Addicted to You (Addicted #1) by Krista Ritchie, Becca Ritchie

Addicted to You is an emotional, raw and realistic new adult contemporary romance that have authentic portrayal of struggle with addiction.

Synopsis

Fans of Gossip Girl, Friends, and Euphoria will devour this edgy new adult romance set in a world of lust, fame, swoon-worthy men, and friendships that run deeper than blood.

She’s addicted to sex. He’s addicted to booze…the only way out is rock bottom.

No one would suspect shy Lily Calloway’s biggest secret. While everyone is dancing at college bars, Lily stays in the bathroom. To get laid. Her compulsion leads her to one-night stands, steamy hookups and events she shamefully regrets. The only person who knows her secret happens to have one of his own.

Loren Hale’s best friend is his bottle of bourbon. Lily comes at a close second. For three years, they’ve pretended to be in a real relationship, hiding their addictions from their families. They’ve mastered the art of concealing flasks and random guys that filter in and out of their apartment.

But as they sink beneath the weight of their addictions, they cling harder to their destructive relationship and wonder if a life together, for real, is better than a lie. Strangers and family begin to infiltrate their guarded lives, and with new challenges, they realize they may not just be addicted to alcohol and sex.

Their real vice may be each other.

New Adult Romance recommended for readers 18+ for mature content

Review

I decided to download Addicted to You after receiving the latest installment in the series from the publisher. Thankfully, I had access to Kindle Unlimited to start from the beginning, as it became apparent that the series revolves around the journeys of addicted couples.

I initially hesitated before diving in, and it turns out my reservations were justified. Addicted to You wasn’t an easy one to digest, filled with characters consumed by their own selfishness and addiction, seemingly oblivious to anyone else’s needs. Yet, the more I delved into their story, the more I started to like it.

The authors’ writing held my interest through the first half of the book. While the plot itself is straightforward, centering around the characters’ addiction, it’s the complexity of the characters themselves that adds depth to the narrative.

Addicted to You is a character-driven story, narrated from Lily’s perspective. Lily, the daughter of a Fizzle tycoon, and Loren, the son of the biggest baby product company, have known each other since their childhood even their biggest secret that they kept from their family, their addiction.

Lily is sex addict and Loren is alcoholic and they are attached to their addiction to the point they cannot live without it. To shield their secrets from their families, they’ve fabricated a fake relationship, successfully evading familial scrutiny for three years. However, when Lily’s family orchestrates a surprise trip, their charade is threatened to be exposed, compelling them to try real relationship.

Forced into a genuine relationship, they find themselves teetering on the edge of co-dependency, their fates irrevocably intertwined. Success now hinges on their ability to prioritize their love for each other over their respective addictions.

Their journey is complicated and filled with challenges. They know they must take risk to gain the one thing they truly desire: each other. Witnessing their struggle to break free from the grips of addiction and nurture a genuine connection is a compelling journey indeed.

I enjoyed introduction of both Lily and Loren’s family in first half. Lily have 3 sisters but it’s Rose (second sister) who plays important role in this story. They didn’t have friends until second half and I enjoyed meeting Ryke and Connor. while Lily’s family were precursor to change in Lily and Loren’s destructive system, Ryke and Connor were technically the catalyst who pushed Loren and Lily to better path.

I get why they would want hide their addiction from their families. It’s natural after see how Loren’s father was, how clingy and opinionated Lily’s family was but with each other they at least should be plain without all these complicated layers, but they find themselves entangled in a web of lies and dependencies, making their mutual understanding and system they created all the more challenging.

Lily’s sex addiction is hard to understand and yes, I could see not everyone can get that and why she would have preferred to keep it hidden. The emptiness she feels, and her attempt to fill it with sexual encounters, hints at deeper emotional wounds and unmet needs.

But when Rose finally got to know about her addiction near the end, we discover there was no experiences of neglect or emotional trauma. It made me more uncertain about her addiction as one don’t get addicted just like that so I hope that will be explored more in next books.

I didn’t like her reactions and actions before they started relationship. I hated how she reacted to Lo bringing girl home who stayed for weekend which made her spiral into mind numbing sex and then feeling better when Lo tells her he ditched that girl. I mean what right did she have!

I also didn’t get why she made that rule of not sleeping with Lo after that one time when they’re 15. When Loren finally tried to make things better, I didn’t like how whiny and immature she was acting.

I could understand her hesitation to pursue anything further with Loren. Despite his obvious love and care for her, it was clear that his first love had always been alcohol. I wouldn’t trust him to prioritize anyone over his addiction, and her doubts about their uncertain future were justified.

I could understand her hesitation to pursue anything further with Loren. Despite his obvious love and care for her, it was clear that his first love had always been alcohol. I wouldn’t trust him to prioritize anyone over his addiction, and her doubts about their uncertain future were justified. However, I also couldn’t see her excelling at anything other than sex, which added to the complexity of their situation.

Loren’s challenges are somewhat clearer due to his difficult relationship with his father. I didn’t like his overbearing father from the beginning. The expectation he set and the pressure he put in his life made him feel unworthy and failure. This toxic environment drove Loren towards alcohol as a coping mechanism from a young age.

What was revealed about his father in the climax makes me sad for Loren. No one deserves to be treated like this, to live life like this. It was great to see Ryke coming in Loren’s life, offering support and guidance to help him overcome his addiction and rise above the destructive patterns ingrained by his upbringing.

I somewhat figured why Ryke was suddenly interested in Loren’s life and the hint just before climax was enough to cement my theory but it still surprised me to know about his real identity as it revealed so much about Loren’s father and all the lies he feed Loren.

I admire Loren for his decision in the end. I agree with Rose, he did the most heroic thing in his life and it wasn’t about saving someone else but saving himself.

I admire how the authors approached the narrative with a focus on the internal struggles and emotional complexities rather than relying on explicit scenes. Even though Addicted to You is centered around sex addiction, the story delves deep into the characters’ struggles, portraying a relationship that is far from a traditional happy romance. Their dynamic is marked by a high level of codependency, fraught with angst and behavior driven by addiction. Yet, amidst the turmoil, there’s something profoundly stirring about their journey.

It was all so realistic, raw and intense that drew me in, and despite their flaws, I found myself rooting for both characters. I’m eager to read the rest of the books in the series, hoping to witness their growth beyond their selfishness and addiction. I want to see them not only succeed in their relationship with each other but also find healing and reconciliation with their family and friends.

Overall, Addicted to You is an emotional, raw and realistic new adult contemporary romance that have authentic portrayal of struggle with addiction.

What To Expect from Addicted to You

New adult contemporary
Fake Dating
Friends to Lovers
Forced proximity
Wealthy college kids
Relationship between two addicts
Portrayal of Sex and alcohol addiction

Quotes

“No one told me you can love someone and still be miserable. How is that possible?”

“I want to love you more than I love this”—he waves his bottle—“and I don’t know how else to do it unless there’s something to lose.”

“We’re terrible at so many things—remembering important dates, college, making friends—but the one thing we’ve always been halfway decent at is being together. We owe it to ourselves to try.”

“Sex is a part of everyone’s life, addicted or not. Drugs aren’t. Alcohol isn’t. You can spend years without both, but most people never become lifelong celibates.”

“Being in a real relationship was supposed to fix the kinks in our lives. It should’ve made our problems easier. We no longer have to pretend. We can be ourselves. We’re free from one lie. Isn’t this the part where our love overcomes our addictions? Where our problems magically solve from a kiss and a promise? Instead everything has trickled into the gutter.”

Book Links

Goodreads | Amazon.in | Amazon.com | Amazon.co.uk

Emotional, raw and realistic new adult contemporary romance – Addicted to You (Addicted #1) by Krista Ritchie, Becca Ritchie ⭐⭐⭐⭐ #AddictedToYou #KindleUnlimited @BerkleyRomance Check out full review — > Click To Tweet

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Just in Case You Missed,,,,

• Mehar’s World of Colours by Arti Sonthalia – Middle Grade Fiction for art lovers
• Mr. Hook Up by Marni Mann – enjoyable, steamy, workplace romance
• Addicted to You (Addicted #1) by Krista Ritchie, Becca Ritchie

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