Addicted by Charlotte Featherstone

Words cannot express how much I loved this book. 5+++ stars

It is beautiful, riveting, provocative, gut-wrenchingly emotional, and quite possibly the most erotic/sensual piece of literature I've ever had the pleasure of reading.

It is a story about the terrible lure of drug addiction and the power of love, despite all obstacles.

Even if you're not normally a fan of historical romances, like myself (this is set in 1850's London), I highly recommend you give this one a shot.

I really loved this book, not everyone is perfect, not everyone gets over addiction because of falling in love. This story really went deep. I could not put it down.

Set in Worcestershire England in 1860, Lindsay Markham has been in love with his neighbor Anais Darnby since they were children. Now old enough to claim his childhood sweetheart as his own, Lindsay professes his enduring love and seduces his lovely Anais in the horse stables after they go for a midnight ride on their Arabian stallions. As they finish their first tryst, Lindsay tells Anais he wants her as his wife and that he will officially propose at the evening costume ball. As a lover of all things oriental, and an experienced traveler to many far off exotic lands such as Constantinople and the Middle East, Lindsay asks Anais to dress as a harem girl for the luxurious gala affair.

However, Anais' best friend Rebecca has a mind to capture Lindsay for herself. She steals Anais beautiful costume, and tricks Lindsay into eating hashish laced cake just before the ball. Under the influence of both the drugged cake and a few smoked opium pipes, Lindsay arrives at the masquerade seeing his dream come true thinking that the luscious beauty before him is his lovely Anais, not seeing through the opium fog that it is Rebecca beneath the silken veils. Verbalizing his desire and debauching Rebecca on the palace balcony close to Anais' ears, totally believing that Rebecca IS his bride to be, Anais is voyeur to this scene of despicable betrayal. Crushed, she realizes her night of love in the barn was nothing but a joke as she witnesses Rebecca encircled in Lindsay's arms. Enraged and painfully hurt, Anais runs, leaving Lindsay screaming for forgiveness and the story now unfolds as the two lovers lash out in pain unable to forgive each others errors, both moving through life making serious mistakes that are caused by their shattered hearts, and the inability to swallow their pride.

Torn apart by Lindsay's betrayal, Anais pretends to run to France telling everyone she needs time to heal, but is actually hiding in a cottage nearby, with a dreadful secret she swears never to reveal. Lindsay vowing to find her and gain her forgiveness follows the leads only to come up empty and with heavy heart returns to Orient to drown his sorrows in very opium den Turkey has to offer. Love and Pain, tortures of the heart and soul, a man addicted to the red smoke of Opium that slowly drags him into hell, and a woman torn between love and lust and a deadly secret that just might tear her world to shreds.

This is the best erotic romance I have ever read. Finally a romance author who can blend a realistic love story with literary style writing that is not just filled with uninspiring sex scenes and sappy dialog! ADDICTED has believable characters that endure real life circumstances of love and loss, and Charlotte Featherstone shows great talent to mix those ingredients with darn good writing. I was totally riveted to this love story, and found the erotic scenes both tender and seductive offering arousal and appeal. What I appreciated more than anything was the author's ability to write exceptionally well which I find rare in romance novels. This was truly an outstanding cut-above-the-rest erotica novel that the romance genre really should pay attention to. I plan to find every book this author has written.

ABSOLUTELY AMAZING!!!!!!!! One of the best books I have read in a long time. Gripping, angsty, passionate, heartfelt, honestly the book had it all. I will be thinking of this book for awhile.

Addicted is not a quick read that you'll be done in an hour. You need to savour it. The cover art is spectacular. The characters are emotional. The story has you going up and down and up and down. I am not a fan of angst but geez oh man oh man. Missed dinner again tonight because I couldn't stop long enough to read it.

This lady can write. The characters are real, with flaws and saving graces. I feel for each one, and want to cry with their struggles. I found some parts a bit predictable, but beyond that, I recommend it. Also, try not too predict the ending! You might be disappointed.

This is a story that will have you staying up late to finish it. It was written beautifully and really shows the truth about addiction and what it does to the addict and to the person that loves the addict.

The synopsis pulled me in and I read a review that said it was a slow start but worth it. Well, half the review was right. It WAS a slow start but not worth it. The secrets were very apparent to the reader early on so no real mystery. And I don't think I've ever read wordier love scenes, most of them lost my focus and I have a long attention span. And when the descriptions of the lust they're thinking about when looking at each other......OMG. Let's just say they enter a room, meet at the fireplace hearth one of them says something to the other and before the other one responds, there are at least four pages of the lust he/she is feeling for the other. Toward the end i started skipping pages. I think there was a story in there, somewhere.......

I dont remember the last time a romance novel made me cry the way this novel did. I read Sinful and didnt think this book was going to be as good, but it surpassed my expectations. The story was deep and gut wrenching, the main characters and the secondary characters were well thought out and written. I will definatley read many more books from this author.