I liked the relationship between Cordelia and Eustace, the book’s witchy vibes, and I was genuinely creeped out at points. I wasn’t a fan of the unnecessary mafia subplot, lengthy descriptions, and the “twist” which I found sort of obvious. However this was a fun book, hadn’t read something like it in awhile!

There are a few things in books that I tend to stay away from and this particular one edges on one of the genres I don’t do. Horror.

While I don’t mind reading about supernatural content, I tend to stay more in the suspense, thriller genre than in the demonic, anti-Christian genres. This one is right on the border and I was uncomfortable many times! Most definitely because the author has the descriptive narrative down pat! Whew~

This book is an addicting read. There are so many different pieces that are coming together in the story. There’s a mystery. There are definitely suspense and thriller parts that get your heart beating. Sprinkled humor and lightheartedness for some levity. The author even blends in romance with a delicious hunk but adds twists you do not see coming.

I have to tell you there are some freaky parts! There is plenty of gore and highly detailed scenes that may make you nervous. With all of that, surprisingly, it was tough to put the book down because you just wanted to see where it was going. Even the name of the book gives you pause.

The writing was top-notch and the story is like non-other I have read that deals with magic, witches, and edges on the dark side. The author definitely nailed it on the creep factor and had me racing to finish it before dark. But what an ending! So worth it!

The Witches of Bone Hill is a read you will not forget!

(Content warnings!)

This book was so good, I read it all in one day. The beginning was a little overwhelming for me, as Cordelia has A LOT of things going wrong in her life. You had to absorb all this drama right before you’re thrown into Bone Hill..the Victorian mansion that she’s inherited along with her sister. The beginning descriptions of Bone Hill are also overwhelming, but you can start to get a look inside of where this story is going. This was a book I really had to pay attention to, as there is so much description and drama and headaches and then you have some Norse runes on top of it…
I never got into the rune explanations, I found myself skimming those parts because it seemed like too much info. Later in the story you find out the importance of those explanations, but my skimming didn’t ruin the story for me!

I think overall the story was well written, I liked the look back into their ancestry and how it played into the conclusion. At this point the book would have gotten 5 stars. This brings me to the content warnings…

Animal torture and gratuitous description of that violence. THERE IS A REASON for the animal murder, and it figures into how the story wraps up, but the gratuitous violence of the scene was too much for me. Weirdly enough, that kind of stuff doesn’t bother me when it’s a person being murdered in horror stories, but this one was heartbreaking. It definitely lost the book a star and almost made me DNF. It’s going to be a problem for sensitive readers.

Thanks so much to NetGalley and St Martins Press/St Martins Griffin for the advance copy to read!

Thank you to Ava and NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book!
Spoiler free review
This book started out slow for me but really picked up about 25 percent in. The twist at the end blindsided me. I thought I had all the answers figured out and while I did have some figured out the final reveals had me at the edge of my seat. I love the way this story was woven with its mythology and how all the pieces of the puzzle fit so perfectly by the end of the story.
This story left me wanting more, I need more of the Bone family witches!

A gorgeously gothic read that immerses you in the story of two sisters and an old mansion, excellent to be coming out in time for Halloween - creepy Halloween, not cute Halloween. I enjoyed this story better than expected having read other witch-like books. This is much different and much better!

Cordelia Bone and her sister Eustace Bone inherit a house. Not just any house but an entire estate, legacy and trust. The Bone girls don't know anything about their family because their mother left her family. Cordelia is in the midst of a messy divorce and Eustace is having health concerns. The estate falls to them at just the right time. The women move to the house and soon having haunting experiences . They learn their family is known to be witches. They also realize quickly that somebody doesn't want them to inherit. This book has all the things...ghosts, witches, blood magic, romance, mystery,murder...the house is its own character. I absolutely loved this book. It just had everything intriguing that I love about a good witch book!

I received an E-Arc by the publisher and marketing assistant Kejana Ayala (thank you!) and the author, Ava Morgyn and Netgalley for an honest review.

I could not stop reading this book. I literally was hooked on the story from the beginning to the end! I had to know what was going to happen next with the sisters!

I got this ebook from the publisher which was so nice. It was an awesome surprise! Thank you Kejana Ayala and author, Ava Morgyn.

Like I said this book had me hooked! Each chapter had me wanting to know what was going to happen next for Cordelia and Eustace. The two sisters inherit a house from an aunt they never knew and things happen!! Weird things happen! So many mysteries...so many things!

At first I thought the book would be a whimsical book but it's a bit dark with a tiny bit of horror. So if you are looking a dark but quick paced story about witches with some creepy bits in it, then this book is for you. Just to warn you if you don't like creepy things then maybe not read this book, ok? Creepy bits meaning: history is a bit creepy, death is mentioned, an animal is hurt badly (so animal lovers just heads up!), and there is someone who dies. I could all the creepy things happening because I kept focusing on what was Cordelia and Eustace's next move ? Will they survive this? What will they uncover next? What is so special about this house? I had tons of questions that I wanted to know.

I love how both sisters got each other's backs. I love Eustace's quirky moments which made me giggle. I love Cordelia going into investigation mode. The sisters made a great team and I loved how they learned more about their family history. The sisters both have secrets of their own and eventually they are told. Are they still sisters?

There was some romance happening with Cordelia and the groundkeeper which was nice!!! I liked how the romance slowly was incorporated in the story. I loved the groundkeeper's background story too. Do they get their happy ever after? You'll have to find out.

I will point one thing. Eustace did cook a nice meal for her sister and invited the groundkeeper to join them. While eating Cordelia and the groundkeeper who is named Gordon ends up saying some funny things. Why is that? Blame it on Eustace, hahaha! It was funny. I wished the book had a few more of these moments.

Who's the villain in the story? It had me guessing and you'll have to read it to find out.

Go pick this up when it comes out because it'll be a great autumn/Halloween read! If you like witches with a bit of spookiness and creepy elements here and there then this is the one for you. I may pick this up since the cover is so pretty too!

I received this from netgalley in exchange for a review. 3.5 rounded up to 4.

I’d probably like this book more if I wasn’t a scaredy-cat. I could only read in small chunks because I tend to read before going to bed and would get scared easily. I liked Cordelia and Eustace and how their relationship grew as they learned and figured out their family gifts. The ghosts of their family and some of the other spooky things were not my cup of tea, and I kind of figured out what was happening around the middle of the book, so that helped me get the final chunk read faster, cause I wanted to see if I was right - which I was, but it was still a good ending. Having to read in chunks was hard cause I forgot things easier, but that’s definitely a me problem, that most people probably won’t have.

The Witches of Bone Hill by Ava Morgan starts out with two sisters who have not spoken in several years, Cordelia lives in Dallas and is going through a divorce with a man who has absconded with more than all their wealth, dragging her good credit with him. Eustace does not live near her, but in Colorado and she grows marijuana for a living. Their lives are very different.

They are contacted by a lawyer who lets them know they have an aunt who has passed away and they must travel to Connecticut for the reading of the will. Cordelia hopes they can sell the property so she can pay off debts incurred by her absent husband.

When they get to Connecticut, they discover the estate is much different than what they expected. There is wealth there they could use, but the house has different ideas. Their mother left the estate when the girls were young and never went back, the girls have so many questions.

This book is such an engrossing read that you won’t want to put it down. There are interesting characters, some of them human. It should be macabre, the spirits make their meaning known and they can be frightening. Even if you don’t usually read fantasy, you will love this book.

This story captivated my attention from the beginning until the end.

Cordelia, as the main character, was likable and I think most people could sympathize with her and recognized that she was in an overwhelming situation. So, her struggle to process and accept her unique family history and gifts was to be expected, but at times maybe she was a little too stubborn. But for me as a reader, it was her sister Eunice that really drew me into the story. Watching the two sisters rebuild their relationship and uncover their past was what kept me turning page after page until my eyes burned.

The romance was a nice secondary plot line. Sort of like an after-dinner mint to help cleanse the palette, which I needed from a few scenes dealing with animal mutation that turned my stomach and almost had me putting down the book (I did skim that part as I couldn’t handle the description). As for the “big bad,” I did figure it out, but that didn’t detract from the climatic and satisfying confrontation.

Fans of Paranormal Women’s Fiction be warned this is much darker than most, but is worth the read.

Thank you to St. Martin’s for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

When I think of a book about witches, this would be the book that I would want to read.. More of a Grimm's fairytale story about witches than a rom-com fluffy witch novel. Thank you to the St. Martin's Griffin and NetGalley for the digital ARC. This review is my own.

The Witches of Bone Hill
by Ava Morgyn
Pub Date: 26 Sep 2023

Ava Morgyn's The Witches of Bone Hill is a spellbinding, romantic novel about family secrets and two young women who discover they're Nordic witches.

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 that 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.

But once there, the sisters learn they are getting much more than they bargained for. The Victorian mansion they stand to inherit is bound in a dynasty trust controlled by their late aunt's aging attorney, who insists they retain and inhabit the house but keeps them in the dark about the peculiar rituals of their ancestors. Not to mention a sexy, tattooed groundskeeper with a shrouded past who refuses to leave the carriage house and a crypt full of dead relatives looming at the property line.

As both women grapple with their current predicament, they come face to face with a haunting family secret, the truth of what happened to their mother, and the enemy that's been stalking them from the shadows for generations. In a twisting torrent of terror and blood, the sisters must uncover the power within them to heal their fractured relationship, reverse their mysteriously declining health, and claim the lineage they wanted to escape but now must embrace if they are to survive at Bone Hill.

The Witches of Bone Hill by Ava Morgan is a story of sisterhood, magic, and mystery. Cordelia and Eustace are sisters who learn an Aunt they have never known died and left them an estate. They travel to see it and meet the family lawyer and learn many disturbing things about their heritage. I really liked the story and hope it turns into a series! It was well written with twists and turns although the I would have loved the author to delve more into the past family members.

Hands down, the best witchy, magical novel I've read in awhile! And definitely a book I would read again. As I was nearing the end, my one wish would be for the author to continue the story. Even though I knew who was causing the sister's troubles, I didn't expect the revenge component.

Thank you to NetGallery and the publisher for the chance to read it. Introducing me to a new author that I will follow!

First of all - thank you to Ava Morgyn and Net Galley for this early-release copy. The Witches of Bone Hill will be published on the 26th of September 2023 - right in time for Halloween!

Cordelia is having a rough go at life, and when she gets a call from her estranged sister Eustace to tell her about their aunt's will, she sees it as simply a quick way out of her money troubles. However, they soon find themselves reunited and thrown into a family mystery.

This book was beautifully written, I was immersed in the story from the get-go. The relationship between Cordy & Eustace, the unraveling of each character's back story and personality (even the dead ones!), as well as the tactful use of suspense kept me hooked.

You won't want to put this down.

Let me start by saying I finished this book in two days... all 416 pages. The story follows two estranged sisters who come back together when they find out their great aunt has passed and left them a little more than just an inheritance. 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. There were a few things, like the ex-husband and the romance, that felt a little off and I could have done without but it didn't ruin the story for me. The characters were thought out and I could envision them clearly and loved how the sisters interacted throughout the story. As previously stated, the romance felt off. Everything was initiated by Cordelia and it didn't seem reciprocated so when it advanced further, it seemed wrong to be, but I love how it all tied together in the end.

Overall, I enjoyed this story and plan to buy an actual copy of the book when it's released. I gave this a 4 star rating. I recommend this to anyone who loves witchy, spooky vibes in a book and/or wants a cozy mystery read. This is perfect for a fall/Halloween read.

This book grabbed me and didn’t let go until I finished it. I found it interesting and it wasn’t only a book about witches but also romance and a mystery. The sisters were great characters trying to figure out what was going on and why. Gordon was a great love interest. All the other characters added to the story in various ways. I definitely recommend reading this book.

Magic, gothic vibes, and romance all come together to create this wonderful mystery story. It's the perfect read for the spooky season!

I loved the premise of this book and the witchy vibe that it gave in the overview. While it was a fun and fast read, I did feel like I was able to figure out some things before they were revealed and would have liked it more if that wasn't the case.
Thank you to NetGalley for an advanced copy in return for my honest review.

I received an advanced copy from netgalley in return of my honest review. The writing is very good, however for me, the story just didn't quite come together. I feel like this could have been a good story without the supernatural elements and with more character development. Overall not a bad read. Something to consider for Halloween time. Thank you @netgalley for the opportunity to review this book.