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.

I was so excited about this because I have been a fan of Rachel Hawkins since her <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/5287473-hex-hall">Hex Hall</a> days. I just knew her adult romance would sweep even me off my feet. Unfortunately though it started out so good, it lost its momentum along the way.

Viv and Rhys had just spent a wonderful summer together. But then Rhys drops a bomb that Viv can't overlook. So as a witch, what does she do? She gets drunk with her cousin and jokingly hexes him. Despite all the times her aunt warned them not to mix alcohol and witchcraft. But as it turns out, they find out years later that Viv's hex might not have been as harmless as she thought it was.

The beginning of this was SO. GOOD. From the prologue I was so excited because of all the witchyness that was going on. It was perfect. The witchyness stayed amazing through the entire book and I was hanging on to all the spells and magic they did. I DO think the world building could have been a little better, like a little more explanation, but since the magic was basically just them using their hands and it was set in a contemporary world, it wasn't really a big deal that the world wasn't completely fluffed out.

As for the romance, it was a fade to black kind of thing, so I would give it a 2 on my spice scale. I wanted it to be more because I am a SUCKER for second chance romance. But alas, this one was just a 2. The time they did have together was super cute tho. I wasn't a huge fan of Rhys, but it was still cute. (Also, why is every hero named Rhys now? Or am I the only one reading them? lol) This one is also a slow burn. I'm talking about 70% is when the romance starts back again. Yes they flirt before then, but it's not until late that they actually get to the romance.

The main problem I had with this tho was the plot. It seemed to get lost? Maybe it's just me, but I thought it was supposed to be about saving Rhys and saving the town. But the saving the town part basically took over. And because of that it made me lose a little interest. I wanted to see more of them beating up wind up toys. The random secondary plot that popped up didn't need to be there in my opinion. It just seemed like she didn't have anything else to write about so she filled it with that. But that could be me just nit-picking.

This book wasn't all that I was expecting, but it was still good. Seeing that it's proposed as a series, I can't wait to see who's next; Rhys' brothers? Viv's cousin? (That would be cool since she's LGBTQ+) Whoever the book is about, I will be reading it. Hopefully some things change in that book so I can give it 5 stars instead.

This was the perfect treat for fall! A delightful rom com with witchy fall vibes. This was the perfect blend of romance with a dash of mystery, plus the urban fantasy elements just made it that much more interesting. You've got your sexual tension, sarcastic banter, plus a several hundred year old mystery and a bunch of witchy magic gone haywire....oh yeah and don't forget an angry ghost! I am not normally a fan of contemporary romance, but this set up and the paranormal elements made it a great setting for the two mc's to play off against. **Thanks to both Netgalley and Avon books for an eARC of this book in exchange for my honest review!**

The lowdown: A young woman curses her ex and when he shows back up 9 years later her little hex has an unexpectedly big result as he crosses the town line, not only hexing him with some unusually bad luck but causing all the magic in the town to go crazy. This results in a series of "damage control" incidents that throw our twosome together once more as they try to figure out what the hell happened and how to fix it. Enter a snarky cousin for breezy and snarky humor, and a particularly vengeful ghost in the campus library and in a deserted cabin in the woods for some spooky haunts - and these two find themselves in some compromising situations.

This was the perfect escape read, I couldn't put it down and found myself snickering out loud a couple times, and loving the steamy scenes. The "clock ticking down" plot made for a quick and exciting read with plenty of snarky banter and lots of sexual chemistry as these two exes try to keep their hands off one another.

The only slight hiccup for me was the romantic part of the climax, as compared to the mystery/magic elements was slightly lackluster, I wanted a little bit more of a show during the actual climax instead of in the denouement...but of course the very end was good.

Meh. I really wanted to like this more than I did. The cover was adorable, and I thought it would be a perfect Halloween book. It was a slow start for me, and I never really got into it. I don’t read a lot of paranormal romances, and I think I prefer realistic paranormal romances. This was just a little too out there for me. I did love the message to “never mix vodka and witchcraft!”

Thanks to @NetGalley and William Morrow and Custom House for my ARC!

I recommend reading this on a cool night, in front of a fireplace, with a warm spicy drink and maybe the soundtrack from Practical Magic in the background. It's definitely got that sort of vibe.

I'm not going to recap the synopsis, but for a witchy book about an ex-lover, I expected more storm and angst. Instead, this is a charming, often witty, look at what happens when the one who got away comes back despite your best drunken curse efforts. Rhys and Viv have obviously not let go of one another and when Rhys' family legacy pulls him from Wales back to Georgia and back to Vivienne's small college town the sparks and magic are still there. Quite literally!

They need to work together and solve a magical mystery and well, we all know how this goes.

Tremendous fun, a good heat level between them, and I hope the start of a series. Rhys has two brothers (just saying) and Vivienne has a cousin...so hopefully more.

Thanks to Netgalley for the review copy in exchange for an honest review.

This was one of my favorite combos: romance and paranormal! This was a fun read with the right amount of humor, action, and sexy times to keep the pages flying by. The downside of the text format though is not being able to hear Rhys' apparently very sexy Welsh accent!

I would've liked a little more history of Vivi's parents and background to ground it a little more. And I think we were definitely missing seeing Simon's reaction to learning his family's actual history (though I suspect he knew).

I see on Goodreads this is listed as #1 in a series, so maybe this will be explored in other books. Will they be about Gwen, or Rhys' brothers? Curious to see.

This book is the ultimate romantic comedy book for the spooky season, hands down. It is the equivalent (for me) of the Christmas Shopaholic for Halloween; its witty, a little unbelievable, and oozing adorable at it's pumpkin shaped center.

Vivi and her ex Rhys find themselves in a "spirit-ed" adventure when they realize that Vivi's playful (and vodka influenced) curse from 10 years ago after their break up has come back to "haunt" them. When Rhys returns to Graves Glen and attempts to recharge the town's ley lines, the curse surfaces itself and things get wacky.

The plot drew me into reading this book and first and foremost I wanted MORE of it. I wanted more spells, more spooks, more eerie descriptions of old library and books filled with ancient witchery. Give me more haunted plastic skulls, hayrides, witchy characters, and magic gone wrong ....

but instead Sterling (aka Rachel Hawkins) focuses on the romance between Vivi and Rhys and.....their love thang is just okay. Their love-at-first-sight = forever love story... okay.. I can get behind that but the problems of their relationship is Vivi's lack of trust and their general lack of communication. Which kills the mood for me in any rom. and makes the relationship feel immature.They are cute, Rhys is a hottie and it's a fall romance that anyone can enjoy on its surface but don't expect to be swooped up and swooning.

I found Sterling relied so much on repeating the same things (Vivi is so beautiful, Rhys is nonplussed) that the pages would've been better spent on giving me more backstory of Vivi and her family (not enough character buildout in the book) and if not that then longer scenes. I can only describe it as rushing in and out of scenes with very minimal required description.

The end of the book is rushed and a bit anticlimatic. There was a lot of potential with this story and I want to love it so bad because HELLO - Halloween romance fiction? What isn't there to love. I'll still recommend this book because it's cutesy and Fall themed but don't expect it to be particularly memorable

This book had everything and way more!! I love everything to do with witches so when I saw this book was coming out I knew I needed to get my hands on it ASAP! This book did not disappoint one bit.

A witchy romance set in Georgia with long established witch lines living amongst humans. There is even a small college in the town.
Vivienne Jones and Rhys Penhallow met 9 years earlier and had immediate chemistry. They were both almost if not all of the way in love when Rhys casually says he has to go back to Wales to talk to his Dad about his betrothal. Uh bye boy. Que girl time, vodka, candles and hexing the ex, though they didn't think they actually did anything, she was just broken hearted.

Back to now, the ley lines need to be charged prior to All Hallows Eve and only a Penhallow can do it. Rhys is sent back to Graves Glen and let the fun start. He hasn't seen Vivienne since he left, bad luck starts happening to him once he enters the town limit and his magic is all wonky. Turns out there is a hex on him, oops!

This book was so much fun and full of so many laughs and steamy-ness. There are so many fun witchy things happening in this book I want to read it again!  If BOTM does have it as a selection I probably will pick it! 

Pic- polka dot pumpkins for Vivi.

Thank you avonbooks and netgalley for the e-ARC for my honest and voluntary review.

This was a cute book. It honestly read like a movie and I was picturing all the scenes while reading - a mix of Practically Magic and Halloweentown! I enjoyed the characters - especially the supporting characters of the heroine's family. It was a slow start for me, but once the storyline picked up, I was into it.

I wish: the steam was a bit steamier (it just left me wanting more and I hate that lingering feeling). That some of the language wasn't as repetitive and it had been cleaned up a bit with editing.

Oh my! Definitely read this one. It checks off all the boxes and makes for a perfect Halloween read!

Heartbroken and a little drunk Vivienne and her cousin Gwyn jokingly curse her ex-boyfriend Rhys after one too many vodka crans, neither thinking anything serious would happen. Nine years later and the curse forgotten, Rhys comes back to Graves Glen to recharge the ley lines placed by his ancestors around the town. Things go a little awry upon his return, throwing the ex’s back together as they search for a way to undo the curse and save Graves Glen from magical disaster.

The Ex Hex was definitely the best choice to segue into my spooky season reads! The book gives off major Practical Magic meets Hocus Pocus vibes with a spicy twist. I really loved the storyline, characters, and am a huge sucker for second chance romances. This was a super fun read, and I really hope to see more of this world & its characters!

🎃Book Review🎃

The Ex Hex was a cute and quick read.

The author describes it as “Hocus Pocus but they f@&” and she ain’t kidding. I’d probably add a sprinkling of Ghostbusters, a pinch of Sabrina the Teenage Witch and a dash of Practical Magic.

We begin the tale when our heroine and witch Vivi, has “jokingly” put a curse on her ex, the hunky Welsh born Rhys. 9 years go by and Rhys is back from abroad to take care of magical ley lines in the town where Vivi and her family live. Turns out, the curse kinda worked. The town is now in turmoil with all kinds of magical and paranormal activities. In the midst of it all, Vivi and Rhys steam it up with some hot magic of their own. 🔥

✨My thoughts✨
This was cute! As much as it was just lighthearted and kind of silly I also laughed a bit and liked the chemistry of the characters (enemies to lovers vibes). It’s a great fall/Halloween read and it was a nice switch from some heavy reads I’ve been drowning myself in. If you’re in the mood for it you’ll enjoy this one.

My rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫✨(3.75/5 stars)

🧙‍♀️Are you a good witch or a bad witch?🧙‍♀️

Thanks #netgalley and #harpercollins for the ARC and opportunity to read and review this book.

#theexhex #bookrecommendations #bookreview #fallbooks #halloweenbooks #booklover #bookstagram

This is the perfect book for Halloween! Erin Sterling (who also writes as Rachel Hawkins) gives an adorable tale of romance and witches.

Vivi and Rhys have a summer college romance that was very hot and heavy. He breaks her heart and goes home to Whales leaving Vivi with a shattered heart.

Vivi and her cousin Gwyn drunkenly curse him. Think it’s nothing yet..they were warned not to mix alcohol with Magic and nothing bad happened, but...

Nine years later, Vivi is now a professor at the same college, and she has totally, absolutely, gotten over Rhys and moved on. Totally moved on?

Rhys is back in Graves Glen for Founder’s Day at his father’s order. He just wants to get this over with and go back to his home in Whales. Easy enough, except in this case it’s easier said than done.

Vivi & Gwyn’s silly drunken curse is wreaking havoc in Rhys life ever since he got to town. Everything that can go wrong can, including all things magical.

The whole town of Graves Glen is in danger, and it’s up to Vivi to fix things and to reverse the curse on Rhys. She doesn’t have much time. It doesn’t help that she’s falling for Rhys all over again..

There’s very steamy romance, witches, cursed people, ghosts, and much more in this Halloween romantic comedy! It’s lots of fun and will definitely get you in the mood for all things spooky!

I would like to thank Erin Sterling, William Morrow and Custom House, and Netgalley for the chance to read and review this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Publication date: 09/28/2021

This book had me laughing out loud from the first chapter of the book . I'Ve already recommended it to loads of friends. This is a fun adult rom-com with Witches and set mostly in October. It's the perfect Fall read.

I thought this book sounded so fun. I tried a few times to get through it but I feel it's very slow and I don't think it's a good fit for me, so I'm not finishing. I read the first 25%!

Thank you to the publisher and netgalley for the gifted copy!

The Ex Hex is a very cute witchy rom-com read. It’s perfect for the start of October!

I loved the accidental curse and how it leaked into the town magic. Now they have to fix magical chaos like plastic skulls running amok and ghosts and more! It was so perfectly Halloween-y and I enjoyed it a lot.

Be warned though this is one of the romances that equates lust to love. I didn’t see a whole lot of emotional connection and personal chemistry. It was mostly physical and then the two main characters used that as proof of an insane personal connection which really was just really good sex.

Still though, read this. It’s perfect for this time of year!