Review: Complicated Creatures by Alexi Lawless

Title: Complicated Creatures (Part One)
Author: Alexi Lawless
Date of publication: 24 April 2014
Genre: Romantic Suspense, Military

Author's links:
Website / Facebook / Twitter / Goodreads

My rating: 4 Stars

Synopsis

What happens when curiosity becomes obsession? And when that obsession leads to an unstoppable journey you could never have imagined?

Luck is Jack Roman's middle name— and Chicago is his Empire. He lives to work, loves to play, and makes no commitments. But when the mysterious S. Wyatt moves into the adjoining penthouse, he's immediately drawn to her, a striking, elusive woman who transitions seamlessly from wood-paneled board rooms to high-stakes, high-risk rescue operations in the most dangerous parts of the world. 

Intrigued by her self-possession, aroused by her incredible passion, and disarmed by a vulnerability she cannot hide, Jack pursues her into the nexus of her dangerous present and her enigmatic past. An entire world is revealed to Jack, where living for pleasure becomes fighting for survival. And the only woman he wants may be the one he cannot have...

COMPLICATED CREATURES is a mesmerizing, labyrinthine romantic suspense that will leave you wondering: Do you really want to know everything about the one you love?

Review

What a pleasant surprise this was. When I was sent a copy of the this book for review I was hesitant to pick it up since I am not a big fan of billionaire, SEO type of stories. Now, after finishing it, I can only say that I'm very happy I chose to give it a try because I ended up loving it. 

For a debut novel it's very a very well developed story written in a sophisticated, engaging style. The author has a style of her own - complex, rich and sensual descriptions mixed with a lot of action.

I was surprised how in-depth she went in the discussion of military operations, real estate business practices, martial arts, Italian cuisine and so much more. I did like the careful attention to detail we see all across this book, but the information became overwhelming at times. It made things look too good to be true, taking away from the otherwise realistic nature of the story and the characters. 

That said, I really liked Sam and Jack and all the rest of the supporting cast. It's a densely populated world and it took me some time to figure out who is who and to keep track of all characters. Sam definitely stands out among most contemporary romance heroines - she is strong, independent, and at the same time loyal and caring. She is perfect at presenting a particular image of herself - self-possessed, composed, in control. but deep in her heart things are not exactly like this. 

Jack was just the perfect hero - smart, sexy, successful. He fell for Sam and he fell hard. It was a surprise for him but he was open and honest, willing to risk his heart and take a chance. The relationship was not easy with Sam keeping Jack at a safe distance, never truly revealing herself to him. 

The thriller element was very engaging and kept me involved throughout the story. There was a particular plot twist  in the end that I didn't see coming and it makes me very anxious about the next book in the series. 

While it's true that both characters can be described as complicated creatures, I'm not a fan of title, it makes me think of a paranormal story and there is nothing like this here. 

My biggest disappointment, in fact my only one, is that it's not a completed story of Jack and Sam. I knew this is the first book in a series but I expected the next ones to be about other characters/couples. My consolation is that the next installment is to come out some time this summer according to the author's website. 

I'm glad a took a chance on this book, it's a well written, complex and intriguing contemporary romance with some military/suspense elements and I'd recommend it to anyone who enjoys such stories. Alexi Lawless is an author I'll be watching for in the future.

Purchase links: Amazon