Once again Mary Kubica has written a book that grabbed me right from the start and never let go.

Why can't Jessie apply to college? Now that her mom has died she is trying to carry out her mom's wishes and make something of herself. Unfortunately, it appears her social security number is listed for a Jessie Sloane with the same date of birth, same name, but is registered as dead. No paperwork can be found in her mom's stuff. No birth certificate exists for her, at least in that state.

Her mom used to clean houses and one of those past homeowners says that Jessie refused to be called Jessie and wouldn't call her mother anything but her first name. Catch your interest yet?

We think we know where this is going. Then alternate chapters are about Eden, who desperately wants a child and just can't get pregnant. Hmmm. Eden just happens to be her mom's name. Only Kubica can keep us going to the final page.

Great story! Thanks NetGalley for an advance copy in return for an honest opinion.

Read all my reviews at: https://brainfartsandbooks.wordpress.com

It has been a little bit since I've been thrown into a book this deeply. The book is narrated by two points of view. That of Jessie and that of Eden. And for the whole first half of the book you don't know how the two characters will eventually interact. Eden's timeline is dated, however Jessie's is not. The book starts out with Jessie in the hospital by her dying mother's side. Her mother always told her to "find yourself". As she gathers paperwork to sell her mother's house and to go to college, she gets a call saying that her social security number belongs to someone who is deceased. Going on a wild goose chase to find out who she really is and who her father is, Jessie starts imagining things and ends up not knowing what's real. In the other half of the story, Eden and her husband Aaron are trying so desperately to get pregnant. Eden becomes obsessed with the idea and they end up spending thousands of dollars on fertility treatments. When the two stories end up colliding, the reader ends up with a little better understanding of the story, but it's not until the very end where everything opens up like a light at the end of a long tunnel. This book had me captured from the beginning and had a very unexpected ending. A fantastic read by Mary Kubica!

Thank you to Netgalley, Mary Kubica, and Harlequin/Park Row for my ARC in exchange for an honest review.

When the Lights go out is a haunting and brilliant thriller that leaves you on the edge of your seat. Readers won't see the end coming and will feel all sorts of emotions because of it. I love this authors writing, her books always seem to hook me until the bitter end, and she writes original tales. If you're looking for something that will keep you guessing, this is the book for you!

Jessie has just lost her mother to cancer and has now applied for college. However, they inform her that her social security number has raised a red flag. This and a number of nagging coincidences causes her to doubt everything she knows about herself.
As she grieves and becomes incapable of sleeping, her own mind turns against her and she begins to see and hear things. She is convinced she is going to die.
Running parallel to this story is the life story of her mother from twenty years earlier. As you learn about Jessie, there is a flashback to her Mom and what took place.
This book is well written and like any Mary Kubica book – riveting. You keep wanting to get to the end because you are convinced that you know the truth. However, when you do get to the end of the book, the solution is so simple that you almost feel cheated. Still I would give four stars as the story is compelling.

For Jessie's whole life it has only been Mom and her. Mom is in the hospital dying and Jessie isn't sure what she is going to do. Unable to sleep and not wanting to leave her Mom's side, Jessie survives on hospital cafeteria coffee and the kindness of the nurses. When the college financial aid office calls Jessie and tells her that there is a problem with her college application and that the social security number that Jessie has provided belongs to a dead girl. Jessie soon feels like Alice falling down the rabbit hole and starts to question who her mother really is and what happened to her father. Told in the alternating voices of Jessie and her mother, Eden, a horrifying story unfolds.

I have loved Kubica's previous novels, see my links to their reviews, but this book did not keep my interest. I guessed early in the book where the plot was going and hoped I was wrong. Maybe it is where I am right now, but the characters of Jessie and her mother did not hold together for me. It will be interesting when it is published to see how it is received and what others think of it. You'll have to read this one to decide for your self.

Nope, nope, nope. This was one of those books that absolutely pissed me off and made me vow never to read another book by that author. Seriously. It was that bad. Due to spoilers, I can't go into why it was so bad, but trust me when I say, it was a total cop-out ending.

I loved Kubica's first three books, but was disappointed in her last effort "Every Little Lie". This book, however, was even worse. Don't waste your time.

Ohhhh, this was good! This won’t be for everyone though. But if you fit into the category it does then hold on for this ride!

I dealt with infertility myself. I remember the isolation and desperation of it. You would do almost anything to have that baby, almost... If you haven’t been there then this will be maybe hard for some of you to understand and you may feel tricked or disappointed by this book. I get it.

I thought I had this figured out - so many times! The writing was so good! I would highly recommend this book.

Thanks to NetGalley, HARLEQUIN, and the author for the free copy in exchange for a review. My opinion was not influenced because of this.

This book was an unexpected surprise. I have read Kubica's other novels and have widely varied opinions of them so I approached this one kind of warily. But the narrative moves swiftly and I stayed up past my bedtime two nights in a row because I desperately wanted to know what was happening. I thought it was well written and the characters were sympathetic. I thought that Eden was especially well written and Kubica does a great job of showing how desperate her actions were and how her motivations caused her to do what she did. (I can't write anything more without it being a spoiler.) All in all a gripping read and I would recommend.

I love Kubica's books so had high hopes for this one and was drawn into the story immediately. I loved the Eden/Jessie connection and was anxious to find out the truth about their relationship. But the ending threw me for a loop! I put the book down and said, "Whaaaat?" I'm still kind of reeling from it. I guess I just wanted there to be more closure with all the convoluted details from Jessie's mind. I'll still continue to read anything she writes as her imagination is awesome. This just wasn't the book for me.

I was riveting in this book and breezed through it, however, I have to say, the ending did not entirely work for me, I felt like it was really disappointing after getting so invested in these characters. I have read all of Kubica's prior books and will continue to do so in the future, but unfortunately, this one was not a win for me.

The book was describe to me as a thriller, but I see it more as a mystery. The chapters alternate between Eden and Jessie in different times and places, but meshing in the end.

Jessie Sloane is on the path to rebuilding her life after years of caring for her mother who suffered from the effects of her body ravaged by cancer. Her mother’s wish is for her daughter is for her to find herself after she dies. Jessie rents a new apartment and applies for college. But when the college informs her that her social security number belongs to a deceased person, Jessie discovers a shocking detail that causes her to doubt everything she’s ever known.

Jessie is thrust into a bizarre mystery that was/is her life. Her new situation is exacerbated by grief and a relentless inability to sleep. As days pass and the insomnia worsens, it plays with Jessie’s mind. I felt I was going crazy just reading about Jessie’s insomnia. Her judgment is blurred, her thoughts are hampered by fatigue. She can no longer sort out the difference between what’s real and what she’s only imagined. This part of the book became a bit confusing for this reader I must admit.

Eden’s situation was just as heartbreaking if not more, by the losses she experiences. As a mother of three children, I ached for Eden inability to have the only thing in life she truly wants and that is a child. And in desperation, Eden is willing to do anything it takes to get that child.

I was surprised, if not shocked at the twist where the father is revealed. This was most clever and unexpected; well thought out, Mary Kubuca. That scene in the book was very visual and a hard one to read.

Another passage I’d like to highlight that was another example of great writing and is one that continues invades my heart and mind. This is the mother bird who built her little nest in a rain gutter I believe it was. She covered her eggs with her body and a mother’s love while hailstorm pelted her body, which was no match for that type of abuse. She could have flown to shelter, but she was unwilling to sacrifice her eggs to save herself.

This book shows how the decisions we make in life must be thought out, because a split second bad one can alter your entire life and future.

Just finished this book. It started out amazing. It was emotional and spooky and I was thinking this is going to be my favorite of all her books but then the ending. It’s like she didn’t know what to do and just grasped at anything to finish the book. Ahh, it had such huge potential but the ending fell flat. I’m so disappointed.

When The Lights Go Out by Mary Kubica was intense from beginning to end. I read this in record time, wondering WHAT IS HAPPENING?

When Jessie Sloan’s mother dies, her world is turned upside down. She cannot sleep and begins to lose her mind. What is real, what is imagined and who is the man she keeps seeing? Jessie needs her social security number but learns the number belongs to a girl who is long dead, so why does Jessie have a past that is shrouded in mystery? Who is she, really? Is there a link to the dead girl whose social security number she possesses?

So many questions! And the whole time Jessie tries to figure out her true identity, the lack of sleep is causing her hallucinations. Meanwhile, in alternating chapters, we learn about Eden, a woman so desperate to have a baby that she’s willing to do anything.

This book is not out until September but I highly recommend this author’s novel, The Good Girl, which I thought was very good!

I love this author, but I felt this book went a little slow. Jessie was an unreliable narrator, which made me question everything. The twist as to who Jessie's dad is was unexpected for me. After finishing the book and looking back, I liked the concept, but while reading, I was confused, suspicious, and not liking what was happening. I look forward to her next book.

This was weird. The whole book was really a red herring and in the end, not a whole lot happened. There were bits and pieces that were interesting and certainly readers will think they know where the story is leading and they will likely be surprised. But there really felt like there was no pay off to this one in the end.

I love all Kubica's books. I find myself repeatedly, and wrongly, piecing together the trail of clues she leaves. I read this book in one day and at the 89% mark I was worried because there was so little book left and I did not know how it would all resolve in time! As usual, the ending was not as I predicted and actually caught me by surprise (with a smidgen of disappointment) but overall a good read as I had expected from Kubica.

The book starts with someone unknown on a building ledge and then goes back and forth in time and voice between Jessie and Eden, whose connection we don't learn of right away. Jessie is a young girl struggling with the death of her mom and Eden is a married woman struggling with her desire to have a child. As the stress and tension in both their lives escalates I found myself reading faster and wanting to 'help' both characters. Jessie's insomnia and growing paranoia is difficult to read and the pain and anguish of Eden's desire for a child is heartbreaking.

Thanks to NetGalley and Harlequin-Trade Publishing, Hanover Square Press for the early read in exchange for an honest review.

I am a HUGE fan of Mary Kubica. I have a copy of all of her books, and was so excited to receive an ARC from NetGalley and Harlequin Books. I was immediately invested in When The Lights Go Out. I really enjoyed Pretty Baby, which came out in 2015, and this story follows the same theme of motherhood. I loved the plot, and the unreliable narrator, which provided the same riveting suspense and stress that The Woman in the Window and Girl on the Train provided. The storyline was amazing, with alternating POV’s which kept me furiously flipping pages well into the night, trying to uncover the “bizarre case of stolen identity.” When I finally got to the ‘twist’ I was really disappointed, and actually flipped back to re-read because I was so surprised and unsure if I read incorrectly. I felt that my questions were never answered and wish the ending had gone in a different direction. I’ve read some very positive reviews with 5 stars, so maybe I am in the minority here. Excited to see what the bookstagram community thinks!

I LOVE getting good and lost in Mary Kubica’s novels! Right off the bat, just from reading the description Of When the Lights Go Out, I found the premise completely intriguing! This book is an addictive mystery/thriller that had me hooked from the very first page- I was 100% ALL IN!! I thought the way Mary Kubica told the story between the past and present from 2 points of view worked perfectly with the storyline and added to allure! The novel was well paced and I enjoyed the twists and turns I didn’t see coming- love that! When the Lights Go Out is a 4.5 star novel that will pull you in and keep you up way past your bedtime!

This novel was not what I expected. While it held my interest, I found myself skipping sections to get to the end. The mystery is about Jessie Sloane’s true identity, because after her mother’s death, she finds her SSN belongs to a dead three year old. Jessie goes many days without sleep as she tries to solve the details of her life. I appreciate the publisher and NetGalley allowing me to be an early reader in exchange for my fair and honest review.

I thought the main characters, Jessie and Eden, were crazy....I felt like I was going crazy. I had a deep compassion for Eden's POV chapters. I liked a lot of aspects of this story...but there is one plot point that is nagging at me. Overall though, it was a good read.