Caught Up

Windy City Series, Book 3

By: Liz Tomforde

Narrated by: Megan Wicks, Alex Kydd

Kai

I’m a single dad and starting pitcher for Chicago’s MLB team. I’m stretched too thin, but I don’t want help raising my son.

Each of his previous nannies only lasted a few weeks before I let them go. Now, my coach is putting his foot down by hiring the one person I can’t fire—his daughter.

Miller Montgomery is the last woman I should fall for. Too wild, too young, and too unattached.

Chicago is just a quick stop for her. I thought I’d be counting down the days until she left, but summer feels too short when I start thinking about forever.

Miller

As a high-end pastry chef who recently won the most prestigious award in my industry, I’m desperate to prove I deserve it. But with a new title comes new pressure, and I can’t create a fresh and inspiring dessert to save my life.

With only two months to get back on track, I should be focusing in the kitchen, but instead, I let my dad talk me into using my time off to nanny for his star player’s kid.

Kai Rhodes forgot how to have fun, and I’m eager to jog his memory. But when he and his son start to feel like home, I have to remind us both that my time in Chicago ends with the summer.

Besides, I’ve always been a runner, and the last thing I want is to get caught.

©2023 Liz Tomforde (P)2023 Liz Tomforde

Adored it

I savored this like the absolute treat that it was, and ADORED every second of it. Rarely does a series maintain its quality throughout multiple installments, but each book in this series has gotten better and better. I loved Mile High and The Right Move stole my heart in a major way, so Caught Up had a LOT to live up to. I was worried that it wouldn't. But it only took a few pages to get wrapped up in the story, and it held me captivated every moment after that. The sexual tension is off the charts, the playfulness made it so much fun, and the angstier elements had my stomach in knots. The steady, sweetheart of a hero had me absolutely SWOONING in so many moments, and I loved that the firecracker of a heroine brought out a different side of him. The banter and chemistry between them jumped off the page, and the spice... wow. Intense and scorching. I'm happy to report that this exceeded my VERY high expectations, and is easily one of my favorite books of the year.

The story follows Kai (32), a pro baseball player who unexpectedly became a father last year. The weight of responsibility and shifting priorities have turned him into a serious, reserved man who barely remembers what he used to be like. After Kai fires his son's most recent nanny, his coach finds someone else to fill the role - his daughter. Though Miller (25) has a life and career of her own, she's been feeling restless and burned out recently. She needs a break. So taking care of a sweet little boy for the summer doesn't sound too bad, even if she has to deal with his broody father. The two clash at every turn, but it's impossible to deny that the sparks flying between them are combustible. Opposites attract, and Miller brings out a side of Kai that he forgot was inside him. But Miller has made it clear that she won't be sticking around after the summer, and that's something they both have to keep in mind.

I'm not intimidated by a 500-page book when I know that I'm in for a deliciously well-developed romance, and this is exactly that. Tomforde put me through every emotion, crafting a love story that's comedic one minute and heart-wrenching the next. I loved the found family aspect, and I also loved the tension of knowing that these two were quickly heading towards trouble. Though I found Miller to be an immensely compelling and complex heroine, I was smitten with Kai from the start. He stepped up to be a (fantastic) dad, and the plentiful family moments were adorable. So cute. What I loved the most though was how Miller brought him back to life and pushed him to want more for himself. The tension of knowing Miller would be leaving added so much friction to the story, and you could definitely feel that as the emotional connection grew. The spice was incredibly multi-faceted and intimate, while also being vivid and HOT. Every scene had me hooked in one way or another, and I was teary-eyed and fully focused during the final scenes. A powerhouse of a read, this isn't one that I'll soon forget.

Audio note: Highly recommended! I was SO excited when I saw that Alex Kydd was narrating, he's a personal favorite of mine. He's really honed his skills over the past couple of years, and he embodied Kai perfectly. It's my first experience with Megan Wicks, but she was also fantastic. They both delivered a true performance, infusing so much emotion into the story. It's one of those audiobooks that greatly enhanced an already-excellent story. The runtime (about 15 hours) was too much for a single day, but that's okay because I only wanted to listen when I had time to be completely engaged. I'd consider this to be a hot slow burn, with the spice taking a bit to fully kick in. Definitely not one I'd listen to at work. Interestingly enough, I found that the ebook didn't match the audiobook word for word - I brought up the ebook during important scenes, and there were some clear (mostly minor) differences. Not sure which version is newer, I'm assuming that'll get resolved soon. Just keep that in mind if you're planning to switch between the two versions, as I like to do. If you're new to audiobooks, this would make a great introduction to them though, just saying!

Great book

I liked the narration but thought that Alex can be a little OTT when speaking the female patty, especially the giggling.

JUST a little bit. I really thought he was the perfect Kai.

I love Kai’s Character!

Miller irritated me after a while, because she is such a commitment-phobe that she hurts herself and Kai. At the beginning the of the novel, Kai and Miller were messy. I loved their banter, her relationship with Max, and her relationship with all of the side characters, but most of all, the development of Kai and Miller’s romance. Kai was all-in, but Miller could not get over her big lie that she kept telling herself to the point where I was getting annoyed with her. Then I got angry with her because she let Kai and Max go to keep up that lie she kept telling herself. When she came back, she needed to grovel more, but I did love this book! I just love the Right Move more.

Outstanding! Best book in the series!

I love this book so much. I was skeptical because I didn’t know Kai as a character since he’s only mentioned a couple of times in the other books but WOW! This book is my top favorite of the series! I felt every emotion! The spice is amazing and so we’ll written!

LOVED their story

I LOVED the book while the second is still one of my favorites in this series this is prolly the second or tie. My only comment is the speaker misses some lines

Very sweet

Cute, entertaining with a little spice. Perfect addition to this series. Love miller and Kai together

This book is pure swoon!

I loved this book so much from beginning to end. Kai and Miller have their own baggage and traumas but they’re soo good together. The entire story is a grand slam!

Good read🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

Worth the credit. I was well written by Liz Tomforde and the narrators were good to listen to. I love this story about a good father raising his baby son and meeting a nanny for his son that became a mother to his son and becoming his wife.
Paula (NJ)♥️

W O W

I loved this one. Truly. The story? 5 stars. The MCs? 5 stars and the narrators deliveried everything I expected. The dialogues were amazing and I loved the perfomance. Really recommend to listen this one!!

Caught Up

I was a sobbing mess the last 1/3 of this book. Absolutely phenomenal single dad romance. So so so good