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.

I absolutely could not put this book down! Perfect witchy book for spooky season. A mysterious inheritance, a creepy got his mansion, witches, vampires & a little fade to black steam. Well written characters, believable world building and a completely unpredictable plot that leaves you craving more! I can’t wait to get my hand on the next installment after that ending!

I've never read a Karen Marie Moning book and am excited that this was my first one. This is such a wonderful fall/autumnal story that runs almost entirely on vibes--whether cozy or spooky throughout and I loved that despite realizing towards the end that, wait a minute, not much has happened plotwise. I did feel like this was only part of a much larger story but that the author got distracted by the vibes. Which sounds bad but honestly was a great time. I would also say that this doesn't feel like a traditional romantic story, with much of the sexual stuff occurring off page. If that's something you're looking for, you may not find exactly what you're looking for here.

I'd recommend reading this in the fall with a huge cup of tea or cocoa and just letting the story setting and story wash over you.

The beginning of what will likely be a fascinating new series by Karen Marie Moning. An intriguing plot that gets you sucked into the story mixed with well developed and interesting characters. Can't wait to continue the series and find out the conclusion of this story.

Thank you William Morrow and NetGalley for the gifted ebook.

FROM PAUPER TO QUEEN!
Zo thinks she’s lost everything after the fire. Then she gets a call from someone saying she’s to inherit an entire estate?! She travels New Jersey to Louisiana to find out if it’s too good to be true

I love Karen’s books and this one was good!
I am very into this story and can’t wait to see where it goes. The magic and myths is very interesting to me.
My main gripe is the main FMC. I can understand why she is the way she is, but does she have to be so stubborn. I feel like the people who have more experience with power is who we should listen to.😅 ESPECIALLY WHEN ONE IS YOUR BEST FRIEND!
I don’t know maybe I’m being too hard but I see a lot more fault in the mom than anything.
Overall the story hooked me very quick, and I’ve been left wondering….. so I need book 2 asap🙌🏻

I loved the Fever series, so I was looking forward to this first book in a new series by KMM. This was a pretty good start to the series. Zo has been through a lot throughout her life and it makes her a fairly hard person. That did make it difficult for me to connect with her. I'm hoping we get to watch her soften a little in future books, I enjoyed the mystery in the book, but don't like them as much when the only reason so many of the mysteries are there is because Zo says to other people not to tell her the answers to her questions because she can't handle the answers right now, especially when she turns around and gets mad at people for not telling her things in the next scene. I can't wait to see who the bad guys are in this series, I am not sure at this point. That is when you know it is good writing. Overall I really enjoyed this book and am looking forward to see where the series goes in the future.
I think this series is going to be one I find myself counting down to the next one as soon as I finish the one I am reading. It kept getting better as the book went along. If you like mysteries that involve witched, vampires, and maybe shapeshifters(I'm not sure about them yet) you should definitely give this one a try.

Zo Grey an impoverished and grieving young woman is contacted about a possible inheritance involving a mysterious mansion on a hill in Louisiana. The House at Watch Hill is the beginning of a witchy series full of intrigue, unknown power and dark forces. Zo encounters a Stygian Owl. a Scottish groundskeeper and a lawyer loyal to the previous owner of the house on the hill, just to name a few of the interesting characters. This is an amazing must read! So riveting I cannot wait for the next book in the series.

This was my first read by Moning, and there’s no way it will be my last. I was hooked by this book and even when I wasn’t actively reading it, I was still thinking about it. Given that this is the first book in a series, it definitely has a set up period. It took me a while to get a feel for where the story was going. However, even during that time, I was still intrigued. There was an overwhelming feeling of something being off, and I couldn’t wait to learn more. The vibes were perfect for a fall read. Once I got a feel for where the plot was headed, I couldn’t stop reading. I had to know what happened next. I loved how Moning set the scene particularly her descriptions of Watch Hill. I could easily imagine myself walking the halls with Zo as she explored. There are so many elements I’m excited to explore in future books. We get a few chapters from Alisdair’s POV, and I can’t wait to learn more about this particular character. There were a few elements that I found predictable, but it was still enjoyable to see how it unfolded. This does end on a cliffhanger that will leave you desperate for the next book. Seriously, Moning, I need answers yesterday on some of my favorite characters. I can’t recommend this enough. If you’re a mood reader, it will be especially enjoyable during the fall/spooky season.

This one got to be way too much for me way too quickly without it really doing much for the plot, or really much for the character at all, so I DNF'd it around 20%