What would you do if you were suddenly told that things you had planned out for later in life just weren’t going to work?

Dee thinks that she has everything sorted, well, not really. She’s about to turn 35, she works for a company that sometimes pays her in food and lives as a lodger in a colleague’s one-bedroom flat. Oh, and her sometime boyfriend Nat isn’t quite ready to make any sort of commitment.

Apart from that, everything is going great.

And then she finds out that as far as fertility goes she’s living on borrowed time. She’s about to go into early menopause - like her Mum, and that’ll be it, any chance at having children, done!

So, she does what any sensible woman in her 30s does, she turns to her friends for advice. There’s sensible Roo the anaesthetist who is desperately trying to get pregnant, and then there’s Minnie, slightly flighty and not even contemplating parenthood. Their advice? Roo sends her to a fertility specialist and Minnie recommends something she saw on Reddit…a co-parenting deal where she has a baby with someone who wants to be a father but doesn’t want the complications of a relationship.

Sounds sensible, right? Of course!

Terrified for her future, not only the prospect of having to have a baby now but also the fact that she’s not really ready…she jumps into things with both feet and then she meets chef Andy who is just out of a disastrous relationship and though he wants children he doesn’t want to get involved with anyone. He’s perfect, but for the fact that they don’t actually hit it off right away.

This story wasn’t quite what I expected. I was promised romantic comedy/contemporary romance and though there were moments where this is precisely what I was delivered…there were also times when I took a step back and had to pause because wow…

This book includes some very sensitive topics including: abortion, fertility, cheating, parental abandonment, attempted suicide, mental health issues…

Definitely not your traditional romantic comedy by a long shot. But still one I enjoyed. I have to say that Emma Hughes dealt with these sensitive subjects in a way that doesn’t just gloss over them…and for that I am thankful. I like a romantic comedy with substance.

Relevant and enjoyable. Really enjoyed this one, loved the characters and the plot. Had a lot of educational bits including infertility, hormone troubles and early menopause. Overall brilliant.

A fun story with lots to go out, there are tears and laughter plus some good old will they won't they to throw in the mix

I absolutely loved It's Complicated. The characters are so real and so varied; it has humour, pathos and romance and finished without a cliche in sight. My thanks to Netgalley for my opportunity to enjoy an author who is new to me, I will now look out for more work by Emma Hughes.

Couldn't get into this one. Loved the opening and found the protagonist to be dynamic and was really intrigued by the premise. However, despite the humourous writing style, this novel was less comedic than I was expecting and while I enjoyed the narrative, the plot itself struggled to maintain my interest.

A cute little romance about love in all its forms. Vivid characters bring this love story to life, peppering their problems all over the place and helping each other figure out the solutions.

I really wanted to enjoy this one but the writing style just wasn't for me and I couldn't get into it. It takes alot for me to dnf a book but this one just didn't hook me like I hoped it would.

Imagine being in your mid-thirties and told that you'd better get a wiggle on if you want kids because your body is not being very cooperative.
This is the situation our main character, Dee, finds herself in. She's always wanted a family, and now, with a relationship that hinges on a childhood crush crumbling, she is at a loss as to what she can do to boost her chances of making her dream come true.
Dee rides the storm with her two best friends, Roo, inseparable since school, and Minnie, a more recent addition to their friendship circle. Both have strong opinions and battles to fight in the fertility/pregnancy stakes.
The idea of co-parenting with someone else desperate for a child but not in a relationship is planted. Soon, a chance meeting with chef Andy and some drunken disclosures later, Dee finds herself possibly embarking on a co-parenting journey.
This book has many offshoot stories regarding Dee's friends, her mother, Alice and her partner Ines, and snippets of her relationship with her estranged father, who is living in Denmark.
It is a pleasant read with some deeper issues that haven't been explored fully.
Many thanks to NetGalley, Random House, and Cornerstone (Penguin Books) for an ARC.

I really enjoyed the first half of it I found it really interesting and different, but somewhere around the middle it lost my attention. I normally love a cheesy romance but I didn’t think there was much chemistry between Andy and Dee, everything was just so circumstantial and they were both attractive.
The ending was a bit too neat for me, and a bit rushed.
I’d read more work by the author, but this just wasn’t my fave.

I really enjoyed reading this, at times it had me laughing out loud. A great storyline of a woman discovering her worth however as the title implies - it's not an easy ride! Well written and definitely worth a read.

I really enjoyed this book. The relationship between the three main characters was great and I loved how their relationships interwove with the the other characters in the book.

Perfect beach read, devoured it in an afternoon. Loved the three main characters and how their lives connected throughout.
Thank you Net Galley for the opportunity to read it

Loved this one, the three main female characters were so interesting -we are all so different aren’t we! I enjoyed how the relationship developed between Dee and Andy.

Fabulous rom com From Emma Hughes- loved the characters, loved the plot, loved the fact that Dee's life wasnt all perfect and breezy - she had some great depths to her character and interesting personality twists. Easy to read, a great page-turner - I wouldnt have changed anything about it!

Sadly this didn't really work for me, the writing was great and I thought the premise and blurb sounded really interesting but I don't think it worked in execution. This book touched on a lot of deep, serious topics regarding Pro-choice, pressures on women and different fertility difficulties which is very unique and not touched on upon enough in media. However I think it was so highly focused on this and the friendship between the women and I felt like the co-parenting and relationship/romantic narrative was lost and I didn't feel absorbed or like it actually was the same book the blurb promised. I did feel slightly disappointed, but many people did enjoy this book so I think this is just not for me and my opinions are no reflection on the author as she is a very good writer.

I just adored this book. I started and finished it in the same day. I love the journey we went on with Dee and gang, because yes it is not just Dee’s story. I won’t say what it was it is but, there is something at the end that made me believe I was supposed to read this book. I have only had this feeling a handful of times but it was there,
It was a beautiful book that made me laugh and cry. All the emotions!!! Please, please read this when it comes out.
I was absolutely be picking up a physical copy. Definitely something I will Re-read without a doubt.

I loved this. As a huge fan of No Such Thing as Perfect I was excited for It's Complicated, and it did NOT disappoint. Warm, funny, with believable characters. I hope Emma writes more - I will be ready and waiting to read!

Relevant, vivid, and enjoyable. Emma Hughes brings out the good in friendships and paints the picture of a thirty-something’s busy life in London.
Dee Jensen, now thirty-five, feels she’s stuck in life. Her job isn’t exciting, her housing situation isn’t ideal, and her relationship is there, for now… then something time-sensitive she had never needed to think about suddenly becomes the front focus. But is she ready for this big change? Dee’s life seems to unravel around her and only her close friends Roo and Minnie and her stepmother Ines keep her together.
It’s Complicated was easy to get into and enjoyable. It touched on many important themes and had a wide gallery of memorable characters. I made an instant connection with Dee that stayed with me during the entire book.
Dee’s friendships are strong and true without the extra drama. Instead, Hughes focused on the important problems and made these centre of attention, proving that you don’t have to make your characters drama-stirring assholes to make the story interesting.
The book was a bit educating at times (in a good way) as it brings up topics such as infertility, hormone troubles, early menopause, and abortion, to mention some. Being a woman in her mid-thirties, Dee experiences the impact of her failed expectations about herself and the societal struggles that come with it. Both of her friends also deal with different issues related to this, which was very enlightening. We also get to see the impact of Dee’s childhood growing up with a single parent with mental health struggles and the effect it had on their relationship.
The story had depth on several levels and felt complete and left no loose ends. I think these characters will stay with me for a long time as they really came alive on the page and their struggles seemed so realistic it felt like I experienced them with them.
The story focuses more on Dee’s friendships and the romantic drama comes secondhand. In my opinion, this doesn’t matter, as I really enjoyed seeing Dee seek help from her friends and family to deal with her troubles and didn’t run right to the next guy. The relationship evolved in a natural way that didn’t feel rushed, and Dee came to see the bigger picture.
If you like steamy romance, this might not be for you, but if you like a story about being a woman in your thirties, dealing with expectations about motherhood and family, friendships, and success in life, this might be the book for you.

Thanks Netgalley and the publisher. This was just an okay read for me. okay storyline and okay characters

Read and reviewed in exchange for a free copy from NetGalley. I really enjoyed this book, the initial premise was engaging and the cast of characters were all written well.