Addicted to You

Addicted, Book 1

By: Krista Ritchie, Becca Ritchie

Narrated by: Erin Mallon

Length: 12 hrs and 3 mins

Publisher's summary

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.

For the most fulfilling listening experience, the Calloway Sisters series should be listened to along with the Addicted series.

Listening order as recommended by the authors:

Addicted to You
Ricochet
Addicted for Now
Kiss the Sky
Hothouse Flower
Thrive
Addicted After All
Fuel the Fire
Long Way Down
Some Kind of Perfect

©2013 K.B. Ritchie (P)2014 Audible Inc.

Great story

The story is okay, but the narrator gets on my nerves with her breathiness after each phrase! Gag!

Awesome

I love this series and this start is awesome, filled with great characters and a great storyline. The narrator does a great job and just enhanced the story.

Gave up on this one

I don’t know if it was the awful depravity and sadness of the addiction but I was hoping there was a story somewhere in there. The narrator sounded like she was on a ventilator. Not a fan.

Just too young for me!

Though I was drawn to Lil and Lo and wonder how their story will end they were just too young for me. They are college age and they have problems, but seem trivial compared to the real world...which is pretty normal for most college age kids and I have already lived through that era and cannot fathom listening to 4 more books about them and their alcohol and sex addiction. This series will fall to the bottom of my already overloaded wish list.

I'm Addicted to this series!!!!

Would you listen to Addicted to You again? Why?

Yes! This is my second time reading Addicted to You and my first time listening to the audio version. I have listened to five books in this series on audio and I just LOVE them. I love the narrators the authors picked. It really makes the story just much much more! The intensity in audio books is always kicked up a notch and it makes me feel more (if that makes sense).

What was one of the most memorable moments of Addicted to You?

There were many memorable moments in Addicted to You. I don’t want to give anything away. I do like the parts where Lily and Lo are exposed and they need each other. I love how much they depend on each other and I love how passionate they are towards each other. I also love the heart to hearts each characters have with other side-characters, like the sisters and Ryke. I felt like all the “moments” were justified and they all touched my heart.

Have you listened to any of Erin Mallon’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

There were many memorable moments in Addicted to You. I don’t want to give anything away. I do like the parts where Lily and Lo are exposed and they need each other. I love how much they depend on each other and I love how passionate they are towards each other. I also love the heart to hearts each characters have with other side-characters, like the sisters and Ryke. I felt like all the “moments” were justified and they all touched my heart.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

Overall the book is moving. The book shifts many times and each shift brings the book at a deeper level. I think the ending was the most powerful. I felt like all the angst, pain, energy and drama kind of just unfolded and it was emotional, but in a super good way. God, I love this series.

Any additional comments?

Full Book Review Below:

5 Addicting (I love this seres) Stars

One word to describe Addicted to You is DIFFERENT. The story line and Lily and Lo’s relationship is SUPER unusual. It was a really refreshing and somewhat comical and an intense read.

Lily is addicted to sex, Lo is addicted to alcohol. Early on they used each other as support systems for their vices. Lily likes to have random one night stands and Lo likes to drink himself away. They pretend to be a couple so their families do not question their side habits.

“Let me try to be enough for you”

I’ve read a few books where the Hero is addicted sex, but Lily’s addiction goes to a whole new level. She truly is addicted to sex and porn, which I found so funny because it’s so random. To me, an addiction is something that consumes you to the point where it’s detrimental to yourself. I didn’t think I could see sex in this way, but oh boy I did.

The beginning of the story starts out by explaining the kind of relationship Lily and Lo have. You never know how hard someone tries to cover up their addiction, until you see all the effort they put into it. The read goes into explaining what Lily likes, as in meeting random guys at clubs, or picking a few guys at school, but she never sleeps with the same guy twice. Lo drinks all the time, but enough to be coherent in public settings and always hides his alcohol if he drinks in public.

What I love most about this book is the intensity. I love that Lo and Lily desperately need each other (on top of their habits). It’s a sad, but epic love story. I love it when the Hero and Heroine are so consumed with each other, they just can’t fathom being apart. These are the kind of romance novels I crave for. The ones that consume me.

“I’ll always be yours. No distance or time apart will change that, Lily”

“I know what you want, and you don’t need to take it. I can give it to you”

“You’re a permanent fixture in my life. You’re not going anywhere”

I love that Lo and Lily are so flawed. There’s so much character build-up, you become part of the story. I completely understood where Lo comes from. I understood his pain and why he just can’t stop drinking. I completely understood Lily. I felt her need, urges and anxiousness. Lo and Lily are very complicated characters and I just loved them.

They slowly start to spiral out of control, but neither can stop. They want to stop, but it’s too hard. Both Lily and Lo hate their lives, but they can’t imagine a life without sex and alcohol, so they just continue to lie and cope. It’s like watching a car accident happening in slow motion. You don’t want to, but you just can’t look away.

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

I seriously love this series. I read all the books and I did a re-read backwards. If you haven’t started this, then you are insane.

It’s a well written, complicated, intense, yet one-of-kind read. I recommend.

An audio copy was provided

I like

I like the performance. It was clear and attractive. The story was also great. I want to listen to it again.

Surprised

loved it. didnt want the story to stop but i'll continue the series! cant wait!

I shamelessly loved this shameful story

I've already read this series, so I decided to listen to it. As usual, Erin Mallon nailed it. I felt Lilly's shame, regret, sheepishness and addiction in her voice. This is the story of 2 addicts who have entered a pact to enable each other. What happens when one goes too far, though? What happens when you have to break a deal to save a life, or when you have to admit your addiction to those who judge you the most? I know that some were turned off by the sexual addiction storyline, but I loved this book.

such an amazing book

I'll be the first to admit, normally I cant stand reading about addicts because I cant relate to them. This book however, reading a book solely from an addict, while they are still crashing their life it was honestly fascinating and riveting. I could not stop listening! Lilly is a sex addict, some people might laugh but reading from her perspective it's so sad and eye opening to how dangerous an addiction like this can be. Her best friend and "fake" boyfriend Lo is a functional alcoholic. They created this world where they pretend to date to keep their families happy, meanwhile they cater to the other addictions and use each other as a crutch. When they decide to stop burying feelings and make their fake relationship real their lives begin to explode, and their eyes begin to open. as their secrets are revealed, they must choose each other or their vices.
This book was so sad, they are so clearly meant for each other, but they have developed not only an addiction for booze and sex but really for each other, for the co dependency they created. I saw where the train wreck was headed, but still I just cringed and felt so bad for Lo and lilly when it did. I thought this book might be consumed with sex scenes, bit it actually is focused on the characters and the plot, it alludes to sex but there arent very descriptive scenes. I actually liked it, it makes you appreciate the story more.
This is not a stand alone book but luckily the next part is available and on escape!
I would reccomend this book to anyone! it's worth a credit for sure.

Addiction

Really good. I was hooked from start to finish. Addiction can be many things all wrapped together with secrets.