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.

I absolutely adored the creepy atmosphere and vibes this book gave me. I'm all about haunted houses, vengeful ghosts, and stumbling into a world of ancestral magic. This book gave me all of that and even more.

The plot was fun and spooky. A perfect read for the Halloween season. I also enjoyed the Norse mythology that was tied in. Though, there were some things that I could do without.

I didnt really connect with Cordelia. She put out "my way or the highway" vibes, and was often hypocritical and selfish. I also felt absolutely nothing towards the "romance". It was just there. I could care less about Gordon, let alone Cordelia and Gordon. The story would've been great without that relationship.

*Spoilers ahead*

I was also thrown off about the unexpected pregnancy? They just met? They had just gotten together? It was so sudden and out of the blue.

Lastly, the mob?? If her husband went back to their house, then why didn't they just focus back on him?? There was no reason to keep bothering Cordelia when he fell right back into their laps? Idk. Another unnecessary plot line to me.

Regardless, I had a fun time!!

The death of a great aunt leads to an inheritance which includes the family Victorian mansion in a small town in Connecticut. The inheritance however, has rules. Eustace and Cordelia, twin sisters who have been estranged for years, reconnect with the chance to save themselves from the troubles of life. Sprinkle in family history they knew nothing about, a cheating husband bringing Cordelia to financial ruin, the mafia and an enemy lurking.


The Witches of Bone Hill is a wonderful story of family, forgiveness, learning family history, healing, love and of course, witches and magic. Oh, the Practical Magic vibes, I loved it. It's several genres in one which I wasn't expecting but really enjoyed; the gore was a nice touch.

Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for this ARC!

I went into The Witches Of Bone Hill thinking this was going to be a light witchy read for spooky season, and unfortunately that’s not what it was, bordering on some darker themes. I think I would have enjoyed this more had I known it was a darker read!

*this is full an issue of it’s not you, it’s me*

A little bit spooky, a whole lot of witchy, and a huge amount of fantasy. The Witches of Bone Hill has a little bit of everything magical and revengeful to suit this Fall season. Animal violence abounds though, so if you are weak stomached for furry creatures and of course bones in general, it is probably best you pick another book. However, if you are weak kneed for Jason Momoa, then this book has a character right up your alley!

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the opportunity to read and review this ARC.

The Witches of Bone Hill is a truly unique read. The magical setting and plot immediately caught my interest. As a fan of horror, I also loved the darker moments of this book. I didn't love the romance subplot, as it felt a little unnecessary, but regardless I had a great time reading this novel. I definitely recommend it to anyone looking for a spooky read this fall.
Thank you to St. Martin's Press for the eARC in exchange for an honest review

If you like Nordic history, witchcraft, love, and family drama all wrapped up in a thriller/suspense novel, The Witches of Bone Hill is for you. I was a bit nervous about starting this book because I don't tend to read thrillers, but I'm so glad that I did. This will probably make my top 10 books of the year.

Cordelia Bone's perfect life has begun to crumble around her, starting with catching her husband having an affair. Just when she thought things couldn't get any worse, her sister, Eustace, call to tell her their great aunt has passed away and that they both have to travel to her estate in order to settle inheritance matters. Once they arrive in Connecticut at their aunt's huge mansion, the sisters quickly realize that they're in for way more than they bargained for.

Cordelia wants to quickly sell everything so she can settle things back home. However, their aunt's attorney and trustee of the estate is rather insistent that the sisters take some time to look over things before deciding what to do, and that they remain in the house until all of the paperwork is signed. After only staying one night, Cordelia and Eustace notice that something is strange about the property. The energy isn't normal. Not to mention that the groundskeeper is covered in tattoo that look satanic.

With the looming unknowns of their family's history that their mother desperately kept from them, Cordelia and Eustace search the mansion to discover more about their ancestors, but in doing so, they unearth something dark and dangerous about their family's past which seems to continue to threaten the Bones even to this day. Together, with the help of their ancestors, Cordelia and Eustace work to end this threat that puts them and all future members of the Bone family in jeopardy.

Lyrically written and an intriguing plot. Characters were complex and fascinating. A great spooky season read.

Cordelia and Eustace Bone have been estranged for years when Eustace calls her sister. Their relative has died and they have been named as her heirs. Cordelia is delighted as she thinks this is the answer to her financial problems. However, there are conditions and stipulations that have to be met before they see any money. The first is that they have to move to the Victorian mansion that they have inherited. From that day on they find themselves in a world they never knew existed. Can they survive in it?

The author has crafted an exciting and unique story. Packed with ghosts, magic, witchcraft and so much more, it is difficult to put this book down. Well plotted and engrossing, this book is well worth reading.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from NetGalley. The opinions expressed in this review are my own.

Cordelia and Eustace are sisters who have inherited a large Victorian mansion. The catch? In order to collect their inheritance, they must live inside the quirky mansion.

With a dash of mystery, a touch of romance, and a sprinkle of spooky ancestors, the sisters must navigate the house, a captivating groundskeeper, and the secrets that have been haunting their family for generations. The sisters will need to embrace the powers that they have been taught to ignore in order to mend their bond, uncover the truth, and save themselves.

This is one of the witch books that is not only spooky but completely captivating from the first page.

First comment- the house. I’m in love with the description and character of the gothic, dark victorian house. I loved everything about this book. Literally everything. I love the relationship between the sisters, the magic, the gloomy darkness, the secrets. You name it, it had it. I would love to hear more in a possible second book from Eustace’s point of view.

I received this ARV via NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press in exchange for an honest review.

First, thank you to NetGalley, Ste Martin’s Press, and Ava for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I can relate to Cordelia, with her jerk of a husband wrecking her life, bring it down around her. I can’t imagine the awkward ride with her sister, Eustace, that she doesn’t really speak to, on the way to see their late aunt’s home. That’s when things start to really go off the rails, especially for Cordelia. What secrets was their mother hiding from them all of their lives? Is Cordelia losing her mind, or is something else happening here?

If you’re looking for a book with magic, ghosts, mystery, and piecing together the past, you will enjoy this book. There are parts for me that felt they didn’t quite connect and I couldn’t quite handle the animal cruelty (not by the main character), which is why I am giving it 4 stars instead of 5. I still recommend this book, and think you will enjoy it. There is plenty of humor with a splash of romance to go along with the spooky storyline.

"The Witches of Bone Hill" is a tale of self-discovery, sisterhood, and the enduring power of family bonds. Ava Morgyn's evocative prose and skillful world-building create a haunting and atmospheric read that lingers in the mind long after the final page. If you're drawn to stories of secrets, the supernatural, and the resilience of the human spirit, this novel is a must-read.

What would you do if a relative died and left you her creepy house, and fortune, on the condition that you relocate your life to live on the property? Oh, and everyone around you keeps acting super sketch? That’s Cordelia Bone’s problem in The Witches of Bone Hill. Part romance, part thriller, all fantasy, this book uses a lot of classic tropes, often to good effect. Ava Morgyn’s writing took me a while to warm up to, yet by the end of the book, I found myself sad to say goodbye to the Bone sisters. Thanks to St. Martin’s Griffin and NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for a review.

Cordelia and Eustace Bone are estranged sisters of a mother estranged from her family. Cordelia is going through a messy divorce with a cheating husband when she hears from her sister for the first time in years: their great aunt Augusta is dead. Time to return to the family property in Connecticut, where a stodgy lawyer named Todgers (I kid you not) informs them that they can only inherit if they stick around. Sounds strange but OK. Then the weird shit gets weirder, for Cordelia and Eustace’s relatives weren’t just eccentric, reclusive, and rich—they were witches. And so are these two sisters.

I did not like the opening of this book at all. Cordelia comes across as a well-off, if scorned, woman of privilege. Morgyn kind of infodumps a bunch of stuff, like her relationship (or lack thereof) with Eustace, as well as most of the John/cheating backstory. Then a mafia boss shows up and shakes her down, and it all feels … cheesy. To be honest, that feeling never really goes away for the rest of the book. I guess I kind of just … started to roll with it. I could have dealt without either John or Busy’s extended involvement in the plot—neither of them feel all that necessary, and Busy is almost completely extraneous. But these are minor complaints.

The romance, similarly, didn’t work for me—but that’s just how I am with romance, as many of you might already know. For someone coming to this book specifically looking for such a subplot, I think you’ll like it. Sparks fly, the usual misunderstandings and recriminations occur, but in the end, you know how these things go. It’s standard—though not, I should say, all that steamy.

So I won’t lie: The Witches of Bone Hill was a slog for me at first. This book is also long, relatively speaking (I read it on my Kindle, but it’s 384 pages in print), and it takes a while for Morgyn to get to the point of the story.

But once we get there, it’s really good.

See, this is a story about two sisters who have to find their way separately but together. Eustace is ecstatic with their inheritance. She wants nothing more but to accept it, settle down, and embrace her burgeoning gift. Cordelia sees her gift as sinister, and she isn’t ready to leave behind her old life. The way that Morgyn contrasts these sisters, even as we learn more about their sordid and complex family history, is delightful. This is a book about how inheriting darkness doesn’t mean embracing it.

I really liked how Eustace and Cordelia plot to turn the tables on their adversary by throwing a party. The climax of the book is well done—though the identity of the villain is predictable, and the resolution equally easy to foresee, it’s still a fun ride. It’s still powerful to see these two women come into their own, connect to their ancestors, and rise to the occasion.

The Witches of Bone Hill is not quite a book for me, but I liked it well enough. If you like romance a bit more than me and want something that feels both fresh and familiar at the same time, I think you’ll enjoy this.

The Witches of Bone Hill
by Ava Morgyn

𝚁𝚎𝚟𝚒𝚎𝚠:
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🚫🌶️

This was the perfect spooky season read. It had suspense, witches/witchcraft, crypts, ghosts/hauntings and a creepy villain. There were parts of this book that made me have to watch family channel before I could go to sleep. Not a lot but a few for sure. The end was a bit expected but there was still a bit of a twist! All in all, great read to jump start my spooky season.

Two sisters, Cordelia and Eustace Bone, receive notice their great aunt has passed away and must visit their old family estate in order to collect their proceeds from the will. The sisters have never met their great aunt and have never stepped foot in this house. When they arrive they learn their aunt had left them the entire estate and belongings under the condition they remain at the home from their families long stand solicitor but not much else. Add in creepy hauntings, a sexy, tattooed live-in employee and a mystery to solve and it feels very Scooby-Doo for adults, in a good way.

DNF at 100 pages. I was saving this for an October read to get into the seasonal spirit and I was so bored. If I am not excited to pick up the book I might start to think it's not for me. If I get to 100 pages and have zero interest in the characters or curiosity about where it's going to end, I have to let it go.

My first eye roll was the when, already in impossible circumstances, Cordelia is confronted by a mob lackey. It's unnecessary. After that I just became less and less interested.

This could have benefited from having Eustace's POV woven in as well, she seems to be the more entertaining character.

Two stars because, while this isn't for me, I can see how others might like it.