Review: The Night the Lights Went Out by Karen White

The Night the Lights Went Out

by Karen White

Publisher: Berkley

Pages: 416

Format: book

Buy the Book: Amazon

Goodreads:  Recently divorced, Merilee Talbot Dunlap moves with her two children to the Atlanta suburb of Sweet Apple, Georgia. It's not her first time starting over, but her efforts at a new beginning aren't helped by an anonymous local blog that dishes about the scandalous events that caused her marriage to fail. 

Merilee finds some measure of peace in the cottage she is renting from town matriarch Sugar Prescott. Though stubborn and irascible, Sugar sees something of herself in Merilee--something that allows her to open up about her own colorful past. 

Sugar's stories give Merilee a different perspective on the town and its wealthy school moms in their tennis whites and shiny SUVs, and even on her new friendship with Heather Blackford. Merilee is charmed by the glamorous young mother's seemingly perfect life and finds herself drawn into Heather's world. 

In a town like Sweet Apple, where sins and secrets are as likely to be found behind the walls of gated mansions as in the dark woods surrounding Merilee's house, appearance is everything. But just how dangerous that deception can be will shock all three women....

Kritters Thoughts:  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.


Rating: absolutely loved it and want a sequel

Disclosure of Material Connection:  I received one copy of this book free of charge from Berkley NAL.  I was not required to write a positive review in exchange for receipt of the book; rather, the opinions expressed in this review are my own.