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4.39 AVERAGE
4.39 AVERAGE
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
the single dad and nanny trope is just gonna do it for me every darn timeđ«đ«đ« liz knows how to deliver. max stole the show throughout the book tho ofc. i really hope rio gets a love interest soon bc heâs going through itđ
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
4.5/5 while I did love this book I still would put the right move as my #1 in the series. Although it started off slightly slow, I ended up not being able to put this book down. I even cried when it got to some of the end chapters it was just so beautifully written. I feel the whole age gap thing was a plot hole since Kaiâs hesitation with miller was more so the fact she was Montyâs daughter rather than them being 7 years apart. Besides her teasing, that never really came to be a problem between them. Monty is the glue to this story and what made me so emotional. Getting to see how his relationship with Miller parallels to hers with Max is so heartwarming to watch unfold. I wish there were a few more scenes between just miller and max, but thatâs just bc Iâm nosey, not because I felt as if the book was missing anything. Kaiâs brother Isaiah was also such a fun side character and Iâm interested to see how he acts as a main character/love interest that isnât just goofy 24/7. I loved Montyâs bond to Kai too, he was like the father figure he never had and just has such a pure soul. Also the small connection of having them all be M names and even malakaiâs mother who passed is so sweet. Overall, I would reread again no just love this author and series.
Spoiler summary:
Kai is an MLB pitcher who just became a single dad when an ex hookup left his son at his door. He went from wild to reserved and just trying to focus on his kid. He fires a new nanny every week thinking theyâre not good enough to watch Max. His coach, Monty is very annoyed by the constant inconvenience of having to find new nannyâs but is supportive nonetheless. Montyâs daughter Miller, is a world renown baker who is in a rut for creating extensive recipes for other restaurants. She meets Kai and his brother in the elevator at 9am with two beers in her hand to celebrate her hiatus from baking before her big magazine cover/article in 2 months. Monty wants her to stay in Chicago, since Miller is known to be a runaway and canât settle in one place, so he makes Miller be Kaiâs son, Maxâs babysitter for the summer. Kai says absolutely not at first but canât fire her bc itâs Montyâs daughter. She slowly goes from sleeping in her van to having him make her park it in his yard. She is very bold with her attraction to him but he tries to set rules for himself and not be selfish, knowing sheâd one day leave Kai and Max. Their chemistry ends up being too strong and they start hooking up but they both know itâs more. We learn that Monty is not her biological dad, but he was dating her mother for around a year when she died of cancer. He then quit the mlb to raise Miller as his own. This is the root of miller feeling like she has a debt to pay him for his âsacrificeâ. After getting closer and learning that Kai raised Isaiah after their mother died and father left, Kai moves her stuff into the guest room since she has set rules such as no sleepovers and no pda so they wouldnât think this is more than a fling. When the time comes for her to say goodbye soon they finally drop the act and act like their truly each others and sleep alongside one another. When she has to go back, max calls her âmamaâ and both her and Kai spiral in their weeks apart. She realizes she doesnât love baking in high star restaurants and misses the basics she would make with max. Meanwhile Kai is pitching the worst heâs ever pitched. After a heartfelt visit from Monty, who made it clear to her that him quitting baseball to raise her as his own was not a mistake and that heâs always proud of her. She then realizes thatâs how she feels about max and surprises them at Indy and Ryanâs wedding. She then opens Mâs bakery and they get engaged. theyâre finally a happy family again.
Notable moments:
All I know is my kid wonât stop trying to throw his body off mine to get to her. Which is weird, because in general, Max isnât big into strangers and even more so, he isnât all that comfortable with women.â
His brother Isaiah fell in love with her at first sight
Spoiler summary:
Kai is an MLB pitcher who just became a single dad when an ex hookup left his son at his door. He went from wild to reserved and just trying to focus on his kid. He fires a new nanny every week thinking theyâre not good enough to watch Max. His coach, Monty is very annoyed by the constant inconvenience of having to find new nannyâs but is supportive nonetheless. Montyâs daughter Miller, is a world renown baker who is in a rut for creating extensive recipes for other restaurants. She meets Kai and his brother in the elevator at 9am with two beers in her hand to celebrate her hiatus from baking before her big magazine cover/article in 2 months. Monty wants her to stay in Chicago, since Miller is known to be a runaway and canât settle in one place, so he makes Miller be Kaiâs son, Maxâs babysitter for the summer. Kai says absolutely not at first but canât fire her bc itâs Montyâs daughter. She slowly goes from sleeping in her van to having him make her park it in his yard. She is very bold with her attraction to him but he tries to set rules for himself and not be selfish, knowing sheâd one day leave Kai and Max. Their chemistry ends up being too strong and they start hooking up but they both know itâs more. We learn that Monty is not her biological dad, but he was dating her mother for around a year when she died of cancer. He then quit the mlb to raise Miller as his own. This is the root of miller feeling like she has a debt to pay him for his âsacrificeâ. After getting closer and learning that Kai raised Isaiah after their mother died and father left, Kai moves her stuff into the guest room since she has set rules such as no sleepovers and no pda so they wouldnât think this is more than a fling. When the time comes for her to say goodbye soon they finally drop the act and act like their truly each others and sleep alongside one another. When she has to go back, max calls her âmamaâ and both her and Kai spiral in their weeks apart. She realizes she doesnât love baking in high star restaurants and misses the basics she would make with max. Meanwhile Kai is pitching the worst heâs ever pitched. After a heartfelt visit from Monty, who made it clear to her that him quitting baseball to raise her as his own was not a mistake and that heâs always proud of her. She then realizes thatâs how she feels about max and surprises them at Indy and Ryanâs wedding. She then opens Mâs bakery and they get engaged. theyâre finally a happy family again.
Notable moments:
All I know is my kid wonât stop trying to throw his body off mine to get to her. Which is weird, because in general, Max isnât big into strangers and even more so, he isnât all that comfortable with women.â
His brother Isaiah fell in love with her at first sight
emotional
funny
lighthearted
relaxing
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
N/A
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
N/A
emotional
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
emotional
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
lighthearted
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
«Caught Up» by Liz Tomforde wasnât really for me. Maybe itâs because Iâve read so many romance novels, but this story just felt too familiar and predictable. We get the classic grumpy single dad, juggling life and responsibility, and the quirky, carefree woman who insists she doesnât want strings attached. Of course, she ends up softening the moment she gets close to the MMC and his child, suddenly craving stability and a sense of home. And the grumpy guy? He falls for her simply because sheâs «too good» to his childâwhile somehow every nanny before her just wasnât good enough.
On top of that, Iâm just not the biggest fan of instant attraction that sparks mostly lust right away. For me, it makes the relationship feel rushed and a little shallow, and I would have preferred a slower build with more emotional depth. Combined with the predictable setup, it all gave me a strong «been there, done that, read it a million times» feeling.
The conflicts didnât really work for me either, and instead of pulling me in, they often felt a bit forced. I also wished the characters had more layers beyond their assigned tropesâthe grumpy-but-soft dad and the free-spirited, no-strings-attached heroine. I wanted more nuance, something that would make them stand out in a sea of similar romance couples.
That said, it wasnât all negative. There were some genuinely sweet moments, and the love confession toward the end was beautifully doneâit reminded me why people do love stories like this in the first place. I just wish the journey there had felt fresher and less reliant on familiar beats.
If youâre newer to the romance genre, or if you love the «grumpy dad meets sunshine nanny» dynamic no matter how many times youâve seen it, this book might be a better fit for you. But as someone whoâs read a lot of romance, «Caught Up» just didnât manage to catch me.
On top of that, Iâm just not the biggest fan of instant attraction that sparks mostly lust right away. For me, it makes the relationship feel rushed and a little shallow, and I would have preferred a slower build with more emotional depth. Combined with the predictable setup, it all gave me a strong «been there, done that, read it a million times» feeling.
The conflicts didnât really work for me either, and instead of pulling me in, they often felt a bit forced. I also wished the characters had more layers beyond their assigned tropesâthe grumpy-but-soft dad and the free-spirited, no-strings-attached heroine. I wanted more nuance, something that would make them stand out in a sea of similar romance couples.
That said, it wasnât all negative. There were some genuinely sweet moments, and the love confession toward the end was beautifully doneâit reminded me why people do love stories like this in the first place. I just wish the journey there had felt fresher and less reliant on familiar beats.
If youâre newer to the romance genre, or if you love the «grumpy dad meets sunshine nanny» dynamic no matter how many times youâve seen it, this book might be a better fit for you. But as someone whoâs read a lot of romance, «Caught Up» just didnât manage to catch me.
