Addicted to You
GENRE
FAMILY ROMANCE DRAMA
Core Theme
BATTLING ADDICTION
TIME PERIOD
Contemporary
COMPARABLE TITLES
HIGHS & LOWS
CHARACTER LIST
LILY CALLOWAY: 20. LEAD. RICH, SKINNY, AND A SEX ADDICT.
LOREN HALE: 21. LEAD. RICH, FIT, AND ALCOHOLIC.
ROSE CALLOWAY: 21-23. PRINCETON STUDENT, FASHION DESIGNER, AND LILY'S SISTER.
CONNOR COBALT: 21-23. PENN STUDENT, LILY'S TUTOR AND LATER FRIEND.
RYKE MEADOWS: 20-22. PENN STUDENT & LOREN'S HALF BROTHER.
JONATHAN HALE: 50+. FOUNDER OF HALE, CO. & LOREN'S FATHER.
DAISY CALLOWAY: 15. MODEL & LILY'S SISTER.
Logline
Two addicts pretend to be in a relationship to hide their addictions from their families. 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.
Target Audiences
Age: 18-34,35-54
Target Gender: Female Leaning
Setting
Philadelphia
Based on a True Story
No
Publishing Details
Status: Yes: self-published
Publisher: Self-Published
Year Published: 2013
Starting Description
University of Pennsylvania. Lily Calloway is doing her morning walk of shame. Her best friend, Loren Hale, is drunk. Both heirs to billion-dollar companies, they've felt pressure to be perfect. They're far from it. Three years in a pretend relationship, and their secret is becoming harder to keep.
Ending Description
Loren enables Lily's addiction before a Charity Gala, where he also learns that he's a bastard child. And his half-brother had been slowly infiltrating his life. Devastated by the night, Loren seeks rehab for the betterment of himself and the woman he loves.
Group Specific
Information not completed
Hard Copy Available
Yes
ISBN
978-1950165957
Mature Audience Themes
Language/Profanity,Substance Abuse
Plot - Other Elements
Coming of Age
Plot - Premise
Internal Journey/Rebirth
Main Character Details
Name: Lily Calloway
Age: 20
Gender: Female
Role: Protagonist
Key Traits: Clumsy,Complex,Underdog,Crazy,Funny,Secretive
Additional Character Details
Name: Loren Hale
Age: 20
Gender: Male
Role: Emotional
Key Traits: Charming,Complex,Heartthrob,Masculine,Villainous,Sexy,Blunt,Sarcastic,Secretive,Seductive,Unapologetic,Crazy,Outspoken
Additional Character Details
Name: Ryke Meadows
Age: 21
Gender: Male
Role: antagonist
Key Traits: Adventurous,Badass,Aggressive,Engaging,Heroic,Masculine,Sexy,Blunt,Outspoken,Secretive,Lone Wolf,Unapologetic
Additional Character Details
Name: Connor Cobalt
Age: 22
Gender: Male
Role: logical
Key Traits: Charming,Confident,Heartthrob,Educated,Masculine,Narcisstic,Blunt,Power Hungry,Skillful,Sophisticated,Manipulative,Unapologetic
Genre
ROMANCE, MATURE AUDIENCE, DRAMA
Brief
Two rich college-going best friends pretend to be in a relationship as a facade to enable each other's addictions, sex and alcohol.
Overall Rating
FAIR
Narrative Elements
Authors Writing Style: FAIR
Characterization: FAIR
Commerciality: FAIR
Franchise Potential: FAIR
Pace: FAIR
Premise: FAIR
Structure: FAIR
Theme: FAIR
Accuracy of Book Profile
I believe the Book Profile matches the book and reflect its contents well.
Draw of Story
The dysfunctional sexual chemistry between Lily and Loren was very interesting. While both were equally sexually attracted to one another, neither could express their needs because of miscommunication between them. The lack of communication, even though they were best friends, made the story very intriguing.
Possible Drawbacks
The story as a whole seemed to have a very distorted beginning, middle, and end. Lily's sex addiction was something hard to fathom while reading because the motive behind her sex addiction was never clear till the very end. Loren's alcoholism was somewhat understandable, even then the addiction of it seemed a bit too intense. Also, the entire miscommunication between Lily and Loren seemed unreal, since they are supposedly best friends and have shared every little secret between one another. To be very honest, the story didn't pick up pace until the very end with Ryke, Connor, and Rose adding substance to the story.
Use of Special Effects
THE STORY DOES NOT RELY ON SPECIAL EFFECTS
Primary Hook of Story
I'm assuming there is a sequel to this book, and I believe that a good caste and a condensed plot would make me watch this movie. Another thing that would make it fun would be more banter between Lily and Loren.
Fanbase Potential
As someone who enjoys reading adult novels, I can see many middle-aged and early-20s women being a fan of the movies. It has potential to be the next Fifty Shades of Grey but more in the college scene and with relatable addictions.
Awards Potential
Unfortunately, because of the genre and type of story, I don't see this having any awards potential. The story doesn't pass for either rom-com or drama, so it would be tough to judge based on any particular categeory.
Envisioned Budget
MEDIUM BUDGET
Similar Films/TV Series
THE SIMILARITIES I SAW WITH THIS BOOK WAS NETFLIX'S 365 DAYS, FIFTY SHADES OF GREY, TWILIGHT, AND GOSSIP GIRL
What’s New About the Story
The originality about this story is that a woman, Lily, grapples with sex addiction, rather than a man having that issue. Usually it's the man that is seen as having sex addiction and alcoholism both combined in one as a problem, but the reverse was interesting to read. Another originality is the Marvel universe obsession between Lily and Loren, it was refreshing to read a commonality that did not revolve around a regular generic music band or old tv show.
Lead Characters
The particular addictions of Lily and Loren made them stand out exponentially as it's not common to see that in early 20s adults. The fact that Loren had a severe drinking problem, even before turning twenty one made him problematic, and Lily being an addict herself, made that even more attractive to her. Basically one cripple leading the other.
Uniqueness of Story
I wouldn't call this a rare gem, per se. The story in itself isn't particularly an original one, just a reformed and recycled one from many different teen and adult novels. The story in itself felt like an intense Taylor Swift music video, combined with Twilight and addictions.
Possible Formats
Film - Indie, Film - Streaming
Analyst Recommendation
WORK IN PROGRESS
Justification
The book starts off very vague and while reading it, it was unclear whether the story was about Lily, or Loren, or both. However, since it was in Lily's point of view, it felt more like Lily was going through life a bit rougher than Loren, even though the opposite happened to be true.
Tips for Improvement
The structure, pacing, and banter in the book needs a bit more adjusting. By the midway point, it was quite evident that Lily and Loren have severe addictions to the point where they may be self-destructive. Introduction of new characters and change in relationship or dialogue between Lily and Loren would have been more interesting to read, rather than the redundancy of their continuous mishaps. While there were new characters introduced in the book, it was towards the end, which didn't leave the reader much time to like or dislike any of the additional characters. The story was finished before any reader could warm up to the new characters.
Brief
Two best friends pretend to be a couple to mask their individual addictions of sex and alcohol from their families, only to figure out that their actual vice is each other.
What We Liked
Addiction is a dangerous road to go down. A valuable lesson is taught in this story that regardless of whether you hold on to someone as your scapegoat, they cannot be your way out all the time. Someone dealing with addiction, whether it is sex, drugs, alcohol, or any other type, requires affection and attention in order to improve. The characters portray their addiction and their effects in a manner that opens the audience's eyes on addiction.
Film: Moviegoers would find this story very compelling in terms of understanding that anyone can go through addiction. Relating to Lily and Loren's addiction can help many identify themselves or their loved ones going through the same issue. Acknowledgment is the first step to recovery, and this story gives the audience just that.
TV: The story of Lily and Loren is relatable for many couples who have dealt with loved ones fighting any form of addiction. As TV lovers turn to the screen for escape, they can also connect and learn from the story that regardless of age and stature, an addiction is soul sucking and no mental issue is invalid.
Key points: Best Friends relationship; Addiction affects surroundings; Money doesn't buy happiness; Character relatability for college students; Medium Budget
Synopsis
LILY CALLOWAY and LOREN HALE are kids of two wealthy families in Pennsylvania. They live in a symbiotic relationship with each other where one freely has sex with whomever she wants, and one freely drinks whenever he wants. The two childhood best friends fake being a couple to hide and enjoy their vices while being in college and away from their families. While Lily goes around sleeping with whoever she finds for that night, Loren makes sure that he is never sober during the day.
While Lily and Loren operate in their perfect system where each can enable the other's addiction so neither of them go too overboard, their vices fall apart whenever they fight. Although they are best friends and have shared their compartmentalized addictions only with each other, they suffer from a bad case of miscommunication when it comes to feelings for each other. Lily and Loren hide their true emotions from being exposed because they think it will ruin the facade they have created to keep enjoying their addictions.
When Lily and Loren are visited by Lily's sisters, ROSE CALLOWAY and DAISY CALLOWAY, they are forced to encounter their respective families for events where Loren finally reveals the truth to Lily that he was never pretending to be in a relationship with her and wants to only be with her. Lily, although relieved to finally end the pretend game with Loren, she fears that Loren might not be enough to quest her thirst to have sex as often as she needs. After Loren's tumultuous 21st birthday and an adventurous Halloween, Loren and Lily gain two new friends, CONNOR COBALT and RYKE MEADOWS, who unknowingly help the couple cope with their addictions. As Connor and Ryke try to help Loren with his alcoholism, Lily begins to wonder if she is the reason and enabler for Loren's drinking problem.
Although Lily's sex addiction stagnates, Loren's alcohol addiction soars to the point where his sobriety affects family events and his relationship with his father. At the end of the year, during the Christmas Charity Gala, Loren confronts his father, JONATHAN HALE, blaming him for his drinking problem. Ryke tries to diffuse the situation by coming between them, which then leads to Loren finding out that Ryke is his half brother he never knew about. The revelation sends Loren and Lily spiraling to the point where Loren has no other option but to go to rehab for his addiction. Lily, knowing she may relapse with Loren away, opts for therapy with the help of Rose and Connor.