Book Club Shock: Mask Fetishes, Thirst Traps, and One Big Question

I love to read. Normally, I stick with psychological thrillers, cozy mysteries, or the occasional non-fiction to make me feel like I’m improving myself.

So when I joined a local book club to meet people in the area, I thought, What could go wrong? A few laughs, some book talk, maybe a muffin or two.

Their genre of choice for the month?
Dark romance.

The book?
Light’s Out by Navessa Allen.

Y’all.
I learned so much.
Too much, possibly.
There are more fetishes, kinks, and thirst traps in the world than I ever dreamed existed — and apparently they all showed up for this book.

And while the book itself was… an experience, I walked away with one burning question:

WHY didn’t she call the police when a masked man broke into her apartment?!

I don’t care how mysterious or brooding he looked.
He had a mask.
He was inside her apartment.
This is not a meet-cute.
This is when you scream, grab your phone, and dial 911 like your mama taught you.
Honestly, maybe my fetish is men in uniform who actually arrest people like this.

That said, it was definitely an interesting read. I would actually recommend it — with a few warnings:

• The epilogue is long, and at times, feels like a second novella.
• You may want to read certain chapters with a friend… or at least someone you can text in all caps with exclamations like: “OH NO HE DIDN’T” or “IS THIS LEGAL??”

And the plot thickens: the group has now suggested I dive into the Never After Series by Emily McIntire next. Fairytale retellings with a dark twist.
Wish me luck.
Or maybe just hand me a cozy mystery and a hot tea while I recover from all these literary thirst traps.