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The Watch Hill Trilogy #1
The House at Watch Hill
#1 New York Times bestselling author Karen Marie Moning is back with a gripping, imaginative, and seductive new series in which a young woman moves to Divinity, Louisiana, to inherit a large fortune and a Gothic mansion full of mysteries and ominous secrets...
Zo Grey is reeling from the sudden death of her mother when she receives a surprising call from an attorney in Divinity, Louisiana, with the news she has been left an inheritance by a distant relative, the terms of which he will only discuss in person. Destitute and alone, with nothing left to lose, Zo heads to Divinity and discovers she is the sole beneficiary of a huge fortune and a monstrosity of a house that sits ominously at the peak of Watch Hill—but she must live in it, alone, for three years before the house, or the money, is hers.
Met with this irresistible opportunity to finally build a future for herself, Zo puts aside her misgivings about the foreboding Gothic mansion and the strange circumstances, and moves in, where she is quickly met by a red-eyed Stygian owl and an impossibly sexy Scottish groundskeeper.
Her new home is full of countless secrets and mystifying riddles, with doors that go nowhere, others that are impossible to open, and a turret into which there is no visible means of ingress. And the townspeople are odd…
What Zo doesn’t yet know is that her own roots lie in this very house and that in order to discover her true identity and awaken her dormant powers, she will have to face off against sinister forces she doesn’t quite comprehend—or risk being consumed by them.
Zo Grey is reeling from the sudden death of her mother when she receives a surprising call from an attorney in Divinity, Louisiana, with the news she has been left an inheritance by a distant relative, the terms of which he will only discuss in person. Destitute and alone, with nothing left to lose, Zo heads to Divinity and discovers she is the sole beneficiary of a huge fortune and a monstrosity of a house that sits ominously at the peak of Watch Hill—but she must live in it, alone, for three years before the house, or the money, is hers.
Met with this irresistible opportunity to finally build a future for herself, Zo puts aside her misgivings about the foreboding Gothic mansion and the strange circumstances, and moves in, where she is quickly met by a red-eyed Stygian owl and an impossibly sexy Scottish groundskeeper.
Her new home is full of countless secrets and mystifying riddles, with doors that go nowhere, others that are impossible to open, and a turret into which there is no visible means of ingress. And the townspeople are odd…
What Zo doesn’t yet know is that her own roots lie in this very house and that in order to discover her true identity and awaken her dormant powers, she will have to face off against sinister forces she doesn’t quite comprehend—or risk being consumed by them.
1 pages, Audio CD
First published October 1, 2024
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35738 people want to read
About the author
Karen Marie Moning
32 books31k followers“The only other calling I ever felt was an irrepressible desire to be Captain of my own Starship. I was born in the wrong century and it wasn’t possible, so I chose to explore the universe by writing fiction instead. Books are doors to endless adventure.” -KMM
Karen Marie Moning is the #1 NYT bestselling author of the Fever Series and Highlander novels.
An alum of the Immaculate Conception Academy, at seventeen she attended Purdue University where she completed a BA in Society & Law, with minors in Philosophy, Creative Writing and Theatre, while working full time as a bartender and computer consultant. She intended to go to law school but after an internship with a firm of Criminal Attorneys, decided against it. For the next decade, she worked in insurance, where she wrote intercompany arbitrations and directed commercial litigation. At the age of thirty, she decided it was time to get serious and do what she’d always wanted to do: write fiction novels.
Beyond the Highland Mist was published in 1999 and nominated for two RITA awards. She then published six more novels in her award-winning HIGHLANDER series, and received the RITA Award in 2001 for The Highlander’s Touch.
In 2004, she began writing the #1 New York Times bestselling FEVER series. The books have been optioned twice for potential franchise development by Twentieth Century Fox and DreamWorks Studios, but the rights are currently held by Moning who has expressed a desire to one day see it as a television series. Her novels have been published in over thirty countries. She divides her time between Ohio and Florida and is working on two future projects for Random House Publishing.
“I have always imagined that Paradise will be a kind of library.” – Jorge Luis Borges
Karen Marie Moning is the #1 NYT bestselling author of the Fever Series and Highlander novels.
An alum of the Immaculate Conception Academy, at seventeen she attended Purdue University where she completed a BA in Society & Law, with minors in Philosophy, Creative Writing and Theatre, while working full time as a bartender and computer consultant. She intended to go to law school but after an internship with a firm of Criminal Attorneys, decided against it. For the next decade, she worked in insurance, where she wrote intercompany arbitrations and directed commercial litigation. At the age of thirty, she decided it was time to get serious and do what she’d always wanted to do: write fiction novels.
Beyond the Highland Mist was published in 1999 and nominated for two RITA awards. She then published six more novels in her award-winning HIGHLANDER series, and received the RITA Award in 2001 for The Highlander’s Touch.
In 2004, she began writing the #1 New York Times bestselling FEVER series. The books have been optioned twice for potential franchise development by Twentieth Century Fox and DreamWorks Studios, but the rights are currently held by Moning who has expressed a desire to one day see it as a television series. Her novels have been published in over thirty countries. She divides her time between Ohio and Florida and is working on two future projects for Random House Publishing.
“I have always imagined that Paradise will be a kind of library.” – Jorge Luis Borges
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October 14, 2024
3.5 stars. The first five books of KMM's Fever series are some of my all time favourites. Yes, the whole Dani spin-off and creepy romance in the later books kinda sent it off the rails, but I will always return to Mac and Barrons in the first five books. So I was pretty psyched to read Moning's latest urban fantasy.
And I liked a lot of things about it. 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.
There is a lot of description and exposition in this book. The house, especially, was treated to so much physical description that I felt exhausted by it. Some, I understand, is necessary, but the seemingly endless detailing of "coffered vault ceiling[s]", "incandescent globes", candelabras and balustrades, very quickly grew boring. There's also a lot of revisiting Zo's inner turmoil-- which is understandable as she is grieving, but do I need to be reminded quite this much?
It is also two thirds of the way through the book when Zo finally learns *gasp* what the reader already knows.
The ending was dramatic and fun. Most readers will guess one thing that happens but I didn't enjoy it any less. I do hope there is going to be a sequel soon. This was an imperfect start, but then loads of people thought the same about Darkfever. There's good bones here, I think.
And I liked a lot of things about it. 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.
There is a lot of description and exposition in this book. The house, especially, was treated to so much physical description that I felt exhausted by it. Some, I understand, is necessary, but the seemingly endless detailing of "coffered vault ceiling[s]", "incandescent globes", candelabras and balustrades, very quickly grew boring. There's also a lot of revisiting Zo's inner turmoil-- which is understandable as she is grieving, but do I need to be reminded quite this much?
It is also two thirds of the way through the book when Zo finally learns *gasp* what the reader already knows.
The ending was dramatic and fun. Most readers will guess one thing that happens but I didn't enjoy it any less. I do hope there is going to be a sequel soon. This was an imperfect start, but then loads of people thought the same about Darkfever. There's good bones here, I think.
on-pause
January 1, 2025I've been so lazy over my winter vacation, now my loan is due back at my library. Putting this one on hold for right now.
A new KMM series - the author of the Fever series? Gothic, mystery, fantasy and romance? I'm in.
╰⪼ 🖤Gothic Manson
╰⪼ 🖤Paranormal
╰⪼ 🖤Southern Setting
╰⪼ 🖤Steamy
╰⪼ 🖤Witches
╰⪼ 🖤Mysterious Inheritance
A new KMM series - the author of the Fever series? Gothic, mystery, fantasy and romance? I'm in.
╰⪼ 🖤Gothic Manson
╰⪼ 🖤Paranormal
╰⪼ 🖤Southern Setting
╰⪼ 🖤Steamy
╰⪼ 🖤Witches
╰⪼ 🖤Mysterious Inheritance
May 3, 2025
Best way to start this review is with this regular quote: Karen Marie Moning releases a new fantasy series and her devoted readers just read and review! No questions! Not even reading the blurb! Having no clue what the story is about or what kind of paranormal beings we’ll be introduced to!
As for me, witches are my soft spot (I consider myself one without the magical ability or witchcraft knowledge. Mostly, people change the 'w' word to 'b' when they call me, but I hear what I want to understand, no worries!).
I couldn’t resist the charm of this book because it feels like a combination of "Discovery of the Witches" meets "True Blood" and "Haunting of Hill House." Southern occult blends with gothic vibes, and let’s not forget we are also introduced to vampires. I’m sure in the following books we’ll meet more paranormal entities like werewolves and shapeshifters—I can’t wait!
I enjoyed the plot and the slow burn introduction to the secrets of Divinity: a town that not everyone can see or reach without being invited or having enough power to be accepted by its residents.
The story revolves around 24-year-old Zo Grey, living in debt, working multiple jobs to keep a roof over her head, and taking care of her mother, who is battling cancer. One day, while begging for another job at the diner, she gets a call from the fire department informing her that the house she shares with her mother has burned down, with her mother inside. Without having time to process the shock, she’s summoned to Divinity, Louisiana, to inherit from an estranged relative, Juniper Cameron, a pillar of the town she never met. When she arrives at the grandiose "Watch Hill House" with its amenities (including a waterfall, pool, botanic garden, acres of woodland, countless rooms, and secret passages), she cannot believe her luck.
But the house is not the only thing left for her. She’s also paid monthly for her expenses, and for each year she spends in the house, she will be paid 1 million dollars. At the end of three years, she’ll inherit 140 million dollars and Juniper Cameron’s unliquidated assets.
However, there are strange rules she must obey, including that nobody can live with her for three years, and her guests cannot stay more than two days, meaning her best friend Este can only visit her briefly.
After spending seven days and nights on the premises, she is directed to open a letter from Juniper explaining her new responsibilities. Zo is enchanted by the power of the house, still thinking about a one-night stand with a charismatic stranger named Kellan, and she’s also charmed by her new groundskeeper. She’s repeatedly warned to stay away from him, especially by Juniper’s centuries-old consultant, James Baufolt, who becomes her right-hand man and savior from nosy townsfolk who don’t accept her as an outsider.
These are the least of Zo's concerns as she starts discovering her powers and realizes she’s a witch. She learns she’s been lied to about her identity, and this isn’t the only secret her mother kept from her as they kept moving towns, running from something unknown.
What if she isn’t the rightful heir? What if her powers serve darker purposes? What was her mother running from if she’s Juniper’s rightful relative? Could she reign in Juniper’s place and govern Divinity while her enemies plot her demise?
By the end of the book, we are still in the dark. Many questions are left unanswered for the sequels. Despite some eye-rolling and disappointments in certain chapters, I was hooked and eager to learn more.
Zo Grey/Cameron’s tragic story intrigues me, but I still have questions about her. She hasn’t evolved into the person she should be. She’s an orphan, lost, and has no idea who she really is or what she’s capable of. She acts like a bewildered girl with high libido, torn between the men around her. First, there’s mysterious Kellan, then she meets her charming Scottish groundskeeper, Devlin, who has his own secrets. She even lusts after bodyguards hired to protect her!
Don’t get me wrong. At a young age, she’s been through a lot, working multiple jobs to care for her sick mother, only to find out her entire life was a lie. Of course, she’s shocked and not strong enough to take the throne of Kovan (a 13-witch family with 169 members), inherit a vast wealth, and play power games with her enemies without enough experience and training.
I hope she matures, learns from her mistakes, and digs through the secrets to find out who she really is. And, of course, she must make a choice between two charming men. But we have to wait for the sequel to see what happens. I screamed at the cliffhanger and am hopeful I will love the second book even more.
Overall, I consider this book a prequel, and I think the real fun will start in the next books of the series. After reading the delicious and frustrating cliffhanger, I’m looking forward to the sequel. I’m rounding up 3.5 stars to 4 for the high potential and my love for witches!
Many thanks to NetGalley and William Morrow for sharing this year’s most anticipated fantasy read’s digital reviewer copy with me in exchange for my honest thoughts.
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As for me, witches are my soft spot (I consider myself one without the magical ability or witchcraft knowledge. Mostly, people change the 'w' word to 'b' when they call me, but I hear what I want to understand, no worries!).
I couldn’t resist the charm of this book because it feels like a combination of "Discovery of the Witches" meets "True Blood" and "Haunting of Hill House." Southern occult blends with gothic vibes, and let’s not forget we are also introduced to vampires. I’m sure in the following books we’ll meet more paranormal entities like werewolves and shapeshifters—I can’t wait!
I enjoyed the plot and the slow burn introduction to the secrets of Divinity: a town that not everyone can see or reach without being invited or having enough power to be accepted by its residents.
The story revolves around 24-year-old Zo Grey, living in debt, working multiple jobs to keep a roof over her head, and taking care of her mother, who is battling cancer. One day, while begging for another job at the diner, she gets a call from the fire department informing her that the house she shares with her mother has burned down, with her mother inside. Without having time to process the shock, she’s summoned to Divinity, Louisiana, to inherit from an estranged relative, Juniper Cameron, a pillar of the town she never met. When she arrives at the grandiose "Watch Hill House" with its amenities (including a waterfall, pool, botanic garden, acres of woodland, countless rooms, and secret passages), she cannot believe her luck.
But the house is not the only thing left for her. She’s also paid monthly for her expenses, and for each year she spends in the house, she will be paid 1 million dollars. At the end of three years, she’ll inherit 140 million dollars and Juniper Cameron’s unliquidated assets.
However, there are strange rules she must obey, including that nobody can live with her for three years, and her guests cannot stay more than two days, meaning her best friend Este can only visit her briefly.
After spending seven days and nights on the premises, she is directed to open a letter from Juniper explaining her new responsibilities. Zo is enchanted by the power of the house, still thinking about a one-night stand with a charismatic stranger named Kellan, and she’s also charmed by her new groundskeeper. She’s repeatedly warned to stay away from him, especially by Juniper’s centuries-old consultant, James Baufolt, who becomes her right-hand man and savior from nosy townsfolk who don’t accept her as an outsider.
These are the least of Zo's concerns as she starts discovering her powers and realizes she’s a witch. She learns she’s been lied to about her identity, and this isn’t the only secret her mother kept from her as they kept moving towns, running from something unknown.
What if she isn’t the rightful heir? What if her powers serve darker purposes? What was her mother running from if she’s Juniper’s rightful relative? Could she reign in Juniper’s place and govern Divinity while her enemies plot her demise?
By the end of the book, we are still in the dark. Many questions are left unanswered for the sequels. Despite some eye-rolling and disappointments in certain chapters, I was hooked and eager to learn more.
Zo Grey/Cameron’s tragic story intrigues me, but I still have questions about her. She hasn’t evolved into the person she should be. She’s an orphan, lost, and has no idea who she really is or what she’s capable of. She acts like a bewildered girl with high libido, torn between the men around her. First, there’s mysterious Kellan, then she meets her charming Scottish groundskeeper, Devlin, who has his own secrets. She even lusts after bodyguards hired to protect her!
Don’t get me wrong. At a young age, she’s been through a lot, working multiple jobs to care for her sick mother, only to find out her entire life was a lie. Of course, she’s shocked and not strong enough to take the throne of Kovan (a 13-witch family with 169 members), inherit a vast wealth, and play power games with her enemies without enough experience and training.
I hope she matures, learns from her mistakes, and digs through the secrets to find out who she really is. And, of course, she must make a choice between two charming men. But we have to wait for the sequel to see what happens. I screamed at the cliffhanger and am hopeful I will love the second book even more.
Overall, I consider this book a prequel, and I think the real fun will start in the next books of the series. After reading the delicious and frustrating cliffhanger, I’m looking forward to the sequel. I’m rounding up 3.5 stars to 4 for the high potential and my love for witches!
Many thanks to NetGalley and William Morrow for sharing this year’s most anticipated fantasy read’s digital reviewer copy with me in exchange for my honest thoughts.
Follow me on medium.com to read my articles about books, movies, streaming series, astrology:
medium blog
August 13, 2024
I like KMM and was excited to read this start of her new series, but I think I suffered from too high expectations when reading this. I say that as someone who only read the first 7 books of her Fever series (I *loved* the first five books, but I couldn't stand Dani and never finished it). So I felt like my expectations going into this were tempered. And yet I still finished this feeling like I was missing the second half of the book.
The blurb makes this out to be a story about a suddenly orphaned young woman named Zo who inherits a spooky mystery house that looms ominously over a town full of odd people. Oh and she is going to develop powers that she will need to use to fight something.
So call me crazy, but I was expecting an almost sentient house (like the Starling House) or at the very least a house that is haunted by something scary. Instead, we just get a kind of weird house? And as far as Zo's "dormant powers" goes - that only gets half-explained, which is fair for the first book of a new series. I would even say that Zo's confrontation about that whole situation was my favorite part of the entire book. But the "sinister forces she doesn’t quite comprehend" mentioned in the blurb that she is supposed to fight against? That is no where to be found in this book. Unless you count the book’s ambiguous/cliffhanger ending, which I absolutely do not.
Do I want to know what happens next? Yes. Do I feel like at least part of it should have been included in this book in the first place? Also yes. There's more I could say, but I'm trying really hard to avoid spoilers so I'll end my review here.
I received a free ARC of this book through Netgalley and that did not impact my review/rating of this book. This book is expected to be published on October 1, 2024.
The blurb makes this out to be a story about a suddenly orphaned young woman named Zo who inherits a spooky mystery house that looms ominously over a town full of odd people. Oh and she is going to develop powers that she will need to use to fight something.
So call me crazy, but I was expecting an almost sentient house (like the Starling House) or at the very least a house that is haunted by something scary. Instead, we just get a kind of weird house? And as far as Zo's "dormant powers" goes - that only gets half-explained, which is fair for the first book of a new series. I would even say that Zo's confrontation about that whole situation was my favorite part of the entire book. But the "sinister forces she doesn’t quite comprehend" mentioned in the blurb that she is supposed to fight against? That is no where to be found in this book. Unless you count the book’s ambiguous/cliffhanger ending, which I absolutely do not.
Do I want to know what happens next? Yes. Do I feel like at least part of it should have been included in this book in the first place? Also yes. There's more I could say, but I'm trying really hard to avoid spoilers so I'll end my review here.
I received a free ARC of this book through Netgalley and that did not impact my review/rating of this book. This book is expected to be published on October 1, 2024.
December 11, 2024
Ate this UP
November 2, 2025
i really enjoyed this... there's something about a slow moving creepy fantasy that i fuck with heavily in november. this isn't very similar to ninth house story-wise but it is filling that kind of void for me.
![Profile Image for Namera [The Literary Invertebrate].](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fi.gr-assets.com%2Fimages%2FS%2Fcompressed.photo.goodreads.com%2Fusers%2F1647896333i%2F31792110._UX200_CR0%2C96%2C200%2C200_.jpg&w=128&q=75)
October 8, 2024
⤅ 2.5 stars, rounded down.
This might be a bit of a long review, I have a LOT of thoughts. In fact, I was taking notes on my Kindle to make sure I remembered to mention everything, which is pretty rare for me because normally I just know I'll remember basically everything I want to say. So here goes...
(Oh also, there will be the odd spoiler).
Our heroine, 24-year-old Zo Grey, has had what you might call a hard time of it. Her mother Joanna has been dying of cancer for years, and Zo is struggling to keep down a job within a reasonable radius of their house, because all the local employers know she's unreliable and constantly off with her mum. She's at a last-ditch interview begging for another chance when she experiences a burning pain, and soon discovers that Joanna has burnt to death in a house fire.
Overnight, Zo no longer has anyone - or anything - to live for. But then comes earth-shattering news: she's the distant relative of an incredibly wealthy woman from a small Louisiana town named Divinity, and she stands to inherit millions of dollars - if she fulfils the terms of the will, including living at Watch House, a monolith of a Scottish-style manor perched on a hill above Divinity. Desperate to pay off her creditors, Zo agrees, but not before she has a hot one-night-stand with a stranger named Kellan just prior to moving in.
Once she's there, both Watch House itself, and the people in Divinity - such as her groundskeeper Devlin - rapidly reveal themselves to be not fully what they seem, something the rational Zo struggles with.
Right, I'm bored with giving a summary, let me just get straight to my thoughts.
First of all: this book has ALL the worst things about the Fever series, and none of its positives. Problem I: the trite oxymorons, You know how in the Fever series, towards the end the imagery was just all about 'frost and fire' and 'dark and light', and 'fever and ice', stuff like that? A really basic overdramatic emphasis on opposites, to make the book seem more complex or whatever? Well, this one has it too, done in a much clumsier way. We have paragraph after paragraph of sentences like 'The house at Watch Hill was [...] born of dichotomy, a familiar stranger, a beautiful monstrosity', just really overwritten stuff which completely loses its effect amidst all the purple prose. The dialogue reflects this problem, particularly in the start and middle of the book - Zo says stuff like 'my soul is haemorrhaging' OUT LOUD, which is just not how people talk.
Problem II: the repetitive, eyeroll-worthy foreshadowing. This was a solid 30% of the book, just infuriatingly frequent mentions of things like 'I was about to be proved wrong', 'little did I know', 'it was the last time', etc. This was threaded throughout the Fever series too, but here it was particularly ineffective as a literary technique and did nothing but make me yawn, like I don't care girl get to the point. Speaking of ineffective literary techniques, we keep getting third-person snippets written in mysterious terms designed to manufacture tension, which came across as lazy and was full of risible sentences meant to be taken seriously, but saturated in melodrama.
Problem III: I just could NOT warm up to Zo. Like Mac, she's 'not much of a curser', and also like Mac, she's frankly off-puttingly arrogant about her own beauty and effect on men. I don't need a heroine who thinks she needs a paper bag over her head, but one who lectures the reader on her sheer attractiveness and how she can have any man she wants is not a likeable one. Mac had elements of this too, and I have to say, Zo does not come across as a convincing early-20s heroine when she comes out with this kind of stuff. That level of self-aggrandising 'maturity' (for lack of a better word) just did not fit.
Now, I've saved the best for last. Problem IV: there is, to all intents and purposes, NO ROMANCE in this book. I am absolutely gobsmacked to be writing this, because one of the best things about the Fever series is the toe-curling, slow-burn, absolutely phenomenal romance, with a hero who will live long in the annals of the romance genre.
In this book, Zo has sex with two men. The first is an instance of simple insta-lust with a guy of which we know nothing other than that he's dark and earthy. He then doesn't reappear for 99% of the book. Zo also has sex with Devlin, who's dark and earthy (KMM clearly has a type) and has about 1/10000th the presence of Jericho Barrons. I can't even believe the same author wrote them, because while Devlin is disturbingly derivative of Barrons (same physical appearance, both millennia old) there's nothing in common in terms of character-building. Zo pretty much starts falling in love with him over the course of 24 hours of sex, with barely any dialogue prior to that. No backstory. Both relationships in this book are a huge disappointment.
The book becomes better about halfway in, but the house doesn't play nearly as big a role as the title would have you think, nor it is like the second coming of The Haunting of Hill House or anything like that. KMM ends on a dramatic cliffhanger, because she seemingly knows no other way to keep readers wanting to read; it's successful in that I'll pick up the sequel, but my expectations aren't anywhere near as high as you might think they'd be for THE Karen Marie Moning, one of the favourite authors of my teenage years.
This might be a bit of a long review, I have a LOT of thoughts. In fact, I was taking notes on my Kindle to make sure I remembered to mention everything, which is pretty rare for me because normally I just know I'll remember basically everything I want to say. So here goes...
(Oh also, there will be the odd spoiler).
Our heroine, 24-year-old Zo Grey, has had what you might call a hard time of it. Her mother Joanna has been dying of cancer for years, and Zo is struggling to keep down a job within a reasonable radius of their house, because all the local employers know she's unreliable and constantly off with her mum. She's at a last-ditch interview begging for another chance when she experiences a burning pain, and soon discovers that Joanna has burnt to death in a house fire.
Overnight, Zo no longer has anyone - or anything - to live for. But then comes earth-shattering news: she's the distant relative of an incredibly wealthy woman from a small Louisiana town named Divinity, and she stands to inherit millions of dollars - if she fulfils the terms of the will, including living at Watch House, a monolith of a Scottish-style manor perched on a hill above Divinity. Desperate to pay off her creditors, Zo agrees, but not before she has a hot one-night-stand with a stranger named Kellan just prior to moving in.
Once she's there, both Watch House itself, and the people in Divinity - such as her groundskeeper Devlin - rapidly reveal themselves to be not fully what they seem, something the rational Zo struggles with.
Right, I'm bored with giving a summary, let me just get straight to my thoughts.
First of all: this book has ALL the worst things about the Fever series, and none of its positives. Problem I: the trite oxymorons, You know how in the Fever series, towards the end the imagery was just all about 'frost and fire' and 'dark and light', and 'fever and ice', stuff like that? A really basic overdramatic emphasis on opposites, to make the book seem more complex or whatever? Well, this one has it too, done in a much clumsier way. We have paragraph after paragraph of sentences like 'The house at Watch Hill was [...] born of dichotomy, a familiar stranger, a beautiful monstrosity', just really overwritten stuff which completely loses its effect amidst all the purple prose. The dialogue reflects this problem, particularly in the start and middle of the book - Zo says stuff like 'my soul is haemorrhaging' OUT LOUD, which is just not how people talk.
Problem II: the repetitive, eyeroll-worthy foreshadowing. This was a solid 30% of the book, just infuriatingly frequent mentions of things like 'I was about to be proved wrong', 'little did I know', 'it was the last time', etc. This was threaded throughout the Fever series too, but here it was particularly ineffective as a literary technique and did nothing but make me yawn, like I don't care girl get to the point. Speaking of ineffective literary techniques, we keep getting third-person snippets written in mysterious terms designed to manufacture tension, which came across as lazy and was full of risible sentences meant to be taken seriously, but saturated in melodrama.
Problem III: I just could NOT warm up to Zo. Like Mac, she's 'not much of a curser', and also like Mac, she's frankly off-puttingly arrogant about her own beauty and effect on men. I don't need a heroine who thinks she needs a paper bag over her head, but one who lectures the reader on her sheer attractiveness and how she can have any man she wants is not a likeable one. Mac had elements of this too, and I have to say, Zo does not come across as a convincing early-20s heroine when she comes out with this kind of stuff. That level of self-aggrandising 'maturity' (for lack of a better word) just did not fit.
Now, I've saved the best for last. Problem IV: there is, to all intents and purposes, NO ROMANCE in this book. I am absolutely gobsmacked to be writing this, because one of the best things about the Fever series is the toe-curling, slow-burn, absolutely phenomenal romance, with a hero who will live long in the annals of the romance genre.
In this book, Zo has sex with two men. The first is an instance of simple insta-lust with a guy of which we know nothing other than that he's dark and earthy. He then doesn't reappear for 99% of the book. Zo also has sex with Devlin, who's dark and earthy (KMM clearly has a type) and has about 1/10000th the presence of Jericho Barrons. I can't even believe the same author wrote them, because while Devlin is disturbingly derivative of Barrons (same physical appearance, both millennia old) there's nothing in common in terms of character-building. Zo pretty much starts falling in love with him over the course of 24 hours of sex, with barely any dialogue prior to that. No backstory. Both relationships in this book are a huge disappointment.
The book becomes better about halfway in, but the house doesn't play nearly as big a role as the title would have you think, nor it is like the second coming of The Haunting of Hill House or anything like that. KMM ends on a dramatic cliffhanger, because she seemingly knows no other way to keep readers wanting to read; it's successful in that I'll pick up the sequel, but my expectations aren't anywhere near as high as you might think they'd be for THE Karen Marie Moning, one of the favourite authors of my teenage years.
October 14, 2024
This is a NetGalley arc review – as always, thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for these opportunities!
Edited Oct 1, 2024: HAPPY RELEASE DAY!
4✨
1.25🌶️
🔮Book 1 of trilogy
🔮Urban-paranormal romance
🔮[Southern] gothic horror themes/setting
🔮Woman-discovering-her-own-power
🔮Paranormal characters and tropes, some classic, some twisted
🔮Terminal illness, death, and grief
🔮Insta-lust, multiple possible love interests (although it's about ~2 [so far])
No context emojis:😷🔥💀💵🏠🦉💃🏻🧛🦌💥✉️🤰🪄
KMM's Fever series is my favorite in the world, and is the series that really cemented my love of reading from the teenage phase into the adult phase. It has a beyond special place in my heart, flaws and all, and Jericho Barrons remains and probably will FOREVER remain my ultimate book boyfriend. So as you can probably tell, I was both nervous and excited to dive into this...
With ominous secrets, intriguing connections, and fresh takes on paranormal tropes, Karen Marie Moning’s The House at Watch Hill sets up new foundation for a planned series of books, the Watch Hill Trilogy. The series follows twenty-four-year-old Zo Grey, who, after a lifetime of uncertainty and tragedy, finds herself unsettled again, this time in Divinity, Louisiana. She soon learns that, due to before-unknown familial ties, Zoe is to inherit an incredible estate, which includes a Gothic mansion hiding dark mystery, and the stipulation that she must live in it, alone, for three years before the house, or the money, is hers.
But Zo Grey’s mother is dead. And perhaps that may be the darkest mystery of all.
Combining a drive to uncover more about her mother’s death and the urge to finally discover who she really is, Zo tentatively accepts terms, opening herself up to a world where she is an outsider, untrained and untrusted, and perhaps to a world she was being kept hidden from for a reason. And soon she’s thrust into the middle of it, secrets revealed, answers leading to only more questions, allies forged, but who can you really trust when everyone seems to have their own hidden agenda?
If you’re looking for an urban paranormal-style series that plays into southern gothic horror themes, this would be a great read to pick up for the spooky season (and beyond, of course). If you’re already a fan of KMM and already know you vibe with (or at least can tolerate LOL) her type of FMC (iykyk) and writing style, which I do and can, then I think this is definitely a no-brainer option to add to your tbr and give it a shot.
The House at Watch Hill definitely feels like a first book; it sets up more questions than it ever attempts to answer and has you as a reader questioning the motives of almost every character, like Zo the FMC, not knowing what to believe or who to trust. While I would’ve loved to have seen a few more definitive seeds planted leading into Book 2, to have a little better idea where all the players are on the map, it’s a testament to KMM that she leaves me foaming at the mouth for more. I think this also plays into one of the core themes of the book, which was a sense of open-endedness, or CHOICE. Like how different choices, knowingly or unknowingly, could lead to different paths, different outcomes, different people. KMM likes to put a lot of different players on the plot map, likes to put lots of different pieces on the chessboard, and Zo has different interactions with all of them, and each connection can lead to a different fate. This is especially present in the choices Zo must make about herself and what she wants to represent, as well as some of the romantic undertones.
The focus of this book is not on the romance I would say, but the beginnings are there in a few places, notably one with an intriguing Watch Hill mansion groundskeeper, who is a 'lass'-man, and a short but intense physical experience with an Irish bar stranger. And it’s another area that goes back to that sense of open-endedness. Zo has these physical interactions with different men, using these experiences for different reasons - to release emotion, to feel something, to care and be cared for, and it has me on the edge of my seat that I don’t know which path is going to be the ultimate one. There are directions that point everywhere; it’s definitely going to be exciting to re-read the series again after the last book and find even more clues pointing to the truth.
Something tells me that nothing is what it seems, so buckle up. It also makes me wonder, with Fever series having had like 5+ books and this only 3, how KMM will continue to explore and then wrap up all the various plotlines👀
Edited Oct 1, 2024: HAPPY RELEASE DAY!
4✨
1.25🌶️
🔮Book 1 of trilogy
🔮Urban-paranormal romance
🔮[Southern] gothic horror themes/setting
🔮Woman-discovering-her-own-power
🔮Paranormal characters and tropes, some classic, some twisted
🔮Terminal illness, death, and grief
🔮Insta-lust, multiple possible love interests (although it's about ~2 [so far])
No context emojis:😷🔥💀💵🏠🦉💃🏻🧛🦌💥✉️🤰🪄
KMM's Fever series is my favorite in the world, and is the series that really cemented my love of reading from the teenage phase into the adult phase. It has a beyond special place in my heart, flaws and all, and Jericho Barrons remains and probably will FOREVER remain my ultimate book boyfriend. So as you can probably tell, I was both nervous and excited to dive into this...
With ominous secrets, intriguing connections, and fresh takes on paranormal tropes, Karen Marie Moning’s The House at Watch Hill sets up new foundation for a planned series of books, the Watch Hill Trilogy. The series follows twenty-four-year-old Zo Grey, who, after a lifetime of uncertainty and tragedy, finds herself unsettled again, this time in Divinity, Louisiana. She soon learns that, due to before-unknown familial ties, Zoe is to inherit an incredible estate, which includes a Gothic mansion hiding dark mystery, and the stipulation that she must live in it, alone, for three years before the house, or the money, is hers.
But Zo Grey’s mother is dead. And perhaps that may be the darkest mystery of all.
Combining a drive to uncover more about her mother’s death and the urge to finally discover who she really is, Zo tentatively accepts terms, opening herself up to a world where she is an outsider, untrained and untrusted, and perhaps to a world she was being kept hidden from for a reason. And soon she’s thrust into the middle of it, secrets revealed, answers leading to only more questions, allies forged, but who can you really trust when everyone seems to have their own hidden agenda?
If you’re looking for an urban paranormal-style series that plays into southern gothic horror themes, this would be a great read to pick up for the spooky season (and beyond, of course). If you’re already a fan of KMM and already know you vibe with (or at least can tolerate LOL) her type of FMC (iykyk) and writing style, which I do and can, then I think this is definitely a no-brainer option to add to your tbr and give it a shot.
The House at Watch Hill definitely feels like a first book; it sets up more questions than it ever attempts to answer and has you as a reader questioning the motives of almost every character, like Zo the FMC, not knowing what to believe or who to trust. While I would’ve loved to have seen a few more definitive seeds planted leading into Book 2, to have a little better idea where all the players are on the map, it’s a testament to KMM that she leaves me foaming at the mouth for more. I think this also plays into one of the core themes of the book, which was a sense of open-endedness, or CHOICE. Like how different choices, knowingly or unknowingly, could lead to different paths, different outcomes, different people. KMM likes to put a lot of different players on the plot map, likes to put lots of different pieces on the chessboard, and Zo has different interactions with all of them, and each connection can lead to a different fate. This is especially present in the choices Zo must make about herself and what she wants to represent, as well as some of the romantic undertones.
The focus of this book is not on the romance I would say, but the beginnings are there in a few places, notably one with an intriguing Watch Hill mansion groundskeeper, who is a 'lass'-man, and a short but intense physical experience with an Irish bar stranger. And it’s another area that goes back to that sense of open-endedness. Zo has these physical interactions with different men, using these experiences for different reasons - to release emotion, to feel something, to care and be cared for, and it has me on the edge of my seat that I don’t know which path is going to be the ultimate one. There are directions that point everywhere; it’s definitely going to be exciting to re-read the series again after the last book and find even more clues pointing to the truth.
Something tells me that nothing is what it seems, so buckle up. It also makes me wonder, with Fever series having had like 5+ books and this only 3, how KMM will continue to explore and then wrap up all the various plotlines👀
January 14, 2025
Wow,
I absolutely loved this... I wasn't expecting to be on a 'high' with a new book from Ms KMM but boy was I surprised!
I love the background and the mystery... I did try second guessing a lot of areas, clearly wrong too! I was hooked!
Zo Grey is an amazing, fiery young lady that finds herself (or starts to) when she moves to 'Divinity'... what a town!!! Zo inherits a house, a huge house, but she can't keep it unless she meets the terms... and so the story begins...
Phenomenal!!!
I absolutely loved this... I wasn't expecting to be on a 'high' with a new book from Ms KMM but boy was I surprised!
I love the background and the mystery... I did try second guessing a lot of areas, clearly wrong too! I was hooked!
Zo Grey is an amazing, fiery young lady that finds herself (or starts to) when she moves to 'Divinity'... what a town!!! Zo inherits a house, a huge house, but she can't keep it unless she meets the terms... and so the story begins...
Phenomenal!!!
October 5, 2024
Eerie and unsettling, with brilliant storytelling.
I am a huge fan of Karen Marie Moning, and I was SO EXCITED to see she has a new series coming out. And I was not at all disappointed.
Karen writes true urban fantasy, the type that ruled the day in the early 2000s, so don't go expecting romantasy if you pick this up. This is where we are introduced to the world through a tragic event in the heroine's life, and then we get thrust into this fantasy world right along with her. A potential love interest is introduced, but it is light in this first book.
I loved the dark atmospheric setting of Watch house, I loved our main character and seeing how much she had gone through and how close she was to finding a way to ease her troubles. And I loved the mystery that is threaded through every page.
Compelling, haunting, and unputdownable. I loved it.
I received an ARC for review.
I am a huge fan of Karen Marie Moning, and I was SO EXCITED to see she has a new series coming out. And I was not at all disappointed.
Karen writes true urban fantasy, the type that ruled the day in the early 2000s, so don't go expecting romantasy if you pick this up. This is where we are introduced to the world through a tragic event in the heroine's life, and then we get thrust into this fantasy world right along with her. A potential love interest is introduced, but it is light in this first book.
I loved the dark atmospheric setting of Watch house, I loved our main character and seeing how much she had gone through and how close she was to finding a way to ease her troubles. And I loved the mystery that is threaded through every page.
Compelling, haunting, and unputdownable. I loved it.
I received an ARC for review.
January 15, 2025
4 ⭐️ | TikTok | IG |
This book runs on vibes and atmosphere and it does a spectacular job at keeping you reading and interested despite the fact that almost nothing happened during the entire book.
Well to be fair, things do happen but at the end of the book you’re still wondering what the fuck is going on. This felt more like Part I in a single book than the first book in the series.
Despite being thoroughly annoyed that I still have so many unanswered questions at the end of this book, I still had a really great time.
This is the perfect read for spooky season. It’s atmospheric, witchy, has a sentient (or maybe haunted) house, vampires, spirits, what might be more than just normal animals (see: lots of unanswered questions), and mystery.
That said, I really expected some romance and I don’t think I got any. I was a little put off at the FMC’s weird hook-up/thoughts/opinions on sex. It felt like it was trying really hard to be sex positive and instead just seemed out of place.
All the sex happens off page, and technically she does have a romantic connection but I definitely didn’t feel like I was reading any romance. *edit for clarification... when I say the sex happens off page I don't mean closed door romance - I mean we get a time jump and then are informed they slept together. Which is fine, but because of this we do not get to see very much of the romance or the feelings develop between the two characters.
I WILL ABSOLUTELY be continuing the series because I have no choice, I need to know what the f- is going on!
I've been wanting to check out Karen Marie Moning for a while but was a bit intimidated by the number of books in her other series. What better way to get a taste of her writing than reading the first book in a new series!
Thank you NetGalley and Willian Morrow for sending this book (eARC) for review consideration. All opinions are my own.
This book runs on vibes and atmosphere and it does a spectacular job at keeping you reading and interested despite the fact that almost nothing happened during the entire book.
Well to be fair, things do happen but at the end of the book you’re still wondering what the fuck is going on. This felt more like Part I in a single book than the first book in the series.
Despite being thoroughly annoyed that I still have so many unanswered questions at the end of this book, I still had a really great time.
This is the perfect read for spooky season. It’s atmospheric, witchy, has a sentient (or maybe haunted) house, vampires, spirits, what might be more than just normal animals (see: lots of unanswered questions), and mystery.
That said, I really expected some romance and I don’t think I got any. I was a little put off at the FMC’s weird hook-up/thoughts/opinions on sex. It felt like it was trying really hard to be sex positive and instead just seemed out of place.
All the sex happens off page, and technically she does have a romantic connection but I definitely didn’t feel like I was reading any romance. *edit for clarification... when I say the sex happens off page I don't mean closed door romance - I mean we get a time jump and then are informed they slept together. Which is fine, but because of this we do not get to see very much of the romance or the feelings develop between the two characters.
I WILL ABSOLUTELY be continuing the series because I have no choice, I need to know what the f- is going on!
I've been wanting to check out Karen Marie Moning for a while but was a bit intimidated by the number of books in her other series. What better way to get a taste of her writing than reading the first book in a new series!
Thank you NetGalley and Willian Morrow for sending this book (eARC) for review consideration. All opinions are my own.
December 13, 2024
ARC provided by the publisher via Libro.fm
i have a great deal of happy nostalgia for this author and their series that probably very much impacted me making a goodreads account. like, i feel like kmm and the fever series helped raise me, and i still think that barrons books and baubles is a top five favorite literary setting to this day. so when i hear that they were publishing a new pnr world, i knew i had to get my hands on it asap!
this brand new start of a series follows zo grey, who is 24, and trying to scrape by in a small town in louisiana. not only is she trying to make enough money to get by on, she is in immense medical debt, while also taking care of her mother who is getting more ill as the days go by.
i just want to make a little paragraph too that says i’m a human before i am a book reviewer - you can tell this book is immensely personal to kmm and the depictions of grief feel very real and heartbreaking. i am sending all my love to her and her entire family. (please check my tw/cw below, this book actually does center on the hardest thing for me to read and review, so please use caution)
but the book truly takes off when zo goes to discover a new town, with an inheritance from a family member she has never met before. she and the reader are both learning about the magic that was always hidden, while also exploring this old house and the different staff she now has to also take care of. oh, and the town over is kind of creepy.
this is really a story about community and finding your way in the world when you have always felt lost. it’s about love, and grief, and how those two things can haunt you more than any paranormal entity. and again, there is just something about kmm and her worlds and writing that feels like coming home to me, so i did enjoy this start of something new, and i am excited to read whatever comes next. (especially with how this one ends!)
trigger + content warnings: constant talk of cancer, loss of mother, caretaking of a parent during illness, grief, fire, nightmares, talk of self harm (one sentence), debt / medical debt, a lot of talk of pregnancy, one sentence mention of a stillbirth, one sentence mention of an overdose connected to homophobia, animal death mention (pet hunting), blood, a magical spell involving dead animals
blog | instagram | youtube | wishlist | spotify | amazon
1.) Darkfever ★★★★
*.) The Alpha Alternative: JZB Sex Scene ★
2.) Bloodfever ★★★
3.) Faefever ★★★
4.) Dreamfever ★★★
5.) Shadowfever ★★★★★
*.) Fever Moon: The Fear Dorcha ★★★★★
6.) Iced ★★★★
7.) Burned ★
8.) Feverborn ★
9.) Feversong ★★★★
10.) High Voltage ★★
i have a great deal of happy nostalgia for this author and their series that probably very much impacted me making a goodreads account. like, i feel like kmm and the fever series helped raise me, and i still think that barrons books and baubles is a top five favorite literary setting to this day. so when i hear that they were publishing a new pnr world, i knew i had to get my hands on it asap!
this brand new start of a series follows zo grey, who is 24, and trying to scrape by in a small town in louisiana. not only is she trying to make enough money to get by on, she is in immense medical debt, while also taking care of her mother who is getting more ill as the days go by.
i just want to make a little paragraph too that says i’m a human before i am a book reviewer - you can tell this book is immensely personal to kmm and the depictions of grief feel very real and heartbreaking. i am sending all my love to her and her entire family. (please check my tw/cw below, this book actually does center on the hardest thing for me to read and review, so please use caution)
but the book truly takes off when zo goes to discover a new town, with an inheritance from a family member she has never met before. she and the reader are both learning about the magic that was always hidden, while also exploring this old house and the different staff she now has to also take care of. oh, and the town over is kind of creepy.
this is really a story about community and finding your way in the world when you have always felt lost. it’s about love, and grief, and how those two things can haunt you more than any paranormal entity. and again, there is just something about kmm and her worlds and writing that feels like coming home to me, so i did enjoy this start of something new, and i am excited to read whatever comes next. (especially with how this one ends!)
trigger + content warnings: constant talk of cancer, loss of mother, caretaking of a parent during illness, grief, fire, nightmares, talk of self harm (one sentence), debt / medical debt, a lot of talk of pregnancy, one sentence mention of a stillbirth, one sentence mention of an overdose connected to homophobia, animal death mention (pet hunting), blood, a magical spell involving dead animals
blog | instagram | youtube | wishlist | spotify | amazon
1.) Darkfever ★★★★
*.) The Alpha Alternative: JZB Sex Scene ★
2.) Bloodfever ★★★
3.) Faefever ★★★
4.) Dreamfever ★★★
5.) Shadowfever ★★★★★
*.) Fever Moon: The Fear Dorcha ★★★★★
6.) Iced ★★★★
7.) Burned ★
8.) Feverborn ★
9.) Feversong ★★★★
10.) High Voltage ★★
April 9, 2025
I need to be honest for a second, I'll review it for real later (maybe) but this is a SPOILER:
If you're making yourself sick on purpose, and you know for a fact your illness is caused by this magical thing you're doing (meaning it will NOT go away no matter what treatment they do or medicine they give her), why would you seek out treatment and bury your daughter in medical debt?
Just... don't even get a diagnosis?
You know the doctors/medicine will not fix it no matter what, because it's, once again, caused by magic, not just normal human-body-malfunctions.
The treatment is not helping, nor buying her time! It's just creating money issues for nothing!
[insert the cover for ''I'm Glad My Mom Died'' here]
If you're making yourself sick on purpose, and you know for a fact your illness is caused by this magical thing you're doing (meaning it will NOT go away no matter what treatment they do or medicine they give her), why would you seek out treatment and bury your daughter in medical debt?
Just... don't even get a diagnosis?
You know the doctors/medicine will not fix it no matter what, because it's, once again, caused by magic, not just normal human-body-malfunctions.
The treatment is not helping, nor buying her time! It's just creating money issues for nothing!
[insert the cover for ''I'm Glad My Mom Died'' here]
to-be-released
May 30, 2022The way I have been begging on my knees for this woman to finally write ANOTHER SERIES and I just find out she is. God must love me after all.
Want to read
December 27, 2022A NEW KMM BOOK???? and it sounds gothic?? omg
November 13, 2024
I've been a Karen fan for quite some time. She's so good at creating stories that tie things together in long series. The problem is, you need to have the entire series out to be able to see where she is going with something and this is a brand new release.
Here are the positives.
>The female main character is somewhat funny, even though she gets pretty repetitive throughout the book.
> The lore in this is very interesting and creative, as usual, Karen knows how to get weird and make you love it. I appreciate the fact that she is writing things no one even dares. Because I am in fact exhausted of getting more of the same. No "little bird" here, no stupid nicknames, no long winded useless sex scenes, no "who's your god." Karen continues to be a steadfast, prolific urban fantasy author and for that she will forever have my love. I will pick up the following books in this series.
> Her male characters are always ambiguous and I never know if I should trust them or not and I, again, adore her for it.
Here are the negatives:
> This book could have been 100 pages shorter, it worked more like a prequel to the real thing.
> If you are reading this via audio, it will be great for some mindless activities, like puzzles, cleaning, driving, because in general, not much happens throughout the entire thing. You are just getting a sense, a vibe, a feeling for this world.
> There is not a ton of world building either, we just spend a lot of time inside Zo's head and she can be a tad... stupid sometimes. But honestly, so was Mac, and she had one of the best character developments I have ever read about.
So here is me holding out hope for Zo's future. May she Mac out.
October 1, 2024
3.5 ⭐️
After horrible loss and tragedy, a bereft Zodeckymira Gray is in disbelief that she is the sole heir to a massive inheritance. With nothing but hope and a tired heart, Zo makes her way to Divinity, Louisiana to see if her life will finally change for the better. She discovers that not only is she now extremely wealthy, the inheritance comes with an entire witch coven to lead and protect as well as overseeing the welfare of Divinity as a community. She must stay and agree to all terms to fully become the heiress, including the requirement of living alone in the hulking, gothic monstrosity of a manor built on Watch Hill for three entire years. As she settles into her new life, she soon realizes that a lot of people have reasons to prevent her from becoming the new coven leader and official beneficiary of the Cameron estate; Zo must navigate and choose who to trust in a new town with all new faces and a long, seemingly dark history full of warring witch clans and power-hungry witches. Everyone seems to be holding their secrets close, and somebody in the town definitely wants Zo to find her early grave in The House at Watch Hill.
The world Moning has created is shrouded in mystery and unknown dangers for Zo, but so far we know there are witches and covens, vampires, shapeshifters…and potentially so much more. I loved the idea of warring witch communities–especially the battle between light and dark magic. Moning lovingly crafted themes of legacy, the power of choice, and female empowerment throughout her book. From various relationships in Zo’s life to difficult decisions with no clear, right path to take, our main character is consistently reminded that above all, love provides the light to see both where to go next and where you have been. It is emphasized that Zo’s current choices are actively determining how the future unfolds for the town of Divinity–this is freeing for her but also damning, depending on the impact of them. As always, there are absolutely fantastic love interests–Jesse the bodyguard, Kellan the enigmatic stranger, and Devlin the Irish groundskeeper. Although not the focus of the story, the romance that is present is fun to read and is a bright spot of character connection. It seems Moning is shifting her writing from being structured around romance to being told around the “coming of age” of a character. More appropriately, I think it would be termed a “coming into her power” tale, since Zo is in her mid twenties in the book, but is not knowledgeable about the magical community, her past, nor her own magical powers.
This book ends on a huge cliffhanger, which is both exciting and maddening. I think the story would have benefited from at least one culmination of an important story event. I feel like there was excellent anticipatory build up to big points in the plot, but then it sort of shies away from ever giving the reader any clear action. Perhaps, if it had another 200-300 pages developing the progression of the story, I would have better understood the more abrupt ending we were left with. Moning’s ability to build a complex world and her engaging, multidimensional characters are always solid…but this time we needed a bit more to feel like a complete plot line. This book is almost like a prequel, setting the stage for the next book, and I cannot wait to read it because it feels like half the book is missing! I need it in my life, fast.
For those who love the warm feeling of Practical Magic by Alice Hoffman, the unsettling sentient presence in The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson, and the gothic, magical world with battles between good and evil witches like in Netflix’s The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina, I highly recommend this book to you. The release date, October 1st, is also perfect timing for Fall and enjoying all things spooky and/or witchy.
Thank you so much Net Galley and William Morrow for the ARC and the opportunity to share what I think! All opinions are my own.
After horrible loss and tragedy, a bereft Zodeckymira Gray is in disbelief that she is the sole heir to a massive inheritance. With nothing but hope and a tired heart, Zo makes her way to Divinity, Louisiana to see if her life will finally change for the better. She discovers that not only is she now extremely wealthy, the inheritance comes with an entire witch coven to lead and protect as well as overseeing the welfare of Divinity as a community. She must stay and agree to all terms to fully become the heiress, including the requirement of living alone in the hulking, gothic monstrosity of a manor built on Watch Hill for three entire years. As she settles into her new life, she soon realizes that a lot of people have reasons to prevent her from becoming the new coven leader and official beneficiary of the Cameron estate; Zo must navigate and choose who to trust in a new town with all new faces and a long, seemingly dark history full of warring witch clans and power-hungry witches. Everyone seems to be holding their secrets close, and somebody in the town definitely wants Zo to find her early grave in The House at Watch Hill.
The world Moning has created is shrouded in mystery and unknown dangers for Zo, but so far we know there are witches and covens, vampires, shapeshifters…and potentially so much more. I loved the idea of warring witch communities–especially the battle between light and dark magic. Moning lovingly crafted themes of legacy, the power of choice, and female empowerment throughout her book. From various relationships in Zo’s life to difficult decisions with no clear, right path to take, our main character is consistently reminded that above all, love provides the light to see both where to go next and where you have been. It is emphasized that Zo’s current choices are actively determining how the future unfolds for the town of Divinity–this is freeing for her but also damning, depending on the impact of them. As always, there are absolutely fantastic love interests–Jesse the bodyguard, Kellan the enigmatic stranger, and Devlin the Irish groundskeeper. Although not the focus of the story, the romance that is present is fun to read and is a bright spot of character connection. It seems Moning is shifting her writing from being structured around romance to being told around the “coming of age” of a character. More appropriately, I think it would be termed a “coming into her power” tale, since Zo is in her mid twenties in the book, but is not knowledgeable about the magical community, her past, nor her own magical powers.
This book ends on a huge cliffhanger, which is both exciting and maddening. I think the story would have benefited from at least one culmination of an important story event. I feel like there was excellent anticipatory build up to big points in the plot, but then it sort of shies away from ever giving the reader any clear action. Perhaps, if it had another 200-300 pages developing the progression of the story, I would have better understood the more abrupt ending we were left with. Moning’s ability to build a complex world and her engaging, multidimensional characters are always solid…but this time we needed a bit more to feel like a complete plot line. This book is almost like a prequel, setting the stage for the next book, and I cannot wait to read it because it feels like half the book is missing! I need it in my life, fast.
For those who love the warm feeling of Practical Magic by Alice Hoffman, the unsettling sentient presence in The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson, and the gothic, magical world with battles between good and evil witches like in Netflix’s The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina, I highly recommend this book to you. The release date, October 1st, is also perfect timing for Fall and enjoying all things spooky and/or witchy.
Thank you so much Net Galley and William Morrow for the ARC and the opportunity to share what I think! All opinions are my own.
October 7, 2024
Rated 3.5/5 stars
June 6, 2024
Thank you so much to NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!
I want to preface this by saying I’m a massive fan of KMM - Fever series is one of my all-time-favorites. When The House at Watch Hill first got announced, it instantly became one of my most anticipated books, ever. I literally could not wait to read this. (Yes I screamed when I saw I got approved for the ARC!). Having said that, I knew I had to give myself the grace and space to go into THAWH with an open mind and be nonjudgmental, knowing this is a brand new series. I had high expectations, but went into this knowing I may not love this at all….but I’m SO GLAD I did!
Without spoiling anything, everything from the world, characters, mysteries, secrets, etc. will keep you guessing and on your toes. This book grabbed me immediately and did not let go. I was instantly trying to piece things together that I thought would happen, only for this book to prove me wrong so many times. If you’re like me, there’s truly nothing I love more than to think I’ve got it figured out, only to be totally wrong on my theories. I have so many questions I need answers to, and I cannot wait to see where book 2 goes. Because of that, I cannot wait to reread this, (and I know I’ll reread many times), because I know I’ll catch SO much more than I did the first time around.
Basically this book was everything I hoped it would be AND more. I could not have loved this more than I do. It physically PAINS ME that this isn’t even out for another 4 months, on top of not having a sequel date yet!!!! I need book 2 so bad, it’s not even funny. I would not be surprised at all if this ends up being my top book of 2024.
I’ll end this review with a snippet of KMM herself talking about The House at Watch Hill, because it truly encapsulates this book perfectly:
“It's....Gothic, witchy, sexy, fun, a bit terrifying at times, with centuries of Cameron history, and layers upon layers. As it's a trilogy, Book 1 builds the world, plants the clues, defines the stakes, and establishes the characters. Book 2 blows everything to hell and back, and Book 3 does the same, on steroids. My goal is to break your heart, and put it back together again. Several times ;).”
——————————-
MY MOST ANTICIPATED BOOK OF THE YEAR!!!!
"Morrow acquired U.S., Canadian, and open market rights to three books by bestselling romance and urban fantasy author Karen Marie Moning that will make up a new trilogy, the Watch Hill. Book one follows a 24-year-old woman who, in order to receive an unexpected inheritance from a distant relative, must live alone in a large, ominous Louisiana manor."
I know next to nothing about this, yet it's hands down one of my most anticipated books EVER. I am so ready for the return of KMM!
I want to preface this by saying I’m a massive fan of KMM - Fever series is one of my all-time-favorites. When The House at Watch Hill first got announced, it instantly became one of my most anticipated books, ever. I literally could not wait to read this. (Yes I screamed when I saw I got approved for the ARC!). Having said that, I knew I had to give myself the grace and space to go into THAWH with an open mind and be nonjudgmental, knowing this is a brand new series. I had high expectations, but went into this knowing I may not love this at all….but I’m SO GLAD I did!
Without spoiling anything, everything from the world, characters, mysteries, secrets, etc. will keep you guessing and on your toes. This book grabbed me immediately and did not let go. I was instantly trying to piece things together that I thought would happen, only for this book to prove me wrong so many times. If you’re like me, there’s truly nothing I love more than to think I’ve got it figured out, only to be totally wrong on my theories. I have so many questions I need answers to, and I cannot wait to see where book 2 goes. Because of that, I cannot wait to reread this, (and I know I’ll reread many times), because I know I’ll catch SO much more than I did the first time around.
Basically this book was everything I hoped it would be AND more. I could not have loved this more than I do. It physically PAINS ME that this isn’t even out for another 4 months, on top of not having a sequel date yet!!!! I need book 2 so bad, it’s not even funny. I would not be surprised at all if this ends up being my top book of 2024.
I’ll end this review with a snippet of KMM herself talking about The House at Watch Hill, because it truly encapsulates this book perfectly:
“It's....Gothic, witchy, sexy, fun, a bit terrifying at times, with centuries of Cameron history, and layers upon layers. As it's a trilogy, Book 1 builds the world, plants the clues, defines the stakes, and establishes the characters. Book 2 blows everything to hell and back, and Book 3 does the same, on steroids. My goal is to break your heart, and put it back together again. Several times ;).”
——————————-
MY MOST ANTICIPATED BOOK OF THE YEAR!!!!
"Morrow acquired U.S., Canadian, and open market rights to three books by bestselling romance and urban fantasy author Karen Marie Moning that will make up a new trilogy, the Watch Hill. Book one follows a 24-year-old woman who, in order to receive an unexpected inheritance from a distant relative, must live alone in a large, ominous Louisiana manor."
I know next to nothing about this, yet it's hands down one of my most anticipated books EVER. I am so ready for the return of KMM!
February 18, 2025
Re-read on audio. The audiobook is so good, you need to listen to this one. This author loves to develop intriguing characters and she does it beautifully again.The female lead character Zo is young, naive and has a lot of life lessons to look forward to in this series. She is strong in her sexuality and takes what she needs without relationships. I didn’t really like her at first, but as her character developed I really started to like her.
The males are strong, sexy and withhold information. Men ! She enjoys them physically and doses’t seek more from most of them now. Who they are remains a mystery in this first book they’re only developed on the surface. It’s a rather nice surface ;P I can’t wait to hear more on their stories. Knowing KMM’s writing they will be very interesting.
Zo is a newly orphaned young woman, that has spent the last few years caring for her terminally ill mother. She devoted everything to her mother, losing her was devastating. She was left with no family, and no ties to ground her. They moved often running from some unknown danger, her mother never explained. Her life does a complete turn around when she inherits a home from a relative that she didn’t know she had, in Louisiana. Oh but, it’s not just a house, but a HOUSE and it has some quirks that will raise the hair on your neck. Oh wait till you get to explore this beauty ! There are some really nice things that come with this house, we should all have one. ;P The will has weird stipulations and hoops she must get through, they are exact with no wiggle room. Challenging to say the least.
Her life already doing a 360 is now thrown into a world of magic. She’s not a believer at first this is a world she never knew existed. Finding her life has been a blur based on lies, has her unsteady questioning everything. Who is she, where did she come from ? A truth that has always been hidden from her.
I loved this story. I loved the slow build, nobody can build a character or world like KMM. I’m ready to re-read it already this time on audiobook. Her books are fantastic in audio too. It was filled with unknowns, unexpected and amazing details. I can not wait to get to book 2, there is a stunning cliffhanger.
The males are strong, sexy and withhold information. Men ! She enjoys them physically and doses’t seek more from most of them now. Who they are remains a mystery in this first book they’re only developed on the surface. It’s a rather nice surface ;P I can’t wait to hear more on their stories. Knowing KMM’s writing they will be very interesting.
Zo is a newly orphaned young woman, that has spent the last few years caring for her terminally ill mother. She devoted everything to her mother, losing her was devastating. She was left with no family, and no ties to ground her. They moved often running from some unknown danger, her mother never explained. Her life does a complete turn around when she inherits a home from a relative that she didn’t know she had, in Louisiana. Oh but, it’s not just a house, but a HOUSE and it has some quirks that will raise the hair on your neck. Oh wait till you get to explore this beauty ! There are some really nice things that come with this house, we should all have one. ;P The will has weird stipulations and hoops she must get through, they are exact with no wiggle room. Challenging to say the least.
Her life already doing a 360 is now thrown into a world of magic. She’s not a believer at first this is a world she never knew existed. Finding her life has been a blur based on lies, has her unsteady questioning everything. Who is she, where did she come from ? A truth that has always been hidden from her.
I loved this story. I loved the slow build, nobody can build a character or world like KMM. I’m ready to re-read it already this time on audiobook. Her books are fantastic in audio too. It was filled with unknowns, unexpected and amazing details. I can not wait to get to book 2, there is a stunning cliffhanger.
December 19, 2024
KMM reached “fool me once” status as a one and done with Fever that everyone and their brother was crapping their drawers over back in the day. But I have can’t remember shit disease and when this was making the rounds over on The ‘Gram I literally convinced myself that I enjoyed this author and it wasn’t until Shelby asked what the fuck was I thinking and I looked up my previous experience and said WHOOOOOPS! But I was listening instead of physically reading so I carried on. And now I can confirm that until another 10 years go by and I conveniently forget BOTH of my regrettable run-ins with these snooze-a-rific ramblings, that I will not be reading OR listening to KMM again.
Talk about eleventy-twelve pages of absolutely nothing happening. Basically this was the “world building” (for lack of a better term – the “world” is New Orleans – the place is an inherited house and the people are witches and vampires . . . but it takes four hundred hours to ever get to that point). Thank you, next.
Talk about eleventy-twelve pages of absolutely nothing happening. Basically this was the “world building” (for lack of a better term – the “world” is New Orleans – the place is an inherited house and the people are witches and vampires . . . but it takes four hundred hours to ever get to that point). Thank you, next.
June 11, 2024
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.
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.
October 13, 2024
I'm dnf-ing like I'm giving gifts on Christmas. The writing is not it. Everything feels so out of place and NOBODY TALKS LIKE THAT IRL
Dnf at 22%
Dnf at 22%
November 26, 2024
I feel like KMM is now just plagiarizing herself. I didn’t hate this book, I am even mildly interested in what’s going to happen next. But it read exactly like Fever books, with the same plot, main character and love interests. The setting and magic system were slightly different, but even sentences were total repeats of those in Fever books. I would know, I’ve read them way too many times. Having MC have the “best sex” of her life with two dudes (separately) we barely even knew off page didn’t help either.
I am going to give the next one a try, but I am not that hopeful.
I am going to give the next one a try, but I am not that hopeful.
December 23, 2025
To obsess over our flaws defies, and undermines, the very purpose of our existence.
Deliciously dark urban fantasy that bubbles with unadulterated magic, furtive secrets, supernatural beings, gothic mansion, hidden grimoire, OTT Alphaholes, and a naively lustful FMC. Since this is the first book in the trilogy, it is conveniently veiled in secrecy. Zo has moved to a small, unknown town to claim a sizable inheritance on dubious terms. She has recently lost her mom to cancer and is grieving as she struggles to overcome her fears and be open to new relationships. Moning is an engaging storyteller who delivers with rich world building but the pacing is ghastly. It refuses to budge until the last quarter of the book! There is a significant shift and then lo and behold, the cliffhanger that was predictably lurking in the dark recesses conveniently sprung leaving the bewildered reader with no qualms but to wait for the next book. It’s been awhile since I read a KMM offering and truth be told, I’ll be waiting with bated breath for the sequel 😉🙌🏼😍
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Gothic mansion, witches, grimoires, dark secrets and red-eyed owl!! Say no more ...
Deliciously dark urban fantasy that bubbles with unadulterated magic, furtive secrets, supernatural beings, gothic mansion, hidden grimoire, OTT Alphaholes, and a naively lustful FMC. Since this is the first book in the trilogy, it is conveniently veiled in secrecy. Zo has moved to a small, unknown town to claim a sizable inheritance on dubious terms. She has recently lost her mom to cancer and is grieving as she struggles to overcome her fears and be open to new relationships. Moning is an engaging storyteller who delivers with rich world building but the pacing is ghastly. It refuses to budge until the last quarter of the book! There is a significant shift and then lo and behold, the cliffhanger that was predictably lurking in the dark recesses conveniently sprung leaving the bewildered reader with no qualms but to wait for the next book. It’s been awhile since I read a KMM offering and truth be told, I’ll be waiting with bated breath for the sequel 😉🙌🏼😍
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Gothic mansion, witches, grimoires, dark secrets and red-eyed owl!! Say no more ...
January 3, 2025
1.5 stars - Paranormal Mystery/Paranormal Fantasy
This has all of the worst things about Karen Marie Moning's style of writing, but it doesn't have a strong, complex, compelling character like Barrons to make up for it. It reminded me why I stopped reading the Fever series once it went off the rails and had Dani at its center instead of Mac and Barrons. This ends on a big cliffhanger, but I won't be picking up the next book to find out what happens because I don't care. I'm sure a lot of KMM fans will like this, but I didn't enjoy it, at all.
This has all of the worst things about Karen Marie Moning's style of writing, but it doesn't have a strong, complex, compelling character like Barrons to make up for it. It reminded me why I stopped reading the Fever series once it went off the rails and had Dani at its center instead of Mac and Barrons. This ends on a big cliffhanger, but I won't be picking up the next book to find out what happens because I don't care. I'm sure a lot of KMM fans will like this, but I didn't enjoy it, at all.
October 18, 2024
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.
September 15, 2024
THE HOUSE AT WATCH HILL by Karen Marie Moning was my most anticipated book this year. As a fan for many years, I’ve been yearning for a new book from Moning. Thankfully, the long wait was worth it. This first book in a brand new trilogy is beyond phenomenal!
There is no one that writes quite like Karen Marie Moning. Her ability to string readers along with her enticing words is excellent. She teases and taunts, weaving a bigger picture with each sentence. And yet, there are still so many secrets untold.
If you are new to Moning’s writing, my best advice is to be patient. Her stories unravel slowly, but as each piece is revealed, it paints a vivid, powerful picture. I’ve never been able to predict Moning’s next move.
I do see some similarities to her popular Fever series. Zo reminds me a lot of Mac with her independence and powerful seductiveness. And the same goes for the other characters. As we continue to learn more about them throughout the series, I’m sure I’ll fall in love with them too.
THE HOUSE AT WATCH HILL blew me away. Rife with passion and intrigue, this new series will definitely capture the hearts of Moning’s readers once again. This is definitely my favorite book of the year so far.
There is no one that writes quite like Karen Marie Moning. Her ability to string readers along with her enticing words is excellent. She teases and taunts, weaving a bigger picture with each sentence. And yet, there are still so many secrets untold.
If you are new to Moning’s writing, my best advice is to be patient. Her stories unravel slowly, but as each piece is revealed, it paints a vivid, powerful picture. I’ve never been able to predict Moning’s next move.
I do see some similarities to her popular Fever series. Zo reminds me a lot of Mac with her independence and powerful seductiveness. And the same goes for the other characters. As we continue to learn more about them throughout the series, I’m sure I’ll fall in love with them too.
THE HOUSE AT WATCH HILL blew me away. Rife with passion and intrigue, this new series will definitely capture the hearts of Moning’s readers once again. This is definitely my favorite book of the year so far.
November 17, 2025
I was unsure what to expect of this novel. Years ago I read the first five books of Moning's Fever series and had very conflicting feelings about them. The main character, MacKayla, started out shallow and fluffy, but keep maturing and growing as the books progressed. I came to like her. However her love interest, Barrons, was a jerk. Moning perhaps meant for him to be an “alpha" but he turned out to be what I consider to be an insufferable ass. So I approached this novel with caution.
A couple of aspects of this novel remind me of those previous books. Like MacKayla, Zo Grey has a powerful heritage and she has been kept in complete ignorance of its ramifications. This is not unusual in urban fantasy, but Moning really leans into it. Zo is a bomb walking around the town of Divinity. Secondly, her “mentor", Mr. Balfour, is an older male lawyer who is bound by the arcane provisions of the will of Zo's predecessor, Juniper Cameron. So, just like Barrons in the Fever books, Balfour doesn't answer questions and then gets annoyed when Zo screws up. How can she avoid making mistakes when she knows nothing about witchcraft and no one will spill the tea?
That said, Zo has very little judgment. Yes, her mother spent a lot of energy suppressing Zo's talent and emotions, but once free of that influence Zo makes very little effort to control herself. I know how difficult it is to take advice on trust. I'm sure I would be antsy to get on with my education too, but Zo doesn't seem very good at seeing any point of view but her own. Her best friend Este tries her damnedest to give Zo useful information, so why does Zo refuse to read the notes that Este and her mother wrote especially for her? She claims to want knowledge but she won't apply herself. When the stakes are so high why is she unable to contain herself for two weeks?
Well, of course the answer to that conundrum is that sensible Zo would not provide the dramatic tension that wildly impulsive Zo does. And the book ends on an uber dramatic cliffhanger. I do have to admire the surprise involved in the ending. I have to admit that I really don't want to read the next book and that despite that I may find myself with it in my hand some day. I have no idea how to rate this thing. 3 frustrated stars.
A couple of aspects of this novel remind me of those previous books. Like MacKayla, Zo Grey has a powerful heritage and she has been kept in complete ignorance of its ramifications. This is not unusual in urban fantasy, but Moning really leans into it. Zo is a bomb walking around the town of Divinity. Secondly, her “mentor", Mr. Balfour, is an older male lawyer who is bound by the arcane provisions of the will of Zo's predecessor, Juniper Cameron. So, just like Barrons in the Fever books, Balfour doesn't answer questions and then gets annoyed when Zo screws up. How can she avoid making mistakes when she knows nothing about witchcraft and no one will spill the tea?
That said, Zo has very little judgment. Yes, her mother spent a lot of energy suppressing Zo's talent and emotions, but once free of that influence Zo makes very little effort to control herself. I know how difficult it is to take advice on trust. I'm sure I would be antsy to get on with my education too, but Zo doesn't seem very good at seeing any point of view but her own. Her best friend Este tries her damnedest to give Zo useful information, so why does Zo refuse to read the notes that Este and her mother wrote especially for her? She claims to want knowledge but she won't apply herself. When the stakes are so high why is she unable to contain herself for two weeks?
Well, of course the answer to that conundrum is that sensible Zo would not provide the dramatic tension that wildly impulsive Zo does. And the book ends on an uber dramatic cliffhanger. I do have to admire the surprise involved in the ending. I have to admit that I really don't want to read the next book and that despite that I may find myself with it in my hand some day. I have no idea how to rate this thing. 3 frustrated stars.
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