Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martens Press for the opportunity to read an ARC of The Witches of Bone Hill, in exchange for my honest review!
At first it reads like a purely contemporary fiction, but something I enjoyed was as the story goes on, the magic and overall spookiness got greater and greater. It’s not so much a fantasy as it is paranormal fiction. If you are a true fan of horror and gore, looking for something dark and unsettling, that’s going to give you the creeps, I don’t think this is for you. On the flip side if you are someone who is more into standard fiction, who wants to dabble in something that has moments of eeriness, magic, and can handle a little gore, you may really enjoy it!
I appreciated that the main characters were all of mature age, I’m guessing late 30s to mid 40s, and that the issues they had before arriving at the estate were that of people in that group. The pacing and writing was good, while the fmc was a little annoying at times, the reasons behind her actions were understandable. Another thing I liked was how communicative the sisters were with each other, there weren’t moments where, as a reader, I felt frustrated by the main character and I knowing there was information that should be shared. The sisters were a smart pair, and figured everything out at a reasonable speed for the story.
The villain was very predictable but there was still a *slight* twist about it. It wasn’t so much “who” but “why” with the bad guy.

(Spoilers ahead)
The only thing that really didn’t do it for me in this story was the relationship between Cordy and Gordon. I think there had to me a romance plot in the book, and I’m glad there was.. I just didn’t really believe in their chemistry. She was genuinely rude to him outwardly and judgey inwardly, as well as recently wounded from her ex husband, which is brought up enough to know it was obviously a huge deal. Even after she very suddenly decides to stop being snooty to him, they still just didn’t make sense to me. They had a few conversations about their issues together, he mentions she’s attractive on accident, and then he just steps into the role of needing to be there and protect her (it’s kind of his only personality trait) with so much faith and gusto after like… less than three weeks. And he’s just cool with all the bad stuff happening and the violence in the end, because it’s all about making sure she is safe.. he is kind of a shell of a character. Aside from just being the only people there and trauma bonding over loss/the property, I don’t see why they like each other at ALL. Much less to sleep together in a way which would end up in immediate pregnancy. Getting knocked up after a month of knowing each other and maybe 2 weeks of sleeping together? Not the trope for me. Yucky even. It could have been something alluded to by her ancestor for the future and mentioned as part of the wrap up when it has the jump to the future at the very end. Don’t think that had to happen at all.
Overall this was a very readable story, I was able to picture the atmosphere and follow along with everything very well. It was like watching a modern day practical magic-esque film on Netflix.

DNF at 33%. Just couldn't get into the story. I attempted to read it over the month of August, but ever time I picked it up I only read for twenty or so minutes before I lost interest. I found the plot interesting, but I just couldn't connect to the characters. All in all, this book just wasn't for me, but I do think that those who enjoy a more atmospheric and slower paced story would enjoy.

3.75 stars rounded up.
Overall, I rather enjoyed this book. Things I like: The sisters relationship, the history of the Bone family, the house. It’s creepy without venturing too far into being horror.
Things I didn’t like: lots of parts dragged and in those parts it seemed as though they were just rehashing the same things over and over. I could have done without the “Bad boy romance”-it felt unnecessary to the story.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the ARC of this novel!

With sisters who are entirely in the dark about who they are, a scheming ex-husband, murders, and mysterious deaths, a lot is going on here. As the story is told from Cordelia’s point of view, we get to know her better than her sister, Eustace. Eustace could probably do some amazing spells, but we don’t really see that because we didn’t get to know anyone all that well. Even Gordon, who is supposed to be a great love, isn’t all that fleshed out.

Their mother, Maggie, was a terrible mother. The girls might say otherwise, but keeping dangerous secrets from your daughters, introducing shady men into their lives, and constantly moving to run away from who and what you are was a terrible thing to do to them. She had to have known what would eventually come to pass for them, and she left them completely unprepared. But the fact I didn’t like her shows how well Morgyn wrote her.

The pacing for this was off for me as it dragged for much of the book. I also figured out 80% of who we had to worry about, right from the start, which came to pass mostly. And that’s okay because this isn’t a thriller, so the enjoyment of the novel doesn’t depend on knowing. Perhaps this will be the start of a series, and the characters will become more in depth and explore what they’re capable of. I certainly would read a book 2.

This book was the perfect read to kick off spooky season! I thought the fantasy and mystery were perfectly balanced. The family drama and history were relatable and intriguing. Oh, and that little touch of romance... Honestly, I'm left hoping for an unexpected inheritance myself. I will 100% recommend as an autumn weekend read.

How do *I* find out that I'm a Nordic witch?! Love love love. Thank you so much for the opportunity to read and review this!

really good book and kept me on my on my toes of what would happen. really enjoyed the characters and their journey and would read this author again.

Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press for a copy of this arc in exchange for a fair and honest review. This is a perfect Fall mood book to snuggle up to as you enjoy witchy vibes. A Great read for the upcoming Halloween season.The story was a bit slow in the middle and had some random additional storylines, but it was a charming read.

Sisters Cordelia and Eustace inherit the family home from family they didn’t know they had. With it comes learning about the dark pasts of their ancestors, and discovering the truth about their mother’s disturbing death. What started out as a slow burn for me eventually flared into a story that was hard to put down.

There was a small mafia subplot that seemed wholly unnecessary to me, and a particularly grisly scene that will stay with me too long, but I was surprised by this book, and I like that.

3.5 stars rounded up. Thanks to St. Martin’s Griffin and NetGalley for the ARC.

Cordelia and Eustace Bone's childhood was marred by a tumultuous upbringing, defined by their mother's chronic fears and an unstable maternal relationship. However, their lives take an unexpected twist as they receive a letter in their adulthood, revealing the existence of an aunt previously unknown to them and their inheritance of a mysterious mansion, Bone Hill.

Cordelia pins her hopes on selling the mansion as the ultimate solution to her myriad of problems—her husband's betrayal, the astronomical debts incurred in her name, and the relentless pursuit of a mob boss seeking retribution. Her dreams crumble when she discovers the unsettling condition attached to her inheritance: she, and her sister, must reside in the mansion to claim it.

"Bone Hill" emerges as an enigmatic home, harboring a strong will of its own and haunted by the spirits of past generations of Bone women. Alongside her sister Eustace and the captivating tattooed gardener, Gordon, Cordelia embarks on a chilling quest to unearth the mystery shrouding the mansion—a series of gruesome animal killings and the menacing messages written in Nordic runes in the creatures' blood within its walls.

"The Witches of Bone Hill" marks Ava Morgyn's third venture into the world of witchcraft, and it served as my introduction to her books—and it did not disappoint. While the story initially progresses slowly, it gains momentum as revelations come to light. Morgyn's storytelling shines as she spins a tale of intrigue and the supernatural, ensnaring readers in its mystique and making it nearly impossible to tear oneself away.

Fast paced, exciting and suspenseful this story keeps you turning pages and rooting for the girls. I loved this story.

I’m loving all of these paranormal stories but let me tell you guys that the summary is vague compared to the book you get. This is a very thrilling and horror type of story and I would not consider it a cute, magical read. I enjoyed the story but did not expect to go on a thrill ride. As much as I enjoyed the story, I have to say that I did not like some things mentioned in the story. The characters were well written and I enjoyed Cordelia. At first I couldn’t connect with her character but I started to enjoy her story along with Eustance who is her sister. The sisterly bond was well done and I loved their relationship with each other. There were quite a few side characters who were involved with the story and its mystery. The romance was just there in this book and I would have done without it as the story focuses on the sisters. The ending completely saved the books and overall it was a good book. I recommend checking it out for the spooky season.

*this arc was sent to me by the publisher to give an honest review in return*

⭐️⭐️⭐️

Sisters Cordelia and Eustace live in different parts of the country, both having recently fallen on hard times due to divorce and illness. When they receive a summons to an estranged aunt’s mansion in Connecticut for a will reading, the sisters are curious enough to go. What they will find out there will not only change the trajectory of their lives, but also everything they thought they knew about their family.

This had the potential to be really great - witches, sisters, supernatural elements - but something was missing for me. The witch plot line was still missing at 40% into the book….and the title of the book mentions witches!

It definitely had spooky fall vibes and would be a good one if you’re into ghosts, runes, and family mysteries.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the digital ARC!

This was not what I expected at all but I really liked it!
I read Morgyn’s debut a few years back and it reminded me very much of Gaiman’s The Ocean At The End of the Lane, haunting in a very subtle way that when the actual magic came in it felt organic, so I guess I expected that from this: subtle magic, perhaps at a more deliberate pace the way adult fiction vs YA tends to be.

It was not, there are ghosts and shit from like chapter three and frankly I loved that. It made the book atmospheric in a way that made me long for it to finally be fall and I was happy to linger in the spookiness. I’m proud of myself for figuring out the “twist” but not so early that it felt obvious! This was a fun way to kick off autumn!

Granted I still felt like the “owing money to the mob” subplot felt a little shoehorned in but in the grand scheme of Plot that’s relatively minor

Cordelia Bone has a great life. A booming business, a dream home, and a loving husband. Or so she thought. Then he ran off with her assistant, running up massive debts all in her name. Then her estranged sister Eustace calls her and tells her that an aunt they never met has died and left everything to the sisters. Cordelia takes off to Connecticut to meet her sister and together they head to Bone Hill, where their family has resided for generations. The house is tied up in a legacy trust that they will only inherit if they stay. As family secrets are uncovered the sisters try to learn who they really are as someone, or something, is trying to scare them away.

This was a weird read for me. At times it felt like a romance witchy story as Cordelia and Eustace come to grips with who they are and the tension between Cordy and Gordon, the groundskeeper. It made me think of Practical Magic with the main difference being that the sisters don't know they are witches. And then out of nowhere there is creepiness with gore and death. Like I was reading the seance scene in bed and when my husband opened the door I jumped and almost dropped my tablet. Although it seems pretty obvious who is behind all the bad stuff, the ‘why’ surprised me. All in all I did like the book, but probably shouldn't have read it so late lol.

The Witches of Bone Hill
Rating 3.5 stars

Thank you NetGalley and St Martin's Press for the ARC!

The Witches of Bone Hill lends itself towards a macabre fantasy that plays with some romance and horror themes. It's the type of book you read twice. The first time you're speed reading to confirm your theory in a classic case of "Who done it?" and the second time to pick up on the elements that Morgyn has woven across the narrative to tie together the whole story.

There was some beautiful descriptive prose along with evocative writing that makes you feel the pulsating ache in your own temples. However, I do think there are some rough stylistic changes in the writing that stand out. In the beginning half of the book, we're really inside Cordelia's head, for better and worse. We see the world through her eyes and Morgyn spends a lot of time building this universe for our narrative. There are explicit references to Cordelia's hidden talents and a focus on building our the ghost element. Honestly, the author does too good of a job making the reader fear the house, insomuch that its a hard transition to see it as anything but devious and vengeful. The issue I think stems when we start to segue outside of just Cordelia's thoughts/memories and more action starts to take place on the page. As a reader, it felt like now that the author had something substantial to forward the plot line, they lost the thread of their earlier narrative.

My recommendation would be to either go back into the earlier chapters and address the writing style to mimic the ending or flush out more of the mentality and atmosphere of the house after we start to expressly understand who the villains are. Also, add in some contextualization for the romance piece. It's a straight up tease and as a grown woman, I don't want a decorative sentence that closes out the paragraph. You made my head ache for CHAPTERS, give me something that gets my pulse going and some blood in my cheeks with Gordon.

The Witches of Bone Hill

By Ava Morgyn

Morgyn’s novel begins like a typical work of “women’s fiction”, with the main character, Cordelia, the victim of a bad divorce standing in front of the Texas house she has had to sell. In the middle of trying to supervise a move, she gets a call from her sister Eustace. They have, it seems, inherited a house in Connecticut, from a relative they never knew.
When Cordelia and Eustace (where do authors get these names?) decide to go to Connecticut and see the house, the novel turns decidedly gothic. The house, where they are simply dropped off, is a haunted mansion. There’s a smell from roses that aren’t there. And a tooth in a drawer that rattles itself.
From there it gets even creepier. I’m afraid I’m going to chose not to review this book publicly. I’m sorry. I so enjoyed a magical reality book I read just before this one. But Morgyn’s book is more of horror story I think than tale of witches and magic. I do apologize. But I just can’t keep,reading it. I’m sure it will give me nightmares.

The Witches of Bone Hill is a great fall book! Lots of magical realism and intrigue are in this story. This author has a way with words that keep this novel engaging.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to read this arc in exchange for an honest review!

This definitely edges closer to horror than witchy rom com.
There is romance, creepy magic, a murdered mother, ancestral home being inherited along with finding their magic.

It was great. Definitely reminded me of Practical Magic with the sisters and their dynamic.

Cordelia’s live is falling apart with her philanderous husband, mounting debt and moldy house so when her sister tells her they need to meet at their great aunts house to plan the funeral she hopes she can unload the house for some money and save herself. But they definitely get more than they bargain for with Bone House and it’s secrets.

I enjoyed the darker edge to this and they bonds between the sisters. The romance wasn’t necessarily needed but I really like Gordon so it worked for me.

Thanks to NetGalley and St Martins Press for an eARC.

Series Info/Source: This is a stand alone book. I got this as an ebook from NetGalley for review.

Thoughts: This was okay. It's about two sisters who find out they have inherited a strange family estate along with the odd magical powers. I liked the beginning of this but thought the way the story played out was a bit predictable and boring. I also just never really enjoyed any of the characters that much.

Cordelia is going through a very rough divorce and has been forced to assume a lot of her husband's debt; despite her booming business in real estate she is running out of money. Then she gets a call from her older sister Eustace (a hippie cannabis grower from Colorado) who tells her that their great-aunt has left them an estate. They never knew their great-aunt but Cordelia sees a possible escape from her money problems and jumps at the opportunity. Upon arrival they find that not only is the house haunted, but their family (which they have been estranged from their whole lives) has some very deep and disturbing secrets. When Cordelia and Eustace start to see changes in their own bodies and powers as well, they know something crazy is happening and Cordelia's plan to sell off the estate has to go on hold until they solve some deeper mysteries.

There isn't anything blatantly wrong with this book I just found it a bit scattered. There are almost too many things going on for the plot. Coedelia ends up with a gangster after her who is trying to collect on her husband's debt; strangely this issue kind of goes away and then comes back at the end. This just didn't need to be in the story. Then there is the side issue about the groundskeeper whose mom died on the premise of the estate; Cordelia develops a relationship with the groundskeeper so he serves as a romantic interest. Still, the whole back story about his mom felt a bit superfluous and the romance feels half-baked as well. I felt like a lot of these little plot branches really detracted from the overall creepiness of the rest of the story.

I did enjoy the hauntings and the mysteries the sisters uncovered on the estate in the beginning of the book. However, some of the turns the story took towards the end, with competing heirs really took away a lot of the supernatural mystery and pinned a lot of things on one evil character. I found this anti-climatic, predictable and just all in all disappointing. I think this story could have built to a much more intriguing and impactful ending.

The writing is fine but there were some parts of the story where the pacing was a bit slow. I just felt like the book ended up a bit jumbled with too much going on. There's a lot of potential here but it fell flat for me.

My Summary (3/5): Overall this was okay. The premise here and the beginning of the book was pretty good. I was drawn into the story right away. Then the book lost me; there were too many things happening at once and too many plot points thrown in that were supposedly important but then were quickly brushed aside and forgotten. I never engaged with the characters well and found the ending really predictable and boring. I don't plan on picking up any books by this author in the future.