdo and a mess, and that just made him much more relatable as a character to me lol. their backstory also weirded me out a bit at first but ultimately their dynamic won me over in the end.
this was a really quick read, too. the writing was really snappy and fun (and, again, sometimes quite weird, which i enjoyed lol). i’m definitely keen to check out the author’s other works and will keep my eye out for their next releases, as well. 4 stars.
dnf
April 13, 2022I don't like the dynamic between these guys. And I'm not talking about the sexual dynamic, because they haven't gotten there yet. Just something about how they talk to each other is hitting me wrong. I think if I stick around to find out what happens when they *do* take their clothes off, I'm going to like it even less. Especially since some pretty heavy hints are being dropped that it's going to be D/s. Since I'm getting these unpleasant vibes, and there aren't enough positives to balance them out, I'm bailing at 14%.
December 8, 2022
This book was so funny, I really enjoyed it! I absolutely loved Ray's inner ramblings - I thought they were so funny. A lot of times- books with a lot of inner dialogue can be boring, but that wasn't the case here at all I loved being in Ray's head, I was laughing throughout this book. Of course the over the top story about the bodies was so funny and the way Ray reacted each time really cracked me up.
That being said - it would be a stretch for me to consider this a romance book. The romance really took a back seat to the body storyline. At times it felt like the romance was barely present in this book. I still really enjoyed the story regardless, but if you are in the mood for an emotional love story this is definitely not that book.
That being said - it would be a stretch for me to consider this a romance book. The romance really took a back seat to the body storyline. At times it felt like the romance was barely present in this book. I still really enjoyed the story regardless, but if you are in the mood for an emotional love story this is definitely not that book.
May 3, 2022
4.25**** lmao stars
Really, people! If you ever want to read a book for the sole purpose of laughing your ass off� here it is. Go pick it up. It was witty and funny as hell. I really couldn’t stop laughing. That was my kind of humor.
The story around all that laughter was light and sweet, nothing special, though but nevertheless entertaining.
Adam was such a sweetheart. And Ray?! Omg, Ray. I almost could not believe that he was the older one, in is early thirties. He felt waaaay younger, bouncing around like a charged energy ball (because of anxieties). It was cute, though. And he was so stuck in his own head (which was hilarious) that he was totally oblivious to what Adam’s advances really were about. But luckily for him Adam was basically the most patient person imaginable with him, calm and levelheaded. So sweet. Really!
Enjoy! �
Really, people! If you ever want to read a book for the sole purpose of laughing your ass off� here it is. Go pick it up. It was witty and funny as hell. I really couldn’t stop laughing. That was my kind of humor.
The story around all that laughter was light and sweet, nothing special, though but nevertheless entertaining.
Adam was such a sweetheart. And Ray?! Omg, Ray. I almost could not believe that he was the older one, in is early thirties. He felt waaaay younger, bouncing around like a charged energy ball (because of anxieties). It was cute, though. And he was so stuck in his own head (which was hilarious) that he was totally oblivious to what Adam’s advances really were about. But luckily for him Adam was basically the most patient person imaginable with him, calm and levelheaded. So sweet. Really!
Enjoy! �
April 17, 2022
Unfortunately I realized about half way through what other book this author wrote and I understood quickly the cause of my issues with this one.
There is too much talking, too much internal rambling. Everything needs to be condensed. This book should have been at least a third shorter. There was so much repetitiveness both in plot and interactions and it just dragged. The characters are a bit flat, and this is single POV and the character we’re reading through isn’t particularly likable. Like the other book, this started out strong, I was laughing and invested� then it just slowly lost its way and I started skimming dialogue just to get to the parts that actually furthered the plot.
I’m not really sure why Adam likes Ray� there just really wasn’t any development there so I didn’t really feel connected to them at all. And the murder/dead guys plot didn’t go anywhere at all�
There were kinks hinted at that the author never followed through with� the author highlighted that there is a lot of awkward but instead of it being endearing it got so dragged out and irritating.
These plots are unique and have potential but there is some serious house cleaning that needs to happen with the writing. Shelving this author.
There is too much talking, too much internal rambling. Everything needs to be condensed. This book should have been at least a third shorter. There was so much repetitiveness both in plot and interactions and it just dragged. The characters are a bit flat, and this is single POV and the character we’re reading through isn’t particularly likable. Like the other book, this started out strong, I was laughing and invested� then it just slowly lost its way and I started skimming dialogue just to get to the parts that actually furthered the plot.
I’m not really sure why Adam likes Ray� there just really wasn’t any development there so I didn’t really feel connected to them at all. And the murder/dead guys plot didn’t go anywhere at all�
There were kinks hinted at that the author never followed through with� the author highlighted that there is a lot of awkward but instead of it being endearing it got so dragged out and irritating.
These plots are unique and have potential but there is some serious house cleaning that needs to happen with the writing. Shelving this author.
January 10, 2024
This was really refreshing! I liked it very much.
May 2, 2022
“Yes. I’ve been doing yoga on top of a dead man for five years.�
He gave me a questioning look.
I thrust a finger up at the ceiling in the room above. “That exact spot was literally where I lay my mat. I did downward-facing dog on him.� I stared at Detective Nash in horror. “I did savasana.
“And that is?�
“In English?� I said, louder than intended. “Corpse pose.�
� m/m romcom
� absurd suspense
� grumpy/sunshine
� age gap
� strong UST
� slow burn
� British setting
If you need a break from life, adulting, or are just looking for some great escapism, this is the perfect pick my friends! Running the gamut from being hilarious and absurd to sweet and sexy, Not That Complicated is unadulterated entertainment from start to finish.
Ray, a thirtysomething graphic designer, will resonate with anybody who is even remotely introverted, slightly awkward, or anxious. He’s adorably clueless and cannot for the life of him understand why Adam, a hot, twenty-three-year old receptionist/former model, keeps popping up wherever he goes…clue: Adam’s into him. The very same Adam who slept with his ex-boyfriend causing their breakup. All this takes place as Ray keeps unearthing dead bodies in his house. What with the ensuing farce of a murder investigation and his bewildering attraction to Adam, it all adds up to the most delightful romcom.
“Or did you come here to flirt with me some more?�
“Absolutely not. I have no interest in flirting with you. I am here about the sex!�
He raised a brow. “Cutting right to it, are we? All right. I like a man who asks for what he wants. I’m off in an hour. Can you keep it together until then?�
I growled. “I can’t sleep because of all the sex that the couple next door to me are having.�
“I want to be the one giving to you, I said. “For once, please let me. Make your demands.�
“I don’t have any demands,� he said quietly.
“A岹—�
“I don’t have any demands,� he said, “because you’ve already given me everything I never thought I’d get from you.�
He gave me a questioning look.
I thrust a finger up at the ceiling in the room above. “That exact spot was literally where I lay my mat. I did downward-facing dog on him.� I stared at Detective Nash in horror. “I did savasana.
“And that is?�
“In English?� I said, louder than intended. “Corpse pose.�
� m/m romcom
� absurd suspense
� grumpy/sunshine
� age gap
� strong UST
� slow burn
� British setting
If you need a break from life, adulting, or are just looking for some great escapism, this is the perfect pick my friends! Running the gamut from being hilarious and absurd to sweet and sexy, Not That Complicated is unadulterated entertainment from start to finish.
Ray, a thirtysomething graphic designer, will resonate with anybody who is even remotely introverted, slightly awkward, or anxious. He’s adorably clueless and cannot for the life of him understand why Adam, a hot, twenty-three-year old receptionist/former model, keeps popping up wherever he goes…clue: Adam’s into him. The very same Adam who slept with his ex-boyfriend causing their breakup. All this takes place as Ray keeps unearthing dead bodies in his house. What with the ensuing farce of a murder investigation and his bewildering attraction to Adam, it all adds up to the most delightful romcom.
“Or did you come here to flirt with me some more?�
“Absolutely not. I have no interest in flirting with you. I am here about the sex!�
He raised a brow. “Cutting right to it, are we? All right. I like a man who asks for what he wants. I’m off in an hour. Can you keep it together until then?�
I growled. “I can’t sleep because of all the sex that the couple next door to me are having.�
“I want to be the one giving to you, I said. “For once, please let me. Make your demands.�
“I don’t have any demands,� he said quietly.
“A岹—�
“I don’t have any demands,� he said, “because you’ve already given me everything I never thought I’d get from you.�
October 6, 2023
I have never laughed so much in all my life 😂😂😂😂 I even kept my kid up late as a 'treat' because I didn't want to accidentally wake him up with my cackling 🤦🏻♀�
I absolutely adored Ray and his series of hysterical catastrophes. I dunno if it's just because it's English, but I so appreciated the sense of humour in this book.
I also loved Adam, he was such a sweetheart!
If you haven't read this yet you really, really should 😂
I absolutely adored Ray and his series of hysterical catastrophes. I dunno if it's just because it's English, but I so appreciated the sense of humour in this book.
I also loved Adam, he was such a sweetheart!
If you haven't read this yet you really, really should 😂
December 2, 2022
This was a breathe of fresh air after a string of lacklustre reads. New-to-me author and the only thing I can say I didn’t like about this book is that it ended.
Update (Dec 1, 2022):
Just as, if not more, enjoyable the second time around.
Update (Dec 1, 2022):
Just as, if not more, enjoyable the second time around.
April 26, 2023
3.5 ⭐️
Round up or round down? That is the question!
Well, let's just ramble aimlessly and see where I land.
This was a rom-com that was actually a rom-com. I know, right??? Not a trauma-con. Not a ridiculous farce that makes me wonder why comedy sends some authors straight to eye-rollingly dumb and dramatic, how are these hapless idiots still alive? Not KJ Charles releasing book after book that are absolutely, 100 percent NOT rom-coms but still prompt more genuine laughs than 99 percent of what's marketed as such. A real grown-up rom-com! Huzzah!
By which I mean . . .
. . . the set-up here was sort of ridiculous, but also grounded in something approaching reality. Ray's reaction was the same: very fml, very dry and funny with an edge of hysteria, very relatable if one could imagine ever being in that situation. Alex pushes and prods, but not in a gross or intrusive or ME-ME-ME way. There are some things people say, whether in jest or in earnestness, that cross lines and are painful, but these aren't waived away -- people own their f*ck-ups, or if they don't, that's a deliberate choice. There is a lot of back-ing and forth-ing on Ray's part and he doesn't necessarily cover himself in glory lots of the time, but, well: see previous. When he f*cks up (more accurately, when he realizes he f*cked up), he owns it and tries to rectify it.
My main issue with this isn't the "com" part (which is where most rom-coms fall down, in my experience); it's the "rom" part. Because we are entirely in Ray's POV, and Ray is . . . not the most reliable narrator. From Ray's POV, we understand him as a reasonably successful self-employed graphic designer making a decent living; that is to say, Ray is not diminishing his professional competence. But he also sees himself as hapless and deluded in his previous relationship, an object of ridicule, friendless (his ex got the local friends in the breakup; we get reference to other friends, but never meet them), utterly average looking, and just generally hopeless and pitiful. And thus, the question: why is Alex, this 10-year-younger, super-hot, super-smart, super-nurturing guy so into him? Alex is the chaser in this relationship, but what is the pull?
The thing is, if you're going single POV and unreliable narrator, we need to have a trusted voice to counter the excessive self-deprecation. Ray has a colleague who is a quasi-friend, but that isn't really adequate in this situtation: we know Ray's good at his job, because that's about the only thing he doesn't beat himself up on. What we need is a sidekick, someone who has Ray's back, and who can clue us readers in on just how unreliable Ray's self-perception is. This doesn't have to be cloyingly sentimental: the reason best friend gets pissed off at MC's excessive whining and tells them to stfu because they're hot and smart and kind and for god's sake, get over yourself you dumbass because I'm sick of your bitching, can we talk about MY pain??? is a mini-trope is because this really works! In the absence of "sidekick who is done with Ray's bullshit," we are left a bit baffled as to why this 10 is lusting after this (self-appraised) 5. And honestly, it's never really cleared up.
Damn, first I talked myself up to a 4 and then I talked myself down to a 3. But since I'm SO nice (talk about an unreliable narrator!!), I'll round up. Because even though I would have liked a bit more heft in the romance part, I am definitely excited to read more by this author. That's worth an extra half-star.
Round up or round down? That is the question!
Well, let's just ramble aimlessly and see where I land.
This was a rom-com that was actually a rom-com. I know, right??? Not a trauma-con. Not a ridiculous farce that makes me wonder why comedy sends some authors straight to eye-rollingly dumb and dramatic, how are these hapless idiots still alive? Not KJ Charles releasing book after book that are absolutely, 100 percent NOT rom-coms but still prompt more genuine laughs than 99 percent of what's marketed as such. A real grown-up rom-com! Huzzah!
By which I mean . . .
. . . the set-up here was sort of ridiculous, but also grounded in something approaching reality. Ray's reaction was the same: very fml, very dry and funny with an edge of hysteria, very relatable if one could imagine ever being in that situation. Alex pushes and prods, but not in a gross or intrusive or ME-ME-ME way. There are some things people say, whether in jest or in earnestness, that cross lines and are painful, but these aren't waived away -- people own their f*ck-ups, or if they don't, that's a deliberate choice. There is a lot of back-ing and forth-ing on Ray's part and he doesn't necessarily cover himself in glory lots of the time, but, well: see previous. When he f*cks up (more accurately, when he realizes he f*cked up), he owns it and tries to rectify it.
My main issue with this isn't the "com" part (which is where most rom-coms fall down, in my experience); it's the "rom" part. Because we are entirely in Ray's POV, and Ray is . . . not the most reliable narrator. From Ray's POV, we understand him as a reasonably successful self-employed graphic designer making a decent living; that is to say, Ray is not diminishing his professional competence. But he also sees himself as hapless and deluded in his previous relationship, an object of ridicule, friendless (his ex got the local friends in the breakup; we get reference to other friends, but never meet them), utterly average looking, and just generally hopeless and pitiful. And thus, the question: why is Alex, this 10-year-younger, super-hot, super-smart, super-nurturing guy so into him? Alex is the chaser in this relationship, but what is the pull?
The thing is, if you're going single POV and unreliable narrator, we need to have a trusted voice to counter the excessive self-deprecation. Ray has a colleague who is a quasi-friend, but that isn't really adequate in this situtation: we know Ray's good at his job, because that's about the only thing he doesn't beat himself up on. What we need is a sidekick, someone who has Ray's back, and who can clue us readers in on just how unreliable Ray's self-perception is. This doesn't have to be cloyingly sentimental: the reason best friend gets pissed off at MC's excessive whining and tells them to stfu because they're hot and smart and kind and for god's sake, get over yourself you dumbass because I'm sick of your bitching, can we talk about MY pain??? is a mini-trope is because this really works! In the absence of "sidekick who is done with Ray's bullshit," we are left a bit baffled as to why this 10 is lusting after this (self-appraised) 5. And honestly, it's never really cleared up.
Damn, first I talked myself up to a 4 and then I talked myself down to a 3. But since I'm SO nice (talk about an unreliable narrator!!), I'll round up. Because even though I would have liked a bit more heft in the romance part, I am definitely excited to read more by this author. That's worth an extra half-star.
June 2, 2022
2.9 Stars
"Not that Complicated" is a light humour m/m romance set in the Cotswolds area, which is a classic for Miss-Marple-like cosy-crime novels. But while there are dead bodies appearing, this is really not a crime novel. There is however a very good opening for this to become a series and the case of the dead bodies becoming solved. Let's see if that will happen.
The book was a pleasant read to me and I had no problems finishing it. And still ... I was a bit disappointed. Critics had led me to believe that it was a fulminant lough-out-loud book and while the humour worked sometimes and at least made me chuckle there were also cases where it was over the top, forced or even (in only a few cases though) cringey. The overall writing "voice" of the author was agreeable though.
I also had problems with the characters. It took me over 50% of the book to start to like Ray and I only started to like Adam towards the very end of the book. Ray is really high-strung. The empasize of the whole book is on this fact. And there are several cases when he comes across as quite the diva. Adam seemed really arrogant for a long time.
About the middle of the book I got this feeling that what I am reading is really a classical yaoi character set of older-tsundere-uke and younger-slightly-mean seme. Once this idea had formed I started to like the book more, because yaoi to me is not trying to assemble reality. If I take this book as a total nonsense m/m romance with no intent to be believable than I can come to terms with it. Like it even.
"Not that Complicated" is a light humour m/m romance set in the Cotswolds area, which is a classic for Miss-Marple-like cosy-crime novels. But while there are dead bodies appearing, this is really not a crime novel. There is however a very good opening for this to become a series and the case of the dead bodies becoming solved. Let's see if that will happen.
The book was a pleasant read to me and I had no problems finishing it. And still ... I was a bit disappointed. Critics had led me to believe that it was a fulminant lough-out-loud book and while the humour worked sometimes and at least made me chuckle there were also cases where it was over the top, forced or even (in only a few cases though) cringey. The overall writing "voice" of the author was agreeable though.
I also had problems with the characters. It took me over 50% of the book to start to like Ray and I only started to like Adam towards the very end of the book. Ray is really high-strung. The empasize of the whole book is on this fact. And there are several cases when he comes across as quite the diva. Adam seemed really arrogant for a long time.
About the middle of the book I got this feeling that what I am reading is really a classical yaoi character set of older-tsundere-uke and younger-slightly-mean seme. Once this idea had formed I started to like the book more, because yaoi to me is not trying to assemble reality. If I take this book as a total nonsense m/m romance with no intent to be believable than I can come to terms with it. Like it even.
July 27, 2023
This is a generous rating from me.
It's a comedy, noone cares about the bodies (as the author says in the blurb for the second book, so unlikely to ever get solved) and a bit of an odd one. Don't expect detecting, the dead are comedy props.
Ray (pov) is a neurotic mess teetering on a nervous breakdown. Very full on. 'High strung' his stress is used as a joke. He's constantly forgetting big issues to assume people are talking about something else, and making something innocent sound completely sordid - which was amusing until I realised he was clueless not trolling. He's late 30s but written as teenage with 'dad' dress sense to show he's out of touch.
Then Adam. 23yrs he's actually written to be far more mature, with confidence/arrogance and experience suggesting someone older. We're told there's vulnerability but honestly there's no getting to know each other talking so he remained a pretty, controlling cut-out. A 'caregiver' but with a bit of a nasty edge.
So I didn't particularly like either character.
The humour is occasionally cringe.
Yet there are moments that are endearing, when I stopped wondering what the attraction was and what was with the strange push-pull interactions.
For context I read post night shift, tired but insomniac, and it entertained me. Light daft fluff.
If it matches your humour you'll love it, if you look too deep at the characters then there's issues.
It's a comedy, noone cares about the bodies (as the author says in the blurb for the second book, so unlikely to ever get solved) and a bit of an odd one. Don't expect detecting, the dead are comedy props.
Ray (pov) is a neurotic mess teetering on a nervous breakdown. Very full on. 'High strung' his stress is used as a joke. He's constantly forgetting big issues to assume people are talking about something else, and making something innocent sound completely sordid - which was amusing until I realised he was clueless not trolling. He's late 30s but written as teenage with 'dad' dress sense to show he's out of touch.
Then Adam. 23yrs he's actually written to be far more mature, with confidence/arrogance and experience suggesting someone older. We're told there's vulnerability but honestly there's no getting to know each other talking so he remained a pretty, controlling cut-out. A 'caregiver' but with a bit of a nasty edge.
So I didn't particularly like either character.
The humour is occasionally cringe.
Yet there are moments that are endearing, when I stopped wondering what the attraction was and what was with the strange push-pull interactions.
For context I read post night shift, tired but insomniac, and it entertained me. Light daft fluff.
If it matches your humour you'll love it, if you look too deep at the characters then there's issues.
October 14, 2022
This book is ridiculous and absolutely wonderful.
Ray is obnoxious and prickly and might actually be one of the most unlikeable main characters I have ever met. And the reader only get his point of view. Yet over the course of this book I kinda went from not being able to stand him to loving him. Adam, the love interest is interesting but I think his character would have needed to have his point of view told to really get him.
The plot and mystery is totally over the top and didn't make much sense . Yet, I don't care. This is an easy read that got me invested and sometimes that's all I need.
Ray is obnoxious and prickly and might actually be one of the most unlikeable main characters I have ever met. And the reader only get his point of view. Yet over the course of this book I kinda went from not being able to stand him to loving him. Adam, the love interest is interesting but I think his character would have needed to have his point of view told to really get him.
The plot and mystery is totally over the top and didn't make much sense . Yet, I don't care. This is an easy read that got me invested and sometimes that's all I need.
March 21, 2023
Reread
4.25 stars!
I thought, in the first part of the book, that this would be an entertaining rom-com, if nothing else.
And then the second half happened. This author brought the feelz! I loved it!
What a nice, surprising gem of a book.
4.25 stars!
I thought, in the first part of the book, that this would be an entertaining rom-com, if nothing else.
And then the second half happened. This author brought the feelz! I loved it!
What a nice, surprising gem of a book.
July 16, 2022
This book basically puts this author in my autobuy column. It’s like a blend of the humor or Alice Winters and the wit of Alexis Hall.
And this author is so so great at writing a book from one characters POV but where I still feel like we know their love interest through their eyes.
Honestly. I adore Adam and Ray and poor Ray and his house he’ll never be able to sell lol. I love how just SO crazy Adam is for Ray and he just can’t see it. But we can.
I really just adored this book. I can’t wait for more from this author!!
And this author is so so great at writing a book from one characters POV but where I still feel like we know their love interest through their eyes.
Honestly. I adore Adam and Ray and poor Ray and his house he’ll never be able to sell lol. I love how just SO crazy Adam is for Ray and he just can’t see it. But we can.
I really just adored this book. I can’t wait for more from this author!!
August 21, 2023
This book was genuinely hilarious. I had so many laugh out loud moments, I'm glad no one was around to witness it because I'm sure I looked like a loon. I had a blast reading it, it gave me those sweet, silly rom-com vibes that I love. Set in a small village in the Cotswolds, it deals with our neurotic and oblivious MC - Ray, a lonely graphic designer who discovers a dessicated body under some floor boards in his house. His life is upended, and he ends up in the orbit of Adam, an unwelcome (but ostensibly gorgeous) face from his past. Adam, for some reason, is smitten with Ray, but Ray cannot understand why and spends the entire book being a dick to Adam for no reason. It's written only from Ray's perspective, but a dual view would have been great here because Adam was an interesting character that we end up not really knowing that much about. In the end though, Adam perseveres and we get a great, sappy HEA. We never do find out about the body, but I'm hoping they give us something in the sequel.
March 6, 2025
cute lil romcom palate cleanser! very entertaining and humourous, love myself an absolutely clueless, blind mmc, where everyone except him knows that the love interest is in love with him. giving vibes (a high compliment).
May 28, 2022
Loved this romance with a bit of a twist.
I've read two books now from Isabel Murray and I've absolutely loved them both.
Each have had a quirky narrative that makes them more than the typical romance.
Here there's a ridiculous but totally brilliant murder mystery element which sees dead bodies being discovered in Ray's Cotswold cottage.
There's also a fantastic spark between Ray and Adam, a much younger man who seems to pop up wherever he is and who he has a bit of a history with.
I loved the humour in this book as well as the sexy times, Adam is very much in charge even though he's younger
I hope we get more from this pair or in this world as I'm sure there's something going on with Adam's cousin Liam and journalist Jasper.
I've read two books now from Isabel Murray and I've absolutely loved them both.
Each have had a quirky narrative that makes them more than the typical romance.
Here there's a ridiculous but totally brilliant murder mystery element which sees dead bodies being discovered in Ray's Cotswold cottage.
There's also a fantastic spark between Ray and Adam, a much younger man who seems to pop up wherever he is and who he has a bit of a history with.
I loved the humour in this book as well as the sexy times, Adam is very much in charge even though he's younger
I hope we get more from this pair or in this world as I'm sure there's something going on with Adam's cousin Liam and journalist Jasper.
August 12, 2022
"You are so, so beautiful," I said. "But I need you to know that I love you despite that." He gazed at me sombrely. "Ray," he whispered. "Are you trying to tell me that you love me for my personality?"
This book was absolutely delightful. There was so much humor and heart. Ray was hilarious and frenetic in a way that felt very realistic to me, and I loved being in his head. Adam, as his love interest, was so genuinely kind and giving. Their banter and eventually, their tenderness, was lovely. We do only get Ray's POV in this novel, and I wish we had gotten a little bit of Adam's, but Ray's voice is strong enough to carry the story. The story itself is pretty simple- don't expect a full fledged murder mystery- but the absurdity of randomly finding dead bodies was captured well. If you're just looking for something fun, with some moments that will seriously make you swoon, especially if you like a caretaking love interest, I recommend this.
August 15, 2022
Warning: Before I get into this, yes I tagged this as no cheating, and that is true for our MC's, but there is mention in the very beginning of one of our MC's being cheated on by their BF, with the other MC - who doesn't know about the other MC and thought the guy was single - so there's that kind of cheating
So this was a delightful new author find, I gotta say. I adored this story, and Ray and Adam grabbed my attention and held onto it until the very end. I even rushed to subscribe to this author's newsletter in order to get a bonus short with these two.
I loved their chemistry and this story was delightfully funny and felt very rom-com like.
Hilarity surprisingly ensues in Ray's life after he walks into the bathroom at his home a year prior to the main events in this story, to find his then-boyfriend blowing Adam.
Ray knows who he is because a few years before, Adam worked at the co-op. But here he sees him in a whole new light.
At the time, of course Ray was very upset and didn't want to listen to anything Adam said. But a year later, while out at a bar, he runs into Adam again, and thoughts he's tried to smush down come rising to the surface.
Like about how sexy Adam is, how beautiful he is, how he heard Adam saying to his ex to...ahem, ya know ;) to him, and Ray couldn't help imagine Adam saying it to him.
But Ray is still hurt over what happened and isn't the kindest to Adam when he sees him.
And when Ray goes into a little emotional tail spin after seeing Adam, he leaves food he was eating bed on the floor, falls asleep and forgets it's there for when he gets up in the middle of the night and steps on it and stains his carpet.
This staining of his carpet leads Ray down a path in which he gets a whole new carpet, hires men to put it in...but asks them to replace the hardwood floors beneath the carpet, because a few are squeaking.
They do, and then they find a dead body.
Ray's life doesn't get easier from there. Especially when he goes to a lodge to stay at while the police process the scene and Adam is there, working.
I just adored this so much. The only reasons I gave this a star off when I wish I could have given it 5 stars are:
� I wish we had gotten Adam's POV in this. It wasn't too bad, not having it, but there are definitely parts I wish we had gotten his POV. Because Ray was so insecure - understandably, we all have insecurities - and didn't think highly of himself or his looks, I would have really loved to really get Adam's thoughts on Ray, on what he saw when he looked at him, interacted with him, etc etc. Or in a few parts where they didn't talk for a long time or whatnot, what was going through Adam's head on why he didn't reach out to Ray. We get Ray's side, but not really Adam's. I mean we get kind of an idea of why, but that comes from Ray's own realizations, not from Adam's lips himself. Getting that from him would have been great.
� Which would have worked well if they really talked things out. They do at points, but not well. These two did not communicate well at all, and I wanted Ray to say MORE than he did. Adam too. If they had communicated more, maybe it wouldn't have been as much of a shock to Ray that he got things all wrong and was going about things wrong with Adam. I felt like Adam loved Ray, which was good on the characterization of Adam and I appreciated that, but I didn't know if what I was getting from Adam was real or not until he said he loved Ray too, near the end of the book.
Like Ray would do this thing where he'd think something he should be saying to Adam, and just never said the thing! It frustrated me. I was like...but why not just say that! I get sometimes people are bad communicators, but maybe by the end they could have a longer, more drawn out talk to explain things between each other. Ray basically bumbles his way through a love confession and a ~kind of explanation of some things, which is adorable, but also still frustrating. I wanted more spoken between these two.
� I get this is a rom-com, but I do wish we had gotten a few more serious moments here and there. It kind of grated when a serious moment was upon them and they swerved to making jokes or making light of things. Too much of it came a little annoying sometimes.
� This one isn't too big a deal, but it still annoyed me we didn't get it: Ray imagined it being him giving Adam the blowjob, and yet we never got a scene of that! It would have been so hot and a pay off from Ray's thoughts into reality. Also we barely got any sex in general. I was happy when we did get it - like 75% into the story *sobs* - and it was good when we got it. But I feel like the author waited too long with it.
I felt like there was good build up...but then it became too much build up to the point I was wondering why these two were still waiting. Why this back and forth all the time? I mean, they see each other, a few weeks go by, Ray finds the body, Adam is in his life for a few days, they almost have sex but don't, then two months(!) go by with nothing between them, then a second body is found, things start up between them again, but still no sex, then Ray freaks out, leaves town for a week to be with his parents with almost no contact between these two, he comes back, and THEN things start happening for real.
It was just too much of a "slow burn" i guess you could say. Not to feelings - these two were raring to go early on - but a slow burn to the sex. It was a little too much build up, I guess you could say.
I know I'm rambling on these things a lot, and these things did frustrate me, hence the one star off, but I also enjoyed it too much to give off more than that. It wouldn't feel right to give anything lower, because outside of those frustrations, I enjoyed this so much, I loved it.
The humor was good, the chemistry was good, the characters were good. There was just room for improvement here. Rom-com doesn't have to mean "rarely any serious moments" ya know? Give us the serious with the comedy. Rom-coms have that. Give us some more sexy times - these two certainly had the chemistry for it - and also give us Adam's POV, and this book would have been perfect.
Without those, it was good and I loved it, it just could have been even better. I get that this is one of the author's first works, so I think there is definite room for improvement. But what is there is good, solid writing with great romance and great humor. A little more and this story would have shined.
So I definitely recommend. It is definitely worth a read. But take my grievances with it into account too. As much as I loved it, it frustrated me at times. But still, check it out for sure.
I definitely want to dive into the two other books by this author. Two thumbs up from me!
So this was a delightful new author find, I gotta say. I adored this story, and Ray and Adam grabbed my attention and held onto it until the very end. I even rushed to subscribe to this author's newsletter in order to get a bonus short with these two.
I loved their chemistry and this story was delightfully funny and felt very rom-com like.
Hilarity surprisingly ensues in Ray's life after he walks into the bathroom at his home a year prior to the main events in this story, to find his then-boyfriend blowing Adam.
Ray knows who he is because a few years before, Adam worked at the co-op. But here he sees him in a whole new light.
At the time, of course Ray was very upset and didn't want to listen to anything Adam said. But a year later, while out at a bar, he runs into Adam again, and thoughts he's tried to smush down come rising to the surface.
Like about how sexy Adam is, how beautiful he is, how he heard Adam saying to his ex to...ahem, ya know ;) to him, and Ray couldn't help imagine Adam saying it to him.
But Ray is still hurt over what happened and isn't the kindest to Adam when he sees him.
And when Ray goes into a little emotional tail spin after seeing Adam, he leaves food he was eating bed on the floor, falls asleep and forgets it's there for when he gets up in the middle of the night and steps on it and stains his carpet.
This staining of his carpet leads Ray down a path in which he gets a whole new carpet, hires men to put it in...but asks them to replace the hardwood floors beneath the carpet, because a few are squeaking.
They do, and then they find a dead body.
Ray's life doesn't get easier from there. Especially when he goes to a lodge to stay at while the police process the scene and Adam is there, working.
I just adored this so much. The only reasons I gave this a star off when I wish I could have given it 5 stars are:
� I wish we had gotten Adam's POV in this. It wasn't too bad, not having it, but there are definitely parts I wish we had gotten his POV. Because Ray was so insecure - understandably, we all have insecurities - and didn't think highly of himself or his looks, I would have really loved to really get Adam's thoughts on Ray, on what he saw when he looked at him, interacted with him, etc etc. Or in a few parts where they didn't talk for a long time or whatnot, what was going through Adam's head on why he didn't reach out to Ray. We get Ray's side, but not really Adam's. I mean we get kind of an idea of why, but that comes from Ray's own realizations, not from Adam's lips himself. Getting that from him would have been great.
� Which would have worked well if they really talked things out. They do at points, but not well. These two did not communicate well at all, and I wanted Ray to say MORE than he did. Adam too. If they had communicated more, maybe it wouldn't have been as much of a shock to Ray that he got things all wrong and was going about things wrong with Adam. I felt like Adam loved Ray, which was good on the characterization of Adam and I appreciated that, but I didn't know if what I was getting from Adam was real or not until he said he loved Ray too, near the end of the book.
Like Ray would do this thing where he'd think something he should be saying to Adam, and just never said the thing! It frustrated me. I was like...but why not just say that! I get sometimes people are bad communicators, but maybe by the end they could have a longer, more drawn out talk to explain things between each other. Ray basically bumbles his way through a love confession and a ~kind of explanation of some things, which is adorable, but also still frustrating. I wanted more spoken between these two.
� I get this is a rom-com, but I do wish we had gotten a few more serious moments here and there. It kind of grated when a serious moment was upon them and they swerved to making jokes or making light of things. Too much of it came a little annoying sometimes.
� This one isn't too big a deal, but it still annoyed me we didn't get it: Ray imagined it being him giving Adam the blowjob, and yet we never got a scene of that! It would have been so hot and a pay off from Ray's thoughts into reality. Also we barely got any sex in general. I was happy when we did get it - like 75% into the story *sobs* - and it was good when we got it. But I feel like the author waited too long with it.
I felt like there was good build up...but then it became too much build up to the point I was wondering why these two were still waiting. Why this back and forth all the time? I mean, they see each other, a few weeks go by, Ray finds the body, Adam is in his life for a few days, they almost have sex but don't, then two months(!) go by with nothing between them, then a second body is found, things start up between them again, but still no sex, then Ray freaks out, leaves town for a week to be with his parents with almost no contact between these two, he comes back, and THEN things start happening for real.
It was just too much of a "slow burn" i guess you could say. Not to feelings - these two were raring to go early on - but a slow burn to the sex. It was a little too much build up, I guess you could say.
I know I'm rambling on these things a lot, and these things did frustrate me, hence the one star off, but I also enjoyed it too much to give off more than that. It wouldn't feel right to give anything lower, because outside of those frustrations, I enjoyed this so much, I loved it.
The humor was good, the chemistry was good, the characters were good. There was just room for improvement here. Rom-com doesn't have to mean "rarely any serious moments" ya know? Give us the serious with the comedy. Rom-coms have that. Give us some more sexy times - these two certainly had the chemistry for it - and also give us Adam's POV, and this book would have been perfect.
Without those, it was good and I loved it, it just could have been even better. I get that this is one of the author's first works, so I think there is definite room for improvement. But what is there is good, solid writing with great romance and great humor. A little more and this story would have shined.
So I definitely recommend. It is definitely worth a read. But take my grievances with it into account too. As much as I loved it, it frustrated me at times. But still, check it out for sure.
I definitely want to dive into the two other books by this author. Two thumbs up from me!
May 13, 2023
Actual rating 3.25
Not That Complicated was a ton of fun! Humorous, entertaining, hard-to-put-down fun. It was exactly the kind of lighthearted read I needed.
That said, it missed for me a bit in subtle ways that I was finding hard to articulate until I read Kathleen in Oslo’s fantastic review. I agree with her on all points, the story’s strengths as well as weaknesses, and this part in particular nailed with where it missed for me, Alex is the chaser in this relationship, but what is the pull?
Still, it’s a super fun romp that had me laughing so hard tears streamed down my face more than once, I snorted in another fit of giggles, and my heart was mended (at least temporarily) after my last gutting read.
Unread books on my kindle: 27! Can you believe it?!
Not That Complicated was a ton of fun! Humorous, entertaining, hard-to-put-down fun. It was exactly the kind of lighthearted read I needed.
That said, it missed for me a bit in subtle ways that I was finding hard to articulate until I read Kathleen in Oslo’s fantastic review. I agree with her on all points, the story’s strengths as well as weaknesses, and this part in particular nailed with where it missed for me, Alex is the chaser in this relationship, but what is the pull?
Still, it’s a super fun romp that had me laughing so hard tears streamed down my face more than once, I snorted in another fit of giggles, and my heart was mended (at least temporarily) after my last gutting read.
Unread books on my kindle: 27! Can you believe it?!
April 14, 2022
This just didn’t really work for me. I didn’t find it the least bit amusing. The main character was un-likable. The communication was terrible and there was very little relationship building. And the found bodies made no sense and there was no effort to try to make a believable mystery or solve it.
March 2, 2025
Basically it is chick lit but mm and rather short. Cotswold cottage, all focused in a ditsy MC who somehow is the focus of attentions of a bossy, and hot love interest who is unexplainedly heads over heels in love with our MC. But gay, and much too short for everything else - the relationship between Ray and Adam seems to change abruptly all of a sudden within a few conversations, feel inconsistent. What makes Adam tick, or his love for Ray also just stated and never much contextualised. The bodies found? Just a plot device, nothing happens with it. About Ray, our MC, he is a "highly strung" ball of nerves which somehow is very attractive to Adam but a bit a tedious for (some, like me) readers. Sometimes the book is very funny, sometimes it is not (sometimes the humor depends on watching Ray embarrass himself).
Adam's devotion and caretaking is delicious, just he deserved more plot, more characterization.
Adam's devotion and caretaking is delicious, just he deserved more plot, more characterization.
June 18, 2023
i know i said bitchy pint sized characters are my favorite but cute, oblivious balls of anxiety who don't possess a brain-to-mouth filter are a close second😌.
i liked Adam too and don't think i didn't notice that his name somehow fit him to a T.
i liked Liam too, i hope he has his own book.
i liked Adam too and don't think i didn't notice that his name somehow fit him to a T.
i liked Liam too, i hope he has his own book.
February 14, 2023
Yes. Yes yes yes. All the yes. If this is her second book, I cannot WAIT to see how she writes in 5 years. This is outSTANDING! Ray is a freaking mess and I am HERE for it, every awkward moment of it. I love how he sees Adam, both while he's furious at him and as that anger turns into confusion which turns into...something else? Yeah, Ray is such a delicious flailing Kermit. (Yes, in my head he's green.) This is absurd in the very best way. Don't even get me started on chapter 32... This author is going onto my favorites list right damn now. And I want a book about Liam and Jasper now, please. Just a suggestion...
Edited: Holy crap, THIS was her first book and was her second. Part of me isn't sure about the plot of , but if it's her third, I'm gonna take a chance on it.
Edited: Holy crap, THIS was her first book and was her second. Part of me isn't sure about the plot of , but if it's her third, I'm gonna take a chance on it.
May 1, 2023
Is this a recognized trope?
Amazingly patient love interest waits with saint-like patience for the protagonist to get over himself.
Must be. I've just read two of these in a row (Contract Season by Cait Nary).
But what's the trope called? My librarian self wants to know.
This one is charming and funny in the Alexis Hall mode, and I'm counting on Isabel Murray to keep up the good work. She's already written the definitive merman romance, so my hopes are high.
I dealt with my disbelief that (the ridiculously handsome) Adam could want Ray that badly by deciding that Ray looks just like Tom Hiddleston. Bingo.
Re-read May '23: bumped up to five for repeat pleasure. Murray can write a funny sex scene and have it still be sexy. How cool is that?
Amazingly patient love interest waits with saint-like patience for the protagonist to get over himself.
Must be. I've just read two of these in a row (Contract Season by Cait Nary).
But what's the trope called? My librarian self wants to know.
This one is charming and funny in the Alexis Hall mode, and I'm counting on Isabel Murray to keep up the good work. She's already written the definitive merman romance, so my hopes are high.
I dealt with my disbelief that (the ridiculously handsome) Adam could want Ray that badly by deciding that Ray looks just like Tom Hiddleston. Bingo.
Re-read May '23: bumped up to five for repeat pleasure. Murray can write a funny sex scene and have it still be sexy. How cool is that?
November 7, 2024
Cosy mystery with lots of snarky banter and hot pining. Still a 5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐�
August 7, 2023
Ahhh!!! What a delight. This is a-new to-me author ❤️ and I absolutely agree with the reviewer who said it's such an underrated, hidden gem. I must admit the humor was top-notch.
I'm so glad I have amazing ŷ friends that recommend this book🥹 so I can discover new books and authors.
There were moments it had me laughing 😂 my god! Ray is such a mixed bundle of anxiety and bad luck, and his inner monologue is hella funny. The way he overthinks and over-analyzes things, even though he is serious and didn't mean to come out like that, made the book so much fun to read.
(Now, the whole dead bodies shouldn't be taken seriously; that's how the author pointed out just leave it in the background and don't think much of it), but my god, his reaction to finding them every time is gold, mind you finding dead bodies is not funny, but his reaction is😂.
My favorite scene was when Ray was at the coffee shop after finding out about the second dead body, him and the barista had this conversation, and I knew he misunderstood the situation and had me cracking up 🤣.
So the whole book is told from Ray's POV, and I swear only a few books that made me curious and wished I had the other mc POV, but it was done perfectly the way he sees Adam, and all was just perfect. Also, the special chapter you can get once you subscribe to the newsletter was a nice edition to wrap up the book (for some reason, reading the title of the special chapter made me think it's in Adam's POV...was a little disappointed when it wasn't...just a little😂)
Heads up, the romance comes about in the book's last few chapters, and I honestly didn't mind that at all. I recommend it if you want something funny and light to read.
I'm so glad I have amazing ŷ friends that recommend this book🥹 so I can discover new books and authors.
There were moments it had me laughing 😂 my god! Ray is such a mixed bundle of anxiety and bad luck, and his inner monologue is hella funny. The way he overthinks and over-analyzes things, even though he is serious and didn't mean to come out like that, made the book so much fun to read.
(Now, the whole dead bodies shouldn't be taken seriously; that's how the author pointed out just leave it in the background and don't think much of it), but my god, his reaction to finding them every time is gold, mind you finding dead bodies is not funny, but his reaction is😂.
My favorite scene was when Ray was at the coffee shop after finding out about the second dead body, him and the barista had this conversation, and I knew he misunderstood the situation and had me cracking up 🤣.
So the whole book is told from Ray's POV, and I swear only a few books that made me curious and wished I had the other mc POV, but it was done perfectly the way he sees Adam, and all was just perfect. Also, the special chapter you can get once you subscribe to the newsletter was a nice edition to wrap up the book (for some reason, reading the title of the special chapter made me think it's in Adam's POV...was a little disappointed when it wasn't...just a little😂)
Heads up, the romance comes about in the book's last few chapters, and I honestly didn't mind that at all. I recommend it if you want something funny and light to read.
September 8, 2023
My first experience with this author and I have to say I was impressed with the unpredictable 'mystery' plot, the snarky and hilarious dialogue (especially Ray's inner thoughts/observations ) and a satisfying ending. The characters well all nicely developed and likeable and I've already bought the next book in the series since I have to confess a deep fondness for secondary character Liam!
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