Blog Tour Review & Giveaway: Addicted to You by Colina Brennan

Today is my stop on the blog tour for Addicted to You by Colina Brennan, hosted by Xpresso Book Tours. I have a review and giveaway to share with you.

To follow the rest of the tour, click on the tour banner above.

Addicted to You
Author: Colina Brennan
Publication Date: June 25, 2013
Genre: New Adult/Contemporary Romance

~Synopsis~
When twenty-one-year-old Leah Carter's latest one night stand burglarizes her apartment, her roommate forces her to attend therapy for sex addicts. Leah insists she isn't a sex addict; she just doesn't do relationships. After all, sooner or later, everyone lets you down.

At first, the group sessions are little more than an education on how to be promiscuous. Until she meets the newest addict—blue eyes, killer body, and a smile that tempts relapse.

Psychology student Will McLean is posing as a fellow addict while researching a case study on unusual addictions. But the more he learns about Leah, the more certain he is that his desire to break through her walls and unearth her secrets has nothing to do with his assignment.

As the uncertainties spike alongside the sexual tension, the only thing Leah knows for sure is that falling in love would be disastrous. Too bad love might be one addiction she can't kick.

~Review~

Addicted to you was a quick, fun and fascinating read. I really enjoyed the uniqueness of the plot and I loved the idea of two people meeting in a nympho therapy group. Not the best place to get a date if you know what I mean.

Leah was a character with 2 sides. I liked that she was compassionate and loving towards her brother. She really cared for him and she made sure he was taken care of. However, she was also cold and judgy. She never felt like she had a problem and she judged everyone else in the therapy group who did legitimately have sex addictions. She also was very closed off with Will and I was surprised by his desire to pursue considering how she acted. While I found her a bit off putting, I understand why. Her parents are so closed off and distant. She practically raises her little brother and her parents seem to care less about either of them. It was actually really sad and it made me sympathize with Leah a little more. Because of her lonely childhood, she is closed off to love but there is something about Will that makes her want more from him. This scares her and she tries to push him away. 

"Who decided sex was an addiction anyway? Or that someone should need therapy to "fix it"? Sex was good for you. It was a de-stresser. If it wasn't, then you were doing it wrong."

Will seems to be an all around good guy and I really liked him. Plus, he's Scottish so I can totally imagine the sexy accent. While he is in the therapy class solely as an experiment for his psych degree, he is instantly drawn to Leah. He can see that there  is something deeper that drives Leah's demeanor and he wants to be the one to break through to her. Just like Leah, he has parents who are less than thrilled about filling that role and he too had a lonely and depraved child hood. This helps him understand Leah better. 

Finn, Will's best friend and former roommate was a fun secondary character and I really liked him. He told it like it was and he added some comic relief. While he was laid back and easy going, he held his own romantic drama that will be explored further in his own book. Helena, Leah's roommate was also very likable. She obviously cared deeply for Leah and she asked her to do the therapy because she could see how emotionless sex was sub consciously affected Leah emotionally. She knew she wasn't an addict but she needed Leah to see the effects her decisions were having.  

My two favorite things about this book were 1) Leah's relationship with her little brother and 2) the interactions in sex therapy. While Leah is in the therapy class at the request of her room mate since a one night stand robbed them, the other people in the class are legitimate addicts and some of their stories were wild and entertaining. The counselor really wanted to help these people overcome their addiction and his reactions to some of their antics was entertaining. He was truly appalled by some of the crazy things these people have done just to have sex. Being as the class was anonymous, I loved the nicknames she had for the other group members. Leah is like a mother to her little brother and she makes sure that he is taken care of. He is ignored by his parents and it is so sad that a 9 year old is as lonely as he is. Even though Leah gives him everything he needs, a child still needs the love and acceptance of their parents. I liked the way her brother, Elijah, bonded with Will. It was another crack he was able to put into Leah's armor and got Will that much closer to winning her over. 

"Will could only imagine what someone had to be caught doing to be sent to sex addiction therapy. Best not to linger on that."

Overall, I enjoyed following Will and Leah as they brought light into each other's lonely lives and Will cracked the cold hard surface around Leah's heart. The plot was fun but also had some emotional depth that made it easier to connect with the characters and enjoy their journey.

~IPOD Picks~

"Lego House" by Ed Sheeran

"Use Somebody" by Boyce Avenue

PURCHASE LINKS:

AMAZON | BARNES & NOBLE

AUTHOR BIO

I’m a new adult author with a love for the fantastical and the romantic. My new adult contemporary novel ADDICTED TO YOU will be available June 25.

Author Links:

Website: http://colinabrennan.blogspot.ca/

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7068218.Colina_Brennan

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BrennanColina

Twitter: https://twitter.com/BrennanColina

a Rafflecopter giveaway

*An eBook copy was provided to me by the author and Xpresso Book Tours in exchange for a fair and honest review. All opinions expressed are my own and unbiased.*

Thanks Colina & Giselle!