I’m always worried when social media is the route that introduces me to a book, but this book did not disappoint! And honestly, we has a society need to confer—what makes a slow-burn?—because honestly “slow burn where?” Never met her here.

The spice and the plot went together so perfectly in this book that around the 70% point when I was expecting an “oop the story is over now” romance style wrap up, I look to see I have 30% more to go?! Loved that, no loose ends!

All around a really well done dark romance with all the kinks in all the right places.

Lights out is deliciously unhinged. Equal parts dark and hilarious, I found myself saying “oh, that’s not so bad” to the myriad of TWs.

Navessa Allen’s characters are multi-faceted. MMC Josh is fierce, protective, a stalker, and a golden retriever. FMC Ally is strong, loyal, likes it rough, and just wants someone to take care of her. These two match each other’s freak and it was fun reading along as they tried to outsmart one another.

I absolutely loved Lights Out and would recommend it to any dark romance readers or those who liked Brynne Weaver’s Ruinous Love trilogy.

For the fans of Butcher and Blackbird, this is SO for you. If you are looking for a dark rom com full of witty banter and some amazing spice, Lights Out is definitely a book to add to your TBR. After coming across a reel about riding a knife I knew I had to check this book out. Allen definitely did not disappoint. SPICE LEVEL - 5/5, FIVE STAR READ.

Thank you to Zando, NetGallety and Ms. Allen for the opportunity to read an ARC of this title. An honest review was requested but not requried.

Definitely feel like this is an entry into the subgenre? niche? of whatever category Butcher & Blackbird is in. Dark romance but make it even more niche. This book features mask fantasies/mask kink/fear kink, which I've never really read about before but I suppose, sure, why not. I really liked that Josh's background (his father was a notorious serial killer) made him constantly question his motivations, his true feelings, and his choices. On the other hand, Aly seems like a more mainstream person who has discovered a kink for masked men in social media thirst traps. She is a trauma nurse (I believe she worked in an ER, but I could be wrong) who lets off steam by surfing social media in her downtime and has come across videos of "the Faceless Man," a hard-bodied, tattooed man who wears a mask and frequently plays with knives and blood and other, um, props.

Aly's <s>infrequent booty call</s> sort-of ex Tyler is actually Josh, AKA, the Faceless Man's roommate. When Aly messages Tyler in hopes of reenacting some masked scenes, Josh (a skilled hacker) finds out and is able to find her from messages left on his accounts. He makes contact with her through social media and thus begins a stalking (but mostly consensual) relationship between them.

I was actually really enjoying the book for the first half to two-thirds, until the plot took a sharp turn from Aly and Josh's "relationship" into sort of a mafia book, which I didn't care for so much. The momentum completely ground to a halt and the tone of the book seemed completely different. I also enjoyed Fred (Aly's cat) at first; he served as a sort of canary in the mine for Josh as to whether -as the son of a serial killer- he could tolerate animals. However, the baby-talk lavished on Fred sort of veered into cringe territory for me. (I have a dog. I have had dogs and cats. I LOVE my pets. But I don't talk to or about them like Josh and Aly do. Too much.)

I wish we could have cut out the mafia part entirely and had Josh (or Aly!) go a little darker and handle Brad themselves. I mean. It's DARK romance, right? Sloane and Rowan would have chewed these two up and spit them out before the first chapter had even ended. Josh turned out to be a GIANT cinnamon roll underneath that mask.

Apparently there are trigger warnings; none of them bothered me so I don't even remember what they are but if you are a very sensitive person please watch out for those.

All in all, the first part was fun, solid 3 1/2 stars. If the author writes more I'd be more than happy to read them.

Thank you NetGalley and publisher for this arc!

What a good book!!! Such a good story and great writing style. This was my first by this author and will not be my last! This book hop led me from page one and wow!!! Just wow!!!

**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.

What to expect:
*Dark Rom Com
*Masked stalker
*Touch her and die vibes
*Darker kinks (consensual dubious consent, knife play, gun play)

Aly is a hospital trauma nurse with a mask kink she has mostly kept to herself. Josh had a complicated childhood he tries to hide from but has a significant presence online as a certain masked persona. When Josh learns Aly not only follows his account but may be interested in the same darker kinks he is, his interest grows to an obsession to stalk and try to play it out with her. As their masked interactions go on, it becomes clear to Aly she doesn’t fear harm from her masked stalker and Josh grows to realize he cares for her beyond fulfilling some dark fantasies.
If you are a fan of dark rom coms you will find this to be a fun read. The banter between Aly and Josh was so playful and fun, even along the darker themes and situations. I love dark humor, so it didn’t faze me. This was a high spice read for sure! Josh was the best at fulfilling his role while still making sure she was onboard and just as into it along the way. This is Dual POV, which I loved because we got to see and understand each one inside and out.
Do check your trigger warnings if you have themes that might bother you, but I think Navessa Allen did a great job distinguishing between what darker fantasies and kinks can look like in a healthy way versus truly problematic behavior. It was a great read overall. Thank you NetGalley and Zando Projects for a chance to read and review this book!

Thank you Zando for an eARC of this book- this is a re-release through a trad publisher.

Themes/Tropes: Serial killer parent, stalker, he falls first, morally grey, Mask, unaliving, ex's best friend

Check you CW for this one my friends...

I would say this is for people who enjoyed dipping their toe into dark romance with Butcher and Blackbird but wanted something darker... Also if you liked Mercy this one will be right up your alley.

I enjoyed this book and the two main characters. The MMC, yes he's a stalker, but somehow he was also kind of a golden retriever BF, I honestly don't know how those two go together but it works- I promise.

The FMC is a trauma nurse and has discovered masked men on TikTok, she has a favorite and when she is trying to see her occasional friend with benefits she send a video asking him if he would come over in a ghost face mask. When he asks his roommate about it... well lets just say the roommate liked to wear mask on TikTok.

The MMC has so much inter turmoil associated with his father and his childhood, it was a lot, but because of it he has become a recluse and hides in his apartment all day, except when he is making his TikTok content or hacking into computer networks.

Oddly enough this book was a wild ride, some mystery, lots of smut, and a cute cat named Fred.

4.5⭐️

really enjoyed this book!!! I have never read a stalker romance before and boy am I glad I dipped my toes in with this book!

I loved the mixture of dark romance, banter and murder that was featured in this book, it all really kicked in after the first 20% and left me to absolutely binge read it over the course of three days. Aly and Josh are such a hot power couple, the chemistry they have... wow... All I can say is that they definitely match each other freak. That epilogue was 🔥🔥🔥🔥

For some reason I thought this was a serial killer romance à la B&B and had forgotten it was also a stalker romance so that was a bit of an adjustment but I really enjoyed the book overall and will definitely be picking up more from this author!

Thanks to NetGalley and Zando Slowburn for providing me with an eARC in return for an honest review.

Emergency room nurse Aly has been secretly watching the Faceless Man thirst trap TikToks for months. Little does she know, the Faceless Man is actually someone in her orbit. When he learns that she’s been watching him, he decides to watch her back. With or without her consent.

This new dark romance from Navessa Allen and Zando books was honestly so much fun! It did remind me a bit of Butcher & Blackbird in that it deftly mixed comedy with really dark romance and content but it definitely had a unique tone all of its own.

Josh was such a surprising softie that I couldn’t help but fall for him. The way he was so obsessed with Aly was so cute, even when he did things I would absolutely consider major red flags irl. His relationship with Aly’s cat was one of my favorite parts of the book.

This one is quite dark and does have a long, long list of triggering topics at the front. Please do read and be mindful of this if you pick this one up!

OH MY GOSH!! This book was everything I didn’t know I needed in my life🤭 absolutely a top read of the year for me.

If you loved Butcher & Blackbird, you NEED to read this!

The banter, the spice, the plot *chefs kiss*🤌🏼💋 already planning my reread when I get my hands on the physical!

-stalker romance
-morally grey MMC
-masked stalker
-he falls first
-black cat x golden retriever
-kink friendly

5/5⭐️ | 3.5-4/5 🌶️

Thank you Zando & Slowburn for an early copy.

Truth be told, this is not my first time reading this masterpiece. Was it just as good as the first time I read it? Abso-freaking-lutely!!!!!

This book has the best of everything. Romance, comedy, spice, adventure, trauma and healing for the characters, friendships and even Mafia!

Somehow Navessa has managed to craft a story that holds such incredibly heart felt serious moments and so many spit-out-your-tea laughing moments too. I will never tire of reading this story.

There are zero faults for me in this book. It is the most unique book I've ever read and I'm so freaking thankful I've had this book in my life.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this eARC.

What a wild ride this read was! I’ve read some dark romance, but this was my first ✨dark✨ romance and it was so fun. I immediately fell in love with the characters and was giggling throughout the story because of their banter & humor, and I really enjoyed the plot. A great mixture of toxicity (😂), suspense and spice! I also learned some….. interesting things while reading the book as well 🫣 I’m excited to see what the rest of the trilogy will be about!

Thank you @zandoprojects #partner for the free copy of this ebook!

Wowza this one was so wild and a hella spicy! This one gave me Butcher and Blackbird-ish vibes with even more spice! It’s definitely not the same but fell in that realm for me. I definitely had to suspend belief because the policeman daughter in me was screaming “oh hell no” the entire time when it came to the FMC safety and the decisions she made. No one…and I mean no one, is making those decisions! 👀 All that aside, the humor and banter between the characters was a lot of fun! I caught myself chuckling a few times out loud which I love! This book was extremely entertaining if you like dark romance and a bit of playing hard to get. My favorite part of the story was the relationship that came to be with the FMC and MMC. I liked how the trauma of the MMC brought them together in the end. Speaking of the end, it was very intense and felt a bit like it was part of another storyline but I do think it came together and ultimately tied the loose ends up. Make sure to check the TW in this one as there definitely were some…and to those that aren’t sensitive, buckle up buttercup because this one is crazy!

Dark Romantic Comedy🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️
This was really entertaining read I loved Aly and Josh and Fred!! The characters were so good Aly was strong and confident and Josh was a mix of red & green flags in the best possible way. Overall a very fun and high energy read with an unexpected twists and turns in the second half of the book. Would definitely recommend.

I actually really enjoyed this book.
The witty banter between the two main characters set the story up for some great comical moments! Aly takes nothing from anyone, and Josh uses humor to deal with his childhood trauma and these two together were perfect!

Aly is a strong FMC I love to see and she puts a lot of male characters in their place in the best way! She’s confident and falters for almost no one, except Josh…

Josh’s family history and trauma really lends itself to his comedic relief but also explains so much about his characters personality and I loved seeing his character come out of his she’ll because of Aly.

I love how you aren’t kept in the dark about Josh’s identity for very long and you know almost right away but Aly is left wondering for much longer!

I did feel like the beginning was a little slow but about 1/2 way through the pace really picked up!

Definitely check your trigger warnings as this is very clearly dark a lot of times so if dark humor is your thing, you’ll love this one!

This was fantastic. I really enjoyed reading it and didn’t want to put it down. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this ARC!

Lights Out by Navessa Allen was just what I needed when it popped up in my inbox. I devoured the first half in one day and then happily took my time with the rest over the next two days.

Something that I really enjoyed were the characters. Both POVs. After reading some fantastically developed characters in sci-fi and fantasy, I often struggle with the believability of relationships and feelings in romance books because they’re often too short and feel too rushed to me to make sense. While I wouldn’t exactly call the fMC here unhinged, I do think both of the characters’ hyperfixative qualities and their passions make them a good fit together in a way that’s more believable than when the fMC seems “more normal” than the “unhinged” mMC. The mMC did feel uncharacteristically full of himself on 2 or 3 occasions in a shallow way that just didn’t feel right for his character development up until then but other than that, I really liked both of them. The fMC was really tough but also vulnerable in a way that made sense due to her life experience and I loved the obsessive, sexy, and somehow also golden retriever type personality of the mMC.

I think one of the biggest issues for this book was managing expectations. The first third felt very much like a vibes book in the way that the blurb promised. I enjoyed the intro to the characters, how they started interacting, and so on. But eventually it does switch to something very different. And while I didn’t dislike the plot that eventually took over and wasn’t hinted at in the description at all, it just wasn’t what I was expecting at all. The focus shifted a lot from mostly vibes to mostly plot. While that plot did feel a bit stereotypical mafia romancy, I still really enjoyed the dynamic between the characters and how they handled various situations.

While I understand why people would call this a Dark Romance, especially after seeing the content warnings, I personally hesitate to call it that because of the overall dynamic of the relationship that defines the vibes of this book a majority of the time. The fear factor between them added a level of excitement that was really fun but the consenting, joking, lovable characteristics that remind me a lot of Butcher and Blackbird just didn’t make this feel as dark as what I’m used to from this subgenre. It did have a couple of moments that definitely had that feel but that was more psychologically so rather than due to graphic details or the like and probably had a lot to do with my own experience affecting those scenes as well.

I personally thought the spicy scenes were really fun. Were they super original? Probably not. But at this point it’s getting hard to find completely new scenarios in that sense anyways with so many romance novels coming out every year. I enjoyed their dynamic and if you want the fun of masks, knives, and dominance without the dubcon, then definitely give this a try.

I saw this called a tiktoker’s fantasy in a negative way and while I don’t dispute the literal meaning of that — it really does feel a lot like it’s written to a specific audience in that sense — I don’t see that as a bad thing. Why not give the masses what they want? I had a really good time with this and while it did have some flaws here and there, I’d much rather recommend this book over most of the other popular Dark Romances I’ve read so far that felt rushed, forced, and shallow. While at times tropey and a little stereotypical, overall this felt really fun and exciting and I’m happy to try more books by this author.

“Couples that slay together stay together.”

i wasn't sure how much i was gonna enjoy this in the beginning but once i got into it, i was pleasantly surprised!

josh is the perfect embodiment of christian harper (twisted lies) and devon blackstone (pump two). he's a bit of a stalker, yeah sure, but he was so caring and thoughtful, i could excuse the multiple occurrences of breaking and entering (among other crimes). besides the fact that he uses the law as a suggetion, he's just a big ol' tatted softie and i love him so very much.

aly is such a badass. she knows herself and doesn't need anyone to protect her. plus she didn't allow a small case of hidden identity to send her running for the hills but instead, sat and allowed someone to explain the reason behind the secret. third-act conflicts are one thing, but unnecessary third-act conflicts are another and i'm so, so grateful this didn't have that.

this was unserious and fun! it does touch on some heavy topics though so be sure to check the trigger warnings. yes, the romance is fast paced but its still quite the entertaining ride.

if you like butcher & blackbird, masked men with questionable morals, and characters that have a joke for every situation (serious or not), then i definitely recommend this!

thank you to the publisher and netgalley for a copy of this book in exchange for a review!

4.9 / 5.0

This is the best dark romance I have ever read. It is about a trauma nurse with a mask kink and the man she thirsts after, but it is grounded in reality in the most sensitive ways.

The triggers on this are intense, so read them thoroughly before proceeding. Unlike other book in this sub-genre, this one doesn’t use background emotional/physical trauma as plot devices. These characters are self-aware and proactive in their own healing. They purposefully interact in their lives and react to things that happen to them in feasible ways. Let’s just say, you really don’t have to suspend your disbelief too much (until the end and it gets conveniently goofy) to enjoy

I read this before it was picked up by a publisher and am so happy to see it getting the mass market push. It is an incredible story and the start of even better things to come. I recommend this to anyone that likes dark romance, murder & mayhem, and good spice because I cannot forget to mention that the spice in this is epic.

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher, and of course the author for access to this ARC. I cannot wait to own another copy of this book.

Until Next Time,
MC

I wasn't expecting something so fun and light, but I liked it all the more. The writing style won me over immediately, and I loved the characters' internal dialogue about what they were doing and feeling. We're inside the heads of characters who have a lot of humor, second-degree, and objectivity about what's happening to them and the choices they make, which makes it easy to identify with them.

Of course, the dark and passionate side is present, and Aly sees every one of her fantasies come true thanks to a particularly attentive Josh (someone might use the word 'obsessed').

The two characters are a perfect match, and I loved the evolution of their relationship from the moment of their second (masked) encounter to the very end.

Great epilogue, by the way. This was my 1st book by this author, but I'll be reading her other works with pleasure!

10/10! This was amazing! Easily one of my top reads of 2024! Dark but lighthearted, hilarious and sweet 🥰 loved every second. Highly recommend

I loved this book so much, the humor and sarcasm mixed with action and a tiny bit of tense moments, it was amazing.

when I first started this book, I thought the majority would be smut and little plot, and while there are copious amounts of smut, the plot is top tier, from who Josh's father is, to the stuff he and Aly pulled was amazing, at least to me, I loved every second of it and I also loved that Josh's dark past gave me chills like a Criminal Minds episode would give me.

sure the turn was kinda unexpected but I loved it very much. everything was just a perfect mix of humor, spice, hotness, sarcasm, and crime and it was amazing.

How was this dark romance with such questionable situations so much fun? Why am I so confused right now? Why did I love this so much? It was amazing! They had so much fun together. The witty banter was perfection. Aly is such a strong woman and is ready to let go in some eyebrow-raising ways. Josh has just the right amount of vulnerability to even out his psychosis. They were such great characters on their own and even better together. I absolutely freaking loved this so much.

Loved the "touch her and die vibes". People compared this to Butcher and Blackbird that I lovvvvvved!
Wasn't quite comparable however, still good and definitely gave similar vibes. Would recommend to anyone in their dark romance era.

Update 7/20
Read it again after receiving an ARC from the lovely publisher. I STILL LOVE IT. And still can’t wait for the audio. It’s my sort cute meet. Masked man breaks into your house after you chat online 🖤 I love Josh and Aly is fantastic.

I lucked out and got this before it was picked up by a publisher. I LOVED THIS BOOK. I can’t wait for audio. The banter and humor were great. I 🖤 Josh. So much. A masked man, murder, anonymous (kind of) sex. Yes, please and thank you 😘

I devoured this book in one sitting! I loved the banter both online and in person between Aly and Josh. It is a stalker dark romance but, it's really a sweet and loving relationship. Josh is stalking Aly once he realizes she's interested in blurring fantasy and reality but, seriously he is the most loving and caring stalker ever! I love when an author gives us a good epilogue and this one is pure perfection!

Mask kink and make it a romance that’s more than just pure filthy sex
🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️
Aly Cappellucci is a trauma nurse and to relax her mind after hard shifts, she watches hot men in masks .. particularly one man. She’s a little hooked on him.
But when he realizes she, the ex hookup of his best friend, has all kinds of fantasies, he wants to make them come to life.
Josh is a hacker and goes feral for Aly. He goes above and beyond to know everything and every move of Aly. Aly has no idea who this masked man is. And it’s part of the thrill…

The thrill. The chase. The fear. They both realize how seriously turned on it makes them both.
“I wasn't rational. It was time to accept that about myself. Sometime in the past year or two, I'd waded into darkness, and now I was swan-diving into the deep end. I was a sex-craved, sleep-deprived woman more interested in a kinky fuck than safety and comfort.”

As these two get their freak on, Aly finds herself face to face with a real stalker .. and Josh helps with a master plan to get rid of this person.
There’s only one guy that’s allowed to break into Aly’s home and that’s Josh.

Fun, spicy, and entertaining. I really enjoyed it. It’s actually kinda sweet. I mean, Josh is a sweet guy. You’ll just have to read it for yourself! HEA!

I absolutely LOVED this book!! A dark romance with a morally grey masked man that actually has a plot? Uhhh count me in!
Loved that amidst all the darkness, smut, suspense and everything in between, there was a masked man who played the role just as well as he did the fluffy, loving man who fell head over heels for a woman and her cat.
This book had me feeling all the feelings, one minute I’m laughing, the next I’m sitting on the edge of my chair or on a masked men bing eon TikTok wishing I was Aly 😂
Aly and Josh had hilarious banter despite all the dark and I absolutely loved it 👌🏼

If you love Butcher & Blackbird and Leather and Lark , this absolutely has to be your next read.

Considering the darker themes in this book, you wouldn't think it'd be possible for it to be as absolutely hysterical & heartwarming as it is.

I love how quirky Josh is & both of their dark senses of humor. I loved how Josh takes care of Aly & the fact that there is such detailed aftercare after the spice is so freaking good. You really don't see it enough in books & this was perfection.

I love them together & now I need to own this in every format and find a hundred more books just like it. You won't regret reading this spicy, humorous stalker romance!

This was a WILD ride and so unique. I really enjoyed how Josh and Aly met. Honestly I enjoyed that Aly was doing some light stalking first! The content was dark, but it was actually such a sweet romance. They were so gentle with each other (emotionally).

This book.
Man. This book was fun, quirky, hot, full of suspense, and sexy as hell. I love the premise of the tik tok masked “stalker” fulfilling a fantasy. The whole set up felt suspenseful but also safe in that we knew the main characters actual relationship to each other - even when they didn’t. I loved watching their connection play out and the fact that their own insecurities were a part of their “seduction”.
This book made me laugh and giggle and smile the whole time. Loved it!

Did I have a mask kink before Lights Out? No...do I after Lights Out?? For sure, yes!!

This was a fun and enjoyable read. I absolutely loved how "almost" realistic situations were. Like books are for fun, but it's refreshing reading how the characters aren't just about to jump on some stranger right off the bat just because.

What an amazing book!!!

Aly is an ER nurse and if you know anything about healthcare it takes a special kind of humor to make it through. She doesn’t have friends, random hook ups here and there. But she finds herself obsessed with masked men on TikTok, one in particular. Will her comments on his videos stay comments? Or will fantasies come to life from someone she least expects?? The banter between the mmc and fmc is top notch! Will recommend this book to everyone who loves a dark romance mixed with a little comedy!

First, a thank you to the publisher for early access. This was a very delightful read. It's smart, funny, silly, scary, creepy, and sexy. The TWs at the beginning look overwhelming but take the moment because they all happen. Shout out to Fred.

3.75 ⭐️

I find it absolutely wild this concept came about because a video on TikTok went viral, lol. Anyway, this was a decent read; my initial thoughts going in; a dark, stalker romance, with a mask play kink, what's not to love. I think I glossed over the rom-com bit, because I was not expecting for this to be so funny.

There were parts that I really enjoyed and other parts that fell a bit flat, in terms of the plot. It started off really strong and I really liked the main characters, Aly and Josh. They had great banter and chemistry, too; Josh was just so unhinged most of the time, I loved it. I thought they were really in-depth characters, Josh especially with his childhood upbringing and notorious dad, known as the 'Ken Doll Killer'.

The second half of the book felt like a completely different story from the first half; I thought it was good, but didn't quite fit, as the first half had focused on Aly and Josh's relationship and the whole mask thirst trap thing going on. Aly having connections to the mafia; it just felt a bit disjointed and out of place, but I did like her estranged family members.

Lets get into the kinks; breath play, knife play, gun play, fear play, primal play, a sprinkling of praise kink, and of course, mask play - it was a lot of fun; honestly, I would have been fine with this just veering on the physical side of things and the characters themselves than the whole mafia subplot.

I will say that there was some pacing issues and clunkiness with some sentences/phrasing/writing that just felt like I need to take a breath, or just random, didn’t flow well, but wasn’t overly bothered by it, and I overall had a fun time reading.

Tropes

He falls first
Dark rom-com
Stalker romnce
Touch her and die
Morally grey mmc
Kinks; cnc, breath play, knife play, gun play, fear play, primal play, praise kink, mask kink, anal play, edging and spanking.

Do you like banter? Sexy masked men who are obsessed and will stalk you...new kinks? Strong willed FMC's? Exciting plots and sexy time that are equally plentiful? Then this book is right up your alley! I laughed for a majority of the book with the back and forth banter between the MMC and FMC. They played off of each other so well never backing down. The characters were well developed as was the story. This book has many different levels each leading into the next keeping the reader engaged and thoroughly entertained. The backstory slowly emerges for each character bringing clarity to why they are and do what they do. I recommend this book as it does not disappoint and will leave you wanting to know what happens next.

I saw the posts, the TikToks, the quotes and immediately went feral, desperately trying to find a copy and along came Zando to bless my kindle!

I was so incredibly excited and it did not disappoint! It was dark and spicy and everything I was looking for. It was the stalker romance that had sweet moments but also had you on the edge of your seat. It sometimes made me giggle and other times I genuinely couldn’t put it down.

Also the spice - TOP TIER! I love a morally grey character and this really took it there. It was so freaking good, I absolutely ate it up! I can’t wait to read anything and everything from Navessa Allen - you’ve got yourself a fan for life!

This was so good!!! 🤭
I swear I had so much fun reading this one !

It was my first masked men dark romance and it didn’t disappoint ☺️now I want more !!

The “LOL” scene made me cackle 🤣
Josh is sooo funny & such a sweetheart!

But we can all agree that the star of the show clearly was Sir Frederick Cappellucci Hammond, the first of his name 🐱 I love him!!

This book gave me kind of the same vibes as butcher & blackbird but slightly less darker & a bit more funnier !!

Oh & The spice was top tier 😮‍💨🔥 soooo good

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️

I actually give this book a 3.5⭐️ but I can’t do halves on here and it’s closer to a 4 than a 3. It’s a level 2.5 on my spice scale as well. I had a lot of thoughts while reading this book. It is a stalker romance, at least during the first half but it changed direction. Really enjoyed the stalking and playful tricks that the MMC played on the FMC. But then out of nowhere and with no explanation on how she made her conclusion or her thought process, our FMC figured out who her stalker is. How did you figure it out? What was your thoughts process? The name of the MMC really threw me off as well. Josh, a J name? Of all the names in the universe, Josh is his name. I don’t know why but that really got me. About half way through the book it took a hard right turn as well. Our FMC is no longer the career driven woman who is saving lives at all cost. Now she is dark and having murderous thoughts and she also has ties to the mob? That was way outta left field. I definitely didn’t predict that one. All in all, while I did have several issues with this book I did still enjoy it. I think it should be at least 100 pages shorter than it is, lots of unnecessary content in there, but I did still enjoy it.

I am concerned how much I love these morally grey rom com dark romances 😂 send help… or more of them??

Aly and Josh’s chemistry is 🔥 and mix in some cute cat daddy dynamics with Fred the cat and you’ve got a winner. I enjoyed the story and boy was there some spice. Sure there were some parts where I was WHAT but there were some high stakes thrills and excitement that kept me on the edge of my seat.

So if you like a golden retriever, morally grey stalker who falls first, get your hands on this book and devour it.

As always check the trigger warnings before you dive in.

I absolutely loved this book. I stumbled upon it as one of my recommended and I just disregarded my current tbr list, because it just sounded so good. It's a little dark, but not too much. It had some hilarious moments that I had to just put my kindle down and laugh about it real quick. Their banter with each other was great. Josh is definitely a golden retriever type stalker, which is something I loved.

"The couple who slays together, stays together."

This book gave me everything i love.
- Masked Men? Check
- Stalking? Check
- Knife Play? Check
- Bondage? Check
- Edging? Check
- Primal Play? Check
- Cute, funny banter? Check
- The most devoted, sweet, loving man who doesn't play around about his girl and will absolutely fuck you up if need be? Check
- Murder? Check

This book was so funny. I found myself laughing out loud so many times. The spice, the banter, the chemistry between the two main characters was perfect.

Loved this book !! Do you like a hot mask man who is going to stalk you ? This book is for you ! A dark romance rom com, that has the best amount of spice and comedy. Highly recommend!

I really had fun reading this one! Definitely along the lines of Butcher & Blackbird, this dark romance is spicy and dangerous. It was a bit longer than I was anticipating but it didn’t completely lose my attention kind of long. It was fun throughout the whole story! I really enjoyed the characters as well! I am so grateful to Zando for sending me this one early and I can’t wait for everyone to try it out!

OMG this book was so great! I couldn’t stop reading it.
I love that there are so many fun moments and pretty disturbing moments and so many unexpected twists in the story.
Aly is such a badass character. She was obsessed with masked man and finally her dark fantasies become reality. And Josh has finally found a woman he can really care.
If you like dark romance, stalking and some mafia then you’ll definitely enjoy this book!

lights out is the perfect "decaf" dark romance! It has the perfect combination of morally gray main characters, mafia, knifes, and a cat. The book never felt stale and kept me on the edge of my seat from start to finish.

If a light-heated stalker romance could exist, it would be this book. I would have liked to see the main character put up a little more of a fight knowing that someone just broke into her home, but you can't help but fall in love with Josh. They match each other well and the way he takes care of Aly and is there for her after all the horribleness that surrounds her on a daily basis, it was was difficult not rooted for him.

I truly enjoyed this book! I've been wanting to read it for awhile and when I saw ARCs available for the republishing, I jumped on it. This book is a perfect stepping stone for those who aren't sure dark romance/stalker romance is there thing.

Josh is such a cinnamon roll for a guy who posts masked thirst traps and has the urge to stalk a woman. I think his backstory with his father added a little something extra to his character. I'm not going to lie, I'd love to know more about that time in his life. That being said, the author did a really good job of making sure this story was about Josh and not his father.

I loved Aly! I feel like a lot of us ladies can relate to her when it comes to watching certain types of tiktoks and reels. She's such a badass though and isn't scared to handle a gun or protect herself. I felt like the way she handled everything with her stalker at first was really good. I liked that she didn't just sit around and cry about it. Nope, she tried to stalk him back and solve the mystery, WHILE being smart about it. She had mixed emotions about the entire thing which felt pretty realistic to me.

The only part I was a little meh about was the mob aspect near the end. I would've rather seen Josh and Aly handle their little issue on their own. It just felt a little out of place to randomly drop the fact that some of her family had mob ties, especially after learning about Josh's father.

All in all. I really enjoyed the story. There's no third act breakup, and I found the writing and plot very interesting, and the spice was 5 alarm! Seriously, if you're a lover of spice be sure to add this book to your TBR.

Completely delectable dark romcom.
Aly is a trauma nurse in the ER, in her free time she enjoys watching masked men thirst traps on the web. Unbeknownst to her, the faceless masked man is Josh, the roommate of her ex-hookup. Josh is secrecy obsessed with Aly after finding all of her comments on his videos and decides to act on his feelings, but not tell Aly who he is. A bit of cat and mouse stalker, but Josh really cares about her and wants to keep her safe from the actual bad things.

I loved this book so much, so much! I can't wait to read it again. It was funny and sexy, a darker romance that feels like a romcom.

I was lucky enough to receive a free copy to read and review honestly.

My first from Navessa Allen, and it was an enjoyable read for sure! Aly and Josh were very likable characters and their inner dialogues were so funny! The banter is so good here. I would say I loved the first half of the book so much, but the last half dragged/didn't pan out well for me and here's why:

There was too much and too little at the same time. Multiple times throughout the book, details would be written in excess. So much so that I was anticipating something to happen, or I thought I would need to remember the detail later on but that was not the case (i.e., when Josh gets the cat to bring back to the bedroom, floor plans). Other times, when I wanted details to be embellished, it was glossed over.

Also, Aly's background was a fun addition but almost felt too sudden lol. I wish that was explored a little it more because I felt Josh's character rounded out very well.

It's a thick book but it actually reads fairly quickly, barring the additional details/conversations.

Overall, great romcom with dark themes. Don't go in expecting a super dark romance. Expect morally gray characters, spicyyyy scenes, and a whole lotta fun!

Absolutely hooked on this book!!! I couldn't put it down once I started! And my kids were begging for my attention. (I may have got the bad mom stamp that day) I related this book to one of my other favorite books, and I think this one might actually top it! So that has to say something!!! If I could give this book more then 5 stars I would totally give it more! I devoured this book!!! And I can't wait till I can hold this book in my hands and put it on my shelf along with all my other books I love!

I liked the premise of this book because it’s as real life as one can get.
Hot guy on the internet with a mask and the FMC is obsessed.
But switch it up where the MMC is also obsessed the FMC just doesn’t know.

And so ensues the rest of the story.

I did feel at times that it was a little lackluster and 90% spice but also I got to live my masked man fantasy in these pages. So I can’t be that mad.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶️🌶️

when i first saw a video about this book around halloween, i knew i needed to read it. it was right up my alley and when i got the arc, i was not disappointed.

this is described as a dark rom-com and man oh man is it 😂 there were so many times i was laughing so hard i almost pissed my pants!!!! my husband kept giving me some weird looks when i would just randomly start cackling at something aly said. seriously, this was so funny i think my sides are permanently bruised from laughing so much.

josh. joshua. josharoni. where do i sign up for one of you? is there an order form i have to fill out? a waitlist? because wow. this man is Hot™️ and i would gladly crawl to him. i also get why he's vegan. that would scar the shit out of me too, man.

aly is so fucking funny, i want to be her best friend. seriously her humor is exactly like mine and i need her in my life. let's go get coffee girl, we'll make a day of it! i love that she's tall and muscular and not described as like, a petite woman. i'm tired of reading those. and the fact that she looked at those thirst traps and left those comments? yeah. we're soul mates.

this book was seriously a lighter version of butcher and blackbird and i L O V E D it. every single second. i'm buying this book for every single person i know for christmas and i'm forcing them to read it so they can laugh with me.

adventurous dark emotional funny inspiring lighthearted medium-paced
Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0

this book was so cute pls. ik it's a dark romance but it's a lot lighter than say butcher & blackbird but it does have similar vibes.

i think it was so funny how josh tried to portray himself as like a scary person like ooh he's stalking people ooh he's hacking but he gags at anything really bad

loved this book so much that I'm immediately rereading it bc I just loved being in that world so much. I'm so excited for the next two books.

the premise of the faceless man deciding to meet her & them ending up together based on a drunken text drew me in.

I love how this book can be dark with like "touch her & die" vibes without glorifying serial killers.

Who knew a morally grey golden retriever was actually the man of my dreams. Not me, until I just met Josh.

This is a Dark Romantic Comedy with LOTS of spice. I thought this book was really easy to read and really entertaining. I loved the banter between Aly and Josh. Reading how much fun they had teasing and poking at each other definitely made their relationship spark to life. In turn it also meant that the thing I loved most about the book was these characters. I loved Aly’s strength and wit. She was not one to put up with anything from anyone and I appreciated that about it. Then there was Josh, who was a very complex walking green and red flag. Honestly the man was just so sweet and goofy yet an absolute beast. Having a flip he could switch was probably the hottest thing. His entire demeanor and his bond with Fred had me giddy most of the book. I can’t help it, it was wholesome and hilarious.

Overall the plot was fun but at times I felt some things just came too conveniently and there wasn’t really any kind of plot twist. The second half of the book took an unexpected turn but I had a feeling something like that would happen based on the cover of the book.

The epilogue was amazing. I love that it high energy and entertaining while also wrapping their story up with a great ending. I really enjoyed Josh and Aly and FRED! We cannot forget the real MVP of this story which is Fred. He was iconic and I loved him.

I enjoyed reading this and I would first say that you check the content warnings before you read this. This is a dark romance that is pretty light and also gives off the rom-com vibes of Butcher and Blackbird. The fmc is a trauma nurse who has unconventional kinks while the mmc is a masked man who videos himself for people with that kink. He notices the fmc watching his videos and starts stalking her.
I think this was fun because the fmc was consenting to every wild thing he did and I liked that aspect. I really enjoyed that the mmc never wanted to hurt her and was a pretty good guy despite the kinks. The first half of the book is the fmc and the masked man getting into each other and the last half is an unhinged mmc and fmc getting rid of another nasty man who was stalking the fmc. Overall this was a very fun book, i loved the banter and I thought the fmc was pretty bold and sure of herself and what she wanted. There are a lot of spicy scenes, BDSM, mask play, and primal play. Definitely read this if you like dark romance that's also fun. Thank you to Zando for the arc of the trad pub version.

Read if you like:
- Dark romance
- Primal play
- Stalker romance
- Touch her and die
- Mask kink

OMFG.

Wow.

Um.

I loved this so much?!

If you liked Butcher & Blackbird this PERFECT for you.

Thank you Zando Projects, Slowburn & Navessa Allen for an early copy.

Loved this book and devoured it in one sitting because I could not stop reading! The banter is hilarious and the chemistry between Aly and Josh is absolutely to DIE for! I loved how this had a plot line in addition to the spice! And the spice was delicious!! Definitely perfect if you're a mask loving dark romance reader!

🖤 Slightly unhinged FMC
🖤 Masked (morally grey cinnamon roll) MMC
🖤 Primal play
🖤 🔪play

•I have no regrets about publicly claiming you. Claiming me? Oh, god. No, vagina, do not quiver at that. Damn it. Not you, too, ovaries.•

I learned a few things about myself reading this book…mainly that I probably need therapy 😂 but I mean who doesn’t and who wants to be normal anyway?

•“You’re deranged. You know that?” I shrugged. Deranged. Protective. Same thing.•

Like who’s not gonna fall for the golden retriever psycho stalker boyfriend? Cause I definitely will. Every damn time. If you enjoyed B&B and L&L by Brynne Weaver I recommended picking up this book. It has the dark romcom but make it psycho vibes of those books. Which I think maybe my new favorite genre!

•He was like a soft dom—sweet in the streets and mean in the sheets. But, like, mean in the best way. Bossy and demanding and relentless, and oh, no, I was getting turned on within five feet of a fresh corpse.•

Seeeeee. Yep this book was so good I can’t wait to have it on my shelf thank you so much Zando, Slowburn Reads, and Netgalley for sending this book and thank you Navessa Allen for writing it! You got a new fan!!

Tropes:
• Stalker romance
• Morally grey MMC
• Masked stalker
• He falls first
• Black cat x golden retriever
• Kink friendly

We all have those thirst trap men and women on social we watch on repeat, right. This book delivers a five star story with a five star spice. Where do I start, Love the cover, Loved the synopsis, the story has me all twisted up. Dark romance that had me laughing out loud with the banter between these characters, a coaster ride of a story was so well done. The spice between Josh and Aly was just hot. This book does come with trigger warning…aren’t we all in our trigger era though, I digress, I highly recommend this book. Such a fun read. Thank you to NetGalley and Zando Projects for the ARC in exchange for an honest review. Thank you also to Navessa Allen for this amazing love story, I’ll be thinking about this one for a while. Pub Date Aug 6,2024 Looking forward to owning this one.

Such a great entertaining read!! This is the most fun I’ve had reading a book in a really long time and I can definitely get behind more dark romcoms in the future. I’m not going to lie when I say I was a bit skeptical of the plot when I read the synopsis because I thought how does one create a 455 page book off of masktok? However, I truly enjoyed that the author created characters that had substance and were oh so relatable. Aly and Josh had amazing chemistry together and I loved that they were able to act out their fantasy’s under the guise of anonymity.
I am still thinking about this book and will definitely be doing a reread.

Thank you Zando Projects and Navessa Allen for the Arc.

UMMM HELLOOOOO!?!? Where was this book all my life because it was sooo HOT and perfect.

A trauma nurse with a mask kink & a masked tiktoker who is lowkey obsessed with her?! AHHHHHHH!!!

Aly enjoys watching sexy masked men videos after she gets off her rough, long ass shifts, but there’s one in particular who she can’t get enough of and always comes back to. What she wasn’t expecting was to one day find his mask on her bed…

The banter between these two was AMAZING! These two were definitely made for one another & were quite the couple. I felt like I was constantly giggling like a freaking school girl! There is suspense, there is sooo much kink, there is smoking hot tension that had me gasping for air!! The story was so good too ugh it was just wonderful all around!! Couldn’t put it down!

Spice: 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️

Tropes:
Dark romcom
Masked Stalker
He falls first
Morally grey MMC
Black cat x golden retriever

Thank you Zando for the ARC!!

Lights Out was a fun, darkish book about two people with the same kink. I was pleasantly surprised by how much I liked this book. The banter between Aly and Josh was fun and aside from the darker aspect of the book, it had some sweet romance to it too. I think if the MCs hadn't been as sweet or funny the book would have been a tad too dark for me.

There are several trigger warnings for this book, but the actual 'dark' part for me wasn't in the smut/kink factor but in the (spoiler). Unfortunately without that 'dark' part of the story, there wasn't much of a plot, just smut.

This was my first Navessa Allen book and I enjoyed her writing style. It was easy to read and the 🌷 🍆 💦 scenes were entertaining and 🌶️ 🥵 . I would be interested in reading other books by her.

Overall, this was a pretty decent book, not one I'll be recommending to my mom, but if you like your smut on the darker side and can handle the other trigger warnings, this is a well-written and fun book.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5/⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️/🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️

This was a really fun time. I completely forgot I applied for this ARC, so it came as a welcome surprise when I got this in my inbox. Navessa Allen hit something special when she wrote this, it had me laughing, crying, screaming and kicking my feet. Dark romance, masked men, touch her/him and you die, stalker… say no more, I’m going in all guns blazing. Everything from the characters to the story was a wild ride. As a dyslexic reading, I struggle reading unaided, hence why I like immersive reading as it helps with concentration but this was so easy to read and follow, I was falling in love with the book and it kept me engaged so reading without the help of an audiobook was no issue. Josh and Ali were a picture perfect couple minus the stalking though, if Josh decided to stalk me; tall, dark and tatted… say no more. He’s also a computer genius… sounds like my kinda guy. And kinky af… and he does thirst traps, is there anything this guy can’t do. Ali is a badass and will bow down to nobody’s bullshit, I loved her chemistry with Josh and how they have really witty banter. She’s not a pushover and I feel for her character as well as Josh’s. Relatable and well developed. The only thing was that I wish we got more background into Josh’s past and also the Ali’s connections to her extended family, it touched on the estrangement but it doesn’t go too deep. The spice however, was spicing and it did make me question some things about myself, it was top tier spicing. I loved seeing the connection of the MMC and FMC on a sexual level, all the kinks and then it got even better as emotions got involved, Josh takes care of Ali, even down to the “no safe words, just tell me to stop and I’ll stop”, putting her needs ahead of his desires, but obviously Ali’s a big girl and she can take it. AGHHHHHHHHH, swoon. I loved this, it has some great quotes and funny moments, I’m looking forward to having it physically.

5 stars for Aly and Josh ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thank you so much to Netgalley and Zando/Zando-Slowburn for giving me the opportunity to read an ARC of Lights Out by Navessa Allen!

This book was such a ride! And I enjoyed every single bit of it. I'm devastated that it's over and I'm hoping and praying that Navessa Allen will write more for Aly and Josh!

Please read the trigger warnings! I can honestly sit here and write poems and sonnets and haikus and allll that jazz about this book. The comedy, the thrill, the romance, the masked man?! Navessa Allen did us well. And let's be real, the best character in this book is Fred. Hands down. Surprisingly, Tyler wasn't as much of a jerk as I thought he'd be and he was a very good best friend.

I loved how Aly and her masked man met. It was something different and original to me. Also the way that these two came together and actually talked their problems out? That was appreciated. I enjoyed reading about the reality of Aly's personal life as a trauma nurse and seeing Josh take care of her after her long nights at the hospital were so sweet. I mean this man cooks her bacon, it was so sweet *wipes away happy tear*. They both grew from their past trauma and that lead to them building a beautiful relationship!

If you are a fan of romance with mystery and spicy spice and of course masked MMCs then this book is just for you! In the words of Josh, "The couple who slays together, [indeed] stays together." Now, excuse me while I wait for the official paperback to release!

Book Review
Lights Out by Nevessa Allen

⚠️Triggers⚠️
Theres a slew of them…. Read the warnings at the start of the book

Tropes
🔪Murder and the mob
😇Good girl meets bad guy😈
❤️‍🩹Childhood trauma
👀Sexual kinks and quirks
No door- the door does not exist 🍆🔥

Thoughts
✅New to me author
✅Dark romance- its my guilty pleasure
✅Sarcastic witty banter was on point- humour as a coping strategy is always relatable
✅Both MCs have a healthy knowledge of their own Mental health and access to supports and therapy are openly discussed

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.”

Overall
If you like vanilla (in either sex or your murder mystery) then this book is not for you- scroll on by
If you like taking risks, spontaneity, trying new things, and have a healthy sexual appetite- read this book

Thanks to @zando and the author for my digital copy in return for an honest review. Opinions expressed are my own.

Working the day after a holiday should be illegal. Thank goodness I had a great book to keep me company this morning.

Thank you @zandoprojects and @netgalley for the arc in exchange for an honest review.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading “Lights Out” by Navessa Allen. I saw the blurb for it, and since I’m leaning into my dark romance era, I felt like now was the perfect time to read it… and when I say read it, I mean binge it. Couldn’t put it down.

The themes are dark and heavy. There’s mask kinks, knife play, stalking, voyeurism, and unaliving. However, this book was also surprisingly warm, caring, and laugh-out-loud funny. I enjoyed every second of it. There were a few scenes I would have liked more of (the spicy ones for sure), and some that I could have done with less of (family business), but overall I thought it was really well done and I can’t wait to read more from this author.

Thank you to Netgalley, the author and the publisher for sending me an ebook copy in exchange for an honest review.

BESTIES. I requested this book while my hyper-focus was Call of Duty (still is a hyper fixation but shhhhh) and, more specifically, I was hyper focused on the excellent Simon 'Ghost' Riley and Captain Price. So, a book based around a cosplayer who is similar to Ghost. Sign me UP.

And boy did I have fun reading this. It was a great pallet cleanser that kept me interested the whole way through. I was reading this on the train, on my lunch breaks.....all the time. This was cute, a little dark, and absolutely wonderful for a dark romance beginner, (which I am not...).

The writing style was really smooth and well thought out, the characters were adorable and I loved seeing them go from cosplayer and fan to toxic buddies to falling in love (even though she was already kind of in love with him from the beginning). If you are looking for a dark romance that is good for beginners and based around the one and only Simon 'Ghost' Riley.....this is the book for you.

4 stars.

✨ Spicy
✨ Touch her and die
✨ Bad ass FMC
✨ Masked MMC
✨ Exboyfriends best friend
✨ Cat and Mouse
✨ Dual POV
✨ Mafia Family

STOP IT RIGHT NOW. This book was wonderful. Imo the perfect cat and mouse duet. There was spice, there was chase, there was a reason to be on the edge of your seat. I loved everything about it. Aly is a trauma nurse and a total badass with a fondness for masked thirst traps she sees on her FYP. Josh is her ex boy-toys best friend who is 100% my newest book boyfriend and I am not ashamed to admit it, who just so happens to also be a masked thirst trap maker. Also, there is a cat named Fred and he is by far my favorite supporting character of the year.

I loved this book. I would say if you liked Butcher & Blackbird and can get past the trigger warnings this is 100% down your Aly (ha, get it, Aly... ill see myself out)

I had been wanting to read this book for quite some time and was so excited that I got to review it. Going into it I knew this book would be interesting and quite the story, dabbling in some questionable territory.

Aly is a trauma nurse and in her spare time has quite the obsession with a mysterious masked tik toker. When he turns out to be someone she knows he starts to find ways to be around her, by stalking her. She likes it and he likes it. The end, not so fast!

Now, what I thought would be a spicy romantic story turns into a bit of a suspense in the middle. It threw me off a bit and while I enjoyed the majority of the book I felt like that portion was a storyline wasn't necessary and could have been told differently. I just didn't care for that part of the book and wish it had taken a different turn. That is just my opinion. The beginning of the book was amazing though!

Overall this book was enjoyable and didn't lack spice for sure. I would recommend and I'm glad I got to read it!

Thanks to NetGalley, Navessa Allen and Zando for allowing me to review this ARC!

Have you found yourself scrolling for hours on Booktok with masked men thirst traps? Then this may be exactly what you are looking for! The chaos of borderline hysterical stalking in this novel made for a fun read that had me thinking same, girl, same to Aly's inner monologue. Josh was unmatched in his reaction to Aly, who doesn't love a hacker watching your every move to make sure you're safe, *swoon*. Josh may be smart but Aly keeps him on his toes and they both compliment each others crazy - like a match made in dark romance heaven. Full of spice and story to keep you wanting more this was a great read, get ready for it's publishing re-release on August 6th!

Lights Out is a dark, spicy romance. Aly is a trauma nurse who has a particular interest in tattooed, shirtless guys in Scream masks on TikTok. Little does she know, she has a connection to her favorite TikToker.

Pick this up if you like:
- Butcher & Blackbird
- dark romance
- spice
- protective trope

TRAD ARC review. This book was the book that got me into dark romance as this is also a read with a ton of humour. I absolutely love Aly and Fred (who by the way should win an award for best cat). Josh knows no boundaries but he can’t help it! It’s not his fault he is a tad different! My man can’t cook for the life of him. But he’s funny! One SUPER important thing to mention. He did nothing wrong. I will happily become his defence lawyer free of charge. Well. I’d love to pet Fred. He needs his own book. Aside from that the spice was spicing and just *chefs kiss* I can’t wait for the rest of the series.

I should have anticipated that with the ghost face tiktoks goin’ around, that a book would be born out of that demand - and it delivered!!!

lights out is easily my new fav read of the year. navessa manages to take us through 101 emotions (sometimes on a single page) in the best way possible. it’s hilarious, emotional, tender, morally questionable, and all around a fantastic book.

aly is a strongly written character, and i adored her wit and her sarcasm and her obsession over our masked mmc was hilarious. the comments she’d leave on his videos had me crying laughing (seriously!)

our masked man (name redacted for spoiler reasons) is one of the best written mmcs i’ve read. his moral compass is so skewed and his inner monologue is so so funny. he’s fiery hot, posessive, but so kind and treats aly with such a tender love that you can’t help but fall in love with him yourself.

i am so so happy to have read this and will be buying everything navessa writes ever again!!!!!

Yes! Yes, please!

Lights Out is absolutely amazing and sets the standard!

The way the story unfolded between Aly and Josh is beautiful and unexpected. Fred is, of course, the star!

Aly is fierce and confident, I loved that about her. She is a seasoned nurse and the way it is tied into the plot of the story felt so authentic to me.

Josh, oof, where to begin. First, *add to cart*! Second, he is so layered in his thoughts and personality. He's hot, he's a masked man, he has this online thirst trap persona... but he is so much more than that. Josh is emotional, deep, navigating insecurities and very real to him fears... while also being obsessed with Aly and wanting to make her his in every way.

I know this book will be a comfort read (and soon to be listen) to me as I have already read it three times straight through, and some chapters more than that.

Navessa, should you read this, YOU are absolutely amazing! You've gained a loyal obsessive reader. I cannot wait for the rest of the series and to see where the characters take us! I hope that we can get a movie of my babies!!

Thank you! and an extra thank you to Zando. <3

This was so so good! I was made aware that this has already been removed from print and KU on Amazon, but it will be getting traditionally published in August, and I know this is going to be BookToks and Bookstagrams next dark romance obsession ❤️‍🔥

I would recommend this to people that loved Butcher & Blackbird and The Mindf*ck series… it just gives the same ✨vibe✨

<b> For more bookish content and reviews, please follow my bookstagram💕

www.instagram.com/lovinmyshelf </b>