solid beach read - fun and looking forward to the next in series - definitely something to get from the public library rather than purchase

I 've been a long time fan of KMM's Fever series for many years and I had high hopes for this one but after a few chapters I must admit that I was a bit disappointed. It took me a long time to connect with the main character and we're just as confused about the new world that we've been suddenly dropped into like her. But, at the same time I remember how confused I was when I read Darkfever for the first time so, I think the author has her own plan for this series and characters. I'm hoping we get to see more character development when it comes to Zo and I'd love to see her own her power! There's also an interesting love triangle(quadrangle?) situation going on here and I'm so curious to find out who'll be the final love interest! Eagerly waiting for book 2!

I'm a big fan of KMM. I have read all of her other book and enjoyed or loved them. But this one didn't quite hit the way the others did. I wasn't really sure about the main character and whether or not we were supposed to like her (by the end I started to think we weren't). But it was just weird how the spirits of the house controlled the town and in the end the female MC. I wanted her to be stronger, to fight the urges to become evil (and maybe she does in the next book) but I couldn't see that here.

The way people love ACOTAR is the way I love Karen Marie Moning's Fever Series... and I'm not big into Fantasy (Fae, Vampire, Witch, etc) genre. But if Karen writes it, I read it!

Zo is a woman who recently found out she is the only living heir to a mysterious house in Divinity Louisiana and must reside in it for a period of time to get a full inheritance. As Zo begins her stay at Watch Hill, she also starts to learn more about herself, her lineage, the people of Divinity and her special powers. Overall this is a story about love, loss, finding your place when you feel alone, finding the people who are willing to embrace you with some fantasy mixed in.

Going into this, I kind of expected The House at Watch Hill to have an actual haunted role in the story. I mean, it's the title of the book! It's described extensively so that you almost expect it to be a full on living character itself. That is not the case... so while it's an important setting and it's description creates a great setting for some of the mood of the book, so far it's not. But to be 100% fair... KMM writes Urban Fantasy not Romantasy books so should the house really be a living thing, probably not, so this is a me thing not her!

I enjoyed reading this book and am excited for book 2!

This thriller grips you from the first sentence with a perfect blend of mystery, danger, and emotional depth. The plot twists are clever and well-earned, constantly shifting your sense of what’s true. Its characters are flawed, real, and impossible not to root for. A smart, breathless ride that delivers on every promise.

🖤🏚️ Book Review: The House at Watch Hill by Karen Marie Moning 🖤🌕

This book? Pure vibes. Total spooky season energy. Does anything actually happen? Debatable. Did I devour it anyway? Absolutely.

So here’s the deal—this book is like reading a haunted dream. There’s atmosphere for days: a maybe-haunted/maybe-sentient house, witches, vampires, spirits, animals that might be more than animals (???), and a giant cloud of what is even going on here??

To be fair, things technically happen, but by the end I still had so many questions. It felt more like Part I of a story than Book One of a series, and it definitely left me feeling like I missed a memo (or twelve).

And yet… I had so much fun. This is the kind of book that pulls you in with its mood alone. It’s weird, witchy, mysterious, and would be chef’s kiss perfect for a fall weekend read with a cup of something hot and a thunderstorm in the background. 🌧️☕🖤

Now, quick note on the romance: I was expecting more. The FMC has a thing with someone, but it’s very off-page and super rushed. Like… suddenly they slept together and you’re just supposed to go with it. Which is fine! But don’t go in thinking this is a slow-burn or a romantasy, because it’s not. And some of her inner monologue around sex felt like it was trying a bit too hard to be edgy or sex-positive and just ended up feeling kinda random?

Still, I’m hooked. I need answers. I will 100% be reading the next book because I’m in too deep now and I must know what the heck is going on at Watch Hill. 😭📖

Also—this was my first Karen Marie Moning book! I’ve been eyeing her longer series for ages but was always intimidated by the size, so this felt like the perfect way to dip my toes into her world.

Huge thanks to NetGalley & William Morrow for the eARC! All opinions are my own 💀✨

A quick southern gothic romance read with magic and mystery. Not as spellbinding as I had hoped it would be.

I was turned off by the pacing in this book - it gets VERY info dump-y around the 70% mark, and instead of learning things gradually, the reader is given a slew of information and secrets that were kept from Zo in a way that wasn’t compelling. There were elements that really intrigued me to begin with (how Zo’s mother died, how she may or may not be related to the Campbells, etc.) but the continued plot development and delivery was clunky and made me disinterested. I found myself speeding up the audio faster and faster to try to learn more so that I wouldn’t be so bored. Part of the issue for me is that it took 75% of the book to really learn anything at all - and it’s all very clearly setup as world building and background for the two subsequent novels of the trilogy. It made this first book feel like it doesn’t have enough of its own plot and storyline to sustain itself. I’ve tried others by Karen Marie Moning and unfortunately I think her pacing and style just isn’t for me!

I thought some good witchy vibes would be nice for spooky season, but this one left me wanting more. I think here was a lot of promise and I do think there were some good elements. I understand it is a trilogy, but I felt like the giant cliffhanger at the end was a bit too much and would have liked resolution to at least a plot point. Zo is reeling from losing her mother (this was done very well) when she gets a weird message about an inheritance from a relative, she’s never heard of or knew she had. When she arrives, she finds much more than expected and an inheritance she can’t refuse. But Zo is learning that everyone, including her beloved, deceased mother, have been keeping secrets and nothing in the world is what she thought which has left her incredibly ignorant and vulnerable. I likely will read the next book if I come across it, but I won’t be setting alarms and preordering to ensure I do. It was a decent read with a good premise, and I hope the series grows as the potential there is

✨ The House at Watch Hill by Karen Marie Moning is an absolute gem that swept me away into a world of mystery, magic, and a touch of romance! The moment I started reading, I was utterly captivated by Zo Grey’s journey, and I couldn’t put it down! 💖🌙

Zo is such a relatable character—she’s reeling from the heartbreaking loss of her mother when she receives a call that turns her world upside down. An inheritance from a distant relative in Divinity, Louisiana, is like a glimmer of hope in her otherwise dark time! I adored her courage as she decided to take a leap of faith and move into the eerie Gothic mansion on Watch Hill, despite her reservations. How brave is that? 🌹💪

The house itself is like a character in its own right! With its secrets, riddles, and mysterious doors, it had me on the edge of my seat, eagerly uncovering every new detail alongside Zo. The atmosphere felt so rich and immersive—I could practically feel the creaking floorboards and the whispers of the past! Plus, a red-eyed Stygian owl? How fabulously enchanting! 🦉✨

And let me not forget to mention the impossibly sexy Scottish groundskeeper— swoon! Their chemistry is undeniable, and it adds a delightful romantic tension to the story! Zo’s interactions with him are both steamy and filled with playful banter, making their connection even more engaging amidst the unfolding mysteries of the mansion. 💞🖤

What truly amazed me was how Moning weaves themes of self-discovery and the importance of facing one’s fears throughout the narrative. As Zo delves deeper into her family’s mysteries and her own dormant powers, the stakes rise, leading her to confront sinister forces that lurk not only within the walls of the house but also within herself. It’s a beautiful metaphor for embracing who we truly are, and watching Zo grow into her own power was truly inspiring! 🌟🔮

Overall, The House at Watch Hill is a bewitching tale filled with enchanting twists, rich character development, and just the right dose of suspense and romance! If you love stories about magical inheritances and uncovering your true self, then this book is an absolute must-read! 📚✨

I was introduced to KMM with The Fever series, and I remember telling people how good the series was. It was a very slow burn series, but that did not detract from how phenomenal the series was. This book seems as though it might be starting off the same way with a very slow build. There were things that were overly described, and I did find that annoying at times. I hope that the sequel is a little faster paced, and dives right into the story now that the state is efficiently set.

This is rather hard for me to review, as I had mixed feelings about it.

I absolutely LOVED Karen’s Fever series – namely, books 1-5. After that, the series kind of lost me. I mostly enjoyed books 6-8, but they started to feel a little monotonous and I never continued past that. I enjoyed most of the Highlander series, too, although Immortal Highlander is my favorite far above all the rest (ADAM BLACK!!). So, when I saw that she was coming out with a new book, I was ecstatic.

Overall, I think maybe my expectations were too high. Not that I didn’t enjoy it, I did for the most part! But the book left me wanting in some way I can’t define.

The beginning was a little rocky, not gonna lie. Zo is quite arrogant about her looks – she’s gorgeous, and can get any man she wants. A fact that she reminds you, often. Confidence is great and everything, but the fact that she’s just sooo hot and flaunts TF out of it makes her hard for me to relate to. I was also on the fence about her sexuality. I think it’s great for women to be open and unashamed about sexuality, but she was almost over sexualized…and here’s where things got a little weird. Because she had this thing where she talked about looking at someone, and the two of them having a full on conversation with their eyes. As in, literally, not figuratively. It was soo fucking weird. No one talks like that. No one even thinks like that. It almost lost me, to be honest. [spoilers removed] I’m grateful it was explained, but it was still very odd and jarring.

There was a lot of focus on the sex in all of the Zo’s relationships. A distinct difference between the Fever series and this is a complete lack of any chemistry or tension. There are a couple of male interests, but it was all insta-lust and no chemistry. Nothing like the sexy slow burn between Mac and Barrons. It’s actually crazy to me that it’s the same author that wrote that relationship. How can I have any attachment to a man that the FMC barely even knows?! They had almost no interaction. I also didn’t care for there being too many love interests.

This is definitely a slow-burn novel. It takes forever to get any kind of background or answers. (And even then, I feel like we still didn’t get a full explanation?) The pacing is quite slow and not much happens. I did love the gothic setting and vibe of the story and the house itself, it kept me going! Also, who doesn’t dream of suddenly inheriting a mansion and a shitload of money?! Lmao.

Something about this story that really spoke to me was the poignant portrayal of grief. I can tell it was KMM writing something quite personal to her, because it had me tearing up multiple times at how visceral Zo’s grief was. It was a little hard to read, having lost both my parents (and one of them to cancer, just like Zo’s mom).

I am also super excited about the reveal at the end of the book, what a cliffhanger! [spoilers removed] While I didn’t love this book, I do want to pick up the second one to see where the story goes.

Original review with spoilers posted on Novel Heartbeat.

I have loved this authors previous books, so I was extremely thankful to get this arc.
A lot of the areas Moning excels in shined here: setting, pacing, and descriptions of emotion. There was a lot emphasis on symbolism and imagery, imo, too much. I did struggle with connecting to the story and the main character, but I'm hoping that the next book illuminates that for me.

Thank you to the author, the publisher, and NetGalley for providing this advance reader's copy for an honest review.

I was so excited to read this book. I adore Karen Marie Mooning and her Fever Series and I was STOKED that she was starting a new series. I tried very hard to not compare Zo to Mac and really immerse myself in this new world. A few things I loved. I loved the tragic back story of Zo with her mother on the run until her final death. It leaves so many questions and kept me guessing on what was going on there. I really loved the idea of Divinity, a very unusual town with vibes that you just aren't quite sure of what is going on but you know it is not normal. I loved that Zo was going to inherit the house and all that goes on with it, good or bad cause I was kept guessing - even know. I love ambiguity in characters of if they are good or evil, it just makes reading so interesting if you aren't sure who you are routing for.
A few things I really didn't like. I didn't like that Zo was so insistent on telling us about all her one night stands. It made her sounds shallow and vapid instead of strong like I think it was meant to be. Even in her interaction with Kellan (who I am assuming will be one of the love interests eventually) she seemed very shallow in her reasoning for being with him. I didn't feel like it was well explained or thought out her need for one night stands.
I also found the use of her friend to "explain" everything to her was odd. She came, explained poorly and badly what she was and how long she had known, got her really upset which I found off from her character but forgiveness as a vehicle of moving the story forward. I kinda of liked her being immersed in the town alone and trying to navigate all the characters. I also would have like a lot more of those characters so that the ending of the book would make a million times more sense. We are only getting the lawyer and a few closer characters but not what her actually being in the town means to the people of Divinity. The ending where everything kinda blew up and they weren't going to except her seemed almost out of nowhere because we really didn't have the background of other characters.
Her relationship with Devlin seems weird and off also...it is like she RUSHED into that just to create a nonexistent love triangle because we haven't seen Kellen since the beginning of the book. I would have liked a slower burn on their relationship.
I also really didn't like the moments in the book where the "foreshadowing" of things to come are explained in the sentence. The storyline was pretty easy to see the red flags, where the story was going, what was going to be problems, but the author kept spelling it out with breaking the 4th wall comments - It brought me out of the story.
Anyway - was it my favorite No ..will I be reading the next one...Absolutely - I really like the world of dark vs light vs grey and I am very intrigued by where Zo is going to fit it. I always love a coming-of-age witch novel and this has really good bones of a good series.

"The House at Watch Hill" by Karen Marie Moning is an intriguing 4-star read! Zo Grey is in the middle of a job interview when unexpected news sends her life in a completely new direction. Soon after, she is summoned to Divinity, LA, forcing her to make life-altering choices about her future.

At first, I struggled with the book and questioned whether I had made the right decision in requesting it. However, by the end, I was completely hooked, turning pages as fast as possible to see what awaited Zo. My advice? Push through the awkward romantic musings early on—once past them, the story truly takes off.

While action is sparse, the novel focuses heavily on world-building and character development, setting the stage for the next book in the series. Most of the story unfolds through Zo’s perspective, with occasional chapters from the mysterious Alisdair. Some phrases are overused, which may be distracting for some readers, but overall, the book left me eagerly anticipating the sequel.

Thanks to William Morrow, Karen Marie Moning, and NetGalley for providing me with the opportunity to read this ARC and share my honest review.

Not sure what I thought I’d experience as I requested The House at Watch Hill, but what I got was a masterful story full of twists and turns, magical realism, and found family. I could not put this down.

Overall I really enjoyed this book .
It started out a bit slow for me but once we get a good interduction into most of the characters and world, it picked up for me.
I loved that there was always a new mystery and kept you interested in the book and kept you reading along.
I am looking forward to book two even more now that we much more involved into the world.

Some things though were a little to predicable and easy to pick up from but I'm honestly not sure if t was meant to be that wat or not,
I give it a 3.5 stars and excited for book two

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! 💫📚