Lights Out (Into Darkness Series)

⭐ Lights Out ⭐ 5 Stars | 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️ This was the perfect palate cleanser. I went in expecting a dark romance and came out smiling through almost the entire book. The combination of humor, romance, and spice worked so much better than I expected. Josh completely stole the show for me. His inner monologue is hilarious, and despite the premise, he somehow manages to be one of the most lovable MMCs I’ve read in a long time. The chemistry between the main characters is fantastic, and even during serious moments the story never loses its sense of fun. 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️ — very spicy, but balanced with strong character chemistry and plenty of humor. ⭐ 5 stars Funny, addictive, sweet, spicy, and exactly the kind of book that can pull you out of a reading slump. 😍📚

Lights Out was such a fun and entertaining read. Josh was easily the standout of the book. He was hilarious while still being incredibly hot, which made every scene with him enjoyable. He balanced humor and intensity in a way that made his character feel both entertaining and memorable. The spice in this book was excellent—spicy, but with a softness to it that gave it emotional depth. It never felt overly dark or heavy, which made it a refreshing change from more intense or emotionally draining stories. This book is perfect if you need a break from darker, sadder, or more serious reads. It keeps you laughing while still delivering spice and a strong, engaging plot. The only downside for me was the mob side plot. It felt unnecessary and didn’t add much to the overall story. The book was strong enough without it, and I found myself more invested in the characters and their relationship than that storyline. Overall, Lights Out was a fun, spicy, and highly entertaining read that I’d definitely recommend. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️☆

This book got me back into reading (and I am eternally grateful to Navessa Allen for that). Describing this book at random has gotten me some weird looks and awkward pauses. It is hard to explain why a stalker romance is funny, sexy, and heartwarming. It is extra difficult to convey exactly what makes this particular story so unique. I think a part of that is that this book is LITERALLY about the line between fantasy and reality (at least, in part). Some of the appeal is that we can thirst over Josh alongside Ali, and vice versa, and experience their chaotic, kinky, questionable choices through them (this is fantasy. Maybe a kink or two is unlocked though for you.) Meanwhile, their actual relationship is more dorky and healthy than it initially seems and, critically, all of these experiences are trapped in fiction. This is also quite easy to do because the characters are highly relatable. You don't need to have a serial killer Father to feel like a kindred spirit to Josh's anxiety and zealous nature. You don't need to be a trauma nurse in an inner city ER with buckets of trauma to understand the feeling of being overworked and lonely like Ali. So, I think when some of these elements come together you get a genuinely wild and vivid experience. Plus, of course, Josh and Ali are a genuine joy to read about with laugh out loud humor, incredible banter, and a compelling romantic plotline. If I had any criticism, it would be the external stakes/plot weren't very complex and, as a result, slightly jarring when they ramp up. HOWEVER, that really bares no effect on my rating because I think the story might actually be worse if it tried to balance that more. It's not really about all that. So 5 stars. Easily. Note: please read the content warnings on this one. I've skipped a lot of summary because it's well known, but if you've managed to escape any sort of knowledge of this book be warned the TW includes "Accidental Cannibalism" (which is somehow not unusual in my library?) and detailed explicit scenes. And on the note of spicy scenes: I read the hard copy version first, but it was the audio book that made me want to read this so I gave it a listen. I....could not. The voice actors are AMAZING and this is a great audiobook, but listening to Josh describe his solo time thinking about Ali makes for a really awkward car ride.

Okay, where do I even begin? I haven’t been able to read the rest of the book no matter how many times I pick it up. The start of the book is strong. It’s captivating and keeps you on your toes. But once that initial plot wraps up, the “dark romance” element pretty much disappears. When it does come back, it leans more toward suspense than actual dark romance. I wouldn’t say the book was bad. It was good, but after such a gripping prologue, the rest started to feel like a middle school fanfic. Which, to be fair, it is fanfic, but I wish I had known that going in. That’s on me for not reading a sample first. One of my biggest issues was the amount of dialogue. There’s so much talking in the middle of intense or important moments that it makes the scenes feel unrealistic. It’s hard to stay immersed when characters are having full conversations during situations that should feel urgent or high-stakes. The story is definitely a slow burn, but once it reaches the main event, it starts to feel repetitive rather than escalating. Overall, it might be someone else’s exact cup of tea, but for me, as someone who loves dark, boundary-pushing romance, it just didn’t fully deliver. I wouldn’t read it again.

📖 ʀᴇᴠɪᴇᴡ 📖 "Lɪɢʜᴛs Oᴜᴛ" ʙʏ Nᴀᴠᴇssᴀ Aʟʟᴇɴ sᴛᴏʀʏ: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ sᴘɪᴄᴇ: 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️ I have to start with this was my first read from this author and I went in blind. I knew it was a masked/stalker romance and, being a 𝖉𝖆𝖗𝖐 𝖗𝖔𝖒𝖆𝖓𝖈𝖊 girlie, I was definitely down to give it a shot and dove right in...and I'm glad I finally did! I went in with absolutely no expectations...turns out, there was some delicious spice and hilarious banter from the black cat x chaotic hilarious golden retriever in this story and I'm so here for it! Overall, this was a really fun, fast-paced read with a twisty storyline that kept me entertained while laughing out loud. Not even 10% in and I was laughing out loud at both main characters’ inner (and outer) dialog! 🤣 Aly is a trauma ER nurse with a secret mask kink, social media stalking various online masked man accounts to blow off steam from her constant work schedule. Her favorite is the Faceless Man, who posts online thirst traps religiously three times a week for thousands of feral, fellow masked man fans. Then she drunk texts her on again/off again friend with benefits a screenshot of the Faceless Man asking for some masked fun…getting an instant denial (bummer). Little does she know, her FWB shows his roommate, Josh…not realizing his roommate IS the Faceless Man who is all too willing to give Aly what she wants! Talk about a lucky girl 😂 Insert instalust, online stalking, breaking and entering, delightfully funny, filthy, dominant unhinged shenanigans and you have yourself a fun little stalker romcom. I'm a new Navessa Allen fan! 😏😁👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻 It’s worth mentioning some of the reviews posted about the second half of the story surrounding Aly's estranged cousins/uncle where the plot seems to go on a little tangent. Personally, I didn't really have any issue with it as it actually made sense in the context of the story in my opinion. It introduces several more characters and (I'm guessing) sets up potential subsequent books in the series while tying up this plot in a neat little bow. Is it 💯% factual, no of course not, but that’s the beauty of fiction: it doesn’t have to be! I followed along just fine, enjoyed the plot twists, and laugh out loud moments 🤣 so I didn't have any problem with it and just went along for the ride! Was this book as dark as I expect my 𝖉𝖆𝖗𝖐 𝖗𝖔𝖒𝖆𝖓𝖈𝖊𝖘 to be? Absolutely not. Are there dark themes and descriptions of dark acts? Yep. Did it have spicy, spicy scenes involving a masked, hot, tattooed, morally gray, filthy dominant man taking control and giving us all what we want? 💯%! Did I enjoy it? 𝒀𝒆𝒔𝒔𝒊𝒓, 𝑰 𝒂𝒃𝒔𝒐𝒍𝒖𝒕𝒆𝒍𝒚 𝒍𝒐𝒗𝒆𝒅 𝒊𝒕! And the fantastically hilarious banter and fun development of the main characters was worth the read in my opinion (I really love them!) This book is the "lite" edition of dark romance, a dark romcom if that’s such a thing, with a delightfully funny, chaotically sexy, unhinged and morally gray 𝓰𝓸𝓵𝓭𝓮𝓷 𝓻𝓮𝓽𝓻𝓲𝓮𝓿𝓮𝓻 MMC crossed with 𝖇𝖑𝖆𝖈𝖐 𝖈𝖆𝖙, boss lady FMC energy. If you're a hardcore dark romance girl and all the details that entails? You might not like this book. However, if you like funny, rom-coms with a dark theme, light BDSM with questionable toys, filthy talking, hot masked men with random plot twists and a strong FMC? You definitely want to read this one! I loved it and I'll definitely be back for book #2, whenever that one comes out 😊 I haven't read B&BB but I'm told this is similar FYI. Bottomline: It's a spicy, fun read that will have you simultaneously laughing out loud and falling in love with the main characters and their fur baby, Fred the cat. 𝑇ℎ𝑒 𝑐𝑜𝑢𝑝𝑙𝑒 𝑡ℎ𝑎𝑡 𝑠𝑙𝑎𝑦𝑠 𝑡𝑜𝑔𝑒𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑟, 𝑠𝑡𝑎𝑦𝑠 𝑡𝑜𝑔𝑒𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑟. 🔪😉 Let that marinate for a minute... Read it, you're welcome lol! 😜 OH! And PS the audio version of this book is 𝓹𝓱𝓮𝓷𝓸𝓶𝓲𝓷𝓪𝓵! I don't usually listen to audio books BUT the male narrator deserves a medal and an award! Literally the BEST! ᴛʀᴏᴘᴇs: 💙sᴛᴀʟᴋᴇʀ/ᴍᴀsᴋᴇᴅ ᴍᴀɴ ᴘʟᴀʏ ☠️ᴅᴀʀᴋ ʀᴏᴍᴀɴᴄᴇ ("ʟɪᴛᴇ" ᴇᴅɪᴛɪᴏɴ) 🖤ᴅᴀʀᴋ ʀᴏᴍᴄᴏᴍ 💙ʜᴇ ꜰᴀʟʟs ꜰɪʀsᴛ ᴀɴᴅ ʜᴀʀᴅ ☠️sᴇᴄʀᴇᴛ ɪᴅᴇɴᴛɪᴛʏ 🖤sᴏꜰᴛ ᴅᴏᴍ/BDSM sᴄᴇɴᴇs 💙ᴅᴀʀᴋ ᴄʜɪʟᴅʜᴏᴏᴅ ᴛʀᴀᴜᴍᴀ ᴅᴇsᴄʀɪʙᴇᴅ ☠️ʀᴇᴅ ꜰʟᴀɢs 🚩 🖤ᴍᴀꜰɪᴀ ᴛɪᴇs 💙ᴘʀɪᴍᴀʟ ᴘʟᴀʏ ☠️ᴅᴜᴀʟ ᴘᴏᴠ 🖤ᴍᴏʀᴀʟʟʏ ɢʀᴀʏ ᴍᴍᴄ 💙 🔪 ᴘʟᴀʏ (ɪʏᴋʏᴋ) ☠️ʙʟᴀᴄᴋ ᴄᴀᴛ x ɢᴏʟᴅᴇɴ ʀᴇᴛʀɪᴇᴠᴇʀ

Lights Out delivered exactly what I wanted: incredible banter, insane chemistry, and fantastic spice! Josh and Ally’s instant connection felt so special, and I loved watching them navigate their individual problems together instead of letting them drive them apart. The book did feel a bit chaotic and over the place once Brad entered the picture, and there were a few relationships I wanted more depth from (like Josh and Tyler, and Ally meeting Josh's mom). However, the romance itself was so strong that it kept me completely hooked. I’m really looking forward to continuing this series!

I went into this completely blind expecting a darker romance, but what I got was such a fun, chaotic, and spicy surprise. This definitely leans more toward a “dark romcom” vibe, with plenty of tension and morally gray moments, but also hilarious banter that had me laughing way earlier than I expected. The chemistry between the characters is immediate and addictive—Aly’s strong, no-nonsense energy mixed with Josh’s chaotic, unhinged golden retriever vibe just works. The whole masked man element, secret identity, and online obsession storyline kept things entertaining and just unpredictable enough to keep me hooked. Spice-wise…this one absolutely delivers 🔥 It’s definitely on the higher end, with dominant energy, playful edge, and scenes that are bold without feeling over the top. Beyond that, the story itself keeps a solid pace with twists, extra characters, and a bit of drama that adds to the overall ride. It’s not the darkest book out there, but it doesn’t try to be—it’s more about the experience: funny, sexy, a little chaotic, and very bingeable. If you like masked men, strong FMCs, and a mix of humor with heat, this is 100% worth the read.

Loved this on audio. The banter was sharp, funny, and actually felt natural instead of forced. The chemistry between the characters carried the entire story for me, and I found myself laughing more than I expected in a dark romance. And honestly, who doesn’t love a masked stalker whose version of romance is buying you security cameras and adopting your cat? The mix of obsessive, protective, and completely unhinged somehow worked perfectly here. The audiobook narration made everything even better and brought so much personality to the characters. If you enjoy rom-coms with a touch of dark romance, tension, great chemistry, and a morally questionable love interest you can’t help but adore, this was such a fun read.

The book was in good condition and I had so much fun reading it! Even though I probably would have called the police the first chance I got if this ever happened to me, this book is hot and the funny scenes, the banter... I lived for it! Here's to hoping I'll find more books like this in the future!

The quality of the book as amazing. Talking about the book? - turns out to be my favourite dark romance sooo far now, it is super cute and dark at the same time. Loved how both the characters are slightly dark and still ethical human beings.

Il libro mi è piaciuto molto, interessante, accattivante, originale. Mi sono innamorata anche io di Josh! Non credo sia indicato a un pubblico adolescente, per via dei contenuti e della scene esplicite. Tuttavia, da adulta, l'ho decisamente apprezzato e non vedo l'ora di leggere gli altri due libri.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (because 5 stars just aren’t enough) 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️ Please, please check the trigger warnings before diving in. This book goes deep and handles heavy themes. That said… Wow. Lights Out by Navessa Allen wasn’t just good; it was an all-consuming, heartbreaking, sexy, heartwarming, and surprisingly funny rollercoaster. This book had everything. Dark, deep, intense, and still made me laugh? Perfection. Josh… swoons. A brand new top-tier book boyfriend, no doubt. Whew, I had to fan myself with the book. 🔥 And Aly? An absolute powerhouse. She knows what she wants and isn’t afraid to go after it. I adored her. What really takes this book to the next level is the character development. The backgrounds and emotional journeys of both Josh and Aly are so raw and well-crafted that you can’t help but fall for them, scars and all. Navessa Allen created something truly special with this one. I’m obsessed. 💥

Lights Out by Navessa Allen Genre: Dark Stalker Romcom, 18+ My rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Spice: 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️ • TW: Sexually explicit scenes, stalking, mention of (off-page) rp3, child abuse (remembered), medical content, blood and gore, discussion of mental health, limited description of mass shooting, mention of serial killers and their crimes, invasion of privacy, home invasion, death, death of a parent, breath play, knife play, gun play, fear play, primal play, mask play, consensual dubious consent. See book for full list. • Here it is at last—my first five star read of the year. Lights Out by Vanessa Allen was truly a delightful read that had me from the start. It is the most fun I’ve had with a contemporary dark romance in a long time. It was funny, engaging and entertaining. Both the FMC and MMC, Aly and Josh, were a delight to get to know. I genuinely enjoyed watching their relationship blossom into something more than just an obsession. I also want to mention the true crime aspect of the story. It tied so well into not only the plot, but the characters themselves. It offered unique challenges, and allowed the reader to see a new side to the characters that we might not have gotten otherwise. The true crime really helped to round out the story as whole, and it’s something I wouldn’t mind seeing other dark romances do. Now the spice. THE SPICE! I said it before, but I’m going to say it again, Navessa Allen writes smut of the highest calibre. You know the book is going to be spicy, but boy does it deliver! There is nothing vanilla about what goes on between Aly and Josh, and I am here for it. If dark romance is your jam, DO NOT WAIT to read this book. Get your hands on it ASAP! You won’t be disappointed. Thanks again to @navessa.allen for letting me be an ARC reader. It was an absolute pleasure. 🖤