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tabeahaefliger's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
This book was truly a masterpiece š®āšØ
It wasnāt cheesy or overdramatized at all and felt so real and also realistic, we got to see what living with horrible addictions is like.
I annotated a whole lot and itās unbelievable how many emotions this book made me feel. Never was there any moment where I was bored oder felt like this wasnāt worth a second of my time.
Iām really looking forward to the subsequent books in this series and to get to see the further journey of Lily and Lo and all the lovable side characters (btw the side characters are chefās kiss š©)!
Iām so grateful I got to read this wonderful piece of literature šš¼
It wasnāt cheesy or overdramatized at all and felt so real and also realistic, we got to see what living with horrible addictions is like.
I annotated a whole lot and itās unbelievable how many emotions this book made me feel. Never was there any moment where I was bored oder felt like this wasnāt worth a second of my time.
Iām really looking forward to the subsequent books in this series and to get to see the further journey of Lily and Lo and all the lovable side characters (btw the side characters are chefās kiss š©)!
Iām so grateful I got to read this wonderful piece of literature šš¼
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Addiction, and Sexual content
Moderate: Domestic abuse and Toxic relationship
Minor: Vomit
lillicoulson's review against another edition
dark
emotional
hopeful
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
I have been in SUCH a romance book lull recently ā everything is boring me and I havenāt really been rooting for any of the characters Iāve been introduced to. this is such a breath of fresh air: lily and lo (not a fan of loās name but Iāll get past it) make it so difficult to not be in their corner throughout this book. I actually did not cringe ONCE reading this!! Iāve never read about addiction in such a well-approached manner. itās confronting but not jarring, easy to read while opening my mind to new (at least to me!) struggles and complexities. Iām invested in all of the charactersā storylines and there isnāt an authorial decision so far that Iāve questioned or disagreed with. itās so rare for me to be connected to a character-driven storyline and Iām loving it!
genuinely very excited for the rest of the series!
genuinely very excited for the rest of the series!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Addiction, and Vomit
Moderate: Eating disorder, Sexual assault, and Rape
Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Drug abuse, Abortion, and Violence
folkofthebook's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
No one told me you can love someone and still be miserable. How is that possible?
y'all... i ate this UP. my jaw DROPPED in chapter 1 when he kissed her and then asked her if she blew some guy, i knew i was SOLD on this.
this relationship is giving me exactly the angst i need - first with the OBVIOUS pining and cluelessness to each others' feelings because the love between them is so real and tangible, but also bc their addictions and self-destructive tendencies are so strong. the side characters are so loveable as well - connor and rose. connor is my fav, he's a real one. i could predict some of the things coming (ryke) but i enjoyed it.
i went into it thinking this would be a soap-ish rich bitch drama, which it kind of is, but they're fairly down to earth (considering everything) relatable characters. there's something about this relationship that anchors them and makes me love them and root for them, flaws and all.
i'm hoping at the end when all is said and done, lily and lo give me couple goals.
āJust repeat this phrase whenever you feel the urge to jump some other guyās bones.ā His mouth brushes my ear. āLoren Hale fucks better.ā
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Alcohol, Alcoholism, and Sexual content
Moderate: Sexual assault
Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Body shaming, and Vomit
graceheartsbooks's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
reflective
fast-paced
4.0
I didnāt think Iād like this book as much as I did. For context: Iām asexual and donāt like sex myself I worried reading about a sex addict wouldnāt be my cup of tea lol
But I kept playing reviews for this series on YouTube in the background so I got curious. I also finished it in two days so clearly it had an affect over me.
(Though piece of advice for anyone getting into this series: maybe get it digitally first to protect your wallet, haha)
This is my first Krista and Becca Richie and I think I will definitely be continuing this series.
Despite its premise of a sex addict and an alcoholic getting together, itās not as bad as it sounds.
Lily and Loren are childhood friends and have been pretending to be dating for three years while in college as to hide their addictions from their wealthy families (mostly Lilyās as her sisters are the other MCs). And despite it being a slippery slope to portray this kind of thing as it can easily be romanticized but in my opinion this book doesnāt do that.
In her narration, Lily knows both she and Loren have a problem but feels that if they tell anyone else about their addictions that theyāll just get hate for it. Lily also has some troubling views on what her addictions makes her and that sheās sending the āwrong signalsā after a certain incident but other the course of the book she slowly realizes that these thought patterns are damaging.
Ultimately what I love about this book is the acknowledgment that despite the assumption many people have: love doesnāt fix everything. When Loren and Lily officially became a couple, they start to realize that their addictions do in fact harm other people, including each other, despite not telling anyone, and that they need to accept that they both need professional help. Itās going to be hard but I think they can make it (at least I assume they do as thereās a trilogy spanning their love story in this series)
Also I appreciate that thereās a line about Lily going to a clinic every few months to make sure she doesnāt have STDs or a pregnancy scare from all the sex sheās having. I donāt know how much it would have bothered others but it wouldāve bothered me as not mentioning that wouldāve been unrealistic.
(And as a comic book geek, the references are noted and appreciated lol)
And lastly, a spoiler:
On a less serious note: the reveal that Loren and Ryke are half-brothers made my jaw drop. Talk about a plot twistš±
But I kept playing reviews for this series on YouTube in the background so I got curious. I also finished it in two days so clearly it had an affect over me.
(Though piece of advice for anyone getting into this series: maybe get it digitally first to protect your wallet, haha)
This is my first Krista and Becca Richie and I think I will definitely be continuing this series.
Despite its premise of a sex addict and an alcoholic getting together, itās not as bad as it sounds.
Lily and Loren are childhood friends and have been pretending to be dating for three years while in college as to hide their addictions from their wealthy families (mostly Lilyās as her sisters are the other MCs). And despite it being a slippery slope to portray this kind of thing as it can easily be romanticized but in my opinion this book doesnāt do that.
In her narration, Lily knows both she and Loren have a problem but feels that if they tell anyone else about their addictions that theyāll just get hate for it. Lily also has some troubling views on what her addictions makes her and that sheās sending the āwrong signalsā after a certain incident but other the course of the book she slowly realizes that these thought patterns are damaging.
Ultimately what I love about this book is the acknowledgment that despite the assumption many people have: love doesnāt fix everything. When Loren and Lily officially became a couple, they start to realize that their addictions do in fact harm other people, including each other, despite not telling anyone, and that they need to accept that they both need professional help. Itās going to be hard but I think they can make it (at least I assume they do as thereās a trilogy spanning their love story in this series)
Also I appreciate that thereās a line about Lily going to a clinic every few months to make sure she doesnāt have STDs or a pregnancy scare from all the sex sheās having. I donāt know how much it would have bothered others but it wouldāve bothered me as not mentioning that wouldāve been unrealistic.
(And as a comic book geek, the references are noted and appreciated lol)
And lastly, a spoiler:
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content and Alcoholism
Moderate: Sexual assault
Minor: Cursing, Vomit, Abortion, and Misogyny
beyourownprincess's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Toxic relationship, Addiction, Alcohol, and Alcoholism
Moderate: Panic attacks/disorders, Mental illness, Sexual violence, and Sexual assault
Minor: Pregnancy and Vomit
debosmitathereader's review against another edition
dark
emotional
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
The only reason I will continue the series because of Connor Cobalt. He will insult you and still make it sound nice and exotic. Man have me wrapped around his finger. Otherwise,Lily and Lo are two exhausting people to read about. I mean yes I am not against the journey but the two addicted people don't do for me. Can you imagine reading series because you are smitten with a side character(he gets his own book though)? I do very much.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual violence, Sexual assault, Mental illness, Vomit, Toxic relationship, Sexual content, and Alcoholism
Minor: Infidelity
ephemeral_remi's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
funny
reflective
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Alcohol, Body shaming, Child abuse, Vomit, Addiction, Alcoholism, Infidelity, Sexual content, and Toxic relationship
meeklovestoread's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
I'm sorry in advance for how long this is.š
Okay I'm really surprised by this book. I've been putting it off since I've heard about it on the book side of social media for about a year now. It has alot of popularity, but all the tropes I heard people listing weren't favorites of mine. Plus the main thing that made me put this book off for so long was that I heard it depicts a toxic relationship. And I personally loathe reading about toxic relationships.
However, I've finally conformed. It's been on my reading list for a while so I finally decided to pick it up and I can say that I'm pretty surprised on how much I enjoyed it.
Don't get me wrong the relationship between the main characters Lily and Lo is nothing to emulate your relationship after. But in my opinion their relationship is more so "dysfunctional" rather than flat out toxic. Throughout the book both parties have displayed on numerous occasions how much they care, love, and appreciate one another. (the shower scene) They have the potential for an honest, heartfelt, and healthy relationship.
However like I stated previously, their current relationship is nothing to emulate your romantic relationships on. They enable each other's addictions with knowledge that it's not gonna help them out in the long run. there's an scene in the book where Lily and Lo are at a Halloween party and Lo breaks into the owner's cabinet of expensive booze and she just let's him have at it. By the end of the night Lo almost gets into disastrous dibocal and then passes out leaving Lily to clean up his mess. And she's so desensitized to his problem that when Ryke and Connor (especially Ryke) are looking and Lo passed out in concern Lily sorts just brushes it off because "he's always like this". And she's always taking care of him when he goes over the limit. And I also think Lily can be too occupied with her own addiction to really realize that Lo is down bad. I hope we get more insight into how these addictions started.
Lo also becomes desensitized to Lily's actions as well. Up until he found her having sex with two guys at the same time and hooking up with random guys through random phone exchanges, and even considered Craigslist was when he decided to drop the ball on her. And urge her to dile it down. He was so desensitized that it was said that he'd often offer the men that come out if Lily's bed coffee.
Lo can be pretty nasty towards Lily especially when she tries to interfere with his drinking. And when they do start dating for real Lo literally expects Lily to cheat on him because Lily is constantly fighting her sexual compulsions in order to stay celibate/monogamous to Lo. Of course in a healthy relationship you shouldn' t have to constantly worry that your partner is being unfaithful. And the fact that Lo has a tendecy to be pretty hot and cold with Lily (one minute he's a sweetheart, the next a dickhead) is a big red flag. Also Lo's aggressive tendencies are not ideal either (he doesn't hit her at all; there is no physical abuse depicted in this book; he just always has a tendecies to pick up fights with other people). He's just very immature and lacks ambition. They both defintely have alot of growing and maturing to do before they can reach consummate and stability in their lives and relationship.
So dysfunctional and unhealthy. Like I said nothing to aspire to, but definitely not damaged beyond repair. Plus they do seem to be trying to fix themsleves towards the end of the book. And I think that maybe what the writers' objectives are. To showcase the ugly parts of their relationship so they can commence on the journey towards healing. At least that's what I hope the other books are about.š
Also, I actually like how the authors depicted their addictions and them as characters. Lily being all shy and introverted with a sex addiciton and Loren battling his was really well depicted. And her inner dialogue that she has with herself where she talks about on herself for having her addiction, her social anxiety, and her friendship with Lo, and their background was very entertaining to read about. I was really it was dual POV.
Oh and we also got to meet the future characters of this book series which was cool. So here are my first impressions:
Connor - superficial privileged prick who says out of pocket and insensitive comments and thinks he's above everyone else due to his wealth and intelligence, but deep down has a decent, loving heart (he's okay but certainly my least favorite out of the bunch)
Rose - superficial mean judgmental privileged girl, but the way she scares about Lily and her family warms my heart (also I have to admire how unapologetically smart she is)
Ryke - nosy, but really means well; I liked him and I admired how much he stood up for girls (didn't appreciate him the comment he made about Lily's weight though) so far he's my favorite guy I saw the twist of him being Loren's brother a mile away, but it sure it make the book more emotional
I'm more into plot driven books so it took me a while to get through this because a whole lot of nothing was happening. So this is definitely a character based book. I think when it was around the 70-80% mark was when I started to feel it just a little bit (it was still entertaining though) and because I read this as in e-book it did take me quite a while to get through this, but I surprisingly enjoyed the read and will be continuing on with the second book.
Okay I'm really surprised by this book. I've been putting it off since I've heard about it on the book side of social media for about a year now. It has alot of popularity, but all the tropes I heard people listing weren't favorites of mine. Plus the main thing that made me put this book off for so long was that I heard it depicts a toxic relationship. And I personally loathe reading about toxic relationships.
However, I've finally conformed. It's been on my reading list for a while so I finally decided to pick it up and I can say that I'm pretty surprised on how much I enjoyed it.
Don't get me wrong the relationship between the main characters Lily and Lo is nothing to emulate your relationship after. But in my opinion their relationship is more so "dysfunctional" rather than flat out toxic. Throughout the book both parties have displayed on numerous occasions how much they care, love, and appreciate one another. (the shower scene) They have the potential for an honest, heartfelt, and healthy relationship.
However like I stated previously, their current relationship is nothing to emulate your romantic relationships on. They enable each other's addictions with knowledge that it's not gonna help them out in the long run.
Lo also becomes desensitized to Lily's actions as well.
Lo can be pretty nasty towards Lily especially when she tries to interfere with his drinking. And when they do start dating for real Lo literally expects Lily to cheat on him because Lily is constantly fighting her sexual compulsions in order to stay celibate/monogamous to Lo. Of course in a healthy relationship you shouldn' t have to constantly worry that your partner is being unfaithful. And the fact that Lo has a tendecy to be pretty hot and cold with Lily (one minute he's a sweetheart, the next a dickhead) is a big red flag. Also Lo's aggressive tendencies are not ideal either (he doesn't hit her at all; there is no physical abuse depicted in this book; he just always has a tendecies to pick up fights with other people). He's just very immature and lacks ambition. They both defintely have alot of growing and maturing to do before they can reach consummate and stability in their lives and relationship.
So dysfunctional and unhealthy. Like I said nothing to aspire to, but definitely not damaged beyond repair. Plus they do seem to be trying to fix themsleves towards the end of the book. And I think that maybe what the writers' objectives are. To showcase the ugly parts of their relationship so they can commence on the journey towards healing. At least that's what I hope the other books are about.š
Also, I actually like how the authors depicted their addictions and them as characters. Lily being all shy and introverted with a sex addiciton and Loren battling his was really well depicted. And her inner dialogue that she has with herself where she talks about on herself for having her addiction, her social anxiety, and her friendship with Lo, and their background was very entertaining to read about. I was really it was dual POV.
Oh and we also got to meet the future characters of this book series which was cool. So here are my first impressions:
Connor - superficial privileged prick who says out of pocket and insensitive comments and thinks he's above everyone else due to his wealth and intelligence, but deep down has a decent, loving heart (he's okay but certainly my least favorite out of the bunch)
Rose - superficial mean judgmental privileged girl, but the way she scares about Lily and her family warms my heart (also I have to admire how unapologetically smart she is)
Ryke - nosy, but really means well; I liked him and I admired how much he stood up for girls (didn't appreciate him the comment he made about Lily's weight though) so far he's my favorite guy
I'm more into plot driven books so it took me a while to get through this because a whole lot of nothing was happening. So this is definitely a character based book. I think when it was around the 70-80% mark was when I started to feel it just a little bit (it was still entertaining though) and because I read this as in e-book it did take me quite a while to get through this, but I surprisingly enjoyed the read and will be continuing on with the second book.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content, Addiction, Alcohol, Alcoholism, and Toxic relationship
Moderate: Abandonment, Sexual assault, Cursing, Emotional abuse, Vomit, and Sexual violence
Minor: Suicidal thoughts, Infidelity, and Body shaming
ellasommers's review against another edition
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
reflective
relaxing
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Panic attacks/disorders, Adult/minor relationship, Vomit, Alcoholism, Alcohol, Body shaming, Child abuse, Infidelity, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, and Toxic relationship
rosaemtodd's review against another edition
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcohol, Addiction, Toxic relationship, Sexual content, and Alcoholism
Moderate: Sexual assault and Vomit