3.5/5

There’s so much to say but so much I can’t say without ruining this book! I absolutely loved this one BUT I didn’t rate it super high because it didn’t have me as entertained as Lights Out did and it was super super spicy to the point where most of the plot was spice which was a little disappointing after how much plot there was to unpack in Lights Out.

I did really love the characters and I LOVED that there’s still a cute animal companion to take away some of the seriousness from the plot. I loved Nico and I can’t wait to see who the next book follows if there are more to come! I also loved the little references to the last book and I can’t wait to discuss more with everyone when this book is finally out! I will definitely be getting a physical copy because I did enjoy this and I hope you guys do too!

Thank you Navessa and Zando for this advanced copy! I cannot put into words how excited I was when I got the email for this arc

This book was such a fun ride, I enjoyed every minute of reading it, I laughed harder than I did reading the first book.

Book Rating: ⭐️ 5/5
Spice Rating: 🌶️ 3/5

First, a huge thank you to Zando, Slowburn Reads, and Navessa Allen for this ARC! The scream I scrumpt was beyond control!

Second, Navessa Allen, I don’t know how you did it, but you exceeded my already sky-high expectations for this second book! A mafia, spicy, dark romance with a tatted, obsessed, and possessive MMC? Say less!

Nic and Lauren’s second-chance romance was everything. The way Nic pines and grovels? Chef’s kiss. And Lauren…while self-deprecating at times, was such a natural cheerleader for everyone around her. She was funny, witty, and so full of empathy that I couldn’t help but relate to her.

The writing was fantastic, and I loved getting a bit of Josh and Aly, too! They’ve been living rent-free in my brain since Lights Out, so seeing them again was such a treat.

Now, I need the next book, because clearly, I’m still willing to overlook an unlimited number of red flags in my MMCs.

Thank you so much to @navessa.allen and @slowburn.reads for the chance to read this ARC of Caught Up which will be published June 10, 2024!

Please enjoy this non spoiler light book Reveiw!!! Once this book comes into the world I will do another more deep dive Reveiw!!

Needless to say I f*cking LOVED this read. Sex Positive, dealing with purity culture, exploring kinks, FOUND FAMILY!! He grovels! Second Chance Romance!!! TAKE ME TO F*CKING CHURCH. I am UnWell! I laughed so hard so much. Taylor is my new favorite side character!!

I’ve had the necessary amount of time to process this book. I absolutely adored it. Lights Out was one of my favorite reads last year and it was probably my most re-read book of 2024 despite having first read it during the summer. I had high hopes for Caught Up and I was not disappointed at all!

We get to return to the world and characters that Navessa previously created for us, but this time we get to follow Junior and a new (to us) FMC - Lauren. I had no idea going in that this was going to be a sorta second-chance, but that is in fact what it was. We learn about some things that happened in the past with Junior and Lauren and how those actions impacted them.

We get drawn more into this Mafia world that Juniors father plays a large role in and we learn more about the brothers as well.

There were definite moments of humor that had me laughing out loud and falling for the characters in this book just like I did in the first of the series. But this book, while having a similar vibe, also was a little darker as well. Neither Lauren or Junior were the cinnamon rolls that Josh had been nor had they been separated from the effects of the Mafia world like Ali. Both had been marked by their history.

This book also focused super heavily on the kink community and sex-work, which we did see Ali defend in the first book (foreshadowing). Don’t want to spoil too much here, but it was fabulous and I enjoyed the positive discussions around them.

I highly enjoyed the relationships - the romantic ones and the friendships. We did get encore appearances of Ali and Josh and got to see how those relationships transcended over the course of book 1 and 2 as well as how they evolved from their initial interactions.

Overall, I know this will be another favorite and I can’t wait to see what Navessa has in store for us next!

Original place holder:
Received an eARC for this amazing book. More in depth review coming soon! 🥰

I devoured this book in 24 hrs if that says anything. 🤭 The spice & tension was top tier. The way he was protective of her but also supports what she does for living was everything. Definitely recommend.

ARC DRAFT

Oh em geeeeee

I absolutely loved this. Can’t wait until the final product. Can’t wait for the audiobook. I’m sooooooooo excited. Navessa has a way of writing, it’s just beautiful and absolutely entertaining

Oh em geeeeee

I absolutely loved this. Can’t wait until the final product. Can’t wait for the audiobook. I’m sooooooooo excited. Navessa has a way of writing, it’s just beautiful and absolutely entertaining

Thank you Zando and Navessa Allen for BLESSING me with early access to this book🙌🏻🙌🏻

Lights Out was my top read last year and I knew it probably wasn’t gonna be topped by the sequel..and it wasn’t. BUT. That doesn’t mean it still wasn’t good!! I hold Lights Out to such a high standard because of how much I love it that it’s hard for any books to top it so it’s fine lol

Caught Up was definitely not what I was expecting, I knew it would have more of the mafia side of things that was introduced in Lights Out but it still surprised me how different it was from Lights Out! This one is definitely not as humorous and focused a lot on growth. We see Lauren’s growth from her childhood and teen years trauma that turned into her being a confident cam girl. And Junior’s growth is him trying to navigate his way out of being under his dad’s thumb running in the mob. It was interesting to see how it all played out and the ups and downs of them trying to work out their relationship.

Now. The spice. HOLY SPICE… (literally holy in one scene) Navessa outdid herself on the spicy scenes!!!! Light Out spice was good, don’t get me wrong but Caught up spice is wayyy better, my only complaint is we didn’t get a bike scene😉

All in all, I am SO glad I got to review this and cannot wait to get the paperback to add to my shelf🖤

I will be posting my review on IG closer to the release date!!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶️🌶️.5

Navessa is a goddess amongst humans and no one can convince me otherwise.

I got the amazing opportunity to read Lights Out as an indie ARC and then again as a trad ARC and I loved it so much, once I heard she submitted the manuscript for Caught Up, I bugged Slowburn until I got an ARC 😂

Talk about a second chance. Not only was this one a second chance romance, but it was Nic’s second chance at life. His redemption.

I truly don’t think I can talk about this book without giving too much away because I have SO MANY FEELINGS. But let me just say that Nic and Lauren were made for each other. In every single way.

I LOVED the lengths he went through to protect her, to make her happy, to give her the best things in life and that she was so open and willing to teach him about so much.

Was there stalking? Yes. Was there murder? Also yes. But do we forgive those things? A million times yes.

Thank you so much to Slowburn for the ARC of this book and for dealing with my incessant nagging 😂🫶🏻

When I first listened to Lights Out, I didn’t think any subsequent books would top it. Caught Up absolutely took my number one spot from Navessa. This book is funny, HOT AF, and I loved that we got to see more of Aly and Josh as well. Thank you so much for the early copy, I devoured this book and will be listening to the audio when it releases!

oh HELL yeah

This book is addicting from the very first sentence. Fast paced, swoony, exciting. I couldn’t have loved it more. I’m a huge fan of Lights Out and was curious to see where Navessa was going to take the follow up stories and OMG she nailed it.

Perfect for mafia romance lovers.

Thank you Netgalley and Zando | Slowburn for the free e-arc. My opinions are being left voluntarily.i was shook when I got sent the earc to my email by invitation.i read and am obsessed with book 1 and man alive this did not disappoint it was absolutely perfection cover to cover. It felt a bit like ger in places and there's quite a bit going on but I couldn't read it fast enough. I called in a favor to have book 2 pre-ordered from a usa store signed. I am eagerly waiting on the physical copy to read and tab.

5/5☆

“He’s ruthless; a walking red flag. Good thing red is my favorite color.” 🖤

Y’all, we are so back. If you know me at all, you know Lights Out was in my top ten of 2024 and I’ve probably asked you if you’ve read it. If you’ve said no, I probably begged you to read it. Navessa Allen writes in such an exceptional and extraordinary way, creating characters and worlds that I find myself often thinking of. I’ve had Caught Up preordered for months now and it’s been one of my most anticipated reads for the year. So when I woke up on Friday to find this pretty little arc waiting for me, I absolutely screamed. I didn’t release I could be more feral than I was over Lights Out and Josh but that was before meeting Nico and Lauren. 😮‍💨🫠 Not only do we get the writing we know and love from Navessa, but we get spice, mafia, wholesome moments, secrets, groveling, a kink club, a hot biker, and more.

Nico Emanuel Trocci, the man that you are. 😮‍💨 The groveling? The way he absolutely worships this woman? I’m sorry, but Josh who?! It’s Nico for me. I said what I said.

Lauren Marchetti is that girl, y’all. The confidence, independence, and positivity she radiates is admirable.

Also, without leaving too big of a trail of spoilers behind.. I’ll be thinking about a certain photo booth scene for a very long time. 📸

🤍 second chance
🖤 touch her and 💀
🤍 stalker romcom
🖤 morally grey mmc
🤍 voyeurism
🖤 online to irl

Thank you so much Navessa Allen, Zando, Slowburn, and Netgalley for allowing me to read Caught Up in advance. I savored every single second of this, and cannot believe I have to wait for a third book. I am so grateful for the opportunity and likely won’t never shut up about it.

Caught Up by Navessa Allen releases June 10, 2025 and is now available for preorder everywhere books are sold! 🖤

I thought Lights Out was hot, but Caught Up? This book practically combusted in my hands.
Navessa did not hold back, she basically said “hold my beer and read my spice” like honestly the spice was top tier and the tension was thick.
This book was Messy, steamy, and completely unputdownable. Now if you need me, I’ll be impatiently waiting for book three.🤭

I am OBSESSED!!!

Navessa Allen can do no wrong and so just know that reading I am a biased reader and if you want anything else, go argue with the wall. I love the balance of banter and spice, humor and tension, suspense and wit. Navessa has the ability to deliver like no one else and for that she will ALWAYS be one of my favorite comfort reads. I have been dying to revisit the Edge of Darkness world since we said see you soon to Aly, Josh, Fred, and Maud.

We are back and this time we are following Aly's cousin Junior, or rather Nico. I loved Nico and Lauren! This dual fist person POV takes us through a second chance, stalker romance unlike any other. While it is a mafia romance, and even has a sex club, it is not the focus of the book. The secrets and things Nico had to do in the past to protect Lo break your heart and kept her safe, but they also made her who she is. And she is so strong and fierce and the independence she exudes and way she helps her friends and community. Now that Nico has taken care of the obstacles in their way, it is time to claim the woman that he had to hide in his past but not leave behind. I love the way this small group has come together. I am a sucker for "it's always been you" and Junior is the full embodiment of that. The spice is always TOP TIER and we will always thank her for it! 🥵🥵🥵

And, of course, we can't forget Walter. I love him to bits!

I am on the edge of my seat for book 3 :)

I dragged out finishing because this was such a highly anticipated read for me, and I couldn’t bear for it to be over in a day. I’m done now, though, and have spent a little time organizing my thoughts. Overall, I would give it 4.6 stars, rounded up to 5 since we can’t do partial stars. I did not love it as much as I loved Lights Out (i.e. it was my entire personality and I own every paperback version that’s been published…), but I very much enjoyed it, and I’m looking forward to the third book that I assume is coming based on the character introduction at the end of CU.

Tropes:
Mafia
Second chance romance
Cam girl x biker boy

Things I loved, in no particular order:

-Sometimes when authors choose to include nonbinary or queer side characters, they choose to make it A Whole Thing™ in a way that feels icky. I love that in Caught Up we have a NB character, but instead of it being A Whole Thing ™, they just exist, happily and with everyone using the correct pronouns. If this were a NB main character, or we had POV from the NB character, I do think we would need to see it addressed with more nuance. However, for a side character, they get to just be happy, and that makes me happy.

-Along the same line is Lauren’s sexuality. She likes men, and women, and again, it doesn’t need to be A Whole Thing™. Characters are not their sexuality alone, and I adore how well Navessa writes diverse characters without making their presence as a diverse character their entire personality.

-I am remarkably grateful that Lauren didn’t call the MMC ‘Junior’ the entire time. Can you imagine moaning that in bed? Yeah, no thanks.

-The plot twist w/the bookie: I did not anticipate the bookie’s identity, which is fun because not a lot surprises me anymore. Yes, I am being intentionally vague to avoid spoilers. Yes, I can’t wait for all of my friends to read it so we can talk about it without using code.

-The spice was spicing. The church scene? Good gracious it was indecent. 10/10 no notes.

Things I didn’t love as much:

-Re: groveling. I needed more of it. I expected frequent and plentiful, but instead it was a fairly short ‘I’m really sorry. Really. I mean it.’ and then he stuck his fingers in her and that was that. When she’s recapping it to her friends she makes it sound as though it was much more thorough and elaborate than I got from the actual scene, which was a bummer.

-I was surprised by the pacing in comparison to Lights Out. In LO we have two main plots: first, the romantic plot, with the initial meet-cute (Meet-not-so-cute? Meet-horny?), relationship building and negotiation, and a small but present issue and resolution; second is then the Bradley Bluhm/murder plot, problem, and resolution. I expected a similarly complex plot in CU, but when the ‘big bad’ isn’t a new or even unexpected character, and the issue with him is resolved quickly, all we’re left with is the relationship plot line. This wouldn’t be bad necessarily, but it hinged on miscommunication/poor communication, which can be frustrating. I felt like I was waiting for the other shoe to drop, and it just…never did. I still very much enjoyed CU, but went in with very high expectations based on LO, and I do not think it quite lived up to those expectations.

Ah I wanted to love this. It was good, but didn’t live up to my expectations from the first book. Regardless. navessa is a talented writer.

Thank you soo much to Zando for blessing me with this book.

Aly’s cousin Nico “junior” is the star of the show in Caught Up. He is now his mobster dad’s right hand man and wants out of the family business. Lauren, his high school obsession, is a very popular cam girl and Nico is her top subscriber. After disposing of Lauren’s dad, Nico is really to take what’s his.

This was so so good. A lot of just hilarious banter, hot af moments (kink club anyone?), and all of the blood and gore you’d expect in a Lights Out follow up.

Navessa Allen has successfully written a book two that was the perfect continuation into this story, but had a totally different character vibe than book one. So often, authors fall into the accidental habit of writing the same characters over and over again (which can be fine). Navessa has not fallen into this pattern in this series, though.

Nic and Lo are more serious, more troubled, and have had years of separation due to certain situations that gave ALL the pining. They don’t trust as easy and they both work harder because of it. The lust is pretty instant but the payout is not. And damn.. that church scene. What is it about a church scene!? It is my favorite. But.. those Velvet scenes? Kiss kiss kiss.

I went into this not knowing how I would feel about Nic “Junior” after book one as a lead, but his intensity is so good! Where Josh was humor and slightly bumbling silliness, Nic is honed determination and entirely focused on Lo. Her safety, her happiness. Ugh swoon! If you loved Lights Out, you’ll love Caught Up. I just loved Nic and Lo’s story and I’m so excited for what’s coming next!

Thank you so much to Navessa Allen and Zando/Slowburn for allowing me to read this wonderful ARC. This was one of my most anticipated releases this year and it did not disappoint!