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.

Sisters Cordleia and Eustace have not seen each other in a while and are brought together after the passing of their Great Aunt Augusta. They have been summoned to her estate as the last living members of the Bone Family. The sisters are orphans as their mother passed away tragically and they never knew their father. They had never met their aunt and were definitely not prepared for what happens upon their arrival to her estate.

The Bone family have always been seen as outsiders. Rumors have circulated forever about witchcraft and evil surrounding the house. Cordelia and Eustace arrive with baggage...literally and figuratively. Both their lives have hit a bump. As they begin to reestablish their relationship as sisters, they also begin to learn about their family history and powers which are within them.

Overall, this is a good Halloween witch vibe read. I have to admit, it took me a while to get into it and took me a lot longer to read than most books. The first bit was a little slow but half way through, I found the story to get much more interesting and attention holding.

The story is told through Cordelia's POV and sprinkles in stories from ghosts of the past. It is a good fantasy read and I found the descriptive writing to be really great. I loved envisioning this grand estate they were in with hidden rooms and secrets.

Perfect Halloween read. Four stars. Thank you to Netgalley and St Martin's Press for a digital advanced reader copy in exchange for my honest review.

I have just finished The witches of bone hill by Ava Morgyn and here are my thoughts.

The Bone sisters had no idea they had an aunt or that she was leaving them the anchestrial home upon her death.

Cordelia needs money after her cheating husband leaves her with his criminal debts. Her sister Eustace needs to get away from her life so they both head off to see what the will contains.

Trouble is, the will is very clear. They can't sell the house. It has to stay in the bone family or they forfeit. The only person who has any kind of clue as to what their aunt was like is the groundskeeper. A sexy broody man who lives in the carriage house.

It soon becomes clear that their family history is full of death and their lineage is much more than they ever knew. When bad things begin to happen in the house, the sisters must unravel the cryptic clues their aunt has left behind.

This book started off a little slow for me. It was probably a ¼ of the way through before I really got hooked. The whole book got very exciting the more we learned about the dark past of the house and all about the family curse did I get so invested that I read until my eyes ached.

It was really well written. The storyline was clever and detailed and the descriptive parts about the house had me tingling with anticipation. I loved how the sisters suddenly came into themselves when they arrived at the house. It was like being away from it had stripped their talents away and being back bought them to life. Loved all the Norse stuff too. So clever and very well done.

Thought the supporting characters could have had a bit more to them but honestly the book was quite brilliant and that's my only gripe.

Book was well paved and thoroughly enjoyable. Great read for the spooky season for sure

4.5 stars thank you @netgalley and @stmartinspress for my gifted copy.

Out now

The plot of this book sounded fantastic, and I was so excited to finally start on it. Unfortunately, it ended up being a letdown. I had to really push myself to finish it.

I'm not exactly sure where it went wrong. In theory, it has so many elements I love in a book. Magic, ghosts, a spooky old house, and estranged sisters trying to find their way back to each other. Sadly, it just didn't click for me. I had a very hard time connecting with the characters, and the story felt all over the place.

Despite all of that, I did feel like it had a strong ending, and that made up for its deficits in other areas.


I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are my own.

This is a new to me author, and I believe this is their second book (it is not part of a series). Initially I wasn't sure if the tone was supposed to be comedic or serious. It took several chapters to figure out the characters were not supposed to be funny - which was a little confusing.

Overall I enjoyed this book, although at times it felt like a cross between Practical Magic and Harry Potter. It felt a bit long, and there's a Mafia side plot that truly felt unnecessary but for the most part I liked the story and characters.

This was a great book to read going into Halloween season. It was a creatively written story of new found family while having a large air of mystery surrounding it. There was a great spooky feel to it that fits in with the season quite well. Not just that but there are truly creepy occurrences when Cordelia and Eustace arrive at the family estate.

This is a well-woven tale of family deception, mysterious links to otherworldly beings, what seems to be a family curse, a horrible ex-husband and a promising new love. It truly has a little bit of everything. There's a great deal to it but I don't want to give any of it away because the author does a really nice job of just giving you small pieces of information at a time. This helps to keep the mystery and creep factor strong through most of the book.

Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC. I voluntarily chose to read and review it and the opinions contained within are my own.

I loved the concept of this book. It reminded me a bit of Practical Magic, but much darker with a lot of creepy supernatural elements and a lot of gore. Don't let the whimsical cover fool you, this story is anything but.

There were some side plots that kind of slowed down the storyline and probably could have been left out but overall I really enjoyed this one. I felt the romance to be a little cringey and the villain to be totally predictable but I became so involved with wanting to know more about the Bones that those things were easily overlooked.

If you were a fan of Practical Magic, but wished it had more edge, you should check this one out.

This book is an excellent lesson in "Don't judge a book by its cover." I thought I was getting into a campy witchy eom com, but instead it turned out to be a Gothic horror novel that was dark, macabre and filled with blood.... and I was all in for it. This book is terrifying, I was thrilled and scared. It is a perfect book for a rainy October afternoon. This book also had strong women, a loving sisterly bond, and some of that campy romance I originally planned for. Besides making me cringe, it also made me laugh.

I have it 4 stars because there was a brutal animal death scene. It made sense with the story and was needed, but I had a hard time stomaching it.

Thank you to the author, Ava Morgyn, the publisher St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for this ARC.

This is was a fun witchy book to kick off October! Overall I enjoyed the story but felt it dragged a bit

Book Review
The Witches of Bone Hill by Ava Morgyn

Whats its Got
✅Family secrets
✅Twins
✅Animals
✅Spooky okd Victorian home
✅A curse
✅ Witches
✅ dead relatives
✅ mafia goons

Characters
Eustace- the older Bone sister, pot grower, business minded
Cordelia- house flipper, wife, interior designer
Gordon- sexy tattooed retired rock star turned groundskeeper
Marvel- a fox
The White Lady aka Augusta- a formidable woman alive or dead
The Toger family- the gatekeepers, protectors

Thoughts
The house, estate and legacy represent an opportunity for new beginnings. A curse that needs to be lifted, wrongs to be righted. Family history to learn. This aspect of the book was done well, very atmospheric, perfect for spooky season and lovers of Practical Magic but……..
The only part of the story line I didnt love was the whole mafia, fraud, asshat cheating husband . I get how it creates urgency and the reason “why” Cordy needs her inheritance buuuttttt it just didnt feel right- like a shoe a half size too small- it doesnt fit the ambience of the story

Still, a highly enjoyable read!!

Thank you to @netgalley and @stmartinspress for my digital ARC in return for an honest review. Opinions expressed are my own.

I have mixed thoughts on this one. It was a great setting and I loved the set up of the book, but I got lost several times during it and felt a bit bored and that the pacing was off. Overall I’m glad I read it and think there will be lots of people will absolutely love it! Something just didn’t click for me personally.

This book has so many great elements.
An old haunted Mansion.
Family secrets to uncover.
Discovering that family bonds can run deep, and sometimes you can't escape them.
An inheritance that comes with stipulations.
Cordelia, the main character struggles with her newfound powers and how to harness them.
Eustace, her sister. A side character but even so a strong one.
Ghosts.
An origin story of how the Bone family came to be and their powers.
Forgiveness.
A second chance at life.
Familiars.

All of the above make this book, well magical. Cordelia has run all her life. Her mom had her and her sister constantly moving and running from... something. When she has the chance to build a "normal" life with her husband, she dives in head first. She builds a successful business. Basically has the white picket fence. Along with her husband's mistress, that is. He takes off with the mistress, all of their funds, and even clients from the business. Cordelia is left with his debt, and the mob on her tail for something her soon-to-be ex did. She is the main character. Desperate to get out from under debt and the mob that wants payment- in some form or another she receives a call from her estranged sister saying that they have just inherited a family home. From the family that they never met. Family their mom never wanted them to meet. No matter, Cordelia hops on a plane so she can quickly put whatever house is waiting on the other end of the line up for sale to start to get her life back in order.
The house of course is a masion. Cordelia sees dollar signs. The lawyer who has managed the family trust lays out the stipulations that must be met before the sisters can inherit the mansion and the fortune.
The story is suspenseful in a creepy, not jump-out-of-your-seat scary way. It is exciting and interesting. Though a slow burn.
What I didn't like were all the other elements that just bogged down the story. The mob. Like Cordelia's life wasn't already in shambles. The mob side story didn't even interest me. It was just more to sort through to get to the real story. The "sexy, tattooed groundskeeper with a shrouded past". This part of the story just wasn't really believable, the characters were not believable. The groundskeeper did about as much as the mob did for me as far as adding depth and interest to the story.
Still, this was an entertaining read. The author Ava Morgyn wove so many magical elements together beautifully.

Trigger warning: death, murder, animal cruelty, suicide.


Description
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.

I haven't read this one yet. I messed up and hit review.......................................................................................

A creepy, darker than expected story about estranged sisters reuniting, family secrets, and a little romance. If you don’t mind some gore, put this one on your spooky season tbr!