SPOILERS

I was so excited to read this, but I was really disappointed. I loved The Good Girl and Pretty Baby, but When The Lights Go Out was disappointing.

Spoilers ahead:

We open with a someone, clearly distraught and desperate and then we meet the mc, Jessie

After a long and painful bout with breast cancer, Jessie's mother, Eden, is dying. Jessie won't leave her side in the hospital because she wants to be there when her mother dies. She goes to the cafeteria, drinks coffee, meets a handsome and mysterious man, Liam, and when she goes back to her mom, the doctor persuades her to take a mild benzodiazepine to try and get some sleep.

When Jessie wakes up, her mother it s dead. She's understandably devastated by this, and as she goes through the next week, unable to sleep, her mother's cremated remains with her, she moves into a new place, a creepy carriage house, and tries to figure out who she is--because she finds out from the college she applied to that she, or at least, according to her social security number--is dead.

Chapters alternate between Jessie's increasingly sleep deprived and frantic life and her mother's past, where we learn that her mom, Eden, was once happily married until a move to a new home and attempts, each more futile than the last, to have a baby with her husband, Aaron.

Jessie becomes convinced that someone in the main home by the carriage house she lives in a trying to send her a message/get her/might be her father. And she starts to wonder if her mother is really her mother or if she was abducted as a child.

Eden, in the past, becomes more and more upset when she can't have a baby and contemplates taking a child several times

By the end, Jessie is sure she's dying, up on a roof, the distraught and desperate scene from the opening. As we learn that Eden, on the edge of insanity in the past from wanting a baby so much that it's cost her entire life, her job, her husband, etc. goes to a bar, gets drunk, and has sex with the barrender, ending up pregnant She's stunned when she realizes she's pregnant and when Aaron shows up, missing her, she decides to leave

And Jessie wajes up, convinced she's dead because she sees her mother but...

She's not dead. The whole I'm dying because I can't sleep and I might have been stolen as a child and who is tormenting me plotlines--all. a. dream.

Yes, from the start, she was dreaming. She gets to see her mother one last time, meets Aaron, who, naturally is still in love with Eden, and he gives her the journal her mother kept (and that we, apparently, have been "reading" all along). So. Jessie isn't in peril, Aaron wants to get to know her, and she is her mother's daughter. She also meets the handsome man again although a la sliding doors, he has a different name.

It's not a thrillet. It's not even a mystery. Eden got pregnant and ran to..something. For some reason. And had Jessie, who had a long and terrible dream.

That's it. 99% of Jessie's story is a dream. The rest is the journal of a happy woman who became unhinged when she couldn't get pregnant. Um...okay.

Leaving out the whole dreaming as story, which is a mess and cheap plot device, the notion that not having a baby can make someone unhinged is the most frightening and, imo, problematic rest of the novel.

Tldr: Only if you like women who go borderline insane when they can't have a baby and the oh! it was a dream ending! as a "plot."

I still would read another book by Ms Kubica but this one did not work for me. At all.

Brilliant book that gets you from page one. You can’t stop reading as you want to know what happens next. An ending that makes you have a shiver in your spine.

Having read two of Mary Kubica's previous books and thinking that they were fantastic, I was excited to have an opportunity to read her latest, "When the Lights Go Out."
I finished it a few days ago but needed time to digest the book and it's ending. I am torn. I feel that Kubica gives us the makings of something great but misses the mark at the end. It reminds me of people that rave about an amazing meal they had a particular restaurant you want to go to. Your excited and anticipate a mouth watering meal from the first course until dessert. It starts off superb and smooth, followed by a satisfying main course but when the dessert comes, the waiter tells you that the dessert you wanted is not available but offers a substitution that is nice but reduces the perfect meal from outstanding to good.
The mystery of Jessie Sloane is the crux of the storyline. Jessie Sloane is a young woman who has spent several years caring for her cancer-stricken mother, Eden.
It's only been the two of them and after her mother dies, Jessie has to start a new path alone. Jessie must not only find her path now, she also has to find out her identity as well, since she finds out that her social security number belongs to a dead three year old named Jess.
While Jesse's story dominates the book, Eden's story is paralleled. Kubica's writing is smooth and effortless. She reels you into Jesse and Eden's lives, as you are anxiously turning the pages to see what happens next. I truly felt like that passenger on the rollercoaster as it made that gradual creeping along climb inching closer and closer to the top, scared for the drop you know is coming. Only this time the drop isn't that terrifying stomach in your throat feel. It's the feeling of "oh that's all this ride is, are you sure there isn't anymore?"
I received an advance copy of this book from Netgalley. #Netgalley #WhentheLightsGoOut

Jessica Sloane loses her mother to cancer and finds herself suffering from relentless insomnia on top of grief over her mother’s death. She finds out that she may not be who she thinks she is when a financial aid office tells her that, yes her social security card belongs to Jessica Sloane but that Jessica Sloane is dead. Grief combined with insomnia cause Jessie to mistrust her own senses as she hears and see things that may or may not be real. Is she really Jessica Sloane? Is Eden her real mother? Who is her father?

This novel was plenty suspenseful and it was this that kept me reading to the very end. I really did want to find out the answers to all of Jessie’s questions. I found Jessie’s narrative strange and it was a chore to get through at times. Eden’s narrative was mostly well done, a bit dramatic at times but I could get behind it … you need some drama in fiction to make it interesting anyway. When I got to the end and my questions were finally answered, the book turned into something entirely different from what I was convinced it was for the first 80%. This book was marketed as a mystery/thriller but the ending made it something else entirely. I guess I’m confused as to why it ended the way it did. If Mary Kubica would have just stuck to the storyline that she was seemingly aiming for from the beginning it would have been the book that its marketing promised.

I would have to recommend a pass on this one though if Mary Kubica decides to write something in the contemporary fiction/chic lit genre next, I may just give it try.

Sleep. It’s a necessity. We all need it. We HAVE to have it. Without it, our minds start playing tricks on us and it’s hard to distinguish between real and fantasy.
The book opens with Jessie in the hospital with her terminally ill mother. As her mother’s illness worsens, Jessie feels like her life is unraveling before her. Everything she thought she knew about herself is turning out to be false. Her whole life seems to be male believe. On top of everything, she hasn’t slept in days. It’s a race against time as her mind is racing against her body’s lack of sleep trying to figure out her past. Who she is. Where she’s from. What’s her name.
This book is full of twists and turns while keeping you on the edge of you seat.

The twist in this books threw me for a LOOP. Which I guess twists are supposed to make you go ‘huh’...but I’m not sure this one did it in the way we needed. It took me a minute to get into this one, but once I got into it I was really intrigued and couldn’t wait for what the twist was gonna be. We got hot outta nowhere with that one, and then we’re just expected to move in so quickly from it. I needed some time to process and then felt like o had wasted my time on this slow, slow burning book. I think the twist needed a twist. I was still expecting more after the reveal and was never really satisfied. 3/5 for me, it was just good, I just could’ve done with a better/different ending.

Mary Kubica has amazing potential for a great ending. The Good Girl is my favorite of hers, that ending caught me so off guard. So I know she can really wow me with a book!

I could hardly wait to start reading this new Mary Kubica book.. This is very well written, like all of her other books. I was intrigued by the story line. How would an individual react in the situation of never knowing anyone in their family but their mother. Jessie Sloan is in the position of asking her mother, Eden, the question "who is my father?" I had a hard time staying with this story. After reading 158 pages, I just started skimming through until I came to Jessie's story. I didn't care for Eden or her reasons and I especially did't care for the ending.
Thank you Netgalley, Harlequin, and Mary Kubica for the free ARC I received in exchange for an honest review.

Thanks to the publisher-Harlequin Trade Publishing-for providing an e-ARC through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

This is my first book by Mary Kunbica. It will not be my last. I really like her writing style.

The story alternates between Jessie in present time and Eden in 1996. Jessie’s mom recently dies from cancer. After her mom’s death, Jessie receives a call from an college admittance office claiming her social security number belongs to someone who has died. This leaves Jessie to question everything she ever knew. Did her Mom kidnap her? Was she adopted? Was there a mixup with social security numbers? So many questions.

There are many terrifying moments in the book where I feared for Jessie. She was becoming very unstable trying to find the answers she needed.

I had so many different scenarios going through my head and all of them were wrong. I was very surprised and shocked with the ending. I was not expecting that at all. I did not hate the ending. I think it was actually a good twist that made you rethink what you read.

I enjoyed this book with a good twist. If you pay close attention, you will figure it out as I did. I suspect some readers will be annoyed. Worth reading. Thanks to netgalley for the opportunity to review this book.

I couldn’t finish this book. I stopped reading halfway through because the plot was not only slow but also quite depressing. I have read other books by Mary Kubica that I liked but I just couldn’t read this one.

Kubica, I love you. I will read anything you publish. The ending if this felt like a cop out, but my still my girl, boo.

Mary Kubica is one of my favourite authors, since reading The Good Girl a couple of years ago. Naturally, I requested an ARC the minute I heard Kubica was releasing When The Lights Go Out. In her classic style, Kubica has you jumping to conclusions and then proving your theories wrong.

POV alternates between Jessie’s perspective in the present and her mother’s perspective prior to Jessie’s birth. Jessie is sleep deprived and guilt ridden from caring for her mother in last few days of life; she can no longer distinguish reality from hallucinations (and neither can you!). Kubica will have you curious and invested in Jessie’s story – who is she and where did she come from?

This book had me hooked from beginning to end and did not disappoint anywhere in between.

No identity, no birth certificate, no social security card, no mention on her mother’s income tax forms.

Jessie found out she was non-existent, but how could that be possible? Was she really born in Illinois? Was Sloan really her last name? Was what her mother told her not the truth? If not the truth, why?

We follow Jessie after her mother passed away with no questions answered about her life and her identity. She never thought to ask her mother because the need never came up to wonder why she was an unknown person.

Meanwhile Eden’s story is being told along with Jessie’s. What is the connection? Does Eden have the answers to the questions of her missing identity?

The book had a slow start, but once it got going, I didn’t want to put it down. The slow start was because I was a bit confused, but I knew that would not continue and the book would get tense and interesting.

I, of course, was correct. WHEN THE LIGHTS GO OUT was a thriller with odd characters. Jessie was totally off-the-wall and Eden was strange as well.

As usual Ms. Kubica has created another spinning tale that keeps you guessing and wondering along with Jessie about her life and her mother’s parting words about finding herself.

WHEN THE LIGHTS GO OUT has a unique, creative story line with some upsetting situations, but the ending will have you saying: Ah ha as well as have you scratching your head.

ENJOY if you read Ms. Kubica’s newest. 4/5

This book was given to me as an ARC. All opinions are my own.

Wow! I think this is the first book I’ve read by this author. I look forward to reading her again. 3.5 Stars.

Story is told in two voices. Eden, the Mom. Happily married to Aaron and looking forward to starting a family. But, it does not go as planned. Jesse, the daughter. Dealing with her mother’s cancer and finding out her life could be a lie.

What happens next is heartbreaking on so many levels. Tough subjects are tackled. Infertility, emotional issues, divorce, insomnia. Ms. Kubica’s writing is very powerful, leading you down a certain path, only to be brought in a different direction. I needed one more chapter for the ending to have been complete. Left me with too many questions.

Thanks to NetGalley and Harlequin for this ARC. Opinion is mine alone!


Reviewed also posted on BookBub. Amazon review will be posted on pub date.

When the Lights Go Out by Mary Kubica is a very depressing yet intense novel. Inside, I followed a young woman's journey through nightmares. She has been in the hospital at her mom's side and won't sleep until her mom gets better or passes away. The doctor tried to tell Jessie to get some sleep, but she won't listen. I felt her pain and her tiredness. Her confusion and pain about finding her father and her mom's cancer was horrifying. Jessie could not tell apart reality from nightmare. I could not tell the difference until the ending...that's when all became clear.

Grief, loss, and secrets are explored in this novel. I cried a lot when I read this story. Jessie did want her mom to die from cancer. She kept hoping she would get better. Then, there was the fact that Jessie never knew her own father. Mary Kubica never revealed that secret. But the man that should have been her father became one to her while her mom was passing away from her cancer. The death was slow...and when the last moment came, it sped by quickly. My heart broke. Overall, this was intriguing, dark, and heartbreaking.

I am sorry to say that I am highly disappointed in this book. I have read all of Mary Kubica's books and this one is NOT even in the same category as the others. It is really slow to get through. Throughout the whole book it is very slow and prefictable. Not a fast paced thriller with twists and turns like her others at all. Jessica Sloan's mother dies of cancer and Jessie decides to go back to college but the administer calls and tells her that her social security number does not exist. Jessie is plagued with insomnia and runs around in circles trying to find put who she is. Thank you to Netgalley and Harlequin for the oppurtunity to read this book.

I was torn writing this review as I have really loved the work of Mary Kubica in the past so I had high expectations. I thought the premise of the story was incredible and the use of flashbacks and connection between the two main characters in the flashbacks - in the past, Eden and in the present, her daughter Jess, was brilliant.
The story was one of suspense, but not a thriller like I expected. I liked the storyline over all but I honestly found the last 1/4 of the book confusing and when it ended I actually went back to re-read the last 2 chapters because I was so lost. The ending left me hanging but not in a good way...more like a "what just happened" confused way. I am sure that fans of hers will enjoy it and perhaps understand the writing more than I did. Will look for more from Kubica in the future as she is one of the great storytellers in our time.
Thank you to NetGalley and publisher for an ARC of this book.

I just can't...the "twist" in this book made me hate it with a fiery passion.

Free copy from netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Another hit from Mary Kubica - but this is very different than her other works. I found this to be more of a mystery than a thriller - it doesn't have that edge of your seat tension like a thriller. The story is told in two time periods. One story is Jessie's, in current time, whose mother is in the hospital dying of cancer. jessie and her mother have always been extremely close and she doesn't know what she will do without her. Jessie has no idea who her father is or any family other than her mother. The other story is Eden's, in the 1990s. Eden is married to Aaron and they love each other deeply and are trying to have a child. Unfortunately, due to various issues, Eden is unable to conceive and it is driving her to do things she wouldn't normally even think of doing.

The book kept my interest and the writing is wonderful. At the very end there is a twist that changes all you have imagined throughout the book. Definitely not the ending I suspected! Although not my favorite of Mary Kubica's, it is definitely worth reading and is a really good mystery. I would read anything Mary Kubica writes - she's a very good storyteller!

Thanks to Mary Kubica and HARLEQUIN - Hanover Square Press through Netgalley for an advance copy.

Thank you Net Galley for the ARC in order to provide an unbiased review. More than once, I thought I had it all figured out and was repeatedly caught off gaurd, right until the very last word. A compelling read that unfolds in the alternating voices of a mother and daughter at different periods in time. It begins in the present with the daughter's quest to learn the identity of her father as her mother is hospitalized with terminal cancer and is interwoven with the mother's story about how her all consuming desire for a child irrecoverably changed her life.