Fans of Karen Marie Moning and her Fever series are going to be very, very happy with this new, witchy fantasy series.

There’s a lot of tropes here, but they’re my favorite kind. A protagonist with hidden powers, learning her own identity and not knowing who she can trust. An unexpected inheritance from a distant relative with crazy strings attached. A giant, foreboding, twisty mansion house. Good witches, bad witches, witches of unknowable powers. And because it’s Karen Marie Moning, throw in some sexy Scottish men with dark, brooding looks.

It wouldn’t call this romantasy, and the romance isn’t the focus of the book, but we do get a minor triangle and some steamy scenes. Zo Grey is clearly a sexually liberated woman who knows what she wants and has no shame in getting it. But she doesn’t spend the entire book yearning for a guy when there’s life-or-death stuff happening, which is a trope I hate. All the yearning is situationally appropriate! The real focus of the book is on Zo’s awakening powers, the revelations of her lineage and how it was hidden by her family and friends, and trying to understand the implications of her inheritance and what accepting it will mean for the rest of her life. And not just her life, but the entire town of Divinity and all it’s residents. Because this place is a bit weird, and it seems her family is connected to it in strange ways. Unfortunately, not everyone is thrilled to see Zo come to town.

I wasn’t entirely in love with the cliffhanger ending because I wanted it to be a bit more about the witchy politics and power, but overall this was a banger. Fast read, great vibes, perfect book for Halloween!

Thank you NetGalley and William Morrow for an advanced copy in exchange for my honest review!

Thank you so much for the opportunity to read this book! It had everything I wanted. Along with Zo, I cried, got furious, questioned who was lying and who wasn’t. This was the best ride and I will snatch up the next book as soon as it becomes available.

I'm at a loss for words to do this book justice. I devoured it. I have to admit, I sort of scoffed at the thought of getting my hopes up because how in the world could this author ever outdo herself on her highlander books or the Fever Series? Of course, I knew it would be a whole new world. But I'll say, get your hopes up! You will not be disappointed. I couldn't get enough. It doesn't really start slow. Things are happening but she is building a large world. This is one I will be reading over and over and even getting the audiobook.

Zo's mother has protected her all her life. Fleeing from one place to another, from what. She knows not. She doesn't even know she is something other than ordinary. But she soon finds out. Now she has to decide if she will accept and be a part of this powerful blood line of witches or are they the thing she has been protected from? As she resides at the giant house for the days required, who exactly can she trust? And what side is the handsome Devlin on that is more than meets the eye? I wondered if maybe the house itself wasn't more than just a house. With hidden rooms and books that write themselves. And there's the lone owl that shares it all. My favorite was Devlin. Even if he were to be bad, I'd take that chance lol. This was simply amazing and full of a magical world.

Thank you to NetGalley, the author and William Morrow Books

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC to review!
Rating (on a scale of 1 to 5, 5 being excellent)
Quality of writing: 5
Pace: 4
Plot development: 5
Characters: 5
Enjoyability: 5
Ease of Reading: 5

Overall rating: 5 out of 5

I had no expectations going into this book. I absolutely loved the writing style, and the world building was so fun. I will definitely be picking up a physical copy upon release and re reading. Thank you to the author, netgalley, and the publisher for allowing me to read an early copy.

Yes, I read this author’s previous series, so I think that prepared me for what happened in this: everyone and nothing is as it seems. LOL! Ok, maybe that’s a little bit of an exaggeration, but I didn’t know what was up, down, or sideways for most of this book, and the end was such a shock…well, in some ways but not others. It’s really hard to say much without giving away a lot of things, but I can say that this book is similar in tone and spooky atmosphere of her previous series, and I enjoyed the build up to the conclusion even if it I felt it was a tad too long to get to that point. This is a well-written, engrossing, spooky, sad, and just so many other adjectives. I can’t wait to read the next. Recommend. I was provided a complimentary copy which I voluntarily reviewed.

This was an excellent start to a new series. Zo has lost everything when she learns that she has received an inheritance from an unknown relative. She travels to Divinity, Louisiana and finds out that she stands to inherit millions as well as a home but there are some very strange and constricting conditions. She soon finds out that everything she has known is not what it seems. She is thrust into a world of witches and other paranormal creatures. She must keep her head and find out everything she can if she is going to survive.

Karen Marie Moning is one of my all time favorite authors because of her writing. She blends mystery, romance, fantasy, and suspense in this must read story. I love that Zo is a strong female. She is an interesting character who is not afraid to fight for what she thinks is right. The best part of the book was how the author kept unfolding the events so that I had to read more. The ending is a cliffhanger and I would read the next novel immediately if I could. I feel very invested in this world and can't wait to read more. This is a must read if you love reading about witches, magic, fantasy, and love a little spice in your books.

Thank you to NetGalley and William Morrow Publishing for this ARC.

THIS. Okay. This was my first Karen Marie Moning book. I've had her others on my shelf for years, and this was PERFECT for fall. The vibes in this book, the house, the owl (the groundskeeper, hello), were everything that I needed and wanted. The only sad part is that now that I've read it early, I have to wait longer for book 2.

I received an advance review copy for free and am leaving this review voluntarily. All opinions are my own.

After suffering the greatest loss of her life, the loss of her mother, Zo Grey receives a phone call notifying her she is the only living heir to an impossible fortune. She is promptly summoned to Divinity, Louisiana by Mr. Balfour, the legal representative of the estate, to review her inheritance. After three years of living in the mansion on Watch Hill, the mansion and the rest of the unfathomable inheritance are hers. She quickly realizes there is more to Divinity than meets the eye and she suspects there are many in the town who would love to see her fall and be replaced as heir. Bound by several strict stipulations set forth in the will regarding her time in residence within the imposing gothic mansion and presented with what feels like endless time to do nothing in solitude, she searches the mansion for answers concerning her heritage. The mansion itself is filled with guarded secrets, confounding riddles, strange symbols, hidden corridors, and doors that lead nowhere, offering up little in the way of answers and instead yielding more questions.

Karen Marie Moning does it again!! The House at Watch Hill is an immersive dark fantasy filled with mystery, magic, witches, all manner of paranormal surprises, and sexy Scotts!! This book had me flipping pages well into the night and ends on a cliffhanger leaving you begging for more. The House at Watch Hill does not disappoint!

I met Miss Moning when I was going through my highlander phase, and I devoured every book she has ever written. I was intrigued when I saw this new series.

Zo Grey has just lost everything including her mother. When she gets a call about an inheritance, she drops everything to find out about it. What does she have to lose? The only catch, this new inheritance comes with a 3-year requirement to live in the house at Watch Hill.

There was a lot of world building and character development in this book. I appreciate the detail that the author used as I think it will be helpful in books to come, however it did get a tad boring at times. There was a lot of foreshadowing that really makes me want to continue the series. I have the need to find out what happens to all of the characters.

The ending had me on the edge of my seat and when Kellan's last name was revealed I was literally screaming! Such a shocking end to a great first book. I deducted one star for the times when I was a little bored, but I look forward to the next book.

Thank you NetGalley and William Marlow for this title. This is my very honest review.

Zo Grey went from working three jobs where she was barely making ends meet to overnight being the sole heir to a vast fortune and jaw-dropping manor on the hill. Before her death, Juniper Cameron, the matriarch and benefactor of Divinity, Louisiana spared no expense on her search for a blood heir. Once Zo arrives at the house on Watch Hill the family secrets begin to trickle out. It seems everyone has a hidden agenda in Divinity and even the house seems to give off vibes of bending Zo to its desires. It’s hard to tell who’s genuine in offering friendship and who has other reasons for wanting to be near her. Although I wasn’t completely smitten with the first book of this series, I can see the strong promise of an unfolding story you can sink your teeth into in the making. Keep ‘em coming KM! I can’t wait to read the next installment. I have a lot of unanswered questions!

*I received an arc of this book from NetGalley. This is my honest review.

I have noticed that this author, Karen Marie Moning, has a large following, so I was excited to read this book, and it definitely did not disappoint. I absolutely need the next book in the series as I need to know what is going on! A woman, Zo, gets a strange inheritance from a distant relative while she is also grieving the loss of her mother. The inheritance of a house and money comes with the stipulation that she live in it for three years. The house is Gothic style and intriguing. I definitely loved this book and need more of this story!!! I also need to look into more books by this author!

I like KMM and was excited to read this start of her new series, but I think I suffered from too high expectations when reading this. I say that as someone who only read the first 7 books of her Fever series (I *loved* the first five books, but I couldn't stand Dani and never finished it). So I felt like my expectations going into this were tempered. And yet I still finished this feeling like I was missing the second half of the book.

The blurb makes this out to be a story about a suddenly orphaned young woman named Zo who inherits a spooky mystery house that looms ominously over a town full of odd people. Oh and she is going to develop powers that she will need to use to fight something.

So call me crazy, but I was expecting an almost sentient house (like the [book:Starling House|65213595]) or at the very least a house that is haunted by something scary. Instead, we just get a kind of weird house? And as far as Zo's "dormant powers" goes - that only gets half-explained, which is fair for the first book of a new series. I would even say that Zo's confrontation about that whole situation was my favorite part of the entire book. But the "sinister forces she doesn’t quite comprehend" mentioned in the blurb that she is supposed to fight against? That is no where to be found in this book. Unless you count the book’s ambiguous/cliffhanger ending, which I absolutely do not.

Do I want to know what happens next? Yes. Do I feel like at least part of it should have been included in this book in the first place? Also yes. There's more I could say, but I'm trying really hard to avoid spoilers so I'll end my review here.

I received a free ARC of this book through Netgalley and that did not impact my review/rating of this book. This book is expected to be published on October 1, 2024.

ARC provided by NetGalley & the publishers, William Morrow Books, the views are my own.

3 1/2 stars, rounded up, as of right now

My usual rule of, "I probably won't reread," for this score does not apply here, & I am fairly confident my rating will change (increase) once I reread after the release of the next book.

This is a complicated review for me to write, on multiple levels...

I've been a fan of Karen Marie Moning since 2008, when I binged the first three books in the Fever series, then read them again until Dreamfever released. If I had only had Darkfever available to read at that time, my view of the series would have been greatly different, & I'm not sure how long it would have taken me to continue the series. But since I have built this trust in Karen's process over the years, I know how I feel initially is not how I will feel at the end, & it likely will not be how I feel about the same book upon reflection.

Starting the book was both like a warm hug for me, coming back to Karen's easily recognizable writing, & a shock. I was under the impression that the series was more focused on a thriller aspect, & did not expect the amount of spice. I had to very drastically change my expectations, which required me sitting the book aside for about a week & a half while I opened my mind.

"More than merely four walls, an impossible dream of a life, home has always been an irresistible word to me."

Zo Grey mysteriously inherits a mansion upon the death of supposed relative that she's never met, fresh on the heels of her mother's death. Flooded with grief & other emotions, she goes to quaint town of Divinity, Louisiana, to check out the monstrosity of a house & find out all the requirements of her inheritance, & weird things start happening. Weird things, that Zo rationalizes or ignores, of course, until she no longer can.

Zo marches to a steady drumbeat of lustlustlustSEXlustlustlustSCREAMlustlustlustCRY (repeat), & the inhabitants of the town & the help at the house do not help to change up any of those beats...

"Home, I thought, as we turned and headed for the stairs. It was such a seductive word."

TL::DR: This wasn't what I was expecting, & I quickly reset my expectations. It's definitely a set up book, with a lot of foreshadowing, & I'm looking forward to see what book 2 expands upon, & what direction it takes us.

✨Book Review✨

The House at Watch Hill - Karen Marie Moning

📖 Zo Grey is mourning the sudden loss of her mother when she gets an unexpected phone call from a lawyer, claiming she will receive an inheritance from a distant relative. She travels to Divinity to learn about the details of her inheritance, which include a monstrous house and huge sum of money. The stipulations that are in place for her to receive her inheritance are strange and a bit controlling, but the life changing aspects of her inheritance make it a worthwhile deal. The house has many secrets of its own including hidden doors, secret passageways, and an entire staff to help upkeep it. What Zo doesn’t know yet is that she doesn’t really know who (or what) she is, and there is more than meets the eye about Divinity.

📚 Karen Marie Moning is an expert at making you curious about characters and what is truly happening in their world. She weaves a few secretive points of view into the narrative that draws the reader in and makes the question everyone. I love the way she develops the plot while not rushing or lollygagging. I am already on the edge of my seat waiting for the next book in this series.

🌟 This book is a bit of fantasy and thrill mixed into one. If you enjoy a mystery with your fiction and a relatable and lovable main character then this book is for you!

I had the pleasure of receiving a digital copy of this book in advance of its publishing. The House at Watch Hill will hit shelves October 1st later this year. Thank you to @NetGalley and Karen Marie Moning for allowing me to read early - I was hooked!

#BookReview #NetGalley #KarenMarieMoning #ZoGrey #TheHouseAtWatchHill
#MustRead #PageTurner #BookReviewers #GoodReads

I have been a fan of KMM from the beginning, and this one is a banger to! I enjoyed everything about this book and know it's going to be a series i re-read. It was hot, but I'd have liked a little more detail on that. I can just picture the House (Rose Red in my mind). Umm, McKeltar, hello?!? Highly recommend!

Oh man, I hate to have to write this review. I’m a huge fan of this author and I absolutely loved her Fever series when I read it years ago so I couldn’t wait to get my hands on this new release. Unfortunately, it missed the mark for me. I wasn’t a fan of the main character at all and that really disappointed me and made me not want to pick up the book.

I loved it! This is one of my favorite authors with a new and very different type of series. It was excellent! Realizing that the world was not as she knew if for 24 years isn't going to be easy to adjust to for Zo. She has to deal with ancient secrets and mistrust and all that happens to her is both exhilarating and frightening. The author is fantastic at weaving the story and leaving so much unsaid. I'm anxious to find out what happens next!

Zo descubre que es una bruja y que su madre estuvo suprimiendo sus poderes.

Hay brujas, Vampiros, magia, enemistades, traiciones, secretos y en lugar de sacarle provecho a todo esto se centran en el sexo.
Me dio risa lo de la mirada seductora, lo del dragón en su interior y como en cualquier parte se intentaba meter la "sensualidad" en la historia. Fue muy forzado esa parte.


No continuaré con la trilogía, me cayó mal Zo y aunque estuvo entretenido no logré disfrutar la historia.



Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and the author for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I could not put this one down! I loved the spooky vibes and how all the mysteries intertwined. The imagery of the house was so vivid I could picture it all so clearly in my mind! I can’t wait to see what happened next!