Wow! This book drew me in from the very first page, the whispers of ghosts and secrets rising from the pages and pulling me into the story with ease. Jaime Jo Wright is a master at split-time novels, and I love reading how the two storylines start as complex separate stories that eventually merge into a beautiful connection with similar themes. I particularly loved the characters in this novel, as both Pippa and Chandler are seeking where they belong and their purpose in their worlds. I was humbled by Jaime Jo Wright’s inclusion of an autoimmune disorder in one of her characters, knowing that she herself struggles with the same disease, demonstrating that she is willing to be vulnerable as an author in order to connect with her readers. The strange occurrences in the story have you questioning whether some of the events are really due to ghosts! I stayed up until after 2am to finish this book because the tale drew me in and would not let me put the book down until I discovered what happened to the characters! Just when I thought I had figured out the villains, there was another twist in the story that kept me guessing! This story made me cry as I grew to love the characters, gasp as I was surprised by twists and turns, and snuggle deeper under my blanket as I fervently looked over my shoulder for Patty’s ghost. I was intrigued by the history of the circus and appreciated the author’s details of circus life. The spiritual themes of trusting God and allowing Him to be your ultimate identity were artfully woven in the story among the roar of the lions, the swishing of the elephant’s tail, and the whispers of the Watchman. I absolutely loved this book and highly recommend it!

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the author. Opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.

In true Jaime Jo Wright fashion, this book is an intense dual timeline mystery with some creepy suspense and sweet romance. With Ms. Wright, I come to expect a mystery I can't solve, a large creep factor, and a satisfying conclusion that brings both timelines together in such a way that both characters see some resolution. This book was no different. Add in a circus (don't worry - no creepy clowns), a "haunted" train depot, a serial killer and characters who deeply feel their own imperfections and you have all the makings for a great tale.

This book follows Pippa in 1928, in the big heyday of the circus as she seeks out the Watchman, and what he knows about her past. She struggles to "be seen" for who she is. In the modern timeline, we follow Chandler who has come to Bluff River to see about restoring the old abandoned Train Depot and creating a historic landmark filled with boutiques and shops. She is set out to prove that she can make it, but keeps getting thwarted by locals and ghost stories. The mystery of who the Watchman is and what happened to Patty Luchent takes the full book to unravel and took some very unexpected turns. This story was engaging, pulling you in and keeping you guessing until the very end.

My only complaint (and the reason for 4 stars instead of 5) is that both of the main characters were overly obsessed. Pippa was obsessed with the Watchman and Chandler was obsessed with proving that she could make it on her own. While we all have our own little obsessions, when it is a major part of a fictional character, it starts to feel a bit redundant. The story line made up for this to an extent, but not being able to fully connect with the main characters kept me from being able to offer a full 5 stars. Other than this, this book was another stellar piece of art from Jaime Jo Wright.

Special thanks to the author and NetGalley for an advanced e-copy of this book. I was under no obligation to write a review and the thoughts contained herein are my own.

Jaime Jo Wright is my go to author for split time thriller/mysteries. Her books are so unique. Circuses are a little creepy anyway, but throw in a serial killer and a ghost, and it will keep you up at night. Her characters have great chemistry and tension, and her male leads are the right mix of brooding and swoony. The mystery kept me guessing the whole time. I had my suspicions, but wasn't able to figure things out at all. So well done! I recommend this book to readers who enjoy edge of your set mysteries and split time novels.



I received a copy of this book for the purpose of review from the publisher and Netgalley.

Pippa Ripley was left abandoned on the doorstep of the wealthy circus owner. The owner was harsh to Pippa and her fiancee was not any better. She always felt that the inadequacies of her leg that was deformed from birth defined her. Her mother was simply going through the motions of maintaining their status in the small community with little warmth and hardly a smile.
Chandler Faulk was just hanging on to a thread by shouldering the responsibilities of her young son, a serious autoimmune disease, and the drive to prove herself in the renovation of the dilapidated former circus headquarters that her uncle had a vested interest in. As a new resident of the community, she is struggling with her symptoms that have heaped some serious self imposed stress upon herself.
Welcome to the word of the big top, in a split time novel between 1928 and present! As always, Ms. Wright does not disappoint, and this was an interesting weaving of the two times, from the seedy underbelly of the circus to present day where the past comes rushing up to affect newcomers to Bluff River. I liked Pippa, but I found her to be everyone's puppet and she seemed to have little awareness of who she really was. I favored Chandler more and felt that she really needed to just slow down and take better care of herself. Her competitive nature was definitely not a plus with her diagnosis. The tale is very complex with a baby elephant rejected by his mother, a serial killer named The Watchman, and more questions than answers until the very end of the novel. It definitely kept me engrossed in the tale and trying to figure out how the past melded with the present time line. There is a strong faith thread throughout the novel, and more so as things are unraveled at the end.
NOTE: I am not a big fan of the circus and I had to make sure that there were no creepy clowns in this novel before I read it (there are not).
I received and early Kindle copy from Net Galley and I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Jaime Jo Wright is a master split time author and has once again written another masterpiece. This time, she transports us back to the mystery and awe of the circus delving into their world after the Big Top lights go out.

We navigate the1920’s circus world through the eyes of Pippa Ripley, the daughter of Bonaventure Circus owners, Richard and Victoria Ripley. We soon learn Pippa is their adopted daughter as she was left on their doorstep as an infant by circus employees. These circumstances as well as her handicapped leg create great discontent within Pippa. We journey with her as she struggles to discover her biological parents, feeling like she belongs with the circus and wanting to be seen during a time when women were to be only submissive to men. We experience the child like awe we once had of the circus with her as she interacts with circus workers and animals in particular the elephants. The circus isn’t all smiles and fun as we learn with our peak behind the scenes.

Present day events introduce us to Chandler Faulk and her son, Peter. Chandler is an architect who comes to Bluff River, the home of Bonaventure Circus in hopes of restoring the old train depot and costume house. Chandler much like Pippa wishes to be seen and accepted as she is. She has no idea what lies ahead as she begins to dig into the past of the circus resurrecting secrets long hidden. Her discoveries will force her to face own insecurities as she looks to right the past.

Pippa and Chandler are like many of us who allow our own negative self talk/ thoughts to command our lives. We struggle with seeing God as all loving and trusting others due to this. As Ms. Wright transports us through both Pippa and Chandler’s world, she craft fully opens our eyes to who God is.

This book will draw you in from the opening pages and stay with you long after you close it. It is full of suspense, emotion, and twists you will not expect. I can honestly say that the ending took me by surprise. This is a must read for any suspense lover!

I was given an advance copy of this book from the author and Bethany House through NetGalley. All opinions expressed are completely my own.

An old circus that holds tight to its secrets, a cold case murder & disappearance, two women separated by time, and a haunting tale to keep you awake at night The Haunting at Bonaventure Circus is all that and more!

Jaime Jo Wright's evocative writing style will keep you entranced in the story. She paints pictures in your mind like no other and plunks you in the middle of the pages as if you've stepped through fiction into reality. At least she does this for me every time I read her books! The Bonaventure Circus, at it's very heart, was a lucrative and thriving business in 1928. But it was also full of scandal, secrets, and the need to hide something sinister below the surface. Pippa Ripley, a young woman well associated with feeling that she doesn't belong anywhere craves the need to be a part of something, to belong to someone. Thus the reason she attaches herself to the “Watchman”, a mysterious & elusive man skirting the edges of circus life. Fantasizing that he truly cares for her and watches over her safety, she sneaks around trying to find out who he really is. Only to find something much more than she hoped for and a truth she wasn't ready to face.

In present day, Chandler Faulk only wants to restore the old depot and circus grounds. It's her passion as a real estate project manager working for her uncle. Single mom by day and a woman wrought with fears by night, her only goal is to protect her son and raise him single-handedly. Then she stumbles on a mystery that spans time and could threaten her whole mission for moving to the town of Bluff River, Wisconsin.

Wright brings two seemingly unrelated stories and the lives of two unrelated women together thread by thread, line by line, and clue by clue, slowly building to a stunning conclusion. She sucker-punched me at the ending and left me speechless when the mystery was solved & the pieces fell into place. I don't think anyone would see this coming, how Wright seamlessly weaves the tale of Bonaventure Circus into a beautiful tapestry. My final takeaway—at the very core of this story is the human need to be seen, the desire to be loved, and for someone to truly see you as important just because you exist. Both Pippa & Chandler are two women trying to find their place in the world. They learn at the end they already belong to the One who loves them, cares for them, and has always been cradled in His hands. The spiritual truths in this were deeply moving and lodged in my soul. Wright has a way to speak truth to ones' heart through fictional characters that become real in the readers mind. I've always appreciated her writers voice and the way she connects to her readers.

“Remember, what to us seems like God's biggest errors, to Him they are His largest promises.”

“It was a peaceful thing. The knowing. The knowing that she had never truly been unseen. Maybe it was worth pursuing faith. For in the pursuing, one must come out of hiding and run towards grace. Because it was only grace that would ever truly save.”~Pippa

*I received a complimentary ARC of this book and was under no obligation to leave a favorable review. All opinions are my own. *

Reading the “The Haunting at Bonaventure Circus” will make your heart flip like the acrobatics of a trapeze artist. In typical Jaime Jo Wright fashion, this book is spooky and perfectly unique. I will say this book freaked me out more than her previous novels, but with a book by Wright, I knew that nothing was as it seemed and in the end it would all make sense. I wasn’t disappointed!

There are so many things I love about this book. First off, there’s a baby elephant. I mean, you can’t not love a baby elephant! I found myself rooting for this sweet baby to survive as much as I did the human characters. Speaking of the human characters, Wright outdid herself. As I read, I kept thinking that these characters felt so REAL. The setting is my home state of Wisconsin. I live just a couple hours from the small circus town this book is inspired by. Many of the phrases Wright uses are typical Wisconsin phrases. I could hear the words coming out of characters who looked like people I know, right down to the burly bikers with hearts of gold! Then there was the connection to an autoimmune disease. Chandler was diagnosed with the same autoimmune disease I live with. Her symptoms are a bit different than mine, but it’s powerful to read about a character who struggles with the same thing in life that you do. I had a lot of personal connections to this book.

“The Haunting at Bonaventure Circus” is a fantastic suspense full of more twists and turns than a night under the Big Top. The characters, even the heroes, are flawed and trying to figure out life and faith and love. They question God’s involvement in their lives and struggle to understand why things are happening to them and if they will ever be loved for who they are. They struggle with things that we all struggle with and I think many people will find themselves in the pages of this book. Finally, I just have to say the men in this book are not your typical heroes and I love that so much!

*I received a complimentary digital copy of this novel through Netgalley but was not required to write a review.

No ones pens a more eerie tale than Jaime Jo Wright. She has mastered the craft of writing suspenseful split time novels with haunting plots that are chilling and full of surprises. The Haunting At Bonaventure Circus kept me guessing until the conclusion! Prepare yourself for twists and turns as this story unfolds! This has such a suspenseful and shocking ending, like hold your breath and just keep turning the pages! I love it when I’m surprised by an ending or shocked by a reveal of facts and this one delivers! This isn’t your typical trip to the circus, but it will definitely grab your attention and intrigue you!

This was a heart thumping time slip novel set in 1928 and current day. It evolves around a circus that has its headquarters in a small town. Strange noises, screams, ghosts and serial killers all play a part in this story, especially in the dark of night. The not so perfect characters won places in my heart. Pippa in the 1928 tale was born of circus parents and had a deformed leg. Given up at birth, she was raised by the owner of the Bonaventure Circus along with his wife. A very strict father kept Pippa under his thumb most of her young life. She found time to sneak off to the wonders and people in the circus world feeling a connection deep in her soul. Pippa was lost and felt so unloved, always searching for acceptance. Baby Lily also won me over. Her rejection by her mom left lots of hurt and scars that formed in big tears and whines from within. Pippa could relate so well to Lily and they formed a close bond beyond explanation.
Chandler in modern day was just trying to survive and raise her young son Peter alone. She was working on a renovation of the old circus buildings under her uncle who purchased the property. Strange sounds and moans and scraps across the floors that couldn’t be explained sent Chandler on a search into the past. Rumors of a serial killer, the Watchman, surfaced as she dug deeper and deeper. What was it going to cost her in the end?
And who couldn’t love an author that uses such fun words as “heebie-jeebies” and “flibbertigibbet”?
Look for them! And my favorite reference to my all time favorite TV show, Andy Griffith on Loc 1695.
My takeaway from this book, “the best families are made of broken people.”
I received a complimentary copy of this novel from the author through Netgalley but was not required to write a review.