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.
*** TRIGGER & CONTENT WARNINGS ***
Alcoholism
Addiction
Child Abuse
Sex Addiction
Sexual Assault
Slut-Shaming & Slurs
Tropes & Other Parts
Childhood Bestfriend, Love
Fake Dating
Friends to Lovers
Thoughts …
I wish I could go back in time just to tell my past self not to read this.
“Addicted to You” involves triggering and serious topics that I would never in a million years poke fun at or speak as though it weren’t serious. I will argue that the writing was so excruciatingly terrible that it had not done the plot, the characters, as well as their struggles, any kind of justice. It was that bad.
I don’t mind that the characters were all described to be quite wealthy though it almost seemed that was half their personalities the entire time. At times, it was hard to take any of them seriously or even empathize with them because the plot circled back to their privileged lifestyles. I couldn’t help but do an eye roll or two.
It’s also unfair to compare struggles and vices. The writing of the character’s backstories and developments were hard for me to sympathize with. Not that they weren’t “traumatic enough” [that would be a really fucked up expectation] but again the writing!
Lily and Lo’s are beautiful representations but their story had so much more potential than this. They deserved better.