This was slow moving, so I am not surprised to see that it is book one of a trilogy. It seems like book 1 is setting the scene for all the rest of them. Nothing really happened until the end of this book, so I expect the next book to come out swinging.

4.5 stars
The House at Watch Hill, by the uber talented Karen Marie Moning, delivers on plot, character, and mystery. As with the author's other works, the pacing is perfect, and the characters are gray in all the best ways--you never know who you can trust!

The heroine, Zo Grey, is dealing with the loss of her mom and gets a strange surprise, an inheritance in Louisiana that comes with A LOT of secrets and a house that's more than strange.

The progression of Zo is developed nicely, see her through grief and forging new connections, especially with the sexy groundskeeper and some stranger met at a bar. But it's her learning about her own abilities and accepting or rejecting them that makes this book shine.

My only complaint is that it ends on a major cliffhanger, and who knows how long we'll have to wait before getting back into the story?

A super entertaining read for those who like the paranormal, mystery, and engaging storytelling.

Karen Marie Moning is back with a fantastic paranormal fantasy. As expected, the world building for this new series is full and rich. We also get to know Zo, the female main character, who, with the loss of her mother, finds out she knows nothing about herself. This first book gives us glimpses of the past, present, and future as mystery abounds in the small town of Divinity and the House. While the House does play a big role in the book, I expected it to have more about it than the story included since it's title of the book. This book ends on a cliffhanger. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

This was an enjoyable read, even for someone who doesn't usually delve into Romance as a genre. The atmospheric writing drew me in, creating a sense of mystery and intrigue that kept me engaged throughout. I appreciated the author's evocative style, which added depth to the setting and made the story come alive. I found myself pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed the experience but also definitely being able to tell that this was set-up for the rest of the planned series, if that makes sense.

3 1/2 stars

The first installment of Karen Marie Moning’s new trilogy, The House at Watch Hill, finds 24-year-old Zo Grey trying to work through and absorb her mother’s recent death. For the past few years, her life had been consumed by her mother’s care. Then Zo receives notification that a distant relative has died and she’s to go to Louisiana to receive her inheritance. But none of it is straightforward nor is the inheritance of a grand house and millions of dollars expected. That’s just the beginning of the unexpected.

There’s a reason why I rarely read the first book of a trilogy before the rest have been published. Actually, there are two reasons: the first book is filled with backstory and world-building and inevitably the novel ends on a cliffhanger. I am certain that I am still hanging on the ends of numerous books that I will never know what happens and some I’ve even forgotten I’ve read. (yikes) The House at Watch Hill epitomizes both of those trilogy issues.

I was a fan of Moning’s Fever series about Mac Lane’s search for her sister and then search for her sister’s murderer. Zo Grey has quite a bit in common with Mac Lane. Both are young and naïve to the existence of a larger world. But The House at Watch Hill’s Zo possesses black and white emotions so far; she needs to be fleshed out more than she has been. In fact, some of her behavior was just plain annoying in its impetuous brattiness. Hopefully that will change as the trilogy develops.

As in most stories in which there is world-building, The House at Watch Hill throws a lot of information and characters at the reader in the form of mythology, family backstory, in-fighting, politics. It felt like a lot. An interesting lot but still a lot. all of this served to make me interested but not quite care.

There may be romance(s) but so far they’ve been hook-ups or perhaps romances that have not, again, been fleshed out despite the fact of being fleshed up. (hahaha)

So. I’m interested and a quarter of the way committed. If I don’t forget that this is a trilogy. 😉 I am certain that considering Moning’s backlist the future story will be unputdownable.

Many thanks to the publisher for sending me a copy.

This was a good start to this series, although at times, I felt like I was waiting for something big to happen. The magic was intriguing but also confusing in parts, and Zo was often annoying. I had a hard time warming up to her constantly fluctuating emotions. Devlin was a fascinating character. I'm looking forward to learning more about him.

I definitely feel like this book was more of a setup for the trilogy as a whole. There's so much potential here, and I can't wait to read what comes next.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are my own.

This has so much potential but missed the mark for me. I would go solid 3. Zo, our FMC, was a little too much for me. I am not discounting the emotional rollercoaster ride she was on, but her swings were all a little too much for me. I had a hard time getting crumbs of what the potential for the magic was vs what was happening. I felt like I was on the edge of my seat the whole book waiting for something to happen and not a whole lot did. I did like the little town and the outlying characters- I liked Devlin a lot. I want to learn more about vamps as I know Zo does! I liked her BF who tried to support her from afar in her own way. And I also liked her main man from the law firm who was helping her with this transition. I liked the idea of an entire town of witches and the different layers of witches- the light, the dark and the gray. Again there was a lot of potential there but it didn't tie out well in my opinion.

Zo is literally at rock bottom. Her mom has just died from a house fire. She has nowhere to live. She has been living paycheck to paycheck as it is. Now she gets a call from someone in Louisiana claiming she has an inheritance. She decides why not and goes down to get it. She feels the energy and vibe in the small town is off from the jump. And then she finds out what her inheritance is- the creepy gigantic mansion on top of the hill as well as a bunch of money IF she can live in said mansion for 3 years without anyone else living with her. Talk about unexpected. Now she has this new life to contend with. And the hot pool boy/general grounds man who she can't stop making eyes at. She has these women from the town who are lining up to talk with her about what she is now in charge of. She is realizing that there are pieces to this puzzle she doesn't have. She wants answers but can't finds out for another week. She finally gets a glimpse of them from her BF but still feels like she is in the dark. She is feeling all of these things she has never felt before. She is angry and really really sad and these emotions are swinging so much she can't keep up. She is hoping for answers but when they come she has so many more. Will she survive the initiation process? Is she the true heir? Or is there more happening around her than she knows?

I am on the fence about reading the second one. Part of my is intrigued to see if it gets better because second books sometimes have a habit of doing that. The other part of me says not so sure.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

Y’all I really enjoyed this one!! If you love books that live on vibes and atmosphere, this is the perfect spooky season book for you! This is my first KMM book and I might be hooked. Her lyrical prose and impactful descriptions of Divinity and Watch Hill ensnared me, making me feel like I was very much in the middle of the spooky and dark southern tale. I enjoyed our FMC Zo and how she matured and looked at the world, even as the world she knew changed drastically. The bulk of this novel felt like the stage was being set for book two, especially in setting up the world, magic system, and atmosphere. The last 20% of the book has the most action/resolution, but also left off on a cliffhanger making me rather eager for book two!! As always, thank you to @netgalley and @williammorrowbooks for access to this ARC for review.

5 💫

I received this book in exchange for an honest review. Thank you so much to the publisher for this opportunity.

I fell in love with Karen Marie Moning from her “Fever” series.

Her engaging story telling didn’t leave me wanting in this book either, except for I need the full series NOW. ♥️

Imagine living a life of struggle for as long as you can remember, your mother is deathly sick and you are the only person capable of caring for her physical & financial needs. This is the life Zo has lived with her mother, Joanna.

And then you receive the worst news, your mother has perished in a house fire. Mysteriously, after her mother’s death her senses and world have started to come alive.
Zo has been contacted about a mysterious inheritance.

I won’t delve further into the story as you MUST read it. But it’s a witches coming to power story that leaves you dying to know more!

Would recommend x one million. 🤩

Thank you to the publisher William Morrow, the author, and Netgalley for providing me the eARC in exchange for my honest review!
Publication Date: October 1, 2024

2.5 STARS

Zo Grey's life is turned upside down by the death of her mother. However, her life takes a turn when she learns she has inherited a gothic mansion in the strange town of Divinity, Louisiana. Complying with the stipulations of the will and inheritance laws, Zo moves into the house. She encounters a sexy Scottish gardener (her love interest!), as well as oddities surrounding the House at Watch Hill.

I came away from this book with very mixed feelings. Karen Marie Moning's reputation precedes her, as I've heard so many people rave about her famous paranormal Fever series that thrived in the subgenre's heyday about 15 years ago (2000s to early 2010s). So this title was high on my most anticipated new releases of the year. Unfortunately, the overall experience was a letdown.

First, the pacing is atrocious. The plot doesn't really take flight until about the 60% mark. Before then, you're just getting familiarized with the lay of the land in Divinity and the ever repetitive grief thoughts Zo has. I missed any sense of strong atmosphere--whether it be magical or gothic--in the first 50% that I think should have existed. The last third of the book takes off with huge plot reveals, expansion of scope, and ramping up of the action and pacing. Unfortunately, everything that came before felt like a never-ending, padded-out prologue and/or filler.

In the same vein, Zo as the female protagonist feels flat for much of the book. There is a reason built into the plot that ends up being addressed but that still didn't change the fact that Zo's characterization was uninteresting and simple to me for much of the book. The Scottish gardener MMC was inoffensive but also not captivating.

That last third of the book convinced me that author KMM does know how to tell a creative story with interesting world-building. The plot kicks into high gear; you learn lore as it's dramatically revealed to the FMC, and you finally get some explosive whys and hows regarding the FMC's background and the significance of her coming to town. However, that shift came much too late for me to feel fully engaged and interested enough to follow Zo and the story into the next book.

I was also nonplussed with the romance. I withhold any strong conclusions about this subject because this may be a series where the romance truly develops and blossoms over the course of multiple books in the series (e.g. series by Ilona Andrews). In this book, Zo gets intrigued and later intimate with her man, but the romance is never the central focus but a feature of the story.

Thanks to NetGalley and William Morrow for this ARC. This is a hard one to review because for me, this book is just an introduction to the beginning of this series. You don't really get into the heart of the story until the very end, and of course it ends on a cliffhanger. And what a interesting cliffhanger it is. I have a feeling that the second book in this series will really set the tone for this series and leave us racing to get our hands on the next one to come. I will of course be waiting.

The beginning of this book sucked me right in. I liked Zo from the moment we met her, and I loved the setting of Divinity and all the people helping her with the inheritance.

We get some explosive moments when Zo learns some things about herself and finds out she was lied to, well for pretty much her entire life, by everyone she loves. So some emotional outbursts are to be expected. But a lot of the book is a bit on the slower side. We get lots of descriptions of the house, which I did enjoy, although I did think it was going to give off a more haunted vibe—descriptions of Zo and her lust for both the opposite sex, and food. I wasn't too bothered because I could tell we were ramping up to something at the end.

And while the ending wasn't quite as action-packed or explosive as I thought we were going to get, I was definitely surprised by it. I think as the first book in this series, it set a good foundation for the characters and the world, and I'm excited to continue on in this series.

The House at Watch Hill had me hooked from the very first chapter! Karen Marie Moning weaves a dark, atmospheric tale full of mystery, magic, and danger that kept me on the edge of my seat. Zo Grey, reeling from grief, inherits a creepy Gothic mansion in Louisiana, and the house itself feels almost alive with secrets. The suspense builds as Zo uncovers unsettling truths about her past while contending with ominous forces—and the enigmatic Scottish groundskeeper adds just the right amount of simmering chemistry. This is a haunting, addictive read that I couldn’t put down, and I can’t wait for Book 2!

Thank you to NetGalley and William Morrow for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

atmospheric introductory novel in this new series. Dark and delicious for witchy lovers of True Blood and Starling House filled with magic. It's a gothic mystery/romance/horror that is character driven and interesting. Good pacing and world building, and kept me wanting more throughout the entire read. It has that same KMM style I loved from the fever series. I am questioning everything and cannot wait to finish the series.

I liked a lot of things about this book, but still I cannot shake the feeling that this first book is like an overlong intro, a setting-of-the-stage for the actual story which we just barely get introduced to at the very end (and, even then, there's still a million unanswered questions).

I liked the premise, I liked the protagonist Zo (even if her constant horniness is a tad off-putting) and I liked the atmosphere of the creepy house in the mysterious town of Divinity, Louisiana. The first chapter was very strong and I wanted to know what was going to happen. But the getting there was slow-going. I unfortunately did a lot of skimming, but I also wanted to keep on finding out what was going to happen next. I think there's a lot more to come and I'm looking forward it - I just hope that the set-up will be worth it in the end.

I liked this, but I think it fell prey to the hype for me. I felt like the beginning was too slow/slice of life, and our FMC just let things happen to her. I wanted her to have more agency and to question things. She didn't know she was a witch but all the weird impossible things were like "okay!" and that just didn't seem realistic. I didn't love the romance introduction either. BUT I did still really love KMM's writing and the way she tells a story. I think I will continue and the ending had me very curious! 3.5 stars

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.

This book is full of mystery and witchy atmosphere. It’s slow moving but it builds with the intriguing politics between the light and dark witches and the ominous nature of the gray witches. There are a lot of secrets being kept and wondering who is who and who can be trusted. Zo is dealing with the grief of her mothers death and dealing with the duties and responsibilities that come with the estate she has suddenly been left in Divinity, Louisiana. All of sudden she is dealing with an identity crisis, crazy wealth, and a whole supernatural world she knows nothing about.

I really liked the world building and the families we get to learn snippets about that settled the town. By chapter 10 I was only getting more and more intrigued and nervous about what could happen and who Zo could trust. I think this is going to be the start of a wonderful trilogy. This first book had the same sort of cliffhanger that the Fever books have, the kind that feels abrupt and annoying. I really hope the next book comes out soon because at least with the Fever books I read them when all the books were already out. This time around it’s going to be painful to wait. I’m excited for what’s to come. I really want to learn more about the witches and other supernatural beings in Divinity. I can’t wait to see how Zo grows into her powers.

Special thanks to NetGalley and William Morrow for sharing this book with me in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you NetGalley, the Publisher and Author for letting me read this in exchange for an honest review.

The House on Watch Hill by Karen Marie Moning is a witchy, atmospheric, foreboding and suspenseful magical realism romance.

This eerie story is book 1 in a new series by the author of the Fever Series. The plot zoomed by very quickly in the beginning and then slowed down a bit. The character and world-building is detailed and vivid yet mysterious with a slow build. The book does have a few spicy scenes, but they are detailed mildly.

Overall, it was a good start to a promising series and everything you could want for an October read!

When I think of paranormal or romantic fantasy, I go straight to Karen Marie Moning. Her Fever series is one of my all time favorites. This book fell a little flat for me. Maybe it was the expectation I set on the author based on her previous works, but I am also hoping it is because this is the first book in the series. I will definitely be reading the second as it held my interest, but I was a little bored reading through. Doesn’t change my mind on KMM, though! She will always be the GOAT.