Yes, I finished another book from Jaime Jo Wright. I’m going to be honest, at the beginning I thought I would be done with her books for a while. However, as the story progressed, I noticed a change in myself. Let me tell you all about it. This is my review on The House on Foster Hill.
The House on Foster Hill Summary
Ivy
Our first character, Ivy, lives in the 1900s with her father. He is a doctor and medical examiner and she often assists him with his work. The story begins when they respond to a call from the sheriff stating that a woman has been found, dead. At the scene she is shocked to see Joel, a man from her past that she has not seen in twelve years. The two end up working together to solve the murder, find a missing baby, and work out some issues from their past.
Kaine
Next we have Kaine, and she is in what is considered present time. She is moving to the same town that Ivy lived in years ago, after being tricked into buying a very run down house. The house on Foster Hill to be exact. She is wrestling with demons of her own as her husband died, mysteriously, two years ago. She left San Diego to escape a stalker that began haunting her after her husband’s death. However, even now she finds signs that the stalker has followed her and the only way to figure out what’s going on is to solve the mystery from her great-great-grandmother’s time – Ivy’s time. She meets Grant who instantly wants to help her, with more than the mystery.
What I Liked
In this particular book, I loved when the book focused on Kaine and Grant. Honestly, Grant was my favourite character in the entire book. The way that Grant was able to help Kaine through a lot of things was admirable. From helping with renovations, to helping her find answers to her past, and even find healing from things she locked away long ago. He just was a great character and Kaine was able to heal a lot when she opened up to him.
Dislikes
To sum it up in one word; Ivy! I’m sorry, but she annoyed the heck out of me throughout the entire book. Now, I’m not ignoring the fact that she went through a hard time and when Joel left twelve years ago without a word it devastated her. However, when Joel wasn’t working the case, he spent the rest of the time trying to explain why he disappeared and how it wasn’t his fault – which it wasn’t. And she, even after learning the truth, continued to guilt him and let him sit in that guilt. Heck, the guy comes to save her life and she’s like I saved myself. I love an independent gal, but this guy wants you to know that he’s there for you and you’re being a jerk about it.
More on The House on Foster Hill
So, now that I’m done with my rant, let me explain something I mentioned in the introduction. Why did I want to stop reading Jaime Jo Wright’s books? Don’t get me wrong – she is a FANTASTIC writer and I only hope to write books this good. Her stories are fantastic. I love the fact that the same mystery is linked to two different times. She is great at balancing the characters and not putting more focus on one than the other. But the romance in every book is kind of annoying to me and feels repetitive. And I don’t enjoy romance books or in books. Just give me the mystery without all the romantic tension of a rough past.
However…..
This is where I’ve noticed a change though. I think I’m warming up to it. I found myself wanting Kaine and Grant to get together. Heck, I wanted my own Grant. There was a point in the book where I noticed myself getting giddy when the two would have a cute moment. It was harder to want Ivy and Joel to get together because I was mad at Ivy the whole time. In fact, I was telling a friend that at one point Joel tells Ivy he came back for her. My response – “You can do better, Joel.” Who am I becoming?
Final Thoughts and Rating
I gave the House on Foster Hill a 4 star rating. The mystery – amazing. I loved the twists and suspense and it kept me guessing the whole time. There were some things I guessed correctly, but Jaime still threw in some things that made me go, “wait, what!” The one thing that took it away from a 5 star, surprisingly, was not romance. It was Ivy. When there is a main character that you spend most of the book annoyed with, it takes away from the story. Other than that, I loved this book and I will probably continue to read Jaime Jo Wright’s books.
To Be Clear
Just because I’m starting to warm up to the romance in Jaime’s books does not mean I’m taking an interest in the romance genre. I still love my fantasy books, thrillers, and I need action – not romantic action. Watching lots of booktubers on YouTube talk about their romance novels and all the spice and smut in romance books, I’m not interested in that at all. As a Christian, I want to avoid those things at all costs. But Jaime does put her romance in tastefully. The part of me that doesn’t like romance will continue to not enjoy that aspect, but her books over all are amazing and I highly recommend them.
