
Member Reviews

Thank you to the publisher for the review copy! I just couldn't get in the mood for this one, but I do love this author!

Firstly, I love this author, her fever series was my favorite to read in Highschool, I reread them nearly every year, carried them around with me LOVE, and they look well loved too. T
This book the blurb sounded so very good, and it had great concepts. I just felt like it fell flat, and it could of been partly my fault for having such high expectations for this author. The story was a little hard to follow along, I could not figure out who, what, when, where was going on, had to go back and reread several times, and a few times still could not figure out. I have to say I love the environment, the atmosphere, wonderfully done, reminded me a bit of Casper, House on haunted hill a bit, and many of those haunted house classes.
I will still read everything and anything by this author.

I just finished The House at Watch Hill by Karen Marie Moning, and it was everything I wanted in a supernatural mystery! 🏰✨ The story follows Zo Grey, a young woman who inherits a mansion in the hauntingly beautiful Divinity, Louisiana, but with one catch—she has to live there alone for three years to claim her inheritance.
What makes this book so captivating is Moning's ability to weave mystery, romance, and the supernatural into one enticing package. The mansion and the eerie town of Divinity come alive through her writing, and the suspense kept me hooked until the very end. Plus, the characters—especially Zo—are complex and relatable, making the journey feel all the more immersive.
If you’re into stories with mystery, a touch of the supernatural, and a bit of romance, The House at Watch Hill is definitely one to check out! 💫📚

The House at Watch Hill by Karen Marie Moning is a captivating blend of mystery, romance, and supernatural intrigue. Set in a coastal town with a haunting atmosphere, the story follows a protagonist drawn to an old, mysterious house where dark secrets and buried truths unfold. Moning’s signature storytelling shines through with rich descriptions, emotional depth, and strong character development. The chemistry between the leads is palpable, and the mix of suspense and romance keeps readers hooked until the very end. Fans of atmospheric, paranormal romances will find this novel an enjoyable and immersive read.

My Selling Pitch:
A CW witch drama with a cliche and incredibly convoluted plot.
On my do not read list.
Pre-reading:
I get this book and Strange Beasts inexplicably confused with one another. They’re not the same.
(obviously potential spoilers from here on)
Thick of it:
I’m as rah rah feminist as they come, but you can’t tell me women are the improved upon model and we get periods like we do by design.
Oh bummer, I kinda hoped that the male narrator was gonna do the whole book.
This is asking for a LOT of suspension of disbelief.
Oh don’t she’s an empath me.
What circular drivel is this?
Can you fly with human remains like that or do you have to check them specially? (Google says yes, but you need a permit.)
VIABLE PETCOCK is crazy.
Dude, what in the Wattpad not like other girls is this shit?
It’s giving Anastasia Steele’s inner goddess.
This is going on worst books. What the shit.
It has every bad fantasy romance cliché.
“His edges had edges.” Girl, please stand up.
I know I’m a whore for him, but tell me this isn’t Killian Jones from Once Upon a Time and succubus fanfiction.
Bdsm you will never convince me that a submissive has all the power especially when you’re spreading it irresponsibly to the masses for these dipshit men to be like baby, I just abuse you and am emotionally unavailable because I’m like SUCH a dom. It’s some red pill shit, and in this essay-
Oh honey, you don’t have to tell us you’re not impressed by IQ. We can tell.
No. Actually, I don’t think I can read this book. Oh my god.
And she’s got her token black bestie. #Girlpower!
This author exhaustively reuses her vocab.
You know I’m too old for these books when I’m like she’s 24. How much younger can she get to make these rules?
Honey, you’re not becoming a vet with that IQ and those grades.
What are the income taxes on that like lol? (On this episode of how to know you’re too old to still be reading this shit.)
Uh, who is the alternate?
What if she was married? Could they stay with her? (The book will remember to answer this in a few chapters.)
Tenebrous
Caliginous
This is such an unnecessary vocab workout.
Passing out is lazy writing.
Is Devlin a water horse? (I WISH.)
In this economy? Uh yeah. I can absolutely be bought.
Gelid casually is crazyyyy.
Saprophytic
There’s too much Princess Bride in this.
This is no plot just architecture.
This is so CW
It reminds me of that show Lost Girl.
So help me if we’ve got another Rowan Whitethorn situation.
You really just have to commit to not knowing what’s going on but having a vague idea of what’s going on because it’s so cliche.
If I didn’t have the audiobook. I would not be reading this.
Neutered was a choice.
I genuinely believe that if you cut out every description of the house, this book would be 20 pages.
This is exactly like the Temptation of Magic book where I’m like wow, this is the most awful writing, and literally nothing is happening in this book but also the audiobook is like compulsively readable. It’s no thoughts just vibes, but like not even vibes cause it’s not good but like I’ve read so much worse. There’s just so many empty words.
Like a what?!?
Sirocco
I don’t understand this book.
So literally no reason why she had to wait to open this letter. None. Zero. Zip. Zilch. Nada.
I like how the book is summarizing all the questions it hasn’t answered and I’m like, babe it’d be shorter to list what we DO know.
Every book mentions bears sin lol
I haven’t seen Vampire Diaries, (le gasp, I KNOW) but I’m assuming this two brothers and their reincarnated girlfriend is like basically the same plot.
Post-reading:
Look, this book’s incoherent. There’s about 4 chapters of actual content, and it can’t stand on its own.
The plot is unnecessarily convoluted, yet so cliche, you’ll know exactly where this book is going from the second you pick it up.
The main character’s a not like other girls Mary Sue. The writing is gratingly repetitive and feels like it was written with a thesaurus set to find and replace.
It’s not sexy. The romances, if they can even be called that, are painfully underdeveloped and insta lovey. The magic system doesn’t even attempt to make sense.
There’s nothing here for you. Don’t bother picking this up.
Who should read this:
CW show fans
Ideal reading time:
The book takes place largely in April, but it’s a witchy book so you could also pick this up in October.
Do I want to reread this:
No
Would I buy this:
No
Similar books:
* The Temptation of Magic by Megan Scott-CW show Wattpad fare, urban fantasy, fated mates bullshit, family drama
* Phantasma by Kaylie Smith-Wattpad fantasy romance, competition trope, family drama
* Heartless Hunter by Kristen Ciccarelli-historical urban fantasy romance, witches, family drama
* Castle of the Cursed by Romina Garber-YA vampire Mary Sue romance, family drama
* The Unfortunate Side Effects of Heartbreak and Magic by Breanne Randall-small town family drama, second chance romance, witches
* Immortal Pleasures by V. Castro-historical retelling, vampire romance
* Lucy Undying by Kiersten White-Dracula retelling, queer romance
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I am a longtime fan of Karen Moning so was SO excited for this book. Thank you so much for an early copy. to read.
I unfortunately struggled with this book. For some reason I couldn't connect with the characters or story. The pacing felt very slow and I just couldn't really get interested in what was happening. The beginning was slower than the end and things did get a smidgen more interesting but sadly for me this one was a miss. I also struggled with this book because my dad was diagnosed with cancer so some of it was triggering for me. I would have thought sharing that commonality with Zo I'd be more able to connect but sadly that was not the case. I did request this prior to knowing my dad had cancer.
I really wish I could have connected to Zo and liked her and this book. I really hope the second book will be stronger and allow for me to connect. Maybe this was a case of my mood not being right.

I thought this was very good and I will have to add this to the shop shelves. Thank you for the chance for us to review.

There was something about this that just didn't work for me fully, but I was still entertained all the way through. The atmosphere and the world was great, and I loved this weird house in this weird town. Zo is an interesting character to follow. However, I struggled with the narration style. For example, most of the story is present day to build suspense and mystery, but there were moments where the narrator would reference something in the future which pulled me out of the story and broke any tension that was building. Also, I would've loved some more character development and interaction outside of Zo. Regardless, I will definitely be picking up book two since there is a lot in this that can be built upon a create a truly great book.

One of the best books I have read in awhile. The only downside, I have to wait until the next one comes out. I had different expectations having read the Fever series and was shocked that this book checked off every want in a book about witches. Ms. Moning, please do not stop!

Published on my birthday! Which is probably why I loved it so much. I don't even have a single idea of what is happening, who is who, future Zo, present Zo, the various witch houses. This book was jam packed but I feel like I learned nothing and now desperately need the next!

This was wonderful! I loved the writing style, the characters, the world-building…everything about it was top-notch. I will definitely be recommending this book!

Captivating tale. This book was full of secrets and I’m still suspicious of everyone. Zo simply could not catch the tiniest of breaks. Everybody was either lying, withholding, or scheming against her. Trauma should’ve been her middle name. I love the gothic setting, the house, and the grounds, everything. I do feel at times the plot moved rather slow, Zo was literally almost in the house for the whole book. Free her. The ending was wild, I need the next book ASAP.

I am a huge fan of this author's Fever series so I was very excited to get this one. This didn't disappoint and Moning really delivered. I was enthralled from the beginning, and I couldn't put it down. I am new to fantasy and loved this. I highly recommend this book if you are a fan of the author's other works. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

The House At Watch Hill will meet you somewhere between The Winchester House - Knives Out - Midnight is the Darkest Hour.
The creativity was very interesting and the fantasy was enchanting. The storyline was more fantasy than expected. Recommend if you like Fantasy and Witchcraft.

When I saw that there was a new trilogy coming from Karen Marie Moning I was in, no questions asked. I'm a big fan of both her Highlander series and her Fever series, and I didn't even care what this new series was about. But of course I did look to see what new world we'd be visiting, and the setting of a mysterious town in Louisiana just made my Southern heart even happier. And I'm pleased to say that I was not at all disappointed. Moning has set up a fascinating world, set in a cute little town that's full of interesting, often mysterious characters and secrets that we guess at while waiting for confirmation. But something is clearly a bit "off" in Divinity. And The House - well, it's almost a character itself. Parts of it are lovely, parts are menacing, and parts are just confounding. Good times! And good reading - as Zo, our main character, tries to settle into a completely new and unexpected life we feel her grief and confusion, along with her determination to make the best of the unexpected inheritance and opportunity she's been given. The ending left me anxious to dive right in to book #2, but I'll just have to not-so-patiently wait to see what comes next.
Thanks to Netgalley and William Morrow for providing a digital copy for an unbiased review.

I liked this book but it fell a bit flat. It was missing some meat that would keep the story going and keep you coming back for a next book in the series. I did like the characters though. The magic system needed some more meat to it as well.

Full disclaimer. I've not read anything of Karen Marie Moning before and urban fantasy is not my favorite, but wow, did this book change my mind. Was completely engrossed in the story and could not put it down. Happy to add this to our collection. Also, am I now looking at the author's backlist? Maybe..... ;)

I was intrigued by the premise of this book and really enjoyed it! I did get frustrated with Zo and the constant pity party, but she has been through a lot, so it is also understandable. And while she got some very upsetting and devastating news, how she handled it was unacceptable. Let’s just say that some things cannot be undone and I will be angry at this fictional character for a long time. With that said, I loved the imagery and the house was fascinating! I enjoyed getting to know the characters, the town, and how everything…worked. I liked how the author teased out information so that it kept me wanting more. And that ending? WOW! Don’t get me wrong, I figured out what was going on, but still. To end it on that note? When does the next book come out? Because I need it NOW. I will definitely be checking out more of this author's work.

This was the first in a new paranormal fantasy series from one of my fav authors. It sees a young bound witch coming into her powers and discovering she's inherited a grand estate and may be the next heir to a huge witchy coven/community. The problem is there are competing factions of good and evil fighting over her and her power and she doesn't know who to trust. Full of secrets, lies, romance, family and more, this one was great on audio and ends on a cliffhanger that has me eager for book two! Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital copy in exchange for my honest review!

A great new start to a great new series! I honestly loved it and can’t it’s for the next one. Classic KMM at its best.