DNF

Everyone seems to love this, but I did not.

The writing was choppy to me. The dual timelines were not interesting and the plot barely moved. I tried to read this multiple times and just couldn't get through it. There were also really weird word choices that pulled me out of the story. There was honestly nothing that I enjoyed.

A Murder mystery spanning two times. One young woman looks for her father in the circus and in the present time a murder is solved. The story is somewhat fragmented and long.

https://www.goodreads.com/review/edit/57215461

Every book I read from Jaime Jo Wright astounds me. And like always before, The Haunting At Bonaventure Circus captured me. Fascinated me. Tugged at my heart and stretched my mind.

The Haunting follows the dual timeline stories of Pippa Ripley in the 1920s and modern day Chandler Faulk and the mystery and wonder that fills the circus and binds their stories together across time.

Things I liked:
◉ The characters: Jaime's heroes are definitely of a kind, and I am NOT mad about it. Give me allll the grouchy, wounded tough guys with big ole soft hearts underneath. I would say Jake Chapman was my favorite in this story, but also HANK. *sigh* Pippa was very...introspective? But it was cool to see her development as a character, and while at times her actions leaned a little toward the pouty side, overall I did like her character and enjoyed her story SO MUCH.
◉ That Chandler struggles with chronic illness. It was such a unique thing to read about the struggles that the author shares with Chandler, and it encouraged me to think more about and appreciate the struggles that chronic disability can cause.
◉ The breathtaking mystery. I will admit that I may have wanted to scream and pull out my own hair because I was THAT desperate to know all the things, but in the end, I'd say the wait was worth it. That feeling of all the pieces finally settling into place is priceless.

Things I didn't like:
◉ The "ghost" element was kind of a lot, while at the same time also...not. It was heavily leaned on and even entertained as a true possibility, but at the same time wasn't scary or even plausible. So I guess that's a good thing. lol But my point is that the possibility of ghostly presences was strongly interwoven through the story and was not something I was too crazy about.
◉ Patty's story was hard. I liked the character so much, but she also did so much that was wrong. Harmful and sinful to herself and others. I hated her ending, even as vital as it was to the story. But I guess it was simply a nod to the reality taking place around us so often every day.
◉ While the mystery was pretty thoroughly explained at the end of the story, I did feel there were a few things with implausible...or maybe not entirely satisfactory...explanations. The story was great, but I did wish for a bit...more.

Overall, the book was fabulous. It wasn't my favorite of Jaime's, but it still held her trademark powerful mystery and characters. I do recommend it, especially for circus fans.

Similar authors: Amanda Dykes and Joanna Davidson Politano (these three ladies are writing POWERHOUSES. I'm always deeply affected by their work).

Note: I received a copy of this book for free, and a positive review was not required.

Content notes: Murder, Prostitution, and Abuse/Attacks are all prominent parts of this story.

This was the first time I have tried a book by this author, and it will not be the last. The story itself was really intriguing once I got involved in it. It is written a little differently than most of this genre, from the perspective of two different timelines and by two different people. I normally do not care for this type of writing, but the author did a really good job with it in this book, and the different timelines made it that much more interesting. The book has some twists and turns that also help keep the reader on their toes. I see an array of good titles by this author, so I will be looking for more to read from them.

This was my first book by Jaime Jo Wright and it was enjoyable. A bit suspenseful, a bit of a mystery, and another part historical fiction, it worked. I didn't find it as creepy as other reviewers, but still a good read.

An interesting story with a dual timeline. The characters are well developed and I found myself rooting for them. There are couple of twists and turns that propel the story forward. There are many secrets to unwind and discover in the story. I only gave it 4 stars because I felt that some of the dialogue was not in time the period.

I really wanted to like this book. I love circus-themed horror/suspense. But I couldn't get past the amateurish, romance pulp-level writing. Everything was so on-the-nose and pandering. I couldn't make it through.

I've had this one on my shelf for awhile (sorry) but I am ever so glad I finally got to pick it up. It reminded me of a little trip I took with my parent and daughters to the Circus World Museum in Baraboo (found out why at the end). It was not a good day to go, it was cold, rainy, and my girls were 2 and 4, the youngest afraid of anything in costume. So where do we go to the circus tent to see a clown demonstration - she screamed the entire time!! But the history of the circus was interesting to see and the pictures of animals helped soothe some.

This is the story of Pippa Ripley, the daughter of the owner of Ripley's Circus, who just got back from their summer tour and was settling down in Wisconsin for the winter. Having a deformity, and knowing she was the biological daughter of circus performers but adopted by the Ripley's, seemed to pull her in two different directions. But yet it seemed she held herself back from happiness. With the mystery of the Watchman who has watched over her for years, and the mysterious murders of girls along the train route, it brings Pippa's fears of belonging to the surface and where she really wants to be.

In present day, Chandler has just bought the old circus depot and costume workshop to revitalize. But it also comes with the history of the depot, the murders that happened, and the strange things still happening. Chandler is also suffering from a lasting immune disorder, raising a child on her own, and holding back from the help she desperately needs, but won't admit.

I truly enjoyed this book and cannot believe I waited so long to read it. Always a delight to read one of Ms. Wright's books.

I received this ARC from the publisher for my honest review.

Loved the Dual Timeline! I was caught up in both storylines! They will both keep you from putting the book down and the twist and turns will definitely keep you trying to figure things out. I highly recommend this book!

Enjoyed this book until the last page, found that I couldn’t put it down. Jaime has managed to write an excellent split time novel. Both characters past and present have you wanting to know what happens next. I will now look for other titles from this author

This was my first read by Jaime Jo Wright and I was not disappointed! The story is well-woven between two timelines: 1928 and the present day. The author has written characters to captivate the reader and I quickly found myself becoming drawn into their stories. There is history steeped in murder and mystery; human characters with real disabilities and insecurities; and budding romance, along with thrills, chills and lurking ghosts.

Wright places the reader into life in a 1920s circus, as seen through the eyes of the owner’s disabled adopted daughter, Pippa Ripley. As Pippa grows increasingly curious about the circumstances surrounding her birth and abandonment, she is beckoned and drawn by an unknown man, called the Watchman, deeper into the forbidden, secret and very dangerous world of the Bonaventure Circus.

The contemporary thread introduces us to Chandler Faulk, a real estate project manager, who is a single mom. Chandler is also struggling with recently being diagnosed with chronic Lyme disease. As Chandler works to renovate the old circus depot, she learns about a series of murders that occurred around the circus during its heyday in the late 1920s and accidentally stumbles onto clues that may shed light on who had actually committed them, exonerating the original murderer.

As the stories unfold, they begin to become similar without feeling repetitive. Both heroines struggle with their physical handicaps and experience trust issues, yet share a longing to belong to their families and the world around them. Both feel fearfully drawn to men who have their own inner struggles and personal demons. While the characters and personal journeys are developing, a gripping mystery is simultaneously unfolding around the Bonaventure Circus.

Are some secrets worth killing for, even a century after the fact?

I thoroughly enjoyed The Haunting at Bonaventure Circus by Jaime Jo Wright. The parallel stories are creatively twisted together with excellent writing and exceptional detail. I'm usually good at figuring out whodunit, but this story had me guessing till the end; that alone was worth the read for me. It was a good book: gripping, mysterious, thought provoking and, of course, a little goosebump-worthy.

Thank you to Bethany House Publishers and NetGalley for the review copy in exchange for an honest review.

A serial killer, a circus, an elephant, and two young woman trying to find their way in the world. These elements are put together in one doozy of a story. There are two timelines - one in the present where a young single mom named Chandler is trying to prove herself. Her firm has recently bought an old train depot that was used by the Bonadventure Circus - and that was reported to be where one of the circus employees was hanged to death. As she seeks to put together a proposal for the renovation of the depot as a historic attraction, Chandler begins to uncover disturbing things about the past. The other timeline takes us to the past, where a young woman named Pippa who is the adopted daughter of the owner of the Bonadventure circus is trying to decide whether or not she should trust the mysterious Watchman. The Watchman has been leaving her cryptic notes since she was a young child, and she thinks they may be tied to the mystery of who her birth parents were. All she knows is they were from the circus - a place she feels drawn to even though her father forbids her to go there.
I enjoyed some of the suspense elements of the book. I wanted the baby elephant born at the circus to survive - and I was glad when Pippa was able to help with that. I wondered who the Watchman was and who committed the murders that had happened in the past. Was the train depot and costume shop really haunted? Why did Hank keep poppinig up in Chandler's house at weird and unexpected times? By the end of the book most of these questions were answered, but there were still some holes that I didn't quite understand. Some of this was OK - like whether or not there were really "hauntings" going on. Some pieces of the plot didn't quite seem to fit together though and that kind of bothered me, I can't be too specific but overall not all the parts of the story clicked together for me and I didn't feel a stronge connection to most of the characters. This was a book I could have easily put down. I know many others loved it though, so if someone wants a somewhat creepy book from the Inspirational genre this one will fit the bill.

It starts a little slowly. That's the only thing preventing me from giving this five stars, and I so wish that I had been able to get into the novel a bit faster. As it was, it took me a good 90 pages to get hooked. But once I was in, I was in!

The mysteries in this novel - regarding the identity of the Watchman, the truth about Pippa's past, and the disappearance of a woman in the 1980's - are spot on. I didn't have any of them figured out, and I'm usually pretty good at identifying these things! So it was a fun ride trying (and failing) at being a detective.

Besides the mysteries, I really appreciated that Chandler had health struggles that drastically impacted her life. Though my autoimmune disease is different than hers, so many things she went through struck a chord with me, and I was thrilled to see someone with chronic health issues as the protagonist of a novel. Pippa, heroine of the 1928 plot line, also had a physical ailment that had impacted her since birth.

Both timelines feature a bit of romance. Chandler's is fairly understated yet sweet, and I'm not really sure what I think about Pippa's romance, though it was written well.

Overall, this is such an enjoyable novel! It has mystery and a bit of suspense without being too gruesome. (Some of the talk about ghosts may make some readers uncomfortable.) To me, it's the perfect Halloween read. 4-1/2 stars.

THIS BOOK WAS AMAZING!!!

Honestly I could not put down. What an amazing and eery story. If you like creepy stories and arent afraid to get a little spooked out, this book is totally for you. Jamie Jo Wright did an amazing job and I am now really excited to check out some of the other books written by this author.

It took me awhile to get through this novel. I unfortunately found it slow paced and rather dull. It has all the makings of a wonderful novel, character growth, conflict and a unique story line. However, I felt that the narration was somewhat slow paced and uninteresting. I tried to invest myself in this novel, however, I couldn't find a connection.

What could be more intriguing than a book with a beloved baby elephant named Lily and an unknown person known as The Watchman? Especially when they both are such major parts of the story? Once again, Jaime Jo Wright has given readers words to relish, memorable characters that aren't easily forgotten, and two stories, one from the past and the other set in the present, that are connected in ways that I could never dream. Wright's vivid imagination and her descriptive powers make The Haunting at Bonaventure Circus a book to read again, and I found myself going back to read some sections more than once. I just had to make sure that I truly understood what was happening and, I must add, I will never think of a circus in quite the same way as I once did!

I read Wright's first book, The House on Foster Hill, in 2017 and I knew that I'd found an author to follow. Now, with this fifth book, I can honestly say that her imagination and her writing skills have only gotten better. No one does time-split better and very few authors can give you the same spine-tingling, hair-raising thrills and chills! The Haunting at Bonaventure Circus has all of this, plus a reminder that broken and blemished people are loved by their Creator and are capable of being redeemed by Him!

I absolutely loved The Haunting at Bonaventure Circus and I highly recommend it!

I received a complimentary copy from the author. There was no obligation to write a positive review. These are my own thoughts and opinions.

Wow! This story had been enthralled from the first page. The only thing bad about it was that I wanted it to be three times as long!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an advanced release copy in exchange for my honest review.

This novel grabbed my attention and kept me guessing until the last possible moment. With lots of mystery, suspense, and just the right amount of spookiness, you can't ask for more!
The imagery makes you feel tlike you can actually see the characters and scenes unfolding. I loved the dual timeline and the atypical heroes! I can definitely see this book going in the reread pile!

The Haunting at Bonaventure Circus has been on my TBR list for awhile and I am so glad that some winter weather permitted me time to sink into it! Jaime Jo Wright's novel is a romance, a mystery, and a love story all in one. It is the love story between a mother and her child, a father and his child, but most importantly, between God and His created children. The story floats between two time periods, rather effortlessly. Pippa is the adopted daughter of the owner of Bonaventure Circus in the 1920's and is supposed to marry her father's business partner. However, Pippa's blood is in the circus itself; it is where she came from. As she grows closer to the people and creatures that bring the circus to life, she is drawn more and more to another man, one she isn't supposed to want. She is also brought closer to The Watchman, who seems to know all about her but seems to expect something from her. When rumors abound that the Watchman is killing women on the circus tours, she is unsure what to think or who to trust.
Chandler is a young mother in current times, battling an autoimmune disease and trying to raise her son on her own. When Chandler is going to renovate the old circus grounds and the train depot, she and Hank, a the nephew of her landlord, stumble upon more than just circus treasures. Clues to the murders that plagued the circus route in Pippa's time and a long dead body bring more than trouble. When Chandler's son is kidnapped, it is a fight against time to figure out why and by who and where he is.
Seamlessly moving between the two time periods, I was completely taken in by the story. I was caught off guard by the identity of the Watchman and the kidnapper. The writing itself was lovely, the prose beautiful and I could see what I was reading. Mostly, though, the love of God was evident in the writing. His love for His creation, for His children, was ever=present.
Thanks to #NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book. I am looking forward to more by #JaimeJoWright.
#Bookstagram #Hauntingatbonaventurecircus #all_the_pages

It’s a rare book that stays in the mind long after you have read it, and this is that book. Fascinating story told masterfully, and would recommend highly.