Thank you NetGalley for the ARC! Complicated by Ola Tundun is a workplace romance gone wrong. When Ariella breaks up with her long time boyfriend Jasper, moves and falls in love with her new roommate Caleb everything seems to be going well. That is until Melissa, an Asian contact for the company they both work for, offers Ariella the promotion of a lifetime. There are only two things that could make this deal impossible to resist. Her having to move to Singapore and the previous relationship Caleb had with her new boss. While part of the story deals with how to navigate working with your significant other, another, more important part of the story, deals with how to be honest about mistakes of the past. Overall, a good story that I would recommend to others. My only criticism was with the ending. I hate having to wait to see what happens in the sequel!

I didn’t realize this was the second in a series, but I was able to stay engaged in the book/feel like I caught up. PHEW. Complicated is the best title for this book! Ariella is complicated. Caleb is complicated. Jasper and Melissa are complicated. Ivory Bow is complicated. The whole book is complicated… yet so easy to read. This was one of those “I woke up at 4:00 am and started reading to put myself back to sleep, but stayed up to finish it” books. I loved the dual POV and that some parts would give both Ariella and Caleb’s perspective on the same event. But. That cliffhanger at the end! The first thing I did was check Goodreads to see if the third book has been announced! Way to leave a reader hanging (in the best possible way) and begging for the rest of the story! Highly recommend this be added to your January 2024 TBR list!

I liked the first book of the series. This one, not so much. The entire Singapore saga was exhausting. I didn't buy any of the drama that happened. I skipped pages after pages just to reach the point when the other shoe dropped. Ariella and Caleb turned into annoying caricatural characters. Everything that made them interesting disappeared in this installment. And their stereotypical traits were magnified : Caleb being mean and then sorry, Ariella crying and falling for every other big shop, the 'secret' that the reader knew but that he kept NOT telling her, them having the same conversation over and over again.... Big thing missing was Aruealla's family and Caleb's friends who were a big part of what was fun in the first book. None of the secondary characters in this book were interesting. Even Lara was blah. Jasper was totally forgettable too. I think a big opportunity was missed not delving into what happened to Caleb in Singapore with Melissa. And have Ariella and him deal with it as a new couple, with their career and all... It would have liked this book better than the simili 'financial thriller/yet another freaking triangle romance that we got. Big disappointment.

It's with great reluctance that I admit this book was a disappointment for me. While Roomates wasn't my favorite book in the world, I did thoroughly enjoy reading it -- but the same cannot be said about its sequel.

Miscommunication tropes are not typically my cup of tea just because I feel like they're so hard to do well, and often times they're just plain overdone. In this case, it just felt very childish, and the manipulation involved was the cherry on top.

Maybe I went in with my hopes too high, but this was not what I hoped it would be and that's devastating.

Thank you NetGalley and Storm Publishing for the ARC I'm exchange for an honest review! When I saw this book on NetGalley, I've never hit "request" so fast in my life. I read Roommates, the prequel to Complicated, earlier this year, and I was beyond excited when I got it approved the next day!

"Complicated" is definitely a fitting name for this story. Ariella and Caleb getting together at the end of the previous book was not the start of their happily ever after - with Ariella's disapproving father, Ariella's ex-fiancé Jasper still hanging around, and what happened between Caleb and Melissa the last time Caleb was in Singapore... It was bound to be complicated. And that's before the events of this book even begins! If there's one thing you need to know, it's that the story definitely lives up to the title!!

Caleb and Aari... Aari and Caleb... Why won't you just communicate with each other?! I feel like so much of their pain and suffering is inflicted by themselves because they're not talking to each other, and it's infuriating!! Yet, I understand Caleb's hesitancy, his fears and worries. And Aari's anxiety is definitely something I can relate to! That being said, she seems to make a lot of assumptions, which is something I don't really like about her.

I'm still rooting for them though. The steamy scenes were steamy, even though I believe there were fewer of them in Complicated than there were in Roommates, and I WANT them to be together; despite everything, I really do believe they're soulmates that belong together!

Again, I found myself into the 90%s, wondering how one earth this story could be finished within the next couple of chapters. And considering this is the second time this has happened now, I don't know why I was surprised to learn that there will be a third and final book in this series! I don't know when it'll come, but I'll be keeping all my eyes and ears pierced, (im)patiently waiting to see where this story goes, after yet another intense cliffhanger!

I'm still hoping for that Happily Ever After for Caleb and Aari!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5 stars for me: it was good, but I got a little frustrated with the characters at various points. However, the writing is great, the drama and tension is amazing, and I can’t wait to see how the story ends! Please don’t make us wait too long!!

Thank you, NetGalley and Storm Publishing, for an early copy of Complicated by Ola Tundun. I am excited to read the squeal to the roommates. I cannot wait to see what happens with these love birds, Caleb and Ariella. It's a nice rom-com for the new year.

Thank you to Netgalley for the free copy for review: I fell in love with Caleb and Ari in book one, so I was very excited to continue on with their story. What I enjoyed most about this story is the balance of fun, drama and depth. These characters…all of them are flawed but very real. I found myself smiling or giggling at Caleb’s antics as well as frowning and tearing up at something that they were experiencing in the story…oh and the workplace drama! I loved Ari’s family and the support that these characters had through family and friends… The story held my attention from start to finish, and I loved that it was set in the UK and Singapore. Overall amazing read! You can’t help rooting for Caleb and Ari.

Ariella just wants to move forward with her relationship with reformed bad boy Caleb. But when her new boss, Melissa, sets her sights on Ariella, little did Ariella know there was some history between her and Caleb. Suddenly, more than just her relationship is in jeopardy!
This is the second book of a three part series. That was not very clear when I received it, and knowing that would have made a big difference. This is not a standalone. You really do need to read the first one. Not that I couldn’t figure it out, but I think I would have cared more about the relationship between the two characters if I knew their history.
So as the title suggests, rather than a romance this is more of a complicated drama. It starts with talk of secrets and hurt and betrayal. Without knowing the history of what they’ve gone through, I wasn’t committed to them working through it. So it took a while to get into the story. Once I got through that, it did pick up a bit. But there was repeated miscommunication (or noncommunication), third act breakups, and manipulation. I think that those who started from the first book, Roommates and realized this was more drama than a light romance had a totally different outlook on this book.

This book is the 2nd in a series, and yet nowhere in the cover or description does it tell you this. I never would have requested this had I known that.

In saying that, the start is utterly confusing without the knowledge from the first book and the characters are frustrating (I mean what grown woman still refers to her parents as 'mummy and daddy'). I feel that I would have enjoyed this one a lot more if I had read the first book.

As always, please don't let my review put you off reading this as there seems to be many positive reviews out there.

This is a very difficult book for me to review, not a fault of it as such, more that it is part two where it is essential to have read part one first - which, of course, I hadn't. As per the title it is very complicated, and not having read the first one it took me a third of the way through to start understanding what is going on. If you enjoy books with convoluted plots, don't mind the occasional spicy moment, you will like this one and I have rated it accordingly, even though it wasn't my cup of tea. A word of warning though - it ends on a cliffhanger.
I received an advance copy of this book from the publisher through Netgalley, however this did not influence my review of the book.

Definitely is as the title describes! If you like love triangles then this is for you but I got to the point where I just thought they should either get on with it or let it go. It was driving me mad! Still, it was an interesting web and the background was good.

complicated was the correct title for this book because there was so much drama and tension, and it was definitely complicated, and frustrating.
i felt so many different emotions while following aari and caleb’s story - i was laughing, gasping, and almost tearing up throughout it.
unfortunately i hadn’t realised this was the 2nd book to the “roommates” series, but i will definitely be going back and reading the 1st one!
overall, i really enjoyed this book, the writing style really made you feel the emotions, and you don’t get that with every book!

First off, didn't know it was a sequel – my bad. No context at the start, left me scratching my head. Not the book's fault, just my lack of prep.

The title nails it – complicated. A wild mix of plots, miscommunication galore, and a touch of manipulation. Characters evolve, but all of that unnecessary pettiness was a vibe killer for me. Like, how do you possibly root for them in the romance department now?

Maybe reading the first book would've helped, but this didn't click. My main problem? The miscommunication trope being so overdone. Drove me bonkers – seriously, couldn't handle it.

Then the whole on-again, off-again vibe was like a never-ending loop. It's the kind of stuff that makes me want to pull my hair out.

Honestly, I almost DNFed, but there were some scenes that kept me going. Those moments that had me throwing my device, screaming, and blushing like a schoolgirl. I pushed through, but still, those moments were like rare gems in a sea of frustration.

Shoutout for the ARC – it's been a ride, even if this review sounds really negative.

An enjoyable second book in the series- but you definitely need to read them in order to really understand the complex relationships between some of the characters!
I was a bit disappointed not to have more of Singapore described as a backdrop to the action- a little more of the culture and a few less hickeys would have been nice!
That said it is another good book for whiling away a rainy day in the company of some interesting and crazy characters!

Book 2 in the Roommates series, Complicated is a continuation of the story between two colleagues/roommates who start dating. The story is compelling, but heavy at times. There is discussion on sexual assault, cheating, and miscommunication all around. Would I recommend reading it, yes, but start from the first book and know it's not a 'fun' read.

I was intrigued by the blurb of this book by Ola Tundun, but it turns out that Complicated is just not for me.

I am HERE for any drama that does not involve me :) Complicated fits the bill from the very beginning! Wish I had read the first book in this Roommates series so I wasn't as confused right from the get. However, super enjoyable plot and characters!

Thank you Storm Publishing & NetGalley for the ARC of this book.
Complicated is the perfect way to describe this book.
I had to quickly read book 1 and I am so glad I did although not essential!
We contunie to follow Aari and Caleb through lots of drama and ups and downs in their personal and working lives. The author did a great job developing these characters throughout the book, and I enjoyed seeing their growth as individuals and together.
I am looking forward to Book 3

This is not a stand alone novel, you need to read the first book to follow this novel. I didn't really enjoy the characters or dialogue. The dialogue felt wordy and it did not flow. I also felt like the novel was longer than needed, especially with almost no character development from the two main characters.

I won’t say too much about this book because it’s the 2nd in the series, BUT I want to thank @olatundunx for creating Ariella and Caleb (and the rest of the gang). In these past two books you have brought to life books that I’ll treasure for a lifetime!!

Let me not go on and on about how I love this series …but I’ll just say another 5⭐️ read from @olatundunx!!! AND DARE I SAY THIS IS MY CURRENT #1 ROMANCE IF 2024 (I’ve already read a few great ones but this ELITE👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾)

⭐️THIS BOOK COMES OUT JANUARY 5TH 2024 SO BE SURE TO PREORDER AND READ THE FIRST BOOK IN THE SERIES ‘ROOMATES’⭐️

Special thanks to @stormbooks_co for being so wonderful and giving me the opportunity to once again be an early reader/reviewer!! All thoughts and opinions are my own!!