Lights Out by Navessa Allen, like so many popular dark romances with questionable themes, has been the subject of much online discourse. I saw one post comparing it to H.D. Carlton’s Haunting Adeline, defending the book’s dark subject matter, and without knowing anything else, I knew this was one to read.
Aly Cappellucci has dedicated her entire life to her work as a trauma nurse. She works crazy long hours whenever needed at the hospital, and then goes home to her cat. The only thing she indulges in just for herself is the TikTok thirst traps of a mysterious masked man. She fantasizes about this masked man waiting for her when she gets home one day but never imagines those fantasies would ever come to life.
Josh Hammond can only truly be himself online. He hides from the world and his traumatic past behind a screen, both in his work as a hacker and in his personal life as an anonymous masked man on TikTok, posting videos for his millions of fans to lust over. Until one follower, Aly, comments that she wants him to break into her house wearing his mask. Against his better judgment, he decides to take her up on her offer. The two of them embark on a journey to explore their darkest fantasies, with Aly completely unaware of who is actually behind the mask. But while they’re having their fun, Aly encounters someone much worse than her new anonymous stalker, and Josh finds out just how far he would go to protect his new obsession.
I went into this book completely blind, other than with the knowledge that it was somehow similar to Haunting Adeline, which is a comparison people often make when discussing dark romance. I don’t always see the comparison, but here, it’s obvious. A hacker and stalker prowling after his obsession. But that’s where the similarities cease. The tone of this book is far more playful than Haunting Adeline, even in the dark moments. It reminds me of the kind of banter and dark humor found in Brynne Weaver’s Butcher & Blackbird, and I love every second of it.
This idea of masked men posting popular thirst trap videos is a new trope that is popping up in romance right now, and I like that we’re all just running with this. If you’re a BookTok person and you haven’t seen one of these, you’re lying. It was only a matter of time before they made it into the pages of the books themselves, and it’s such a fun trope that readers are obviously loving.
Now, if you’re looking to read about characters behaving in reasonable ways, this is not the book for you (but, I mean really, who wants to read about people making smart decisions all the time? Boring). Aly and Josh are both entirely unhinged in their own special ways. Poor choices abound. In real life, she would be dead and he would be in prison, but that’s what makes it fun, and they are both so lovable.
Despite his stalking tendencies, Josh is actually a really likable character, with a cinnamon roll disposition juxtaposed with a dark side. Aly is feisty, hardworking, and headstrong. She carries the weight of the world on her shoulders, and her *ahem* unconventional relationship with Josh just might be the thing that helps her let go.
Based on the discourse, I thought this book would be much darker than it actually was. Don’t get me wrong, it’s got its moments, but overall I found this book to be clever and sweet, as well as dark and kinky. It strikes a perfect balance for an exciting, fast-paced read.
Writing: 4.5
Spice: 4
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