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bookreviewmystic's review
adventurous
dark
funny
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
It was so hard to review this book because there is just so much working together to make it amazing. Navessa describes it as a “dark stalker rom-com” & I think that makes the most sense.
Aly is a badass & takes zero shit from anyone. She refuses to make herself small & needs no one to save her… well, not in the traditional way at least, but a girl does have needs that can only be met by a mysterious masked man who makes thirst traps for a living (or so she thinks).
Our other character… *sigh*. I don’t even want to say anything because I want you to find out on your own, but if you don't fall in love with this man by the time you are done reading this book, there is something wrong with you. He is so complex in the best way.
Lights Out does have quite a bit of TW’s so make sure you read them; honestly, not the craziest book I’ve ever read though. I don’t want to give more away than I should, but the whole book is not just about Aly & the masked man meeting. There is a really good subplot that I was NOT expecting.
I absolutely loved this book! The writing is so smooth, flows nicely, & is easy to read. I was literally laughing out loud because these characters are hilarious. The spicy scenes are HOT & end of the book is chef’s kiss! READ IT if you love dark romance!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent, Sexual content, Cursing, Injury/Injury detail, Death, and Stalking
Moderate: Blood, Cannibalism, Medical content, and Gore
Minor: Alcohol and Rape
enchantingreads_rosyreviews's review
dark
funny
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
“So, he’s probably not a serial killer who uses the app to lure his victims.” I reared back. Was that what she’d thought? F**k. That was the absolute last thing I wanted. How did I fix this? I was half tempted to send her a DM explaining myself, but how would that work? Hey, Aly, it’s me, the man who broke into your house. I was just watching you through the camera I hid in your room, and I wanted to let you know that you are correct. I am not, in fact, a serial killer. Jesus Christ. I knew I should have argued with my therapist when she said it was time to wean me off the anti-psychotics. Clearly, they’d been necessary if one of the first things I did once they were out of my system was start stalking someone...
“I need so much more therapy than I’m currently getting.” I grinned, because same... Aly was f**ked up too. Hallelujah.
💀
Navessa Allen's writing grabs you from the dedication 😲 to the end of the book (that epilogue though!) and you are in for a RIDE! The comedy between Josh and Aly reminds me so much of everything I liked about Butcher & Blackbird's Rowan and Sloane. And, if you aren't in love with these characters by the end of the book, then obviously there's something wrong with you... it's not them, it's TOTALLY you.😉
I don't want to give away any other spoilers than I already hinted at because I want you to experience this book for the masterpiece that it is. Navessa's writing is admirable because she takes dark subject matter and makes it realistic, hilarious, interesting, and well researched. You can tell how much skill she put into this book because writing something like this cannot be easy.
Her characters are unique, carrying their own forms of crazy, that you can't help but fall in love with. Like, am I really adding Josh to my book boyfriend list? Yeah, yeah I am. Do I wish there was a sequel? HELL YES! Am I sketchy of Tyler? Yeah, dude has some skeletons... he's got to, right? And do I need more Fred content in my life? YES! (Even though I have 2 mini-Freds at the moment.)
I don't want to sugar coat Lights Out though, it's a dark book. There are ridiculous sex scenes and tons of trauma-influenced sketchy behavior. But even as they're doing the crazy thing, they are still having mental health check-ins, so you laugh and the tension is broken. This is such a fun read and I already can't wait to revisit this world again soon!
Navessa Allen's writing grabs you from the dedication 😲 to the end of the book (that epilogue though!) and you are in for a RIDE! The comedy between Josh and Aly reminds me so much of everything I liked about Butcher & Blackbird's Rowan and Sloane. And, if you aren't in love with these characters by the end of the book, then obviously there's something wrong with you... it's not them, it's TOTALLY you.😉
I don't want to give away any other spoilers than I already hinted at because I want you to experience this book for the masterpiece that it is. Navessa's writing is admirable because she takes dark subject matter and makes it realistic, hilarious, interesting, and well researched. You can tell how much skill she put into this book because writing something like this cannot be easy.
Her characters are unique, carrying their own forms of crazy, that you can't help but fall in love with. Like, am I really adding Josh to my book boyfriend list? Yeah, yeah I am. Do I wish there was a sequel? HELL YES! Am I sketchy of Tyler? Yeah, dude has some skeletons... he's got to, right? And do I need more Fred content in my life? YES! (Even though I have 2 mini-Freds at the moment.)
I don't want to sugar coat Lights Out though, it's a dark book. There are ridiculous sex scenes and tons of trauma-influenced sketchy behavior. But even as they're doing the crazy thing, they are still having mental health check-ins, so you laugh and the tension is broken. This is such a fun read and I already can't wait to revisit this world again soon!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Stalking, Medical content, and Sexual content
Moderate: Panic attacks/disorders, Cursing, Death, Death of parent, Medical trauma, Murder, and Blood
Minor: Body horror, Gore, Emotional abuse, Child abuse, Car accident, Cannibalism, and Violence
Boiled down, this is a book about a hacker who secretly posts masked thirst traps online stalking an overworked ER trauma nurse. Eventually they get together, but someone dies, and they have to enlist the aid of their Italian mafia connections to get away with it. This book is crazy, but hilarious and filled with mental health check-ins.habkehanna's review
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
tense
medium-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
5.0
Wow. I feel eternally grateful to have read this book as an ARC, and for my first ever ARC, I feel like nothing will top it. I went into this book expecting something similar to Haunting Adeline. Lights Out goes beyond the dark romance norm and includes humour, satire, and an MMC with golden retriever energy. By far though my favourite parts were the aftercare. The attention that Josh gives to Aly is something that you don't see in a lot of dark romance books. The MCs practicing kinky, dark, twisted and fucked up sex but also in an emotionally and physically safe way, will always mean 5/5 stars for me. Taken together, I loved the characters and I thought their journey together was well thought out and executed. I particularly fell in love with Josh (the first time I've ever said that about a guy named Josh). His energy, his self-awareness about his past and how he acts are a breath of fresh air. Particularly when you're used to reading dark romances where the men are apathetic, at best, towards self-awareness.
As for the plot, I liked how dynamic it was! The mafia being added halfway through I felt like was a lot at first, but I found that Aly having a dark past like Josh is what ultimately led them to deepen their bond. I loved the rollercoaster ride of the last half of the book after Aly meets a certain monster and how Josh and her resolve it. I don't want to spoil the book for anyone else looking to read it but in short, if you are looking for a dark romance that redefines the genre and shakes things up, look no further than Navessa Allen's Lights Out. I am so excited to get my hands on a hard copy and to immediately add any of her other works to my cart.
Final note: Are we getting a book on Vern next I feel like it was hinted at!
As for the plot, I liked how dynamic it was! The mafia being added halfway through I felt like was a lot at first, but I found that Aly having a dark past like Josh is what ultimately led them to deepen their bond. I loved the rollercoaster ride of the last half of the book after Aly meets a certain monster and how Josh and her resolve it. I don't want to spoil the book for anyone else looking to read it but in short, if you are looking for a dark romance that redefines the genre and shakes things up, look no further than Navessa Allen's Lights Out. I am so excited to get my hands on a hard copy and to immediately add any of her other works to my cart.
Final note: Are we getting a book on Vern next I feel like it was hinted at!
Final Final note: THAT EPILOGUE AHHHHH!!!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Panic attacks/disorders, Medical trauma, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Cannibalism, Stalking, Gore, Death of parent, Blood, Child abuse, Car accident, Injury/Injury detail, Death, Medical content, Murder, Sexual content, and Sexual harassment
rmesquirrel's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
Not for the faint of heart but, ooohhh boy are the "spicy" scenes hot. The author gives you two page of warnings before you read the book and it contains 27 items.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Stalking, Violence, and Sexual content
Moderate: Torture, Alcohol, Blood, Death, Medical content, Mental illness, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, and Physical abuse
Minor: Gun violence, Cannibalism, Vomit, and Sexism
renaenator's review
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
ARC Review:
I really enjoyed Lights Out! The banter and natural chemistry between the FMC and MMC was amazing and the detailed sex scenes were 🥵. I also really enjoyed that the author didn’t focus solely on the spicy part of the relationship but also took time to highlight the emotional and mental parts of relationships. I will say it’s a pretty fast paced book and there wasn’t really any gaps/time in between each plot point; new things just continued to happen back to back. It could get slightly confusing/annoying/overwhelming at times. However, all in all it was an amazing read and a great way to start getting into the stalking genre!
I really enjoyed Lights Out! The banter and natural chemistry between the FMC and MMC was amazing and the detailed sex scenes were 🥵. I also really enjoyed that the author didn’t focus solely on the spicy part of the relationship but also took time to highlight the emotional and mental parts of relationships. I will say it’s a pretty fast paced book and there wasn’t really any gaps/time in between each plot point; new things just continued to happen back to back. It could get slightly confusing/annoying/overwhelming at times. However, all in all it was an amazing read and a great way to start getting into the stalking genre!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Stalking, Cursing, Medical content, Blood, and Gore
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