Caught

by Stacey O'Leary

70 pages, Kindle Edition

Published August 24, 2026

Reviews

[Paige · Rating 5 out of 5]

A short but deadly story.

Stacey can do magic with 60 pages of words, crafting a story filled with want and need, where is a moth to a flame and the moth knows it's wrong. Elias knows it's wrong, but Elias who is the detective knows, this cat and mouse game is only heating up with Lainey.

STACEY! It is such a short story that left me gasping for more 😭😭 I neeeed book 2 like yesterday!

Thank you again for being an author that makes me chew her books up in one sitting!

[☆ Allanah • Cosmic's Library ☆ · Rating 4 out of 5]

✨️ARC REVIEW✨️

“No, Lainey caught me and claimed me and is now somewhere out there, smiling. I’m not hunting her anymore. I’m hers.”

Big thankyous to our girl of the moment Stacey for this ARC copy! 🫶🏻 YOU FREAKING DID IT! This was such a great Dark Romance Debut. 👏🏻

This novella was fast paced, punchy and so well constructed! The Cat and Mouse was just too good and the FMC being the morally black killer but make it feminist is my favourite combination!!

🔪 Lainey - An absolute unhinged firecracker and she was FUNNY! I would 100% sit down and share a bottle of Jack with her. A Total feminist badass, and I have honestly never wanted to be besties with a book character more than I do with her. Honestly if I was in Elias' shoes I would be equally obsessed with her!

🕵‍♂️ Elias - He really thinks he has the upper hand on but in reality Lainey has him wrapped around her little finger begging for more like a good boy and I ate it up! The wanting mixed with his constant denial radiated off the pages and when he gave into her, GOD DAMN IT WAS SMOKING HOT!

I am so excited for what's to come in this series of Novellas! The ending left me needy and desperate for more, PLEASE FEED ME! 😩

[Lafrenzy.reads · Rating 5 out of 5]

Caught
⭐️ 4.75 stars

Man, the novellas I’ve been reading lately are just BANGING!!

For the first 20 pages, I was reading with my hand over my mouth and dropped jaw AND squealing in excitement. Damn, I love it when books just frikken dive straight into the chaos. This was so fast paced, unhinged, and addictive!

Lainey is one hell of a badass female serial killer. She’s unapologetic, completely unhinged, and just so frikken confident. Sexy.

Elias? This man is so morally grey I’m pretty sure even he doesn’t know what shade he fits into :3 I LOVED their dynamic. I could feel all the tension, lust, and forbiddenness between them, and I was eating it up.

Such a fun, spicy, entertaining read! I genuinely want more, and I feel like this needs to be hyped WAY more. When I got to those final words and learned this is going to be a trilogy? YES. YES. YES. Give me more Lainey and Elias immediately!!

I’m invested, and I’m telling you, you need to read this ASAP.

I stan Stacey. I stan Lainey. I need MORE. 🖤🔪

I got this as a eArc and I’m so blessed!!! Thank you Stacey :)

[Kell 5wordsorlessbooks · Rating 5 out of 5]

Um excuse me? The range of Stacey to go from F1 romance to dark slasher romance… the audacity honestly 😂 but also? She absolutely killed this.

I read this on a red-eye flight home and genuinely forgot I was even on a plane. Addictive, chaotic, funny, unhinged; exactly the kind of dark romance that grabs you by the throat and refuses to let go.
Lainey is one of those characters that completely pushes your boundaries as a reader. You want to hate her because… serial killer, obviously. But she’s also hilarious (“stalky walky” 💀), terrifyingly smart, and impossible to look away from.

And the dynamic between her and Elias? Toxic in the best possible way. Hunter vs prey blurring into obsession, destruction, and absolute madness.

Cannot wait to see where this goes next.

Thank you to Stacey for sending me an early copy. All opinions are my own.

[Freedom93 · Rating 5 out of 5]

OMG I LOVED THIS!!!

Stacey thank you so much for the ARC

Remember to read the trigger warnings!!

This is the first book/novella that i have read by Stacey O Leary and it definitely won't be my last! This is the first novella in the Crimson Ribbon Series and I can not wait for the next two.

Absolutely Amazing 👏
Love the story!
Love the spice! 🌶 🌶 🌶
Love the unhingeness! 🔪 🤪

Dark Romance at its finest 👌 An addictive read for sure.
The chemistry between Lainey and Elias is insane, toxic, chaotic, it should be wrong but these two make it feel so right. I have not come across an FMC that I like so much in a novella before now. Lainely is hilarious! And I dont think I've come across a FMC that you're actually rooting for her even though shes a serial killer, but we all have our flaws 😂

Love it!!! 😍

[BookBoyfriend · Rating 5 out of 5]

Caught completely pulled me in and did not let go. The twists, the tension, the obsession, the “what the hell is happening” moments. It gave me the same addictive feeling I had while reading the Mindf*ck series. If you loved that dark, psychological, edge-of-your-seat vibe, you will absolutely love this book.
Stacey O’Leary did such an incredible job building suspense while still making you emotionally invested in the characters. Every chapter left me needing more, and I genuinely couldn’t predict where things were going half the time. The chemistry, the danger, the mind games… it was all done so well.
This was one of those books that completely takes over your brain while reading it and stays there after you finish.
Currently rocking on the edge of my seat waiting for the second book!
Thank you for the ARC copy!

[Taylah · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book felt like being dragged into a crime scene and somehow rooting for the person holding the knife.

The tension between the FMC and MMC was genuinely insane because it wasn’t just “touch her and die” — it was “touch her and SHE’LL kill you first.” And honestly? That made it ten times better.

The quote:
“You killed him to get my attention?”
“I always have your attention.”

YEAH. THAT.

The relationship between these two was toxic, obsessive, chaotic and somehow still weirdly soft underneath all the violence. He’s morally grey, she’s morally black, and together they’re basically one bad decision after another.

If you like:
🖤 cop x criminal
🖤 dark humour
🖤 slasher romance vibes
🖤 morally unwell women
🖤 tension that makes you stare at the wall after reading

…read this immediately.

[Kayla · Rating 4 out of 5]

Stacey, I don't know how you go from writing formula one romances, to this!!! What in the world girlfriend. I literally read this in a couple of hours, and was fuming when I got to the end and I have to wait. But the story made up for it. It was smoking, the characters should not be together, but that makes it hotter. The cat and mouse game, the element of Lainey being a feminist and doing what she is doing feels so right in today's current society. Elias trying to fight it is hilarious, and you just know it's going to backfire (well I don't, but I hope it does!!!!). Never stop writing this series, incredible.

[Kayleighreads · Rating 5 out of 5]

Caught by Stacey O’Leary actually had me losing it 😭 The cat and mouse vibe was elite 😭 this is a Toxic, obsessive, unhinged read. Proper dark romance. Can’t wait to read the next novella to this. Love it Thankyou Stacey for allowing me to be part of the ARC readers. Hope to read more of your work.

[Charmaine S · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to Stacey and Chloe at The Berry Agency for the opportunity to ARC read this book!
I really loved this book! The whole time I wanted to know what was going to happen next and I’m so keen to read the next one already.
Smart writing as it keeps the reader hooked, leaving the reader wanting more. I will definitely be reading this series and I’m excited to see what’s next ☺️

[Sami Thomson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh my!
Thank you Stacey for the ARC 😘
Caught was full throttle straight off the bat so please read those trigger warnings people!!
This is what dark romance is supposed to be in my opinion with no holding back on the sex and violence. I ate it all up and want more!

[Jordy Stanyer · Rating 4 out of 5]

ARC Review
I think I have found a new genre to love, I am obsessed. This is my second thriller read and I am sucked in big time. Caught grabs you by the throat and pulls you in from the get go. Stacey has done so well with Caught as an opening into dark romance. Thank you for the opportunity!

[Reneesquietspace · Rating 4 out of 5]

Elias and Lainey hooked me from the start. Their chemistry was toxic and impossible to look away from. The cat and mouse game was fun to watch. The FMC was hilariously unhinged and loves a good “stabby stab” moment. The MMC knows he shouldn’t want her but does anyway. Can’t wait to see what’s install for these two again in book 2!

[Tamara Warburton · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved this!! I’m incredibly excited to see where this story leads!
I finished this in one sitting and had zero regrets!

[Tals' Reads · Rating 4 out of 5]

What the flip was that ending? Book two now please!!!

[Kaitlyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Caught by Stacey O’Leary was exactly the kind of dark romance novella I love. It’s addictive, chaotic, fast paced, full of action and addictive (yes, addictive enough to say it twice).

The cop x criminal dynamic between Elias and Lainey completely hooked me. Their chemistry is toxic and obsessive, but impossible to look away from. The push and pull of their relationship kept me clicking my kindle quickly.

I still can’t believe this came from the same author who writes steamy F1 romances, but I’m fully on board with this darker direction. I’m already excited for the next books in the Crimson Ribbon series.

Make sure to check the trigger warnings before you start because this one gets intense quickly.

Thank you Stacey for the eARC!

[Kaylee Mackenzie · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was very spicy and gory! My two favourite things!! It was a really well-written dark romance novella that had similar vibes to Butcher and Blackbird. The chemistry and tension between the FMC and MMC was elite. The book was unhinged but also funny and addictive. I read the entire thing on my commute to work!

I loved that he was morally grey, and she was morally black! Her being the serial un-aliver hit differently and I am so here for it!

This was my first Stacey O’Leary book, but I'm very keen to read more!