I love Rachel Hawkins/Erin Sterling’s humor and wit, and she delivers both that and a ridiculously autumnal atmosphere in this book. My only hesitation is that the plot gets a little… scattershot. Starting about a third of the way in, there is mild to moderate spiciness and then…well the plot gets a little left behind and things just kind of happen to our protagonists in between romantic moments. Still, this book has so much worldbuilding and atmosphere that I’d love to see a sequel and/or a movie that I can rewatch every fall.

STEAMY STEAM STEAM! This is the perfect Halloween book! I loved Erin Sterling(!)"s first romance novel and hope to read more! She knows how to write tension and how to keep someone super super hooked!

This was a fun seasonal read. I don't think I would have enjoyed it if I hadn't read it when I was in the mood for Halloween stuff, but I had a good time. It gives me Hocus Pocus/Sabrina the Teenage Witch vibes and would recommend it to readers looking for something fast in October.

THE EX HEX is a cheesy, spooky little romance to cure what ails you. Perhaps it was my copy, which was a digital ARC, but some of the prose was so wordy and full of close repetition that it was actually distracting. It definitely took away from my experience.

Thanks to Avon and NetGalley for the ARC.

This book was really cutesy. I listened to the audiobook around Halloween at which time I wanted something "seasonal" to read. This was fun and I would certainly recommend it as a cute Halloween read, but I didn't love it to the point where I can imagine myself recommending it outside of the Halloween season.

I received an advanced reading copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Two witch families that can't stand eachother are forced to come together to remove an accidental curse.
This was a cute, fun, witchy romance story. I really enjoyed the characters and the story kept me entertained throughout. I'm looking forward to the next book in the series.

This was such an easy and fun read around Halloween! It had romance, quirky characters, magical moments, and a few spooks. I was delightfully charmed by the witches and the idyllic university town they lived in. There were multiple times that I laughed out loud or grinned while reading, and I found the book utterly enjoyable and just the right amount of wicked. I have eagerly recommended this book to patrons and friends alike as something fun that will take them on a magical fall adventure with an indulgent contemporary romance. Fans of magical realism, sassy female leads, and modern romances will all find something to love in this novel.

I enjoyed this sexy and steamy fall/Halloween romance. I heard it described as a sexy Hocus Pocus, and I couldn't agree more. Even so, I found some of my favorite scenes happening between the main character and her cousin/aunt!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for a free copy in exchange for my honest review. The Ex Hex by Erin Sterling features Vivienne or Vivi who is a quiet witch and history professor at her local college in Graves Glenn and Rhys Penhallow a witch from a prominent family who needs to return to Graves Glenn for their founder's day. Although, trouble ensues as the hex Vivi put on Rhys for breaking her heart nine years ago seems to be real. Vivi and Rhys along with Vivi's aunt and cousin have only a couple days to fix the mess. I seriously enjoyed this witchy romance. I loved the second chance aspect of it and how real both Vivi and Rhys seemed. The witch elements were done well and all connected. The audio is also fantastic. I highly recommend this book.

I DNFed The Ex Hex @ 22%

I was bored. The writing was fine, I just could not connect with any of the characters.

I absolutely loved this quick little romance! The characters were funny and I did enjoy the love story between the two main characters. I started off listening to the audiobook but had to give it up because of the narrator. The characters were either Welsh or from Georgia. I am from Alabama and know a southern accent all too well. The narrator went with a generic American accent for everyone.

When I first heard about this book, it immediately jumped to the top of my October TBR. Marketed as Hocus Pocus with spice, this spooky Halloween romcom really enticed me.

Overall, it was an enjoyable read but nothing special. The atmosphere and vibes of the town it’s set in + the Halloween setting was the best part by far. Other than that, it was a little silly, verging on a cozy mystery. Which is fine, just not what I was expecting.

Honestly, the spice felt out of place and seemed unnecessary. Usually, I’m all for the spice 🔥 but I feel like it could have been left out of this book and nobody would have missed it.

So, I guess if you’re looking for a silly, spooky (in the lightest sense of the word) romcom, this is it. Just know what you’re getting into and it will be an enjoyable fall read 😊

I really liked the premise of this book. It was fun and spooky for Halloween. I did have a hard time liking the male lead. Of course we’re not supposed to like him at first, but it was hard to root for him to get together with her.

This was the only part of the book I had trouble with. Otherwise it was an enjoyable romp. It’s well written, but not a favorite for me.

Thank you to William Morrow, Erin Sterling, and NetGalley for this eARC in exchange for my honest review.

This was SO cute and fun for Halloween! It was the perfect mix of magic, love, and small town Halloween spirit. Highly recommend reading to get into the fall spirit.

——

GoodReads Synopsis- Nine years ago, Vivienne Jones nursed her broken heart like any young witch would: vodka, weepy music, bubble baths…and a curse on the horrible boyfriend. Sure, Vivi knows she shouldn’t use her magic this way, but with only an “orchard hayride” scented candle on hand, 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, breaker of hearts, and annoyingly just as gorgeous as he always was, 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 book was the perfect fall read. I love that it is a second chance romance. I love that they come together to break the curse. Of course, I would make a curse if I get broken hearted.

The audio was excellent.

Something deliciously witchy this way comes…
The Ex Hex by Erin Sterling is full of witchy fun! This romance is hexy and sexy and you’ll be feeling all the Spooky Season vibes with this amazing second chance romance.

If you love stories with empowered females, small town quirks, and paranormal hauntings then The Ex Hex should be at the top of your reading pile not just during Halloween—Erin Sterling (Rachel Hawkins pen name) has created a fun romance good all year ‘round.

“Never mix vodka and witchcraft.”
After an abrupt and heart-wrenching breakup, Vivi and her cousin Gwyn accidently curse Vivi’s ex-boyfriend—Welsh warlock Rhys Penhallow. Cut to nine years later and one semi-mended heart later, Vivi thinks everything is fine until she learns Rhys is coming back to town in order to celebrate Founder’s Day in her small town of Graves Glen. Things start to go wonky for Rhys as soon as he crosses the town’s borders. Wonky goes to absolutely bonkers when Rhys and Vivi realize that her hex has turned some-what worse as he attempts the yearly magical tradition of fortifying the town’s magic.

What I loved most about The Ex Hex is that even though Vivi and Rhys are tasked with figuring out how to set the town back to normal and remove the curse from Rhys…it’s also a romance and their chemistry is off the charts. So what should have been investigated quickly is not because of how quickly they combust around each other. Which of course made me giggle to no end!

“She was normally a completely rational and calm person, and Rhys Penhallow made her totally lose her mind.”
Between the mystery surrounding the founding of Graves Glen, the hex turned curse, and the appearance of one cantankerous ghost, I was utterly bewitched by this book! Erin/Rachel has written such a fun story. I was engrossed with every new detail that came to light and I loved that this second chance romance had a very fulfilling Happily Ever After.

The Ex Hex is definitely one of my highlights for the year, and honestly it spoke to my witchy-loving heart in the best of ways. I loved Vivi and I loved that she and Rhys had an equally satisfying romance as well!

The Ex Hex is a fun Halloween romance with witches, hexes, and small town vibes. The story follows Vivienne Jones, a witch and professor in Graves Glen, Georgia. When Vivienne was younger, she dated Rhys Penhallow, a descendant of Graves Glen founders. Their relationship ended badly. When Rhys comes back to Graves Glen for a founders day celebration, Vivienne and Rhys must put their past behind them and work together to fix a curse that is wreaking havoc on the town.

I came to this story for the Halloween vibes and I definitely got them. This story is silly and fun, but it definitely reads as extremely cheesy at times. The romance between Vivienne and Rhys really stands on their past relationship, which wasn't built up enough for me to get invested.

If you're looking for a fun book with Halloween elements then this book is perfect, but the romance at its center is a little underwhelming.

DNFed at 33%.

I thought maybe I'd go back and try again, but I never felt like it, even after it hit all of the bestseller and "best of" lists.

The writing was solid. I've read and really enjoyed this author's YA romances (written as Rachel Hawkins), but THE EX HEX never grabbed me. I loved the concept, liked the Halloween-obsessed town, but the main characters were very meh, both individually and together. The magic had potential, unlike other recent light paranormal romcoms I've read, where the magic is almost nonexistent, but it wasn't enough to hold my interest.

I'm clearly in the minority here, with most people really enjoying this one, so don't let my ambivalence discourage you from giving it a go. I wish I had loved it, but alas, sometimes you gotta know when to cut ties and move on. (Case in point, the next book I picked up I inhaled in two days. 🤷🏻‍♀️)

Vivienne and Rhys had a summer fling nine years ago that did not end well. Mixing vodka and magic lead to a curse on Rhys that manifested when he returned on Founders Day to charge the ley lines that kept the town magical. The curse will be fulfilled on Halloween, so Vivienne, Rhys, Gwyn, and Aunt Elaine have only a few days to find who fueled the curse and reverse it or the town and Rhys died. Plenty of snark, romance, magic and a talking cat keeps the reader going. A fun Fall read!

Thanks Netgalley for the chance to read this title!

I liked this book- I thought it got a lot more hype than perhaps it deserved, it's an average witch romance. The plot was compelling, and I liked the main characters, but I would have liked the FMC's history unpacked a little more. We don't hear much about her family, or her feelings about magic. I think the MMC was more fleshed out.