Lights Out (Into Darkness, #1)

Lights Out (Into Darkness, #1)
By: Navessa Allen
Publication Date: February 14, 2024

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Warning: This Book Contains Trigger Warnings That Are Listed By The Author And Contains Violence And spicy scenes.

Book Description

Trauma nurse Aly Cappellucci doesn’t need any more kinks. She likes the one she’s landed on just fine. To her, nothing could top the masked men she follows online. Unless one of those men was shirtless, heavily tattooed, and waiting for her in her bedroom. She dreams about being hunted by one in particular, of him chasing her down and doing deliciously dark things to her willing body. She never could have guessed that by sending one drunken text, those dreams would become her new reality.

I want things most people don’t, craving darkness and depravity instead of light and love.

Josh Hammond has spent his life avoiding the limelight, but his online persona is another story. At night, he posts masked thirst traps for his millions of fans to drool over, but one follower has caught his eye: Aly. After reading a comment begging him to break into her house wearing a mask, he decides to take her up on her offer.

Together, Aly and Josh live out their darkest fantasies, unaware that Aly has captured the attention of someone else. Someone with far more sinister intentions than a little light stalking. As Josh turns from predator to protector and the stakes heighten, he must ask himself how far he’s willing to go for the woman he’s obsessed with.

My Review

Dark, disturbing, surprisingly funny, and absolutely addictive!

I absolutely loved this book! Was it disturbing at times? Oh, absolutely. But did I enjoy every minute of reading it? You bet I did!

Josh and Aly were fantastic characters, and their chemistry was off the charts. They complemented each other beautifully, and I loved their banter, their connection, and the way their relationship developed. And let’s not forget Fred the cat! He deserves some recognition, too!

Now, let’s talk about Josh.

This man takes morally gray to a whole new level. Some of his behavior had me questioning what I was reading, especially his stalking tendencies and complete disregard for certain boundaries. There were definitely moments when I thought, Sir, what in the world are you doing?!

But that’s part of what makes this a dark romance. The characters aren’t perfect, and their choices aren’t always healthy or conventional.

What really made Josh stand out to me, though, was his emotional journey.

He carries the weight of his father’s horrific past and struggles with the fear that he might become the same kind of monster. Watching Josh confront those fears, recognize that he isn’t defined by his father’s actions, and begin to believe he’s capable of loving someone was one of my favorite aspects of the story.

For me, Josh had some of the strongest character growth in the book.

And the humor! I wasn’t expecting to laugh as much as I did. There were moments that genuinely cracked me up, which provided a wonderful contrast to the darker themes.

Now, the spice? Whew!

This book certainly doesn’t hold back. The intimate scenes were intense, creative, and occasionally surprising. Let’s just say there were moments that made me blush!

What I appreciated most was that underneath the obsession, questionable decisions, and scorching chemistry, there was a story about two complicated people finding something meaningful together.

Final Thoughts

Lights Out gave me everything I enjoy in a dark romance: morally gray characters, fantastic chemistry, humor, plenty of heat, and an emotional journey that kept me invested.

Is this relationship something I’d recommend in real life? Absolutely not! But as a fictional dark romance, I loved it.

If you enjoy dark romance with obsessive characters, unconventional relationships, laugh-out-loud moments, and plenty of spice, this book is definitely worth considering.

Josh and Aly completely won me over, and Fred the cat was the icing on the cake.

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