Erik Keston, son of the Keston Real Estate empire, knows what it takes to be successful. Despite his inherent wealth, he holds his own. He works hard, he’s grounded, he’s brilliant. He’s also secretly in love with his best friend.Monroe Wellman lost his parents three years ago and never grieved, never recovered. Inheriting the family company and wealth means nothing, and his spiral of … self-destruction is widespread and spectacular. Dubbed Sydney’s bad boy, he spends more days drunk than sober, and the only person who’s stuck by him through it all is his best mate.
But when Monroe hits rock bottom, Erik gives him an ultimatum, and his entire world comes to a grinding halt. It’s not until the haze lifts that Monroe can truly see what he’s been searching for was never in the bottom of a bottle. It’s been by his side all along.
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An 80,000-word friends-to-lovers story about fighting the demons within and trusting in the love that takes its place.
“Because when all you drink is hate, that’s all there is inside you.”
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I have so much love for this book 🙂
An addicting read!
It’s not until the haze lifts that he can truly see what he’s been searching for was never in the bottom of a bottle…
It’s been by his side all along…
This book shows the true nature of addiction, the toll on the loved ones. It shows love between friends then the evolving nature of that friendship into a romantic relationship.
Such a moving and emotional story that will linger in your mind long after you have read it.
Full of addiction, help, friendship, discovery, hate and love.
Perfect for readers of contemporary romances.
Absolutely loved this book! One of my favourite friends to lovers book ever!
“We’re like one unit. I don’t know how else to describe it. He’s miserable without me.I’m miserable without him. When we’re in the same room, we don’t even have to speak. Just having him around is like being able to breathe.”
This book broke me into pieces and then fixed me back up again. It deals with alcoholism, so it might not be for everyone. Erik and Monroe are so in love! They are adorable. Loved the Kestons, especially Elektra.
And I kissed him. As gentle as a butterfly wing, as devastating as a nuclear bomb.
The above line? It floored me! Like I think I died! Oh Erik!!
It’s dual POV and there is lots of pining in the beginning. Erik is his best friend, his everything. I loved Monroe so much. He’s gone through so much and is so strong. Saul is an amazing character. He’s the one who helps him get sober. This is one of my favourite reads this year. I hope you guys enjoy it as well!!
4.5*
All the freaking feels. All the heartache. All the despair.
Definitely a heavier read than we usually get from Ms. Walker and I think she did a wonderful job portraying these characters, especially Monroe and his struggles. And Erik, with his love for Monroe, trying to do what he knew was best for his best friend, even knowing how much it would hurt.
My heart hurt for Monroe, he was just completely overwhelmed with all that life had thrown at him the past few years. He never gave himself time to grieve, ignoring his feelings, burying them, and drinking them away. He’s so lucky to have a friend like Erik, and Erik’s family. Erik’s family was so wonderful, they were such a great support sytem.
One of the things I love best about Ms. Walker’s stories is how real they are- you can just imagine actual people going through the situations she writes about. She writes real characters, real people- flaws, faults, and all. Rich or poor, no one is immune to the realities of life.
Dear god, this book wrecked me. As usual, N.R. Walker’s characters were so achingly real, horribly damaged, and beautiful layered that I could actually hear their voices in my head as I was reading. Erik and Monroe will stay with me for a very long time.
This book didn’t skim over the ugly parts of detox or addiction to protect our delicate sensibilities. NRW took you straight through the belly of the beast, one difficult step at a time. The journey was raw and uncomfortable and made me so unbelievably sad, (knowing all too well that this is reality for so many people.) But through slow healing and a lot of work toward personal growth and grief counseling, Monroe and Erik were able to find their way to their happily ever after.
Erik and Monroe’s love for each other was over the top – and in my opinion it was perfect and necessary. People who have had every nerve ending exposed during a painful addiction and recovery process and who have finally learned to communicate shouldn’t hold back on the good stuff either. Their lows were low and I thank NRW for letting us witness their highs, too.
I could try to sum up THYD as a best friends-to-lovers, slow-burn romance with heaps of angst…but that would be doing it a HUGE disservice. *It was so much more than that.* This was a book about grief, addiction, true friendship, hard work, love, and acceptance.
Another beautifully written five star read from N.R. Walker!
The Hate You Drink shows the rough and heartfelt journey of a wealthy young man, Monroe Wellman, and the love and help he receives from his even more wealthier best friend, Erik Keston, and Erik’s parents. From the way Monroe hits rock bottom to his detox and therapy and ultimately his recovery, my heart was filled with empathy and anxiety at the same time.
This is a very well-written book that does have a HEA.
Another great read from Ms Walker.
I love besties to lovers, and this book did not disappoint. It was angsty, complex, emotional and perfect.
This is a twist on the switched at birth genre. As adults, the families had a lot to deal with, but it was inspiring at the same time. Great story with great characters.
NR Walker is an auto buy for me. This is a mm contemporary story set in Australia. This book covers a hard topic of addiction and how it effects everyone not just the primary person. Erik and Monroe have a hard road to transverse to find their HEA. This author has an amazingly diverse backlist, never stop at one book.
I’m a little conflicted about this one. One the one hand, it’s like wow! So many feels! On the other hand, I feel like I didn’t develop the attachment to Monroe and Erik’s characters like I usually do with one of NR Walker’s books. I was sucked in immediately and I do have to say a couple of times I was riding that emotional edge, but about 75% of the way in it lost something for me. I absolutely cannot put my finger on it. This book deals with addiction, alcoholism, and the angst is high, which I didn’t mind at all. It may be a hard stop for some readers though. The connection between Erik and Monroe is fantastic. You can definitely tell these two characters are meant to be together. The one plus for me was that NR Walker didn’t go where I thought she would in the storyline. All-in-all, this was a great read and I’m simply amazed at the diversity of NR Walker’s writing. The stories she brings are truly amazing and I cannot wait to read what she brings us next.