Are you looking for a dark romance book that is humorous, has a hot alpha male MMC with golden retriever energy, and is BookTok approved? Then look no further than Navessa Allen’s Lights Out, the first book of the Into Darkness series. Did we mention that it’s about masked men and bookish thirst traps on TikTok turning into a dreamlike reality? Yep, this slow-burn, dark romcom with plenty of trigger warnings starts in a comment section.
To convince you to give it a chance, we are here with receipts and our favorite quotes from the book. If Josh Hammond’s spicy one-liners don’t convince you, though, we’ll come back with more ammunition, so stay tuned.
Let’s dive in, and there will definitely be adult content and spoilers in this list!
Peak Josh Humor Moments
“My evil plan was working. Step one: get Aly to drop her guard. Step two: fuck her on this couch. Oh, wait, no. I’d skipped a few steps somewhere.”
― Navessa Allen, Lights Out
“‘Are you saying that the couple who commits homicide together stays together?’ He snorted. ‘Too wordy. I prefer the couple who slays together, stays together.’”
― Navessa Allen, Lights Out
“Aly? Do you want to be my girlfriend? The position comes with snacks and orgasms and maybe a little light stalking.”
― Navessa Allen, Lights Out
“I thought we could spend some quality time together as a family. You, me. Our maladjusted son who just scooted his butt across the carpet behind you.”
― Navessa Allen, Lights Out
“I checked to see if Fred was not in the room. What I was about to do to his mother, no child should see.”
― Navessa Allen, Lights Out
“The woman was down for kinky sex, knew how I liked my coffee, and was more than willing to aid in the murder of a rapist. What had I done to get so lucky?”
― Navessa Allen, Lights Out
“‘I won’t do it if you don’t promise to be a good boy,’ she crooned. Praise kink: unlocked.”
― Navessa Allen, Lights Out
“I mean, I know we haven’t had the official conversation yet, but we share a child, and I feel like disposing of a body is a boyfriend-girlfriend activity and not something you do with a casual hookup.”
― Navessa Allen, Lights Out
“I reached into the front pocket of my bag and pulled out my trusted disguise: glasses and a fake mustache. In my defense, it was a very high-end fake mustache.”
― Navessa Allen, Lights Out
“Tyler liked to leave his socks lying around, but he’d been doing it less and less. He complained the other day that he was running out of them, and the dryer must be eating them somehow. It wasn’t. I was throwing them away to try and break his bad habit.”
― Navessa Allen, Lights Out
“Have you ever heard of the word boundaries? I texted the Faceless Man. Doesn’t sound familiar, he wrote back. Can you use it in a sentence?”
― Navessa Allen, Lights Out
“‘You owe him a favor, remember? His payment for all this is dinner once a month with the family.’ I turned to Josh, wide-eyed. ‘Am I being Gilmored right now?’ He nodded. ‘Yup. He’s going full Emily on you.’”
― Navessa Allen, Lights Out
Most Relatable Aly Quotes
“On principle, I didn’t trust anyone who didn’t like cats, so they’d never be around to judge me anyway.”
― Navessa Allen, Lights Out
“I need so much more therapy than I’m currently getting.”
― Navessa Allen, Lights Out
“This man is always coming onto my FYP and never on me, and that is a tragedy.”
― Navessa Allen, Lights Out
“What was it about smartass men that was so attractive?”
― Navessa Allen, Lights Out
“I nearly kicked at the floor like a petulant child. ‘But I don't wanna go to bed! I want to stay up late and get railed!’”
― Navessa Allen, Lights Out
“I’d remind myself what kind of woman I was. The kind who didn’t run screaming from her masked stalker but fucked his knife handle instead.”
― Navessa Allen, Lights Out
“That was probably the allure. Kinky sex with a hot, faceless man who didn’t speak? Sign me the hell up. I’d had about enough of men’s voices lately.”
― Navessa Allen, Lights Out
“Maybe it was time to accept the fact that I wasn't normal, and I never would be. I wanted things most people didn’t, craved darkness and depravity instead of light and love. I’d been fighting my nature for as long as I could remember, and I was tired of it.”
― Navessa Allen, Lights Out
“My entire life was devoted to caring for others. I wanted someone to take care of me for once. I wanted someone to want me. No, need me. I wanted a man so obsessed that he hacked into cameras to watch me when he couldn’t sleep. I wanted him to monitor my location data, order me a home security system so no one else could break into my house, and threaten to murder anyone who hurt me. I didn’t want him morally grey. I wanted someone with a soul as black as night. Someone who would burn the world down for me and not lose a single minute of sleep over it.”
― Navessa Allen, Lights Out
“He made me feel alive. He'd dragged me out of the gray world I'd been living in and taught me how to see colors again. In a sea of men who barely put in any effort, this man stood out for going above and beyond. He was the definition of “If he wanted to, he would.” Because he'd done for me what no one else ever had: he not only met but exceeded my needs, both physically and emotionally. He kept me on my toes, never knowing what he would do next. And he did it all while making me blush and laugh, often at the same time.”
― Navessa Allen, Lights Out
Juiciest Lights Out Quotes
“I stabbed the knife down. Straight into the corner of her mattress. She clapped her hands over her mouth to muffle her horrified scream. I crooked a finger at her, beckoning her forward. ‘Come here, Aly,’ I said, wrapping my other hand around the knife handle so there would be no mistaking my intent. ‘I want to watch you ride it.’”
― Navessa Allen, Lights Out
“I have no regrets about publicly claiming you.”
― Navessa Allen, Lights Out
“This woman was fucking mine, and if I had to mark every inch of her skin, I would.”
― Navessa Allen, Lights Out
“‘You’re here,’ she said, so low I almost missed the words. I slipped my hand from hers and pulled her into a hug. ‘You needed me.’”
― Navessa Allen, Lights Out
“Or the one where I kidnapped her in the hospital parking garage, drove her into the middle of the woods, and told her to run as far as she could because what I planned to do when I caught her would make even the Devil weep.”
― Navessa Allen, Lights Out
“‘I love you,’ I told her, unable to keep it in any longer. ‘I know,’ she said. ‘You do?’ She nodded, her hair tickling my forehead. ‘Yeah, you’ve been saying it in your sleep for the past week.’”
― Navessa Allen, Lights Out
“I liked women with some fight in them. Ones who didn't put up with bullshit, spoke their minds, and could take care of themselves.”
― Navessa Allen, Lights Out
“‘I think I’m falling for you,’ I blurted. Maybe it was the hormones, or maybe it was how well he’d just brought my fantasies to life. Or maybe it was how he could make me laugh even in the most stressful situations. The way he’d moved himself right into my life like he’d always belonged there. The way he treated my, no, our cat like a human child. The unselfconscious goofiness of the man. The beauty. The intelligence. The way he looked at me like I was his whole world. And yes, even the obsessive way he tracked my every move. Even the way he watched me, stalked me, and hunted me down.”
― Navessa Allen, Lights Out
Final Thoughts
Ideal for a dark romance book club and novice dark romance readers, Lights Out is on the lighter side. It might contain dark themes like serial killers and the mob, however, Navessa Allen’s humorous approach and Josh’s protection of Aly make sure nothing touches our strong FMC. The audiobook with Jacob Morgan as Josh is also highly recommended. If you liked our favorite quotes, then log into Amazon, Goodreads, or any alternative you prefer, and… enjoy!
Always living in her own enchanted little world, Christina discovered the magic that can be hidden within the pages of a book when one dares to take a closer look from a tender age. An avid reader, she is constantly inspired to delve into the secrets woven between the lines and challenges herself to find her own voice amidst the chaos. She is a dedicated fan of the classics, but the supernatural creatures that have tormented readers for years are her kryptonite. The mastery it takes to infuse the author's essence, molded by the era they grew up in to their innermost desires fascinates her. Undoubtedly, putting her passion and knowledge on paper has a mesmerizing allure on her, and following the steps of so many other dreamers before her she wishes to leave her mark in the literary world. Guided by T.S Eliot’s haunting words: “I will show you fear in a handful of dust” she intends to wreak havoc in the minds of her future readers.
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