Skip to main content

Member Reviews

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 ⭐️

Was this review helpful?

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

Was this review helpful?

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.

Was this review helpful?

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 ⭐️

Was this review helpful?

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

Was this review helpful?

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!!!

Was this review helpful?

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

Was this review helpful?

Well just another banger, pun intended, my our lovely Navessa. So sex and kink positive I just love her books! I loved our touch her and die literally MMC, and beautiful powerful smart FMC. The club sigh so good. The spice so good. The ten years pining. So good. I will highly recommend this to my audience and can’t wait for more by her !

Was this review helpful?

⭐️: 3.75/5
🌶️: 2.5/5


Aaaah. Okay I want to start by saying PLEASE don’t come for me. I fear I read this at the wrong time in my life because I was so excited for this read so when the punisher dropped the ARC in my inbox I screamed. I absolutely loved Lights Out and I already know I’m going to LOOOOVE book 3 of this series BUT Caught up just didn’t deliver what I had been anticipating and I’m devastated over it. 😩

Honestly I was confused about the plot for about 60% of the book. It was definitely a slooooooow one. Like snails pace slow. Thank goodness for the spicy delivery because I fear without it this would’ve been an easy DNF for me.

I don’t know it just seemed like all of Lauren and Nico’s fights or arguments were kind of silly. I can appreciate a MMC that knows how to communicate but half of it was Lo jumping off the Empire State Building to conclusions and Nico half explaining himself just for it to happen again over the same stuff? I don’t know it seemed pointless. They definitely had chemistry and I definitely loved their attraction but this one just didn’t do it for me.

I needed more of them at the club. I need more and I can’t explain how or why. I wanted to see more of Lauren being the powerful woman she was portrayed as instead of giving into a man who kept “hurting her” over and over. I also strangely wish this would’ve been dual timeline. I feel we definitely needed more flashbacks from their early years and it would’ve made this more solid. But that’s just me.

My favorite parts were Aly and Josh (duh), when Nico found out about Velvet and just couldn’t stay away. I WISH WE WOULD HAVE SEEN MORE OF THAT. When Nico found Tyler out (I fear he’s going to be my fav I have a feeling book 3 needs do come ASAP) and when they did the family dinner where they stood up to Nico senior. Everything else felt like filler.

I hope you all enjoy this more than I did. Thank you to Navessa Allen and Zando for sending me the eArc in exchange for my honest review!

Was this review helpful?

𝐀𝐑𝐂 𝐑𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰

☠️𝐃𝐚𝐫𝐤 𝐑𝐨𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞
🖤𝐒𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐝 𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞
☠️𝐓𝐨𝐮𝐜𝐡 𝐡𝐞𝐫 & ☠️

✨𝒯𝒽ℴ𝓊𝑔𝒽𝓉𝓈✨
"𝐂𝐚𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐔𝐩" is a spicy second chance dark romance. Having devoured the previous book, "𝐋𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐬 𝐎𝐮𝐭," I just had to read this one. While the story was good, it didn't quite capture the addictive pace and engaging plot that had hooked me in the first book.

𝐉𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐨𝐫, an unhinged mobster, and Lauren, a popular cam girl, had a falling out in their teen years. Junior had chosen to keep Lauren at a distance to protect her from his dangerous world. Now, years later, Junior is ready for redemption.

𝐀𝐥𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡 the main characters had great chemistry and engaging spicy scenes, the romance lost momentum for me. If you're a fan of the author's writing, this book is worth checking out. Special thanks to the author and Zando for providing the e-book copy. As always, these thoughts are entirely my own.

𝐑𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠: 𝟑.𝟕𝟓⭐️ 𝐒𝐩𝐢𝐜𝐞 𝐥𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐥: 𝟒🔥

Was this review helpful?

This is the second book after Lights Out and we follow Junior into this spicy mafia romance. This book was not at all what i was expecting and I LOVE that. Nic has been obsessed with Lo since high school but his ties stopped him from being in her life (or so she thought) we see a little more stalking in the book (Navessas specialty). I love that our fmc is a spicy worker and he doesnt try to change her. I gave this 4/5 stars and it was 100% a 5/5 chili pepper. If you love a higher smut to plot ratio this one is for you babe. thank you to Zando & Netgalley for letting me read this early ILY.

Was this review helpful?

💀Mafia
💀Second Chance
💀Cam Girl
💀Dark RomCom

This was a fun and enjoyable read! I was sucked in from the beginning and I read it in less than a day. Was it as good as Lights Out? No, but it was still a great book and worth the read. I just don’t think anyone can beat Josh and Aly. Being a second chance and considering what Junior did to Lauren in the past this one was already messy from the beginning. The tension between them was there from the first chapter. I would have loved to see more groveling after their past but I feel like Lauren gave in to him too easily. Overall, this was enjoyable, fun, and kept my attention from beginning to end. If you liked Lights Out you will like this one too!

Was this review helpful?

4.25

*eARC & Audio Review*

I have to start this by saying I’ve never read Lights Out, but after finishing this it’ll definitely change! This was such an entertaining and unique storyline, I don’t think I’ve ever read (or listened to) anything like this. Junior’s mob family storyline mixed with the body positivity and lifestyle Lauren lived was different and really fun.

I loved the history that Junior and Lauren had and how that played out. And the steam, and all those scenes at Velvet.. and the confessional - SHEESH! Consider me entertained!

I also listened to the audio on release day and it was great! Teddy Hamilton is definitely one of my favorites and he delivered! This was my first Kasi Hollowell audio and she was amazing! I’ll definitely be seeking out more of her work! Jason June did a great job as well!


Thank you so much to Zando/Slowburn for the early eARC copy!

Was this review helpful?

this was so fun!!!

in true navesssa fashion, we fall for a man surrounded in red flags but what a fun time!

I loved Lauren and her confidence and security of who she is and her job. It was also fun to see her be the one opening the MMC's eyes to his sexuality more.

My goodness Juniorrrrr - he is obsessed and wants what he wants, and goes for it.

Now....

this is NOT lights out. Which I appreciated. if you are looking for lights out 2.0 you will not find it. this is a mafia romance with comedic relief. The side characters (imo) were where most of the humor lied, not with the MCs like in L.O. so please know that going in. if you are expecting it to feel like lights out, I think you may be disappointed.

It was a fun read, I think perfect for a day by the pool or vacation!

Can't wit to see what's next

4 out 5 stars

thank you zando for ARC

Was this review helpful?

Forgive me father for I have sinned...
This book had me feeling like I needed to go and confess to God and I'm not even religious. And yes I'm talking about *THAT* scene too.

I absolutely devoured this read!! It was soooo spicyyyy with moments of hilariousness sprinkled in! This book explores kinks and sex positivity. I love what a character Lauren is. She is similar to Aly in a way, like "hey I know he has red flags but I mean... he's also hot & I'm hella horny" LOL.

It completely stands out from Lights Out but has all the elements that we love from Lights Out as well. You can read it as a standalone but there's some cameo and references that make the book better if you read Lights Out first.

I ended up finishing the book in tandem with the audiobook bc my library hold came up 2 hours early before Tuesday ✨ and let me tell you, Teddy Hamilton did this book justice!! I also love the guest voice as well, it really rounds out the duet narration.

Thank you Slowburn Reads for the ARC!

Was this review helpful?

4⭐️ 4🌶️
- MF
- Mafia Biker MMC
- SW FMC
- Slow Burn
- Fun Times in a Church 😉
- Kink Club

I cannot tell you how excited I was to read this book. Lights Out was one of my top reads of 2024 and I own like 10 copies of it, no joke. So of course I immediately dove in!

The chemistry and tension in this book was next level. I love a man obsessed and Nico quietly stalked Lauren for years before casually walking back into her life hoping to win her over. There isn’t anything he wouldn’t do for her and I loved that energy.

Lauren stirred up so many emotions in me. I loved her determination and resilience but found her to be a bit too brash and reckless at times. I also loved that she took pride in her work and dedicated her life making SW safer for herself and others.

As expected the spice in this book was amazing. Don’t ask me how Navessa managed to make this the spiciest slow burn ever, but somehow she did.

The vibes of this book are so different from LO. I knew going into it that Nico was in the mafia and anticipated a darker book. But I was still expecting a dark romcom and that’s not what this book is, it is just a dark romance. I mean there were a couple funny scenes and Josh can’t help being ridiculous anytime he shows up but I still don’t think of this as a dark romcom.

Now don’t get me wrong, this was an amazing dark romance. I just think I would have enjoyed it even more if I had better expectations going in.

That being said I am still so excited for the third book in this series. I can’t wait to see what Navessa has in store for us next!

Was this review helpful?

Anyone else obsessed with Junior ?.. I know I am ! It was a really interesting read and I absolutely loved the representation and the diversity throughout. The fmc was amazing, I loved her confidence in herself and what she does and I loved watching her open herself back up despite everything that was going on in her life. The mmc was really interesting too thou, seeing his internal struggles and desires for her was so intriguing. I think the couple had really great chemistry, it was dark and obsessive and all consuming for them both and it was good to see them get to the point where they can express that with each other. I also really enjoyed the Velvet concept and seeing her in her element and seeing him grow and become more open and explore his sexuality more was really great to read. The book was really focused on them as a couple which I enjoyed but seeing the glimpses into him and his mafia ties as well as seeing characters from past books was really fun. In terms of spice in this one, I think a lot of it was more an emotional connection but they do have incredible chemistry so it made the spice so good. It’s about a 3/5 in terms of spice, there was fair few scenes throughout and they are really well detailed. Overall, this one was an amazing read and I really enjoyed it. It’s a 4/5 read and I have and will be recommending it to everyone cause it’s so good.

Was this review helpful?

Lights Out was an entertaining new dark rom-com favorite of mine last year, and I was very excited to hear that Navessa Allen would be continuing the series. Caught Up is more on the serious side (it doesn't have the same humor that Josh brought in Lights Out) and reads more like a mafia/mob dark romance. I think ultimately I found Lights Out more entertaining but the writing has definitely improved in Caught Up!

Lauren and Junior were very cute together and I enjoyed their second chance romance. Their private scenes together were steamyyy and I loved the moments of possessiveness Junior showed. I appreciated how Navessa discussed Lauren's career as a camgirl and a performer at Velvet. Her friendship with her roommates Taylor and Ryan was also sweet and funny.

Overall, if you're a fan of Navessa Allen's stories, you should definitely pick Caught Up up! The Josh and Ally cameos were very fun to read and I'm intrigued at the next story we'll be getting in the series. 👀

Was this review helpful?

This book is a heady mix of Top Tier Banter and Spice!

Caught Up was indulgently spicy and barely gave you any rest between hot-as-shit scenes. Like, the hallway scene at church? Hot!

Where Lights Out was focused on the stalker romance aspect, this book was truly a mafia romance and goes deeper into the family dynamics and their shady deals. Junior is a perfect mix of possessive and morally grey, yet the biggest simp for Lauren.

Taylor is a goddess and deserves a bestie stamp because who else would chant "hate sex, hate sex" after your best friend tells you about this guy who messed you up in high school and is now trying to weasel his way back into your life. Honorary shoutout to Junior's messed up sibling dynamics.

And can we talk about the doggy companion of this book? Walter, Hilarious! Adorable! An "oh-fuck-look that transcended species" *dead*

You know who else was absolutely ICONIC? The Nonna! Find out for yourself.

This book was so utterly unserious ("must've been some horny church ghost possessing me") and yet delicately handles the topic of sex workers and kink exploration. I do think Lauren was a little too accepting of Junior's toxic ways to look out for her but also cannot really blame because...who doesn't want a hot guy dealing out revenge on anyone who gives you trouble.

I absolutely DID NOT see the reveal for the next MC pairing but am absolutely here for this new couple!

Was this review helpful?

Really enjoyed Caught Up—Navessa Allen has to be one of my favorite spicy romance authors. I loved how this tied into Lights Out but can completely be read as a standalone. While this is a darker romance, it's not DARK dark. Definitely had a dark romantic comedy feel!

Navessa Allen does an amazing job of adding both emotional substance and plot to her romances. I loved the second chance romance and seeing through Junior's perspective how Lauren had completely come out of her shell since they were first together. And I liked how part of Junior's character arc focused on his complicated relationship with his father.

And oooo the spice was great! I like how SHE was the one who introduced him to certain things because usually it's the other way around. The tension in second chance romance, when the trope is written well (as it is in Caught Up), is always top tier. Junior and Lauren had sizzling chemistry, and I couldn't love it more. Though I do gravitate more towards Josh and Aly from Lights Out. I also preferred the Lights Out plot, but this was an excellent dark romantic comedy! I would definitely recommend this, especially if you're just getting into dark romance.

Thank you so much to Zando Slowburn for an ARC of Caught Up. As always, my reviews are one hundred percent voluntary and all opinions are my own :)

Was this review helpful?