This was a much awaited book for me. I was trying to hold off reading it until closer to the fall time before it’s release but I just couldn’t help myself. This book has very strong character development and I loved how it was both plot/storyline and character driven. I loved the backdrop of this book which is Louisiana and I also loved each of the characters, they each brought something to this story. We get my some mystery entwined with many secrets and you will be turning page after page to try and figure out what is going to happen next…honestly my favorite. I sat there unable to stop reading because I just had to keep going! If you love a good book with a gothic feel and a witchy vibe that has you on the edge of your seat with your mind racing wondering if you can figure it all out before the end of the book. . .then this book is for you. I honestly cannot wait until book 2, I am going to be anxiously awaiting for it and anything else that our author puts out!

Pub Date: October 01, 2024

Thank you @netgalley ,@williammorrow and author for the arc in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you for the ARC copy Netgalley. I am a longtime fan of Karen Marie Moning. This book is a great introduction to a new series. Zo has lived a half life. But now she knows her destiny and is ready to become her real self. But we will not find that real self until the next installment.

What if your entire past was based on secrets and lies?
Would living in a bizarre gothic mansion inside a secretive town be worth the rewards?
What if the creatures you thought only existed in imagination were real?

The House at Watch Hill is the heart-racing beginning to the newest trilogy series by the queen of atmospheric fantasy, Karen Marie Moning. Written in the first person point of view, this story allows the reader to not just read, but to feel everything the main character, Zo, is feeling. The first half immerses the reader in portraying plot and illustrative world-building, with essential details that readers want to capture. If you are already a fan of KMM (I see you, rainbow girl), you will want to experience this gothic, spicy masterpiece beginning with her newest series. If you aren't already a fan, buckle up; KMM's writing and characters will captivate you. She's magic at weaving a storyline, making the reader thirst for more. I devoured House at Watch Hill and plan to reread it to seek juicy details I may have missed the first time through.

Thank you so much, Karen Marie Moning, the publisher William Morrow, and NetGalley for the opportunity to begin this epic journey with Zo. I cannot wait for my pre-purchased hardcover to arrive! Five Stars.

When I saw that KMM had a new book series, I jumped at the chance to read it. A fan for many years, I have read almost everything she has written. I eagerly dove straight into this book and was not disappointed. I don't normally read a lot of things about witches, although magic and almost all things paranormal interest me. However, that being said, I enjoyed the heck out of this book.

The suspense of pulling back all of the layers that are the house at Watch Hill had me buzzing. There is just so much to take in with this place. It seems like a miracle but also a type of curse at the same time. So much pressure, yet it hardly takes a whisper to do so much damage.

Everything was really interesting, right from the beginning you get sucked in, just like with the Highlander books. (The Dark Highlander has always been my favorite.) It has the same unbelievable yet believable whimsy of the Fever Series yet, this seems to be darker still. I am happy that there are going to be two more books because frankly, I don't see how anyone could put everything into just one.

This book is the epitome of most people's dreams. You have a rough life, something magical happens that makes you feel like you went through everything for that reason then easy street. But then you find out that easy street has its own set of problems.

How would you feel if you woke up and learned that not are you a different person than what you were meant to be, but also that you had been lied to for most of your life? Even if it is for your own 'good'?

One of my favorite things about this book is that there is a story inside of a story, inside of a story. Everything is multi-faceted. Take nothing at face value because everything either has a back story that is pertinent or someone else has an ulterior motive. The betrayal, the heartache, the coming into your own, all comes together in one giant cataclysmic event. Then boom! Your new world, your new life, starts to shatter. Can it be fixed? Is there a way out of the perceived hell that you're now in? We shall see.

And the lead up until the 'end'? Holy cow, what a ride. I have been thinking about that nonstop since this book ended. It's stuck at the forefront of my mind. What a rush! I cannot wait until the next book. This is why KMM is one of my favorite authors of all time and always will be. I recommend this book and everything else she has written. You will never be disappointed.

Thanks to Net Galley, the publishers, and to Karen Marie Moning for the ability to read and review this book. All opinions are honest and are completely my own.

I loved Karen Moning's Fever series...until I didn't. I read 7 out of the 11 books in the series because they had an addicting quality to them, where I couldn't wait to read another chapter. Then Iced happened and it was all gone. I tried to read the book after that but was so completely disappointed that I never read past it.

I was so hopeful for a new Trilogy, wanting to get that same feeling as the early Fever series. You know, where everything is new and discovering these unknown characters that I would eventually fall in love with? That didn't happen.

What I didn't like:
Spoilers
1) Zo was broke, but had second thoughts about the inheritance. What other appealing offers did she have?
2) She was actively practicing witchcraft her entire life but was shocked and in disbelief that she was a witch.
3) She acted bi-polar with her best friend. She was mad at her and then went out clubbing with her, then was mad at her again. It got to be tiresome.
4) She had an actual "Guide to witchcraft" from her best friend and her mother, yet NEVER READ IT!
5) In the 7 days she was at the house, she was surrounded by well meaning witches/vampires, and no one taught her anything, even after she supposedly killed someone in the barn and destroyed the garden and house.
6) Making a big deal out of Kellan and his supernatural powers throughout the book and not expecting him to be the head of a Coven.
7) Major life events were happening to Zo (death of her mother, finding out she had a massive inheritance, discovering she was a witch, having two major attacks on her life, fighting with her best friend) but she couldn't keep her libido in check. She wanted to have sex with almost every male she met including the body guards. When she couldn't find Kellan, any man would do.
8) The foreshadowing was unnecessary. The "Future Zo" was actually anti-climactic to the story since you knew she lived through this experience and would have sex MANY more times with Devlin in the future.
9) Her last name being Grey and the Coven of Gray. Not a big leap there.

I wouldn't recommend this trilogy for the readers who didn't love the Fever books after ICED. Maybe for people new to Karen Moning this might work.

*ARC provided by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Wow interesting book about a witch who finds out that she has powers. Gets a house with conditions and meets Kellen and Devin. She likes them both. She gets upset with friend and somehow moves up the witch ladder. Great set up to a series. She seemed to have a stream of thoughts alot. She seems very Mary sue.

Zo Grey hasn’t had much luck in her life. Her mother has moved her from town to town, and she can’t hold down a job due to her mother’s cancer diagnosis. Once her mother passes tragically, Zo finds out she is the sole heir to a fortune of a relative she has never met. The only catch is she has to play by some rules and live in this house in Louisiana for 3 years before she can inherit it. Seeing as Zo has nowhere else to go, she decides to check out the home in Louisiana. While there, she realizes that everything is not what it seems with the town, the house, or the people. People cannot enter the home unless invited. There is a burned wing of the house that has something weird going on. Rufus the owl has to be let in and out. The house has secret passageways and rooms. Literally everyone in town wants to meet her. Zo is completely overwhelmed and doesn’t know who to trust anymore. She doesn’t know who she is or what she is and she looking for answers.

The beginning of this book was great. The middle was a bit boring, as it was mostly world building. Man that ending though….Im ready for the next book!

I absolutely devoured this book and then severely struggled to write this review because I don't want the book to be over. It’s one of those books that causes you to stare at the wall and salivate for the next one!
I should also mention that I absolutely adore Karen Marie Moning’s books, so I knew automatically that this book would be amazing, and I was not disappointed in the slightest! This book was everything I hoped for, and I don’t know how to survive until the second book is out…
This book had me guessing all the way to the end. I was honestly so confused at times trying to figure out what could happen, as Karen is so amazing at creating multiple potential futures that leave you confused and amazed till the very end.
This book follows Zo as she loses her mother and comes to realize her whole world could have been a lie. She’s left navigating a world that has everyone out to get her and with no way to know who is lying to her and who wants to help her. The house which she stands to inherit is dark and foreboding, but so enticing. Will she gain riches, power and prestige or something dark and sinister?
Plus, this book comes with an owl, and I adore animal companions!
So if you love mysteries, witches, vampires and a thousand potentials, then this is the series for you!

Zo and her mother have been bouncing around town to town since Zo can remember. But then her mom gets killed in a house fire that takes everything from Zo. Days later she is contacted by a lawyer in Louisiana saying she has been left an inheritance. When Zo arrives she finds out she is actually the heir to quite a fortune, but in order to inherit it, she must meet several contingencies. And what follows is a story of a close knit town with a lot of secrets.

I was pulled into this story from the start. Lots of mystery, twists and turns. It did feel like it ended really quickly and not enough story happened over the course of this first book, but really looking forward to the next book!

I was given an advanced copy of this book from Netgalley.

Another exceptional book written by KMM. My favorite aspect of Karen's writing is her method of world building. Granted, all of her series fall more into urban fantasy than high fantasy, which gives her a little easier of a path, but I love how we learn the world building along with her FMCs. Instead of large blocks of confusing info dumping, her FMCs enter their respective worlds, knowing very little of the fantasy aspects of their lives, which allows us to put the pieces together at a reasonable speed. If you are confused or overwhelmed by the information that you are receiving, it's because the fmc is as well. This story is no different.

This is a gothic witchy book that takes place around New Orleans, LA. The book grabbed my interest almost immediately and kept it all the way throughout. I will admit that it felt like the week spent in divinity was dragging out, but that's how the fmc was supposedly feeling as well. It did affect my overall interest levels towards the middle of the book, but not enough to stop me from pushing on. I was extremely frustrated with how little she was allowed to know, and all the parameters in place that prevented her education of her power. I was constantly on edge, questioning everybody's motives and analyzing all of the dialogue to decipher what the overarching plot would be. I found myself suspicious of every single person she came into contact with which is probably why I was able to anticipate the twist at the very end.

If the story wasn't enough to keep my wanting more, that ending sure was. I'm chomping at the bit for the next book and this one won't even officially release for another 3.5 months. The wait for book 2 is going to be excruciating.

My one criticism is that, for a book set in such a culturally rich party of the country, I would have liked to have seen it have more of an impact on the story. Majority of the book took place in or around the manor/her gardens, and the few excursions she took were too night clubs in the town. I understood that the premise of this book drove the location, but there were definitely some missed opportunities to show more of the culture.

The House at Watch Hill by Karen Marie Moning.

Holy kittens! Holy kittens! Holy KITTENS! Karen Moning is Back!
I've been reading Karen Moning's books for about 20 years now. Her Fever series is one of my all-time favorites. For some reason, I had it in my head that she retired from writing after her last Fever book. But she is back and just as fantastic as ever!
Unlike her previous 2 series that had overlapping worlds, this one appears to be standing on its own, at least so far. No Barrons here... This series has more of a witchy vibe but of course still incorporates some smexy celtic men that Karen is known for writing.
I rarely read a book twice, but I will be reading this one again before book 2 comes out. So much happens. So many details. I flew through it only to want to scream and cry when I got to one of her famous cliffy endings. Five plus stars.

#bookreview #2024 #netgalley #witches #orphan inheritance #spookymansion #celticmen #triangle #spice #fivestars

*Rounded up to 3.5* Many thanks to William Morrow and Netgalley for the eARC.
Zo Grey (Rhymes with No) and her mother Joanna have been running her entire life. Zo has no time to worry about what is going on in her life as she does nothing but work to put a roof over their heads and food in the pantry. Why? Joanna is dying of cancer and there is no one else to take care of the both of them. Zo has no clue who they are running from, who her father is or anything else about her mother's past because Joanna never told her. She just vaguely let Zo think her father was a bad guy. Then Zo suddenly gets notice of an inheritance from a relative she never heard of and her life is jolted from her bland existence.

I am a big Karen Marie Moning fan and have read almost all of her books and loved most of them. Her Highlander series books can be read as stand-alone stories. Her Fever books build on one another and need to be read in order. I suspect The House at Watch Hill is a building block to a greater story type book as it is labeled a trilogy. When building a new world/society, sometimes the world building and the story can fight with each other as the author settles the reader into that world. That felt like what was happening here especially in the middle portion of the book. The beginning of the story drew me in. The middle kind of got bogged down a bit and the ending finished much stronger than the rest of the book. My biggest complaint about this story is I am not sure who Zo Grey/Campbell is supposed to be. Maybe that is because SHE is not sure who she is supposed to be, but I never got a full grip on her character to decide if I liked her or not. There was a little too many feelings in this book and not as much narrative as I would like. But the ending... Oh the ending... That left me with such a big smile for such a dire cliffhanger. I will read the next book in the trilogy for that alone.

The House at Watch Hill is THE witchy read for me this year. As a Louisiana native, this one hit home, adding elements of our culture correctly. This was such a dark and whimsical read. Even though certain parts were a little slow, I can tell it is setting up for an amazing and eventful series. This was an absolute thrilling introduction to a new series. It had plot twists, spice, swoon worthy Scottish men, and a dash of magic, all wrapped up neatly. Zo Grey is an intriguing main character, having to wrestle with the ghosts of her fragmented past, meanwhile, having to divine what her future holds from the bits and pieces of secrets given to her. I cannot wait to see what else happens in the books to come!

Zo has had a hard time with life. Her mom is battling cancer and not making gains. She is the only caretaker, and no one will give her a job. What is she supposed to do to survive. We are talking bills piling up, no money for rent or food on their table. One day she happens to be in the middle of a job interview when she keels over in immense pain and a fire in her belly. This was the moment her mother died in a tragic house fire and couldn't move to get out. She is destroyed by this, and if things couldn't get any more strange. Zo is summoned to a southern Louisiana town to hear the reading of a family member's will. She didn't have family - she has no idea who this person could be and what they left her. But what does she have to lose? Well...she inherits the estate and billions over a specific amount of time - if she observes all the rules. Well the rules are part of a world she has no idea about becuase her mother has been on the run and kept her hidden her entire life. So many secrets, friendships, foes, and magic quickly become apparent. How can she navigate this world when all she wants to do is explode. She has no idea who she is, what she is, who she can trust, and most importantly what she is supposed to do! A new great series by Karen Moning who creates the best magical worlds full of power struggle, deceipt, and hopefully love!

So, I decided to take a dip into this author's pool with "The House at Watch Hill." I thought I was in for a gothic, witchy rollercoaster from rags to riches, but it turned out to be more like a kiddie slide with a leaky hose.

At first, I was all in, like 'Wow, this is going to be good!' But by the middle, I was mentally pushing a boulder uphill to finish it. The main character's inner monologue was like a time-traveling tourist who got lost on the way to Old England.

And seriously, why was she hesitating about becoming filthy rich? It's not like she had to wrestle dragons or solve quantum physics equations. She just had to abide by some quirky house rules. Talk about first-world problems!

Plus, she had witchy powers on speed dial from page one, but when the official witchy memo arrived, she acted like she'd just seen a unicorn in her cereal. It was like watching someone forget they're wearing pants.

Thank you to NetGalley and William Morrow publishers for an advanced readers copy so that I may give my honest feedback and review.

This review has been posted on my Goodreads

Thank you for the opportunity to read The House at Watch Hill.
Anne Rice fans come read this book. Major feels of the Mayfair witches.
I truly enjoyed this book

The House at Watch Hill is the first book in a new fantasy series by bestselling author Karen Marie Moning, author of the Highlander and Fever novels.

The open, elaborate, wrought-iron gates on the cover beckoned me to enter and explore what was inside.

Zo Grey, twenty-four, has lost everything and is grieving the unexpected death of her mother when she discovers she is heir to a fortune and large estate. The property, with its massive manor, sits atop Watch Hill and overlooks Divinity, Louisiana, a small town with a rich history. The unexpected endowment comes with some unusual conditions that Zo must meet before the estate is hers.

The story and its characters are complex, the writing style at times poetic. As I read, rich descriptions filled my senses—the scents in the air, what was seen, what was felt beneath one’s feet.

So much happened within the pages I reread the book-twice.

Thank you, Karen Marie Morning, I look forward to the rest ofthis series.


Publisher: William Morrow
Publication date: October 1, 2024

#Fantasy #Romance #gothicmansion #mysteries #secrets #inheritance #series #paranormal #thehouseatwatchhill
#arc #netgalley #WilliamMorrow #karenmariemoning @williammorrowbooks
@karenmariemoningofficial
#Brightbookreviews #facebook #Goodreads
#Instagram #bookstagram

The story is a slow build to the ending. The intensity hits in just the last few chapters. It ends on a huge cliff hanger. So, if you make it till the end, you will be chomping at the bit to hear about her next chapter in life.

Wow! I am so excited about this new trilogy from Karen Marie Moning. Shortly after losing her mother, Zo Grey finds out that she is the heir to the Cameron mansion and fortune in Divinity in Louisiana. This book sets the background for the trilogy. Why was Zo and her mother always on the run? Is she truly the Cameron Heir? And why are the townspeople so strange?

So many questions, and Moning does a great job of dropping the breadcrumbs while the story develops. This was a page-turner that I couldn't put down. Loved it and can't wait until the next one!

The main character Zo her mother dies before she dies she has cancer and she was living with her just them till her mother dies during a fire. She finds out she is the sole beneficiary to a estate owned by a last living relative Juniper who dies and the whole thing is she needs to stay there for 3 years to get the million dollars and own this big estate.

She goes to divinity on watch hill, meets staff strange characters, some cute guy she falls for. I feel like the love aspect is lacking there isn’t a lot for a regular romance book. The book was very slow to figure out what was the downfall to it what was going on with the secrets in the book.

I don’t understand why her mother told the friend over her that she knew from elementary school the secret that they were all witches and the fact that she was one and so was her best friend. She didn’t know all this time that she was a witch. I would have been mad too!! I wish there was more going on in the house like I thought there was going to be like paranormal but it was more fantasy type with witches and vampires. I didn’t understand the whole light and dark and took a little too long to find out if she was either or. Her mother was royal blood but she was sick because she chose it to suppress her daughter’s magic as a witch. Instead of hiding the secrets I wish she had told her. Over all the book I gave it 4 stars because it was still a good page turner just very slow at knowing what was going on.

Thank you to netgalley for giving me this book for review!