I couldn’t get enough of Junior & Lauren. Their “second chance” romance was fire and I loved the overall story line. The advocacy and de stigmatizing of SW was done incredibly well.

The audiobook was done incredibly well - I did a tandem read.

If you wanted the same story as Lights Out, this won’t be for you - but if you wanted a new story, set in the same world - you won’t be disappointed.

Woah. At least the first book was funny. This one ended up feeling way more serious with a little bit of sex thrown in, but not much else. I really thought I was going to enjoy it. For the first 30 percent, I was convinced it would be at least a four-star read. But as the story went on, it felt like nothing actually progressed. I got to 97 percent and thought… that’s it? I think Lights Out worked because it was fresh and fun, but making it into a series might not have been the best call. Even the "cliffhanger" at the end didn’t make me want to pick up the next book. If that was supposed to hook me, it definitely missed.

Another incredible dark romance from one of my new favorite authors. It did feature a lot less comedy of book 1, which I felt worked because Nico and Lauren are a totally different couple and their vibes called for a different overall tone. I don't usually love a second chance romance this much, but I adored their love story and absolutely devoured this book!

I absolutely adored this book! Lights Out was one of my favorite books ever, so I was beyond excited to get Juniors story, & this did not disappoint! The tension & build up was phenomenal! I loved Lauren & her entire personality! I also love how obsessed Nico is with her! 5 stars!!

3.5⭐️

In my opinion this book wasn’t Lights Out 2.0, BUT it did still keep me entertained all the way through. I think we all expected Caught Up to be a Dark Rom-Com like the first book in the series, and let’s just be completely honest here and say that it isn’t. This book doesn’t have the banter and witty moments that Lights out did, but it did still have some great tension, steamy moments, and YME (Yearning Man Energy)- which I thoroughly enjoyed. Now I do hope that for the next book in the series we can get back some of the lighthearted banter we had in the first book.

4.25 stars all around— I loved the darker vibes of this one from Lights Out, although there were still great moments of humor and I loved Nic & Lauren just as much as Josh and Aly. I'm not usually a mob romance girlie so I was hesitant going in, but Navessa doesn't miss and it was an absolute banger. The setup for book 3 has me totally hooked and I loved the little cameos from everyone we loved from the first book!

This one was just okay! It was definitely lacking the playful push and pull that book one had. I liked the characters enough, but their romance fell a bit flat? The hero was in the kind of mafia, but it didn't really feel like a full mafia romance? And then he stalked the heroine, but her reactions weren't this playful flirty banter and he wasn't...endearing enough for it to work? It just felt like all the pieces were there and stuck together instead of having characters I could love and a story I could love. I was definitely expecting more from their story!

I loved the first book in this series, but this one had a trope I don't love - where a sex worker (a la Only Fans) falls in love with one of her clients. No shade to the job but this just isn't the meet-cute for me. I DNF at about 30% but would definitely read another book by this author.

June 19, 2025
(Disclaimer: I received this book from the publisher. This has not impacted my review which is unbiased and honest.)

It was so fun to be back in the world of Lights Up and to see more about the mafia lifestyle Aly was involved in. This time we're with Junior, aka Nico, who desperately wants out and can't help but still be obsessed with his first love. For Lauren, Nico is the guy who ruined her life by pretending they weren't hanging out, but she has no clue what Nico thinks he saved her from. Caught Up is full of tension, chemistry, and stalking. I'm glad both Nico and Lauren talk about their limitations, boundaries, and past mistakes in this aspect. For Nico, he takes his actions as ways to make sure Lauren is safe, to enact justice, and to help her out behind the scenes.

This one was fun. I know I’m the minority here, but between the cat daddy and Batman references, Lights Out imo was too cringy to enjoy. This one i found much more enjoyable.

This book was 🥵🥵🥵. The FMC is a cam girl and I think that is really underplayed in the synopsis. It’s definitely NOT what I was expecting! It isn’t a bad thing but I had to kind of readjust my expectations of the book because of that. I also was expecting some of the same humor that Josh injected into Lights Out and this book was not nearly as humorous. That is not a bad thing at all but again. These are things that should have been addressed in the synopsis.

I did really like Lauren the FMC. She is a badass and I like how Junior brings out her bratty side! I also liked Junior’s POV because it showed how into her he was. Without it, the man would just be a million red flags 😂. Seeing Juniors dad get out in his place was SO satisfying and I liked that we got more of Ally and Josh too! I’m also SO curious about Tyler and I can’t wait for that book

Definitely recommend this one for smut and mafia romance lovers!

A huge thank you to @netgalley and @slowburn.reads for an ARC copy!!

I had a great time with this one! I didn't like it as much as the first, but still enjoyed it overall. I loved how quickly the plot took off and felt like there were not many "slow" parts. It was definitely angsty which I loved.

𝘏𝘦'𝘴 𝘳𝘶𝘵𝘩𝘭𝘦𝘴𝘴; 𝘢 𝘸𝘢𝘭𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘳𝘦𝘥 𝘧𝘭𝘢𝘨. 𝘎𝘰𝘰𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘳𝘦𝘥 𝘪𝘴 𝘮𝘺 𝘧𝘢𝘷𝘰𝘳𝘪𝘵𝘦 𝘤𝘰𝘭𝘰𝘳.

Navessa absolutely did it again. Second chance happens to be one of my fav tropes so throw that in a dark rom com and baby I am SATTTT. Lauren? Absolutely iconic. Nico? Oh baby he had me from page one. We love a man who’ll do whatever it takes to get his woman BACKKKK.

Navessa babe I will read any and everything you put out you absolute QUEEEEEN. you’re an icon 🧎🏻‍♀️

also did we get a glimpse of who book 3 is about bc I KNOW I KNOW 🙋🏻‍♀️

This book. 😮‍💨. I had a freaking blast!! I loved Lauren and Junior. This is different than Lights Out but I didn’t love it any less. The character building was great and we get to learn about their pasts! The spice.. THE SPICE. it was everything! Definitely preorder this one, be ready on release day. I already preordered the audiobook so I can listen to it and read it again as soon as it comes out!

4.5 stars ⭐️

Lauren and Nico were opposites who attracted in high school, until a mean girl sabotaged everything. Lauren has never trusted another man with her heart, instead choosing to leverage her personal power as a popular personality on adult app Me4U. She has legions of loyal subscribers, including the very mysterious NT95. When it turns out that NT95 might just be someone Lauren knows in real life, she prepares to throw all of her rules out the window.

Caught Up is book two in the Into the Darkness trilogy. I loved Lights Out and I was definitely entertained here too! I didn’t find this one to be quite as funny or have that little extra spark that Lights Out did, but it was still a solid read.

This is also definitely darker than Lights Out, and has quite a bit more explicit material. Be sure to check triggers if there are things you prefer not to read!

I loved Nico so much. I’m just a huge fan of a down bad MMC and he fit that to a tee. Lauren was strong and confident in who she was and what she wanted for herself, and I admired that!

This definitely won’t be for everyone but I think most fans of Lights Out and dark romance in general will enjoy

I am not comparing this book to Lights Out. I went in knowing that it would not be the same.

With that in mind… as this book stands on its own… I just had a really hard time enjoying it.

I read the arc on my kindle and I did not listen to the audiobook. I think if I had listened to the audiobook I would have enjoyed it more… but overall I don’t think it would have changed my mind.

I’m fascinated at myself for why I had such a hard time with this book. The recipe is there for a delicious dish. Stalker vibes. Spice. Biker. Banter. Tumultuous past. Mafia. Cute animal companion.

But for some reason, and on all levels. This story fell flat.

It took me a week to read this, when I could usually get through a book like this in a day or two. I set it down at the end of almost every chapter because nothing grabbed me.

The love interests both in the present and past did not have any chemistry to me.

I didn’t believe the circumstance they were in. I didn’t believe their childhood backstory. I didn’t believe the years of “stalking”. And to be honest, I’m using that term lightly. It was like “diet stalking” at best.

I felt like the tools that were truly laid out before us to have a very intense vibe of a book where shocking reveals came much later in the story… showed up and pretty much resolved themselves before the 50% mark… so by that point I really was wondering… what are we all still doing here.

High stakes? I’m sorry I don’t know her. She was not present… at all in this book. Even for something so small as taking the fmc to an abandoned arcade… it wasn’t abandoned. The mmc called the owner of the closed down arcade and asked for the keys to go in. I’m sorry I just have to laugh a little bit because at any opportunity for this story to be dark or edgy or naughty or high stakes it took the most bland route possible.

I think Lauren (yes points were added because the main character and I share a name) was very one dimensional. Same with Junior. We know them on a surface level and that’s about it.

Half the book is Lauren, her roommates, and their dog giggling, slapping, and chasing each other around the apartment. And… you may think I’m joking. But it literally felt like that was half the book.

And I am so sorry… but the spice… was boring. It was generic. It felt recycled. For me. I can’t emphasize enough that I’m talking about how I felt. Me. Because I do think if you’re newer to this genre, it could be revolutionary and intense for you. For me personally, it was boring and because I don’t believe the main characters have any chemistry… I’m using my favorite term here again. It fell flat.

My page is 99% positive. I rarely share about books I didn’t like. I sat down and I strapped myself to my chair and started pulling my teeth out with pliers trying to write a positive review of this book. And I just couldn’t. And because I’ve been so vocal about my love of Lights Out. Because my review of Lights Out went viral and I sang my praise of that book to high Heaven. I felt I shouldn’t leave you guys hanging when it comes to what I thought of Caught Up. Because I think this was an anticipated read for so many of us.

I also didn’t want to be overly negative so if I was I’m sorry. I think I am just proud that I shared my honest opinion on this one to begin with.

Maybe when the next book comes out, I’ll give it a try, and become just as obsessed as I am with the first book.

But for now. I’m left feeling a little empty. And that’s ok. Because sometimes some of your most anticipated reads don’t live up to the hype. But the best part is? We all have TBRs that are probably going to outlive us anyways? So… on to the next book.

CAUGHT UP was a fantastic follow up to Lights Out and switches gears from masked stalker to hot mafia man with a voyeur kink. We briefly met Junior in book 1 and I’m so glad that this book dives a bit deeper into his backstory and the mafia bit that we got a tiny glimpse of in book 1.

Junior and Lauren have history, and despite the many years that have passed, the chemistry remained strong between them. Junior has been following Lauren’s online career as an adult performer, though Lauren has no idea that he’s one of her biggest supporters. One could say Junior is a bit obsessed with Lauren, though even that word seems too tame for what he feels for her. A chance encounter will set them both on a journey of redemption, with plenty of sparks along the way.

I adored this book from start to finish. Both Junior and Lauren were such relatable characters with their own personal baggage they’re dealing with. Some of that baggage gets in the way of taking their relationship to the next level, and I really liked watching them work through things to get to their eventual HEA.

This book has action, adventure, a bit of humor, and plenty of spice. All told, this was a fantastic second installment in the Into the Darkness series and I can’t wait to see what Allen brings us in book three. 5 ⭐️

3.5 ⭐️This was such a highly anticipated read for me and I had such high hopes going in but unfortunately, it fell a little flat for me.

I love love love an empowered, strong FMC and Lauren was definitely that girl! I loved her so much and loved how she truly embraced her sexuality - we love to see that!! Junior was absolutely down bad for Lauren and there’s something about a MMC who is completely obsessed with the FMC that MAKES ME FERAL.

With that said, I didn’t feel like this book had the same great banter and tension that Lights Out had. The funniest moments were with her friends (who I freaking adored!!!) but when it came to Junior and Lauren, I found myself craving more. Don’t get me wrong, the spicy scenes were HELLA HOT and had me literally panting for half of this book, but unfortunately; the book as a whole fell a little short for me.

as I did during the first book. The funniest moments were with her friends (which I absolutely loved) but I was craving more from these two. The spicy scenes were absolutely fantastic but it just fell short for me. This wasn’t a bad book by any means, but it’s nothing like Lights Out and best to go into it without that mindset.

Stalker rom com
Morally grey MMC
Online to IRL
Second chance
Voyeurism
BDSM k!nk
Masked men

THANK YOU Slowburn Reads for my advanced copy!!

Damn- where do I even begin? This book blew me away, and was legit EVERYTHING I have been craving in a dark romance. No surprise here, but Navessa nailed it YET AGAIN- seamlessly crafting an exquisite literary cocktail of heavy themes, laugh out loud humor, heart, grit, and perfectly executed spice.
In this installment of the Into Darkness Series, we follow Nico (aka Junior), as he strives to throw off the yolk of his mob boss father, and carve a new life for himself. As the pieces begin to fall in place, he starts to focus on the most important element- brining Lauren, the girl he had to let go years ago for her own protection, back into his world.
Lauren is a thriving camgirl, and part owner of a play club. She fights passionately for the rights and safety of s€x workers, and absolutely LOVES her career and lifestyle. Other than some issues with her landlord, and some lingering pain from the mess that Junior made of her life 10 years ago, she’s doing just fine. But her world is about to get upended when Junior comes crashing back into her life, causing secrets to unfurl. When the lines between truth & lies begin to blur, she’s torn between trusting Junior, or heeding the copious amounts of red flags that SCREAM she’s heading for heartbreak once again.

This book was S€XY AF (the spice was creative & immaculate), the action was wild, and the humor was a balm to my soul. But don’t think for one second the story is surface level, because Navessa goes deep- she hits home and hits hard, and makes you feel all the feels. Yes you will be painfully turned on, and amused beyond measure, but you’re gonna become DEEPLY invested in the story and these characters. If you’ve read Lights Out, you’re well aware of this. She’s the queen of making you fall for every damn character- even the dog.
Cannot WAIT to reread this with the audiobook!!!

This unfortunately was a DNF for me. I was not aware of the FMCs profession, and it’s just not for me.