This was an engaging and intense read at times! but overall, I found the mysterious/thrilling aspect to be a bit slow and not very interesting. I think this book had potential to be a great, thrilling read, but it fell flat for me.

3.5 stars

I am in the minority here and I liked this one. It wasn't perfect and I had some issues with it, however, overall, it worked for me. The suspense to the story kept me hooked and I flew through this one and ignored those issues till I got to the end.

With a few negative reviews for this one, I was hesitant about reading this one and it sat on my NG shelve for quite some time. I am now cleaning house and tidying up that shelve. I am glad I decided to see for myself and read this one.

House on Fire's main storyline is a complex emotional thought-provoking story that explores grief and how a family can survive the truth. I enjoyed how truth is explored here and it had me thinking about how complicated the truth about truth really is.

Bonnie Kistler creates the perfect blended family and keeps the messiness of that to a minimum. I found that so refreshing and was glad I wasn't subjected to that drama. There is some drama here with the subplots that didn't flow well with the core plot here. I found them distracting and keeping track of the characters was just to much work. I struggled to stay focus and found myself skimming when I thought I was reading and maybe that helped with my patience for drama.

Overall even with the issues, I had with this one I found the core plotline was strong enough to keep me a happy reader and keep that grumpy reader from showing up.

I received a copy from the publisher on NetGalley

It was supposed to be like the Brady Bunch. It was like the Brady Bunch until the accident. The accident that left one child dead and the other to blame for her death.
The two Chris’s - Christopher “Kip” and Chrissy. They were so close that one night Chrissy biked to the party where Kip was to warn him of their parents’ early return from out of town. Neither should have driven the car home. But one of them did. And the repercussions were drastic and tragic.
With the death of her daughter by the hands of her stepson, how could Leigh and her husband Peter and the remaining children go on as a family.
What caught me first with this book, was the captivating cover. I loved the main premise of the book but didn’t love how everything played out. I found there were too many things going on at once, almost like separate stories and too much time was going in every direction with the different storylines. Some of it was connected but there were subplots all over and too much time was spent on them, taking away from the main storyline.
I think realistically, that the family could possibly go forward as a family but not without scars. And I don’t mean scars from the loss of Chrissy, that’s a given. It’s only natural in the case of children and stepchildren, that forgiveness and acceptance comes easier towards your natural children and in a stepchild situation, it’s easier to place blame. I think the way Leigh reacted towards Kip may be forgiven but will always be the elephant in the room. The same can be said about her relationship with Peter and how that played out.
I found some of the characters to be unlikable. It’s hard to get into a story when you can’t relate to its’ characters. I don’t mean relate as in how they reacted to the accident. I can’t imagine what Leigh was feeling. To lose a child must be the worst thing ever and any emotions she was feeling would be real. I found that I didn’t care for her as a person aside from her grief. I totally disagreed with how the trial turned out and the message it sent to Kip.
I totally disagree with the reverend’s interpretation of the acceptability of lies and had very little respect for him. It’s very convenient to interpret when lies are or aren’t acceptable and we aren’t talking little white lies. Stephen’s interpretation of who was or wasn’t hurt by a lie isn’t accurate nor is it a message a priest should be conveying as acceptable.
For the most part, I sympathized with Kip. He made some stupid decisions while trying to cope and didn’t seem to fathom the seriousness of his decisions or situations, but he is a child without years of experience to know how he should behave.
While I did enjoy reading this book, I really wanted to like this book more than I did. It had a more original storyline than a lot of books out there but I think there should have been more emphasis on that main plot instead of bringing so much attention to so many other tangents.
Thanks to the publisher and net galley who allowed me the privilege of reading and reviewing this book by sending a free copy in exchange for an honest review.

I was looking forward to a good family drama, a blended family in crisis working through their troubles and trying to manage their complicated lives. Unfortunately, it was pretty clear from the get go that this book wasn't going to be for me. Within the first few pages I knew the direction it was going to go in and I had a really hard time settling in and enjoying the additional 400 pages.

In fairness, I didn't fully know the direction the book was going to go in, because it seemed to go in so many different directions once I got about a quarter of the way through. The family drama played out how I expected it to from the beginning, but there were so many additional sub-plots and tangents that took away from that story and frankly, I wasn't very interested in them.

It felt like certain elements only existed to create other elements, and then some storylines were just completely random and didn’t seem to tie into anything. I had a really hard time pushing through the middle part of this book and skimmed the pages a bit more than I should have.

The characters also didn’t grow on me much. In fact, I started to dislike them and get annoyed by them the more I got to know them. Leigh and Peter never really communicated, the separated without even really talking about it. Kip was acting like a brat through most of it. And it really felt like all this other stuff was happening to make these characters more interesting, but for me it did the complete opposite.

The legal aspects were well crafted, Kistler obviously knows her legalese, and I enjoyed the courtroom drama towards the end. But I think that was the strongest piece of the book. I felt the story was dragged down with the other plot tangents; there was too much happening here and the book didn't really know where it stood, so it couldn't possibly stand strongly.

** I received an advance copy of House on Fire for honest review through Netgalley from Atria Books and thank them for the opportunity to read this and share my thoughts.

Thank you Netgalley, the publisher and Bonnie Kistler.
Captivating story of a blended family and what happens when a child of one parent dies in an accident while the other parent child is accused of manslaughter.
Devastating story, well written, thought provoking.
Recommend.

House on Fire by Bonnie Kistler is a domestic drama centred on a blended family in crisis. This is an ambitious novel that, for me, strayed slightly too far from what begins as a promising and compelling premise.

The novel's central storyline focuses on eighteen year old Kip Conley, his fourteen year old stepsister Chrissy, and their respective parents, Peter and Leigh. In an effort to save Kip from being caught drinking and missing his curfew, Chrissy persuades Kip to leave a party. On the way home, the pair have a seemingly minor accident. Kip takes full responsibility for driving over the limit. Several days later, Chrissy is dead from a cerebral aneurysm, presumably brought on by the accident, and Kip admits to his lawyer that it was, in fact, Chrissy who was behind the wheel.

Reeling from the grief of losing her daughter, divorce attorney Leigh accuses Kip of fabricating the story to protect himself. Leigh's husband Peter sides with his son and battle lines are drawn. The couple separate as Leigh grapples with her grief and Peter remains a staunch supporter of his son.

In my mind, this storyline alone is strong enough to sustain the novel, yet the author incorporates events pertaining to Leigh's work life that just do not jive with the crux of the story, that of a family in full crisis mode. The plot often felt disjointed by these parallel narratives, and I believe that the novel, as a whole, would have been stronger without them. Nonetheless, this is a solid and engrossing read that I would likely recommend.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Simon and Schuster Canada for this ARC.

In House on Fire, a once well blended family is torn apart by grief, lies, and the search for the truth. The characters were not entirely likable, but the dynamic between the blended family and the changes they experienced throughout the novel, were interesting. I became invested in the main storyline, but I found it disappointing when it continually veered of track, exploring far-fetched side stories that fell flat, causing me to skip pages of information I found to be unnecessary, therefore lessening my overall enjoyment of the book.

After Kip and Chrissy are in an accident, Chrissy later dies from a resulting injury. What appeared to be the truth at the scene- Kip was driving under the influence and crashed the car- may not be what actually happened after all. Once the charges against Kip take a more serious turn from Baby DUI to Manslaughter, Kip knows that it’s time to tell the truth. Will he be believed?

When Kip changes his story of events, people aren’t quick to believe him. The truth- as he tells it- is Chrissy was driving and crashed the car, and he took the blame to protect her. The only problem now? Chrissy is no longer able to corroborate his story, and the ‘witness’ he claims exists, is nowhere to be found. Kip’s always been a master at spinning a story, at stretching the truth, so it’s no surprise he’s seen as a “liar liar pants on fire” but… what if this time, he’s telling the truth?

Bonnie Kistler’s novel is a domestic fiction with a bit of a legal thriller and family drama feel. The story was intriguing, but at times it felt disjointed. The main plot was getting lost beneath the over the top sub plots that were both distracting and convoluted.

In the end, the complicated and improbable side plots negatively affected what could have been an altogether gripping story. Still, this was a debut, and I would give this author a try again should they release another title in the future.



**Complimentary copy for review provided by Simon & Schuster Canada and Netgalley. All opinions expressed here are honest and entirely my own.**

Described as "domestic fiction ", House on Fire was really great in the beginning as Leigh dealt with the death of her daughter, Chrissy and Peter reeled from the arrest of his son, Kip. Soon the family find themselves torn apart by their grief and Kip's impending trial. But oh lord, the three subplots took precious time away from the main event.

But maybe the main reason I find myself "in a rage " is one particular character- Kip. I LOATHED this character. He disgusted me so much with his actions and had I been his parent, I would have grabbed that phone he was always on and thrown it out the window. I mean, this guy is facing prison time, his 14 year old stepsister is dead and his biggest regret at graduation is that he's never going to sleep with some girl??? COME ON!

Shaking my head, shaking my fists...just shaking with rage.

Respectfully to the author, your character got under my skin. I see a lot of people enjoyed this story more than I. I did read the entire book before coming to this judgement. No doubt that the author writes good legal scenes and that part I enjoyed. I guess it just wasn't meant to be for me.

Absolutely over this book! It was so easy to put myself in the shoes of both Leigh, and Peter!
The subplots were equally riveting and I was so surprised a few times!
Excellent read!!! Would highly recommend!!!

Former trial attorney Bonnie Kistler’s debut novel is a domestic legal drama that explores tragedy in a blended family.

Divorce lawyer Leigh Huyett is happily married to Pete Conley, and their children - despite coming from different backgrounds - get along well. But when Leigh’s daughter is killed in a car accident with Pete’s son behind the wheel, their perfectly integrated family begins to crumble. Grief stricken and angry, Leigh throws herself into several complicated court cases while Pete grapples with the possibility of losing his only son, Kip, to the American court system.

House On Fire is first and foremost a study of family dynamics. Kistler explores how two broken families can merge together and find peace among the chaos of divorce and custody battles. Leigh and Pete have a beautiful life, and one that many remarried couples would aspire to. But the ease with which their relationship falls apart after the accident demonstrates how fragile relationships of that sort can be. Both Leigh and Pete are forced into impossible situations as the book intensifies. How can a parent choose between their child and their spouse?

House On Fire does have its downfalls. While the main storyline is gripping and reminiscent of a Jodi Picoult novel, it feels as though Kistler has overcrowded the book’s narrative. Side stories about Leigh’s various legal dramas overwhelm and distract from what the book is really about, and at times seem to have no purpose other than to enhance tension and intrigue. It can almost feel like jumping between two completely different books. This isn’t to say the passages about Leigh’s work aren’t interesting, because they are actually some of the more riveting parts of the book. Kistler personal legal expertise is palpable as she describes Leigh’s work, and it’s fascinating to learn about the American legal system. But the two parallel plots don’t mesh seamlessly, and keeping track of all of the characters can be confusing.

It’s also unclear if readers are supposed to sympathize with Kip or hate him. While at times he seems relatable as a teenager who made a mistake, other passages of House On Fire portray him in a darker way. As a main character and the person who the entire story hinges around, Kip’s behaviour was confusing and at times even misleading. He never really emerged as a fully developed character, and despite his central role in the plot he always seemed to linger on the fringes, only coming in to the spotlight in moments where it felt unnatural or unnecessary.

House On Fire is a bold debut, and Kistler clearly has a lot of potential. It’s a complex story and one that is sure to strike an emotional chord in readers, but it’s also somewhat disjointed and overwhelming. Fans of Jodi Picoult and William Landay should give this book a try, and should definitely keep an eye out for whatever Kistler does next.

House on Fire is the debut book by former lawyer Bonnie Kistler.

At first I was a bit unsure what genre this book was. Was it a domestic drama? A mystery? A thriller? I think that it is a bit of all three combined.

The story is told from the 3rd person POVs of a husband and wife (Pete and Leigh). His son Kip and her daughter Chrissy are in an accident. This accident rocks their family. And at first I thought that this case was going to be the sole focus of the story.

Leigh is a divorce lawyer and she ends up with a bunch of interesting cases. There are major mystery and thriller aspects involved with each case. It would seem like there might be too much going on for one story. But truthfully I did not want to put the book down. Were some of these things a bit over the top? Probably. But I found myself invested in this story and very interested to see how each case would be resolved.

The book starts with the Turkish proverb "a liar's house is on fire, but no one believes him." I think that this relates to such an important part of the book.

As mentioned there is an accident at the beginning part of this book. Truthfully I did not know the full extent of what would happen (it is in the book blurb). I therefore found the beginning very upsetting and a bit depressing. And I thought that maybe I wouldn't enjoy this book. But the more I read the more I was interested. Leigh is a divorce lawyer. The author's legal knowledge was expertly used in this story. And I think that it made this book so much better.

Just before the halfway point the book turned into more of a mystery. There is a woman, Devra, who seeks Leigh's counsel. And I was very curious to see how this sub-plot would turn out. There is also a man named Stoddard who wants Leigh's help. And a reverend who also fits into the story. All of these elements, plus what was going on with Kip and the accident made this book more interesting for me.

This book at its core is really about family. Since it is the second marriage for both Leigh and Pete there are a lot of kids and exes involved. I thought that the family dynamics seemed realistic. And overall this story ended up being much different from what I was expecting. There were a lot of twists and turns in the last part. And a lot of action.

I really liked House on Fire. It's about a blended family whose bonds are challenged when Leigh's 14-year-old daughter Chrissy is killed in a car crash caused by Kip, the 17-year-old son of Leigh's husband Pete. Kip is arrested for drunk driving, and as the trial date nears, Kip makes the startling claim that Chrissy had been behind the wheel. Kip has a history of lying, so Leigh chalks this up as yet another lie, but Pete wants to believe his son is innocent. And with Leigh's best friend signed on as Kip's lawyer and bound by client confidentiality to keep information from Leigh, the tension between husband and wife becomes unbearable.

I loved the family drama, and I think the comparisons to Jodi Picoult and Celeste Ng are spot on. The story was really compelling, and while Leigh, Stephen and Kip are clearly the main characters, I love how the author showed us how the situation impacted other people in their lives, like Leigh's best friend, Leigh's twin sons, Kip's mother, and so on.

I also love how the author showed that there were never any easy decisions. The more facts we learn about the night of the car crash, the more we realize how, whomever was actually behind the wheel at the time, culpability can always be shared. Even in the first few chapters, when see Kip drinking at his friend's party, we also see him making the responsible decision to spend the night. Ironically, while Chrissy was the victim of the crash, she was also the reason Kip left the party in the first place, because she came to warn him their parents were coming home early and Kip didn't want her to get into trouble. So, who really was at fault with regard to the accident? Kip, for drinking and going to a party without permission? Chrissy, for causing her brother to leave the party while drunk instead of sleeping it off? Or Leigh and Pete, for coming home early, or perhaps for leaving for the weekend in the first place? Perhaps it's no one's fault at all, and I love that the story shows how easy it is to fall into a spiral of blame, and how messy the idea of culpability can get. 

I do think the subplots about Leigh's clients got a bit out of hand, and while I see the thematic link of her friendship with the priest, I wish the book focused more on the main plot. I also wish we'd seen more of the courtroom drama, as the trial only took up the final section of the book. The final section of the book also got a bit too melodramatic for me, and in a bizarre twist, a lot of the melodrama came from subplots related to Leigh's clients that the author managed to link back to the main plot, but that also felt unnecessary.

Still, overall, this is a good book, and a compelling read.

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Thank you to Simon and Schuster Canada and Netgalley for an egalley of this book in exchange for an honest review.

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[This review will go live on my blog March 4, 2019 at 8 am ET.

Thank you to Net Galley and Simon and Schuster CA for a free copy of the novel House on Fire by Bonnie Kistler.
This novel’s main storyline follows a family torn apart by a parent’s worst nightmare, the death of their child. Grief is compounded by the arrest of their 18 year old son for vehicular manslaughter while he was driving under the influence.
Kip’s story changes as he faces a prison sentence, his 14 year old sister, Chrissy was driving. Truth, or lie to save himself and his promising future? As sides are taken and relationships unravel we come to see how far parent is willing to go in order to save another child.
This novel had the strength to stand on this storyline alone, but it veered into strange territory, adding tales of kidnapping and a foreign embassy.
House of Fire is worth the read.

This is a story of family tragedy, in a blended family. Two teenage children are in a car accident. Twelve hours later, one of the them is dead and the other is arrested for manslaughter. All are grieving, and each parent takes a side. This story started out strong, gripping and emotional, but went off the rails about 75% of the way through. There were subplots that didn't connect with the rest of the story and suddenly it became a suspense/thriller that made no sense, and was not needed. Then once that was settled the final paragraphs went back to being emotional. I understand the main character was grieving, but she made some unwise decisions throughout the story and there were times when I wanted to scream at her for being so stupid. I give this a generous 3/5 stars.

Note: I received a copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this book in return for an honest review.

Ms. Kistler has written a brilliant book that stayed with me and had me thinking about it whenever I put the book down and picked it up again. I think the topic will stay with me for a long time.

Leigh Huyett is a divorce lawyer and in a second marriage. She knows all the statistics around marriages and second marriages in particular are the ones that fail. She's been married to Pete Conley for 5 years now and feels that they have achieved the perfect blended family - her 3 children and his 2 children.

To celebrate their fifth anniversary they leave Pete's almost eighteen year old son at home with her fourteen year old daughter. While Kip is trusted to watch his step-sister, he doesn't always make the best decisions. To celebrate his summer internship and his acceptance to college, he attends a wild party where they are serving alcohol, even though all party-goers are underage. On the way home Kip crashes his father's truck into a tree. His step-sister Chrissy is in the truck with him, the next day she is dead and he's been charged with manslaughter.

In the beginning Leigh sides with her husband and his son and they pull together as a family but when Kip changes his story and says that Chrissy was the one that was driving, she questions her loyalty to her husband and his son. As Kip's father, Pete of course, takes his sons side and that tears their family apart.

Along the way Leigh meets a minister that tries to help her cope. She has two interesting divorce cases that are in a way intertwined with the accident.

A must read, brilliantly written book that leaves the reader thinking about the meaning of family and how tragedy affects that tightly woven fabric.

The story of this blended family takes up through twists, turns and heartache as their perfect life slowly unravels with every parents worst nightmare. The characters were very well thought out and easy to relate to which is something i really enjoy in books, when you know them you empathize with them. Kip is on trial for Manslaughter and his dad will do anything to save him from jail. Chrissys mom is falling apart with grief and there is a firm wedge between the two sides of this blended family. I have to give this book 3 stars as it was quite long and drawn out and i really disliked how many times this story had the parents wanting to make up but of course just missing the other by a couple minutes, there were to many "near misses" to count and i got a little bored with that. The plot you read on Goodreads or the jacket cover basically tells you the whole story, there are very few surprises. The book does create a lot of emotion as we follow this family through their nightmare and i did enjoy their story, i just wish it had played out a little faster.

This book had me from the first page. The whole idea of the story was intriguing....blended family.....moms daughter Chrissy...dads son kip get into an accident that eventually takes the life of his step sister. How can the family ever recover??
I was really enjoying this book until so many different events took place that made me lose focus on the main event in the story.
Perhaps the events were important to the author however I just didn’t enjoy the direction the story took. It felt scattered and unnecessary in my opinion. The flow of the book got lost on me about a third in and I never got fully pulled back. I finished it....it was OK, but it just never held my interest the way I was hoping.