I love KMM. I’ve read her druids books and Mac and Barrons. Her books are so descriptive and her worlds so immersive. You feel like you are there with them and feel what they are feeling. She weaves such engaging stories.
I love a huge house and instant change in fortune. But there are witchy powers involved and constant threats.
You don’t know who is in your side and who to trust. Definitely constant mystery and you can’t predict what will be next.

I loved this book. The story line definitely packs a punch at the begining of this story and it honestly doesn't really stop. I love the setting and the Cameron House with all its twists and turns and mystery. I thought the characters were well written and each character that was written lent so much to the story. I was super interested in the magic system and cannot wait to see more of the Greys in book two. I also was fascinated by the "warm vampires" and how they came to be the way that they are. I loved how self away that Zo was and that she was able to simultaneously come into her own and fall completely apart at the same time. I think this really says something about Monings writing. I really cannot wait for book two because I need to know what happens and how this is all going to play out.

The House at Watch Hill is the first book in a trilogy. It is the classic first act. The characters are introduced and developed—some more than others, the location/scene is set, the heroine’s tragedy is outlined, and she is poised for her hero(ine) journey. Don’t go into this read expecting romantasy; it is a southern-gothic paranormal story.

The main character, Zo Grey, is supremely naive about the world, herself and her history. When she loses her mother and their current home, she mysteriously finds she is the heir to a large estate in Louisiana. Zo’s sadness and naivety are as fully discusses as is her specific “appetite” for men. Every other character in the book is somewhat suspect in the growing mystery and seeming conspiracy that surrounds Zo, the house, and the Cameron dynasty. The dark, atmospheric Watch Hill House is almost a character in the story; it feels sentient and that is unsettling. I was intrigued by the mysteries that are threaded through the book.

In characteristic Moning style, this book ends on a huge cliffhanger. Fans of Moning’s Fever series hung onto every word even though it took the author seven books to finish her story. While cliffhangers can be incredibly frustrating, Moning makes them worth her readers’ angst. In a recent interview, Moning presents the Watch Hill Trilogy as:

"The first novel of the trilogy sets the stage. as I build in the layers. The second installment blows it all to hell. The third takes Hell to a whole new level. Expect cliffhangers, and a few other shocking surprises.

Welcome to the world of Zo and Kellan, Este and Devlin, a Stygian owl named Rufus, and a host of witchy and otherworldly characters.

Welcome to Divinity, a very strange town a few hours from New Orleans that is virtually impossible to find without formal invitation or guide, which exists a smidgen adjacent to reality, rather like a radio station that perpetually eludes your dial, affording only brief, staticky bursts of a mesmerizing song."

A good series to start this fall to get you in a spooky mood for Halloween.

3.5 ⭐️

Thank you NetGalley and William Morrow Books for the ARC!

Very conflicted on how to rate/review this one! It was mostly entertaining and I think overall did enjoy it, and will be looking forward to the next book with THAT ending! But I definitely have some tiffs with the book as a whole. However they are complaints I’ve also had about Karen Marie Moning’s other series - so I knew what I was getting into!

The like super like cheesy? just over the top ramblings about how horny she is and the sexual chemistry she feels for like every single attractive man and just like the sec scenes in general are my biggest complaint. Idk I feel like there’s a way to get your point across without it feeling like you’re trying so hard 🤷‍♀️

I also really wasn’t a fan of the comments/references to what she knows/finds out in the future. They just really took me out of the story at present and felt unnecessary.

Being in the FMC head also got frustrating at times 🙃 her endless rambling thoughts just went on and on and on, taking up most of the story. Which meant the actual plot was pretty light, and I expect Moning to continue to breadcrumb us - giving the barest of information/smallest of plot reveals as the series goes on, as is her usual. But that will keep her readers reading!

This book felt like a lot of just introductory plot,as first books tend to be but I just wish we were given a little more as I wasn’t really invested until around the 30-40% mark. But all in all, if you loved her other books, I think you’ll love this too - and by the last chapter you’ll truly be hooked!

There is a large part of me that would love to rate this book higher. The author does an amazing job of describing the house and the town. Each description literally painted a perfect picture in my mind.
The issue I have with the book is that it spends so much time describing everything, that it seems to lose the plot. I literally kept waiting for something to Happen and it never did. This is one of those books rush didnt need to be a series but apparently everybody is jumping on that train. I still will read the next book. Hopefully it will be the authors redemption.
I received. an arc of this title, all opinions are my own.

Holy cow! I am bewitched. When I wasn’t reading, I wanted to be reading. I couldn’t stop thinking about what was going to happen next. What was going to be in the letter Juniper left for Zo? What is next for Zo? What’s building at The House at Watch Hill? And that ending!!!!
This is 5 stars all the way. I can’t wait for more.

Not going to lie, I was disappointed by this one. I was really looking forward to a new series by this author, but this did not work for me.

The premise was fun. Woman who finds out she's actually a witch with powers, from a very old family of witches. Inheritance drama. More drama ensues.

Most of my problem was how it was written. It very much felt like a late-90s paranormal in a way that didn't work for me. The FMC was 24 yo and horny all the time. ALL the time. And you're in her head because it's 1st person POV. It got really old, really fast. There was also quite a lot of talk about her "needing" to have babies (from others and herself), and weird statements involving that. I didn't think this was needed at all and it gave me the ick.

Content/Trigger Warnings: Parent with cancer, loss of a parent, grief

I have been a long-time fan of Ms. Moning, going back to The Highlander series. I love that her stories have elements of Celtic/Scottish myths/legends. It did take me a few chapters to get fully invested, but once you hit about the halfway mark, things really start to twist and turn. The house and town are characters within themselves and meeting the staff/townspeople adds depth.

Quite a few mysteries are happening at the same time with hints providing you just enough information to think you might have an idea of what’s happening, but you don’t.

The cliffhanger ending definitely makes you want to find out what happens next.

Thank you to NetGalley, William Morrow, and Karen Marie Moning for the eARC.

I just finished The House at Watch Hill by Karen Marie Moning, and I’m still reeling from that wild ending! This book drew me in right from the start with its witchy vibes, atmospheric mystery, and an irresistibly spooky gothic house that almost felt like a character itself. The suspense kept building with every page, and the last part of the book was a whirlwind of twists and turns. And that cliffhanger—wow! I’m already counting down the days until the next book. If you love eerie settings and gripping mysteries, this one’s a must-read!

Thank you so much to Willam Morrow and NetGalley for proving an eARC to review!

The House at Watch Hill follows Zo Grey after she inherits a gothic mansion in Divinity, Louisiana following her mother's death. Divinity is full of secrets and supernatural creatures. This book pairs unraveling secrets with a cliffhanger sure to have readers wanting to continue the series. I enjoyed The House at Watch Hill thoroughly and am excited for Book 2.

I received an ARC from William Morrow via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I'm baffled by this book. It has the cringy explicit sex thoughts constantly but then is closed door when it comes to any action. Mental erotica only, I guess. Didn't make sense.

I also couldn't get on board with Zo as a protagonist. She is written with a scattered internal monolog that gets old very quickly. She has no family left and no job, but is not sure about accepting a massive inheritance...because the house was creepy when she first saw it out of the car window. What else could she possibly have to do?

The writing further put me off with continuous unpolished foreshadowing {"later I would learn..."), and flowery vocabulary that didn't fit. Nothing here worked for me and I dropped it 20% in.

eARC provided for review via NetGalley.

I read Karen Marie Moning romance with a touch of supernatural years in paperback, then moved on as she wrote the Fever Series. The House at Watch Hill, the first book in this series is much more gothic in nature that shows her moving even more into the unusual, unexplainable worlds similar to the first books in Fever. This time it takes place in Divinity, Louisiana where a near destitute young woman finds she has inherited a mansion, money and much more. This is Zo Grey’s story but also the mansion’s past owner too. Somehow, they are all tied together.

Do not expect for all to be answered in this first book, that is not this writer’s style. Instead expect to have questions, assumptions and speculations. Darker than any of her other books. This strong atmospheric story that keeps you wondering if things are as they seem and unsure who Zo should trust. An interesting first book in a brand new series. What can I say, we are not in Ireland anymore.

It feels like forever since I have read a book from Karen Marie Moning. I must confess that I was book obsessed with the 'Fever' series (Mac & Barrons, *sigh*), so when I saw that Ms. Moning had a new book (possible series?) releasing I knew I needed to read it immediately. I just
wish this story lived up to my high expectations.

The tragedy surrounding Zo's past home and everything about her future existence was filled with so much sadness that it broke my heart for Zo. I really, really, really wanted to like Zodecky 'Zo' Grey, but I struggled, at times, to understand her as a character. My issue centers around the two sides to Zo and each side is quite dramatic. On the outside, she is a faithful daughter, struggling to support her and her ailing mother in a small, unforgiving town. Then there is the wild side of Zo, seeking one night stands to feel alive.

A tragic house fire and a meeting with a distant family lawyer suddenly rocks her fragile world, leading her to Louisiana and a scary house on a high hill called Watch Hill. Eventually her changes in personality started to make sense to me. But understanding Zo's personality really didn't change how bored I was with her as a main character, and sadly with this book.

I want to quickly mention the mystery man in Zo's life, Devlin Blackstone. To me, he is the best part of this book, and the only one able to bring Zo out of her sadness. If there was one character that kept me interested at all in 'The House at Watch Hill', it was Devlin.

I waited a few days to write this review and as I'm writing it I'm still struggling for the words to express how depressingly long this book feels to me. Maybe if this book was a novella instead of a full length book, I would have appreciated this story more.


3.5 stars

THE HOUSE AT WATCH HILL was a welcome return to Karen Marie Moning’s world - full of richly textured characters, deeply magical stories, and well developed suspense. The plot was intriguing but the true magic lies in the depth of storytelling and imagination. My only downside is that once again, her main character is extremely young - all her novels seem to center around mid-20s women. It would be nice to have a more diverse set of protagonists.

Thanks to NetGalley and William Morrow for the opportunity to read and review THE HOUSE AT WATCH HILL.

Zo Grey's mother is dying. All she can do is work three jobs to pay for her treatment and try to keep her comfortable. She's drowning in debt, but the only thing that matters is her mom.

When her mother dies unexpectedly and not from her illness, Zoe is lost. She has no home and no family.

Then she gets an unexpected call telling her to come to a town called Divinity. Apparently she is the long lost relative of a very wealthy woman that just died. She stands to inherit millions if she just stays at the house at Watch Hill for three years. Plus a few other odd stipulations.

This was ok. I loved the witchy vibes. I didn't love the main character though. She wants to sleep with everyone and I grew very bored with it. It took away from the story in my opinion. I'm not sure if I will continue the series or not. It did end on a cliffhanger, so maybe.

A disclaimer before the review. I am a fan of Karen Marie Moning. I might even own merchandise from a prior series. I went into this story with a bit of a bias, so I’ll try to break down the elements of this story that I liked, disliked and say upfront that I am reserving judgment until the next installment. I have learned that this author builds a complex world with complex characters and the payoff is worth it.

Zo had an unusual childhood. She and her mother never stayed in one place too long so Zo has lived many places and has almost no friends. She works as many jobs as possible to pay for her mother’s medical treatments. When tragedy strikes, Zo’s world is turned upside down and she is thrown into a world she doesn’t understand and is ill prepared to handle. She must try to learn as fast as she can while avoiding all of the people with ulterior motives. Will Zo be able to make sense of her new life before it’s too late? Has she finally found a home and a purpose?

The author has left a lot of questions unanswered, and I am looking forward to learning more about Zo’s family and her newfound powers. I am also hopeful that the author is going to fill in details about the world as a whole so that I become invested in the outcomes for all of the characters.

This is a contemporary paranormal story. There are many characters but the focus is on Zo. This is a quiet story that serves to set the stage for the next book. I will definitely read more from this author in the future.

FROM HERE ON OUT THERE ARE SPOILERS!!!!!
Zo is a good character. The author does a good job establishing that Zo is a hard worker and Is devoted to family. I enjoyed how Zo handled the news that she has inherited a ridiculous amount of money. Zo is not a totally likable character. She has layers and complexities. I thought the author’s choice to include Zo using s*x as a tool was a good addition to the story. I think that is going to play a major role in the next installment of the story. Zo’s mother appears to be in the wrong for so many decisions. She forced Zo to grow up on the run and in fear. She never told Zo about her birthright which has left Zo unprepared for the world she now inhabits. I am going to trust that the author will explain all in future installments because I would hate to think of Zo’s mother as a bad guy. There are a lot of interesting side characters. I think the best friend is a good addition to the story. The information that her friend knows her mother’s secrets sheds new light on Zo’s past. I am excited to see how the author handles their friendship in the next book. And then there are the men. Oh yes, Zo has more than one but I can’t dig into that too deeply without giving away major story points. Basically, Zo uses carnal delights for stress relief and a little bit of a magical charge up. The author gives Zo two men to focus on with both of them serving different functions in the story. I even like that the house Zo inherits appears to be alive.

What I didn’t like was that there are a group of “mean girls” introduced but the author didn’t give any details or background on the characters. There are also guards that seem very devoted to Zo that don’t get any background. I recognize that you can’t get all the information about everything but some of those characters end up dead. In the end I felt like those characters were superfluous and unmoored from the rest of the story. Will the author develop that part of the story so the readers can understand the motivations of those characters? I also question the name of one of the characters. It is very similar to the name of a character(s) from a prior series. Is it coincidental or on purpose? I don’t know if I want it to be on purpose.

It has been a decade or more since I read the Fever Series, and that series completely enthralled me. I looked very much forward to reading the beginning of the author's newest trilogy, and I was not disappointed in the least. Having read this author before, I knew that the first in the series would be the set-up, the amazing, beautifully described world building, the lead up to the upcoming battle. The House at Watch Hill was all that and more. Yes, there are intimate moments and romance, and anyone who remembers Jericho Barrons (IYKYK) knows that these elements will play a huge part in how this series will progress. While some characters, including Zo, leave me a bit cold, I look forward to seeing how the author will redeem them in the end.

Before social media help make readers obsessed with certain authors and their books, all we readers had was word of mouth, or to be inspired by a book cover and buy the book. The later is how I was first introduced to the writing of Karen Marie Moning, plus we share a first and middle name, which I kind of found cool buying the first Fever series book. Moning’s writing has always been a thinking readers style, and it is very evident in her latest book The House on Watch Hill. The House on Watch Hill is a complex story full of mysteries, suspense and layered characters that made me extremely excited to be reading a book crafted by Moning. She normally allowed me as a reader to draw conclusions as I read, which is one of the many reasons she stands out amongst her peers. The book is immersed in legacy, discovery, secrets and empowerment in a fabulous magical gothic tale. It is a woman centric book, which is apparent with the first epigraph, which was hilarious. The story centers around Zo Grey, and her inheriting a house in Divinity Louisiana, but since this is a Moning book nothing is as it seems at first sight. I kind of adored that Zo was from my neck of the woods in Hoosier land, but Zo doesn’t have very nice things to say about the area. LOL! Zo has a past she isn’t aware of, and uses sex as a coping mechanism, as her inner monologues detail. I’m a picky reviewer and Zo’s inner lust filled monologues were repeated too often for me as a reader. I was getting fed up with it, but I should have trusted Moning to reveal a reason why. Moning also does an excellent job is writing about Zo’s feelings of grief and betrayal. Like Moning’s previous female characters Zo can go toe to toe with the assorted other characters and come out on top. She isn’t a girl in needing of saving as she’ll save herself, or die trying. Zo isn’t a young naive twenty four, she is written far older than her years because of her life experiences.

There is a bit of romance, and long before the currant craze spurred by TikTok, Moning was crafting the ultimate male bad boy characters and in this book, she has struck gold with her newest assortments. Yes, you read right assortments. The book ends on a cliffhanger and is obviously only the start of the story. What a cliffhanger it turned out to be!

The audio narrators did an outstanding job in performing the story, and which cemented the book’s five stars.

🔥⭐️Karen Marie Moning is back and she is on fire!🔥⭐️

Karen Marie Moning's *The House at Watch Hill* is a spellbinding and atmospheric tale that showcases her signature blend of mystery, romance, and the supernatural. From the moment I started reading, I was hooked by the rich, immersive setting and the layered plot that keeps you guessing at every turn.

The story revolves around an old, hauntingly beautiful house on Watch Hill that holds dark secrets, and Moning masterfully weaves a narrative that keeps the tension simmering. The characters are wonderfully complex, especially the protagonist, who is drawn back to her family's ancestral home only to uncover startling truths about her past. Moning's ability to craft nuanced, emotionally resonant characters shines here, adding depth to the eerie mystery surrounding the house.

What makes *The House at Watch Hill* stand out is Moning’s skillful blending of gothic elements with a modern, relatable heroine. The supernatural aspect is subtle but impactful, providing a constant undercurrent of suspense that builds toward a gripping conclusion. The romance is beautifully intertwined with the plot, never overshadowing the mystery but complementing it perfectly with emotional intensity and passion.

Moning's evocative writing paints vivid pictures of the decaying grandeur of the house, the misty landscape, and the unnerving secrets hiding in plain sight. Fans of her previous works will appreciate the same magic here—an engaging story filled with atmosphere, emotion, and just the right amount of danger.

*The House at Watch Hill* is a mesmerizing read that will appeal to anyone who loves an intricate plot, complex characters, and a touch of the supernatural. This is Moning at her finest, delivering a story that lingers long after the final page. Highly recommended!

5 Stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

📚Disclosure: I received a review copy of this #book from the author/publisher via #Netgalley. All thoughts, opinions, comments, and interpretations of the story are my own and bias free. I did not receive any money in exchange for this review. Thank you to the publisher/author for allowing me the opportunity to review. 🦄
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In this first book of a new series from Karen Marie Moning, the familiar themes of good versus evil, light versus dark, and the gray in between are examined through the lens of a young woman who has everything to gain and nothing to lose. Zo Grey inherits the town matriarch's property in Divinity, Louisiana and it comes with some mind-blowing conditions. Fans of this author's Fever series will find similar themes in the Watch Hill series, especially Celtic folklore.

There's plenty of supernatural elements at the House at Watch Hill, a gothic monstrosity that is both extremely creepy and devastating beautiful. There's a terrifically unsettling atmosphere throughout this book and I really liked that aspect of the book. It had me a little nervous about what was to come, and yet had me turning those pages as fast as I could! Such a gothic feel to this story and I adored that. The house is a character all its own in this story.

This book lays the ground work for what is to come in this story. Zo suddenly finds out many things about herself that have her emotions all over the place. She's a sometimes-likable character with a healthy rebellious streak which gets her in trouble. There are also external forces in play as well, others in the supernatural community that want what Zo has in the House at Watch Hill.

I haven't been able to get this story out of my head since finishing it. I thought The House at Watch Hill a solid start to what I hope will be a very exciting ride. Can't wait for more!