5.0 (1 rating)
Me + You
How far do the bonds of loyalty go?
For Aaron, this is a question he has struggled with for years, and one that almost ruined his life.
After two years of non-contact, a letter shows up in the mail inviting Aaron to his ex-wife’s wedding. Nina, the woman who is responsible for all his pain suddenly reappears and once again, he finds himself at her mercy.
In theory, the answer is simple but as both Nina and Aaron struggle with the choices they must make, a stark realization forms.
Time isn't the cure many believe it is.
For Aaron, this is a question he has struggled with for years, and one that almost ruined his life.
After two years of non-contact, a letter shows up in the mail inviting Aaron to his ex-wife’s wedding. Nina, the woman who is responsible for all his pain suddenly reappears and once again, he finds himself at her mercy.
In theory, the answer is simple but as both Nina and Aaron struggle with the choices they must make, a stark realization forms.
Time isn't the cure many believe it is.
Published: May 4, 2023
Pages: 144
ISBN: 9781991173355
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Available in: Paperback
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5.0
1 rating
Dhawy F.
Aug 15, 2026
What the most emotional read ever!!! What another mind shifter!!!
Through this heart-wrenching story, I can truly see how addiction damages not only the addicts, but also the family members and friends who genuinely care about them. This book makes me realize that it takes so much to pull someone out of addiction. And mostly, without their own willingness to change, they will return to it no matter how supportive you are.
Aaron’s love is always for Nina, although it hits him when Nina, with her incoherent mind, twists and turns his life upside down. Same thing with Hazel. She always loves her sister, but the fact that she relabs after almost 10 years destroys the hell out of her.
I actually cried seeing how true love can be defeated by the craving for substances. I would say this book successfully brings out my darkest side. I found myself screaming at Nina for not helping herself. I broke when Aaron started blaming himself, thinking that Nina does not get better because she was with him, believing that no one can ever find happiness with him. Pearce does not make it overly dramatic. She makes it relevant, relatable, and vulnerable. You will understand what I mean once you read it.
This novella shows the real and enormous sacrifices lovers can make to save their loved ones from drug addiction. In the past, Aaron gives everything he has to help his wife, Nina, get sober. Yet, she keeps going back down to the wrong path no matter how hard Aaron tries for her.
After two years of divorce, Nina reappears with a wedding invitation, asking Aaron to come. What if the invitation is a trap to fall for her again?
I never knew that dealing with a family member who struggles with substance use could be this hard. Not only because they can relapse, but also because they can do anything to convince you that they will get better. And then that better turns out to be an illusion. As a reader, watching Aaron being lied to makes me tired and angry. It hurts to imagine other Aarons out there who slowly lose themselves while still being wrapped in something called painful love. Imagine being Hazel, being Steven, being Aaron’s friends who are fed up with his love that is never reciprocated, while the least they can do is to support him all along.
Hazel, one of Aaron’s besties, tries hard to keep him from getting involved with Nina again after all the lies, manipulations, stealing, and betrayal. Deep down, she understands why Aaron still loves Nina, just like she continues loving her own older sister no matter what.
When Aaron is around, Hazel would rather tell him about her random dates and messy sex life that somehow turns out… funny. Up until this day, I still find my head shaking, questioning why Hazel chooses to put that topic on the table. And also, she would rather roast him alive whenever he talks about seeing Nina again, as if she is better. Until one day, something explodes, and Aaron becomes the one who finally understands every buried feelings of Hazel’s.
“I never told you this, but my older sister is struggling with addiction. She managed to abstain from it all for nearly ten years until she relapsed three years back.”
Pearce, H. . Me + You (p. 18). Kindle Edition.
“Nina was at the police station and needed collecting. According to the officers, she’d been found in a disorientated state walking home, and when they’d offered her a ride, a half-filled bag of heroin had slipped out of her pocket.”
Pearce, H. . Me + You (p. 25). Kindle Edition.
“sometimes, because you’re my best friend, I think that you’re normal, like me. But you aren’t. You do things like this that every now and again remind me that you’re a man.”
Pearce, H. . Me + You (p. 103). Kindle Edition.
Through this heart-wrenching story, I can truly see how addiction damages not only the addicts, but also the family members and friends who genuinely care about them. This book makes me realize that it takes so much to pull someone out of addiction. And mostly, without their own willingness to change, they will return to it no matter how supportive you are.
Aaron’s love is always for Nina, although it hits him when Nina, with her incoherent mind, twists and turns his life upside down. Same thing with Hazel. She always loves her sister, but the fact that she relabs after almost 10 years destroys the hell out of her.
I actually cried seeing how true love can be defeated by the craving for substances. I would say this book successfully brings out my darkest side. I found myself screaming at Nina for not helping herself. I broke when Aaron started blaming himself, thinking that Nina does not get better because she was with him, believing that no one can ever find happiness with him. Pearce does not make it overly dramatic. She makes it relevant, relatable, and vulnerable. You will understand what I mean once you read it.
This novella shows the real and enormous sacrifices lovers can make to save their loved ones from drug addiction. In the past, Aaron gives everything he has to help his wife, Nina, get sober. Yet, she keeps going back down to the wrong path no matter how hard Aaron tries for her.
After two years of divorce, Nina reappears with a wedding invitation, asking Aaron to come. What if the invitation is a trap to fall for her again?
I never knew that dealing with a family member who struggles with substance use could be this hard. Not only because they can relapse, but also because they can do anything to convince you that they will get better. And then that better turns out to be an illusion. As a reader, watching Aaron being lied to makes me tired and angry. It hurts to imagine other Aarons out there who slowly lose themselves while still being wrapped in something called painful love. Imagine being Hazel, being Steven, being Aaron’s friends who are fed up with his love that is never reciprocated, while the least they can do is to support him all along.
Hazel, one of Aaron’s besties, tries hard to keep him from getting involved with Nina again after all the lies, manipulations, stealing, and betrayal. Deep down, she understands why Aaron still loves Nina, just like she continues loving her own older sister no matter what.
When Aaron is around, Hazel would rather tell him about her random dates and messy sex life that somehow turns out… funny. Up until this day, I still find my head shaking, questioning why Hazel chooses to put that topic on the table. And also, she would rather roast him alive whenever he talks about seeing Nina again, as if she is better. Until one day, something explodes, and Aaron becomes the one who finally understands every buried feelings of Hazel’s.
“I never told you this, but my older sister is struggling with addiction. She managed to abstain from it all for nearly ten years until she relapsed three years back.”
Pearce, H. . Me + You (p. 18). Kindle Edition.
“Nina was at the police station and needed collecting. According to the officers, she’d been found in a disorientated state walking home, and when they’d offered her a ride, a half-filled bag of heroin had slipped out of her pocket.”
Pearce, H. . Me + You (p. 25). Kindle Edition.
“sometimes, because you’re my best friend, I think that you’re normal, like me. But you aren’t. You do things like this that every now and again remind me that you’re a man.”
Pearce, H. . Me + You (p. 103). Kindle Edition.