Caught Up by Navessa Allen
✨️4.75✨️
I started reading and I stopped for only six hours to sleep. If I could have read this nonstop without sleeping, there would have been no power on this earth aside from my children that would have been able to get me to put this book down.
I tried to go easy on the quotes for this one, because a book this funny, I would literally never stop. There were so many perfect moments that would have been great to include, but it just feels like a disservice to the book and the impeccable writing to cut them up like that.
Before I get into Nic and Lauren, I am still obsessed with Josh. He can do no wrong. He is an angel.
I love Nic even more. I don’t know how that’s possible, but it is. Catch me out here rooting for a short king. Now, I’ll never encourage a man to stop being unhinged or feral, okay? I love a downright out of his mind with bloodlust man, but I also see the value in Nic never touching another weapon for as long as he lives and I want that for him. He’s such a nuanced character and it would have been cool to explore the depth of his daddy issues more, especially in tandem with Lauren’s. However, this is a romcom, dark or not, so there’s an expectation of levity that I think would have done a huge disservice to any true reflections of their inner parental turmoils. (I felt this way about Josh and his dad as well)
Lauren is such an icon. I love her. I want to have even a modicum of her confidence in the way she moves through the world. Staring down Senior with that dirty lil mouth of hers? I was screeching and giggling. And though there were times when I wanted to throw her into a wall because, babygirl, HE’S A FUCKING MOBSTER, YOU ARE ASKING DUMB QUESTIONS, she’s relatable. It would be weird if she weren’t a little turned around by some of Nic’s actions since she doesn’t get the full depth of his motivations and actions the way we do as the reader.
Anyway, my final thoughts? I hope Moira kills Senior and I hope we then get a book of her getting another chance at life and love as a black widow.