It’s spooky season! 👻 Or close enough. I just finished this witchy read, whose book birthday is today. It’s a fun small town contemporary romance with a heavy dose of witchcraft that illustrates why one should never mix magic and vodka - no matter how heartbroken you are.

Also included: one treat begging talking cat. 🐈‍⬛

4 ⭐️ , mostly for the humor.

Thank you @avonbooks @netgalley for my review copy!

When Rhys breaks Vivienne’s heart, she jokingly places a hex on her handsome, witchy ex. When he returns years later, she realizes that maybe her magic was a little more powerful than she thought. Whoops.

It’s a little late in the day, but I have to say happy pub day to one of my favorite recent reads! I absolutely loved The Ex Hex. Romance, witchcraft, small town and fall vibes. What more could you want this time of year?!

I highly recommend you pick this one up. It’s out today!

📚Read this if you’re looking for a witchy/fall read with some romance.

A delightful and funny story. Viviene and Rhys are both witches. After a break up Rhys is accidentally cursed by Viviene. This causes a series of mishaps. They are quite witty and fun. It even includes a ghost and a talking cat. The cast of characters is truly charming and will make you laugh out loud. Working together gives them the opportunity to fall in love all over again.

This book is getting so much hype, and I wanted to love it. But it just didn’t pull me in. It took me a long time to finish, and while it ended nicely, it just wasn’t worth the trudging through.

If you are looking for a light fun read for Halloween season this is for you. This is fun magical, laugh out loud romance with a hint of steam.

Vivi Jones is a witch, she found out her boyfriend Rhys is betrothed to someone else. So Vivi being broken hearted and young she gets drunk and curses Rhys,all in good fun though. Nine years later when her ex returns to Graves Glen the curse is activated, Vivi find outs the curse turned out to be more than just blowing of steam and it actually worked! Vivi’s Aunt did warn her never to mix vodka and witchcraft!!

Vivi and Rhys have to work together to save the town making this a second chance with a little bit of enemies to lover romance. I was immediately pulled in.. literally by the first sentence. The banter and chemistry between the characters made me so invested. I also love that you get to see the point of view from both Vivi and Rhys. The Ex Hex really does give you a mix of Hocus Pocus and Halloween town but also with a bit of steam! This is going to be a must read for the season and you do not want to miss it!

Thank you NetGalley for honoring me with an eARC. I will definitely be needing a physical copy of this as well because I loved it so much.

Firstly, I'd like to thank Willaim Morrow and Custom House, Avon Publishing, as well as NetGalley for granting me an eArc of this book (even though i waited til its release day to read...yikes)

This book is like Sabrina the Teenage witch, but she's in her mid-20's and puts a spiteful curse on her ex. When Vivi finds out the boy she is dating is being set up to be married in Wales by his father, she kicks him out, and literally throws his pants in his face. Her and her cousin then place a "harmless" hex on him. 9 years later, Rhys is back in town...their chemistry is still magical...but everything that could go wrong for him does.

My rating: 4.5/5 - I'm freaking. LOVED. THIS. BOOK. The conversations are hilariously witty, and the chemistry from Rhys and Vivi just is so present and palpable. There was some spice, with more of fading to gray (not black) cause there is some detail, but ugh what I would give for a tad more! The plot was fun to follow, but the exaggerated magical aspect at the end confused me a bit, but overall an amazing read I highly recommend for any contemporary rom-com reader!

Super cute and quick read-- perfect for spooky season!

Vivi had an explosive ending to a three-month relationship with Rhys when she was 19. Vodka and hexes with her cousin may have been involved. Nine years later, Vivi is a human history professor, and it's time for the town's ley lines to be recharged. This entails the presence of one of the town's founder's ancestors to be present, and Rhys happens to be one of the four options. Guess who shows up for the ceremony! When Rhys and Vivi go to recharge the town's magic, things happen that aren't supposed to be happening. And Rhys seems to be getting in quite a few perilous situations ever since he returned to town. Did that vodka- and heartbreak-infused hex actually work?

Of course it did. And of course Vivi and Rhys have to work together to figure out WTF is going on.

<i>The Ex Hex</i> was a fun little romp. Nothing super serious, a few sexy times here and there. I loved the presence of ghosts, spells, and magical objects. I will be recommending to people looking for some Halloween fun!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for my thoughts.

I adored this story so much and I want everyone to read it!

Small-town, second chance romance with a side of witches, magic, and curses!

When Vivienne was 19 year old, she had her heart broken by Rhys when he had to move away to supposedly marry someone else. While she was wallowing in her heartache, she and her cousin jokingly cursed him with their magic. When he returns to town 9 years later, it appears the curse wasn't so much of a joke after all! While working together to find a way to lift the curse, they find themselves still very much attracted to each other. I got some steam I wasn't expecting in this one, and I'm not complaining!

I loved this book so much! The banter between Vivi and Rhys is so funny and the side characters are hysterical too!

In the magical town of Graves Glen, Georgia, Vivieen, a witch, accidentally curses her ex-boyfriend following their breakup. The Ex Hex is a light, paranormal romance that follows witches Vivienne Jones and Rhys Penhallow. Nine years ago, Rhys Penhallow breaks Vivieen’s heart when he returns to Wales to convince his father to let him out of his betrothal— a betrothal Vivieen was fully unaware of. When Rhys returns to town to recharge the ley lines that provide magic to the local witches, Vivieen’s curse begins to take effect.

With the help of her cousin, Gwyn, Vivi and Rhys must figure out how to break the curse before Halloween, with the added distraction of Vivi and Rhys rekindling their romantic relationship.

This book is a light, comical read that will appeal to readers of romantic comedies. The magic is simple, not complicated, so comprehension of mystical enchantments is not necessary. I really enjoyed reading this with my windows open, letting in the crisp autumn air. I felt like I was right there in Graves Glen watching everything unfold. This is the perfect fast-paced, second-chance romance read for spooky szn/October.

Thank you so much to William Morrow and Custom House, Avon for the advanced reader’s copy in exchange for an honest review.

The cover for this book is very memorable, and I could not wait to read this one. Once the chill comes into the air, I'm always in the mood for atmospheric tales- and this one did not disappoint!

The Ex Hex is pure rom-com with its fun tone and witty characters, author Erin Sterling takes things deeper with potent, beautifully portrayed symbolism, especially when it comes to tarot cards and the intriguing, melancholy mystery tangled up with the curse. It's a romance magically enhanced to be more vivid, more daring and more potentially deadly, and it's all the more satisfying for it.

This book is outside of my usual genres but I enjoyed it. Likeable characters and well paced, Good for fans of romantic comedies and light fantasies. It's a great read for fall.

🎃 𝐇𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐲 𝐏𝐮𝐛𝐥𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐃𝐚𝐲 𝐭𝐨 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐄𝐱 𝐇𝐞𝐱 🎃

Six words: Hocus Pocus but make it steamy❤️‍🔥🕸💥

Idk what’s happening to me (was I hexxed??) but y’all I am vibing with romcoms more than I usually do and this is one exceeded all expectations (similarly to the love hypothesis)!!! LOVED IT!!

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐄𝐱 𝐇𝐞𝐱 is a really light, paranormal romcom that gets 5 spooky stars from me. It’s not a deep romance at all but I adored the setting, the characters, and the humor so much👏🏻🤩


🪦 Quick synopsis:

Nine years ago, Rhys Penhallow left 19 yr old Vivienne Jones to go back to Wales. With a broken heart and the encouragement from vodka and her cousin, Gwyn, Vivi decides to jokingly curse Rhys. Here’s the kicker: the Hex wasn’t a joke. As Rhys returns to Graves Glen, the hex ramps up speed and he and Vivi must work together to stop it❤️‍🔥😬


⚰️My thoughts:

Who doesn’t love a fated lover’s trope?! After reading so many heavy books lately, this light and funny quick read was exactly what I was needing. Perfect for a spooky pick me up🕸🍂

☠️: Have you already started compiling your spooky book tbr for October?! What are you guys planning on reading?!

Vivi knows you never mix vodka with witchcraft, but after a doozy of a break up with her boyfriend Rhys, what’s one little curse (like it’s going to work) going to hurt? Fast forward 9 years and Rhys is back in Graves Glen to recharge the ley lines and attend the annual founders festival. Not everything is going to plan when he arrives and Vivi starts to wonder if her little “curse” actually worked. Crazy things start happening and Vivi and Rhys have to work together to save Graves Glen!

This was such a fun read and STEAMY! If you are in a romance mood but looking to pick up something with witchy vibes this is PERFECT.

*Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an eARC in an exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

This is a fun story about magic in the modern world. Vivienne and Rhys met the summer she was 19 and he was taking summer classes at the local college. To most people it is a regular college, but it also has a secret magic college that was started by Rhys’ ancestor. Things did not end well and while drowning her sorrows, Vivi puts a curse on him. Nine years later Rhys is back in town and that is when crazy things start happening. Read the story to find out how it all works out. I love stories that combine magic and romance in a modern setting and the author did a wonderful job.

I received a free copy of this book to review through NetGalley.

Like many other reviews I’ve seen, this is like an adult version of Hocus Pocus. A fun read as we transition to fall. Generally this isn’t my favorite kind of book, but it was still a fun, steamy read.

If you’re looking for a fun, witchy romance to ring in the Halloween Season, I mean fall, Erin Sterling’s The Ex Hex has you covered! Think Charmed/Sabrina the Teenage Witch/Buffy but with fewer demons and more romance. And the setting couldn’t be more perfect--picture Stars Hollow from Gilmore Girls, but with witches. It has all the fall vibes, too--from autumn leaves and pumpkins to fall festivals and candied apples. Small town romances are great, and if the hero has a Welsh accent, even better!

And of course it has your typical romantic tropes--in this case, a second chance romance, but with a curse and a ghost or two thrown in for good measure. It was a super fast read--I finished it in one night--and I had a smile on my face the whole time. It was just silly enough to be super fun but not so campy that I rolled my eyes.

Oh, and the talking cat made me giggle.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for my e-ARC.

Nine years ago, Vivienne Jones nursed her broken heart with a curse on her "horrible" boyfriend. Sure, Vivi knows she shouldn’t use her magic this way, but she isn’t worried it will cause him anything more than a bad hair day or two. That is until Rhys Penhallow, descendent of the town’s ancestors, returns to Graves Glen, Georgia. What should be a quick trip to recharge the town’s ley lines and make an appearance at the annual fall festival turns disastrously wrong. With one calamity after another striking Rhys, Vivi realizes her silly little Ex Hex may not have been so harmless after all.

This was such a fun book! I loved the premise and was super invested in this little world. The setting really gave off an "autumn magic" vibe and was just so cute! The relationship between Vivi and Rhys is a second chance romance, which is one of my favorite tropes. There was great chemistry between these two, and it was easy to see how much they cared about one another. All the strange events of the town were fun to read about, and the side characters were awesome! I hope that we'll see these characters again.

I would call this a cozy witchy romance. It's not super spicy as far as romances go, but that's no problem for me. Highly recommended!

This book was the perfect fall/Halloween read. I typically stay away from anything paranormal but couldn't resist the premise of this book, and it did not disappoint. The second chance trope between Vivienne and Rhys was wonderful, the strong female characters in Vivienne, Gwyn, and Elaine were great, and the atmosphere that Sterling sets up is exactly what I was hoping for. I'm a sucker for holiday romances, and I'm glad that it is extending to the Halloween season. I'm recommending this book to all my friends as one of the best October reads and looking forward to more books set in this world.

📖 read this if:
✧ you have always wanted an adult-rated Halloweentown movie
✧ you participate in the 31 Nights of Halloween marathon, every night
✧ Salem is one of your top 10 favorite fictional characters

•••••

Hocus Pocus but they f*ck.

That’s what this book is marketed as, so consider me sold. And after reading it, I can confirm that description is entirely accurate. Not only was this book absolutely adorable, but it also put me right in the mood for spooky season! From witches and curses to ghosts and a talking cat, this book’s got everything to be a perfect Halloween read! 🎃👻

I’m always partial to romance novels that are dual POV, but it helped that both Vivienne and Rhys were incredible, likable characters as well. Their chemistry and banter flew off the page. And the romantic scenes were steam done perfectly.

I especially loved that this book involved both a romantic plot line and a separate plot line of solving the curse. There wasn’t too much of anything, and the two stories were well-balanced. I enjoyed the witchy content, and it took me back to watching all my favorite Halloween movies as a kid.

The Ex Hex was a fun read, perfect for spooky season. There was nothing I disliked and it put a huge smile on my face. Even when I wasn’t reading, I couldn’t stop thinking about this book!

If you want to experience this entertaining witchy read, look out for The Ex Hex when it’s published TOMORROW!

Thank you so much to NetGalley, Avon, William Morrow, and HarperCollins for this eARC in exchange for an honest review.