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!

Lived delving into a new world, very Gothic and dark feeling with an air of mystery and story telling.

The House at Watch Hill by Karen Marie Moning was such an entertaining and engaging read. It's suspenseful and attention grabbing and I really don't expect anything less from Moning. The story kept my attention and I wanted to know what was happening. I cannot wait for the next book in this series and you can believe that I won't stop recommending this book.

I wanted to love The House at Watch Hill, but unfortunately it fell flat.

The bones of the story are solid. We have;
•𝘢 𝘸𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘯 𝘸𝘩𝘰 𝘩𝘢𝘴 𝘭𝘰𝘴𝘵 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺𝘰𝘯𝘦
•𝘢𝘯 𝘪𝘯𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘵𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘵𝘰𝘰 𝘨𝘰𝘰𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘣𝘦 𝘵𝘳𝘶𝘦
•𝘢 𝘤𝘳𝘦𝘦𝘱𝘺 𝘥𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘮 𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘴𝘦 𝘧𝘶𝘭𝘭 𝘰𝘧 𝘴𝘦𝘤𝘳𝘦𝘵𝘴
•𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘳𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘢 𝘴𝘦𝘹𝘺 𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘢𝘯𝘰𝘳𝘮𝘢𝘭 𝘳𝘰𝘮𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦
•𝘥𝘢𝘳𝘬 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘥𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘦𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘴 𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘩𝘢𝘥𝘰𝘸𝘪𝘯𝘨

But in the end, it feels like a promise unfulfilled—like the story was slowly building to something great that never quite happened.

It’s clear The House at Watch Hill is setting up for a larger paranormal series, and while it’s not a bad book, with its slow pacing and predictability it would have made a better prequel novella.



Thank you NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Going off the blurb, I thought this book would have been a bit different. I was expecting something more eerie and sinister, possibly with more paranormal activity. This book did not give what I expected it to, however ,what it did give not disappoint! The entire read is suspenseful and I did not want to put this book down!  Karen Marie Moning has such a way of writing, one that will grasp hold of you and suck you in completely. This book is exciting and suspenseful, and the cliffhanger at the end has me already for the next book in this trilogy!
Thank you NetGalley, William Morrow, and Karen Marie Moning for this captivating ARC!

I was hopeful that The House at Watch Hill would be something far better than it is. I have not read any of the previous Karen Marie Moning's previous novels, but the premise of The House at Watch Hill suggested something that was not present in the novel--a likable protagonist on whom the author could hang a new series upon.

What didn't work for me: 1) a man-crazy, sex-as-exercise indiscriminate protagonist; temper tantrums that would be expected of a child, not an adult; 2) clinches and plot points lifted from other novels that focus on witches, vampires, and the dangers of magic; 3) clubbing behavior that bordered on irresponsible (she cannot live in luxury for 7 days?); 4) SPOILER--the death of the sole likable character, which was unnecessary and pointless; 5)I thoroughly dislike cliffhangers. If a novel is good, I will read the sequels, but please so not manipulate me into reading the subsequent books.

I really wanted to like The House at Watch Hill. The premise sounded good, but truthfully, the execution was disappointing. The protagonist, Zo, is an incredibly unlikeable, whiney, child-like character. It was hard to care about her. The novel, itself, read more like a 370 page prologue to the real novel, which began in the last 10 pages. I hope Moning will pick up the pace in the second novel and find a way to make Zo more of a heroine and less like a pain.

Thank you to William Morrow and NetGalley for providing this ARC for me to read and review. The comments including herein, are my honest thoughts about The House at Watch Hill.

The perfect read for spooky season! This series has me hooked and I'm already waiting for the next book.

Zo finds her world upside down when in the span of a few days, her mother perishes in a mysterious fire and she finds out she is the sole living heir to a large estate. She travels to Watch Hill, Louisiana to see the house and decide her next move. But as soon as she arrives, she starts to notice strange things about the house and those around her. Zo faces a series of challenges to discover who she really is and why she has been brought to Watch Hill in the first place.

I loved the characters and mysterious setting. Each new revelation kept me guessing. Looking forward to book 2!

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I have been a fan of KMM for years. I first read her Fever series and loved them.

It's been a while since I've picked up a book from her so I was really excited to read this one, especially since the description led me to believe we would have some supernatural/witchy/vampirey/etc vibes. Which I am all about, especially from KMM.

But this book didn't deliver what I wanted.

Yes, there are witches. Yes there are vampires. But there's....not plot?

Everything happens in the last couple of chapters, and that part is interesting, but up until then it's a whole lot of...nothing?

We don't really get any answers, which is incredibly frustrating, and I get that Zo also doesn't have any answers, but surely someone should start TALKING. Why did it have to be so drawn out?

There's a random male POV which seemed interesting at the start but I don't really think it was leveraged as well as it could have been.

A little disappointed to be honest. But it does make me want to go back and re-read all of the Fever series so, that's something.

I am a huge KMM Fever Series fan and have been having withdrawals ever since the Fever Series ended!! Since #TheHouseatWatchHill is a whole new world and the first book of a new trilogy I was a little worried if it would meet my expectations. NO NEED TO WORRY!! KMM has done it again!! Being the first book of a trilogy there is a lot of world building and character development so at times it may seem a little slow, but this book drew me in immediately and sets the stage beautifully for book 2 where I'm sure there will be much more plot action. I was so drawn into this world that since finishing it I am having a hard time reading anything else because my mind is still in Divinity with Zo and can't wait to see what happens in book 2!! Thank you so much #NetGalley for the ARC!!

This was my first KMM book so I wasn’t sure what I was getting myself into…frustrated is what I was getting into. Frustrated in the very best way though. This book felt like the prequel to a series. We got mostly world building but things were still super vague in places that I still have questions…lots of questions. In terms of romance I wouldn’t really say this had any real romance. There are men in the book and Zo does hook up with a man when she first arrives in Divinity, but romance and spice are definitely not the focus of the book.

I absolutely loved the creepy, spooky atmosphere that KMM brought to this story. I’ve never visited Louisiana (just driven through the state) but it seems like the perfect location for a story like this. This book reminded me a bit of Salem’s Lot, a bit of The Skeleton Key, and like a few other movies and miniseries I love. As frustrating as it was for me to not have all the answers about the house/town/people I was definitely hooked from the very beginning. I’m not sure if this series is connected in any way to her other series, but I have those lined up and ready to go once my TBR clears out a bit.

I have a feeling book 2 in this series will pick up a lot more now that a lot of the world building has been established and I can’t wait to read it!

Oh my! What an amazing book 1!
It's the first of a Trilogy. A story in three books, so yes that means cliffhangers! KMM has a talent of writing substories within, weaving them throughout investing the reader in them and puzzling how they all connect...because somewhere in this Trilogy they will!

I'm invested in how Alisdair and his lore of the Cailleach; the white, dark and gray Royal Houses and those from them; Zo, her lineage, the town of Divinity, and that gothic witchy House on Watch Hill all connect! I love the perception we've been given of all the characters through Zo's POV as she learns about herself and those around her as her world is turned upside down and she struggles to sort it all out...great world building and lore...

My jaw is still agape after reading this world building contemporary gothic that has this reader and Zo, the heroine, wondering who are good guys or bad guys, from new acquaintances, to those she grew up with, to the very house and lineage she just might belong to…Zo's growth is forced upon her and shows her strength as she begins to come into her own even though she has no idea what its supposed to be. Who is deceiving, who is acting in her best interest or theirs!? Having to take a leap of faith in who to trust and what direction her life is supposed to take when turned upside down… does she finally get everything she desired or is it a lure into everything she should run from? There’s light-hearted and heart-rending moments…and goosebumps at ghostly entities warnings and discoveries within the house at the center of it all...

And the Cliffhanger! OMG I need the next book! I need to know who to trust, Are certain characters good bad or...that shade of gray!?

3.75 stars. The House at Watch Hill is the first book in the Watch Hill trilogy. This was an intriguing beginning to a new series by Karen Marie Moning. It is set in a mysterious new world with witchy elements and it felt completely different than anything I've read by this author before. I can't give away too much of the plot and because there is still not a ton known. The story is very mysterious and parts are revealed slowly leaving you still guessing by the end. This book reminded me of Ann Rice in some ways, with it's witchy, mysterious atmosphere. It was slow to start but got better towards the end. The story drew me in but I wanted more revealed quicker. There isn't much romance here but I am hopeful that will develop more in the next book. I didn't feel love or chemistry developing with any of the men in the book so far, but I have a feeling the hero hasn't been introduced yet. Still, I liked the book ultimately, even though for a bit, I wasn't sure if I was going to end up enjoying it. The heroine, Zo, is kind of a mess at times in learning to deal with her emotions, but I liked her. I am very curious to see where this series goes. I liked Zo's intriguing town, along with the mystery and witchy elements. I am looking forward to the next book and I hope to find out much more about Zo and the series storyline then.

Series Info/Source: This is the first book in the Watch Hill Trilogy. I got a copy of this on ebook from NetGalley for review.

Thoughts: I was going to give this 3 stars, but then I started writing the review and realized that I didn't really like anything about this book. This is a very Karen Marie Moning type of book; it's a very sexually charged paranormal mystery that really rides on sexual tension and predictable mystery to move the story forward. I really enjoyed the first five or so books of Moning's Fever series (I gave up on that series when Dani was introduced) but haven't read any other books by her since then. This book reminded me why I stopped reading books by Moning.

This follows the story of Zo, who is in her mid 20's, struggling to pay for her mother's cancer treatments, and finds herself suddenly orphaned. Shortly after this, she gets a call that she's inherited a giant spooky manor. This whole story felt like an intro to the series, basically getting Zo to this community and finding out why she was brought there.

The storyline here is pretty typical and predictable. Strangely it reminds me a bit of K.F. Breene's Leveling Up series but wasn't nearly as fun, intriguing, or well thought out. I kept expecting something more from the house, and Zo's powers are never well explained. I was also disappointed when the story went exactly how I thought it was going to go.

The way Zo goes from responsible, struggling daughter to sudden predatory sex fiend was just weird. The story does spend quite a bit of time trying to explain this but it just seemed odd and disrespectful both to Zo and to the men she targets. All of the characters in this book are using each other and had ulterior motives. This left a bad taste in my mouth and had a very late 90's early 2000's UF feel to the story.

Strangely, despite all the build-up to the sex scenes, they end up being mostly glossed over. Very much like "we had fun all night and then I couldn't walk the next morning". If youare going to spend that much time building up to a sex scene I at least expect to read a sex scene at some point.

This also ends on a huge cliffhanger, which I hate. I always feel like that is the author admitting their story and writing aren't enough to keep the reader coming back, so they have to bait the reader. In this case, the clilff-hanger is a man that appears that we spent a couple of pages with early on in the book...why do I care? Despite the supposed huge cliffhanger here, I have zero interest in continuing this series.

My Summary (2/5): Overall I finished this but kept hoping it would get better. I didn't enjoy the characters here, there was very little actual world-building, the magic isn't explained, and the mystery isn't all that mysterious. I have no interest in continuing this series and realized that this is similar to Moning's writing in her "Dani" days. I won't be picking up more Moning books any time soon.

I have been waiting for this book for a while now. This is the first book in this new trilogy so at times can seem a bit slow, but I am excited to see more of how all the characters develop! This can be dark so make sure to check triggers warning. But it is a great start!