The Witches of Bone Hill was at times enjoyable and spooky, and other times cringy and frustrating.

The good stuff. I feel like the first half of The Witches of Bone Hill is a great mood-setter for the spooky season (minus some small annoyances that I could look past in the beginning). Imagine Practical Magic but with a less likable main character and some questionable life decisions. Oh, and also some random mafia plot-line. When I picked up The Witches of Bone Hill, I was ready to read about witchcraft and haunted mansions and that is what I got - with a mix of other tropes that aren't really my cup of tea. But the good stuff. There were ghosts, and I love ghosts. I could vividly picture that magnificent Bone Hill mansion in my mind and it really helped to get me into the spooky mood. Ava Morgyn's writing is superb and I have no qualms there. Onto the not-so-great stuff...

The things I wish were better. The main character, Cordelia, is hard to like. She makes goofy decisions (such as staying at hotels for an indefinite period of time while being severely in debt and being chased down by the mafia?) and also decisions that just pulled me straight out of the story and made me big cringe (I'm thinking of a certain scene with an ex). I read a review shortly after finishing the novel where someone expressed how they wished that Eustace, Cordelia's sister, had a POV. I can't help but agree. I found Eustace's character much more relatable and likable and wish we could have seen more things from her perspective. And, as I mentioned before, the mafia plot line really seemed goofy silly. Mafia? Really?

I would recommend The Witches of Bone Hill to readers who want a spooky book about witches, ghosts, and haunted mansions who do not mind if decisions that are made are frustrating at times and if characters are... well... unpleasant at times. I didn't hate The Witches of Bone Hill, it just wasn't for me.

Thank you NetGalley, St. Martin's Griffin, and Ava Morgyn for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press as well as the author for this ARC. This is my honest and unbiased review.
#NetGalley #St.Martin’sPress #TheWitchesOfBoneHill #AvaMorgyn
Author: Ava Morgyn
Publisher: St. Martin’s Press
Publication Date: September 25, 2023
Themes: witchcraft, family drama, supernatural horror
Trigger Warnings: witchcraft, grief, supernatural horror, some gore. Animal harm/cruelty
Read other reviews by me at horrorcornerbooks.wordpress.com

When Cordelia Bone receives a call from her sister, telling her that their great aunt has died and they must settle her estate. Unfortunately, there’s more than just paperwork that needs doing.

This author is extremely good at descriptive narrative. The foreboding and gorgeous gothic house and its breathtaking setting are almost cinematic in my mind’s eye. The spooky aspects of the story seemed to cause cold spots in my reading room! The ghosts were my favorite part of the book. Each had a distinct personality and each was fun and unique. The story was compelling and involved a mystery. This story had a lot of really positive and compelling things going for it.

There was a definite issue with pacing though. It was very slow in some parts and I was tempted to abandon it but the vivid imagery and the fun ghosts kept me going. The text needs some serious editing and trimming though. In addition to the slow pacing, there were way too many side plots and other details that could easily have been either left in the recycle bin or made into its own story.

All in all, this book has some really great points, and I’m glad I finished it. It has great fall vibes and edges from mystery/thriller into horror. However, It does drag in many places and inundate the reader with details. If one is a fan of witchy books with spooky elements and doesn’t mind the scenic route through a story will find a lot to love about this book.

I love a witchy read come fall season, so I was so eager to dive into this read. And this book had all the witch-y aspects to it. Two sisters who didn’t know they were witches inherit their family home, discover their powers, try to fight off what is going on in this house to save themselves and the house.

My problem with this book was that there was way too much going on. There were too many details and open plot lines; it felt like everything witch-y thrown into one book whether it made sense or not. I felt like if the author stuck with like 3 magic-based plot characteristics to stick with throughout the book it might have felt a bit more fluent.

I just don’t think this book scratched by magic/witch craving for the season.

The Witches of Bone Hill by Ava Morgyn was a great way to start off my spooky season reads. Two sisters are reunited when their mysterious great aunt passes away and leaves them their families giant old mansion in a small town in Connecticut, which is full of ghosts that are trying their spooky best to help the sisters solve a long running Bone family mystery. This book was nothing like I was expecting. I thought it was going to be a warm cozy witchy read, but I’d actually compare it more to Practical Magic (the movie since I haven’t read the book) where there are some cozy moments, but then there are some violent and more horror-type scenes. I thought the balance of spooky mystery and cozy was great and kept the story really interesting, and there was even some witchy romance to enjoy during the lighter moments. I really loved how both of the sisters had their own type of magic that they excelled at and that their family had a really interesting history of witchcraft. If you’re looking for a magical witchy read with a little more oomph then this is one to check out.

Two estranged sisters inherit a sinister Victorian mansion where they discover they’re the descendants of witches and everything they thought to be true was actually a lie! 🦴

2.5 ⭐️ I’ll start by saying this book was really atmospheric and perfect for the season. My wish is that the plot was focused more on the creep factor and mystery of it all versus the unnecessary (in my opinion) filler in the form of personal and financial issues, a budding romance and a mob tie in. 🤦🏻‍♀️ Our MC, Cordelia, was also bratty and immature and that was a distraction for me. For me, the negative outweighed the positive and what positives did exist I wanted more of, so I was left underwhelmed in the end.

My thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for a complimentary advance copy of this eBook, out now.

Review is posted on 10/24/23
Cordelia Bone is going through a nasty divorce, which leaves her in dire straits. She finds out that an aunt, whom she has never heard from, has died and left her, and her sister, a Victorian mansion complete with a family crypt. This mansion is called Bone Hill and Cordelia and Eustace, her sister whom she has a complicated relationship with, go to the house to sort things out. While at Bone Hill, things get creepy. The house is spooky, strange things happen and Cordelia just wants to sell it as she needs the money. Things are really growing on Eustace and she might even want to move in. The more time they spend there, the more secrets surrounding their family unfold and Cordelia is questioning things about her family's history and even her abilities. Ava Morgyn's The Witches of Bone Hill is your quintessential witchy read; there are elements of horror, paranormal, and romance that will keep fans of witch-centered stories flipping the pages way into the night.
I always love stories where family members inherit a strange home and that's the case in The Witches of Bone Hill. Cordelia is desperate to make money off the property, but when she gets there, she realizes this isn't the run-of-the-mill home. It's a run-down Victorian mansion filled with creepy things from another generation not to mention a crypt. It was giving me Haunted Mansion vibes. Slowly Cordelia learns more about her family's dark history and strange things start occurring at Bone Hill. She even starts seeing apparitions, some whom look exactly like her ancestors. The only good thing at Bone Hill is the mysterious and good-looking groundskeeper. Just when Cordelia thought they could sell the house and make some money, they realized they could only receive the inheritance if they followed their great aunt's wishes and stayed at Bone Hill. As more time goes on, Cordelia realizes that something or someone wants them gone!

So, The Witches of Bone Hill was way more spooky than I initially thought and had a lot of gruesome moments. This is by no means a cozy fall read, but rather a witchy read perfect for Halloween and fans of the Mayfair Witches series as well as Alice Hoffman. If you are looking for a witch-centered read with a lot of bite, this is it!

This book was just OK to me, it wasn’t great and it wasn’t awful. While I felt connected to the two main characters I felt their character development was too slow at first and then far too rushed. The plot was a bit predictable from the start and while there were a few red herrings once I was about 75% of the way through I knew what the climax would be fairly certainly. The ending was happy and tied nicely into a bow which was nice. All in all not terrible but not a favorite.

If you're looking for a good fall read, add The Witches of Bone Hill to your reading list. While it started out a little slow, the story rapidly picked up and was a really fascinating tale. I love all of the magical elements, including the talk of runes, earth magic, and the ancient bloodlines. One aspect I really loved was that the sisters, Eustace and Cordelia, discovering their bloodlines and who they are.

The story really picked up steam around the halfway mark, and from there I couldn't put it down. The ending was absolutely fabulous too. Another thing I really liked was the fact that isn't a tale of happy, light witches. This was definitely more dark than I anticipated, but it was really fun.

This is definitely one to check out.

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

Not your typical witchy read. This story had a little bit of everything from family drama to romance and a lot of emotional depth. I loved that there were Nordic influences too that made it a unique and interesting read. Looking forward to reading more by this author in the future! Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital copy in exchange for my honest review! (Really loved that cover too!!)

Three ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ Stars overall.
Four ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ For vibes
One 🌶️ (implied alluded to)


Loved the practical Magic vibes and the Gothic mystery. There were some things that felt slow, and I found myself wanting to skim read at times though. I think the writing style was maybe slightly slower than I was in the mood for.

Overall, I would still recommend to fans of Gothic mysteries and real life witchy vibes.

For me this book was a 3.5 out of 5 stars. While I absolutely loved the atmosphere with the house setting alongside the unique family history (you know I love odd family stories!), there were some elements that were put into the book that I felt didn't do much other then to add a complexity that was unnecessary. I loved watching the sisters uncover their legacy, haunted by generations past to discover their true selves.

The Witches of Bone Hill
⭐️⭐️⭐️.5
Author: Ava Morgyn

I requested a digital advanced readers copy from NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press and providing my opinion voluntarily and unbiased.

Synopsis: 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.

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 inhabit the house and retain it 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.

My Thoughts: In this spooky novel, you get a fun, world-building, fantasy escape into a unique paranormal romance. Cordelia Bone’s world is falling apart, she has a cheating husband and loan sharks threatening great bodily harm after her. When her sister, Eustace, calls to let her know that their great aunt has passed and left them a house in her will, she thinks this will be the opportunity to finally get a clean break. However, there is a creepy stipulation to the inheritance, she and her sister must live in the house to keep it; add in that Cordelia’s “talents” are in force in this spooky little town in Connecticut. Also thrown into the wrench is a certain tattooed groundskeeper, not to mention the house creepy uniqueness.

The story is narrated by Cordelia, in a third-person POV. The detailing of the creepy estate and the rich characterization of the house was stellar, it was really its own character. The house is creepy, dark, mysterious, and brooding. I love the constant struggle within Cordelia to lead a life with normalcy versus using her talents, it added an extra layer of richness to the story. The ghosts were also each characterized fantastic and detailed. This is marketed as a paranormal romance but it felt rushed and non-believable, the storyline would have been great without the romance element. The third-act breakup, while a central element to most romance plots, needed to be something different. I don’t know how to explain it without giving it away. The characters were developed well with depth, were mysterious, witty, compassionate, and creatively spun. The author’s writing style was complex, creepy without horror, an atmospheric gothic blend, and engaging.

This was a great story for the spooky season. I think the story would have been better if Eustace also had a narrating POV. When we have a lot going on, it is sometimes necessary to tell the story in a slow mode to build the atmosphere and characters, however, I felt it dragged on to slow and there are an abundance of elements to keep up with and digest. Some of the elements could have been eliminated to clean up the plot and to keep the plot as the focus. The last chapter serves more as an epilogue and does a great job at filling in the holes and wrapping the ending up nicely. I would recommend this book to other readers, especially as we approach Halloween.

This was so atmospheric and the PERFECT Fall read. Exactly what I wanted in a witchy book for spooky season. The twists were perfect, the pacing was perfect and the teetering on gore was phenomenal. Absolutely loved this.

This is a perfect time of year for a novel about a house with its own agenda, two sisters on a journey together to learn about an unknown past.

Cordelia Bone, stuck in Texas with a cheating partner who has run up debt so bad she’s about at the end of her rope, and her sister Eustace, a bit more laid back, find out they have inherited a house from their last surviving relative. Off the sisters go to see this house, each with different expectations - but what happens instead will bond the two sisters together, give light to their past and the murder of their mother and teach them about their birthright as they come into their own power.

This book was a quick read, well done, and worth your time.

Thank you to St. Martin’s Publishing Group and Netgalley for giving me the opportunity to read this. All opinions are my own.

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 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.
The sisters couldn’t be any more opposite. Cordelia sells upscale real estate. Eustace is a cannabis grower in Boulder.

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 insists they not only retain the house, but live in it.
Cordelia is determined to sell the place off anyway. But her ancestors, the house, and even her own latent witchy powers, which she doesn’t fully understand, all have their own agendas. And there are secrets. So many secrets.
As Cordelia and Eustace explore the house and the land surrounding it, they learn about their ancestors and how they are tied to them. The house reveals their family history, sometimes freely and sometimes reluctantly. Even the sexy caretaker who lives on the property has secrets. The sisters are keeping secrets from each other as well – and then there’s that big secret that has haunted them both for so long – what really happened to their mother?

As both women grapple with their current predicament, they come face to face with 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.

If you enjoy dark and stormy nights, eccentric characters, spooky Victorian mansions, and witchy family histories, this is the next read for you. Brew a cuppa, find a comfy reading nook, and dig in. You’ll be reading well into the night.

Thanks to author Ava Morgyn, St. Martin’s Press, and NetGalley for a digital review copy so I can post my honest and unbiased opinion.

I’m definitely in the minority for this one, but I just didn’t enjoy this as much as I hoped.
I think it will appeal to many, especially those who like magical realism, so I would still recommend it.

Thanks to St. Martin’s Press for the arc!

3.5/5 ⭐️

About:
* Questionable inheritance
* Victorian mansion full of sinister secrets
* Sisterhood

Read this if you’re into:
* Ghosts, magic, witches
* Romance subplot and borderline horror
* Family origins

This book’s right in time for halloween!

TW: animal cruelty and gore

The Witches of Bone Hill is a spooky, atmospheric read about family and legacy and how to move on from having your entire life upended. It's beautifully written, if occasionally a little over the top, and while it started a little slow, it sank its claws into me by the end.

Cordelia Bone has lost everything - her job, her husband, and soon her house - when she finds out about her estranged aunt's passing and the house that Cordelia and her sister will now inherit. She packs up what's left of her life and treks to Connecticut, to the house their mother fled decades ago. What waits for them is more than just a Victorian mansion packed full with priceless antiques. There's also hundreds of years of family history waiting to be discovered, a legacy of magic, and a sexy groundskeeper.

It did take me a while to get into this book, since it takes its time easing you into the atmosphere of Bone Hill and unpacking Cordelia and Eustace's stories. Their renewed bond was one of the strongest parts of the book to me, and watching the two of them discover their family legacy was more satisfying because they did it together. The writing is also lovely, although there were times where it felt a bit overwritten. The book as a whole is spooky and magical in the best way, suited for a fall day and a cup of tea.

I do have mixed feelings about whether the romance with Gordon was necessary, and there were times when the plot felt both a little overcomplicated and easy to predict. But overall, a lovely, witchy read!

4/5

A wonderfully creepy thriller full of family mystery, amazing characters and even a sweet romance. Perfect for spooky season, this was a really entertaining read. *I received an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

The Witches of Bone Hill is the perfect book for spooky season. It follows Cordelia and Eustace Bone, two very different sisters, as they navigate the inheritance of a spooky victorian family home from their aunt. Through this adventure they discover their witches and not just any witches but Nordic bone witches. This book is well written with suspense, family and love and I would recommend it to anyone looking for a good read for the Halloween season.