I recently finished KMM’s newest series opener, THE HOUSE AT WATCH HILL and I’m so glad I did. The story’s vibes are gorgeous, seductive and filled magic.

The story introduces us to Zo Grey who has recently come into an inheritance, including a huge Gothic mansion, only there’s catch - she must live in it for three years. Alone.

This house is a character in itself with all the gothic, mysterious hidden rooms & doors you could ask for! It’s opulent but it’s hiding something! The townspeople are odd and secretive while the groundskeeper is a sexy, Scotsman.

In true KMM style, the story builds layer by layer, and at its center is the town of Divinity where strange things happen and not everyone is to be trusted.

This was a dark and bewitching read with a slow-burn romance, interesting cast of characters that I want to know more about. I definitely plan on continuing the series.

Thank you for allowing me the opportunity to read this book. I have heard so many wonderful things about this author over the years and was excited to finally give one a shot. Unfortunately this particular book did not resonate with me but it was very well written and I am definitely interested in reading her past works in the Darkfever series, which I have heard so many rave reviews of.

This book took me on a delightful nostalgia trip! It’s been a while since I’ve read a fantasy with all the classic tropes—love triangles, a somewhat vulnerable FMC, and those oh-so-charming, swoon-worthy sidekicks. And honestly? It felt kind of refreshing to revisit these familiar beats, especially after so many years of more complex plots!

That said, I can’t shake the feeling that I already know exactly where the story is headed. With so many books featuring the same setup, I can’t help but feel like I’m one step ahead of the characters. But hey, that’s part of the fun of these tried-and-true formulas, right?

One thing I did love was how Moning brought Watch Hill to life—her descriptions were so vivid, I kept expecting the manor to pop up and demand its own POV chapter! I think that could have really added an extra layer of intrigue to the story.

As for continuing the series? I’m not sure yet! If I’m in the mood for some nostalgic fantasy fun, I could see myself diving back in. But for now, I’ll keep this one on the backburner. Huge thanks to NetGalley for the ARC! I’m giving this a solid 3 stars.

I really loved this book! At first I was a little annoyed that the one night stand in the beginning was fade to black, but I decided to stick with it because I loved this authors previous books and they were amazing. I'm glad I stuck with it. This was just the right amount of spooky and romance. I give it four stars

This is such a unique paranormal book, I was blown away! This is my first by this author and it will not be my last!

This was different than previous books by Karen Marie Moning I’ve read. It’s high fantasy with a gothic setting, I loved it. Karen always writes strong and relatable female main characters. This was a great blend of genres

I was captivated by the gradual revelation of Divinity—a town cloaked in mystery, accessible only to the invited or the exceptionally powerful. The plot kept me hooked as shadowy secrets and intriguing connections unfolded, seamlessly blending southern occult themes with classic gothic undertones.

By the end, the story left me with more questions than answers, perfectly setting the stage for the sequels. Although a few chapters had moments that made me roll my eyes or left me slightly disappointed, I couldn’t tear myself away. The cliffhanger was both infuriatingly satisfying and left me eager to jump into the next book.

Karen Marie Moning’s The House at Watch Hill lays a compelling foundation for the Watch Hill Trilogy. It follows Zo Grey, a 24-year-old woman who has endured a life of loss and uncertainty. She finds herself in Divinity, Louisiana, after discovering a long-lost family connection that leaves her the heir to a sprawling Gothic mansion steeped in dark secrets. But there’s a catch: to claim the estate and its accompanying fortune, Zo must live there alone for three years.

With its fresh spin on paranormal tropes and a richly atmospheric setting, this book offers a promising start to what could become an engrossing series. I can’t wait to see what the next installment has in store.

What a fantastic story! The plot is unique and gets a tight grip on you and won't let go. My only issue was with the main character, Zo. I do not think I have run across a more unlikable main character in a long time. She was okay at the start and morphed into a raging narcissistic jerk. The cliffhanger ending was cool and the house is a showstopper.

The House at Watch Hill is the first in a new series by Karen Marie Moning. The main character, Zo, stands to inherit millions if she fulfills the terms set forth in the will, which includes a provision of living at Watch House. I really liked the dark spin on this book as well as the elements of witches, vampires, etc. The book definitley had me hooked and left us on a cliffhanger, so now I can't wait for the next to be released! Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance reader copy of this title in exchange for my honest review.

I loved this! Witches and vampires? Yes, please!

The first installment in a multi-book series is always a little harder for me to get into because of all the world building and laying the groundwork for a strong story. I think the author did a tremendous job of that and that ending left me wishing I didn’t have to wait for the next book!

I will say that I wish the house itself featured a little more malevolently in the story. And I wish we had gotten to know the menacing villagers a bit more thoroughly. And the main character had a lot of inner dialogue that was maybe not always necessary.

But this was a really fun story and I can’t wait to see what happens next!

Extensive world building is always really hard for me to stick with but if you power through you usually won’t be disappointed but for this one, I was expecting more. Maybe I’ll give it another try when the next book comes out because I do see potential but it’s going pretty low on my TBR as of right now.

Ugh I really wanted to love this but was a little disappointed. Zoe’s mood switch ups, which are explained, were odd and frustrating. I couldn’t resonate with her. But I will say the last 15% did leave me interested so I may read the next one.

The House at Watch Hill was a great start to an exciting trilogy! A perfect blend of fantasy and romance that left me wanting more.

I was thrilled to see that Karen Marie Moning had a new release coming out. For this reason, I think I set the bar pretty high. So, even though I enjoyed the book and found it to be a well written and creepy book with witches and vampires, it left me wanting just a little more "something." Don't get me wrong....I still really enjoyed it! Like I said, the bar was set high.

This book introduces us to new characters and a new world. It's one where witches - - both good and dark live among us - - as well as cold and warm vampires. The main character is Zo Grey who has recently moved to Louisiana to find out about an inheritance from a mysterious relative she never knew about. From there things start to get a little crazy.

This story contains the right mix of suspense, creepiness, a little romance and some definite mystery. Even though I figured out one of the twists early on, it didn't make it any less clever. This is the first of a series (I believe a trilogy) so we have at least two more books to look forward to. I think there's a great deal of potential to build on these characters and this storyline and think it should be a fun ride.

Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC. I voluntarily chose to read and review it and the opinions contained within are my own.

I had really high hopes for this book because I LOVED Moning's Fever series but unfortunately, I didn't love it. There were so many parallels with Mac's story in the Fever series, right down to the order in which the events happen, that it was hard to ignore. This book felt like a mash-up of the Fever series with the Mayfair Witches by Anne Rice (including some weird parallels there, too). I finished the book because I assumed that if you're not a fan of Fever or Mayfair, the story would be really good, but then you get to the end and not a single thread of the story was resolved apart from her learning that she's a witch. All of other plot lines were left on a cliffhanger. I dont have a problem with cliffhangers in a series but no resolution to any part of the plot.

I wont be posting my review publicly in the usual spots (blog, socials, Amazon, Goodreads). I'm truly heartbroken that I didn't enjoy this book. I've read Fever about a thousand times and had super-high hopes for this series.

4.5 stars

Karen Marie Moning has a wonderfully imaginative mind! Every book of hers I read I just love.

The House at Watch Hill is different from her previous series, but I love that. I like this new story and the characters in it. I can’t wait to see which house Zo gravitates towards and all of the characters she will meet. This first book was a great start to the series, bring on the next one!

***Thank you Netgalley and William Morrow for an ARC copy in return for an honest review***

Southern Occult Meets Gothic Vibes
I was drawn in by the slow-burn unveiling of Divinity—a town shrouded in mystery that only reveals itself to those invited or powerful enough to gain entry. The plot held my attention as ominous secrets and intriguing connections began to take shape, blending southern occult elements with classic gothic undertones.

By the end, the story leaves you with more questions than answers, setting the stage for the sequels. While a few chapters had moments that made me roll my eyes or feel a bit let down, I couldn’t put it down. The cliffhanger was both deliciously frustrating and left me eager to dive into the next book.

Karen Marie Moning’s The House at Watch Hill establishes a fresh and compelling foundation for the Watch Hill Trilogy. It follows Zo Grey, a 24-year-old who’s faced a lifetime of loss and uncertainty, now finding herself in Divinity, Louisiana. Thanks to a long-lost family connection, she inherits a sprawling Gothic mansion full of dark secrets—but there’s a catch. To claim the estate and the fortune that comes with it, Zo must live there alone for three years.

With its unique take on paranormal tropes and a darkly atmospheric setting, this book is a promising start to what could be a fascinating series. I can’t wait to see where the next installment takes us.

3.5⭐️ Karen Marie Moning blessing us with a new fantasy series in 2024 was not on my bingo card but I’m so happy it happened!

In this book we meet Zo who is grieving her mother and is moving into a spooky mansion that she inherited from an unknown relative. Zo is a fun character and I liked that she is learning all about this mansion with us the readers and it felt like we were on a journey together.

This book laid down the ground work to the world and Zo’s backstory so because of that there were moments where I felt like I wanted more to be happening. I think this is the type of series that will get even better as it goes on. The ending definitely left me interested in what’s to come!

While slightly predictable, The House at Watch Hill was still a good time. I absolutely love the gothic, creepy atmosphere!

The House at Watch Hill by Karen Marie Moning is about a young woman named Zo who is thrust into a paranormal world she didn’t know existed but everyone else did. Her mother dies in a house fire and a wealthy random relative leaves her an inheritance, what ends up to be a sentient gothic mansion along with a sexy Scottish grounds man named Devlin. Who doesn’t want that? No one knows who this vague relative is!

It was difficult for me to get used to this authors writing style. I often found myself out of breath with the long run-on sentences and even longer descriptions. Because of the many pages spent on world-building and heavy yet vivid descriptions this book has a very slow start.

Zo is well-written and utterly clueless. For a paranormal romance, the story spends a lot of time on Zo’s desires in her mind, but there isn’t much romancing. When there is, it’s awkward and weird. So, the whole “fall in love with the love story” aspect wasn’t there for me.

The story starts to pick up towards the end when Zo decides to accept; and then uses the worst literary device ever - a cliffhanger! Noooo.
The entire book is a long set up for the series.

It has all the things I love; witches, southern gothic vibes, vampires, some twists and secrets, a paranormal world, magic, mysterious things,’a wealthy random person or thing, attractive men ready for romance! I finally got into it maybe 75% in and then cliffhanger. Ok, so who the heck are these people?

The second book will hopefully have more going on, but I’m not 100% sure if the “intro book” has enough to hook me into a whole new series. It is still a great atmospheric read, especially for spooky season. Either way I will most likely pick up the next book because that annoying cliffhanger has me intrigued!
I do recommend reading this booknfor yourself, especially if you’re a fan of the fever series, which I know nothing about. It always takes a learning curve for me when I read a new author!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy for my honest review.