#OctobeRecFest Review #7 ~ Ricochet ~ Becca & Krista Ritchie #ShelfLove #TravelingtotheTerminus

Ricochet by Krista & Becca Ritchie
Addicted Series #1.5
Release Date: May 22, 20134
Genre: New Adult, Contemporary Romance
Source: Purchased on Kindle
Rating: 4.5 Bookworms
Challenges: #OctobeRecFest, #ShelfLove, #TravelingtotheTerminus
Recommended by: Tanya @Girl Plus Books among others
Goodreads

Synopsis
As a sex addict, Lily Calloway must do the impossible. Stay celibate for 90 days.

Cravings and fantasies become her new routine, but while Loren Hale recovers from his alcohol addiction, Lily wonders if he'll realize what a monster she really is. After all, her sexual compulsions begin to rule her life the longer she stays faithful to him.

Progress. That's what Lily's striving for. But by trying to become closer to her family--people who aren't aware of her addiction--she creates larger obstacles. When she spends time with her youngest sister, she learns more about her than she ever imagined and sense an unsettling connection between Daisy and Ryke Meadows.

With Lily and Lo's dysfunctional relationship teetering and unbalanced, they will need to find a way to reconnect from miles apart. But the inability to "touch" proves to be one of the hardest tests on their road to recovery. Some love brushes the surface. Some love is deeper than skin.

Lily and Lo have three months to discover just how deep their love really goes.

First of all, this is listed as a novella and it's really a full-length novel. The only reason I can figure for the novella classification is that it primarily revolves around Lily, since Lo is in rehab, and this series as a whole is about them both. However, it does some incredible character development and it was a riveting addition to the series.

Ricochet mainly details Lily's 3 months dealing with her addiction on her own while Lo is in rehab for alcoholism. And by "on her won" I mean without Lo who's been a constant in her life since...well, forever. She does however have her sister, Rose, Rose's boyfriend, Connor, and Lo's half-brother Ryke on her side. 

What I enjoyed most about Ricochet was the character development. We get better acquainted with Lily's sister, Rose, seeing her compassion and devotion to her Lily as well as what drives her and even a glimpse of the "why" behind her drive. We also got to know Daisy, the youngest Calloway sister, better as well as witnessing the dynamics between the Calloway girls. This created a better understanding of them all. I also enjoyed getting to know Ryke better. His is rather prickly on the surface but he actually seems to have a heart of gold.

The most satisfying development was seeing Lily cope and mature. Her addiction to sex is one difficult to deal with. As her therapist said, sex is a natural part of life and therefore not something you can quit cold turkey. But Lily's devotion to Lo, her determination to not only not cheat on him but to also get healthier to enable them to build a healthier relationship was inspiring and admirable. It wasn't easy and Lily's flaws and insecurities were all laid bare. We got more history between her and Lo as well as witnessing some pivotal moments from her childhood - with her family and with Lo - that impacted her. In all, this was simply a well-crafted and integral part of Lily and Lo's story even if Lo was mostly MIA. Of course, he may not have been on the page but he was always "there." At any rate, I'm truly a fan of the Ritchie sisters at this pint and I can't wait for the rest of the story.

As an aside, this story has been rolling around in my brain and I've been thinking that some people may judge it (the story) and people like Lily because of her sex addiction. They may even judge her more harshly than Lo even though he has his own addiction. But over the course of the story, Lily learns the "why" behind her addiction and the things that led her to it are no different than those that lead other people to over-eating or over-spending. My point is that I hope readers give Lily and Lo a chance because even if they don't relate to precisely why they have their addictions, they really aren't that different from anyone else.

#COYER & #ShelfLove Review ~ Losing Track ~ Trisha Wolfe

Losing Track
Living Heartwood #2
Release Date: October 15, 2014
Genre: New Adult, Contemporary Romance
Source: 99 Cent Purchase on Amazon
Rating: 4.5 Bookworms
Goodreads

Synopsis
Sometimes you have to lose your way before finding the right track.

The roar of a bike engine. The vibration between her thighs. The feel of cool darkness kissing her skin as she coasts along twisty back roads at night--Melody Lachlan lives for these things. Ever since Mel and her best friend Darla escaped their small, backwoods town, they've traveled the countryside in search of fast rides, tatted bikers, and good times.

A self-proclaimed poet and lover of all things free, Mel views her life as one long bike ride--with pit stops along the way to numb the pain. But she never saw herself as a junkie. Party as hard as you ride. That's her motto...until a tragic night steals her soul. Then she's forced to delve below the surface, to where her demons rage.

When she meets recovered drug addict Boone Randall, she's more likely to deck him than kiss his dimple-adorable face. She doesn't want his help; doesn't want to own up to her part in that night. She just wants to do her time and keep her promise to her friend. Yet Boone challenges Mel, and soon she doesn't mind sharing the road. Only when Boone's own secret demons threaten their newfound, fragile security, Mel's course becomes rocky, and she must decide if letting her well-worn track marks fade is worth finding a new path.

Told from Dual point of view from Melody and Boone, this is a New Adult Contemporary Romance intended for readers seventeen years of age and older.

Whereas The Darkest Part explored the lengths to which our psyches will go to protect us in grief, Losing Track explores the depths to which a person will sink in order to escape feeling anything, to avoid dealing with the pain of grief.

We met Mel in The Darkest Part. She's living life her way--part of the 1%--out on the open road. Never letting anyone tie her to a particular place. She's philosophical, the girl with all the answers. She's always had her best friend, Darla, at her back. When things change, Mel has to figure out who she really is. Boone is suffering. He's preaching all about how to stay sober but can an addict ever truly recover?

One of the things I love most about this genre is witnessing these characters learn about who they are an dhow they fit in the world. Losing Track does just that but in a refreshing way. Wolfe uses substance abut in this case. Mel and Boone--they've both lost themselves--maybe never really knew themselves. Their reasons for choosing the self-destructive behavior seem, at first, due to reasons that are unclear. Why does anyone 'choose' to do drugs? They each continue on their destructive paths as a means to punish themselves, to atone for their perceived sins, and to just stop feeling. In each other, they found a kindred spirit--a person who understood them on a deeper level. Their meeting gave them each something they hadn't had in a long time--hope. And a reason to figure out who they are and why they're living. I think they also found forgiveness.

Losing Track wrung me out. The lives Mel and Boone lead are hard lives. Watching them lose track of where they were headed--even if they direction was only vague--was painful. However, seeing them get on track, taking things one day at a time was inspiring.

Wolfe's comparison of life to the heartwood of a tree is ingenious. Just as every tree's heartwood grows and shapes differently, so does every person's life. And as Boone said, it's our choice to do what we will with that life. 

"Your choices are you own. You're responsible for your actions."

At once gritty and real while also achingly beautiful, Losing Track is a story that will stay with you. Wolfe creates such complex characters. I'm always eager to join them on their soul-searching journeys.