The Ex Hex was a really fun book to read during spooky season but I kept wishing for a little bit more, especially in regards to the magic and the setting. A light and entertaining read that could have been pushed into more!

❄️✨Happy Winter Solstice✨❄️
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My thoughts:
🌙This book was like “Hocus Pocus”, “Practical Magic”, “Bewitched”, and “Halloweentown” combined with it’s own magic.
🌙I flew through this book. I predicted a lot of the twists, but that wasn’t necessarily a bad thing (I tend to annoy even myself by trying to guess endings lol).
🌙This reminded me of a book I would’ve loved as a kid, but just with more mature content which my adult self appreciated!
🌙Sometimes the writing or how the characters spoke felt a little bit forced, but that’s just a matter of opinion so I don’t think it should prevent anyone from reading because you might not feel the same!
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Overall:
I read this book in the car and I was entertained! It played in my head similarly to a fun Halloween movie. As I said earlier this book takes a familiar formula and adds a little bit of spice! I recommend if you are looking for a fun, feel good read that has romance and all the witchy vibes!

As someone who loves Halloween I thought it was a fun read just before Christmas!🎃🎄✨Queues nightmare before Christmas Music✨

Ok, so this was a super silly premise, but also I loved it. Rhys and Vivienne were the perfect enemies-to-lovers duo with some crazy town-wide hijinks to contend with. Looking forward to more!

A delightful paranormal romance that balances a sweet and steamy romance with small-town magical shenanigans.

Vivienne Jones is nineteen years old when she meets Rhys Penhallow one magical summer in her small hometown of Graves Glen, Georgia. He's here to take summer classes at the university close by, and the two embark on a whirlwind romance that ends abruptly after he confides in her that he has to return home to Wales. The reason? To break off the betrothal his father Simon is looking to arrange between Rhys and another properly vetted witch. Aghast at the thought of sleeping with a "claimed" man, Vivienne very loudly and angrily dumps him. Rhys goes back across the pond and a drunk Vivienne, with the help of her sympathetic cousin Gwyn, decides to exorcise all thought of Rhys with a joke curse. But Graves Glen isn't the kind of place where curses, even joke ones, can be made lightly...

Nine years pass, and Vivienne is now a lecturer at the town's Penhaven College. While she, Gwyn and her aunt Elaine fully embrace their witchy heritage, Vivi is still a little reluctant to hang out with the witch populace at large, so stays almost exclusively on the unmagical side of academia. She loves her job, tho, and has a fulfilling life hanging out with her family and friends, even if a few drinks too many will have her looking up one particular ex on social media from time to time.

Since being dumped by Vivi, said ex has done his best to get out of the shadow of his domineering father by setting up a successful travel agency, using his magic to smooth over the many little pitfalls that too often cause tourist complaints. When Simon demands that Rhys return to Graves Glen in order to recharge the ley lines, Rhys is reluctant, mostly because he still can't get Vivi out of his head. But it's been almost a decade, and as a member of Graves Glen's founding family, it's his responsibility. And so, unaware of any curse, to Georgia he returns, hoping for the best.

Things go awry almost from the very beginning of his arrival within town limits, but it's his reunion with Vivi that leaves them both feeling entirely flustered. A series of near-death experiences soon make it clear that, despite Simon's protests that the Penhallow line is simply too strong to be cursed, Vivi actually did manage to hex Rhys all that time ago. Worse, the spell is, in turn, doing bad things to the magic in Graves Glen. The former lovers will have to try to set aside any differences in order to lift the curse and save Graves Glen from certain doom, even as the sparks between them continue to fly, threatening to rekindle the flame all over again.

This was a very cute romance that, while frank, was neither too explicit nor spicy. This tone actually fit in nicely with the mostly light paranormalcy of the book otherwise, which was urban fantasy by way of romantic comedy: while the stakes are high, at no point do you actually think anyone is going to die. There are some interesting twists and turns, and the plot clips along briskly, making for a fast, fluffy read full of heart and humor. It isn't the best thing I've ever read, but it is a superlative paranormal rom-com, and perfect for anyone needing a lighthearted, magical escapade.

The Ex Hex by Erin Sterling was published September 28 2021 by Avon and is available from all good booksellers, including <a href="https://bookshop.org/a/15382/9780063027473">Bookshop!</a>

I enjoyed the story but felt it was a little simplistic. I wanted more from it and thought it wrapped up a little too easily. While it was a fun and charming story, I wanted it to be more - more magical, more charming small town, more about the college - more.

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.

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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.