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4.11 AVERAGE
4.11 AVERAGE
This book was a bit wild for my taste. There were a few kinky elements that didn’t quite work for me personally, just really not my thing. That said, the story was decently written, and I can see how it could appeal to readers who enjoy that kind of content. It’s definitely one of those “not for me, but might be for you” reads.
adventurous
dark
funny
hopeful
reflective
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Rating ⭐: 4
Spice 🌶️ : 4/5
Tropes:
🖤 Dark romance
❤️🔥 He falls first
🕶️ Stalker romance
🎭 Kink exploration
Review:
This was such a fun, fast-paced read — one of those books that hooks you early and doesn’t let go. I actually put this off for a while because I assumed it would be too out there for me. And while yes, there are morally gray elements (this is technically a stalker romance with knife and mask kink, after all), it wasn’t nearly as heavy as I expected. In fact, it was surprisingly light, funny, and emotionally engaging in between the spice and suspense.
💀❤️ Spice & Suspense
I'll admit: mask and knife play aren’t usually my thing, and I went into this thinking it might be too far outside my comfort zone. The spice is hot, a little uncomfortable at times (which is kind of the point), and yet still feels rooted in emotional development. If you’re someone who likes your romance a little unhinged and very kink-positive, you’ll be all in.
💞The Romance
Can we talk about Josh? My heart absolutely swells for this man. He’s a rare kind of character — beautiful, broken, protective, and so emotionally layered. His backstory is gutting — the trauma of growing up witha serial killer as a father and then being manipulated by a crooked therapist? Horrific. And yet, he still manages to love so deeply and fiercely. He’s the heart of this book, and I adored him.
Aly, on the other hand, is a refreshing twist on the “girl next door” trope. She’s sweet and relatable, but with an edge — funny, strong, and self-aware. I love stories where the main couple connects over shared trauma, and this book nailed that dynamic without feeling overly heavy or trauma-porny. Their connection felt authentic, intense, and earned.
🔥 The Pacing
Plot-wise, it moves quickly and keeps you turning pages. There’s tension, mystery, and just enough emotional drama to balance the spice. I didn’t find myself skimming or bored once — I constantly wanted to see what would happen next.
🖤 Final Thoughts
Lights Out is dark romance for readers who want edge, not despair. It’s spicy, a little twisted, but filled with heart and healing. If you're kink-curious, like emotionally damaged soft kings, or enjoy romance with a thriller edge, this one's worth the ride — even if it pushes you out of your usual comfort zone.
I’ll definitely be continuing the series. I’m especially looking forward to Tyler’s story — the glimpses we got of him were intriguing, and I can already tell he’s going to be another complicated, swoon-worthy mess of a man.
Spice 🌶️ : 4/5
Tropes:
🖤 Dark romance
❤️🔥 He falls first
🕶️ Stalker romance
🎭 Kink exploration
Review:
This was such a fun, fast-paced read — one of those books that hooks you early and doesn’t let go. I actually put this off for a while because I assumed it would be too out there for me. And while yes, there are morally gray elements (this is technically a stalker romance with knife and mask kink, after all), it wasn’t nearly as heavy as I expected. In fact, it was surprisingly light, funny, and emotionally engaging in between the spice and suspense.
💀❤️ Spice & Suspense
I'll admit: mask and knife play aren’t usually my thing, and I went into this thinking it might be too far outside my comfort zone. The spice is hot, a little uncomfortable at times (which is kind of the point), and yet still feels rooted in emotional development. If you’re someone who likes your romance a little unhinged and very kink-positive, you’ll be all in.
💞The Romance
Can we talk about Josh? My heart absolutely swells for this man. He’s a rare kind of character — beautiful, broken, protective, and so emotionally layered. His backstory is gutting — the trauma of growing up with
Aly, on the other hand, is a refreshing twist on the “girl next door” trope. She’s sweet and relatable, but with an edge — funny, strong, and self-aware. I love stories where the main couple connects over shared trauma, and this book nailed that dynamic without feeling overly heavy or trauma-porny. Their connection felt authentic, intense, and earned.
🔥 The Pacing
Plot-wise, it moves quickly and keeps you turning pages. There’s tension, mystery, and just enough emotional drama to balance the spice. I didn’t find myself skimming or bored once — I constantly wanted to see what would happen next.
🖤 Final Thoughts
Lights Out is dark romance for readers who want edge, not despair. It’s spicy, a little twisted, but filled with heart and healing. If you're kink-curious, like emotionally damaged soft kings, or enjoy romance with a thriller edge, this one's worth the ride — even if it pushes you out of your usual comfort zone.
I’ll definitely be continuing the series. I’m especially looking forward to Tyler’s story — the glimpses we got of him were intriguing, and I can already tell he’s going to be another complicated, swoon-worthy mess of a man.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Sexual content, Vomit, Stalking, Death of parent
Moderate: Rape, Murder
Minor: Cannibalism, Car accident
I wouldn’t call this a dark romance, it had dark themes yes, but it read more like a cozy romance with spice to me instead.
I felt like this book was trying to be dark but it’s really not, at least when it comes to Aly and Josh’s relationship. I would say the darkest theme was the murder and the mentions of off-page rape by a third character. Those sound serious and they are but even killing someone was taken very lightly and made fun of by them.
I don’t know, it just didn’t hit like I thought it would. The jokes were underwhelming and things I’ve heard a million times before. For me, it simply felt short of how people described this book. It was trying to be something it’s not.
I couldn’t connect with the main characters, they felt lukewarm and even though the ingredients for them to be relatable were there, they fell short. Although I will say they were not terribly written. It was not bad, just not good enough.
I will say though, the idea for this book is incredibly original. I’ve never heard of masktok and the backstory of the main characters made sense and made them easier to digest.
I felt like this book was trying to be dark but it’s really not, at least when it comes to Aly and Josh’s relationship. I would say the darkest theme was the murder and the mentions of off-page rape by a third character. Those sound serious and they are but even killing someone was taken very lightly and made fun of by them.
I don’t know, it just didn’t hit like I thought it would. The jokes were underwhelming and things I’ve heard a million times before. For me, it simply felt short of how people described this book. It was trying to be something it’s not.
I couldn’t connect with the main characters, they felt lukewarm and even though the ingredients for them to be relatable were there, they fell short. Although I will say they were not terribly written. It was not bad, just not good enough.
I will say though, the idea for this book is incredibly original. I’ve never heard of masktok and the backstory of the main characters made sense and made them easier to digest.
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
3.5 ⭐️ darkromcom e direi che tutti i requisiti li ha. Partendo dal fatto che mi ha fatto ridere come poche cose nella vita ho trovato un giusto equilibrio tra tutto ciò che dice di essere questo libro, però c’è da dire che la scrittura non è delle migliori ma che è un libro che ti tiene compagnia quindi ci sta.
Me la pasé increíble, me estaba muriendo de risa y Josh es el mejor personaje de la vida, lo amoooo
dark
funny
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
the couple who slays together stays together? please no. the book was already bad and the audiobook made it 10x worse. no chemistry. not funny. sporadic ?plot? level 4/5 cringe. I was so looking forward to this book and it flopped for me.
everyone said the audiobook was so good so I resorted to that but hearing them read this dialogue out loud made me outwardly cringe. I checked out when I had about 30% left cuz I didn’t even know what was going on anymore. will I read book 2? maybe probably not.
everyone said the audiobook was so good so I resorted to that but hearing them read this dialogue out loud made me outwardly cringe. I checked out when I had about 30% left cuz I didn’t even know what was going on anymore. will I read book 2? maybe probably not.