Caught Up by Liz Tomforde is the third book in the Windy City series and it is one that romance readers will love.
I'm back with my review of the third book in the Windy City series. There is a fourth book in the series that will be released later this year, but for now, Caught Up is the latest.
Just like the others, I really enjoyed reading it. For me, it's a bit different to Mile High and The Right Move, more in terms of the plot and the history of the characters, which was refreshing.
From reading this series, I am in awe of Liz's writing and storytelling and I can't wait to read more of her work. The Windy City series is perhaps one of the best sports romance series I've read, up there with Dirty Air by Lauren Asher, Off-Campus by Elle Kennedy and UCMH by Hannah Grace.
One thing I love about this series is the focus on different sports. Caught Up is a baseball (MLB) romance, which I've never read about before.
So let's get into my review of Caught Up by Liz Tomforde.
Review of Caught Up by Liz Tomforde - Windy City #3
Genre: Sports Romance
Tropes:
Sports romance: 9.5/10
Opposites attract: 9/10
Single dad/Nanny: 10/10
Forced proximity: 9.5/10
Found family: 9.5/10
Overall rating: 5 stars
Caught Up is, at the moment, the latest Windy City series available to read and the synopsis is as follows:
"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."
A trope in romance books that I have always particularly liked is the single-parent trope. There's something about a book with a young child that tugs on my heartstrings and Caught Up was exactly that.
Whilst the book is about Kai and Miller, Max, Kai's son, did steal the show the majority of the time. He was so cute and I could just picture him throughout the book and it made me smile.
Caught Up is an emotional book, I'd say. The third-act break-up was more heart-breaking than I expected, but I think that is down to Max. However, the narrative arc of the book was crafted so well by Liz that the tension just built and built until Kai and Miller gave in to their feelings and then when they were together, you knew something was going to happen, but it was still unexpected.
Kai Rhodes is a famous baseball player in the MLB. His whole life, baseball has been his love but when Max is left to Kai, his entire focus and priority in life changes. Kai is Clark Kent-handsome, one of the best players in the MLB and the sweetest father.
He wants Max to have the best life, so he always puts him first. But travelling the US is hard when you're a single parent, let alone when you fire every nanny. But with Miller in his life, Kai slowly starts opening himself up to more than just being a dad. Kai learns what fun means again and realises that if he wanted to, he could have it all. His character is sweet, swoon-worthy, charming and sexy.
And that's a problem for Miller Montgomery. Miller is Kai's coach's daughter and she has a lot of pressure on her plate. Being a chef and having won an award, she's sought-after, but by spending time looking after Max and flirting with Kai, Miller realises that striving to be the best and have an impressive career isn't always what it's cracked up to be.
She is feisty and fiery and I loved how determined she was. Liz's female protagonists are all very different but I did really like Miller and how she formed friendships with Indy and Stevie, and also Kennedy, who is the FMC of the fourth book. Miller has two different sides to her - being a chef and being herself as a nanny - and eventually, she lets Kai under her strong demeanour to see who she really is.
The dynamic between Miller and Kai was so good. Their banter and chemistry were off the charts; the spice and flirtatiousness in this book...chef's kiss. There were also scenes in this book that had me smiling so wide my cheeks hurt, like the scene where Max walks for the first time!
One thing I would say is that this is a baseball romance and if you're like me and don't know baseball, there will be some bits that probably don't make sense.
When Liz writes a sports romance, she writes a sports romance and includes scenes of the actual sport, which makes the whole book authentic, but I didn't understand the baseball terms.
However, it didn't take away from my enjoying the story because once again Liz crafted emotionally deep characters in difficult situations but together they discover what truly matters and create their own happiness.
Kai and Miller are up there with Zanders and Stevie, but may have beaten them slightly to my favourite in the Windy City series.
I loved the side characters, seeing Zanders and Stevie and Indy and Ryan, but also getting a sneak into Isaiah and Kennedy's book!
Intrigued?
If my review has intrigued you to read book three in the Windy City series by Liz Tomforde, click the cover below to view it on Amazon.
Until next time...