Caught Up in You (26 in 2026 #1)

Author: Lauren Morrill Title: Caught Up in You Publisher: Yellow House Media Date Published: 02/04/2025

Read Dates: 01/01/2026- 01/02/2026
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐💫

Caught Up in You is a dual POV, opposites attract, small town romance. Wyatt's free-spirited, wild child image distracts from the reality that she is a woman who would do anything at all for those she cares about, hiding behind tough walls that protect her and her loved ones. She's convinced it's better all around if she avoids love and relationships, but with the younger sister she raised home from college pregnant, and a mother recently paroled from jail, Wyatt has a lot on her plate and is in need of a distraction. She's convinced that local pediatrician and all-around good guy Owen is all wrong for her, but the workaholic doctor is trying to learn how to have some fun, and he thinks Wyatt is the perfect fit. Some harmless flirtation and no strings fun slowly turns into a tangle of feelings, and now Wyatt and Owen both are trying to figure out how they got here!

What a great book to kick off a new year! I loved Owen, his patience with Wyatt’s reticence and determination to win her over. I loved Wyatt’s fierce love for the people who mattered to her. The anxiety representation was really well done, and the two of them together, along with all the side characters, made this such an enjoyable read. I can’t wait to read book 3 soon!

Wild child bartender Wyatt Hart has a full plate. Her younger sister came home from college pregnant, and her mother just showed up fresh from prison.

So when a rare free evening at a roadside bar turns into a chance encounter with Owen McBride, local pediatrician and town golden boy, Wyatt knows better than to flirt with him. Or kiss him. Or follow the surprisingly filthy-mouthed good boy out to his truck. Wyatt doesn’t do relationships, after all, and Owen is the floor model of a boyfriend guy.

But when that one night quickly turns into flirty banter and fiery stolen moments, Owen promises Wyatt that he doesn’t need a relationship. He just needs her.

Everyone in town can tell that the bartender and the pediatrician are more than a fling, but that doesn’t stop Wyatt and Owen from lying to themselves … and each other. But Wyatt’s fear of relationships is about to catch up with her, and the town golden boy is harboring a secret that might undo him.