Caught Up

I have read a lot of mixed reviews on this book, but please if you are reading them, don’t write this one off.This books is a brand new story seperate from Josh and Aly (though you get these cute little peek a boos into their life which I love.So let me tell you some things I loved about this book.1st Ryan. I have never read a book that included someone non-binary. It took me a moment to realize it wasn’t a typo because of that. Once i realized that I was misreading it I was thrilled! I love inclusion in books so this was a solid moment for me.2nd the story! Im already a sucker for mafia romance. This one had angst and love and ugh all the feels. I laughed, and cried and screamed! I truly felt like I knew them when reading this book. This is everything I could ever hope for in a book.As always. This is a dark romance book. Know your triggers. If you’re unsure please read the trigger warnings! This book focuses on some dark topics. But it’s so worth the read. Just go into it knowing that it is different from a lot of authors who write a series because instead of a continuation it is its own book. Go in like that and you may just love it as much as I did.

This second book in the Into Darkness series is an exciting mafia dark romance. You don’t need to have read Lights Out to enjoy this one, though the MCs from book one do appear, and there are some spoilers. The MMC here is Aly’s cousin from book one.Junior, the MMC, is the son of a mob boss who has been “keeping an eye on” his high school fling, FMC Lauren, now all grown up and working as an NSFW content creator and advocate. Junior decides it’s time to make his feelings known… in some very unconventional ways. He’s morally gray (but more of a DARK charcoal gray than a nice slate) and she’s… well, she’s into it. I guess you could call it a second-chance romance, but really, it’s a second chance at lust.This book is darker than its predecessor, though it still brings humor and the same chaotic energy. While book one was hijinks and whimsy, this one is sarcasm and spice. Speaking of spice, if you thought book one was hot, this one might just melt your face off. I would take the trigger warnings seriously.I enjoyed this installment and hope the Into Darkness series continues. There are a lot of fun side characters I’d love to see get their own plotlines.Spice: 5/5Plot:4.5/5Writing: 4.5/5My Enjoyment: 4.5/5

A Sizzling, Obsessive Romance That Champions an Unapologetic HeroineNavessa Allen's Caught Up dives headfirst into the intoxicating trope of "he fell first and he fell hard," delivering a story that is as steamy and possessive as it is surprisingly heartfelt and empowering. As the second installment in the Into The Darkness series, it offers a high-heat, high-stakes romance that hinges on a decade of secret devotion.The Rottweiler with a Single-Minded Obsession Nico"Junior" Trocci as a "Rottweiler". He epitomizes the morally gray, "touch her and you die" hero. For ten years, Nic has been a silent, shadowy guardian in Lauren "Lo" Marchetti's life. He is not just infatuated; he is utterly obsessed, operating from a fierce, protective instinct that compels him to eliminate any threat to her, a truth he has kept hidden from everyone, especially her. When a new danger forces his hand, he doesn't just re-enter her life—he demolishes the door to get in, determined to claim the woman he's considered his for a decade.The Unshakable HeroineLauren "Lo" Marchetti is the perfect counterpoint to Nic's intensity. She is far from the girl he remembers. Lo is a formidable woman who is strong, independent, and completely unapologetic about her life and choices. One of the standout elements of Caught Up is its refreshingly positive portrayal of Lo's profession as a camgirl. The narrative refuses to shame her, instead presenting her work as a source of empowerment, financial independence, and sexual agency.When Nic storms back into her world with his high-handed, protective declarations, she doesn't swoon; as you noted, she puts up a fight, challenging his dominance at every turn and demanding to be seen as an equal partner, not a possession to be guarded.The VerdictCaught Up is a masterclass in chemistry and tension. The dynamic between the possessive stalker-protector and the fiercely independent heroine creates an electric current throughout the book. Their banter is sharp, their emotional connection is palpable, and the spicy scenes are frequent and integral to their relationship's development.This book is perfect for readers who love: * The "He Fell First and Harder" Trope: Nic’s ten-year obsession is the stuff of romance legend. * Spicy, High-Heat Romances: Allen does not hold back on the steam. * Possessive, Morally Gray Heroes: If you love a hero who would burn the world down for his woman, Nic Trocci is your man. * Strong, Empowered Heroines: Lo is a true force, celebrated for her strength and lack of shame. * Mafia-Lite Romances: It has the protective, dangerous edge of a mafia story without getting bogged down in heavy criminal politics.While the stalker premise requires a suspension of disbelief typical for the genre, Allen grounds it in Nico's genuine, unwavering devotion. The result is a profoundly satisfying and addictively steamy read that celebrates a woman's right to own her desires and a man's capacity for all-consuming love.

𝕮𝖆𝖚𝖌𝖍𝖙 𝖀𝖕 𝖇𝖞 𝕹𝖆𝖛𝖊𝖘𝖘𝖆 𝕬𝖑𝖑𝖊𝖓⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5⚠️ᴘᴏᴛᴇɴᴛɪᴀʟ Qᴜᴏᴛᴇ ꜱᴘᴏɪʟᴇʀ ʙᴇʟᴏᴡ⚠️Navessa does it again, personally may like Nico more than Josh. Don’t come for me!!! Something about a “I’ll burn the world down for her” alpha mafioso does it for me. The spice in this was perfect, and not rushed. The term a man who yearns, earns? YUP Lauren and the baddie she is made him WORK for that forgiveness. But seriously I would have folded too quick. Like the photo booth & club scene?!? Sign me tf up lolololBack to Lauren, I LOVED her character. The way she stood her ground and defended herself, and her industry was top tier. I can relate to her so much, because how dare a man speak unwarranted? 🗣️ LOLAlso NONNA !?!? Ma’am 🤣 I loved her.“𝙄 𝙝𝙤𝙥𝙚 𝙮𝙤𝙪’𝙧𝙚 𝙨𝙤𝙬𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙤𝙖𝙩𝙨 𝙣𝙤𝙬.”“𝙊𝙣𝙚 🍆. 𝙁𝙤𝙧 𝙛𝙞𝙛𝙩𝙮 𝙮𝙚𝙖𝙧𝙨, 𝙇𝙖𝙪𝙧𝙚𝙣.”“𝙇𝙚𝙖𝙧𝙣 𝙛𝙧𝙤𝙢 𝙢𝙮 𝙢𝙞𝙨𝙩𝙖𝙠𝙚𝙨. 𝘽𝙚 𝙖 s̷l̷u̷t̷ 𝙬𝙝𝙞𝙡𝙚 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙨𝙩𝙞𝙡𝙡 𝙘𝙖𝙣.”Seriously, had me cackling! If this isn’t endgame for me in my future I don’t want it.This was such a fun read, I devoured it under 24 hours. But honestly I expected nothing less, because I love Navessa..So good 🤌🏼

Not quite as good as Lights Out, but still a fun and spicy read!

First things first, do not go into this book looking for Josh2.0This book follows the basics of dark romance this author has plotted from the previous book BUT as she was gently sprinkling spice the whole thing broke open and spilled.This book is a perfect example of spice with a well written plot!I loved every part of it, humor comes from the side characters while the heavy topics and spice we get from the main characters.This was amazing, I devoured it in record time. Get ready to be hot and heavily bothered throughout the whole book.I am an official fan of this author and by the end I'm pretty sure I know who's the third and final book about.

I enjoyed this book even more than its predecessor, Lights Out. I absolutely lpve.Josh and Aly, but there was so much history and support that created the law he between Nic and Lo. Not only.that, but if you thought the spice was hot in book one.. SO INCREDIBLY DELICIOUS! To be honest, it had me questioning whether I might have some kinks still left undiscovered.. Hmm..I did give this a 4/5 rating because despite how much I enjoyed it, the climax had nothing to it. It was there on second and gone the next. Between that and really having no type of emotional rollercoaster or single moment of shock and awe, I couldn't give that last star. Stoll, Miss Na beads Allen.. This series is starting off strong and I am so here for it, ma'am!!!! :)

I have really enjoyed both of these books and I hope we get one on Tyler and Stephan. I would like to know more about them. I hope the funny banter doesn't end with any future books they write.The only issue I have (which isn't an issue my brain is just weird) both books have had the term "man body" in them. Example: Josh says in Lights Out "I grew into my man body" and in Caught Up, Lauren says "Junior grew into his man body". I don't know why but that phrase keeps throwing me off. I've never heard anyone use that before especially in a book so far. Just sounds like something a teen would say when referring to a man growing up. Idk. Maybe it's my weird brain and how I process sentences, but no complaints.That confessional scene was just 🥵🥵🥵🥵 IYKYK

It’s ya book report bestie yet again. I preordered this bad boy in February, I was OBSESSED with Lights Out (you can find me singing my praises in the comments on that one separately). I received this 6/11 and I finished it tonight 6/17. I read slow, this was a total anomaly for me. As always, I point out things I wasn’t infatuated with first off. I had a tougher time relating to the characters at first in this one (compared to Lights Out), but it wasn’t a huge issue- I got over it within 50 pages as we learned more about them. There were a couple times that I felt like some plot events took a minute for both characters to catch up with, but I’m very impatient and I hate when one of them knows useful or important information and the other takes time to learn of it 🤣 if the reader knows, I want allll of them to know! Onto the good! I recently read a book with notable grammatical errors and thank GOD this didn’t have any that I noticed because that is my ICK!!!! I think that’s what kind of harshed my book vibe so I went into this with a bad taste in my mouth from my last read- but she revived me!! Ooooh the spice! How I have missed it! Aly and Josh had us all simpering and I think these characters have us in a vice grip by the end too! Some of the spice scenes I could have used a BIT more of, but still plenty spicy and its not like it was a torturous slow burn or left us wanting more. I did like Lights Out *better* just because it was more my vibe personally, but this was still great in its own way! I definitely got outside my usual zone and enjoyed a book that I wouldn’t have anticipated enjoying this much!

Book one was for Josh and Aly. If you picked up book 2 expecting to read the same story about two different people, that's on you.However, if you're into:-Mafia/crime underworld drama-Second-chance angst-Will go to war for you roomates-Dark rom-coms-Broody bad boys who simp HARD-And heroines who would 100% taze you in the face...Then you NEED to read this book.Navessa Allen gave us everything: a messy, second chance love story wrapped in danger, betrayal, and some HOT spice. The MMC? Oh, you mean Mr. Dark, broody, and a little unhinged (yes please). Or the FMC? Miss “come near me and I’ll taze your face”, knows what she wants and is not afraid to take it, not to mention ALSO unhinged.It’s dark. The humor hits. The romance burns. Walter.📚 Tropes you’ll devour:• Second chance romance• Mafia / crime underworld• Lovers-to-Enemies-to-Lovers vibes• Protective antihero• Dry banter

I read and listened to this book and I really enjoyed it. I know there have been some mixed reviews on it, and it's honestly probably hard to follow up a book as amazing as Lights Out and people thought it would be the same, but this book was good and I enjoyed the characters. Lauren's voice was good and Teddy absolutely killed it as Junior. I loved how his voice was different from what he normally does.Lauren and Junior grew up together and started a very short relationship until some things hit the fan and Junior betrayed her and ruined her life. I loved that Lauren really made Junior work for her forgiveness and work for it, he did. That scene was hot. The spice in this book wasn't overly spicy, but there was a lot of spicy scenes, especially with Lauren owning a play club.Both of the characters come from crappy families they aren't too close with, and I loved the found family they both formed with their friends. Junior was such a good book boyfriend and the way he supported Lauren with her job made me so happy.The banter with Junior and his brother Alec had me cracking up, and I really hope he gets a book. The Josh and Aly scenes were hilarious. The scenes with Josh and the cats were so funny!! Taylor's voice was slightly annoying on audio, but I found her character hilarious!! I am so excited about book 3, especially with the things we found out about Tyler.

I think it was a mistake to market this as a direct sequel to Lights Out. Yes, it takes place in the same world, but the tone and pacing (and frankly superior writing) are worlds different in this story. The humor and fast pace in the first book isn't here-the first book had the same super dark themes, but it was also funny and this is not it.If you take this book out of the context of a direct sequel, it's just an okay book. The writing feels phoned in, and the plot is a little boring at point, but nothing terrible. The MFC's roommates are in this book way too much, and the trio feels super immature. You have three almost 30-year-olds acting like teenagers, and it gets a little tiring.I also think that the plot point for sex work advocacy was done poorly-a lot of telling and no showing. I would have loved to have seen this more in depth in this story. The lack of attention to this particular plot point felt lazy.Furthermore, overall this didn't feel like a (dark) romance. There isn't a lot of emotional intimacy between the main characters beyond sexual chemistry. It's just okay, not great, but not terrible.

TOTALLY different from Lights Out (first book in the series and my intro to Navessa Allen) yet has a familiar, pushing the limits, vibe!There were definitely moments I questioned myself and was like “what in the world am I reading right now?!” Haha!This was an incredible jump into the mafia world and so excited to see what else is to come with the next story!Getting the cameos from Lights Out characters and the beautiful ways in which their characters connect with Junior and Lauren, really made this book shine.Caught Up would be a great standalone book but for those who have read Lights Out, the character connections really set it off!If you are expecting a repeat of Lights Out, don’t. Clear your mind and start fresh as this is a brand new story with totally different characters. I love the character depth that is woven into a spicy story. Navessa really knows how to make you love characters that you might be prone to judge in real life in such a beautiful way!

CHECK THE TRIGGERS!Well, i loved Lights Out and so of course I had to read (and listen to) Caught Up. I'm not usually one for reading spin off's or rolling with interconnected books because I usually get too invested in the main characters from the "original". But this was absolutely fantastic! I enjoyed every single part of it. I will admit, the "world" Lauren's life is built around was unexpected, but oh so good!We also got to to see how Josh and Aly are going, which was great. And whilst you can read this without having read Lights Out, I would advise against it. Lights Out, I feel, will "prime" you better for the 🌶 scenes that exist in Caught Up 😏We met some new characters too. I absolutely loved Taylor and her wicked mindset.Whilst i wasn't a big fan of Junior before... I am a MASSIVE fan of him now 🥵The only thing I would say against Caught Up... it's too short! I wanted more! Well done Navessa, you have done it again! And the narrators were fantastic! Highly recommend the audiobook.

Lauren fell hard for Junior back in high school. Their fling was short, secret—and ended with him vanishing and her labeled the school liar.Flash forward 10 years: Junior is Nico Trocci now—mafia heir, hating his life, and secretly obsessed with the woman he abandoned. The twist? He’s been worshiping her from behind a camgirl screen, a ghost in her inbox. 👀Lauren? She’s not that naive girl anymore. She owns her body, her pleasure, her queerness—on her terms. She’s fire, and he’s still drawn like a moth.Junior is a walking red flag, but I must be color blind because he went all in for her. And I loved every second of it.🔗 This story connects beautifully with Lights Out (shoutout to Ali + Josh cameos!), but it 100% holds its own. Don’t come in expecting a sequel—it’s something new, raw, and just as addictive.🎧 Bonus: Kasi Hollowell, Jason June & Teddy Hamilton absolutely crushed the audio!

Please, please, please go into this knowing it’s different than Lights Out. I really think a lot of readers are going to start this expecting the same things from the first book and this is a different couple and different type of story. Where LO was a darkish romcom with lovable ridiculousness and banter this is more a a second chance romance with dark adjacent themes. I think it’s also going to be a little harder for readers to relate to the characters, you have a successful cam girl/s€x worker and a dangerous mafia MMC.So with that in mind, this was an awesome story. Allen has a real knack for character building and it’s hard not to love Lauren and Junior. Lauren and her roommates bring the humor from the first book, Junior is deliciously obsessed with the FMC and you get hints of Josh, Aly and a few previous characters.This is a really great second chance romance story and I liked how it ended differently than most mafia stories. While the plot was solid this has a really fluid storyline, there’s not a big build up to something or a huge problem that needs solving if that makes sense.I enjoyed the flow of the whole book, the positive outlook it brought to s€x work and kinks, the buildup, tensions and yearning between Lauren & Junior and I just really really liked it, it was a great read and you get a good hint of what’s to come in the next book.I definitely recommend but again just go in knowing this is bringing different vibes than LO.

4 ⭐️’s and 4 🌶️’sCaught Up is the highly anticipated second book in Navessa Allen’s Into Darkness series. While it doesn’t quite recapture the unique magic of book one, it’s still a dark, obsessive, and entertaining ride with some truly standout elements.I listened to the audiobook and absolutely loved that it was duet narration since it is my favorite format. Teddy Hamilton was the perfect choice for Junior. His tone, grit, and delivery matched the morally gray mobster vibe so well. However, the narration did fall a bit short for me when it came to Josh and some of the other male characters. It was a little distracting at times, but overall, the performance kept me fully engaged.One thing this book does incredibly well is the angst and tension. The foreplay was phenomenal, and some of the earlier intimate scenes were off-the-charts steamy. That said, the first full sex scene between the main characters felt surprisingly underwhelming. The pacing and emotional payoff didn’t quite match the buildup, and I even found myself rewinding the audio to make sure I hadn’t missed something. Thankfully, a later scene delivered the spice I’d been craving and helped balance that disappointment.In terms of representation, I was really impressed. There’s a solid amount of LGBTQIA+ inclusion, sex positivity, and open conversations around kink and sex work. I especially appreciated how naturally those elements were woven into the story. The found family dynamic was also a major win for me. Lauren’s inner circle is filled with vibrant, layered characters, and her grandmother was an unexpected gem of comic relief.Lauren as a character had some highs and lows. Her independence and advocacy were admirable, and she clearly has a strong sense of purpose. But there were moments, particularly during some lengthy internal monologues, when I found her a bit grating. The pacing dragged slightly during those sections, and I caught myself losing interest.Plot-wise, there were a few twists I genuinely didn’t see coming, which I loved. There’s a strong emotional arc, high stakes, and enough tension to keep things moving, even when the pacing dips. I also really enjoyed seeing Josh and Aly return. Their appearances felt natural and satisfying, though the narration of Josh didn’t fully match the chaotic, lovable energy from book one.Overall, Caught Up is a solid follow-up that leans heavily into obsession, longing, and redemption. It didn’t hit every note for me, but I still found it well-written, steamy, and enjoyable. If you loved Lights Out, it’s definitely worth continuing the series. Just go in knowing that this installment has a different rhythm and tone. I’ll definitely be picking up book three.

I loved this book! I chose to listen to it on audio since I absolutely adore Lights Out on audio.Junior and Lauren are no Josh and Aly, but they bring their own loveable personalities to the table for sure, even if it's takes a bit to coax them out.Nico let's it be known he had been watching over her for the last 10 years, and they go through their past together, not in a conventional way, he manages to always put his foot in his mouth, which seems like a common trait in the men in the Into Darkness series.I love that Josh and Aly show up a decent amount of times too, and they bring their own flare from LO into CU.I do also love that Lauren's roommates are so close with her, and Navessa slid in a nonbinary character without pushing the subject.The spice in this one is on a whole other level compared to LO but Navessa made parts be a slow burn at the same time.The one thing I think I'd pick on a little is that we had so much Romcom in LO that it kind of fell flat in CU, and I think a lot of people were hoping to have that same bantering roscom feel but of course expecting it to be a little darker since we knew of Nico's ties.I definitely cannot wait until book 3!!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5 / 5 Stars🌶️🌶️🌶️/ 5 SpiceI took the plunge into author Navessa Allen’s book series ‘Into Darkness’ yesterday when I finally got around to reading Lights out in preparation for this books release today. I had a friend/coworker wanting to buddy listen and I was totally up for that. Book one was amazing and after finishing it I couldn’t wait for book two to release this morning. Once again I chose to go in completely blind, It’s one of my favorite things to do and it didn’t disappoint.I can say that while I did enjoy this book I didn’t like it near as much as book one. I had a much harder time connecting with the characters in this story. Nearing the end of the book I actually wanted to fight our FMC over some of her thoughts and things that she did/believed. Lord. That woman. 🙄 Our MMC Nico ‘Junior’ however I liked a lot more. The tension between the two was definitely there but her character left much to be desired for me.Given the sex club and the FMCs job as a cam worker I thought this book would have more spice but I feel it had less than the previous one. Maybe the scenes just hit me differently.That all being said I did still enjoy this story and I believe it deserves its four and a half star review. It kept my attention the entire book and out of nowhere delivered a surprise I definitely wasn’t expecting.

This was on my list of most anticipated reads for this year and I definitely read it in a little over 24 hours because I was drawn in and wanted to know how it all played out. Navessa is definitely a talented writer, character created, and story weaver. I loved the introduction of new characters, the returning of loved characters, and the expansion of this world.However, there were some plot issues here - mostly that I felt it was missing an overall engaging plot. I kept waiting for something to really grab me and while the spice was definitely top notch I would say that was the plot and everything else was a bit of an after thought. I also wanted a bit more from the characters in terms of personality, there was just something missing that while I liked them and found them enjoyable, I was obsessively in love with them.I think if I was comparing this book to Lights Out, Lights Out would win hands down. As a book on it's own, not part of the world Navessa is creating, it's a good book with plenty of spice and touches on a lot of things a lot of readers experience in terms of friends, family, and expectations. I do think however the marketing, blurb, and previous book set really high expectations for this one and definitely led myself to have preconceived notions as to how the book would go and for me it did not go that way. While not a bad thing, I do think it played into my 3.5-4 star rating because of how it was marketed. I can see it both ways though and while I didn't want it to impact my impression it was hard to move past those biases. It's still a very enjoyable book and one I liked reading!This is still a book and series that I plan to recommend and I'm definitely curious as to how the next and final (?) book is going to play into this series.