Caught Up

Though I will read every book in a good series I do not put a timeline on myself. 

I’ve stood in line for one book on release day, and it wasn’t even that good.

Plus I am a mood reader. Sometimes I want small town vibes, dirty back alley gang wars, spicy historicals, or just plain dragons.

So I’ll get to it when I get to it. 

That’s not to say I don’t mark my calendar for release dates! Don’t get confused. I am excited when books hit the shelves and I google the next book in the series (save for spoilers).

So when Caught Up was released in June I was aware but didn’t jump.

I still quote Lights Out. Giggle and kick my feet when I think about Josh. 

Maybe I was hesitant if the author could write another MMC with his humor and satire. But I found myself scrolling the old TBR and landing on book 2 in the Into Darkness Trilogy and thought, why not?

Now I love a good kink club subplot. And a woman that finds her sexuality empowering. Even some stalking with love is worth the read.

But this book did not have the comedic relief I was expecting.

Don’t get me wrong, it was wonderful. Well written, and each character had their own voice, and a nice twist on second chance romance.

But it left a much more serious taste in the mouth.

Not only is the MMC the son of a mobster, the glorified clean up crew of the mob. Taking out the trash, disposing of the evidence, and being prone to violence. But he wants out of the mob and that’s more easily said than done. 

Juniors character arc revolves around finding a way out of doing his dads dirty work and making a life for himself. All the while keeping his obsession with the FMC a secret from the rest of the family.

The church also plays a small role in the story, more of a common meeting ground for the MC’s. But as a traditional Irish-Italian family they are devout catholics.

The FMC on the other hand hits that cam-girl trope. And of course Junior is her first and top subscriber, unbeknownst to her.

She has a lot of irons in the fire, teetering on too many in my humble opinion. As if the author didn’t want to pigeon hole her as a single act. I can respect it as most people have a complicated life with many interests and hobbies, but in books it’s typically slimmed down. 

She is a cam-girl, first and for most, and loves it with no end in sight. She makes great money too. She also is an advocate for sex workers, going so far as to advocate to city council members. She has a rather complicated relationship with her older sister that was just a bit random. 

Useful. But random.

Not to mention her relationship with her father, also a mobster.

And to top it all off she is part owner of a kink club.

That’s a lot of directions for one character. But at the end of the day it was well done and Lo had depth.

Junior finds his way out of the mob thanks to Lo’s kink club. Or rather thanks to Book 3’s MMC and his poker ring. 

It’s a small circle in the story line and closes quickly but it gives our MC’s their HEA.

This story did not have the humor of Lights Outs. I didn’t giggle once, fangirl -yes! Giggle -not really…

It definitely had a more dark theme, with the violence of the mob and the stalking elements. 

I did like that the stalking wasn’t new. Junior had been, in his words, ‘protecting’ Lo since high school. 

Every job opportunity, conversation with the council members, repairs to her apartment by her landlord. They were all arranged by Junior in the background.

And with the camera light on in her life he had front row seats to every big and little moment in her life.

As expected it was a bit of a shock for Lo to discover every moment of your life was orchestrated by another. And she reacted appropriately. 

But it was out of love at the end of the page. 

Navessa Allen also ties in flashback to high school, where they first met and fell in love, flawlessly. It added to the story rather than just taking a trip down memory lane. 

And, of course, cameo’s from our favorite OG couple.

Family dinners at the Trocci house are still a thing but Ally has bite, and Josh is a force to be reckoned with. 

The second book in this trilogy helped me realign my expectations for book 3. Josh was that guy. The perfect balance of muscle and nerd. But Junior was danger.

Over the last two books Allen has written Tyler, Josh’s roommate and best friend, as the perfect douche bag you love to hate. Can’t wait to see his redemption arc in Game On.

Worldbuilding🗺️🗺️

Ick Factor 😐

Fangirl Moments 💖💖

Spice🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️

Errors/Plot Holes ❗

Tropes: Second Chance Romance, Mafia, Stalker, Kink Club, Smut, Cam-Girl

Title: Caught Up

Author: Navessa Allen

Genre: Dark Romance

Series: Into Darkness Trilogy

Format: Audiobook

Length: 10 hours 40 mins

Published: June 10, 2025 by Slowburn