The Premonition at Withers Farm by Jaime Jo Wright

About the Book

In 1910 Michigan, Perliett Van Hilton carefully balances the elements of faith she inherited from her father and the curiosity of the supernatural her mother embraces.  When a young lady is murdered in their small town and the killer appears to target Perliett next, she realizes that evil is very real.  Meanwhile, in present day, Molly Wasziak is struggling with grief and finding hope after tragic loss.  Less than thrilled with her husband’s purchase of a haunted farm, she grows increasingly concerned with the ghost-like activity around her new home.  Despite the separation of more than a century, as danger closes in on Perliett and Molly, both must face demons from the past and present in order to overcome the fear of the future.

About the Author

Jaime Jo Wright is the author of seven novels, including Christy Award winner The House on Foster Hill and Carol Award winner The Reckoning at Gossamer Pond. She’s also the Publishers Weekly and ECPA bestselling author of two novellas. Jaime lives in Wisconsin with her cat named Foo; her husband, Cap’n Hook; and their two mini-adults, Peter Pan and CoCo. Learn more at jaimewrightbooks.com.

Purchase Links

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Baker Book House

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Books-A-Million

Christian Book

My Thoughts

I think my heart is still pounding from reading this exciting novel!  With deliciously creepy supernatural events and unbelievably spine-chilling twists, this book will take you on a wild ride from beginning to end.  I had such a hard time putting the book down and indeed counted down the work hours until I could read once again.  I made the mistake of reading late into the night whilst home alone to finish this book and every creak of my own home made me jump in anticipation of a ghost around the corner.  In typical fashion, the supernatural has a logical explanation, but the journey of suspense kept me curled up under a blanket late into the night!  I absolutely love how this author does not shy away from tough subjects and she explores each with sensitivity and realistic circumstances that make the characters and their struggles so raw and real.  This book tackles depression, miscarriages, and loss and does so with great depth and emotion.  I felt connected to the characters for this reason and loved reading about their mental and spiritual growth throughout the story.  I also really liked the romance of two married individuals, as this is a unique romance for a modern story.  I think my favorite character was Sid; everyone needs a best friend who sticks by you when you think you see ghosts.  I loved everything about this novel and highly recommend it!  I cannot wait to see what this author comes up with next!

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

Favorite Quotes

I had a hard time picking just a few favorite for this novel! I highlighted about 20 more than I created. 🙂

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The Souls of Lost Lake by Jaime Jo Wright

About the Book

Wren Blythe enjoys her work alongside her father at a youth camp in Wisconsin, but when a little girl goes missing, ominous secrets and stories start to emerge.  Talks about the age-old tale of Ava Coons, the thirteen-year-old who emerged from the woods bloody and dragging a logger’s ax, begin to rumble among the town, making Wren determined to unearth the truth.  In 1930, Ava cannot remember the events of that night, but she struggles against a town that has determined that she violently murdered her own family.  Separated by time but bound by a desire to find the truth, Wren and Ava must uncover all of the mysteries before it is too late.

About the Author

Jaime Jo Wright is the author of six novels, including Christy Award winner The House on Foster Hill and Carol Award winner The Reckoning at Gossamer Pond. She’s also the Publishers Weekly and ECPA bestselling author of two novellas. Jaime lives in Wisconsin with her cat named Foo; her husband, Cap’n Hook; and their littles, Peter Pan and CoCo. Learn more at http://www.jaimewrightbooks.com.

Purchase Links

Amazon

Baker Book House

Barnes and Noble

Books-A-Million

Christian Book

My Thoughts

To be honest, I was never someone who liked split-time fiction until I read my first Jaime Jo Wright book.  But she made me a fan!  Why, you may ask?  Because she has this incredible talent to take two seemingly separate and unrelated tales and weave them together in a masterful way that can really only be described a true genius.  I love how she carefully crafts a story that allows the details to flow together so well.  I also stayed up way too late to finish this novel, as I was eager to see the stories come together.  I thought the suspenseful, almost eerie, tone of this book was exciting and made the book hard to put down.  As if the actual storyline wasn’t brilliant enough, she also manages to write about some deep, tough subjects; pain and grief come through so real and raw that it made it easy to connect with the characters and feel like I was pulled into the story.  I honestly cannot give this book justice with a review so I will end by saying, please do yourself a favor and get a copy as you will not be disappointed! Highly recommended!

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

Favorite Quotes

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On the Cliffs of Foxglove Manor by Jaime Jo Wright

About the Book

Adria Fontaine arrives at Foxglove Manor in the spring of 1885 ready to escape her malicious father, only to discover that the mistress of the Manor is vicious and cruel as well.  Dangerous secrets begin to accumulate until Adria is afraid for her life.  Centuries later, Kailey Gibson is also haunted at Foxglove Manor, with memories of her childhood kidnappers always nearby.  The seniors she works with in the home tell tales of hidden treasure and murder, adding to the whispers of danger that Kailey is experiencing.

About the Author

Jaime Jo Wright is the author of six novels, including Christy Award winner The House on Foster Hill and Carol Award winner The Reckoning at Gossamer Pond. She’s also the Publishers Weekly and ECPA bestselling author of two novellas. Jaime lives in Wisconsin with her cat named Foo; her husband, Cap’n Hook; and their littles, Peter Pan and CoCo. To learn more, visit http://www.jaimewrightbooks.com.

Purchase Links

Amazon

Baker Book House

Barnes and Noble

Books-A-Million

Christian Book Distributors

My Thoughts

Jaime Jo Wright is a master at split time stories and an expert at crafting novels with Gothic mystery!  I love her writing as she carefully reveals parts of the story in such perfect timing that it literally makes me go “ahhh” every time a secret is divulged and the plot comes together perfectly.  This story had bits of spooky elements but I loved how the explanations came together rationally by the end.  But I especially appreciated the author not shying away from difficult topics:  there is a character with autism and a character who struggles with depression and suicidality.  She handles these circumstances so well and gives me a glimpse into these very real struggles.  I applaud her tackling these topics!  The characters have so many levels and are complex.  It is easy to lose track of time as you get involved in the story and invested in these characters.  I loved every part of this book.  Jaime Jo Wright once again showed me why she is one of my very favorite authors!  I highly recommend this novel!

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

Favorite Quotes

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The Haunting at Bonaventure Circus by Jaime Jo Wright

In 1928, Pippa Ripley is trying to figure out where she fits—rejected as a baby from the circus due to her deformed leg but not quite fitting into the suffocating glamour of her adoptive parents’ lifestyle.  She is intrigued by secretive messages delivered to her from the “Watchman,” a shadowy figure that she thinks may know more about her birth.  However, when circus worker Jake warns Pippa that this Watchman may responsible for the deaths of young females—including his own sister—Pippa begins to wonder if the Watchman is looking out for her or marking her as his next victim.  Meanwhile, in modern times, Chandler Faulk has recently purchased the old circus depot with plans to renovate it into a center for boutique shops, highlighting the glory days of the circus.  But when mysterious events being occurring, and the local townspeople question whether it is the work of ghosts of the murdered victims of the Watchman, Chandler starts to question whether she can handle the stress of digging into haunting secrets better left unexplored.

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.

Echoes Among the Stones by Jaime Jo Wright

Aggie Dunkirk, with no job and no prospects, reluctantly returns to Wisconsin to live with her grandmother, Mumsie, a woman she has grown distant from in the past few years. She is stunned with Mumsie shows her a skeleton in her background only moments after her arrival.  She takes a job as a secretary with the town’s cemetery, not realizing that past secrets and crimes may connect with what Mumsie has discovered.  More than seventy years earlier, Imogene Grayson comes home to find her sister brutally murdered in their attic.  She will stop at nothing to find her sister’s killer, even though, as a young inexperienced woman, her help on the case is not always welcome.  Split by time but perhaps connected in another way, Aggie and Imogene are determined to find answers among the dead.

Like her previous books, Jaime Jo Wright once again crafts a story that is complex and interesting. She is a master at split time novels! The individual plots are interesting but there is something truly remarkable about them as the pieces of the individual stories begin to come together into one overarching story.  Jaime Jo Wright is never afraid to tackle difficult and messy topics (which I love) and this book is once again bursting with hard subjects and characters that are flawed and grow in fascinating ways.  The history is interesting and the spiritual message interwoven flawlessly.  This book takes you on an emotional journey and its grip does not let up even when you finish, its message lingering in your mind even after you close the pages. The mystery had twists and turns that kept me guessing and made the book hard to put down!  I loved this book, and I highly recommend it!

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

The Curse of Misty Wayfair by Jaime Jo Wright

In 1908, Thea arrives to Pleasant Valley, Wisconsin, in hopes of uncovering why her mother left her at an orphanage when she was young.  She discovers a secretive asylum tucked into the woods and is able to gain entrance with groundskeeper Simeon and her postmortem photography skills. But as she unearths ghosts and the tale of Misty Wayfair, Thea learns that there may be more than meets the eye. More than a century later, Heidi also travels to Pleasant Valley after she receives a plea from her mother fighting dementia.  Heidi also exposes family secrets of ghosts and soon she finds herself on a journey involving Misty Wayfair and events that cause her to fear her own life.

What an exciting book! The opening line, “melancholy was a condition of the spirit and soul, but also of the mind,” draws you in with its eerie mystery immediately and the grip of the words does not let up until the last page.  This book has ghost like suspense that left me with heart pounding and eyes scanning to find solutions to the supernatural.  I love Jaime Jo Wright’s writing as it is packed with details that allow me to really envision each scene and imagine the thrilling events.  She has such a unique gift!  The characters are rich in depth with imperfections and struggles that are realistic and relatable.  Jaime Jo tackles difficult social topics in this book, including but certainly not limited to, autism and its effects on loved ones, depression and anxiety and its misconceptions, childhood trauma and its psychological aftereffects, and the treatment of the mentally ill in the early 20^thcentury. What a phenomenal read!  I could hardly put the book down and stayed up much too late on several evenings to finish it (really, my only complaint here is the lack of sleep I had while reading, ha!).  The central theme of identity is clearly woven so uniquely throughout and ultimately draws on the Christian principle of identity in Christ.  I did not used to like split time novels, but Jaime Jo has a special gift to craft books that weave together a story that comes together into a well-structured and satisfying ending, and has definitely made me a fan of these books.  I truly loved this book and cannot wait to see what she pens next!  Most highly recommended!

I received a copy of this book from Bethany House Publishers/Jaime Jo Wright in exchange for an honest review.        5/5

The Reckoning at Gossamer Pond by Jaime Jo Wright

Annalise Forsythe has painful secrets, just like everyone else does in Gossamer Grove.  But when mysterious events and dangerous things begin to happen, she begins the brutal task of unburying secrets, which only serves to uncover more suspicious pasts in Gossamer Grove.  She is not pleased when an old flame arrives in town during this vulnerable point of her life.  As she begins to let God help her forgive and start fresh, she learns that the past can actually help her heal her future.  Her search for answers digs up the unusual story of Libby Sheffield, a young lady at the turn of the century working at her father’s newspaper company during a spiritual revival in the town.  Libby is facing her own demons from her past.  These two ladies, though separated by time, have similar goals to heal and move on.

I very much enjoyed the first novel by Jaime Jo Wright and was looking forward to her next book.  I did not typically like split-time plots, but now this author has turned me around to them by crafting stories that connect is such unique and interesting ways.  I very much liked both of the main protagonists in this book and found the overarching theme of forgiveness and moving on from painful pasts something that any reader can relate to.  The plots are interesting with the twists and turns and I did not anticipate the villains. My favorite part is seeing how all the details fit together at the end.  I very much recommend this book!

I received a copy of this book from Bethany House Publishers/Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

The House on Foster Hill by Jaime Jo Wright

Two years after her husband dies, Kaine Prescott decides to move across the country, impulsively buying an old abandoned home in her grandfather’s Wisconsin hometown. Convinced that her husband was murdered and his murderer is stalking her, but unable to prove it, she attempts to move on and start over. Only the strange events that were taking place in California to her begin to occur in Wisconsin, increasing Kaine’s suspicions. Meanwhile, a century earlier, Ivy Thorpe helps her father identify a dead woman found in a tree near the old house on Foster Hill. As she untangles the mystery, odd discoveries cause her to question the strange happenings at the old house. Danger mounts for both Ivy and Kaine as their investigations lead to more similarities that crosses decades and ties together at an old house.

This story is a perfect blend of mystery and suspense! I liked how the two story lines were separated by time but connected in a very unique way and I did not find them to be confusing at all. This author may be fairly new, but her writing style, creative plot, and suspenseful story craft a novel that speaks of an experienced writer. I had a hard time putting the book down! I really enjoyed the tasteful romance and sprinkles of history as well. There is definitely enough spooky suspense enough to keep you up at night. I highly recommend this novel and look forward to more from this author!

I received a copy of this book from Netgalley and Bethany House Publishers in exchange for an honest review.