This book is full of mystery and witchy atmosphere. It’s slow moving but it builds with the intriguing politics between the light and dark witches and the ominous nature of the gray witches. There are a lot of secrets being kept and wondering who is who and who can be trusted. Zo is dealing with the grief of her mothers death and dealing with the duties and responsibilities that come with the estate she has suddenly been left in Divinity, Louisiana. All of sudden she is dealing with an identity crisis, crazy wealth, and a whole supernatural world she knows nothing about.

I really liked the world building and the families we get to learn snippets about that settled the town. By chapter 10 I was only getting more and more intrigued and nervous about what could happen and who Zo could trust. I think this is going to be the start of a wonderful trilogy. This first book had the same sort of cliffhanger that the Fever books have, the kind that feels abrupt and annoying. I really hope the next book comes out soon because at least with the Fever books I read them when all the books were already out. This time around it’s going to be painful to wait. I’m excited for what’s to come. I really want to learn more about the witches and other supernatural beings in Divinity. I can’t wait to see how Zo grows into her powers.

Special thanks to NetGalley and William Morrow for sharing this book with me in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you NetGalley, the Publisher and Author for letting me read this in exchange for an honest review.

The House on Watch Hill by Karen Marie Moning is a witchy, atmospheric, foreboding and suspenseful magical realism romance.

This eerie story is book 1 in a new series by the author of the Fever Series. The plot zoomed by very quickly in the beginning and then slowed down a bit. The character and world-building is detailed and vivid yet mysterious with a slow build. The book does have a few spicy scenes, but they are detailed mildly.

Overall, it was a good start to a promising series and everything you could want for an October read!

When I think of paranormal or romantic fantasy, I go straight to Karen Marie Moning. Her Fever series is one of my all time favorites. This book fell a little flat for me. Maybe it was the expectation I set on the author based on her previous works, but I am also hoping it is because this is the first book in the series. I will definitely be reading the second as it held my interest, but I was a little bored reading through. Doesn’t change my mind on KMM, though! She will always be the GOAT.

The House at Watch Hill is the first book in the Fever series. It is a paranormal romance novel set in the fictional city of Fever. The book follows the story of MacKayla "Mac" Keenan, a young woman who is forced to return to her hometown after her mother dies. She is drawn back into the world of faeries, a world she had tried to forget after a traumatic childhood experience.

MacKayla meets and falls in love with Curran, a powerful faerie warrior. Together, they must face a series of challenges, including a dangerous faerie queen and a dark secret from MacKayla's past.

The House at Watch Hill is a well-written and entertaining paranormal romance novel. The characters are complex and engaging, and the world-building is rich and detailed. The story is full of action, suspense, and romance.

Overall, The House at Watch Hill is a great read for fans of paranormal romance. It is a fast-paced and exciting book that will keep you hooked until the very end.

Here are some specific aspects of the book that I enjoyed:

The characters: MacKayla and Curran are both strong and independent characters. They have great chemistry and are a joy to read about.
The world-building: The world of Fever is richly detailed and believable. It is full of magic and mystery.
The plot: The story is fast-paced and exciting. There are plenty of twists and turns to keep you guessing.
The writing: Karen Marie Moning is a talented writer. Her prose is beautiful and evocative.
I would definitely recommend The House at Watch Hill to anyone who is looking for a fun and entertaining paranormal romance novel.

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

4.25 Stars ⭐️

Well, this was a definitely intriguing surprise. As many of us are, I am a huge fan of Ms. Moning and found her many, many years ago through her "Fever" series - which I absolutely fell in love with. Now, I am not one of those readers that is over the top devoted, so I have no idea if there have been other books that have been released in between these two series, but it has been a pretty long time since I have seen anything released from Ms. Moning. I was even more excited when NetGalley approved my request for this ARC. So, to say I was excited would be an understatement.

This book is unique. It is the first book in a new series so there is a lot of time and words devoted to setting the stage - building the world and introducing us to the characters. We get to meet Zo Grey and little by little we are given snippets from her unusual upbringing. Zo is a fun character and she is pretty easy to like.

Then....well, we start to get to the introduction to the house itself and to the town in which it resides. Unfortunately, this is where I started feeling my first bits of disappointment. I'm not sure what I was expecting, but from what we are given in this first book - the house itself was a bit of a let down in terms of the info we are given. I did like the caretaker/attorney who's responsibility it is to take the time to introduce her to the various quirks of the house, to protect her from the town members who may have nefarious intentions...etc. But, well, it was a bit underwhelming.

I will say that the narrating duo of Amanda Leigh Cobb and Tim Campbell did a fine job, so there is that. I guess I was just wanting ....well....MORE. Zo does have a friend with a background that could have been EXTREMELY helpful, but she is relegated to the side for most of the book. Then there is the possible love interest, well, maybe more than one possible love interest and that was fun, but again.......who knows?

I guess, what I am trying to say is that I have come to expect QUITE a lot from Ms. Moning and since it has been so very long since I went back to the very beginning of a series introduction from her - my expectations may have been a little bit much. So please....do not take this in a bad way.

I enjoyed the book. I AM intrigued. I AM looking forward to eventually finding out more about what the heck is going on, I just wish that maybe there had been a little bit more information given out in this first book. *okay, stepping down from my soap box...*

I guess that is why we call these books suspenseful, and I guess that is what makes us readers keep coming back for more. Will I be moving on to book 2? You better believe it! Absolutely.

Thank you to NetGalley and to William Morrow for the opportunity to read and review this ARC. The opinions above are mine and mine alone. This book will be out for publication on October 1, 2024.

I love this author and I was crazy excited to see that she was finally coming out with another series! I love her Fever series and couldn't wait to crack this one open.

It was a struggle for me to stay interested! It was like whip lash where I was super interested and then struggled and then got super interested and then struggled. It took me a but eventually it got goooood.

This book is perfect for the halloween time. It's super creepy and sexy all at the same time. It's fascinating, unsettling, and just brilliant! I love Moning!

Looking forward to all her stuff!!!

I was very excited to see a new Karen Moning series. That said, this book was really long for how much plot it actually covered. The world building is enticing, the house is so intriguing and the world she has built has so much potential. That was mostly what this book contained ..potential. You get glimpses into the possible future of Zo here and there when she breaks the fourth wall and that is the main element that kept me interested in her. Overall, this was exciting enough but only just. If the series is short then I will definitely read it but if it’s over 5 books then I’m pretty apprehensive.

KMM released a new fantasy series? Sign me up! I went in completely blind, trusting the process. This book is the perfect read for the season, giving gothic witchy vibes. KMM does a great job depicting magical realism while building a fun new fantasy world! The book ends off on a huge cliff and I can’t wait to continue the series!

Read if you love:
✨ Witchy Vibes
✨ Vampires
✨ Magical Realism
✨ Gothic Spooky House
✨ Hidden Identities
✨ Cliffhangers
✨ Fantastic World Building
✨ Rags to Riches

the story was a little too far fetched for me. the main character finds out she's a witch and then she finds out her bestie is a witch too and kept it from her, the same way her mother kept her magic from her too. and then there was an unnecessary sexual tension between her and the groundskeeper. Don't get me wrong, I am always up for a romance subplot and even prefer when one is there, but this was so forced.

The first book in the trilogy, Karen Marie Moning does it again-- makes you fall in love with the setting and sets the stage for what's to come.

The world building is lovely, the mystery is intriguing, and the characters we meet are filled with so much gusto.

I always find Moning is a master of showing the transitions of grief and loss in a way that makes her characters human (even when they may not seem like it).

Overall, I am excited for this new journey and hope readers give it a go!

The House at Watch Hill is Karen Marie Moning's latest, and I was so excited to read it. It's been many years since I've read her books, and I was eager to see the new world she's created. This is the first in her new trilogy so while it sets the stage for her new characters, I think it'll be a year before we get the next installment.

Zo Grey is 24 and just now finding out many things that her mom kept from her. Along the way she's met a couple men who intrigue her...especially Devlin. Grab the book or listen to the audio that Amanda Leigh Cobb narrates...either way it's the perfect October read!

Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review. All opinions are my own.

Publication date: 1 October 2024

THE HOUSE AT WATCH HILL, A Novel, The Watch Hill Trilogy, Book 1
by Karen Marie Moning
Ms. Moning is brilliant at her craft and has done such an excellent job with this new well written, addictive, mysterious, intriguing tome. I am anxiously waiting for the next installment! This story ends this with a cliffhanger.
I listened to the audio version narrated version by Amanda Leigh Cobb and Tim Campbell who do an excellent job with it. This is 5 stars.

This book is perfection! I love Karen Marie Moning's previous series and this book just proves how talented of a writer she truly is!! I couldn't put the book down...ended up purchasing all 3 formats and would switch between reading the ebook and listening to the audiobook (the Hardcover is gorgeous too). The world building that KMM writes makes you feel as if you're IN the story, experiencing everything while the character is. The characters are so intriguing. I can't stop thinking about the story and what is going to happen next!! I absolutely LOVE this book and although the wait is going to be tough for the next book in the series, it is well worth it! I'm so happy KMM is back, she is truly gifted! I also wanted to mention that the narrators for the audiobook did an excellent job bringing the book to life!!

The House at Watch Hill by Karen Marie Moning is the first book in her new Watch Hill Trilogy. We meet Zo Grey, who is 24 years old, and grieving the sudden death of her mother; and seriously in debt, with multiple jobs. She receives a surprising phone call from an attorney in Divinity, Louisiana, as she has been left an inheritance by an unknown relative (she never knew), Juniper Cameron. Zo decides to drive to Divinity to meet the attorney, James Balfour, to learn about the inheritance. She discovers that she is the sole beneficiary of a huge fortune, as well as a gothic manor house, built on Watch Hill. There are some terms; she must live in the house for three years, she will be paid 1 million dollars for the first and second years, and at the end of the three years, she will inherit 140 million, including all assets from Juniper Cameron. The attorney, James Balfour, becomes her right-hand man, who will protect her against the many townsfolks who do not accept her.

Zo learns more about the witch coven, who are part of Divinity, which has a dark history, with warring clans, and powerful enemies, which also include witches, covens, vampires, shapeshifters; and a ongoing battle between light and dark magic. Kovan, is a 13-witch family with 169 members. Zo is expected to become the leader, once she learns everything, including the magical powers that continue to increase. Zo will need to get experience and training to fight her enemies. Will she survive, as the witch clans will do anything to kill her.

Zo has been through a lot, especially waiting for the 7 days and nights until she is allowed to open a letter from Juniper, explaining her responsibilities, the town history, and more about her magical powers. Zo learns the secrets within the house, which will awaken her dormant powers. She will have to face off against sinister forces in Divinity that are determined to stop her from reaching her powerful potential. Zo finds herself lusting after Devlin, the Scottish groundskeeper, who also wants to protect her from evil. I really did like James Balfour, Devlin and Rufus, the owl.

The House on Watch Hill is a fabulous dark fantasy, with a bit of mystery, danger, romance, sex, magic story line. It was very exciting as we get close to the end, which does end with a cliff-hanger. The House at Watch Hill was so very well written by Karen Marie Moning. I can’t Wait for the next book in this trilogy.

Karen Marie Moning's new book feels like Discovery of Witches meets True Blood (though lighter on vampires, more on vibes). I was super excited for a witchy read for October but unfortunately this one didn't really work for me. I felt like there were too many confusing layers, and the prose often felt overwrought. The premise of the book was super intriguing with warring covens and supressed magic and supernatural houses but there were so many unknowns that i often felt as confused as Zo because i also didn't know who to trust or what to believe. I think I would have been able to roll with this if i had gotten ANY sort of answer by the end of the book but the cliffhanger just left more questions without answering any of the mysteries already established. also the build up to the letter for hundreds of pages to finally read it and it just be like 'oh i'm so glad you're here' as opposed to offering any further information was WILD.

This was my 3rd book for my month of creepy reads. It did have a creepy undertone and one scene that gave me chills. Otherwise this was a witchy unraveling of one young woman's situation. I was wanting to know all the things and will most likely wish to read more in this world.

This is a mesmerizing start to an exciting new series. The story follows Zo Grey, who inherits a mysterious mansion and a large fortune after her mother's death with one condition: she must live alone in the eerie house for three years. Set in Divinity, Louisiana, the mansion is filled with secrets, from hidden doors to a red-eyed owl and a mysterious Scottish groundskeeper. Zo’s journey uncovers deep family ties, hidden powers, and dark forces she must confront. Moning’s blend of Celtic mythology, magic, and Gothic mystery kept me hooked. I can't wait for the next book!

This has the vibes for spooky season. You have a creepy house at the top of a hill, untimely death, magic, vampires, and a mystery.
Zo finds out she has an inheritance from a mysterious relative after her mother dies under suspicious circumstances. Once Zo shows up in the small Louisiana town, she discovers she has inherited a monstrosity of a house. And a lot of money. But there are stipulations that include living in the house before she can become obscenely wealthy. Who could say no? There she discovers her heritage and magic. But with answers come so many more questions. And there’s so many questions I want answers to. What all has been hidden from Zo? Who can you trust? And what will happen in Zo’s future?
I will say there was less romance than I wanted, but I could definitely see some in future books. I look forward to getting my questions answered as the series progresses. Another book with an ending where I want the follow up asap!

Thank you to William Morrow Books for the earc. All opinions are my own.

Be warned - this ends on a cliffhanger!

What a perfect fall book. Spooky, eerie, mysterious and thoughtful, KMM is introducing us to thought out characters and a complex world, but I'm left feeling a little bit confused. This feels like an amuse-bouche to the real story. Confusion aside, this is beautifully constructed and I look forward to the next installment.

Quick Thoughts

🍁 The House at Watch Hill by Karen Marie Moning feels similar in vibes to the Fever series, for good & fo bad. This book (which ends on a cliffie) features a brave heroine who’s just experienced the horrific loss of her mother & who inherits a mysterious mansion. She’s driven by new physical urges & the desire to find out more about herself & her new family home. For me, this book was interesting & sensual but also felt dated. But like I said, if you feel the urge to step back into a world like Fever, you might enjoy it more. 3.5 ⭐️, out now. (Thanks to the publisher & Netgalley for the complimentary ARC. All opinions provided are my own.)

🎃 Tastes Like Shakkar by Nisha Sharma is a warm & 🔥 contemporary with a determined wedding planner trying to take down a saboteur & plan the wedding of her bestie’s dreams & the chef who once frustrated her but now might be the man of her dreams. I adored so much of this one & I’m already eager to read more. The mystery was my least fave part but everything else felt fresh & hot. 4.33 ⭐️, out now.

🌻 Isabel & the Rogue by Liana De La Rosa is another sexy & heartwarming installment in the Luna Sisters series. Isabel is such a great heroine—she’s a wallflower who’s also a spy for Mexico. The chemistry between Isabel & Sirius is so good & the audio for this one is fantastic. I’m loving learning more about 19th century Mexico & reading about Mexican heiresses wielding power in their largely prejudiced aristocratic social circle 👏🏻. 4.5 ⭐️, out now.

📖 have you read any of these books or are any on your TBR?