Bookish Bluebird: Review: LONG WAY DOWN by Krista & Becca Ritchie

Title: Long Way Down

Authors: Krista & Becca Ritchie

With a seven-year age difference, Ryke & Daisy have faced an uphill battle in the eyes of the world and their families. Known as the most adventurous, fast-paced couple—their next step has always been elusive to the rabid media.

Behind the scenes, heartbreaking trouble continues to test Ryke & Daisy's resilience and shape their future.

They promise:

To never slow down.
To never compromise who they are.
To never abandon their love for each other.

But persevering their happiness also means adding more risks. One that Connor Cobalt wouldn't even take. As professional free-solo climber, Ryke is no stranger to risk, but this next step with Daisy wagers more than just his health.

With their lives on the line, Ryke & Daisy head towards the vast, wild unknown in this epic final conclusion to the Addicted series.

**Author's Note**

It's possible to only read the Calloway Sisters spin-off series without reading the Addicted series, but you MUST read Fuel the Fire (Calloway Sisters #3) before reading Long Way Down (Calloway Sisters #4). It's highly recommended to read the books in the recommended reading order, which is in tangent with the Addicted series.

*Jae's Note*

READ IT ALL I SAY.

"Wherever you go, I'll go. I'll be here no matter what..."

How do I review a book that essentially ends an era? One that touched me to the core? And how do I move on from that book when it left me feeling blessed for the life I live and proud of the person I've become? I just can't without shedding more tears in the process. But I'll do my best to explain why Long Way Down is my new favorite book, and why you should start reading the Addicted series [pronto] if you aren't already. I'm just going to bare my soul to you in what I hope will be a short spoiler-free review. I apologize in advance should it make no sense at all.

This book was straight-up magic. I don't know if I was overthinking things but I found symbolism and deeper meaning in almost every action or dialogue. Long Way Down tore my heart apart as often as it made it soar. I was happy. I was sad. My emotions went through the wringer but I loved every moment of this crazy rollercoaster and would gladly go through it all again.

I admit that I didn't like Daisy very much in the beginning. She was my least favorite character but she was the one I related to the most. And I often wondered if my feelings towards her was a reflection of how I felt about myself. On the other hand, I've always admired Ryke. I've never cried so much while reading a book. Long Way Down sparked a boat load of spontaneous sob fests. My feelings towards both characters have grown immensely and I finished this book feeling proud, yet again. I've invested hours into reading all that is the Addicted series and 110% of my heart in these characters. The Addicted series is a commitment. There are nine books after all, and each book gets bigger than the last. But don't let that scare you because each book gets better than the last too.

The Addicted books have very much highlighted the Calloway sisters dynamic and the friendships between them. Their relationship with their father is okay at best in my opinion. A hate/love relationship when it came to Lo's father. I was pleasantly surprised to see Greg and Jonathan actually be fatherly in Long Way Down. I mean, I was even cheering on Jonathan at one point in the novel (if you can believe that haha). I loved every single [nice] secondary character and many my favorites returned in this novel. After almost six months of waiting, it was absolutely wonderful to be back with Ryke, Daisy, Lo, Lily, Rose and Connor. They're closer than ever and their bantering still makes me smile til my cheeks hurt. Add in the babies and I'm dying of cuteness. To top it all off, the epilogue of Long Way Down was perfection.

Anyone who chats with me on social media know how LiLo is my OTP of all OTPs. Thrive has been my favorite since what feels like forever but it's safe to say that Long Way Down has taken the throne. Not because Raisy is my new #1, but because of what this book meant to me and the message I took from it. If Lily and Lo's books taught me the importance of friendship and perseverance, the Calloway Sisters spin-off books emphasized how important it is to love myself—to be comfortable in my own skin. These books have changed the way I view life, the way I view myself. The Addicted series inspires change in the most painfully beautiful way. And I am forever thankful to Krista and Becca for writing such a story.

"There is no worse life than a hollow one. So be alive every second of every fucking day."

Extras: Character Casting

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The Addicted Series is split into 4 phases that connect together and span a continuous timeline.

The series can be quite intimidating with how long it is, but trust me, you won't regret it!

You can also see the series reading order on my favorites page.

-- Phase 1: (Lily & Lo) --

Addicted To You

>> Audiobook Review <<

Ricochet

Full-length companion novel (you should read it anyway!)

>> Audiobook Review <<

Addicted For Now

>> Audiobook Review <<

-- Phase 2: Spin-offs --

Kiss The Sky

(Rose & Connor)

Hothouse Flower

(Daisy & Ryke)

-- Phase 3: (Lily & Lo) --

Thrive

Full-length companion novel (MUST READ!)

>> Review <<

Addicted After All

>> Review <<

-- Phase 4: Spin-offs --

Fuel The Fire

(Rose & Connor)

>> Review <<

4 comments:

SiiriDecember 14, 2015 at 1:45 PM
Omggggggg DO YOU MEAN THAT THRIVE ISN'T YOUR FAV ANYMORE JAE? HAH! I AM SHOCKED. YASSS!!!! I loved that the first gen was actually decent in this one and I totally know what you mean by Daisy having to grow on you because she's not the focus of the story at all, but she sneaks her way into one's heart so quickly. What a precious gem that one! They all are :) Gorgeous review, my love! AND LOL! I see proof of Thrive being your 2nd fav now. Oh, the betrayal to all Lilo fans LOL :P I'm glad you enjoyed LWD :)
Tangled N BooksDecember 18, 2015 at 12:10 PM
Great review! I nominated you for the One Lovely Blog Award!

Monday, December 14, 2015

Review: LONG WAY DOWN by Krista & Becca Ritchie

4 comments: