I wish that Graves Glenn was real, as I would love to visit it, particularly at Halloween. It is a small town in Georgia that has a lot of witches who run magic-related businesses. The town also has a university with a small difference: half of it is there to train witches, while the other side of the academics is for non-magical people. I would love to wear a Halloween costume, get my fortune told and visit their fun shops such as the Coffee Cauldron. Most of the book takes place during a Fall Festival, where both Founders' Day and Halloween are celebrated.

Nine years ago, Vivienne Jones fell in love with a charming, handsome young man named Rhys Penhallow, who was visiting the town that his ancestors had founded. Vivienne and Rhys both had magical powers but (supposedly) Vivienne's were much weaker. Their romance ended when Rhys was called home to Wales for reasons having to do with his betrothal, and Vivienne took it hard - both his leaving *and* the engagement she hadn't known about. While under the influence of alcohol and heartbreak, she and a friend put a curse on Rhys. Fortunately for Rhys, the curse didn't take hold while he was away from Graves Glenn. Unfortunately for Rhys, he is coming back for Founder's Day ....

This is an entertaining, romantic read with a lot of quirky characters and I thoroughly enjoyed reading it. I received a review copy of this book from Netgalley and the publisher, and am voluntarily leaving this review.

A reviewer compared The Ex Hex to a Netflix original movie, and that is closest thing one can describe this book to. It was a cute book, but the plot never had any sense of urgency that had me racing to find out what happens next. The romance was sweet but not particularly interesting. The characters didn’t really stand out either.

Overall, The Ex Hex was just kind of meh. It wasn’t bad, but it wasn’t remarkable either.

The Ex Hex is a cute and fun witchy rom com.
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There were some parts that I think could have been developed more to fill in some gaps for the reader - there was just a little something missing for me to fall completely in love with the story and believe the chemistry and romance between them. ⁣
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The ambience in the book was fantastic and made me want to seek out a fall festival near me. Or at least take long scenic drives through CT.⁣
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The cat was one of my favorite characters and I’d definitely read a novella from his POV.

The perfect spooky season read! When a book starts with vodka and spell-casting and contains angry ghosts and talking cats...you KNOW it's going to be a wild ride. Years ago after having her heart broken by the handsome Rhys, Vivienne drunkenly cast a curse to doom him. Except the joke's now on Vivienne as Rhys has returned to her small town to celebrate Halloween and perform some spells as a member of the town's founding family. His curse creates absolute chaos for the town and Vivienne is left figuring out how to un-hex her ex.

I was bewitched by this laugh out loud, sexy romance. Small town, second chance romance, enemies to lovers, magic, Halloween, hilarious hijinks, endearing supporting characters- this story has it all. I would have preferred slightly more steam and more magic but overall was left feeling charmed. I've heard it described as "Hocus Pocus but with sex" and that is an amazingly accurate representation- also gave off Bewitched, Halloweentown and Sabrina the Teenage Witch vibes.

Also, have to note that the author is Rachel Hawkins (The Wife Upstairs). I love the versatility and talent of her writing to switch between genres.

Thank you so much to Avon Romance and Netgalley for my advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

The Ex Hex is about Vivi who accidentally puts a hex on her freshly ex boyfriend, Rhys. Years later, when Rhys comes back in town, and the hex wreaks havoc, they have to work together to put things right.

Overall rating: 4.5

A perfect October/fall read. Witchy, fun, light and entertaining with tons of cozy vibes and set during Halloween! I really enjoyed reading it. I'd recommend it for people who enjoy some light fantasy with their romance.

I really enjoyed the romantic aspects of this book. Vivi and Rhys had great chemistry. They were so cute together, and sexy too! I was rooting for them the whole way, I'd love to read more about them in the future. I liked how their families were involved in the story. It felt like there might be more books coming either about Rhys' brothers or Vivi's cousin, and I'd be super interested in reading about any of those. I especially loved Vivi's cousin, who's the best friend we all need in life. She's fun, supportive and smart.

The setting was also perfect for the season. I loved the town, the fantastical elements, Vivi's family store. It's all perfectly cozy, great vibes.

I also really enjoyed the humor of the book. It was full or sarcasm and sass.

I do wish that as the romance picked up that the fantasy aspect wasn't fully dropped. It felt like our two MCs fully focused on their relationship for a long time, while the two was on the brink of coming apart. It kind of took away from the urgency of the problem they're trying to fix. When the issue first happens, so many things go wrong, that it didn't feel realistic that they could completely put all those aside for multiple days while they fully invested in rebuilding their relationship.

Overall it was a book I really enjoyed and one that I'll be recommending to any who likes some light and cozy reads with Halloween vibes.

What an adorable lovers-to-enemies-to-lovers romance with a witchy twist. I loved the banter between Vivi and Rhys. Their chemistry was magical. The story itself was cute and original - I mean who doesn’t think about cursing the person who broke their heart and then accidentally follow through.

The dude characters were great too and I’m kind of hoping we see a few spin offs from this story!!

This was a super cute book! Fun read for the spooky season. I liked the dialogue, sweet rom-com energy. :) 3.5-4 stars

An adorable witchy book that brought to mind Practical Magic, but without the evil buried guy. A curse has befallen the quiet town and in the midst of trying to reverse it Vivianne and Rhys realize that their buried feelings from an ill fated former romance are very much still there. The book was sweet and cute without any real urgency to the problems of the curse. The pacing for the book was a tad slow for me, but I would still recommend it.

3.75⭐
This was a very cute, light, witchy romance. I enjoyed the interactions between Vivi and Rhys, as well as Vivi's snarky cousin Gwyn.
There was a fair amount of steam in this book as well. While I enjoyed the characters and the chemistry in the story as well as the magical subplot, overall I felt like it was a little forgettable and I would've liked a little more depth.

I got about half way through the book and was bored out of my mind and ended up dnfing it. It Just wasn't for me as much as I wanted to love it because the premise sounded right up my alley.

Shelf Awareness for Readers, Oct 15, 2021:

Erin Sterling, a pseudonym for Rachel Hawkins (The Wife Upstairs), delivers a pitch-perfect paranormal romantic comedy with The Ex Hex, a tale of magic gone awry and the rekindled love that follows in its destruction.

When Rhys Penhallow broke Vivienne Jones's heart, she in turn broke her aunt's cardinal rule ("Never mix vodka and witchcraft") in order to curse the heartless "Witch Boy." Of course, the curse wasn't real magic--or so Vivienne assumes, until an age-old tradition draws Rhys back to Vivienne's hometown of Graves Glen, Ga., and the typically straightforward task of recharging the magical ley lines beneath the town results in magic gone horribly wrong. Vivienne and Rhys are thrown back together to try to set their magic--and perhaps their relationship--back on track, as they make out in the spookiest of settings (the closet of a haunted house, for one) and battle unexpectedly dastardly, if also somewhat amusing, threats to Graves Glen (like a display of plastic skulls running loose in the Joneses' family witchcraft store).

The Ex Hex seamlessly blends fantasy and romance, with a strong sense of world-building and magical rules that guide Vivienne and Rhys's attempts to course-correct from the "accidental" curse, and an equally evident sense of attraction between these two witches. A bit of unexpected magic, a dose of revenge and a sprinkling of steaminess churn together in a humorous and heartfelt paranormal romance, sure to delight fans of Hocus Pocus and Practical Magic--or any contemporary tale of witches run amok. --Kerry McHugh, freelance writer

Discover: This pitch-perfect paranormal romance features hexes gone wrong and exes forced to work together.

Thank you to #NetGalley for an opportunity to read this in exchange for an honest review.

I believe October was the perfect month to read “The Ex Hex” by Erin Sterling. The look and feel for this story was “season friendly” and really added to the overall enjoyment of the book. I highly suggest a cup of hot chocolate and an electric blanket to really add to the feel- maybe even a few candles.

From the very start, I enjoyed the backstory of these two main characters and how they hooked up in a saucy summer romance before going their separate ways. I wish I had a little more insight into the whole “betrothal” thing with Rhys and why he didn’t try harder to convince Vivian that it was no big deal (if it truly wasn’t). That part was a little wishy washy to me, but once the characters met back up, it was pretty easy to just go with the flow of their pull and tug romantic encounters. I also wish I had a little more background on the witchy aunts. They seemed really interesting, but we only got a quick glimpse of them.

I suggest this book to anyone who enjoyed reading Rachel Hawkins’ “Hex Hall”, but deep down wanted a little more spice ;) This book fixes that lust problem for you. Lol. I love Rachel Hawkins’ (Erin Sterling’s) writing style so much and can’t wait to read more.

I was in from the moment I heard this described as a "witchy romance." This was so fun and funny, and I loved all the characters! I read somewhere that this is the first in a series, and I REALLY hope that's true.

The premise of this book is a fun idea, but I was not expecting to be drawn in as quickly as I was. The characters are well written and the book is a speedy read!

Charmed meets Gilmore Girls in this fantastic (pun intended) witchy romance!

Never mix witchcraft and alcohol.

Vivienne Jones didn't mean to curse her ex. It just... well, it just happened. It wasn't even supposed to be a proper spell. Vivi and her cousin used an "Orchard Hayride" scented candle, for goodness sakes! But here they are, nine years after the break-up, and Vivi's ex-boyfriend--the very handsome, very Welsh, very powerful witch Rhys Penhallow--is back in town. Like it wasn't hard enough living there with his name slapped on everything, given that his ancestor founded the place. But Vivi is sure she can endure his visit, especially as he plans to make it short and sweet: attend the Founder's Day Festival, recharge the Ley Lines, get out.

Except everything goes horrifically wrong.

Now magic is running rogue in town, and it's up to Vivi and Rhys to work together to reverse the Ex Hex and save the day. But what will they do when they find the sparks they had for each other have definitely recharged--and are stronger than ever?

A fun and fluffy rom-com perfect for spooky season, "The Ex Hex" is a witchy delight of a read!

Spooky halloween meets hocus pocus meets practical magic. This book was everything that makes for a perfect fall romance to read by the fire with a hot cup of tea- a little dash of spookiness, a whole lot of cozy fall vibes, witches, magic, humor, and a second chance romance. Super light read, not super steamy, definitely will be a repeat read for me! Please believe all the hype you're seeing on bookstagram.

When Rhys Penhallow broke Vivi Jones’s heart, she took a bubble bath, put on some music, and drank vodka. One thing a witch should NEVER do is mix witchcraft and vodka. Playing around with magic, Vivi and her cousin used a random candle and put a curse on her ex, Rhys. Nine years later, Rhys returns to their small town of Graves Glen and they realize that they actually cursed him and not just him, their whole town!

The Ex Hex was a fun and light-hearted book to read. I loved the small town setting. Some people said that it reminded them of a mix between Halloweentown and Stars Hollow and I totally agree with that. I could picture myself in the town with the characters. The curse that took part of the town was decent. It was fun reading about the main characters trying to fix things around town because of the curse. But, to be honest, there were times where the story dragged on and I felt kind of bored. Rhys and Vivi’s relationship was okay, I was kind of expecting more between them. I just couldn’t feel the chemistry between them, it was mostly about sex and no deep talks and talking abiut feelings. And it also felt kind of rushed. It wasn’t as steamy as people said it would be, it was more fluffy. I would also loved to see more magic. More spells and witchy stuff. The magic was kind of lacking.

But, even though the romance was okay and the magic was kind of lacking, it was fun and easy to read for this Spooky season. I just wished it could’ve had more.

Thank you Netgalley and Avon Books for approving me to read this eARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

Cheesy at times but very cute and fun. I loved the growth of the main character into accepting her strength as a witch. I thought Rhys could have had a lot more depth. The steam was pretty basic and not super exciting. Overall enjoyed this though!

The Ex Hex is an adorable Halloween romcom that made me smile the 👏🏻entire 👏🏻 time👏🏻! I love anything witchy, and the witchy town in this book reminded me a lot of Halloweentown (my favorite Halloween movie of all time)! It gave me major Hocus Pocus/Sabrina vibes and I was ALL ABOUT IT. It really helped get me in the spooky spirit!

I didn’t think this book had a lot of SUBSTANCE, but not all romcoms need to be deep! I enjoyed this one for what it was - a fast-paced, second chance love/enemies to lovers romance. Plus, the characters were so cute and the steam was 🤤🤤🤤

I think this book would be a perfect palette cleanser between horror/thriller books this Halloween season! It provides some much needed smiles and warm fuzzies while still staying on brand for spooky month.

If you’re looking for the perfect Halloween romantic comedy… look no further. The Ex Hex by Erin Sterling (aka Rachel Hawkins) was absolutely DELIGHTFUL and a four-star read for me 👻

In this book you’ll find…
👻 A second chance at love
👻 Big Stars Hollow vibes
👻 A talking cat
👻 A quirky plot with meat to it
👻 More steam than I was expecting
👻 Very handsome love interest named RHYS

This book is perfect for fans of Halloweentown, Hocus Pocus and Gilmore Girls, and I feel like it’ll be worth a reread for me every single October.

Thank you to Avon and Netgalley for the advance copy!