REALLY enjoyed this book! I liked the conflicts that the family had to deal with - I have no idea how I would deal with anything even close to what they had to deal with. I also enjoyed what Leigh went through with her clients as a lawyer. However....at times I felt like I was reading two different books. The main focus was Leigh’s family issues and what was going on there. But when we got into her client issues, I kept forgetting about her family issues. The two kind of tied together, but not enough for a full circle for me. While I enjoyed both aspects, I do wish that they had tied up more closely and more finally for me. But overall it’s definitely worth the read!

*huge thanks to Atria Books for sending an early review copy to me!

Leigh and Peter have a beautiful blended family. They each have a few children from previous marriages but the children get along great and have become close. When Kip (Peter's son0 and Chrissy (Leigh's daughter) get into a car accident that ends with Chrissy's death and Kip being charged with manslaughter, this blended family quickly crumbles.

This novel brings up the question...where do your loyalties lie? Leigh is torn between supporting her step son and seeking justice for her daughter's death. There are a lot of raw emotions in this book. I felt sadness for all the characters. We follow Leigh through the majority of the story but we do get glimpses into Kip and Peter's feelings as well. I feel like this book would be a great book to discuss with a book club. Alot to unpack.

My only issue with this novel was that because Leigh is a divorce lawyer, we get a lot of side stories going on through the novel.

Great thriller, could no put it down through all the twists and turns. Would highly recommend to fans of this genre.

Well written but I didn't enjoy the plot. The characters were interesting and people who like domestic thrillers will probably enjoy this book

I enjoyed this but it wasn't outstanding for me. The character development was excellent with very real, relatable character. I liked the metaphorical title "house on fire." The ending was fine but there was nothing that completely blew me away.

OK read about a family that cannot handle it when tragedy strikes. What keeps this book from being awesome, is, some of the parts not fully related to the story. This took away from the book. Less is more in some instances, and this is one of them. Thanks to NetGalley, the author and the publisher for the arc of this book in return for my honest review. Receiving the book in this manner had no bearing on this review.

This book took me by surprise. It kept me interested throughout the story and I needed to see what was going to happen. I truly enjoyed the pacing of the story and the well written characters. I would recommend this story to all.

I enjoyed this book, but I'm not sure about comparing it to Jodi Picoult and Celeste Ng. I also don't know that I'd agree that it's a thriller. With that said, the family dynamics in this book are real and you can feel the trauma each of them are going through. I do hope Ms. Kistler continues to write, as i enjoyed the book and couldn't NOT finish it.

Did not finish. I didn't have time to read this book. On second thought, the synopsis didn't grab me. Sorry.

DNF'd 43% in

Turns out I am not a fan of domestic thrillers (something I now know and will therefore keep in mind when I request books in the future).

I couldn't gel with the characters, I basically didn't care for any of them except Chrissy, who is dead, which says a lot. This was a struggle for me.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for sending me an ARC of this book. I was gutted I didn't enjoy it more.

This was a decent family drama, and I loved seeing the aftermath play out. I really enjoy thrillers that have the court room element added in, and I felt like this part was well-written.

First, I would just like to say that I was not approved for this netgalley until after the release date. For this reason, I put off reading the book for the longest time. And then, months later, I still wasn’t sure that I ever would read it.

Fast forward to recently, I made a commitment to myself to finish reading my oldest e-galleys, including this one. After reading multiple reviews, I was disappointed to see several low ratings. I feared that this 400-page book would become quite a chore and to be perfectly honest, I went in very hesitant about the book.

But..... Wow! Here I am, a year later and I’m so glad I read this! This book was amazing. The events that occur throughout the plot were completely captivating. I was invested all the way until the last page.

House on Fire, on surface-level, is a quiet domestic drama that is centered around a blended family. A horrible mistake turns into tragedy and the legal circumstances become life-altering. The characters are grieving, for the loss of a child, but also for what has happened to their perfect blended family. The situation is simultaneously unfathomable but equally possible, causing the reader to only imagine what could result from the investigation. Each family member’s point of view is slowly revealed in the first half, and you can’t help but hurt deeply for each character. I do not cry often during books, but was brought to tears by some of the inner-thoughts of Leigh, the mother and primary character in the book.

Leigh’s background is very important to the story, as a high-profile divorce lawyer, her legal connections and knowledge become central to the story. Along the way, you are introduced to several side-stories that carry you into each chapter, as the long awaited trial looms. I enjoyed seeing Leigh’s expertise in action, as if I was watching an episode of Law and Order, as she works with some very unique clients with unusual cases. Somehow, this all fits together in the end, providing masterful character development and domestic suspense. I could not put this book down!

As I was reading, I wondered how long it must have taken the author to write this book. The way the story is woven so intricately from the start just astounds me. I can seriously imagine this becoming an HBO series of some sort. SERIOUSLY.

I will say that part of the ending made me think, “whoa, she really went there” but somehow it still worked so well.

I will definitely read anything this author comes out with next!

Thank you @atriabooks and @netgalley for my e-galley of this book I’m exchange for an honest review. While I was disappointed that I did not get approved until after it was published, I can’t really complain because I loved it so much!

~ Re-submitted 13 Feb 2020 ~

Apologies for delayed feedback/review. Was double-checking my NG shelves against personal records when I noticed this title. Thought feedback submitted in Nov 2018 but guess not, so abbreviated version follows:

I was eager to read HOUSE ON FIRE b/c of (1) NTM author of domestic suspense, and (2) ref to Jodi Picoult and Celeste Ng. Unfortunately, I ultimately DNF'd after 2nd attempt (got to @ 55-60%).

I thought HOUSE ON FIRE had very promising first third or so—well-written & indeed seemed ‘tightly wound’—but at some point, the main storyline seemed to unravel as side plots began to pop up. IDK if all the various threads got tied together by book’s end but for me, they detracted from the supposed core plot and frustrated/annoyed me.

2 stars primarily for first 30% of book, Notwithstanding the above, may try another work by Ms. Kistler in future.

NB: No review posted on GR or Amazon.

Wow! Just finished this book and it was stellar. Kip, a high school senior who has just been accepted to Duke, is at a friend's party with the usual drinking and pot smoking. He has indulged in both when suddenly his fourteen year old stepsister Chrissy is at the party, having ridden there on her bicycle. She has come to let him know that their parents are unexpectedly on their way home from a weekend trip and he needs to leave the party now. On the ride home a dog runs out in front of the car and the car slides on wet pavement off the road into a tree. Chrissy hits her head but appears to be OK, until the next day when she isn't, and she ultimately dies of an aneurysm in her brain. Kip is charged with manslaughter and the family goes through an extremely difficult time.

This is a very well written story with believable characters and a very unique and utterly absorbing story line. I was thoroughly engrossed in this novel and very strongly recommend it.

Thank you to Netgalley, the author Bonnie Kistler, and Atria Books for the ARC I was so lucky to get to read. This is my completely honest opinion.

House on Fire was an interesting premise but it didn’t work for me and I decided to DNF at 40%.

Leigh and Pete are away to celebrate their 5th anniversary and decide to come home early. On their way - they get a call that two of their kids need to be picked up at the police station. 18 year old Kip was intoxicated when he and 14 year old Cassie got into a car accident. The next day - Cassie is dead and Kip has been charged with manslaughter.

Kip says they were lying before and Cassie was actually the one driving. It’s an interesting premise and explores a lot around the family dynamic - how to decide who to trust, how much you would do to protect your kid, etc.

Unfortunately the execution just isn’t working for me. I think it’s a slower moving story than I anticipated and I find I’m forcing myself to keep reading. When that’s the case, it’s generally better for me to stop and say it’s not for me or at least not right now.

Thank you very much to the publisher and Netgalley for the free advance copy to review.

Promising new writer with legal background. Not bad for the first book. House on Fire appears to be family drama with the exploration of difficult relationships between family members struck by tragedy of losing a child. It may lead by active discussion in the book club. Without spoilers, but some opinions are very questionable and I did not agree with some of them. Definitely worth watching this writer as I would expect interesting books with the potential from Bonnie Kistler in the future

What do you call a mother who lost her child? There was no word for what she was. It was unthinkable and thus unnameable.” House On Fire.
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Divorce lawyer Leigh Huyett thought she had the most perfectly blended family she’d ever seen until her daughter is killed and the blame is put on her stepson. This family drama is heartbreaking and gut-wrenching. It pulls you in from the get-go and you have to know how this tragedy is going to end. I found myself siding with various family members throughout the novel, repeatedly asking myself “What would I do?” (read: great for a book club discussion). The pacing was great and the chapters short - both I appreciate! The only thing that threw me off where a couple subplots. I found myself confused and wanting to stick to the family’s drama at hand. I’m still scratching my head over what they were about. •
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Overall I enjoyed it this novel, especially when it came to the blended family dynamics and legalese. I gave it 3 ⭐️ as a solid debut. I look forward to more by author and former trial lawyer Bonnie Kistler. Complete synopsis in the comments, however I would go in to this one blind, fully appreciating the shocks & twists.

New author for me but pleasantly surprised. Thank you for the approval and look forward to a book relationship with other reads in the future,

This book was all about the family dynamics. i enjoyed reading this book. i will feature this book in my blog as part of Summer Reading Guide.

4.5 stars for this great read by Bonnie Kistler.

House on Fire was an intense family drama that often made me wonder what I would do in this circumstance? Could I keep things together? Would I hate my stepson?

The story did bring in several subplots, one of which I desperately disliked, but it wasn't enough to take away from my overall enjoyment of the story. I really wanted to find out what happened to the sheika though. It seems as if that subplot was forgotten about.

Overall this was a very interesting book that I found thought provoking. Thanks to Netgalley, the author and publisher for allowing me an ARC. All thoughts in this review are my own and freely given.