Thank you NetGalley for the advanced read of this book. This one pulled me right in! Great atmosphere and an intriguing storyline with the Bone sisters and what happened in their family, not to mention the creepy ancestral family home they never knew about and inherited. There’s an inheritance, an intriguing groundskeeper and a lot of unique, magical/witchy family lore to learn along with why their mother kept them away from it all which brings in some of the more horror like moments in the story. Although it had its slow moments, all the pieces fit together well and came to an exciting, satisfying conclusion, one that even though I had a feeling who was behind everything, the “why” was still interesting to me.

Firstly, wanted to give thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the chance to read an ARC of The Witches of Bone Hill.

As someone who was more than a little obsessed with the TV show Charmed as a kid, the premise of this book excited me. Sisters who realize late in life that they have witchy powers? Heck yes.

When this book is good, it's GOOD. The two sisters and main characters of this book - Cornelia & Eustace - have such a fun dynamic filled with banter. The interactions between the two of them as they explored the family's mystery was one of the highlights. The mystery aspect was also highly intriguing, and the author did an excellent job at building intrigue throughout the first half of the novel.

Sadly, I felt that the build-up of intrigue didn't really reach a satisfactory climax until very close to the end. From about the 50% mark until 80% or so, I kept thinking to myself, "Alright, alright. Come on, let's start getting some answers."

(Spoilers ahead!)

I also wasn't a fan of the romance aspect of the book. I didn't buy into the chemistry between Gordon and Cordelia, and so it all felt a little forced into the story simply for the aspect of her being pregnant with an heir by the end of the novel.

The Mafia side plot - although probably necessary to paint a scenario in which Cordelia would stay put at Bone Hill - felt a little haphazard. That conflict seemed to wrap up way too quickly & easily.

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A detailed review will be published on my blog & Amazon on 9/19, a week prior to publish date. Links will be added at that time. Thank you again to Ava Morgyn, St. Martin's Griffin and NetGalley for the ARC!

This was ok. The characters were good but the story was a little slow for me. I felt I kept having to push through. I'm a little disappointed.

I really enjoyed this gothic treat. I liked watching the sister's relationship repair itself and grow while the sisters themselves grew into their family heritage. Nice twists and turns and good supernatural elements. Reminded me a little of Bardugo's Ninth House. Good writing by this author. I enjoy a book that doesn't feel like it is written at the third grade level.

Cordelia and her sister Eustace inherit an estate from a Great Aunt they didn’t know at just the right time-a divorce for Cordelia and health concerns for her sister.

They learn about their family, magic, and there’s even romance in this book that’s not quite romance/horror or what I was expecting at all.

I was pleasantly surprised to find it more than just chick lit and think this may be the beginning of a series. (I hope!)

You won’t be disappointed if you pick up this book.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC. All opinions are my own.

Things I enjoyed:
- I was immediately hooked in the first chapter, no time was wasted throwing you into the story!
- World building and scene setting
- The unique magic system
- Dynamic between the sisters, their interactions + dialogue were always my favorite sections.

Things that fell flat for me:
- I had a really hard time connecting with Cordelia... I needed more from her. It's hard to put my finger on why I just couldn't empathize with her, and instead felt more connected to her sister (which we heard from less throughout the book). Her thoughts and feelings just didn't feel flushed out enough.
- I felt like it was too easy to figure out who the bad guy was... the hints were so blatant and obvious that it took all the fun of out it. It meant a predictable and lackluster ending.

Things I could have gone without entirely:
- I am a fan of romance in fantasy novels, but I could have done without this romantic plot line entirely. It felt like such an after thought, AND then add the pregnancy in there? The book could have really done without it, and just focused on the relationship between the sisters instead.

Cordelia Bone and her sister, Eustace, have must learned that they have inherited an estate in a small Connecticut town. Eustace is suffering from cancerwhich she has only just revealed. Cordelia’s marriage has failed and her husband has left her with a large amount of debt. So they travel to see the estate hoping to sell. But strange things begin to happen. Cordelia seems to have developed some supernatural powers and Eustace has recovered her health. But if they want to learn more about their ancestry they must find a way to make peace with the house.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advance copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I don’t usually read women’s fiction but I love paranormal stuff and I was hooked by the cover and the title. But ultimately, I really struggled with this book; it just wasn’t the right book for me.

At first I was captivated by the author’s descriptive writing of the gloomy setting of the magical, gothic family estate, and the passages about witchcraft and magic were wonderful. I even was intrigued by the mystery that pulls these two sisters to the house full of ghosts bent on revenge, dark family secrets and reclaiming your magic birthright.

But I didn’t care for the characters at all. I found them shallow and erratic at first and character development was weak. How they reacted to increasingly melodramatic situations was so over the top that I didn’t find it authentic to how everyday humans would behave, even in extraordinary situations.

I found myself just skimming the last 30% because even the mystery couldn’t hold me in the end. It just got so progressively over the top that it lost me.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the advance review copy. I am leaving this review voluntarily.

I always enjoy a good dark witch story and The Witches of Bone Hill is definitely that. This is a dark atmospheric story that includes ghosts, witches, romance, murder, dark magic, and a house as a character. When Cordelia and Eustace Bone inherit the house that their mother fled from, they were not prepared for what was to come when they collect their inheritance. Having grown up not knowing of their family history or that they are witches, it takes them time to adjust to what is happening to them and figure out the family's history. The author is very descriptive and does not hold back from graphic scenes and details. This added to the tension as the story progresses. The story took turns that I was not expecting and gave me a very satisfying ending.

*warning: animal abuse*

Thank you NetGalley and St Martin's Griffin for the advanced reader copy. This is my honest review.

The Witches of Bone Hill by Ava Morgan

Characters: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Plot: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Pace: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Overall Enjoyment: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Certainly one of the best books to date that I have read that includes witchcraft,, romance, and murder.

This book starts off with a backstory of two sisters, Cordelia and Eustace. The two have not spoken in awhile and their lives are drastically different. They live miles apart from each other with Eustace growing marijuana for a living in Colorado and Cornelia having been experiencing a life altering situation where her husband drained their bank accounts and took off leaving her to deal with the banks.
Eustace calls her sister to say that their aunt had passed away and they need to go for the will reading. They find out they will get the estate she lived in and it seems that Cordelia already has a plan to sell the house and pay off debts. However, it seems that the house has different plans since it is full of ancestors. All the things that they learn on this property. It was so enamoring. This is a story that you will hope for, root for, and start to love. There is murder but it does nor encompass the story., What if coming home could always be magical? How can the secrets reveal so much about a family? There may be even more secrets, you will need to read the book to find out.

Release date September 26, 2023

Thank you to NetGalley as well as the author and publisher for giving me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for my unbiased and honest review.

I was not expecting the book to be dark but honestly I didn’t mind it! So many twists and turns that had me on the edge of my seat. Will definitely recommend

I really loved the idea of this book! However, I think some aspects need to be fleshed out more.
Things I loved:
- Eustace's character and development with her magical abilities
- the Bone family histories and female ghosts
- the 'protective' nature of the house

Some things I struggled with:
- Gordon and Cordelia's relationship made no sense to me. Beyond physical attraction and the mystery with Gordon's mom there really wasn't anything else to their relationship, so during their "break-up" I was confused why Cordelia was so heartbroken. The sex scenes were also kind of a let down, I'm fine with closed-door, but these were a blink and you'll miss it because they were buried
- The way things with John just ended. I liked that he showed up out of nowhere in search of the inheritance, but if that chapter fell out of the book, literally nothing would change.
- Cordelia's "action" scenes, where she follows ghosts and gets into trouble were disjointed

The Witches of Bone Hill is equal parts magical witchy mystery, haunted house, and generational family drama - with a bit of horror sprinkled in for fun. I love books that merge genres and this one delivers. We follow two estranged sisters as they discover an inheritance from a distant relative. Both sisters are in tough financial situations and find themselves unable to reject this opportunity. However, once they arrive at their ancestral home, they discover that there is way more to the story than meets the eye.

I really enjoyed the sisterly dynamic and the discovery of generational secrets. There were many twists and turns, some that I saw coming and others that were a surprise. I could have done without some of the superfluous side stories (the mob, insta-love, the comically horrible ex, etc.) but this didn’t detract from my overall inability to put this one down.

Thank you to Netgalley and St Martin’s Press for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I received an ARC of this title, these are my honest thoughts.

First, to cover my biggest trigger, which revs up whenever an animal shows up in anything horror related or horror adjacent, does the primary animal/pet live?<spoiler> No. And it's sad and brutal. I think it served a genuine purpose , which I'm not sure is always the case. </spoiler>

Cordelia and Eustace are sisters who've been estranged due to Cordelia marrying a walking trash bag. They inherit a house and an estate from a great aunt they've never met as their mother kept them from their family for reasons that become clear.

I love a beautiful old house on lots of acres. It might be my defining characteristic, really. This setting, especially in a book that's a mix of horror, mystery, and thriller, is my ideal. I need a tour of this house IN THE DAYTIME. If old, haunted house with seemingly endless rooms, tragedy still lingering in the air, is one of your favorite settings, you'll love Bone Hill.

Other than a bit around the 70% mark where the story felt like it was lagging, I was consistently entertained and engaged. I really want to return to this story and these characters in the future. I felt like there should have been a few more paragraphs here and there clarifying or where people had needed conversations. In one case, a character changes plans rather dramatically, and while we can surmise why, it seems like something that needed to be said, even in a sentence or two.

Ava Morgyn did a great job of setting up one perception of events or motivations, or prophecies, only to plausibly change those perceptions. Some of the twists or revelations weren't shocking, the identity of the principal villain, but still satisfying.

I cared about Cordelia and Eustace, and the secrets contained in this old house. I liked their sisterhood, and their learning about their family history and who they are in the present. I was creeped on a few occasions. I wondered why they didn't Google more stuff. I hope I encounter them again some day.

"Cordelia Bone's meticulously crafted life and career in Dallas are crashing down around her thanks to a philandering husband with criminal debts.

When her older, carefree sister, Eustace—a cannabis grower in Boulder, calls to inform her the great aunt they never met has died and they must travel to a small town in Connecticut to deal with the estate, she sees an opportunity to unload the house and save herself."

NOTE:
*There aren’t any published trigger warnings, but please make note there are graphic scenes of animal abuse.*

This story had all the witchy, spooky vibes I love in a story. The writing was detailed in a way that immersed me in the story without being overdone. I felt like I was on a journey with the sisters.

I thought the overall story was well done. It had a pace that kept me intrigued and the twists/turns didn't veer too far off to be confusing. And this is HUGE for me!!

I was able to read this book thanks to NetGalley sending me a free eARC. All of the statements above are my own opinions.

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martins press for the opportunity to review The Witches of Bone Hill. This book surprised me with its descriptive and creepy atmosphere, I almost didn’t want to read this book in the dark!

When Cordelia and Eustace Bone’s great aunt passes away, they didn’t expect to inherit a whole manor filled with antiques, gardens and even a handsome groundskeeper. However, the manor is also full of their ancestor’s secrets and possibly the reason why their mom refused to come back to the manor, even in death. While the two sisters try to figure out what they truly are and overcome their past, they must also find out what sinister force is behind the weird occurrences in the manor.

I really enjoyed this book. The atmosphere was great and I was invested in the Bone sisters and the problems each were facing. Although I had predicted the ending to an extent, I was happily surprised to find that there was an extra twist that I would have never expected. Overall, The Witches of Bone Hill would make a great fall read!

A fantasy with enough mood and tension to keep even horror fans engaged!

Dark, spooky, and thoroughly entertaining, readers won’t want to stop reading and may not be able to sleep at night!

A novel that asks: is the home inheritance really worth it? And what will it ultimately cost?

I struggled with getting into this one. The book was very descriptive and if you like atmospheric books, it’s probably a book for you. I personally felt like it was a lot of telling and not enough showing. The dialogue felt forced to me too.

I think if you like witchy books with a side of horror, you’ll love this one though!

The Witches of Bone Hill by Ava Morgyn is the story of two sisters who have not spoken for five years. They are brought together when their aunt leaves them the family home, a large gothic place that is imbued with magic. Although the book dragged in the middle, it was definitely worth finishing! An excellent story with a spooky twist. Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for an ARC of this novel in exchange for my honest review.

In the book, "The Witches of Bone Hill" by Ava Morgyn, two estranged sisters reunite to inherit an estate from a distant relative on their mom's side of the family. One there, their sisterhood is put to the test as mysterious forces haunt around every corner, even within themselves.
This story was such a good read.
Anyone with a sister, younger or older, will be able to relate to the relationship with the sisters. The story keeps you guessing throughout the story when things starts heating up. There is some romance, if you are into reading romance, but I have to warn you it takes a backseat to the main idea of the story, so be prepared for that. I have no complaints honestly. There was so much drama and suspense, I was never bored. The ending, my opinion, really tied everything up and was not rushed. Overall, I had a great time reading this