Thank you to NetGalley and William Morrow for providing the ARC.

I love a good Gothic thriller/mystery and I absolutely enjoyed the heck out of this book.

This book is great for those who like mystery and puzzles with their romance. Zo is an intriguing character, and I often found myself wanting to more about her and her intentions as the book went on. Kellen is the resident bad boy, and will likely be an even bigger focal point in the next two books.

This was a sufficiently spooky beginning of a new series and I can't wait until we meet the next on.

I have been a fan of Moning for years now and have devoured all of her previous works so when I saw that she was coming out with a witchy new book I immediately hunted it down to read. I was not disappointed. Though a little slow to get into I eventually found my groove with the characters and story and couldn’t put it down. I finished reading it hours and hours ago and still find my brain going back into the story and wishing for more.

Zo Grey is a 24-year-old struggling to survive when suddenly she loses everything… only to find something new. When Zo is approached by a stranger about an inheritance from a newly deceased relative, she is weary but accepts the invite to visit charming town and all that comes with the inheritance. Soon she finds herself embroiled in a past she knows nothing about, magic she was never meant to know, and a town with even more secrets.

I cannot wait to see where this story takes us. The ending was somewhat expected (especially if you’re a fan of previous works) but still did not disappoint. I be thinking about this one long after I close the back cover.

Book #1 in a planned trilogy. I'm a Karen Marie Moning fan so knew what to expect in this first book. She introduces the main cast of characters andd gives us their back stories. She develops a spooky, eerie, creepy.....name your own adjective here......house in which the MC must live, by herself, for three years, at which time she inherits the house, alot of money and finds her true heritage. But KMM does so much more than give us a dry run up to some killer events in the next two books. She builds the momentum that will keep readers thinking about the house, the characters and what could possibly be happening when we meet next. Loved it!!!!

3.5 rounded up to 4 stars. KMM is a must-read author for me with her evocative writing style. This is the first book in her long-awaited new trilogy after her iconic Fever series. It sets the scene for the story to come which begs the reader to have patience for the character development and action to come in future books

The book's main character Zo has had a tumultuous life, and the book begins with personal tragedy and then, utter shock as things are revealed to her about her mother and herself. The other looming character is, of course, the House in Divinity with all its secrets, complications and hidden agendas. It's gothic; it's creepy, and utterly fascinating.

It wouldn't be a KMM book if there aren't a host of characters with ambiguous motivations. By the end of the book, we have no idea who Zo can trust. Her best friend Este has somewhat lost her trust. And then there's the men, Devlin and Kellan. Who knows what they really want from her? What role will Alisdair and Rufus play?

I'm not sure where it's going but I've learnt to trust KMM to tell a spellbinding story, so I'm eagerly awaiting the next book. Thanks to Net Galley and William Morrow for the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

I don’t know how I got lucky enough to get an ARC for this but I couldn’t be more thrilled. As a huge KMM fan with her fever series that I have read multiple times, I was very excited to get my hands on this. Let me tell you..

OMG…. KMM does it again. This story was so addictive and intriguing. I loved Zo. I loved watching her character come to life as she went through this self discovery journey. Kellen I already know is going to be my bad boy that I will love and be on my BBF list. I am sad that this book is brand new and now I will have to wait until whenever book 2 will come out. Don’t let that deter you though! Love this witchy world and I can’t wait to see what journey she is going to take is on. Buckle up! I have a feeling it’s going to be a wild ride!

I have to admit, I had forgotten just how long KMM books can be. The House at Watch Hill begins a new trilogy (I believe) that I will definitely be watching. I'm not gonna lie, this book is long. And sometimes it feels a little *too* long. But the overall concept and execution is spot on and different than anything I've ever read. Can't wait for more!

This was a really intriguing start to a series! It was atmospheric and creepy and left me with countless unanswered questions. And that ending?! I wish I didn't have to wait so long to find out what happens next.

I found this a cozy, fun fantasy read! This was my introduction to Karen Marie Moning, never read anything of hers before, so I had no idea what to expect. I enjoyed the pace, but grew frustrated with some of the decision-making from Zo and felt like this was more of a "set-up" book for the rest of the series. I don't mind that, but I wanted a little MORE out of the culmination of the book besides just a massive cliffhanger that I now have to wait a long time for! However, that's probably just me being impatient, and I'll read the next installment when it comes out.

4✨

With ominous secrets, intriguing connections, and fresh takes on paranormal tropes, Karen Marie Moning’s <i>The House at Watch Hill</i> sets up new foundation for a planned series of books, the <i>Watch Hill Trilogy</i>. The series follows twenty-four-year-old Zo Grey, who, after a lifetime of uncertainty and tragedy, finds herself unsettled again, this time in Divinity, Louisiana. She soon learns that, due to before-unknown familial ties, Zoe is to inherit an incredible estate, which includes a Gothic mansion hiding dark mystery, and the stipulation that she must live in it, alone, for three years before the house, or the money, is hers.

But Zo Grey’s mother is dead. And perhaps that may be the darkest mystery of all.

Combining a drive to uncover more about her mother’s death and the urge to finally discover who she really is, Zo tentatively accepts terms, opening herself up to a world where she is an outsider, untrained and untrusted, and perhaps to a world she was being kept hidden from for a reason. And soon she’s thrust into the middle of it, secrets revealed, answers leading to only more questions, allies forged, but who can you really trust when everyone seems to have their own hidden agenda?

If you’re looking for an urban paranormal-style series that plays into southern gothic horror themes, this would be a great read to pick up for the spooky season (and beyond, of course). If you’re already a fan of KMM and already know you vibe with (or at least can tolerate LOL) her type of FMC (iykyk) and writing style, which I do and can, then I think this is definitely a no-brainer option to add to your tbr and give it a shot.
<i>The House at Watch Hill</i> definitely feels like a first book; it sets up more questions than it ever attempts to answer and has you as a reader questioning the motives of almost every character, like Zo the FMC, not knowing what to believe or who to trust. While I would’ve loved to have seen a few more definitive seeds planted leading into Book 2, to have a little better idea where all the players are on the map, it’s a testament to KMM that she leaves me foaming at the mouth for more. I think this also plays into one of the core themes of the book, which was a sense of open-endedness, or CHOICE. Like how different choices, knowingly or unknowingly, could lead to different paths, different outcomes, different people. KMM likes to put a lot of different players on the plot map, likes to put lots of different pieces on the chessboard, and Zo has different interactions with all of them, and each connection can lead to a different fate. This is especially present in the choices Zo must make about herself and what she wants to represent, as well as some of the romantic undertones.

The focus of this book is not on the romance I would say, but the beginnings are there in a few places. And it’s another area that goes back to that sense of open-endedness. Zo has interactions with different men, and it has me on the edge of my seat that I don’t know which path is going to be the ultimate one. There are directions that point everywhere; it’s definitely going to be exciting to re-read the series again after the last book and find even more clues pointing to the truth.

Karen Marie Morning's stories never disappoint, and neither did The House at Watch Hill. Her attention to detail and character building is a chef's kiss for anything looking to be immersed in a fantastic story.

read.and.raveled
I was excited to receive this ARC as I remember really enjoying the author's Darkfever series. I enjoyed this but I also feel like the author is capable of better. I think this did a good job of setting up the trilogy but it did only that. It set up a story. The environment is great. I was definitely getting some Starling House vibes and I'm sure there is a lot to the house that we don't know. I think the author started a lot of things but tied up none of those by the end. It somehow, unfortunately, felt a bit lacking. The author had a lot to say but didn't make me want to immediately read the next book. I found myself not having enough to go on here. None of the characters really had enough time to become interesting or endearing, including Zo herself. As bad as I feel for being this negative about an author I have thoroughly enjoyed in the past, I think it was too long for what we got out of it. I am intrigued enough to read more eventually, it wasn't bad. I just know she has done better. It was hard to feel what the author wanted us to feel for other people. Maybe other readers will disagree with me. The house was sufficiently creepy. The gothic atmosphere was great for spooky season. The timing of pub day is pretty spot on, it definitely influenced my request for the ARC in the first place. If you haven't read Darkfever, check that out! Maybe I'll feel better about this trilogy after I read the rest of the books. Thank you Netgalley and William Morrow for the ARC!!!

Let me start by saying I am a KMM fan. I loved the first 5 books of the Fever series and most of the Highlander series! She does a great job writing about women being thrown into fantastical situations, so I had high hopes for this new series. Unfortunately, I was very underwhelmed.

The book started out with promise, but I am not sure Zo had a personality other than constantly thinking about sex and anger after she left Indiana. I would say it was the grief of her mother’s death, but even her remembering her life before the death was sex and anger. She hurts people because she doesn’t listen and won’t ask for help. Most of her problems in the book are because she does not listen!

This book had such potential with the gothic atmosphere, sentient house, and unknown danger, but in the end it felt Fever fanfiction.

Thank you William Morrow and NetGalley for the advanced reader copy.

I had very high hopes for this one. It was really good at creating an atmosphere of creepy and foreboding as you read, which I always appreciate. I didn’t love the FMC, but I did like the side characters quite a lot. I’ll take a Devlin in my garage any day of the week. The delightful Mr. Balfour was stalwart and I actually trusted him pretty quickly, not so much with the other characters in this book. It really took until 60% through to get interesting but I did enjoy the story after that. Ends on a major cliffhanger which some may not like.

This one was such a mixed bag for me. I was crazy excited to get an ARC of this as I am a huge KMM fan. While I did enjoy this book for the most part, I have to say I was very much left wanting by the end. I ABSOLUTELY want to continue with the next installment (as I truly believe it'll be incredible)...BUT I have to be honest in the fact that this book on its own fell short for me.

It felt as if this maybe should have been condensed and made into a prequel novella instead. I was honestly left feeling as if not much ever happened in the story. The last 5 pages were the first point since the beginning, where anything seemed to be moving along. This book was 40% atmosphere (which was MASTERFULLY done) and 60% Zo's emotional struggle. While there were times I could sympathize with Zo and her struggles, I really REALLY craved something more to be happening. The top thing I probably connected with Zo on was the constant struggle to figure out wtf was going on. You, like Zo, have so many questions, and by the end, about 2 of 100 get answered, and I can't help feeling a little disappointed in that.

As mentioned, this was very atmospheric, which I really appreciated. And while the sprawling Gothic mansion was made to feel as if it were a character as well (LOVED), I would have liked to see more of it unveiled and for it to possibly be more...lively. Every part of this story left me feeling like I wanted more, which is great for the promise of sequel in a way, but also I can't help feel that we could have received more with this one and been even more eagerly awaiting the next installment. It was as if everything was just a hint of the beautiful promise of something vast and incredible around the corner, but you never even get a true glimpse of it.

I'm very intrigued and curious about the magical hidden world created here, and I still have high expectations that it will culminate into something awesome. I mostly enjoyed the story, which is why I so desperately wanted more of it!

A new book from this author got me all excited. I’ve been a fan since the Fever series. Somehow, I missed that it was a trilogy, though. LOL I was getting closer to the end 100% mark and the story didn’t feel close to being done. So, I knew. Cliffhanger!

After her sick mother passes away in their home’s fire, Zo is summoned to Divinity, Louisiana, where she is told that a relative has left her something. She finds out it is a house, but she must live in it for three years before she can inherit it. But, it’s just not a normal house.

“…for one million dollars, I could survive a single year on the cusp of hell itself.”

“Of course, at that moment, I had no idea I’d be doing just that.”

This book is a lot of world building. There is so much going on. Zo learns she is a witch. Is she a Cameron witch? Or a Grey witch? Why didn’t her mother tell her anything?

There is so much thrown at the reader, but no real issues resolved or questions answered. Now, I have to wait for the next book!

Thank you to William Morrow and NetGalley for an advanced readers copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This was unfortunately such a predictable book. It is made up of stereotypical tropes and themes including: her mother dies before telling her she has powers, creepy house, weird dreams, inheriting millions even though shes been poor her entire life with no family, and not believing she has powers after it’s explained to her face that what she’s been experiencing her whole life is real. I spent the first half of the book wondering when it was gonna start picking up and nothing happened until the very end which got me intrigued but I wish it didn’t take so long to get there. I loved the gothic atmosphere and eerie vibes and the mysterious paranormal world. I think more focus on the male main character would’ve made me rate this higher considering the romance was my favorite part. The main character was juvenile at times and pretty unrealistic. She changed her mind throughout the entire book wondering if she wants to stay or leave so much and it got so repetitive I was rolling my eyes. She has always been poor and had to work hard for her money and somehow she was contemplating a free mansion and millions of dollars because it was… *checks notes* …creepy? Could never be me, but to each their own. I’m still gonna read the rest of the Highlander and Fever series but unsure at the moment whether I will continue this one.

I had previously read Karen Marie Moning's prior Fever series, so I was excited to read her latest. Unfortunately, the writing felt very bloated and I didn't care about any of the characters.

Poor Zo Gray—after the tragic death of her mother and the strain of juggling three jobs to support them both, she suddenly finds herself the recipient of a bizarre inheritance in a quaint, magical town called Divinity. Sounds like a stroke of luck, right? But with the inheritance comes a long list of challenging contingencies. The real question is, can Zo survive them all?

Where do I begin with this review? The story—LOVED IT! The blend of gothic mystery, paranormal intrigue, and witches (LOVE!) kept me absolutely hooked. The plot had my heart racing, and I especially appreciated that the romance aspect was kept to a minimum—refreshingly light on romance and the occasional hint of passion, without overwhelming the main storyline.

The author’s use of poetic, almost flowery language added to the atmosphere of the story, but I did find myself relying on my Kindle dictionary more than usual. The complex vocabulary, while beautiful, could be a bit challenging at times, though it fit the gothic tone well. Honestly, I can’t imagine reading this without the handy lookup function that comes with ebooks!

One thing that threw me off initially was the use of past tense, which is something the author did in the Fever series as well (at least in the first book). It took some getting used to, but once I adjusted, I was completely immersed in the world-building and the unique writing style.

Overall, this is a captivating start to a trilogy that I’m so excited to continue. It cannot end on that cliffhanger! Fans of gothic mystery and paranormal fiction will want to dive into this one, and I’m eager to see where the next book takes Zo and her wild journey.

“Everything is a choice. You choose. No one chooses for you. We are not what we are born. We are not our power. We’re what we choose to do with it.”

Oh, what a fantastic start to this series.

Zo has had a life of hardships. She’s now faced with a life altering decision. As truths begin to unravel, her life is spun into a tailspin.

I love the writing. The delicious little morsels dropped here and there. All the unknown. I love the multiple points of views and how we don’t know who some of them are. Great world building with wonderful descriptors. I felt like I could see and feel everything happening to Zo.
Who is who and who can be trusted? So much mystery and intrigue and I can’t wait to see what happens next!

“Each of us is flawed. None of us are spared. To obsess over our flaws defies, and undermines, the very purpose of our existence. If you see only bad when you look within, you render yourself incapable of bringing good into the world.”

Anyone who knows me knows that I'm such a huge fan of Karen's books. So when I seen this was being released this year I might have screamed like a banshee lol.

I really enjoyed the plot of this story. You have a lost heiress, witches, vampires, and small mysterious Louisiana town. What more could you ask for? The setting of this book is perfect for spooky season. Also, warring covens and a hierarchy was pretty neat. I flew through this and finished in a day. I just had to know what happened! The ending had me a little surprised but kinda seen it coming.

There are only two things that I struggled with one being the FMC. I didn't understand why it was so hard for her to follow the rules like it was only 7 days 🤣 I also understand that she is slightly emotionally stunted from her childhood and finally had a taste of freedom but Zo come on. The second being that I felt there were big things about to happen but then doesn't really go anywhere? I'm hoping that within the continuation of the series we get those big moments.

Really excited to see what happens next!

Thank you to NetGalley and William Morrow publishing for the gifted ebook.