Title: Flawed (Caught By The Bad Boys #2)
Author: Raathi Chota
Genre: Fiction/ Romance/ YA/ Mystery
Source: NetGalley
Rating: 4/5

Favourite Quote: ‘”Hey, baby girl, where’s your boyfriend?”
“He’s upstairs, being Batman.” I winked.
“Oh, then what am I?” Blake asked as he placed his hands on my cheeks.
“Mm.. the joker.” I giggled as I rested my palm against his chest.
“Then that must make you Harley Quinn,” he whispered.’

Jack August’s body is missing. It isn’t where they buried him, so where is it?
Lana doesn’t know what to do. She’s surrounded by two groups of friends, each knowing a secret from the other that is dangerously connected, but how is Jack August involved?
Lana’s bad girl comes out to play once more when Levi comes back, her knight in shining armour, the one who left her a year ago with a broken heart. Little does he know that she isn’t the princess she once was, in her place is a lost girl full of addiction, lies and deceit, a girl who is being watched by a dangerous man in black. No amount of friends surrounding her will make her feel safe as she struggles to distinguish the difference between her nightmares, and reality.

‘Our breaths filled the room as he pressed his forehead against mine. 
“Levi, what are yo-“
“Please, just one last time before I lose you,” he breathed out as I looked into his wild blue eyes.’

*SPOILERS*
As you might know from my previous review for ‘Caught’ By The Bad Boys, I’ve got a strange guilty pleasure for this series that I can’t seem to get out of. I keep re-reading them over and over, most likely to figure out why I’m so obsessed with these characters and the romance factor constantly keeping me on edge.
As per my review for the first book, I should mention now that the story does include addiction, alcoholism, mentions rape (not explicit), drugs and murder, so it may be sensitive to some who would prefer to avoid this.

Lana is still a mix between amusing and irritating, she isn’t afraid to go for what she wants and she becomes more bolder in this book than the last, whilst also strongly losing it on occasion with her various addictions that she’s come to accept as being part of her. She can never forget what happened in the alley but she continues to distract herself around her friends and a future goal to get into Yale. She seems to be the only character worried about the dangerous group of men stalking them all for one reason or another.
Lana believes she finds happiness with Benny, but can’t control her feelings for Levi who fights to claim her attention and continually reminds her of what Benny used to do to her. She also can’t seem to get rid of Blake and his obsessive desire to kiss her and make her his which I couldn’t help but enjoy.

My feelings for Blake continued to change throughout this book, the author clearly wanted us rooting for him with his continuous perspective thrown in with his feelings for Lana clear and swoon-worthy, but then he does something stupid and you just want to hate him all over again. With Lana’s feelings all over the place, it’s difficult to see where they will end up, but it’s easy to see the author is having fun playing with us.

‘”You want a bet, Wilson?” Blake asked as the corner of his mouth rose. I turned back to Blake and nodded with a smile. “If I lose, which will be a tiny chance, then you can decide on the punishment.”
“And if you win?”
“Then you have to kiss me.” 

I really liked Levi and his need for being Lana’s knight in shining armour, even if he goes about it the wrong way with his controlling personality as well as all the secrets he keeps, believing he’s simply protecting her. He’s her original bad boy after all, but with him there are no addictions to drag her down along the way. He’s fun, rebellious and determined to show the world that Lana is and always has been his princess, even if he can’t truly admit to himself that his feelings for her have always been real.

Carter became increasingly interesting in this book and a part of me can’t help but want him to win her heart by the end of it. The small sweet interactions between him and Lana are enough to make you realise something bigger might just come of it. Carter remains the player of the school, but a drunken phone call to Lana changes everything when he admits he wants to be someone different for her. He’s the only one who shares the same goal as Lana to pursue Yale giving them something no one else can – a potential future.

‘”Psst.” I heard a voice behind me and turned around to see Carter with his morning hair. He motioned me toward him. I shuffle to Carter and laid on my side. He brought me closer to him and put his arm around my torso. Our faces were inches away as I gazed into his blue eyes. ~ He placed his hand on my chin. My lips parted as he ran his thumb over my bottom lip. I watched as he stared at my lips eagerly.’

As you have guessed, the romance is all up in the air and even though it’s clear that Benny is the only one who can truly make her smile, I felt their connection was plain and boring compared to the competition the author threw at us. Even I don’t know who Lana will truly end up with. Whilst I love the idea of Levi finally admitting to himself that she is everything he wants and goes for it, I’m personally either rooting for Carter or Blake! Carter out of pure fascination, Blake to steal her heart. Or, you know, she might just end up in jail with no one…

One thing I didn’t like as the story continued, is that I felt there were too many characters by the end which sometimes became confusing and a bit unnecessary to tell you the truth. It started off with the four bad boys and Miranda, then Miranda’s boyfriend, then Aiden’s girlfriend, then Benny and his friends, then Levi and his friends.. I felt like the author could have taken the time to build up some of the main characters rather than just including more into their group. There were too many crossovers with the characters but ultimately each one once wronged our main protagonist, Lana, in some way and asked for forgiveness then became a loyal companion.

This book ends on a cliffhanger that will keep you wanting more, check out the next part of the series; Fury, Caught By The Bad Boys #3.

Goodreads Review:
It all started with a bet. A bet I should have walked away from.
But I didn’t.
Jack August is gone, and he’s taken our secret with him. Now I no longer know who to trust, and I can barely keep my head above water.
It’s only when Levi returns that I start breathing again. Being with him reminds me of a time when things were simpler, easier. A time when the only care I had was getting into Yale. A time when I was…me.
Unfortunately, my decisions can’t be undone, and facing the consequences of my actions is unavoidable. I have no choice but to continue down this path of lies and deceit, forced to continue playing my part in this dangerous game.
But as I start to figure out the rules, exposing the real threat, all I can do is hope that everyone I care for survives long enough for me to set things right.