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challenging
dark
emotional
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder
Moderate: Sexual content
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Cursing, Death, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Violence, Stalking, Murder, Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Confinement, Emotional abuse, Gore, Misogyny, Sexism, Transphobia, Grief, Cannibalism, Gaslighting
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
While this was well written, sexy, and had a more linear plot than Lights Out, it just didn't live up to the expectations set by its predecessor.
VIBES
🔪 Dark-adjacent
🔪 Sex + kink positivity
🔪 Mafia ties
🔪 Second chance
🔪 Grumpy × sunshine
🔪 Morally grey MMC
🔪 Spicy
🗨️ Dual POV
🗨️ First-person, past tense
🔪 Sex + kink positivity
🔪 Mafia ties
🔪 Second chance
🔪 Grumpy × sunshine
🔪 Morally grey MMC
🔪 Spicy
🗨️ Dual POV
🗨️ First-person, past tense
THOUGHTS (spoiler-lite™)
Where Lights Out was unique and interesting and genuinely funny, Caught Up felt more concerned with meeting BookTok romance tropes. Mafia? Check. Biker MMC? Check. Second-chance? Check. Miscommunication? Check. Third-act break-up? Check.
Even the 'dark' elements felt that way. Sex work? Check—but it's glamourised. Kink exploration? Check—but it's generic. Stalking scene? Check—but only once* and it's from Lauren's POV. Chase scene? Check—but Lauren knows it's Junior and it lasts all of two sentences. I was so ready for Junior to be obsessive and mysterious, but much like in LO, the reveal happened too early for it to amount to anything.
(*Once, like, IRL; I'm not counting him being a subscriber as stalking. And on that... how did Lauren not clue onto 'NT95' being Junior when that's literally his initials and birth year?)
Unfortunately, Lauren and Junior weren't complex enough to make this book stand out. Neither character had any distinct personality traits or quirks and, outside of their history (and sexual chemistry), I'm not even sure why they were into each other. This is such a stark contrast to Josh and Aly, who were well-rounded and relatable and funny and whose relationship developed naturally and on-page.
And, while the plot made a lot more sense than LO (read: it didn't feel like two entirely different books in one), there was a bit too much going on. There's Lauren and her housemates'OnlyFans Me4U work, the uncertain future of the kink club, Junior's work with the Mafia, Junior trying to leave the Mafia, Tommy's disappearance, Josh and Aly's engagement, Lauren and Junior's history, and then, for no reason other than to set up a third book, Tyler is shoehorned in!
PHEW. Okay. I feel like I'm being really negative here so let me rapid fire the good shit. It's written really well. It's paced really well. The plot-to-spice ratio is perfect. There's great non-binary rep. I actually really liked Junior's making-sure-she's-safe, taking-care-of-her-problems brand of loving-Lauren-from-afar. I liked that Lauren had a fucking backbone. And last but CERTAINLY not least, the sex scenes are sooo fucking hot. The stairwell? The photobooth?? The confessional??? My only complaint here is that we didn't get more once they were an established couple!
But yeah, it's not funny, it's not dark, and (much like LO) it dropped the ball on the masked-man kink... I just don't know what I was supposed to get out of this book.
4.0 🌶️
→ explicit
→ erotic
→ semi-frequent
Spicy Chapters:3, 9-10, 11, 15, 18-19, 22, 26, 31, and 34.
Kinks:Light chase play, voyeurism, exhibitionism, public sex.
5.0 🎙️
→ two narrators
→ duet
Even the 'dark' elements felt that way. Sex work? Check—but it's glamourised. Kink exploration? Check—but it's generic. Stalking scene? Check—but only once* and it's from Lauren's POV. Chase scene? Check—but Lauren knows it's Junior and it lasts all of two sentences. I was so ready for Junior to be obsessive and mysterious, but much like in LO, the reveal happened too early for it to amount to anything.
(*Once, like, IRL; I'm not counting him being a subscriber as stalking. And on that... how did Lauren not clue onto 'NT95' being Junior when that's literally his initials and birth year?)
Unfortunately, Lauren and Junior weren't complex enough to make this book stand out. Neither character had any distinct personality traits or quirks and, outside of their history (and sexual chemistry), I'm not even sure why they were into each other. This is such a stark contrast to Josh and Aly, who were well-rounded and relatable and funny and whose relationship developed naturally and on-page.
And, while the plot made a lot more sense than LO (read: it didn't feel like two entirely different books in one), there was a bit too much going on. There's Lauren and her housemates'
PHEW. Okay. I feel like I'm being really negative here so let me rapid fire the good shit. It's written really well. It's paced really well. The plot-to-spice ratio is perfect. There's great non-binary rep. I actually really liked Junior's making-sure-she's-safe, taking-care-of-her-problems brand of loving-Lauren-from-afar. I liked that Lauren had a fucking backbone. And last but CERTAINLY not least, the sex scenes are sooo fucking hot. The stairwell? The photobooth?? The confessional??? My only complaint here is that we didn't get more once they were an established couple!
But yeah, it's not funny, it's not dark, and (much like LO) it dropped the ball on the masked-man kink... I just don't know what I was supposed to get out of this book.
4.0 🌶️
→ explicit
→ erotic
→ semi-frequent
Spicy Chapters:
Kinks:
5.0 🎙️
→ two narrators
→ duet
FAVOURITE QUOTES
But two things can be true simultaneously. It can be both fucked-up and deeply romantic.
_____
"What if I suffocate you?" I asked.
"You don't have to look so excited by the idea," he shot back.
_____
_____
"What if I suffocate you?" I asked.
"You don't have to look so excited by the idea," he shot back.
_____
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Violence
dark
funny
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
don’t care what anyone says this was SO MUCH BETTER THAN LIGHTS OUT.
the characters were more enjoyable, the plot point was far more engaging, and the spice was even better! reading nic & lo’s story was so much fun. i never knew i could be such a fan of a second chance romance, but this was done quite nicely.
the characters were more enjoyable, the plot point was far more engaging, and the spice was even better! reading nic & lo’s story was so much fun. i never knew i could be such a fan of a second chance romance, but this was done quite nicely.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Physical abuse, Sexual content, Violence, Blood, Murder
Minor: Cannibalism
dark
funny
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content, Death of parent, Murder, Abandonment
adventurous
funny
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Minor: Physical abuse, Violence, Injury/Injury detail
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I’ve seen a lot of people’s thoughts about this book and many of them seem to be split right down the middle of “I hated it” to “I loved it”.
Personally, I really enjoyed it. I’d seen some people say that they thought it would be funnier and wittier given how the first book went, and they were right because this wasn’t as funny as Lights Out. But I think knowing that going into it helped me enjoy it that much more. There were some funny moments, but Junior isn’t Josh so i also kind of anticipated a different vibe.
The spice?? Super. Fricken. Spicy. Lauren is a camgirl and spends a lot of time at a play club so the spicy scenes were sweltering, so to speak.
This book included LGBTQ+ representation, which didn’t bother me, especially given how many of the scenes took place in the play club. I will say, one of the characters used they/them pronouns though, which was kind of confusing from a reading standpoint.
Overall, this was so entertaining and I didn’t expect to read it as quickly as I had. The LGBTQ+ representation got a little confusing and there was some politics put into play that I didn’t feel were necessary. I also think the plot to smut ratio was a solid 30:70 because there was a general plot but the smut was definitely a majority of the book.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content, Violence
Moderate: Cursing, Death, Blood, Stalking
Minor: Cannibalism
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
lighthearted
reflective
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Torture, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Stalking, Murder, Gaslighting, Injury/Injury detail
dark
emotional
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Moderate: Cursing, Death, Emotional abuse, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Stalking, Murder, Abandonment, Injury/Injury detail
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I love how sex positive this book was! And how pro-sex worker it is. Also, the storyline is sort of minimal with with a whole lotta spice. Definite PWP. 😉 But if you're looking for story that's similar to Lights Out, this is not it. It's much darker, as it partly follows Nico's journey to escape the mob.
Lauren and Nico are a couple of dummies. Their big fight just made me wanna bang my head on my desk, lol. Okay, they're obviously wrapped up in the heat of the moment, but COME ON! 😂 Like, she knew he was dangerous and still decided to try to get the drop on him.... And then Nico just letting those words tumble out of his mouth in anger. But the make-up sex was definitely good. 😏
Kasi Hollowell and Teddy Hamilton did a great job on the narration.
I'm hoping we get Tyler's story next, and then the rest of the Trocci brothers' stories. And maybe even a lil flashback novella for Moira and Nico Sr. 😉
Lauren and Nico are a couple of dummies. Their big fight just made me wanna bang my head on my desk, lol. Okay, they're obviously wrapped up in the heat of the moment, but COME ON! 😂 Like, she knew he was dangerous and still decided to try to get the drop on him.... And then Nico just letting those words tumble out of his mouth in anger. But the make-up sex was definitely good. 😏
Kasi Hollowell and Teddy Hamilton did a great job on the narration.
I'm hoping we get Tyler's story next, and then the rest of the Trocci brothers' stories. And maybe even a lil flashback novella for Moira and Nico Sr. 😉
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Cursing, Sexual content, Blood, Stalking, Toxic friendship
Moderate: Misogyny, Violence
Minor: Vomit