Review - Addicted to Him by Lauren Dodd

Addicted to Him - Lauren Dodd

My rating = 4 stars

m/f  YA romance (ish)

This is not your typical happy clappy romance, but there is a good ending.

Cassidy comes from an unhappy broken home. Her father left when she was young and she has hardly seen him since she was twelve (she is now eighteen). Her mother is a total bitch to her, purely because she is jealous of how her daughter is blossoming. This also leads to her step father taking an unhealthy interest in Cassidy, so much so she has changed her whole persona over the last two years, going from a vibrant and beautiful girl into a shell of her former self. She has lost weight to lose her curves and dyed her hair black to fade her into the background. However this still does not stop the unwanted attention and her fear is escalating and she therefore takes drastic action which results in her Mother sending her to live with her father and his new wife in Colorado for the summer. 

It is here that Cassidy finds herself again, she cannot believe that she is wanted by her father and his wife. It becomes apparent almost from day one that they want her to stay and live with them but due to Cassidy’s insecurities she cannot let herself believe that this is true. It isn't until she meets Seth that she learns to let go and start to believe there is light at the end of the tunnel and that she can find herself again and be happy with her father and his wife. But most of all she can be happy with Seth. 

The relationship with Cassidy and Seth starts innocently and builds to a deep and passionate romance. But then Seth starts to get possessive and his behaviour totally opposite to how he used to be. In the end has Cassidy exchanged one form of abuse for another and which one is the worst?

I found this story to be extremely enthralling but at the same time I didn't want to read some parts and some parts I found so frustrating. But then I had to remember this was an eighteen year old and an immature one at that. I did want her to find her happiness but I was quite shocked at some of the things Cassidy put up with. It was lovely to see her developing relationship with her father, Martin and his wife Lisa and how it illustrated bridges can be re-established and relationships prosper that were previously thought to be irrevocable.

I was quite taken aback at some of the scenes with Seth and wondered how the hell the author could turn this around as it appeared this was a total cluster feck waiting to happen. But in the end I actually liked how it ended and that this book did not follow a ‘writing-by-numbers’ premise.

Overall a wonderfully written piece, if not the usual romance path but one that was very thought provoking and delivers a strong message to not put up with abuse, no matter what form that may take. 

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