In This Article
- What Is Being Released
- The Book and the Series Behind It
- Context: Authors Extending Into Lifestyle Products
- What to Watch
Navessa Allen, the #1 New York Times bestselling author behind the dark romance novel Lights Out, is moving beyond the page with a range of branded companion products set to arrive in 2026. According to a press release carried by the Star Courier, Allen is developing a seductive cookbook, a coloring book, a scented candle, and a card game — all inspired by her Into Darkness series.
What Is Being Released
The centerpiece of the merchandise line is Forbidden Feasts: The Official Lights Out Cookbook & Apron Gift Set, published through Simon & Schuster. According to the Simon & Schuster author page for Allen, the set includes 60 decadent recipes, immersive lore drawn from the novel's world, and an apron. The cookbook is described as an "ultimate fan experience" product tied directly to Lights Out.
Beyond the cookbook, Yuri Game Store's overview of Allen's 2026 release schedule notes that the growing number of companion items connected to Lights Out is among the most notable features of her release calendar this year, though the outlet cautions that all dates remain subject to change.
The Book and the Series Behind It
Lights Out is the entry point to Allen's Into Darkness series — a dark romance featuring a morally gray male lead, according to its Barnes & Noble product listing, which describes it as a fast-paced story in which a predator-turned-protector grows increasingly obsessed with his target while a more sinister threat emerges. Allen's own website describes the novel as a story in which two characters live out their darkest fantasies, unaware that a far more dangerous presence has taken notice.
The series has since expanded: Allen's website introduces Game On as the third book in the #1 New York Times bestselling Into Darkness series, following Lights Out and its sequel Caught Up, and pitches it as an enemies-to-lovers dark rom-com. For a full assessment of Lights Out itself, see our review.
Context: Authors Extending Into Lifestyle Products
The merchandise push reflects a broader pattern in commercial fiction, where authors with devoted readerships develop products designed to extend engagement with a book's world. Allen's rollout — spanning food, craft, scent, and tabletop gaming — covers several distinct consumer categories rather than a single product type. The Simon & Schuster partnership on the cookbook in particular signals institutional publishing support for the merchandise strategy, not just self-directed fan commerce.
Romance.io's listing for Allen shows Lights Out placed prominently within her recent releases, situating the companion products as extensions of an already active publishing output rather than a pivot away from writing.
What to Watch
The full scope of Allen's 2026 companion line — including the coloring book, candle, and card game noted in the Star Courier announcement — has not yet been fully detailed through official retail channels. Yuri Game Store's release tracker continues to monitor the schedule, with the caveat that timings may shift. The Forbidden Feasts cookbook and apron set, backed by Simon & Schuster distribution, represents the most confirmed element of the expansion so far.