My new favorite stalker romance audiobook!

The following ratings are out of 5:
Romance: 🖤💙❤️💚💜
Heat/Steam: 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥
Story/Plot: 📕📗📘📙📔
World building: 🌏🌍🌎🌏🌎
Character development: 🙂🥰😎🤩😀
Narrator(s): 🎙🎙🎙🎙🎙
Narration type: Duet Narration

The heroine: Aly Capellucci - she works in a trauma center in an inner-city hospital. Not much phases her after the time she had spent working there. They see all kinds of mayhem that can be done to the human body. They see as much trauma daily as soldiers see on the front lines. She has more compassion for the sad cases than most of the other nurses. She wasn’t dating anyone but was hooking up with a guy named Tyler for about a year, though she hadn’t seen him for over 2 months. She she has a cat named Fred who waits for her to come home after her long shifts.

The Hero: Josh Hammond - He was a roommate with Tyler and had met Aly once before. He thought she was hot and thought much more about her than he would like. Enough to look her up online and he probably now knew more about her than Tyler did. His dad (who he looks just like) was in the news, on documentaries, and in social media, all showing his massive misdeeds. Tyler doesn’t go out much and is a former hacker, now working for a cyber security firm. His secret life was as a masked man online, his screen name was Faceless Man.

The Story: Aly just loves the thirst traps of men in masks on social media. She especially loves the guy known as Faceless Man online. She often dreamed of him. Her kink was pretty deviant, she wondered what it would be like to be in the room when he filmed himself getting off or if he was in her living room all covered in blood just watching her. When Josh noticed that Aly had commented on most of his online posts and videos, he became even more attracted to her and started imagining doing very dirty things to her.

It wasn’t long before Josh was breaking into Aly’s house, wearing his mask. Josh is kind of funny in a way, because he is afraid of being like his father, so much so that he has always been afraid of having pets because he thought he might have inclinations to kill them, since that is how most serial killers start out.

“I need so much more therapy than I’m currently getting.”
I grinned because – same.

“Ally was f*cked up too. Hallelujah!”

“Stupid kink making me lust after a man who probably wanted to carve my skin off and make himself a pair of gloves out of it.”

“She should be wifed up by now, spoiled and cherished like the queen she was.”

I really liked this book. It was super twisted, but I like stalker books and Josh was definitely a stalker and I loved every bit of it. Of course, the things he did were so wrong and if it was real life, I would want him locked up, but for the purposes of this book, I really enjoyed it. I loved both characters, they were dark, but not. They liked their specific kinks and could handle some other not so legal behavior but they weren’t quite as bad as I expected from the book cover and blurb.

This audiobook was told in dual points of view via duet narration and was narrated by Elena Wolf and Jacob Morgan. These are two of my favorite narrators. They both sound so natural, not at all like they are reading. Elena’s voice is clear and feminine, and she sounds intelligent. Jacob has a deep sexy voice and is terrific at dirty talk. Together they do a terrific job on this audiobook. I just love the steamy scenes done in duet narration. Then you don’t have a woman with a man’s voice or vice versa.

I voluntarily listened to & reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts & opinions are my own.

I listened to the audiobook and I cannot say enough about the narrators- absolutely perfect for this book! The storyline was way more that I expected and I absolutely loved it! I would love to read a sequel. Highly recommend!

I absolutely loved this dark comedic romance! It gave major Butcher and Blackbird vibes and I'm here for it. The narrators did fantastic!

Holy smokes! I didn’t think I could love Lights Out more…but hearing it brought to life by Jacob Morgan and Elena Wolfe annihilated me. Besties! THE VOICE MODULATOR! Elena was mesmerizing as she portrayed Aly’s tragic backstory and fascinating journey. Jacob embodied Josh’s duality of tormented darkness and crunchy cinnamon roll phenomenally. Elena and Jacob catapulted Navessa’s humor, spine-tingling suspense, heart-squeezing angst, and body-melting spice to life perfectly. Infinity stars for their performance of this epically wild ride!

The narration of this book is amazing. Loving how the voices fit the characters perfectly. The banter is amazing and the spice is spicing. Highly recommend! This is easily one of my favourite reads this year 🥰

When I read the blurb for this one and found out the author wrote it after she posted an impromptu video about a book she'd write based on a TikTok video she stitched, I knew exactly I was getting into. With a list a mile long of trigger warnings, this is an over the top "dark rom com" stalker romance with a morally gray hero who's unexpectedly loyal, caring and respectful (sorta) and a heroine who's way darker than she herself thought she was. It was absolute fun seeing these two sort off fumble into a very sweet and VERY spicy romance. 

What you get: Aly - a trauma nurse with a mask kink. Josh - a tech nerd with a dark past who moonlights as a masked internet personality who posts some dark but sexy thirst trap videos. A little detail: Josh is Aly's ex's best friend and roommate.  Add an accidental killing, an unexpected mafia connection and you get some dark but funny situations. LOL funny specially when you add Aly's cat. 

This is narrated by Elena Wolfe and Jacob Morgan in duet, which was the perfect choice. They're narration gold in this, especially in the several "inner monologue"moments which are quite hilarious. 

I love how Elena portrays the sassy, "don't mess with me" Aly and how Jacob can make a stalker absolutely alluring and charming while scary. 

The only thing I didn't exactly like about this is how overly descriptive the text is (nope, not talking about the spicy stuff LOL). Every single person, place or situation is described to the minimum detail and, if I were reading, I would definitely skim over it - which I can't do in audio. 

Overall, it's a fun experience. Yes, check the trigger warnings, but it's a lot lighter than you'd think. Have fun!

Content note: Seriously??

I am obsessed with this book!!! The audio was perfect !! The narrators did an amazing job telling the story
I would definitely recommend this book/ audio book to all my dark romance lovers !! It’s has everything that my dark romance heart is obsessed with.

Slam dunk on the narration. Duet narration was perfect for this style book and automatically made me love it even more.

This book is perfect for fans of Leather & Lark. It's a good combo of dark romance, dark comedy, and a small mob subplot. It was like if L&L and Haunting Adeline had a baby. The dark stalker masked man vibes were so hot. My favorite spicy scenes I've read in a long time. Excuse me maam - did not need to add knife handle to my list of "well mayyyybe".

I'm not a huge fan generally of back door action but it was very well executed. There's a little bit of everything in this book. Level 4 spice for sure.

A little bit lacking in the plot department at some spots because I couldn't figure out really what the conflict was but I was having such a good time that I didn't even really care.

2x speed was perfect for both narrators. It flowed seamlessly. Highly recomend the audio and I will for sure be snagging more. books by this author.

This is only my third dark romance, so take that for what you will as a disclaimer for this review. My first two dark romances were the books from the Ruinous Love Trilogy - Butcher and Blackbird and Leather and Lark. I picked this book for an advanced reader copy because it had a similar vibe in the description. As it turns out, I couldn't have been more right because after reading the book, I found it had the same dark but absolutely hilarious dialogue as the Ruinous Love books. I can't help but love a book about death or knife play in the same chapter as they are bantering about the cat.

Aly and Josh are the perfect couple in that they have kinks that align. Josh is obsessive, and Aly likes that Josh is obsessive about her. They are both morally grey enough to be okay with the murder of a really bad person. Aly is confident and strong. Josh is a bit of a nerd and kind of a teddy bear under his bravado. The juxtaposition of Josh's intense online persona and his self-conscious internal dialogue was perfect.

The book was spicy, funny, and unique, all things that make it a 5 for me. Oh, and it doesn't hurt that I was listening to Jacob Morgan as one of the duet narrators. His voice is so sexy I could listen to him all day, every day.

Lights Out by Navessa Allen

⚠️Triggers⚠️
Please check trigger warnings BEFORE reading.

Format: 📱

What to Expect:
🖤Accidental Cannibalism (in past)
💙Dark Romance
🖤Dub-Con
💙Edging
🖤Knife Play
💙Mafia
🖤Mask Kink
💙Mental Health Rep
🖤Praise
💙Primal Play
🖤PTSD
💙Stalking
🖤Trauma
💙Voyeurism

Ratings:
FMC: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
MMC(s): ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Plot: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Spice: 🌶️🌶️🌶️
Overall: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Review:
Aly has uncovered her mask kink thanks to a creator on IG she calls the Faceless Man. When she forwards a picture to her hook-up, he breaks things off. Unbeknownst to her, her ex showed the picture to his roommate, Josh, who was…wait for it…the Faceless Man.

What starts as Josh breaks into Aly’s house to install a camera turns into a kickass duo with a lot of spice.

Lights Out is perfect for readers who enjoy cat daddies, men in masks, and a badass FMC who takes no prisoners.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ALC.

𝗥𝗔𝗧𝗜𝗡𝗚: ★ ★ ★ ★ ★
𝗥𝗘𝗟𝗘𝗔𝗦𝗘 𝗗𝗔𝗧𝗘: August 06, 2024
𝗔𝗥𝗖 𝗥𝗘𝗩𝗜𝗘𝗪:

I had the book AS WELL as the audiobook for this one and let me tell you that the experience was elevated with the narration. Our narrators were PERFECT together and literally brought this entire book to life…They gave me life here really. I will forever be looking for them in more books.

This book was a like if Butcher and Blackbird and Haunting Adeline had a spooky little baby. This book will have you hooked by the first page and take you through a fast paced ride until the very end. I loved our two great main characters : Aly and Josh. Aly is a trauma nurse and Josh is a hacker && the man who is going to bring Aly’s fantasy alive and she doesn’t even know it yet (ahem and neither does his roommate (her ex haha). The banter and chemistry in this book is uncharted, stalkers hiring stalkers to stalk themselves was a HOOT and the sp!cy of this book was certainly smokin’. I just have to say that I think even though I love our two main characters here, I absolutely adore FRED the cat.

This ending is going to have you reeling for MORE! There are a lot of TW’s that I think you should of course as usual investigate before jumping into this read.

𝗧𝗥𝗢𝗣𝗘𝗦: Primal, Secret Identity, Bratty Heroine, Slow Burn, Rom Com, Ex’s Roommate, Masked Men, Dark Romance, Stalker, Cat Parent, Possessive, Morally Grey Cinna-Roll, Kn!fe Play etc…

This was fantastic. I really enjoyed it and couldn’t stop listening. I was hooked from the first minute! The narration was wonderful. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this audiobook.

First impressions 💭
The Trigger warnings initially had me worried that it might be too much for me or that I might get the ick during certain scenes. Happy to say… I did not… at all 🙈😂

What I Loved ❤️
- CONSENT!!! Hallelujah!! Beside the very first break in, I love that Josh told Aly at every point, if you want me to stop, just say so. If you aren’t enjoying this, just say so. No Safe words, just say no at any point. She wanted it all as much as he did and if that wasn’t the case I’m not sure I would have been able to get into it like I did.
- Josh… swoon
And Jacob Morgan, even more swoon. His narrating was on point and could not have been more perfect in my opinion!
- I loved living vicariously through these characters to experience things I might never want to try IRL or be subjected to IRL. Stalking is bad (I try to convince myself)
- I really enjoyed the first half of the book and hearing from Aly’s perspective as a trauma nurse, that was really interesting and provided the opening for the second half of the story to not seem so far fetched.

What I didnt love 👎🏻
- I Didn’t love the narrator for Aly as much as the male narrator and it did take me a while to warm up to her. I think it might have been because she sounded a little older / more mature than Josh which I don’t think was the intention for there to be an age gap.
- The second half with the mob stuff I didn’t enjoy as much as the initial thrill of them meeting in the first half. But the story had to progress and go somewhere!

Favourite Quote 📝
“ I didn’t want him morally grey, I wanted someone with a soul as black as night. Someone who would burn the world down for me and not lose a single minute of sleep over it. ”

Final verdict ⭐️
There are some things that are safer to experience by reading about it than in real life, and this book is full of those things 😂
Stalking is bad, I know stalking is bad… but navessa allen writes in a way that makes it all strangely justified… and if my stalker was Josh I’d happily accept it too 😂

5⭐️ | 4🌶

What to expect:
~ Stalker romance
~ Mask and kn*fe play
~ Morally grey MMC x Feisty FMC
~ He falls first and hard
~ Top tier banter and spice
~ Cat parents
~ Un*living as a couple

Review:
Let’s just start by saying that I am absolutely stunned (and a little worried) seeing how much I enjoyed this book!

This is the first dark stalker romance that left giggling and laughing out loud! While I got approved for both the ARC and ALC on NetGalley, I opted for the audiobook and it had me hooked from start to finish. Even though dark romance isn't usually my thing, this blend of fluffy, dark, funny, and witty elements made it irresistible.

The story features two very loveable characters- Josh and Aly, who share a quirky interest in ‘masked men" thirst traps. Josh creates them, and Aly drools over them. Their chemistry and banter are off the charts, making this possibly the best romcom, stalker romance, and thriller of the year.

The narration by Elena Wolfe and Jacob Morgan is phenomenal! Their comedic timing and character portrayal are impeccable. While Jacob brings Josh’s sarcastic, funny, and dark sides to life effortlessly, Elena makes Aly endearing and super relatable. Together, they make the audiobook an absolute joy to listen to.

This story is packed with plot twists, tough topics, and dark themes, but the humor and heartwarming moments overshadow the darker elements. Despite the occasional intensity, it remains an enjoyable and hilarious ride.

If you’re a fan of ‘Butcher and Blackbird’, you’ll love ‘Lights Out’. The stalker romance trope is turned on its head in the most delightful way! The spice, banter, and unique love story make this a standout listen. Highly recommend checking out the audio version as it’s an experience you won’t want to miss!

I saw literally one TikTok about this book saying it has Butcher and Blackbird vibes and I immediately requested the ALC from Netgalley haha. And I'm so glad I did because this is definitely a top read of the year! I loved every second of it.

Josh has a secret life as a masked man on social media and Aly has been following his page for a long time. When he notices her comments on his videos and realizes he knows her in real life, he proceeds to stalk her in the most hilarious way to figure out if she's into the same things he is...spoiler: she is.

This was some of the best banter I have honestly ever read. I usually have a pretty good poker face while reading but I could not keep a smile off my face while listening to this! And I was literally sweating at some of the spicy parts haha The narrators were fantastic and a big part of that, but truly the wittiness and chemistry between them was top notch. I loved how the banter continued during literally any and every situation, too!

I loved Aly and how strong she was, especially with what she has and continues to go through as a trauma nurse. She embraced who she was and all her *preferences* and I loved that she found the perfect match in Josh.

And I mean, what's not to love about Josh!? He has his own demons to work through, but I loved being in his head as he worked through his feelings for Aly and their situation. Despite literally stalking her haha he cares for her so much and would do literally anything for her.

I have nothing bad to say about this book. I already want to reread. Everyone should read this please and I will never stop recommending for my dark romance lovers!!

Fantastic book! Voice modulator? Omg. I had this on all day and couldn’t put it down! The narrators did so good!!!

Oh my GOSH. This might be one of my favorite reads of the year. Like this audiobook was next level??? And the book itself was SO freaking funny. Like I was flipping through sweating 🥵 and then laughing till I snort. Please please do yourself a favor and read this book. I will never look at scrolling through masked men on TikTok the same 🫣🤭

Whoo-wee that was intense. Highly messed up. Highly recommend.

The Narration: Elena Wolfe and Jacob Morgan both did amazing. They did that thing where, no matter whose POV that chapter is, when a male speaks, Jacob narrates and vice versa. I love when they do that. But they also did such a great job narrating that is was like listening to a movie rather than the reading of a book.

The Story: Okay, I didn't know how I would feel about a masked MMC/stalker/dark romance like this but Navessa Allen is an amazing writer. I fell for the story despite such dark themes. The MMC is so likable despite his rough past, and the FMC is a strong badass who has seen some stuff. This story is not for the feint of heart but man is it good.

Tropes (some of these might be TW, too. There's a long list at the beginning of the book):
• Masked MMC
• Stalking/hacking/surveillance
• Morally Gray
• So many kinks

I don’t really know how to review this to be honest haha I was very entertained the entire time. It got pretty dark in spots, but the dark humour was amazing. The banter was so good too! And the narrators dueting this is *chefs kiss*

I would classify this maybe as like fun smutty dark romance? It was a fun depraved read 🤣

Thank you NetGalley and publisher for this Audio ARC.

This was a great audio book! were fantastic!! The narrators did great! They made the book so much better!! I really enjoyed the plot and the characters in this book! A dark romance with a true storyline and action and romance all mixed in! I cannot wait for book 2. This was my first by this author but will not be my last!