Complicated by Kristen Ashley ★★★★

Sheriff Hixon Drake was happily married (or so he thought) for 19 years until his wife inexplicably kicked him out and they divorced a year later. They live in a small town so everyone knows everybody’s business, even what you don’t know about your own. When just a few days after the divorce was final he wakes from a night of passion with Greta Dare, a lounge singer he’s oddly attracted to, Hix flees but it’s too late to avoid town gossip.

As one of my friends aptly stated, you either love Kristen Ashley stories or you can’t abide her alpha males. I haven’t a clue as to why I love listening to her books and have given up trying to figure it out. I’m just plain addicted to them.

Hix is basically a good man, was a good husband and is a great father to his three teenaged children. He makes some really big mistakes with Greta who I really, really liked, even when her spine turned to elastic from time to time. I loved how her relationship developed with Hix and how he managed it all with his kids and a spoiled, entitled ex-wife. The small-town dynamics were a lot of fun and the murder mystery added an element of suspense that elevated the story.

Lance Greenfield and Erin Mallon delivered a wonderful performance, despite Greenfield’s odd voice for Greta because he nailed Hix. Their pacing was good and together they made the story better.

This is a standalone but I wouldn’t mind revisiting these characters and the town. I enjoyed pretty much everything about it and hated when it was over.

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