Caught Up (Into Darkness, #2) by Navessa Allen Review

This is a spoiler-free review! You can read my review of Lights Out on my blog, now!

In the interconnected sequel to Lights Out, Navessa Allen returns to deliver a mob stalker romcom in this story following Nick "Junior" Trocci and Lauren Marchetti as they reconnect and explore the possibility of second chances. I had mixed feelings after finishing Lights Out, more so with the fact that it was not to the "dark romance" level that I was expecting - going into Caught Up, my expectations were set accordingly and I had a lot of fun reading this book. Nick was an enjoyable mobster that wanted out of that lifestyle, and Lauren is an online sex worker and club member advocating for sex worker rights. With their past hindering a relationship, Nick began following her online to be as close to her as possible.

The plot was a touch all over the place, to be quite honest. Nick was on this internal journey to leave the mob life that his father was insistent he continue, and Lauren was figuring out if she could ever trust Nick again. It felt as though Nick's journey was much more prominent in this book, and while Lauren's own journey was not as intriguing. With Nick's perspective chapters, we see his conflicted feelings as he continues his mobster ways while actively works to remove himself from that activity. He was very focused on bettering himself and getting Lauren to trust him again without blowing up their relationship/friendship like all those years ago.

Lauren's journey with her two roommates was more lighthearted in the sense that I was never truly worried about her safety - in the sense that this is marketed as a stalker romcom, but I would not even consider Nick to be a stalker. There were definite romcom elements to this book, but I still would have loved for this to lean more heavily on the stalker aspect - yes, they knew each other when they were younger, but I felt as though once she found out about Nick, she was not even that fazed by the discovery. Lauren's moral compass is pretty solid and she is a great advocate - her character was easy to like, and she was enjoyable to follow as the story went on, I just wished I was as intrigued by her story as I was with Nick's story.

The side characters definitely made Lauren's journey feel more stable, as well as the presence of Nick's brothers making his own journey have a solid foundation. Honestly, the side characters were the true comedic relief in this installment, and while Lauren and Nick certainly had their moments, it seemed to fall on these secondary characters to lighten the mood. The smut in this book was actually unreal at points, and I will say that Allen has that aspect of her books locked and loaded - no notes from me. My jaw dropped several times, and she wasted no time at all diving right into the smut and romance of this book. Given the fact that Lauren makes online videos as a sex worker, the smut did play a more important role in this book compared to the role it played in Lights Out.

This interconnected series is a fun time that keeps the reader entertained, and yet I seems to always yearn for something more in these stories. It often feels as though conflict is resolved relatively quickly and that there seems to be no true consequences to those that have either wronged the main characters, or if they do reap their punishment, it is not to the extent that I would have expected. If you are looking for a quick, steamy read, the Into Darkness series my very well be your next journey in dark romcoms.

You can add Caught Up on Goodreads now, and follow the author to stay up to date on releases and publications.

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Playing with Fyre (Fyre & Ashes, #1) by Logan Fox Review

This is a spoiler-free review! Playing with Fyre is currently available on Kindle Unlimited. A list of trigger warnings is available on Goodreads and a more extensive list is available at the beginning of the novella.

Jumping back into my dark romance TBR pile after spending some attention on my fantasy shelf... it is good to be back. Clocking in at just above one hundred pages, this Stuff Your Kindle Day download was calling to me with its short page count and interesting premise. I have not dabbled too much in stalker romance books, with Haunting Adeline being the most notorious read in that genre.

I... literally do not even know where to begin with this novella. It only took me forty-five minutes to read it and yet I have sat with my thoughts for another two hours trying to comprehend what exactly I just subjected myself to reading. Charlotte is dealing with an intense trauma and her art therapy professor, Gideon Fyre, is stalking her for some unknown reason? Honestly I did not need the background for why he was obsessed with her, I just accepted it and moved on since he clearly has some other things to work on.

Charlotte is drawn to Fyre, and the author maintains most of her perspective throughout the novella on how she is dealing with the feelings she has towards him, as well as sprinkling in more information about the trauma she experienced. We as readers learn a lot about her past and her current state of mind, whereas we are left mostly in the dark when it comes to Fyre's own complicated past that has left him broken.

Fyre certainly trends towards the psychotic side, which he openly admits, especially when it comes to watching Charlotte at every chance he gets. He is always there in the background and knows just where to find her. Considering what she has been through, you would think even her stalker would be a little more considerate if he wants her to fall for him and be with her forever. He literally has access to her file and knows everything that she has suffered through, like man use your head for two seconds before you go breaking into her apartment.

There are a lot of complex emotions that Charlotte and Fyre are experiencing throughout the novella -- with Charlotte, she is confronting the attraction she feels towards Fyre, and with Fyre, he is literally suppressing his urge to be violent. One of these things is not like the other!! Fyre is blinded by his lust and obsession towards Charlotte, and essentially becomes her worst fear and most terrifying attraction in one swoop.

Understanding that this is a novella, if it was about fifty to seventy-five pages longer, I think I would have enjoyed the story more. A lot of the details felt rushed, and when the perspectives changed between Charlotte and Fyre, I had a bit of whiplash going from Charlotte's emotional state to Fyre's stalking. The premise and vision are there, the execution could have used some work. If you are looking for a quick dark read, this novella may be your next read.

You can add Playing with Fyre on Goodreads now, and follow the author to stay up to date on releases and publications.

You can catch up with me and my current reads by friending me on Goodreads and following this blog, my Twitter, and my Instagram in order to stay up-to-date with any reviews, blog tours, and more!