Is Lights Out by Navessa Allen Really Dark Romance?

Have you ever fallen for a thirst trap so hard you wanted that masked man to stalk you? I get it. Lights Out by Navessa Allen gave me an obsessed masked man, a home invasion fantasy, and a solid week after reading it asking myself if I was ok. Four stars, so much entertainment. But here’s what BookTok gets wrong: it’s nowhere near as dark or as filthy as its reputation. Which is also why I consider it the perfect first dark romance.

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Who is Lights Out for or not?

Read this if you want:

• a stalker romance with plenty of humor
• Joe Goldberg from YOU by Caroline Kepnes but more romance-core
• to test your dark limits without being scared

Skip this if you want:

• genuinely dark romance
• clear consent lines (there’s some dubcon here)

What is Lights Out actually about?

Josh Hammond makes masked thirst traps online using knives and blood play, the whole dark fantasy. Aly Cappellucci is an ER nurse running on empty and one of his feral followers. She sends one of his videos to her on-off hookup and asks if he’d act it out with her. He isn’t into it, or her anymore. So she comments on the creator’s post, telling him to break in and be waiting for her, in the way you say wild things on the internet to people you know you’ll never meet. But Josh is the roommate of her ex. He sees both messages. And he gives her exactly what she asked for.

Is Lights Out actually dark romance?

Not really. And I say that as someone who’s been reading dark things before dark romance got a label. This is dark romance atmosphere. The darkness is mostly surface level and psychological and at no point do you feel like the heroine is in danger from the hero. Plus, there’s a lot of humor and banter that really softens and washes down even the heavier stuff. Like for example, he puts a camera in her bedroom and she realizes it’s there. Aside from the initial shock and surprise, she’s really into it. And I was okay with that.

Yes, this book will have you questioning your own limits of what you’re fine with, repeatedly. But think of dark romance as a spectrum and this is at the very start of that. So would I hand this to someone who’s never read dark romance? Absolutely. This is one of the best dark romance books for beginners. It gives you enough edge without an actual feeling of danger and dread. He does things without her consent at first, but you also know if she truly said stop, he would stop. And after reading this you’ll know if you can handle more, or if this whole thing isn’t for you.

How spicy is Lights Out?

Lights Out is sexy and even a bit filthy. But it’s not the spiciest book you’ll read this year, which is true for most of her books. I put it at a 3-3.5 on the spice scale. And I understand that spice is subjective. But the tension and the psychology rather than the amount of explicit scenes is what stands out. Knife play aside. So go in with the right expectations.

Lights Out Spicy Chapters

• Chapters 2 & 4, the early setup, including solo play
• Chapter 8, first time they’re together
• Chapter 11, tension and banter
• Chapters 14 & 15, the intense ones where knife play comes in
• Chapter 20, right after a high adrenaline moment
• Chapter 25 and the epilogue, closing things out

Lights Out Trigger Warnings

Stalking (by hero and real stalker), home invasion, dubious consent, accidental death, disposal of body, violence connected to mafia family, knife play, blood play. These are the broad categories. But Navessa Allen does a wonderful job at detailed trigger warnings at the beginning of her books. So be sure to check that list for more granular details.

Who are the characters in Lights Out?

Lights Out is dual first person POV, so you’re in both of their heads. The main characters are Aly and Josh. Alyssa “Aly” Cappellucci is a trauma nurse. She’s poured all of herself into work as a way to atone for the guilt over the fact her mother died in a car accident when she was sixteen, and she was just learning to drive. She has no friends aside from her coworkers and she doesn’t do relationships. She is completely depleted. We get to see how taxing the job is emotionally and mentally for her. Watching thirst traps of masked men is her only enjoyment in life at the moment. She lives alone with her cat, Fred, and Josh immediately bonds with the grumpy cat as soon as he starts breaking in.

Josh Hammond has always isolated himself. He is the son of one of the most prolific serial killers in the country and both the attention that brings and the doubts that he’s like his father have always haunted him. He’s an expert hacker for a living and his side gig is creating thirst traps as a masked man online which allows him to explore some of his dark side in a safe way. He’s been vegan his whole life after a horrible episode with his father.

Tyler is Josh’s roommate and he was Aly’s ex hookup. He is a bit of a douche but he is a good friend to Josh and protects him from people that may recognize him. He’s also the one that shows Josh the text message of what Aly wanted and gets everything set in motion between them. Tyler is the hero of book 3, Game On.

Aly also has mafia family ties. We get to meet uncle Nico when they need some help. He will do anything to help Aly, but he’s not a big fan of Josh at first. Regardless, he sends his oldest son, Nico Junior, to help them. Nico Junior is the hero of book 2, Caught Up.

Is Lights Out a standalone?

Yes, you can totally read this as a standalone. While it’s part of a series, book 1 in the Into Darkness series, you can read this and stop if you want. You’re getting a complete story and HEA about Josh and Aly. The rest of the series is about different couples.

Is Lights Out getting an adaptation?

Yes, but with some caveats. It’s currently in development for a Netflix series. This was announced in February 2026 and is being developed by Hannah Schneider as show runner, writer and executive producer. No cast, no release date and no other news has been announced.

It’s important to note that in development is not the same as greenlit and a lot of projects die here. But I definitely think that Netflix could pull off something fun with this story, especially blending some of what I love about You (and Joe Goldberg, even the cinematography of that show) and some of the more explicit sexy scenes (like in Heated Rivalry). I’ll be waiting and will update you as soon as we know more.

While you wait, you can definitely read the rest of the series starting with Caught Up. Or take a small bite of dark romantic comedy by reading Valentine’s Slay by Navessa Allen. If you’re deep in the fandom though, there’s also a coloring book you can treat yourself to. Navessa Allen released an official Lights Out coloring book on August 4, 2026.

Is the Lights Out audiobook good?

I heard from everyone that the audiobook was the way to go for this one and the internet is right. It’s narrated by Elena Wolfe and Jacob Morgan in duet narration style. That means each narrator reads their characters’ parts as they are in the dialogue or internal thoughts as opposed to alternating chapters. It’s my favorite style of narration because it’s the most immersive in the story. And Jacob Morgan embodies Josh Hammond perfectly. So yeah, get the Lights Out audiobook.

The original indie cover of Lights Out

When I first heard about this book, it was still somewhat unknown by BookTok. I saw it first on Bookstagram around Feb/March 2024 and the indie cover was exactly what caught my eye. In just a few months it reached massive success and it was acquired by Zando Slowburn and republished August 6, 2024. This was the original indie cover.

While I do think the original indie cover stands out, and it was the thing that made me want to pick it up, I think the new covers (which match across the series) convey the theme better and are more visually engaging.

Is Lights Out worth reading?

A definite yes. The first half of the book just flies. It’s sexy, chaotic and so much fun. If I have one gripe, it’s that the second half loses a bit of that adrenaline high. Lights Out by Navessa Allen might not be for the faint of heart but it’s also just a fun time. Read it for the witty banter, the dark humor, the strong chemistry and yes, why not, the spice.

If you love the author and need more, then you’ll want to see everything Navessa Allen has written and how dark they each get. Or continue the Into Darkness series with the next one, Caught Up.

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