One heartbroken night after soaking in a relaxing bubble bath and sipping on some vodka, witchy Vivienne and her cousin decide to curse Vivi's ex-boyfriend, fellow witch Rhys Penhallow using none other than a Bath and Body Works candle. You know the kind. Nine years later, Rhys returns for the town's Fall Festival and is assigned the duty of charging the magical ley lines. After a disastrous reunion between the two former lovers, the curse has turned all the magic in the town of Graves Glen wonky and upside down. Can Vivi and Rhys overcome the problems of the past in time to set the town magic right again?

Let me begin by saying I enjoyed this one! As someone who doesn't read much fantasy and doesn't really get into the whole witchcraft theme (Hocus Pocus and Harry Potter rightfully excluded), this was perfect October fun for someone such as myself. I agree with another reviewer that this did read like the author didn't really have a set plan for the plot line and the town's magical problems and was more focused on Rhys and Vivi reconnecting, which was fine, but I would have liked the town's magical problems to be a little more cohesive and for Vivi and Rhys to have to work a little harder to undo the harm that they had done. Overall, though, a sweet second-chance romance perfect for October and Hocus Pocus lovers.

So fun. All the vibes with romance, witches, spells, romance, and a sleepy small town at Halloween. A little meh in the middle but absolutely loved the beginning and the end.

This is a fun, seasonal (Autumn, Halloween), second chance romance with the added bonus of some magic and witchy powers.

I switched between audio and print. The narrator was fantastic- I would recommend either format!

Vivienne and Rhys dated in college nine years ago. After learning some alarming news they had an abrupt breakup and with the help of her friend and some vodka she cursed him. All in good fun, right? It wasn’t a real curse, right? Fast forward nine years and he’s back for a traditional event and apparently it was a real curse! And they have to work together to figure out how to break it . There’s a bit of a mystery to solve as well. This was such a great weekend read- nothing too deep and I loved the magical aspects! I don’t know if it’s a series, but I would definitely read the next one if it is! Enjoy!

Thanks to NetGalley, Harperaudio and William Morrow for an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

The Ex Hex was a cute Halloween story. This was the perfect time of year to read it! I enjoyed the theme of witches and magic in the world among regular people. I do feel that the author could have done more with character development— I liked all of the characters but just wanted to connect with them more.

Five stars for this one! Vivi was such a quirky, charming, lovable heroine, and Rhys was. so swoon-worthy! It was sexy, funny, and heartfelt, with enough magic and intrigue to keep me turning pages. The perfect read for Halloween season -- highly recommend!

This is a great witchy book to read during spooky season. Viv is a witch, a professor, a niece and cousin living in Georgia. Rhys is the son of a powerful witch (the term warlock is so decades ago) in the line of the witch that founded Viv’s town, Graves Glen. Rhys and Viv met when they were young, had a fiery few months together, and broke up NOT amicably, resulting in Viv drunkenly performing magic, a huge no-no. If you’re looking for a fun, sometimes suspenseful, witchy, lovers to enemies to lovers story, and some good old ancient grudges, this is the book for you. A fun, swoony romance that’s perfect for October, it’s exactly the book I wanted.

4 stars

A witchy romance with small town charm, The Ex Hex will give you all of the fall feels that you are looking for this spooky season.

With wit and humor in spades, Sterling draws you into this second-chance romance between Vivienne, a history professor who has never quite felt at home in the witch community, and Rhys, the Welsh ancestor of her hometown's founder. There is plenty of magic to put you in the Halloween mood and just enough romance to make your heart happy.

I would have loved to delve a little deeper into both the romance and the magic, but I can understand the book is trying to strike a balance between both. All in all, The Ex Hex revived my love for witchy romance after reading a few duds. I would highly recommend it to anyone looking for a little bit of magic to spice up their fall.

Thank you to NetGalley and Avon for an ARC of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review!

3.5 Stars. If you're looking for a quick and cute fall romcom this is it. I loved the banter between all the characters especially the MC and her cousin. However, I wanted more magical elements, I felt like the ending was rushed and the spice was a little lackluster.

I think if Charmed and Halloweentown had a baby it would be this book. What a fun beginning of spooky season read that was just the amount of sweet and witchy that I needed.

This story follows Vivi who is a witch living in a Halloweentown-esque town expect witches are living in plain sight. Nine years ago, Rhys Penhallow broke her heart after a summer of love, so to cure that heartache, Vivi got drunk one night and cursed Rhys (as a joke). Little did she know, it actually worked. Now in the present day, Rhys has to come into town to re-charge the town's magic, but weird things begin to happen once he steps foot in the town lines. Now Vivi and Rhys have reluctantly reunited and have to work together to break this curse.

This was a very cute second chance romance and I loved watching Vivi and Rhys reconnect and heal their broken hearts together. Also a little tidbit of information: Rhys is Welsh, so of course he has a Welsh pet name for Vivi. One word: CARIDAD. I have officially added that pet name to my bucket list of pet names I want my future husband to call me. That is all.

I really enjoyed reading this book, but there were some issues with the plot and continuity that didn't make much sense. I think when you write a paranormal fantasy book, the lore has to be just as fleshed out as the romance, and I think this book fell a little flat on the lore. The romance was great and I believed it (which doesn't always happen in romance novels) and I loved the book whenever the focus was on their relationship, but not so much the plot. The plot and magic system seemed a little too "tell and not show." There was a lot of "bright lights" and "flashing sounds" used to describe the magic, and I think when you decide to write paranormal elements you have to commit.

This was still a really solid romance novel and I really enjoyed it. I would say that if you're going into this book expecting a lot of magic and adventure, this is not it. It is definitely more of a romance with a bit of magic, so if that's what you're looking for, please read this book. The romance was so fun to read about.

Thank you, Avon, William Morrow and Custom House and NetGalley, for providing me with this ARC (Advanced Reader's Copy) in exchange for an honest review.

Witches, ghosts, and curses gone awry, that's what makes a spooky romance fly. Okay fine, that was cheesy. The Ex Hex, though, is absolutely amazing. I laughed a lot, loved the comradery, and absolutely ate up the romance scenes. Vivi was just nineteen when handsome, infamous Rhys Penhallow broke her heart and she wished upon him, with vodka soaked feelings, a curse. Curses don't work though and Penhallows can't be cursed, at least that was the belief until now. When Rhys returns to town after nine years he thinks he'll swoop in and swoop out, no one the wiser, but he and Vivi run into each other immediately and sparks...and curses...fly.

I cannot get over how much I loved this book. Like, I knew it was up my alley, but this book was just impossible to put down. I can't say enough good things about it. It's fast, but the characters and setting are still well developed. We know Vivi. We know Rhys. We even know a bit about all the secondary characters. Penhallow is totally fleshed out, as cute as a Halloween town can get. On top of it, there's witchy magic and enemies-to-lovers romance? Give me more. I loved how much I laughed, I definitely blushed a little bit, and I rooted for every character every step of the way. I could read this book ten times in a row and not get bored, I could read 500 extra pages, and I 110% need Gwyn's book to exist. It's just that cute, that good, and that well done.

Y'all, my most anticipated read of October did not disappoint. In fact, it lived up to all my expectations and then some. The hype around this one is totally real and I cannot recommend picking this one up before the spooky season is over. I have all the emotions about this book.

This was a very cute paranormal romance. I'm so glad for the uptick in romance novels with witches of late, they make for great fall reads. However, I wasn't as hooked and drawn in by the plot or relationship in this one. A pleasant and fun, if not all that memorable read.

This one was okay. It was great but it wasn't terrible. I think I just wanted more when it came to the magic and ancestral lines, which I felt was pretty superficial.

The romance itself was decent. Second chance romances are hit or miss for me. I definitely enjoyed both of the main characters separately (Vivienne Jones & Rhys Penhallow). However, I wasn't quite sold on their chemistry together. Don't get me wrong, the steamy scenes are well done, but I just felt like something was still missing.

This is definitely a quick read that is perfect for spooky season though!

THE EX HEX by Erin Sterling was absolutely delightful! ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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Looking for the perfect witchy Rom-com to read this month?! Look no further! ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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I loved all the mishaps and magic gone wrong, creating hilarious scenarios, including a talking cat Puuuurcival who only knows how to say one word…🤣⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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Also, the amount of Harry Potter references in this was A+. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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Vi and Rhys we’re absolutely adorable. Enemies to lovers/second chance romance between these two! ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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I loved Vi’s optimism and of course, drunken curse. Which the terms are absolutely hilarious! ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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And Rhys… gotta love a man with an accent. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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This was an absolutely adorably romantic, laugh out loud book! ⠀

The Ex Hex is everything a reader could want in a magic-filled book! It has romance, family lore, small-town quirks, and such a cozy setting. This book will become a fall favorite for so many readers to return to every year. The author creates such a believable magical world while still making it fun. This feels like a Gilmore Girls/Practical Magic mash-up in the best way possible. And on top of every other incredibly enjoyable atmospheric aspect of this book, the romance is perfection. It's a second chance romance that picks up steam quickly!

A charming paranormal romance about a present day witch putting a hex on her ex-lover and finding a deeper curse that must be broken. Full of ghosts, potions, and magic gone wrong, this is the perfect October read with an emphasis on adventure. A modern day twist on the household witch, adorable and brimming with small town charm!

Vivian’s ex Rhys is back in town and everywhere he turns catastrophes seem to follow. After trying to do a spell, Vivi and Rhys realize the hex from their breakup was actually successful. Through a series of unfortunate events, Vivi and Rhys try to break the hex and return the greater protection to Vivi’s town.

This October treat has tons of festive characters: a talking cat, an angry poltergeist, and a family that’s always involved! The small town vibes make this a cutesy comfort read and surprisingly, there is a bit of spookiness thrown in, what with the ghost they need to trap and the skulls that bite. A “bewitching” romcom that gave me just the right amount of adventure and spice! I thoroughly enjoyed this one!

A perfect October read! A good mix of steamy romance with a witchy family. I am so glad this is going to be a series and look forward to the next story!

I really enjoyed this and can't wait for the next book in the series. I didn't really like how this book was promoted as Queer when neither of the main characters were and only a side character was. I am hoping this side character is the focus of the next book giving me the queer witch love story I was hoping for. A good halloween read that moves at a steady pace and explains its magical world well. I would totally recommend this for anyone looking for a spooky romance. It wasn't terribly steamy, but was enough to bring a blush to your cheeks.

You know how awkward it is when you accidentally curse your ex-boyfriend, and then he comes back to your small Georgia town and terrible things start happening? Vivienne and her cousin drunkenly placed a curse on Rhys when he broke her heart nine years ago. But nothing happens until he returns from Wales to conduct some necessary ancestral magic maintenance. Suddenly, spells are too powerful or go awry, ghosts are released, and trouble is basically everywhere. Rhys and Vivi are forced to work together to put things right before it's too late, and hopefully ignore the attraction that's blazing between them again.

This was an entertaining and not-too-spooky autumn read. As someone who doesn't do scary books, TV shows, or even movie trailers, this did not give me nightmares at all. The magic is high-stakes for the characters, of course, but some of it was pretty funny. My favorite thing was the cat who gets enchanted and starts talking, but the only thing he ever says is treats treats treats treats TREEEEAAATS! I imagine this is exactly what my cats would say, if they could.

The final act dragged a little, but overall it was a light and entertaining read.

Thanks to Netgalley, the publisher, and the author for the ARC to review. All opinions are my own.

Just from the description, I thought this would be a fun magical read. It was just ok in reality. I felt it took too long for things to really happen between Vivi and Rhys. This is my honest opinion and I voluntarily read this book via Netgalley in exchange for my honest opinion.

Oh. My. God. This may be the best romance book I've read in recent years. Not only did the main couple have an uber amount of chemistry that practically leaped off the page, but the Halloweeny vibes made for a perfect read this time of year.

If you want an atmospheric witchy read with tremendous smut, pick this up immediately.