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A review by theoccultshelf
Caught Up by Navessa Allen
adventurous
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
"The mobster and the cam girl.” – Lauren
What a tagline.
Dare I say it... I enjoyed Caught Up even more than Lights Out. The narrators were spot on for this one. They didn’t oversell or undersell their roles, and their chemistry made the whole audiobook experience smooth and super enjoyable.
Having Junior and Lauren share a past really helped the story flow naturally. Their connection felt genuine, like two people who have grown up a lot, but still have some emotional heavy lifting to do. That history gave their romance a starting point without needing to force it.
Now, full disclosure: the "miscommunication trope" usually isn’t my thing. If it’s not handled lightly, it can wear me down. And yeah, it got a bit repetitive here. Pair that with a dose of naivety and some questionable reactions, opened up the space for my "seriously?!" outbursts. Still, I pushed through. Lucky it was worth it.
Some plot points did feel a little jarring. For instance, if you break into someone’s house, attack them, and then act shocked when they defend themselves… well. That’s a lot. But the writing itself made up for these bumps. The voyeur scenes? Phenomenal. They were written with just the right amount of tension and tenderness. It was definitely a highlight in the audiobook version.
I also appreciated the character development and the sense of camaraderie that formed throughout. The brief appearances of Aly and Josh were perfectly balanced, it was just enough to connect the books, without stealing the spotlight.
All in all, Caught Up was another fun, sexy, emotionally-charged listen!
What a tagline.
Dare I say it... I enjoyed Caught Up even more than Lights Out. The narrators were spot on for this one. They didn’t oversell or undersell their roles, and their chemistry made the whole audiobook experience smooth and super enjoyable.
Having Junior and Lauren share a past really helped the story flow naturally. Their connection felt genuine, like two people who have grown up a lot, but still have some emotional heavy lifting to do. That history gave their romance a starting point without needing to force it.
Now, full disclosure: the "miscommunication trope" usually isn’t my thing. If it’s not handled lightly, it can wear me down. And yeah, it got a bit repetitive here. Pair that with a dose of naivety and some questionable reactions, opened up the space for my "seriously?!" outbursts. Still, I pushed through. Lucky it was worth it.
Some plot points did feel a little jarring. For instance, if you break into someone’s house, attack them, and then act shocked when they defend themselves… well. That’s a lot. But the writing itself made up for these bumps. The voyeur scenes? Phenomenal. They were written with just the right amount of tension and tenderness. It was definitely a highlight in the audiobook version.
I also appreciated the character development and the sense of camaraderie that formed throughout. The brief appearances of Aly and Josh were perfectly balanced, it was just enough to connect the books, without stealing the spotlight.
All in all, Caught Up was another fun, sexy, emotionally-charged listen!