Thrive: Addicted, Book 2.5

Thrive is yet another fabulous, intense, and thrilling installment in the Addicted series, a series that I’m so utterly and ridiculously in love with. Each book in the series (and the spinoffs) is so exceptionally well written, and I really just can’t get enough of the characters. And Thrive is just as brilliant as the previous books, if not more so. I loved every single part of this book–I could totally gush all day about Thrive! It’s made me fall even more in love with all of the characters (who knew that was even possible?) and left me with such a warm, gooey feeling in my heart. So for all you Addicted series fans, Thrive should not be missed!!“We’re going to have our happy ending. It just may take us awhile to get there.”First off, Thrive takes place a little before Kiss the Sky all the way through a little after Hothouse Flower, so for those who haven’t read the spinoffs but plan to, you shouldn’t read Thrive just yet, because it WILL spoil the plots for KTS and HF. And if you’re worried that Thrive will be just a retelling of KTS and HF, let me assure you that it’s NOT! There’s so much new material and nothing felt repetitive.Thrive is split into three parts, and in each part there are different events (some we have seen, but most we haven’t seen before) that shape Lily and Lo’s progression. There are the high days where we get to laugh with the characters and get warm, fuzzy feelings from how much Lily and Lo, Rose and Connor, and Daisy and Ryke have become so important to each other. You just know how much everyone loves each other, despite how much they make fun of each other. The Addicted series has one of the best cast of characters I’ve ever read–each relationship is distinct and unique, each character is an integral part of the group, and each character is unforgettable. (And I just have to say, I love Lo, but omg CONNOR!!! Connor is fantastic in Thrive!)But even with all the laughs and giggles, there are still the low, low days where every minute of every day is a struggle for Lo and Lily. This couple has been through so much that it seems like a never-ending battle for them. They have to battle their addictions, battle the media that won’t give them any privacy after Lily’s sex addiction was revealed, and they even have to battle their family and friends. And no, they don’t end up winning all of their battles, but at the end of the day, no matter how much they’ve been tested, no matter how much they’ve been poked and prodded, Lily and Lo still have each other. They will always have each other.“The world is never going to understand us,” he tells me, his eyes so impassioned that I can’t look away. “But it doesn’t matter, Lil. We have each other, and I get your pain, I understand how badly it hurst, so I need you to block out the other people today, okay? They don’t exist in our world.”Thrive is one beautifully told story that is both gut-wrenching and heartwarming. You will laugh with the characters, you’ll cry with the characters, and most of all, you’ll fall in love with them all over again. It’s a phenomenal book that had me hooked from start to finish. I’m seriously addicted to this series ;).

4.5 STARSI don’t even know where to start. This series is highly addictive. I can’t recall the last time I read a book where the characters are so well fleshed out damn near to PERFECTION. And yet there is a heavy melancholy tone woven in to it as we meet these very IMPERFECT characters. You can’t help but be deeply affected by them.While trying to control her sex addiction Lily faces accusations of sleeping with not just Loren but his brother Ryke as well. A three-way the press calls it. Soon after that rumor hits the news mill Rose(Lily’s older sister) approaches her and Loren about filming a reality show. They both agree, thinking maybe it would be great for everyone to see firsthand that she is with Loren and Loren ONLY. Not truly understanding that by putting their lives out there for the world to see is just opening the door for bigger critics and immoral enemies.Both Lo and Lily deeply struggle with their addictions. Not only are they facing their own personal demons but some vicious people as well with the reality show now airing. Neither has a good relationship with their parents, each depending on the other for strength, support and love.My ThoughtsThis series has a wonderful cast of characters each is very unique and easy to love. I am completely obsessed! The writing is excellent; you can tell that they take the time while writing to explore emotions, thoughts and actions in a very genuine way. The relationships also play a key role, each one holding significance and each considered to be priceless amongst this tight knot group.Overall, I thought the book was VERY good! And I look forward to seeing what the future holds for these couples.

This book solidified what I already knew: Lily Calloway and Loren Hale are my all-time favorite fictional couple. And the Addicted series is one of my absolute favorites!"We aren't connected by our addictions. But by our childhood. Souls fused together from the very, very start."Thrive is a companion novel to this series. If you’ve read the Calloway Sisters spin-offs, I highly recommend reading this one as well, but it isn't necessary. If you haven’t read the spin-offs, Thrive is a must read to continue the series. It covers a majority of the events from Kiss the Sky and Hot House Flower all in Lily and Lo’s POV; we finally get to know how Lily and Lo were really feeling during certain situations. There are also new scenes from which we learn a lot of what was going on with Lily and Lo and how they were struggling with their addictions much more than we saw in Kiss the Sky or Hothouse Flower.“I don’t want to live if you’re not living with me.” –LoThere’s something about Lily and Lo that touches me unlike any other couple. There are very few scenes with them that don’t tug at my heart and practically bring me to tears. I’m such a sap when it comes to Lily and Lo. Their actions alone showcase how deep their love runs, the way they live for each other. They make my heart hurt when things get hard as they deal with their addictions. It's not an easy road for them and they don't always make the best decisions but then nothing makes me cheesy grin quite like their comic book banter. And the front piggy back is the sweetest thing ever. Lily is one of my favorite heroines; she’s stronger than she realizes and she’s absolutely adorable. And Lo, as harsh as he comes across and as mean as he can be, I know his reasons why and it just makes me fall more for him instead of hating him. And seriously, his love for Lily makes me swoon. Yea, I’m getting all teary-eyed now just thinking about them."Our love is rare. It's one I can't abandon, even if I tried. When she screams, an identical one rips through me. When she cries, my world rains with grief. When she loves, I truly, truly fly." - LoOkay, okay enough gushing about those two. While a majority of things in this book we already knew, it didn't feel repetitive to me. It didn't dwell on certain events, just gave us Lily and Lo's side of the story and moved on. There were new scenes throughout the book that broke up what we already knew. It moved at a nice pace to keep me interested in what was going on and not bored or feeling as if I'd read it all before. This series is all about the characters and as usual, this book showcases the dynamics of friends and the relationships between them all. It isn't just about the couples. It's about the friendships and sibling relationships as well, that all come with their own set of highs and lows. But through it all, I love the way each of these characters are there for one another no matter what they are dealing with. Lo and Connor have the most adorable bromance going on. I love seeing Rose and Connor through others eyes; they are so entertaining when they flirt fight. And it was nice to know what was going through Lo's head when it came to Daisy and Ryke's relationship.Overall this was just a wonderful addition to the series. It made my heart ache and fall in love with these characters all over again. Krista and Becca Ritchie know how to deliver a story that can make you laugh and cry and just feel. Now to just wait for Addicted After All to get more of Lily and Lo!"We're going to have our happy ending. It may just take us awhile to get there."

It was the same story of Kiss the Sky and Hothouse flower but from Lo and Lily's pov. We get to know the plot with much deeper context.

Lily and Lo break my heart. Thrive really hurt.Lily is so innocent, my heart hurts for her, but her strength is incredible. She’s stronger than she even realises and I just love her so much.Lo, again my heart breaks for him. He’s got so much self hatred that hurts so much to read about. But again he has so much strength, in just putting one foot in front of the other. And it really resonated with me how sometimes the first step is to fight for your life for the people you love and eventually you’ll start doing it for yourself.I honestly adore these two so much. They love and friendship is so powerful.I adore these six people with every fibre of my being. Watching them together makes my heart burst. I adored seeing Fuel the Fire and Hothouse flower through Lily and Lo’s eyes and getting to see from Lo’s pov his relationship with Ryke as brothers grow!I adored the banter between Lo, Ryke and Connor, and seeing how much Connor loves them both!I adored seeing Lily, Daisy and Rose together. The bond of sisters is so incredibly heartwarming to watch.I’m so incredibly in love with this series, it has taken me on the biggest rollercoaster ride and we’re only half way through! I will say I am ready to finally (hopefully🤞🏼) have Lily and Lo’s happily ever after in the next book!

Etwas überrascht habe ich festgestellt, dass Thrive nicht wirklich die Fortsetzung der Colloway Sisters/Addicted-Serie ist, sondern eine Nacherzählung der ersten zwei Colloway Sisters Bände aus Lilys und Los Sicht. Somit können Leute, die nur die Addicted Serie lesen, danach nahtlos mit Addicted 3 fortfahren, ohne etwas verpasst zu haben. Als wahrer Fan kennt man die Calloway Sisters Bücher natürlich, aber hier erfährt man trotzdem ein paar neue Sachen und vor allem bekommt man einen Haufen Emotionen entgegen geschmettert, die den Leser wirklich packen, selbst, wenn man einzelne Szenen schon kennt.Normalerweise bin ich kein Fan von Bücher, die nur von ihrem Perspektivwechsel leben, aber das hier hat mir wirklich gut gefallen.Das Buch erzählt, wie Lily und Loren sich ganz langsam immer mehr wieder in ihren Süchten verlieren und wie Gerüchte der Presse und persönliche Schicksalsschläge sie praktisch dort hinein treiben.Das ging mir ganz schön an die Nieren und ich konnte ab einem bestimmten Punkt gar nicht mehr aufhören zu lesen.Ich liebe die Calloway Sisters einfach total und werde bald den nächsten Band verschlingen. Die Ritchie Schwestern überzeugen in jedem Buch wieder mit ihrem flüssigen Schreibstil und ihren emotinalen Ideen, die einen als Leser einfach süchtig machen.

I read Kiss the Sky before Thrive ... as it is recommended by the authors so I basically had to read the exact same story from a different point of view. It was boring. It hurts me to say so because I love the characters so much but I wondered if I was going to learn some new things or if the re-telling was only a part of the novel but no the entire book is like that so I found it disappointing and too long. It should have been included in the other books!