Reviews tagging 'Toxic friendship'

Caught Up: Into Darkness, Book 2 by Navessa Allen

15 reviews

dark emotional funny tense 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: Complicated

This was a fun, spicy book. It avoided the sophomore slump. I actually prefer this over the first book. I like the focus on destigmatizing sex work and the inclusion of queer characters who felt well-rounded instead of plot points. I like that Nico walked away from toxic masculinity he was exposed to so he could be a better partner to Lauren. I love that Lauren’s biggest cheerleader was her 80 year old grandma who did not use “growing up in different time” as an excuse for being a bigot. I’m looking forward to the rest of the series (the epilogue sets up a possible third book for a douchey gym bro who may secretly have a heart of gold). 


Expand filter menu Content Warnings
challenging dark emotional funny tense fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Character
Strong character development: Complicated
Loveable characters: Complicated
Diverse cast of characters: Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

Navessa Allen warned us it was going to be dirtier than Lights Out and she delivered. It was a smut fest lol. Junior was an intense red flagger and absolute perfection. Lauren had a lot more insecurities and faults than I really wanted. Maybe I missed most of Junior's faults because they didn't really seem like imperfections, and Lauren carried the bulk of the issues which made her feel like a more flawed character who was the main reason for any issues they had. I loved the brief drop ins from past characters. The audiobook was excellent duet narration! I absolutely loved the narrators. 

Expand filter menu Content Warnings
adventurous dark emotional funny medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Character
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: Yes
Diverse cast of characters: No
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

Expand filter menu Content Warnings
dark emotional mysterious tense 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

Nico “Junior” Trocci is a man who gets what he wants. This time, what he wants is Lauren Marchetti. She’s off limits. They have history and he broke her heart ten years ago. She’s sweet & vibrant - a stark difference from his violent life working for his father in the mob. It’s become too much for him and he wants out. He looks Lauren up online and finds that she’s no longer the shy girl he knew from high school but a beautiful and successful cam girl. He’s obsessed and he needs to see her in person. Once they run into each other old feelings are rekindled. But Lauren can’t stop thinking about her favorite subscriber or the masked man that comes into the local kink club. As the pieces fall together, will the truth lead them to their ultimate desires? Only time will tell which door they choose to enter. Watch & find out for yourself. 🔥

This book was so much fun! I loved the audiobook narration. The main characters and side characters were equally enjoyable to me. Lauren’s roommates are the type of supportive besties you want to have in real life. The LGBTQ+ representation was evenly spread throughout the book in the FMC, side characters and other club members. The sex work representation was well written overall, but I wish Lauren’s advocacy work for sex workers’ rights had gotten a little more attention/elaboration. The possessive obsession Nico has with Lauren is full of yearning and desire. GET ME IN THAT CONFESSIONAL ASAP. 🥵 Josh & Aly do make appearances and I have to say they’re still my favorites. 🫶🏼 Josh’s golden retriever friendship with grumpy Nico was fun to read. I was a little disappointed that this book is marketed as having bike content but other than Nico having one as his ride, there isn’t the bike content I think people are hoping for. For fans of Fred (Lights Out) - there is a dog in this book! Heads up, this book is a darker vibe and is not as funny and full of banter like Lights Out. I loved this one but I think it rekindled my love and appreciation for the first book. I’m a little nervous for book three (because I think Tyler is a douchebag) but I know Navessa will kill it again!

⚠️ Please research all trigger warnings before reading this book! ⚠️

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️/5

Expand filter menu Content Warnings
dark funny informative tense fast-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

Expand filter menu Content Warnings