House on Fire by Bonnie Kistler was one of my anticipated reads for 2019!

With that being said... I feel that people are going to be on a spectrum with this story. You're going to love it or you're going to hate it.

I was initially interested in this one due to the domestic and intense family drama aspect. The premise of the storyline had so much potential and it appeared would hit it out of the park. But, unfortunately, this one didn't live up to my expectations at all and didn't hit my mark.

The story started out strong with an interesting aspect to this blended family. The family was involved in a stressful event/accident and the novel explores the aftermath of this event and how if affects the entire family.

So, I was very confused because the author had other multiple storylines/subplots that were going on besides this main story between the family. I was losing interest and was having a very hard time following the story. The second half of the book... I just was finding myself more lost than anything?

The other subplots were almost unbelievable in my eyes and it changed the entire tune/feel of the story for me. It left me very disappointed and just wondering what the heck haha?

Overall, this story just wasn't for me.

2.5 stars for me on this one.

Thank you to Atria for the advanced arc via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Published to GR: 1/11/19
Publication date: 3/12/19

I don’t like to give bad reviews but this book was a DNF for me. I was drawn in by the comparison to Jodi Picoult, but this, unfortunately, was nothing like Jodi Picoult’s stories. It was a convoluted confusing mess.

I tried to read this book, but I couldn't get into it at all. I had to DNF this because the plot wasn't as interesting as the summary made it seem.

Two and a half stars. This book had an interesting premise. Leigh and Pete have a blended family. Kip, Pete's son, is involved in a DUI accident that ends up causing an aneurism that kills Chrissie, Leigh's daughter. Leigh and Pete will be pulled in different directions, their marriage unable to stand the grief and subsequent manslaughter trial. If Kistler and her editor had focused mainly on this, I think it would have been a better book.

But instead, there are all these subplots that don't add anything to the story. A Qatari sheikha who is desperate to leave her marriage and needs Leigh's help (she's a lawyer). A reverend who counsels Leigh and has his own secret he's hiding; will Stephen and Leigh start a romance? Then there's the mysterious house surrounded by walls. What's going on in there? And let's not forget John Stoddard, the ex-op who exfiltrates people and is a bounty hunter. Then I forgot - there's Leigh's friend's daughter whose estranged husband is trying to get access to their unborn baby.

So yes, there's way too much superfluous things going on that made me frustrated. Where was the editor in all this? And then I was just annoyed with Leigh and Pete's relationship. They never talked! They were acting like teenagers not a married (for the second time) couple for five years. They basically separated without ever having one conversation about it. I found that really annoying and made me dislike both characters. The only character I liked was Chrissie, which was unfortunate, because she was dead.

This book is a well written drama. The central theme of this book makes you think of your own morality and value system. That in itself is an acievement for the author. The only reason I won’t rate it a 5 because I think Kip deserved a better ending. I love how most of pieces in the book fell in to place eventually and painted a beautiful story. I did not like how there were many subplots that did not really add to the plot. After a very long time have I had to stop reading a book to do some background research because the Ms Kistler used terminology that got me thinking! It is great when an author can manage to interest you in to educating yourself beyond what’s in the book. Overall this was a gripping read. I’m glad I got a chance to read it. Thanks NetGalley and Atria Books for Giving me this ARC in exchange for my honest and unbiased review.

House on Fire is a suspenseful book about how a drunk driving accident involving the death of a child that leaves a blended family torn apart. The main story line is good but it has multiple sub plots that didn’t seem to have anything to do with the original storyline. The book was confusing for me and I really could not get into it. I received this book free from NetGalley in exchange for my honest and unbiased opinion.

House on Fire by Bonnie Kistler is a novel that centers around a family drama. It was described as a book for those who are fans of Jodi Picoult and Celeste Ng, which I am!

Here’s what you need to know:

Divorce lawyer Leigh Huyett knows all too well that most second marriages are doomed to fail. But five years in, she and Pete Conley have a perfectly blended family of her children and his. To celebrate their anniversary, they grab some precious moments of alone time and leave Pete’s son Kip, a high school senior, in charge of Leigh’s fourteen-year-old daughter Chrissy at their home.

Driving back on a rainy Friday night, their cell phones start ringing. After a raucous party celebrating his college acceptance to Duke and his upcoming birthday, Kip was arrested for drunk driving after his truck crashed into a tree. And he wasn’t alone—Chrissy was with him.

Twelve hours later, Chrissy is dead and Kip is charged with manslaughter.

Kip has always been a notorious troublemaker, but he’s also a star student with a dazzling future ahead of him. At first, Leigh does her best to rally behind Pete and help Kip through his ordeal. Until he changes his story, and claims that he wasn’t driving after all—Chrissy was, and he swears there is a witness.

Leigh is stunned that he would lie about such a thing, while Pete clutches onto the story as the last, best hope to save his son, throwing his energy and money into finding this elusive witness. As they hurtle toward Kip’s trial date, husband and wife are torn between loyalty to their children and to each other, while the mystery of what really happened that night intensifies.

This one sounds intense and I look forward to starting it soon. Due out on March 12, 2019

This book was way too confusing for me, I tried to read it on a couple different occasions, but it just was really hard for me to get in a rhythm of enjoying it. I ended up finally deciding to list it as a I couldn't finish,
Will let Chapter Chatter Pub know about it's release, and use in a daily challenge.

DNF This book is all over the place. In just the first ten percent there are a variety of plots when all you want to read is the story about the family. I just could not get engaged in this story at all.

After reading this book I have concluded that the author must suffer from multiple personality disorder and was off her meds while writing this book.

This is the most convoluted book I have ever read. What started out as an intriguing family drama turned into a discombobulated mess with multiple subplots that had absolutely nothing to do with the original storyline. Furthermore, these subplots were so outlandish they left me astonished at their absurdity.

I spent the second half of the book with a permanent look of a perplexed cartoon character with the floating question marks above my head.

I've read through the reviews and I'm telling you, the 4 and 5 star reviewers either
1) did not actually read the book or
2) felt compelled to give a positive review in exchange for the ARC they received.

Worst book of 2018 for me.


I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This book had a couple of different story lines going on and I found myself totally engaged in Kip’s story but the one about the embassy, I found myself pushing through the pages as quick as I could. For that reason, I’m giving this book 4 stars when I think I would’ve given it 5 stars if I didn’t do as much skimming. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this book for my honest opinion.

Oh wow. Put some time away for this book. It has all the ingredients for a terrific psychological thriller.

No spoilers from me. Book is great with lots of lies, deception, tragedy, and twists. Also, loved the unpredictable ending. Can't say enough great about this. Read it today!!

Thank you NetGalley for allowing me to read this fabulous book.

Going into this book, you know there will be crisis and tragedy. While taking us through that story, Kistler also provides us with plenty of twists and turns and suspense. While at times, I felt like some of the side stories were too predictable, I enjoyed how everything tied together in the end. I would recommend picking this book up, and you may not want to put it down! Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read this ARC.

I received this book in exchange for an honest review. This book is available on March 12, 2019 here:
https://www.amazon.com/House-Fire-Novel-Bonnie-Kistler-ebook/dp/B07GNWNSF8/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1543191402&sr=8-1&keywords=House+on+Fire+Bonnie+Kistler

If you are interested in this book and only have a small amount of time to read this book, move on, this book is NOT for you! This book is a bully, it grabs you by your collar and pushes you up against the wall and you are like OMG, what the...? Where is this going? HUH? I got 16% through this book and was like, um where is my ring? You are committed to this book from the beginning, as it really grabs you and you are invested. I finished this book in one sitting, my family was all like MOM...this and that and I was hiding in my closet trying to finish this book.
We begin this book with a blended family of a 14 year old daughter and high school senior, Kip are left alone while a couple on their second marriage celebrate their 5th anniversary. Kip is being arrested for drunk driving after he drove his truck into a tree. Unfortunately, his step-sister, Chrissy was with him. Did I mention, Kip is on the cusp of being 18 years old, which is considered an adult. In the court, the difference between 17 and 18 is quite a difference, it represents being tried as an adult or as a child in the court of law. Kip has a long history of bad things that he has done. As his past is celebrated with his buddies, Kip notices his stepsister at the party. She is there to bring him home, as their parents were on their way home and she was trying to save him from punishment. What happens next is just the beginning of a long exciting story. There are side twists and so many OMG moments that you cannot sleep, you just need to keep on reading. I was completely blown away about all of the twists and turns and what the... moments. There are times where you wonder, where is this going and then it just unfolds wonderfully!
I am going to start following this author. I cannot wait until her next book!

Two teens, step-siblings, driving home one rainy Friday night. Twelve hours later one is dead and the other is charged with manslaughter.
This book drops the main story into the reader's lap right in the beginning of the book.
Where does your loyalty lie in a blended family? Ours, yours, mine?
Will you believe anything in order to save your son?
Do you refuse to believe anything in order to preserve your daughter's memory?
Leigh and Peter have to try untangle the mess their blended family landed in when his son and her daughter were involved in an accident where Kip was driving, or was he, and Chrissy ended up dead a few hours later.
The bones of the story are laid out early on in the book. As the story progresses "flesh" is added to these bones.
There are various side stories interwoven throughout this book, which first make you wonder what their purpose is. As the story starts wrapping up in the end these side stories form the final fabric that meshes the whole story together.
I didn't think there was much to this story that could be developed further as the whole scene was laid out in the beginning, but the author really surprised me with the various twists and plotlines. This is definitely a book that can be reread to catch the little bits of story that you may have overlooked first time around.

this is a fascinating book about how a drunk driving accident leaves a family torn apart and the after effects

First, thanks to Atria books and Netgalley for the ARC

Overall, I liked this book. Interesting premise and a look at blended families. I also like the character development. I did think there may have been one too many side stories but it wasn't a huge issue. However, the main story was strong and could stand on its own. I look forward to more works from Bonnie Kistler.

I have mixed feelings about this book. The premise of the book was great and had a lot of potential ... the follow through not so great. At first, I was really invested in the characters, their struggles and what the outcome might be.

However, the more I read, the less I liked it. I found that there was a lot of extraneous information - side stories - that were really not necessary in moving the story forward or necessary for the character development. It started out strong but ended in a fizzle.

Thank you #netgalley and #atria books for the eARC.

Tl;dr: A tightly written novel about a blended family and what happens after an accident--until the wheels come off the bus in the last twenty percent.

Obviously, I had some issues with House on Fire. Well, make that one really big issue.

The novel opens strongly. High school senior Christopher (Kit) has just gottrn into Duke, and is celebrating at a party with his friends when his fourteen year old stepsister, Chrissy, shows up--telling him that their parents are on their way home early from their five year wedding anniversary getaway.

They head home. There is an accident, and Kit, who was driving, bangs up the car and Leigh (his stepmother) and Pete (his father) get the call--Kit has been arrested.

It turns out that the officer who arrived on the scene suspected Kit had been drinking and he's flunked his field sobriety test. And as he's just turned eighteen, and already been arrested for a DUI once before, things look bad. Luckily, Chrissy is fine and Leigh's best friend, who happens to be an attorney like Leigh is (although Shelby specializes in criminal law and Leigh is in family law) arrives and gets Kit released and reassures Leigh and Peter that everything should be fine, although Kit's big summer internship may be in jeopardy, etc.

By the next afternoon, Chrissy is dead from a brain aneurysm. Leigh, Peter, Kit, and everyone else in the family is grief stricken. Ms. Kistler's portrayal of grief here (and through all of House on Fire) s outstanding, with Leigh's dazed, overwhelming grief and Pete's anguish for Chrissy (while relegated to a secondary role by Chrissy's oaf of a father) particularly notable.

Then Kit is charged with manslaughter because he was driving and Chrissy, according to what he told the emergency room doctor, etc. was that she did bump her head during the accident.

Shelby, who is on hand (Kit is arrested after Chrissy's funeral), is put in charge of his defense. It looks like Kit might be okay agsin, but it turns out that Leigh represented the state's area prosecutor's wife during his divorce and the manslaughter charge is no longer a slight threat--it is real, and Kit is facing a trial and possible prison time.

Then Kit announces that he wasn't driving the night of the accident--Chrissy was.

Leigh is stunned that Kit would lie, Pete believes Kit, and the family starts to fall apart.

What starts as Pete and Kit taking a few days away (staying at a nearby home building project that Pete, a contractor, is working on) turns into a seperation.

Leigh wrestles with her grief and anger, eventually throwing herself back into work and getting involved in a very tricky divorce involving the first wife of the ambassador of Qatar, a custody case involving a highly decorated war veteran, and an ongoing custody/divorce battle between a wealthy tech genius and his pregnant wife, while Pete struggles to keep his building project going, Kit afloat, and deal with his growing realization that not only will Kit's trial be expensive and with likely a very bad outcome, but the possibility that Kit may well be lying.

There are other plot elements too, most notably one involving Leigh's blooming friendship with a minister who understands grief all too well.

Up until about 3/4 of the way through House on Fire, I thought it was a solid novel about family, grief, and the complications and implications that can come from one moment--how it can change everyone and everything.

Then everything fell apart, or, more accurately, shifted into a thriller that though there was a trace of it in the plot strands, was so wildly unbelievable, with every twist and turn making me roll my eyes so hard I thought they might get stuck, and then it all wrapped up perfectly, right down to the "surprise" court stuff that wasn't remotely surprising and ta da! Happy ending.

It's as if the first 3/4 of House on Fire was written and then the last quarter was either rewritten to give it the gloss of a thriller and/or to make sure there was a happy ending. But the abrupt shift on both tone and pacing, not to mentiom the unbelievability of it all, was too much for me and ruined what had been, until that point, an engrossing read.

Three and a half stars for the first eighty percent, minus a million for the remaining twenty equals one and a half, rounded down because the ending is that bad. Here's hoping Ms. Kistler can nail everything in her next book.

It is an emotional story about a tragedy that take place in a blended family. I could not put this book down, the plot, narrative style and the characters are amazing. Good job.
Thanks to the publisher, author, and Net Galley for this copy.