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.

DNF at 51% and I believe I stuck around for 20% longer than I should have. The warnings list for this book doesn’t bother me. I enjoy dark romance.

The writing was too poor for me. I understand that arcs can still go through edits, but I can’t believe this was edited at all by a professional. Since the book is approximately 400 pages, I read around 200 pages, and it felt like 500 pages.

In a bad way. The story dragged on. I don’t think I needed a lot of plot, but this gave me nothing so I’m going to move on.

Thank you Xando & NetGalley for this arc in exchange for an honest (and free) review!

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!

Honestly this was kind of a disappointing read. It was fun for like 20% where the MMC was actually a dark stalker obsessing over the FMC. After that he turned into a goofy cinnamon roll. The FMC was kind of insufferable as well. Like her character was just not believable at all which took me out of the story completely. Then at about 60% there’s a completely 180 plot shift that has you like ??????? Idk this book just did not work for me and would not recommend this read as it was sloppy and all over the place.

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 really loved the first half of the book! It was mysterious, exciting and fun! I did love the idea that she was a nurse with a “secret” love for masked men. My favorite scene was easily when he broke into her house and she was excited and terrifiedBd was itching to find out who it was.
I was ultimately let down by the second half. I feel like we lost the masked man plot and entered Italian mafia? It felt all over the place and inconsistent. The MMC all of a sudden went from mysterious and sexy to a golden retriever boyfriend. And the ER nurse turned into a morally grey who was mostly okay with murder? I was also expecting the “kinky” scenes to be actually kinky but it just felt pretty tame until the epilogue where we had primal play.

I was super excited over the idea of a masked man trope and was hoping for more of it!

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).

<b>"I didn’t want him morally gray. 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."</b>

if you're looking for a dark(ish) rom-com, this is your book!

I really enjoyed this book! it's full of witty banter, spice, and a touch of murder.

The man in this book may be morally gray, but he does have a heart of gold.

Aly is a trauma nurse. Josh is the masked man who makes thirst trap videos on an app. When Josh finds out through a mutual friend that Aly is a big fan and regularly comments that he can wait in her house for her, Josh decides to see whether Aly is just talking or is really open to discovering the kinks together.

And let's not forget Fred the cat! I love books in which the animals play a major role and are respected by the main characters!
And Fred was clearly a spoiled cat 🥰.

“<b>I mean, I know we haven’t had the official conversation yet, but we share a child, and I feel like disposing of a body is a boyfriend-girlfriend activity and not something you do with a casual hookup.”</b>

What can you expect:
🔪fmc is a nurse
🔪mmc is a masked man
🔪stalker
🔪a lot of kinks
🔪a very sweet man
🔪murder
🔪mob family
🔪touch her and die
🔪mmc is a hacker
🔪knife play
🔪witty banter

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!