Not quite as good as book 1 but still a great book. I think Navessa Allen writes really well. There isn’t any unnecessary fluff which I appreciate.
I didn’t think this book had the humour of the first and I didn’t feel as invested in Junior and Lauren and I did with Aly and Josh, I’m so glad those two were in this book as well. It was great to see them again.

Lights Out ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5
Caught up ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for an eArc. All thoughts & opinions are my own.

👻 standalone dark rom-com, book 2/3 ongoing in an interconnected series
🍑 open door spice
👻 dual POVs
🍑 second chance romance
👻 camgirl FMC x mafia member MMC
🍑 positive views on sex work & consensual kink exploration
👻 bisexual FMC
🍑 TWs: please check!

Firstly thank you so much @quercus books for this eARC! 😍

~My Thoughts~
There’s just something about the way @navessa writes that just makes me lose all concept of time and my surroundings. I devoured Lights Out and devoured Caught Up.

Nico and Lauren are absolutely brilliant MCs. Lauren is a true legend and role model for female empowerment in sexual spaces. We need more FMCs like her 👏

I didn’t know how to feel about MMC Nico at the start but truly warmed for him as the story went on. He’s very rough around the edges and has a lot to go through bless him but his character development was just awesome.

The humour is more subtle this time than Lights Out, with moments of quiet giggles and snorts as opposed to flat out ‘wtf 🤣’. There’s still lots of unhinged moments and that perfect blend between dark romance and comedy.

Also I have to note that once again there is such a healthy exploration into sex and kinks as well as sex work and how it’s perceived and I truly adore the way ‘taboo’ topics are shown in such a positive light.

Overall, this was such a great sequel. If you loved Lights Out, I think you’ll really enjoy this one. For many reasons 🤭

I don’t know how we’re supposed to wait for book 3 because knowing who it’s going to be about has me SO intrigued 👀

This was a different sort of vibe compared to the first book but in a good way! The humour was there but it felt a bit more adult and serious which was a nice change of pace.
There's also plenty of explicit scenes within this book that are a variety! It was really good to see the characters interact but also the tension between them and how emotions shifted. And the scene at the end was pure perfection. No spoilers from me but it encapsulated how far they'd come so well.
Going in I knew basically nothing of the plot so it was wild to get caught up to speed with what was happening. That being said I feel like it was all explained well and the plot moved forwards at a fairly medium pace. At the end it did seem to speed up a fair bit and could potentially have had a few more scenes but that being said it was still a nice wrap up.
The characters were really fun to learn and I enjoyed more snippets of their personality being revealed along the way. The romance between them as well was perfect. The push/pull and then the final scene was absolutely stunning for them.
Bonus points that characters from the first book showed up as well! Really nice to read them again!
Overall, I really enjoyed reading, it felt different from the usual mafia romances and still had the same amusing undercurrent that ran through Lights Out but with a more serious overtone.
Favourite Quote - But two things can be true simultaneously. It can be both fucked-up and deeply romantic.
Favourite Character - Lauren

5 ✨

Holy moly how do I even write this review so I make this book justice? Without a doubt in the world and easily one of the best books I have read in the entirety of 2025. Lights Out was one of my favorite reads of last year, so when Caught Up got announced I was so ready. Caught Up made me feel all the same feels of excitement, joy and happiness like Lights Out did.

Dark romance is totally back in business with Junior and Lauren’s story. Gosh I loved this book from the very first page to finish and I just couldn’t seem to put it down. It’s definitely a page turner. Once you start you can’t stop, so if you’re planning to read it when it releases next week then prepare to spend all day with your head down this book.

Nico “Junior” Trocci is stuck in the mob by his father’s demands, but desperately want out. He’s tired of the criminal life and wants something legit. Lauren Marchetti lives a life not many people in her life know of. She’s a camgirl, running her own spicy page doing what she’s passionated about. She’s very politically active in the s!x worker world, and wants better rights for anyone working in that industry. Junior and Lauren had a brief fling years ago, which ended on terrible terms. When Junior decides it’s time to take contact to Lauren again, it’s with hesitation from her side. But Junior only has eyes for her and miiiiight have some stalker tendencies.

I am wholeheartedly so obsessed with how their story unfolded and how they grew both as individuals but also as a couple. There’s a lot of worry and hesitation from Lauren’s side because of how bad she’s been hurt before and fear from Junior’s side because of the life he lives. But boy he’s just so obsessed with her and can’t stay away from her. Lauren’s equally obsessed with him even if it took some convincing to admit. They’re the perfect pair and the cameos from Josh and Amy were PERFECT as well. And oh did I mention he’s a biker?

Thank you Navessa Allen & Quercus Books for the ARC!

First of all thank you for approving my request!

I thoroughly enjoyed this book! The authors writing style had me hooked throughout this book.

I didn't want it to end, a book I really couldn't put down.

Can we talk about the confessional booth?????????
This book was stunning and i loved it even more than the first book which is crazy!
Nic and Lauren are adorable and i love this couple so so much.
I dont want to spoil so im going to wrap this up but if you liked the first book then be prepared to love this one.

Thank you to NetGalley, Quercus Books, and Navessa Allen for the opportunity to read and review this ARC.

ARC: Caught Up, Navessa Allen
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️,5
I received an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review, and let me tell you the gasp I GUSPED several times reading this one!! I thought i knew what to expect after reading Lights Out, but no.. nothing could prepare me for what Ms Allen had in store for us this time🖤

Junior (the third deadly sin) Trocci 🫦, is a part of the Italian mob, which his father rules with an iron fist. This world entails lots of dangerous activities and requires him to always keep a low profile and work for his father to do… gruesome deeds, to put it lightly. Lauren Marchetti works as a cam girl and spends the majority of her time devoted to her subs online. She’s also part of a club called Velvet, where she and her two roommates Ryan and Taylor works at. Their two very different worlds collide one day as he lays his eyes on her at a church mass, but it isn’t their first encounter so to say... ❤️

This book incorporated everything I didn’t even know I needed in the story, and it had me laughing out loud as well as my jaw on the floor because HOLY mother of.. the smut in this one is REAL guys! The spicy world Lauren lives in took this book to the next level and I haven’t read anything like this before. All the k!nks mentioned (both funny & serious) had me laughing so hard! But my favorite character has to be Lo’s momma because holy cow🤣 “Learn from my mistakes girl, be a sl*t when you still can.”

🖤I’m absolutely gushing over Junior’s obsessive side when it comes to Lauren, and how DADDY he is? Their chemistry is enthralling and I just wanted more, I needed more! “Run, Lauren. Make it fun for the both of us.” 🧎🏼‍♀️
Lauren is such a powerhouse and she truly knows when to put down her foot to protect her own peace - YOU GO GIRL! I do love how he can tear down her walls and that she let him in, they are perfect for each other!
“You bought the building.
I’d buy the whole goddamn block if you asked me to.” 🖤


Lastly I want to thank Navessa & NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read this ARC. Caught Up is the second book and it comes out June 10th! If I were you I wouldn’t wanna miss it for the world!🖤

#CaughtUpNavessaAllen #NetGalley

This lacked the comedic humour of book one, but had more of an emotional plot related to s*x workers and family manipulation. In this book our main characters know each other so it took away the element of them getting to know one another, but they had immediate “I hate you but secretly I’m obsessed with you” chemistry. I enjoyed this book, but Lights Out is still my fave.

Love the cameos of Aly and Josh, and can't wait for book 3 Tyler and Stella!

4⭐️

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for giving me this arc in exchange for an honest review.

This was very different to what I usually read but I wanted to give it a shot and I’m so happy I did. This was so wild lol a lot of moments my jaw was on the floor. This was very spicy but also so funny I burst out laughing so much. It was easy to fly through and a great palette cleanser!

I really enjoyed this one! The spice felt a bit more adventurous than the previous book, it was a bit more ‘out there’ (for me, at least).
The tension between the main characters was so good and I liked the build up within the mystery element of who Lauren’s top subscriber was.
The friendships and banter were also top notch, I really liked how each character involved had quite a lot of depth to them, even if their role in the book wasn’t particularly significant.
The book has a fair few trigger warnings so make sure to check them out if you’re thinking of reading it! Parts of the book were quite empowering too, and openly discussed the topic of S work, which is a taboo both in this fictional world and in our current society.
I’d definitely recommend this one, it was a 4.5 star for me!

Oh wow! I absolutely loved this book. I LOVED lights out and Caught up was just as good!

LOVED Lauren! She was such an amazing female main character. I loved everything she stood for and her personality was the best, absolutely loved reading about her.

If you love

MMC obsessed with the FMC ❤️‍🔥
Second chance trope
Mafia romance
Dark romance with humour
And lots of spice 🌶️🌶️🌶️

You will absolutely love this book💕💕💕

Dare I say, I liked this more than lights out?!
Yes, I did. A solid 4.5 stars for me! I don’t know how such a spicy book can also feel so wholesome like make it make sense!

I loved the characters, the romance, spice and the friendships were something special in this book.
Without spoiling anything, I can honestly say this book lives up to the hype of book 1 and well worth the read ! Need to listen to the audio book now!

Congrats to Navessa Allen on writing another great book!!

Really enjoyed this and so happy I got to read the arc early!

Nico “Junior” Trocci always saw Lauren Marchetti as off-limits. When he finds her online, transformed from sweet and shy to bold and provocative, his curiosity becomes obsession. He’s pulled into her seductive world and determined to make her his. As their flirty messages grow intense, Lauren begins to fear her feelings for Junior may be all too real.

This second-chance dark romance is so steamy but also dives into deeper stuff like kink, sex work, and identity. It’s got all the heat, but also humour and a real emotional punch. (I do think Lights Out was a bit funnier... maybe it was the narration!)

Lauren is a total badass. She's funny, confident, and in control. Their connection feels real, and the side characters (especially Walter, the big cutie) add so much charm. I loved seeing Josh and Aly again.

It’s a little more serious than Lights Out, but just as addictive.

Thank you to Quercus Books for an e-arc! All opinions are my own.

A spicier sequel with a broody MMC. I love the found family aspect and the romance swept me along for the ride. There's a different type of humour but still very enjoyable and opened my eyes and taught me a lot about camgirls and gave me a new respect for them. Due to FMCs work there is a lot more talk of spice and this will stick with me.

5/5 stars

This was exactly what I needed right now! It was spicy good time and I actually read it in 24 hour period. It was well written and I can imagine it took a lot of time to research everything needed for this book. I liked how it gave more depth to the characters from the first book and introduced more characters I'd love to read more of.

Junior and Lauren were truly their own characters, and I love the chemistry between them. I adored Josh for his humor, but Junior had his own charm. And I adored Lauren for being unapologetically herself and not let anyone change her.

Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for the e-ARC.

This was such a wonderful sequel to a beloved book! Caught Up is a fabulous edition to the LIGHTS OUT world and I fell in love with the characters and their romance. I am obsessed with this series and I can't wait to read what Navessa Allen writes next!

The difficult second album.

This one didn’t make me laugh nearly as much as Lights Out, there should have been a much longer grovel, and the mafia bits were meh compared to the club stuff.

But damnit if it’s not hot as hellllll.

If you go into this with low plot expectations and high spice expectations you’ll be quite happy I reckon.

Another great dark romance from Navessa Allen. In the same world as lights out but can be read as a standalone.

Mafia romance x cam girl
Second chance
Oodles of fun kinks

Dark romance but with a very different style to lights out, darker and without as much humour. Although there were definitely moments but would anyhing ever top the blind balaclava moment.

I really enjoyed the dynamic between Junior and Lo, whilst the chemistry was sizzling from the get go. There was still a lot of drama between the two and Junior had to work for his forgiveness.

Caught Up is the perfect sequel to Lights Out.

Lights Out was one of my top reads this year and I was so excited to get the chance to read Caught up early! Let me tell you, it doesn’t disappoint.

I would highly recommend reading the trigger warnings for this. I appreciate Navessa’s respectful approach to all themes presented in her works, I find her to be an amazing author who truly does well in laying out heavy themes and topics but also doing so in a way that is incredibly respectful, eye opening and a pleasure to read about!

This book has everything, kinks, mafia, broody men, banter, hot steamy scenes that will have your blood pumping, tension and of course the beautifully messed up but makes you kick your feet romance.

Lauren is a sex worker, specifically a cam girl who is doing everything she can to heal her past trauma and let the world know that her job isn’t something to be ashamed of. She’s head strong and confident and knows what she wants. She’s realistic and catty. I loved her story and how it was developed and explored. I loved the exploration of sex work and sex clubs.

Junior is broody, sexy, riddled with his dark past and what his future will hold. He’s a morally grey mafia man trying to change his life for the girl he wants. I loved Juniors development and exploration of himself, his kinks and who he wants to be. I loved watching him grow throughout the story.

I loved seeing all our characters interact and get together. I had so much fun reading and will absolutely be excitedly waiting for the next story!

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the E-arc!

I feel like this book had a lot to live up to after how amazing Lights Out was and it did not disappoint but in such a different way! Lights Out is a very humorous and light hearted dark romance whereas Caught Up is more serious and reserved with so much tension! But don’t worry you still get the humour just not in the same way. You also get cameos of Josh and Aly through the book which I loved!🥰 I also loved seeing the friendship that Junior and Josh have!

Speaking of friendships! Lauren’s friendship with Ryan and Taylor was fab and the three of them just worked so well and they have that sort of friendship that everyone strives for!🙌🏻

It’s so common in books for the mmc to be kinky and he introduces her to the lifestyle so I absolutely adore how in this book it’s the other way around and she introduces him! & the spice in this book?! Well let’s just say that Navessa Allen knows how to write a spicy scene🥵👌🏻

Moment of appreciation for Walter! Because a giant, loveable dog? Yes please!😍

Thank you to Navessa Allen, Quercus Books and Netgalley for this arc in exchange for an honest review!