I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley.

The House on Foster Hill brings two women, two time periods, and one house of secrets together. There are numerous twists and turns that keep the reader engaged. You really do not know the underlying connections until the very end. You ultimately realize the societal significance of events and how they relate to issues which continue today.

Wow! That sums up the whole book in one word!
I like suspense and mysteries and old houses. Add some great characters in the past and present, intertwine their stories, and it certainly makes an intriguing storyline. Add to that an author who can truly write and you’re in for a treat. The House on Foster Hill is all this and more!
I was hooked from page one and had no idea what the outcome would be. The author kept me guessing till the satisfying end.
Great story! Great writing! On my favorites list of 2017!

A fantastic debut novel! The dual storyline was equally enjoyable with lots of twists and unexpected turns. Absolutely a must read!

I loved this new debut novel by Jaime Jo Wright. It held my attention from the very beginning and made me keep coming back to read so I could see what happened next. The way that the author went from the present story of Kaine to the past story of Ivy was seamless and the plot and character interaction intertwined in such a way that it was very intriguing. Wright also kept the identity of the villain hidden until the very end which keeps the reader hooked. There were many layers to this story and this complexity kept me interested. I will definitely be reading another book by Jaime Jo Wright and will recommend this to others!

I have been trying to finish this book for a long time.. picking it up and putting it back down because the story just did not pull me in. I think the writer shows promise but the full story did not flow very well to me. I still would give it a chance if you like historical fiction.

I am generally not a connoisseur of suspense novels, but the cover of The House on Foster Hill is so beautifully done and intriguing that that it drew me in and I found myself wanting to discover the mysterious secrets the Foster Hill house was holding. If you are an avid reader of Colleen Coble, you will fall in love with book by Jaime Jo Wright. Her descriptive narrative made the Foster Hill house come alive and I could almost feel the evil that emanated from within its abandoned old walls. I really enjoyed the plot line as it switched from past to present and the secrets of the old house were revealed.

A major theme of the novel is hope, and living a legacy that is full of hope in God so that future generations may learn and gain strength from the Godly lives that went before them. Another theme running through this novel is healing. Both Ivy and Kaine had a broken and fledgling faith. Jaime Jo Wright reminds her readers that God wants to reignite the dying embers of our faith and He will, if we are willing to let him.

I highly recommend reading The House on Foster Hill.

You can purchase The House on Foster Hill from your local or online book retailer in November, 2017. Mark your calendars! This is a book you won't want to miss!

Thank you Bethany House and Net Galley for the free copy of The House on Foster Hill. The opinions expressed are my own.

I really enjoyed this book It was a little more thriller than mystery and while Wright alluded to deep, dark evil, it wasn't with graphic or explicit details. The sense of evil was there yet it wasn't scary enough that I couldn't go to sleep. Now I did wake up in the middle of the night and pick it back up to see what was going to happen next so there was definitely suspense that drew me into the story.

The story shifts between Kaine, a California widow who is running from a stalker that nobody else believes actually exists, and Ivy, her great-great-grandmother who is caught up in the middle of the murder of a mysterious woman back in the 1800's. The book unfolds by shifting between the time lines and Kaine's and Ivy's points-of-view. I thought this structure lended itself very well to the story and the way the separate mysteries intertwined and even built on each other was really interesting. The villain was a complete surprise and masterfully handled

One thing I really enjoyed was the way Wright shed light on the very serious issue of human trafficking. This is not a new plight that women and children have faced in recent decades; it continues to exist and as a society we tend to turn our eyes away from it, as if ignoring it will make it go away.

Walter Lavender Jr. was born five months after his father, co-pilot of a flight to Bombay disappears. The plane is never found, so it is assumed the occupants are dead.
Lucy, Walter's mother, has dreamed of opening a bakery and tries to make a go of things, but sales are not going well until one night, during a storm, Lucy invites a homeless artist in to get warm. In exchange, the woman leaves a special book in the bakery. Suddenly not only is the bakery thriving, but the baked goods seem to be quite lively.
Walter, who has trouble speaking, has grown up hoping his father would someday return or send a sign. When someone steals the book from the shop, Walter skips school to search for it, meeting all sorts of people along the way, and learning about himself in the process.
A beautifully descriptive book!

I really enjoyed this book. The characters from the past, Ivy and Joel, were well drawn and quite interesting. I think perhaps Kaine had just too many bad things coincidently happen that at times seemed a bit far fetched. One stalker might have been enough with perhaps a different variation for the second situation. The only character that never felt real was Mason. I never really felt that I really understood his madness/obsession with protecting the past. It might have helped to flesh him out a bit and make the reader understand why this was so important to him. Protecting secrets shouldn't be enough to totally change a man's moral compass. Something that can lead a man to attempt murder should be huge but concealing crimes from generations past doesn't seem real. I also thought the secondary character, the librarian, might have benefitted from just a bit more explanation.

I am not normally a fan of Christian literature but it worked well here. Gabriella was a beautifully drawn character and I found myself wanting to know more about her history. How did she keep her faith after all she went through. A strong mother, minister, what? I thoroughly enjoyed this book and the back and forth in time worked well here. This was a very good and interesting book.

I have read the authors novellas and was excited for this debut novel and it did not disappoint! The dual story line was very intriguing and was written so that it flowed great from chapter to chapter. I was never confused about what time i was in and was always eager to get back to the past or present to continue their story.. The mysteries kept me on my toes right up until solved, I must say that I can usually solve mysteries on my own but this one I did not see coming. I enjoyed being on Ivy and Kaine's journey with them and seeing them learn so much about themselves in the process. OUTSTANDING debut novel from Jaime Jo Wright

I don't know what it is lately but there's been a lot of melodrama masquerading as thriller. This is no exception.

Things that made me (constantly) roll my eyes:

- The main character (Kaine) was hugely annoying. Ivy was alright but Kaine was just so weak and unlikeable. Zero personality. Her past traumas are supposed to make her interesting or a survivor, I guess, but I never felt that. Maybe it was the constant leap back to Ivy who was much more interesting. Or maybe it's because she was clueless, helpless, and careless. I'm inclined to think it was the latter though.
- The constant and completely unnecessary reference to God and faith. It got to the point where it was so prevalent I thought that the story (either of them) was going to end with some divine intervention. In that case, the constant references would have made sense (but I still would have rolled my eyes).
- Kaine's "romantic" subplot. Ivy's was supposed to be stormy, I guess, but I was pretty indifferent to it. But that is far better than my reaction to Kaine's. Weak woman falls for protective male after knowing him about 30 seconds and spends the whole time going back and forth between blushing and talking about how cute he is but no, I can't, my deceased husband but I can't control all these emotions. I would have understood the main character's hesitancy and her attraction despite that but I didn't need to be hit over the head with it. It also would have helped if the dude was at all interesting or had a personality other than do research and put his arm around her in a safe way.
- The inclusion of a character with Down syndrome would have been nice if her only purpose wasn't just to sit there and look cute. Like flesh her out, give her something to do, or a personality or a purpose.

Give anyone in this book a personality or a purpose, really. I felt nothing for anyone, possibly to spite the author who really, really, really wanted me to have faith in God and feel safe with Grant and to feel for Kaine's trauma despite giving me absolutely no reason to do any of those things, no matter how many times she not so subtly implied it.

The strongest part was Ivy and the focus on the past; having to share half the book with the less interesting Kaine and the less interesting (and convoluted) present day plot was kind of a shame.

Those two stars are for you Ivy.

A creepy house with a dark past (check), unsolved murders (check), woman on the run from a stalker (check), yes, this book will cause a few sleepless nights and raise your blood pressure a few notches! It sure did for me, but well worth it to find out how the intertwined mysteries of past and present are solved, and if there would be justice in the end.
Questions of faith are discussed briefly as they flowed naturally from situations, like how come God allows the innocent to suffer, and how can someone regain hope. A hint of romance sweetens the tale that has some dark sides to it, carefully addressing issues like abuse.
An impressive debut novel well worth the read for those who enjoy suspense and mystery, with a touch of a Gothic feel, plus a bit of faith and clean romance.

Hard to believe this is a debut novel! I loved both the historical story and the present-day story . I liked how the story lines wove together the ending and payoff were extremely satisfying.

Hard to believe this is a debut novel! Wright is definitely a writer to watch. I enjoyed both the historical story of Ivy and the present-day story of Kaine. Ivy seemed a little stronger on the romance side and Kaine was stronger on the suspense side, especially with the stalker storyline. I liked how the storylines wove together and the ending resolution and payoff were extremely satisfying.

Wow! I read the blurb and was intrigued and the book certainly delivered. The storyline is as dark and tormented as its protagonist's,the first Kaine, a widow who has bought a house unseen in her Grandfather's hometown in hopes of starting a new life.

What she gets is more of the terrifying darkness which has plagued her life for the previous few years - Kaine has a stalker. However, she also makes new friends, who support her and care for her as she begins to renovate Foster Hill House.

Then there is Ivy, the second protagonist who is seeking to discover what happened to the murdered girl she dubbed, 'Gabriella' and the missing infant she gave birth to shortly before her tragic death.

The book switches between the two points of view smoothly, probably because the historical and present day events intertwine to provide answers to both women.

Although the subject matter is dark, and may prove troubling to some (Kaine was a counsellor working with abused women, which impacts her life view and thus story, and Ivy a chronicler of the dead) there is a continuing message of hope throughout and focus on Jesus as a source of strength in the face of all things.

A riveting read, which demands to be finished so that the reader will discover the information that the protagonists seek along with them.

Warning: do not read alone if faint of heart!

With many thanks to Netgalley and the Publisher.

This debut novel chronicles a portion of the lives of two women, more than a century apart, with similar ideals and determination.. Both have lost people they dearly loved, and their faith is tested by these losses and their aftermath. Connections are unveiled gradually, exposing unanticipated links between the two. I enjoyed the story more as it progressed and the mystery surrounding each of them deepened.
There are some aspects of the story that I found frustrating: a lack of truthfulness and trust in the women, and supporting characters who might have benefited by more development. Overall, I found the conclusion to be one of faith and hope in spite of trying circumstances.
I received an advanced reader copy from NetGalley and the publisher for review.

Two women born more than 100 years apart, Ivy Thorpe and Kaine Prescott, have ties to the mysterious, abandoned Foster House. Both have a calling to help women in trouble and both are questioning their faith after losing a loved one. Will Kaine's research learn Ivy's secrets and help her resolve her own life?

Told in alternating chapters, this is a good, solid first novel with lots of suspense and a little romance that will keep you turning the pages to find out both women's secrets.

Thank you to Netgalley and Bethany House Publishers for this ARC.

In a debut novel, Jamie Jo Wright, tells a story told in two different time periods.

Ivy tells the story in 1906. Outside the house on Foster Hill, a body has been found-- stuffed into a hollow tree. The girl is unknown and nameless. Still raw from the loss of her brother over a decade ago, Ivy insists on inserting herself into the investigation, even if it means putting herself in danger.

On the other side, we have Kaine. Kaine is the great-great-granddaughter of Ivy. Moving to Foster Hill was a way of getting out of San Diego-- away from a stalker and the recent murder of her husband. Kaine finds herself owning a run down house when odd things start to happen. Worried her stalker followed her, Kaine also works to uncover the mystery surrounding the house she has purchased.

I found the book to be well written. There was no scramble between the time periods and it wasn't difficult to keep up with. I found myself disappointed when I had to put the book down to go to dinner or work. Impressive debut novel from Wright! I look forward to future books!

I’ve never been much of a fan of dual time period narratives. It’s hard to get engrossed in the minds or time of one set of characters only to be pulled out of that place in the next chapter or two. So when I decided to read this book I knew that there was a high chance I might have a hard time connecting with the characters because of the changing narrative. Well now I can convincingly say that was not a problem at all with this book.

To be honest I’m shocked that this is Wright’s first solo book. I checked out her page and while she’s had material included in anthology series, she doesn’t seem to have had her own standalone piece until this book, which surprises me. It does so because this book is so marvelous. Well written, mind capturing and hard to put down, I can say without a doubt that for a first standalone book this is quite an impressive one.

There are two narratives in this book, Kaine Prescott and her ancestor Ivy Thorpe. A lot of the plot revolves around how these two women are linked even though they’re centuries apart. How can generations of history affect the present?

As far as story goes I enjoyed Ivy’s much more than Kaine’s. That probably has a lot to do with the period nerd in me, I just love anything having to do with historical writing. I also think that Ivy and her love interest Joel were much more fleshed out and their story together was so wonderfully complex. The evolution of redeeming their broken relationship and all of the misconceptions on Ivy’s part were so beautifully written. And I liked the fact that Wright never felt the need to over-explain, she always left just enough for the next chapter and the next; building that suspense of the romance and the restoration. Like this quote below, it gives just a glimpse of the connection between the two, but it makes you want to know more and that’s the beauty of a well written romantic plot.

“He’d often teased her that her feet had wings and she flew without thinking. She always told him thinking was too painful and one day he would learn to fly ahead of her.”

Kaine’s story was good, but I think my dislike of her story had more to do with her fast paced relationship with Grant than anything else. The mystery surrounding her stalker and the clues she found in the house were all great, but I found that I was not enjoying how insta-romance her and Grant became. In the end it would’ve been nice for them to have been more of a friendship team and then for the feelings to have budded at the end, in my opinion.

Of course, both stories were tied together by this overarching mysterious death of a woman that happened in Ivy’s time and trying to solve who was the murderer and where this woman’s baby had disappeared to. The unfolding of this mystery throughout the book was done especially well. I’ll admit to being just as clueless as the characters the entire way through the book, which made the reading even better as I too wanted to know who-dun-it and where this mysterious baby had vanished to. The suspense was gripping the entire way through the book, and even in the end there are a few threads that aren’t neatly tied, which leaves it up for us as readers to finish out some of the pieces.

The faith element of this book was beautifully written as well. I always enjoy when an author is able to weave faith into a book without making it seem forced and being able to work religion into the story in a way that’s true to life. Wright manages to make the character of Gabriella (the woman who’s death and missing child both Ivy and Kaine are trying to solve) a catalyst for the restoration of faith for both Ivy and Kaine. Much of the book revolves around these scribblings that are discovered to be from Gabriella, ones she writes about her faith, God and her suffering, one such scribbling really summed up what I believe much of the premise of the book to be about,

“What will I leave behind? What will my legacy be? I choose hope.”

This book had a lot to do with legacy. What will we leave for those who come after us and who will remember? But this book shows that it’s about the person we are and the God we trust in to handle our lives and circumstances, no matter how unfortunate, that matters. That is what will carry on in the end.

I highly recommend this book to anyone who loved to read a good mystery / suspense or historical book and I look forward to any new books Jamie Jo Wright has coming out in the future!

Excellent read a real page turner keeps the reader in suspence all the way through with twists and turns without making it boring with all descriptions the plot sets the scene a book that you all have to read.