Another "guilty pleasure" I have been reading lately is THE NIGHT THE LIGHTS WENT OUT by Karen White. After a divorce due to her husband's scandalous affair, Merilee moves her two young children, Lily and Colin, across town in Sweet Apple, Georgia to a new school. There she begins to form a friendship of sorts with her landlady, a real steel magnolia named Sugar Prescott. Merilee is also befriended by Heather Blackford, a very rich, but unfulfilled mother at the school. This is a perfect blend of light romance and a murder mystery with "mean girl behavior" being telegraphed awkwardly and often. Gullibility, poor decision-making and trust issues certainly complicate life for Merilee in this novel full of secrets - both past and present.

Merilee is a mom just trying to do right by her kids. She is willing to almost do anything to make sure her kids have the best life. From page one, I couldn't wait to get time to curl up with this one and see where Merilee's and Sugar's adventures would go next. I wanted to be completely swept into this small town in Georgia and read about how Merilee was going to adapt to her new life.

I am not a mom and don't have aspirations to be a mom so sometimes "mom" books just don't hit a chord with me, but this one did. I loved Merilee was a working mom who found joy in her job and how driven she was to make her life and her kids lives better. She was a character from the beginning it was just easy to root for and I wanted to know more and more about her.

Then there was Sugar. What a lady! I loved that she was the perfect antithesis to Merilee and at the same time a compliment.

I was a fan of Karen White before reading this book and I continue to be a fan after this one. She knows how to write females in a way that is honest but full. Karen White was the right author to read during this busy time in my life, her book was the right escape.

I believe this is my favorite Karen White book to date! I love everything this read has to offer…it’s part mystery and thriller all with a splash of Southern flare. In Karen White’s newest novel we meet Merliee who has recently divorced and has decided to move her kids to the small town Sweet Apple, Georgia. She soon gets drawn into the school moms club whose leader Heather, quickly befriends Merilee and she might just have an interior motive in doing so.

She soon finds out that living in this small town everyone knows your business no later how hard you try and bury your past. She also soon develops a relationship with her landlady Sugar who despite not wanting to come attached to her new tenants can't help but relate to Merilee. Sugar herself has a story one that comes to light even though she has tried and forget about her tragic past.

What I really enjoyed most about this read were the colorful characters but the star was the relationship between Sugar and Merilee. Two women who at first look as different as night and day but once the story evolves you see how their stories parallel. The part of the novel that was my favorite was the storyline with Heather. I didn’t trust her from the beginning but I didn’t know where it was going but when everything happened…OMG! I won't spoil anything but it was jaw dropping and heart-stopping all at the same time. I have never would’ve thought it could’ve gone there but it did!

As a fan of Karen White, I didn’t think her writing could get any better but this novel just went to another level. While it’s a big novel you never feel it drag, it keeps you intrigued till the very end. I highly recommend this one hands down.

Wonderfully written book by Karen White. We carry her collection here in our library..she is always at the top of the list.

Merilee Dunlop is entering into a new stage of her life. She is recently divorced and is moving with her two children to Sweet Apple, Georgia. The divorce was amicable after her husband was found cheating with their daughter’s third grade teacher. She rents a cottage house from an elderly woman named Sugar Prescott. Sugar at ninety-four is very opinionated and is the self appointed town matriarch.

Merilee has enrolled her children in an elite private school to avoid the gossip around her failed marriage. The children adjust quickly to their new life while Merilee struggles with her social status. Merilee feels different because she is a divorced, working parent who doesn’t play tennis. Heather Blackford is the poster child for this stereotype and is living the life that the local women crave. She is at the top of the social ladder and others seem to worship her friendship. Heather eventually befriends Merilee and starts to dominate her life with carpools and awkward gifts. At the same time, Sugar starts to take an active interest in Merilee and her children. They forge an unlikely friendship that becomes stronger as drama and secrets unfold.

This is a story about a woman transitioning into a new phase of her life. She is forced to evaluate new acquaintances and along the way discovers a lot about herself. Karen White does a great job of blending drama, mystery, southern fiction, and romance in her new novel.

Blog: https://readingbetweenthepagesblog.wordpress.com/
Posted On: 04/21/2017

Sometimes you meet a book and it’s love at first site. That’s how it was between me and The Night the Lights Went Out by Karen White. It all started with the cover – let’s just take a minute and admire how gorgeous the cover is. Once I got past the cover, it only took me a few pages to know this was a book I would love.

It’s told from the perspective of two women, Merilee and Alice aka Sugar. Merilee is the mother of two; Lily who’s ten years old and Colin who’s eight. She is recently divorced and is moving to get a fresh start for her and her kids. Sugar, who is ninety-three, is spunky, feisty, independent, and has a big heart although she doesn’t want to admit it. The story alternates from current day, to the early 1900’s, to blog posts from an anonymous person trying to educate newcomers on the ways of the south.

I absolutely adored this book! It is a mix of romance, humor, friendship, and mystery. Merilee is renting a Craftsman cottage on Sugar’s property. Despite Sugar’s independence and stubbornness, she and Merilee are destined to form a special bond. The two women find out they have more in common than they could have ever imagined. They each have their secrets and despite a lifetime of trying to keep them quiet, they find themselves opening up to each other.

Sugar is an amazing character. She’s funny without trying to be and is crusty in her delivery, but has a heart of gold. There were so many Sugar quotes that I would love to add here, but I am only going to include one that I feel captures her spirit.

Sugar says, “Don’t go digging where you’re not wanted. Most people have secrets. And most of them should be allowed to stay hidden. No good has ever come from poking a stick down a hole. Sometimes you get a garter snake, but sometimes you get a rattler.”

I cannot say enough good things about this book! Dare I say… so far this is my favorite book of 2017.

I wanted to love this book, based on its other good reviews, but I couldn't get into it as much as I'd hoped. The characters never felt real to me--it's hard to explain but I was always aware that it was a novel, and there was no exciting hook compelling me to stick with it, to learn what would happen next. Still, it was an okay read and I'll tell people about it. Thank you!

I am always so excited to start reading a Karen White novel because I know I'm in for a treat. Her books are full of great characters, interesting storylines, picturesque Southern locales and plenty of suspense and plot twists. If all that sounds good to you, then you need to read her latest book The Night the Lights Went Out because it is perfect!

After being blindsided by her husband cheating on her, Merilee Dunlap is looking for a fresh start. She moves into an cottage owned by one of Sweet Apple's oldest residents Sugar Prescott. Sugar is determined not to become involved with Merilee or her two children, but Sugar begins to see something of herself in Merilee and finds herself sharing stories of her past. Merilee also makes fast friends with Heather Blackford, a glamorous popular woman who quickly draws Merilee into her world of wealth and privilege. Sugar Prescott has a short list of Sweet Apple residents that she likes and Heather Blackford definitely isn't on it. While Sugar tries to warn Merilee about Heather, Merilee believes that Sugar's concerns are unwarranted and that her friendship with Heather is true.

I can't say enough good things about this story. I loved how it combined the suspense of the current storyline with the reflections of Sugar's backstory. Karen White always delivers a great read and The Night The Lights Went Out is certainly no exception! There is a reason she is one of my favorite authors and I know that once you read a Karen White book, she will be one of your favorites as well.

I received this book courtesy of Berkley Publishing Group through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Although this was my first Karen
White novel, it will not be my last. The finely drawn characters, the portrait of life in small town Georgia, and the consequences of the choices we make in life, all add about to a very satisfying read.

In THE NIGHT THE LIGHTS WENT OUT, Karen White intertwines the lives of two strong Southern women while telling a story of secrets, survival, starting over, and friendship. The star of this book is most definitely Miss Sugar Prescott. She’s a lifelong resident of Sweet Apple, Georgia, a place that may seem perfect on the surface, but what lies beneath is a different story.

Now in her mid-90s, Sugar is still tough, headstrong, and sharp as a tack. Sugar rents a cottage on her property to Merilee Dunlap, a recently divorced mom with two children in tow. Merilee’s life in Sweet Apple won’t be what she expected, but luckily she’s got Sugar on her side.

This book alternates between Sugar in the past (early 1930s) and Merilee’s ordeal in present day Sweet Apple. All around I just enjoyed Sugar’s story and character the best. Other parts I found a bit predictable and hard to believe, but overall it was an enjoyable read – nice blend of mystery, historical fiction, Southern drama, and a dash of romance. The ending was very exciting!

This book is definitely a 3.5 for me. I can’t pick between rating it a 3 or a 4 and I have even changed my rating on Goodreads a few times because of that. The story was very enjoyable and I finished it quickly because of that. I loved the setting and the characters and I would recommend it to anyone who likes Southern family stories with a bit of romance. But the final quarter of the book just threw me for a bit of a loop. I kind of felt like the rug was pulled out from under me and I wasn’t crazy about it. Like I mentioned, it might be because the past 3 books I’ve read have done that to me as well, but it didn’t leave me with a good taste in my mouth. In the end though, I would recommend this book and I look forward to continuing to read White’s books.

The Night the Lights Went Out by Karen White follows newly divorced Merilee as she adjusts to a new home and placing her children into a new school. The first friend she makes is Heather, the mother of her daughter's classmate. Heather swoops Merilee into the hoity-toity social life that she belongs to. Merilee's landlord, Sugar Prescott, is not a fan of Heather but Merilee sees no harm in being her friend. All is not as it appears in small town Georgia and Merilee is about to find that out for herself in a very unpleasant manner. The plot is a bit predictable but overall the story will keep your attention right up to the very end. Read and enjoy!

Oh, Karen White. My introduction to her work was 2015’s The Sound of Glass and I was so enamored I swore I would jump right into her other novels. When I received an invitation to be a part of the tour for The Night the Lights Went Out, I couldn’t say yes fast enough!

A recent (and ugly) divorce has Merilee moving with her children to Sweet Apple, Georgia, just outside Atlanta. A new change of pace and scenery will do wonders for them all – or so Merilee assumes. What begins as a great new start at life – Merilee rents a cottage from 94-year-old Sugar Prescott who’s still stubborn and full of fire, the kids are doing well in their new, private academy, and Merilee even begins to make friends with the other school moms – quickly goes south when an anonymous blog starts shedding light on scandalous events…including the one that ended her marriage.

I have a feeling this review will be short and sweet – not that there’s not a lot to discuss, but because Karen hit yet another homerun and I just adore her. The juxtaposition of Sugar’s farm and her childhood stories right alongside the Stepfordesque tennis moms and their gated mansions, a setting so vivid I felt like I was there (not surprising, considering Atlanta is White’s hometown!), the blog posts scattered throughout the chapters. It all came together so perfectly. What really stands out in White’s novels, though, are her characters. They’re all so, so wonderfully crafted and feel like real, living, breathing people I could easily come across at the grocery store or while shopping.

The star here is clearly Sugar. 94 and full of spunk, Sugar doesn’t need more friends, thank you very much. In fact, she’s perfectly content with her childhood best friend Willa Faye and her grandson Wade. She lives for her shows and makes a point to get her daily steps in – what, just because she’s old doesn’t mean she doesn’t know what a Fitbit is! Sugar has lived on the farm her entire life and throughout the novel there are snippets of her childhood in the 30s when Mama lost one too many babies and fell into a dark depression, the night a man died on their kitchen table. Naturally I was completely sucked in to the historical aspect, but watching Sugar’s icy facade crumble as her friendship with Merilee evolves over the course of the novel was lovely.

Again, a short review, but don’t let that fool you. Karen White is a master at her craft and I loved The Night the Lights Went Out. A fantastic setting, excellent characters, and a story that swept me away all came together to make one phenomenal book. Fans of Diane Chamberlain and Liane Moriarty are sure to feel right at home with this one – and be prepared to have The Night the Lights Went Out in Georgia stuck in your head!

The Night the Lights Went Out
by Karen White 0451488385 5 Stars
What a great book! Absolutely loved the characters, especially Ms. Sugar and the stories she has to tell. The story takes place in Sweet Apple, Georgia and like all little towns, everyone knows everything. There is a secret blogger, murder, and love. What more could you ask for in a book? I highly recommend it!

I really enjoy books set in the South, they always have a different sort of feel to them. Merilee was likable, if somewhat naive, but given her circumstances I will cut her some slack. I loved Sugar - crusty on the outside, but very caring and loyal underneath - just don't get on her bad side! Of course there are a couple of men in the story - Dan Blackford, "Ken to Heather's Barbie", and a successful doctor to boot! And Wade, grandson of Sugar's best friend and potential love interest for Merilee.

Full of "southernisms" (Bless her heart. . . ) the anonymous blog/blogger lent some humor and wisdom to the goings on in Sweet Apple. There are lots of secrets that get spilled, lots of family - much of it dysfunctional, and lots of love and loyalty. And if you are familiar with the song that I am sure the book takes its name from, there is also murder.

It was a very quick read and I liked the way that it would jump back in time and share Sugar's history. The intermittent blog posts were also fun to read. Perfect for this time of year, it would be a great beach read!

Marilee is a young, recently divorced mother who moves with her two children to a suburb of Atlanta to start over. As she starts to build her life again, she discovers the difference between false and true friends, and the fact that some secrets from the past just can't stay hidden. This was a somewhat predictable story but I loved the character of Sugar, who is one of those characters we should all aspire to be.

My ratings often depend on my expectations. I decided to read The Night the Lights Went Out because of two recent mediocre literary fiction reads. I was ready for something light and entertaining, and I had room to tolerate the comfort of some predictability. Karen White delivered what I was looking for. Set in Georgia, the story focuses on the parallel lives of recently divorced Marilee and her 93 year landlady Sugar. Marilee is trying to fit into her new community and Sugar is way past the need to fit in anywhere or ingratiate herself with anyone. They both have secrets. The town has a few secrets. The story moves back and forth in time. Things are not always as they seem. Tensions build up somewhat predictably, but not to the detriment of my enjoyment. It was the characters and their back story that I enjoyed the most and that made this one worth reading. I especially liked Sugar. I won't say more to avoid spoilers. It's a good book to read for light entertainment-- maybe a good beach read. It did the trick. Now I have to continue my quest for something more meaty. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an opportunity to read an advance copy.

Recently divorced, Marilee Dunlap moves to a small town with her two children and rents a home from Sugar Prescott , the 93 year-old town matriarch. Marilee is quickly befriended by wealthy socialite Heather Blackford , who seems just too nice to be real. As Merilee and Sugar grow closer, they both learn that keeping secrets isn't the best way to live life.

Karen White is the queen of southern women's fiction! She can tell a story so naturally that you don't see the train wreck coming till your right on the tracks and that past sins always come back to haunt you.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance copy.

Merilee Dunlap is shattered when she learns her husband has been having an affair with a teacher at her children’s school. When she divorces this lying cheat who she still really loves, she downsizes her home, her car and moves her kids to a private school. Sweet Apple GA is like many small towns that have been swept up in urban sprawl and is now an upper middle class suburb of Atlanta, filled with McMansions and upscale SUVs. Merilee is happy in here small cabin, even if her landlord is a 90ish, rather curmudgeonly woman like Sugar. Sugar has lived on this land her entire life, land that was once her family’s farm, sold and parceled out by her money grubbing brothers. She’s determined to hold on to the rest. No matter how determined she is to not make friends with Merilee and her children, she just can’t stay away. She finds herself baking and sharing, and popping in for visits. Reminded of her own younger brother when she see’s Merilee’s young son.

It is in the stories of her youth that we learn about Sugar’s past, and how she got to be where she is now. The past is easier to share than the details of much smaller life now. Listening to these tales, Merilee is also able to open up about her youth and the tragedies she’s spent her adult live trying to repent from, a series of accidents and guilt she can’t forget.

Merilee feels she doesn’t fit in with the stay at home moms of the new school, and still she is swept up in a friendship with the queen bee of all the moms, Heather. Flattered and somehow taken in by Heather I didn’t see this friendship as growing, but it did. Merilee would be much happier if only this anonymous blog weren’t digging into her life, sharing all the ugly details of her husband’s affair, and little faux pas that embarrass her.

These three women are the bulk of this book, and yes they all have a past, and somehow you can never leave your demons behind you. There is also a hunky handyman, some good looking husbands, and the talk of food and sweet tea just round out a good southern book!

Karen White continues to dazzle me with her gift for telling a story, making me think of my own misspent youth, and wishing I had the friendship of a truly remarkable woman like Sugar in my life. The Night the Lights Went Out was a super quick read, so enjoyable and yet just enough mystery to keep me guessing. I can’t wait to see Karen on book tour next week in Vero Beach Book Center.

Favorite Quotes:

Memories are thieves. They slip up behind you when you least expect it, their cold hands pressed against your face, suffocating. They blow icy-cold air even on the hottest days, and pinch you awake in the middle of the night.

I don’t hate you… I’ve wanted to, but I can’t. It’s just easier not to hate you when you’re four hundred miles away.

Birdie has always been… different. Not like our friends’ mothers, anyway. Georgia used to say she fell into motherhood like some people slip off a curb and into a mud puddle – except she couldn’t figure out how she got there or how to get it off of her.

I remember the first time I saw her and I knew there was something not right about her, like half of her was missing, and the other half was doing something much more interesting.

He grinned, exposing white teeth and a single dimple on his left cheek that used to make the girls have thoughts that would shock their parents.

There are no limits to starting over. That’s why the sun rises every day. Unless you’re running in circles and then the outcome never changes.

As Grandpa used to say, regrets were like porch swings: They kept you busy but didn’t get you anywhere.
My Review:

Flight Patterns had a completely different tone than The Night The Lights Went Out. It was a far more intricate and complicated story of family drama, and featured several mysteries, a ton of long-held secrets, and was overflowing with a multitude of old resentments and unhealed wounds. Written with multiple narrators, the storyline was engaging and emotive while rife with conflict, tension, and angst. The characters were deeply flawed, complex, and not always likable, yet always fascinating and compelling. The story was maddeningly paced as this clever author succeeded in keeping me on the hook by doling out tiny breadcrumbs when I was absolutely dying for a full piece of bread. The plot, oh my, was richly textured, multi-layered, and highly eventful with an active storyline that was always moving. And as a bonus – I feel infinitely smarter having learned so many interesting facts about bees.