Caught Stealing: Leighton U, Book 2

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5 🌶🌶🌶 𝐈𝐭’𝐬 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐢𝐟 𝐡𝐞’𝐬 𝐦𝐞𝐚𝐧𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐛𝐞 𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐞. I couldn't have been more excited to be back at Leighton U. This had everything you expect from CE Ricci... angst, epic banter, things that are not lube used as lube... you know the usual. The enemies to lovers vibe/banter was on par with Iced Out but everything else felt SO different. I loved seeing more sports than just hockey too 😍😍 As mentioned in the authors note, this is veryyy close to being a love triangle and it reads like one with the anxiety of getting caught/choosing one. So do with that what you will. It's not my favorite trope but she wrote it very well and it ultimately fit the story and made sense. 𝐈 𝐰𝐚𝐧𝐭 𝐡𝐢𝐦. 𝐓𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐤- 𝐮𝐩- 𝐡𝐢𝐬- @𝐬𝐬, 𝐟𝐫𝐮𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠- 𝐚𝐬- 𝐡𝐞𝐥𝐥 𝐠𝐮𝐲 𝐰𝐡𝐨, 𝐪𝐮𝐢𝐭𝐞 𝐟𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐤𝐥𝐲, 𝐰𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐬 𝐧𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐨 𝐝𝐨 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐦𝐞. Holden was FANTASTIC. Love me a reformed playboy/golden retriever/goof ball. And man if you thought it didn't get grumpier than Quinton, you were wronggg Pheonix is grumpy, glaring perfection. The animosity between them was palpable and turned into the most insane chemistry. I'm obsessed with the "I can't be within 5 feet if you without wanting to maul you" vibes and maul could either be inflict injury or f*ck you. It's a toss up. 🤷‍♀️🤷‍♀️ “𝐖𝐚𝐭𝐜𝐡 𝐦𝐞 𝐟*𝐜𝐤 𝐲𝐨𝐮, 𝐛𝐚𝐛𝐲, 𝐰𝐚𝐭𝐜𝐡 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐬𝐞𝐥𝐟 𝐭𝐚𝐤𝐞 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲 𝐢𝐧𝐜𝐡 𝐨𝐟 𝐦𝐲 𝐜*𝐜𝐤.” For all the…

📖 Caught Stealing by CE Ricci Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐¼ (4.25/5) This enemies-to-lovers thrill ride had me hooked from page one! The chemistry between Phoenix and Holden is absolutely electric—like watching two magnets that can't decide whether to snap together or repel each other. Their prank war? Pure entertainment gold that had me laughing out loud on my couch. Let's talk about Holden—watching him transform from campus player to devoted partner gave me emotional whiplash in the best way. There's something so satisfying about a character who starts as a one-dimensional playboy and reveals genuine depth. His journey from "one-and-done king" to someone who can say "I'm yours, Nix. Always. You have to know that" made my heart do little flips. The setup is what sold me immediately. A forgotten one-night stand leading to an all-out prank war? Sign me up! And the sports romance angle feels fresh because they're playing different sports—it carves out its own unique space in a crowded genre. What really makes this book shine is how it balances emotional stakes with playful chaos. Phoenix's sharp edges against Holden's golden retriever energy creates this perfect tension that slowly unwinds into something genuinely tender. Their banter is natural and funny without trying too hard, and watching Phoenix struggle with maintaining his integrity when that intense chemistry challenges everything he thought he knew about relationships? That's the good stuff. Sure, there are moments where I…