Lights Out is like a thrill ride through your FYP’s darkest corners! If you've ever scrolled past masked, tattooed anti-heroes with that irresistible "morally gray" vibe and thought, “Maybe I have a type...” then this book was practically written for you.

Our FMC, a bit of a curious (and possibly tipsy) thrill seeker, makes the bold move of sending a single late night text that turns her ghost mask fantasy into real life. And by “real life,” I mean she’s got herself a brooding, tatted, knife-wielding (and let’s just say very attentive) man who’s about to make her wildest, darkest dreams come true.

Narrators Elena Wolfe and Jacob Morgan bring this steamy story to life with perfect intensity. Wolfe’s voice captures the thrill and curiosity of a woman plunging headfirst into her desires, while Morgan gives our enigmatic anti-hero all the edgy charisma you’d hope for. Their voices weave together to build a suspenseful, haunting atmosphere that’ll keep you listening, especially after dark.

With dark romance tropes dialled to the max and a few twists that’ll keep you on the edge, Lights Out isn’t for the faint of heart.

If you like your romance spiced with a touch of danger and your MC’s morally dubious, this is a must listen!

A dark romance girl, I am not. But when I saw so many of my peers raving about this book, I knew I had to give it a try! The author does an excellent job of giving thorough and informative trigger warnings, which is a rarity these days. Our characters jumped off the page and yes, I did enjoy how Josh wasn’t your typical dark romance lead, he was actually very soft for Aly! The audiobook was fantastic as well with duet narration. Just overall not my cup of tea, but objectively a good book.

This is THE audiobook okay yall!!! Like WOO LFG. Butcher and Blackbird vibes and the perfect spice. I honestly think this is a great beginner dark romance book. It’s dark and the spice is spicing, but there’s humor and you can’t help but absolutely love Josh both as himself and as the masked man.

I will say, the first 40% was so strong. I expected this to be a five star read, but the last half dragged on. I didn’t ever really want to pick it up after the masked man reveal. That’s not to say I didn’t enjoy my time but just wish the whole thing was as exciting as the first half.

I really enjoyed this one! The narrators were fantastic and I think they absolutely made this book better than if I read it from the book.

The storyline was really unique and I loved how they worked together. It was funny and overall I had a great time with the characters and the story.
I do think this was a little chaotic at times and I think the line "couples that slay together, stay together" doesn't really apply well to this book. I read that same line in a different book and it totally applied to that book while it just felt as though it wasn't all the way thought through for this book, making me think it was maybe a serial killer romance type book instead of an accidental death and covering it up together once.

I still highly recommend this one!

Lights out was great!! And the audio is fantastic! It was thrilling and gripping and completely captured my interest and hooked me the whole way through! I loved the story and the dark romcom aspect. I also really enjoyed both narrators so the audiobook was very enjoyable to listen to. I’m excited there will be more to this series I can’t wait for the next book! Would definitely recommend this one to fans of dark romance and romcoms!

What a hot, spicy, dark and steamy audiobook in which I loved every minute of it. The narration was TOP level. I would listen to anything these two did together.

Due to the content I don't believe it would be for everyone, but I did enjoy it. I appreciated that the there was consent and laughable moments sprinkled throughout. I want to thank NetGalley, Navessa Allen and Dreamscape Select | Slowburn to allow me to listen to this book.

Thank you to NetGalley and the Publisher for an advanced audiobook copy of Lights Out, in exchange for an honest review.

This was so much fun! Absolutely loved the narrators. They truly brought the story to life!!!
From the moment I dove into 'Lights Out' by Navessa Allen, I knew I was in for a wild ride—and wow, did it deliver! This book is the epitome of fun and excitement; it truly encapsulates everything I was hoping for and more. If you're on the hunt for your next morally grey book boyfriend, look no further; Josh is about to steal your heart and perhaps even land a permanent spot on your book boyfriend list.

Let’s start with Josh. Oh, Josh! He’s the son of a notorious serial killer, but don’t let that deter you—his personality is a delightful juxtaposition to the shadows of his lineage. He might possess some darker instincts, yet he comes across as more of a golden retriever wrapped in a cinnamon roll. His character traits are a perfect mix of charming: funny, flirty, witty, and shockingly considerate. He’s a hacker, which adds a thrilling layer to his persona, but it’s his ‘acts of service’ that truly had me swooning. The way he genuinely wants to take care of Aly is, without a doubt, a dream for many readers.

Their relationship is electric. The banter and chemistry between Josh and Aly are nothing short of spectacular. I couldn’t help but laugh aloud at his inner monologue, especially when he breaks into Aly’s house (no big deal, right?) and immediately sends her security equipment to ensure her safety. The blend of humor and romance here is simply brilliant. And let's not forget the memorable scene where Josh, in an exceedingly thoughtful yet cheeky move, stabs a knife into her mattress and tells her to ride it—only to follow up with the promise of a king-size replacement delivered the next day. Can we say 'next-level boyfriend material'?

Aly's journey exploring her masked men kink, with Josh creating a safe and entertaining environment for her, adds an enticing twist to the dark romance genre. It feels fresh and invigorating, all while maintaining a lighthearted vibe. The fact that he talks to her cat and refers to them both as “mommy” and “daddy” had me melting into a puddle of affection—seriously, how adorable is that?

The plot of 'Lights Out' is engaging, filled with delightful surprises, and it beautifully balances humor with steamy moments. Listening to the audio version took my reading experience to another level; it was immersive and nothing short of exhilarating.

In conclusion, Navessa Allen has crafted a hilarious and charming narrative that balances fun and a touch of darkness, perfect for anyone looking to step outside of traditional romance tropes. 'Lights Out' is not just a book; it's an experience that will keep you entertained from beginning to end. So grab your headphones, settle in, and prepare to meet Josh—he's the kind of character you'll want to revisit time and again. Highly recommend!

This dark romance was a fun play on modern day social media apps and trends. I really enjoyed the humor being incorporated. I found myself giggling and kicking my feet on multiple occasions.

Fans of Butcher & Blackbird will love this title. It's a great intro to dark romance, and can be used as a good palette cleanser for readers like myself who enjoy the unhinged and emotionally traumatizing books.

While I typically go for books that are WAY darker than this title, I still had a blast.

please note that the trigger warnings and topes/themes may contain spoilers
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
HEA: HEA
POV: dual 1st person, duet narration
spice: many open-door spicy scenes
TWs: animal cruelty/death (non descriptive, off page), bribery, accidental cannibalism, car accident, mentions of child sickness, mentions of abuse, child abuse, death of a parent, death of a patient, domestic abuse, grief, gun violence, attempted home invasion, hospital setting, mentions of r@pe (no on page descriptions), serial killers, stalking (in a cute way), stalking (not in a cute way), trauma nursing, murder, vomit
Kinky Content: anal play, BDSM, biting, blindfolds, blood kink, bratting, breast play, breath play, car sex, CNC, cum play, cumming in pants, dirty talk, edging, exhibitionism, eyes on me, fear play, gun play, hand necklaces, kidnap play, knife kink, mask kink, masturbation, nipple play, oral, praise, primal play, sex toys, squirting, voyeurism
standalone: standalone
final thoughts: I read the duet narration audiobook and OMG they were both incredible and brought the characters to life in such a beautiful way.
Everyone come meet my new book husband!! 🥰🫠🧎
I laughed, I cried, I swooned, I was on the edge of my seat. This book was so much fun and I absolutely LOVE both MCs. I really wish this was a series so I could get more of them, but I’ll definitely be reading more from this author since I loved the story telling.

read this book if you love
😆 banter
⛓️ BDSM
❌ best friend’s ex
🍪 cinnamon roll MMC
🖤 dark romance
🥵 dirty talk
💬 epistolary
🎁 grand gestures
🧑‍🤝‍🧑 great side characters
🤫 hidden secrets
🩹 hurt/comfort
😏 kinky
🔫 mafia
💞 mutual pining
❓ mystery
😌 only soft for her
😜 over the top, jealous, possessive MMC
🙏 praise
😂 romcom
👺 secret identity
🤐 secret relationship
👦 she falls first, he falls harder
☠️ “touch her and die”
☠️ “touch him and die”

I loved this book. Dark romance! Cover buy.

Aly is a trauma nurse who hasn’t had a day off in years. She of course is in therapy & doesn’t keep a man more than a few dates.

Josh is the roommate of someone who dated Aly shortly. He’s a recluse, coder/hacker that has an online presence where he posts masked thirst traps.

Aly cyber stalks the no-named masked man. She’s obsessed! She’s got a link involving a masked man breaking into her home & when she tells the masked man he begins to stalk her IRL.

They both have a past that explains a lot & it’s slowly revealed as the story progresses.

I don’t want to give too much away. There’s some humor but also a bunch of TWs.

If you liked Butcher & Blackbird and Leather & Lark you might like this. Spicy!! Aly & her mystery man are gonna get their kink on.

Thank you NetGalley & Slowburn. I can’t wait for book two! It’s concerning that I don’t consider romance a favored genre. LOL Loved this!

Wow, this book was just a really good time! Laugh out loud funny with great spice and a plot that makes you not want to put it down.

The narrators truly made me enjoy the book even more. The banter between the main characters was perfect. I mean, this captured me instantly. Plus, we were given the gift of a cat daddy. I am forever grateful.

This had been on my TBR for a very long time, and I truly appreciate being able to review the audiobook prior to the rerelease

This audio was fun exciting and had plenty of drama the angst and lust for the MMCs is top notch which makes for an amazing listen.

I loved every minute! I highly recommend this audio of you always wanted to listen or read dark romance but was hesitant this is the perfect introductory book!

Thank you Navessa Allen and Net Galley for my honest feedback.

This book was totally out of my taste league. Having said that, I got to about 40% off the book before I stopped listening. The fmc and mmc are adorbs, their banter added humor to that whole darkness thing. Narration was well done by Elena Wolfe & Jacob Morgan.

#netgalley #LightsOut

“Lights Out,” by Navessa Allen

A really good stalking and masked man book. It reminded me a lot like Butcher and Blackbird with the dark romance themes and similar humor. I liked the balance of story and romance, not too much of each. I liked both the characters and was definitely hoping they would be together the entire book. I listened to the audiobook version and the narration was really good for each of the characters. 4 out of 5 stars.

-Masked Man
-Stalking
-Funny

Thank you for the ARC, Netgalley.

Spicy, darkish, definitely some kinks. But also humor. Not my typical read but entertaining enough.

Audio was pretty well done.

Many thanks to NetGalley, Zando and Dreamscape Select for an eARC and ALC.

If you’re a girly with a mask kink this is for you! Please check content warnings before reading. It’s definitely got a good balance of humour and dark parts but I can guarantee it isn’t overly dark when it comes to the stalking. If you enjoyed Butcher and Blackbird you’ll enjoy Lights Out.

The pacing and plot were so interesting, I thought that the way Aly and Josh came into each others lives had a unique quality to it. It is definitely not something that can be replicated which makes it even better.

Aly & Josh are literally the epitome of ‘is somebody gonna match my freak’ they were clearly two missing puzzle lives that fit together. You could tell there was a certain level of trust between the two even with the dark parts involved. The spice was chefs kiss and the banter between the two was hilarious. I also loved how Josh kept referring to him and Aly as mommy and daddy to Fred the cat!

Lights Out by Navessa Allen, narrated by Elena Wolfe and Jacob Morgan was such a fun read. I know what you’re thinking. Fun? This is supposed to be a dark romance. Well, it is, but it’s very balanced and has perfect comedic timing.

Elena and Jacob did such a fantastic job with their narrations. There was so much personality in both of their voices. Jacob Morgan’s voice was perfect for Josh.

Aly finds herself pulled towards the TikTok account by a masked man. She’s an avid follower. One offhand comment, sets the ball in motion. Our masked man finds himself obsessed with Aly. He wants to protect her, he wants to take care of her. In his own twisted way. Breaking into her home, video cameras, you know all the normal kinds of things.

Their chemistry was FIRE. There’s no other way to put it. There was spice, and it was good. It burned slowly at first and then once it ignited, oh boy. Just prepare yourself.

If you want a dark romance, with Deadpool vibes, give this a read/listen. I’m definitely going to be keeping an eye out for more of Allen’s work and about to go hunt down more audiobooks featuring these two!

This book… confused me ..
I was soooo into this book initially and then it just hit the fan for sure once she wanted to learn who the masked man was honestly

The good
Good narrators
Love this unique take on modern world ie: Instagram, DMS etc
Unique thirst trap mask kink
It had some of that comedy that came with Butcher and Blackbird

The bad
HOW LONG IS THIS BOOK.. and also WHY is it this long. There was so much wasted time on unneeded descriptions.
I was expecting dark romance but it was a bit too comedic and not dark at all.
The man behind the mask reveal…sooo underwhelming
He was a bad guy so he had to die .. I would know I am a trauma nurse.
All of a sudden the mob is involved.. why?
Where is the daddy issues for Josh outside of him simply stating it .. theres no depth there
There isn’t any real plot here.. there is however a lot of smut.

The way I absolutely devoured this book! I finished it in two sittings, and even now, I can't stop thinking about how much I loved this book.

Aly is a trauma nurse who has a mask kink. She follows a masked man online and doesn’t realize he’s a little closer than she expected. When he begins to stalk her, she doesn’t know if she should be turned on or if she should run. Where will this relationship go after they explore their darkest fantasies?

I absolutely loved Aly and Josh! They were such great characters separately and together. I loved the way Josh would do anything for Aly, and his relationship with Fred was hilariously amazing. I also loved the element of anonymity as Aly tried to figure out the identity of the man behind mask. The banter was amazing and the spice was hot! If you like stalkers, masked men, sweet heroes that would do anything for their girl, and strong heroines that can take care of themselves, you will love this! Also, highly recommend the audiobook as it has dual narration and both narrators did an amazing job!

**Trigger/ Content Warnings: Sexually explicit scenes and language, knife play, alcohol use, stalking, mention of off page SA, medical content, death, blood, gore, remembered child abuse, anal play, mental health and illnesses, mentions of serial killers and their crimes, invasion of privacy, limited description of mass shooting, home invasion, hidden cameras, theft, hacking, remembered unintentional cannibalism, remembered car accident, breath play, primal play, mask play, death of a parent, gun play, stabbing, fear play and consensual dubious consent.**

I heard about one particular scene from several months back and I was SOLD! The rest of the story also did NOT disappoint! This book had me giggling and kicking my feet at certain moments and drooling and fanning myself at others. I’ll be adding Josh to the top of my ever growing list of book boyfriends. Speaking of list’s I highly recommend adding this book to yours!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.