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It’s the end of an era. Lily and Lo’s era, to be specific. After five books and over 2000 pages, their story is complete.
I’m going to be honest here for a second and say that, of all the couples that the Ritchie sisters have created, Lily and Lo are my least favorite. Their relationship is just so intense, and their codependency is just so unhealthy that it’s almost exhausting to read about them. But, despite this, I was really just hoping for them to make some progress. To get their happily ever after.
Did it happen? It’s hard to say.
While sobriety is still a daily struggle for Lo, it’s no longer going to break him. Though he was terrified to have children, afraid that he would irreparably harm his offspring, fatherhood seems to agree with him. He’s come a long way from the guy we met in Addicted to You. Lily, on the other hand, seems to have taken a step back from her previous progress. Of course, her child is her number one priority, but she’s still compulsive, still insatiable, still absolutely addicted. I just wish she’d been able to make as much progress as Lo.
I really wanted to love this book, as I’ve loved so many of the books revolving around the Calloway sisters, but honestly, it felt a little drawn out to me. So much happened in Addicted to You, Ricochet, and Addicted for Now that I expected the same for the rest of the series. I was disappointed with Thrive, and now I’m disappointed with Addicted After All. I mean, don’t get me wrong – the writing is great. It’s entertaining and engaging and you don’t want to stop living in this world… but not that much of any substance actually happens. Unfortunately, there’s a lot of unrealistic fluff and very little real plot aside from the babies.
Let’s break this thing down:
The Hale Co. CEO Competition was ridiculous. Please, tell me in what universe a board would even entertain the idea of placing a wild eighteen-year-old former model with no training, no education, and no relevant life experience in charge of a multi-billion dollar company. Probably the same universe in which they would entertain a shy, awkward twenty-something who frequently forgets to eat, sleep, bathe, and even leave the house in favor of sex. Who, by the way, also has no relevant training, education, or life experience. It’s clear that the competition was really between Lo and Ryke, and I was left feeling that it was all a trick by Jonathan to get Lo to step up. I’m not sure whether this was the impression I was supposed to get, or just my brain’s way of justifying this nonsense.
The Teenage Terrors subplot continued for far too long, with far too dramatic of a conclusion. In the real world, the police would have been called before this nonsense escalated the way it did, regardless of the victims’ desire to keep a low profile, stay out of the media, or whatever ridiculous, half-hearted excuse they offered for continuing to put up with these hellions. I halfway expected that the Ritchie sisters were going to announce a new ten book series featuring these children, which is the only way I can justify them spending so much time developing this storyline. (As a side note, I do know that Garrison is featured in a web series. However, I expected more than this given how much of the book was dedicated to him and his friends.)
Jonathan’s Illness made me cringe. Of course a lifelong alcoholic would have liver problems, but all I felt for this plot was that it was an excuse for Ryke to speak with his father again. It was something to make everyone feel bad for big, bad Jonathan. An excuse for him to step down as Hale Co. CEO (see above) and make way for that new plot.
I guess one of my biggest problems with this installment is that, much more than in the previous ones, everything felt conveniently contrived to set up other storylines. And having just finished Fuel the Fire, I know that some of what happens in this book sets the stage for what happens to Connor and Rose in the next book.
I saw a reviewer say that she felt the Ritchie sisters had abandoned Lily and Lo in favor of the side characters. I have to agree. I’ve been nothing but impressed with the spin-off novels, and, while I’ll read anything these twins write, I haven’t been too thrilled with the end of Lily and Lo’s story. Maybe I too have abandoned them in favor of their siblings.
Overall though, this book was a nice way to end Lily and Lo’s story. It tied up most of their loose ends while still leaving the story open for future Calloway Sisters books. I think it says a lot about the author(s) when I have this many criticisms about the book but still end up giving it a three-star review. Krista and Becca Ritchie are talented writers, and despite not being thrilled with this particular book, I’m still eagerly anticipating their next few releases.
Final rating: ★★★☆☆
The Bibliophagist 