Hex Appeal was another fun witch book! Kate Johnson did a great job developing these characters and the storyline. I look forward to reading more from her in the future!

Thank you to netgalley and the publishers for providing me with an arc for an honest review!

Bedlam House helps those who need it Essie Winterscale has always been told. But those who visit never remember. That is until Josh Henderson stumbles into town, fresh from a breakup and looking to renovate the home his father left to him. Essie and Josh find instant chemistry but family secrets and generational lies might just be enough to keep them apart.

Hex Appeal is broadcast as Encanto meets Hocus Pocus and you can definitely see the connects throughout the book. A house that shifts to the needs of its inhabitants, centuries old curses. But overall, the synopsis might have been the best part of the book.

This book was a cute, fun, Halloween book and I enjoyed reading it. But I found the characters one dimensional and the overall plot under developed. I couldn’t connect to the story or its characters like I had hoped to based on the description of the book. The romance felt a little sudden, which is fine, but just didn’t make sense for me. And I generally don’t like miscommunication tropes or relationships built on secrets and lies.

Overall, this is a cute, fun October read but it just didn’t satisfy me like I had hoped that it would.

It was the perfect book for this time of year. Set around Halloween, witches, mystery, demons, magic, but also just fun, humor and a little bit of smut. It was a really fun book.
The only thing that really lowered the rating for me was because of the way the male mc talked about the female mc her weight and body in the beginning.
But after that, the story itself was really good and fun. And it was a really quick read too. It also made me want to continue reading, because it was just so fun.

It was the perfect book for this time of year. Set around Halloween, witches, mystery, demons, magic. But also just fun, humor and a little bit of smut. It was a really fun book, a fun read and quite good. The only thing that really lowered the rating for me was because of the way the male mc talked about the female mc her weight and body in the beginning, and the way the smut scenes were described? That just wasn't for me. Really annoying, really blunt and just too much for me. But then again, the story itself was really good and fun. And it was a really quick read too. It also made me want to continue reading, because it was just so fun. So if those small things didn't happen, it would've been way way better!

If you're looking for a romcom witchy read..Hex Appeal is a definite read for Halloween, It’s a cute. & spooky with great writing style. Kate truly does great in how she portrayed each character. As much as I enjoyed Essie and Josh's romance, I would love for this to continue into a series which follows the side characters - overall id highly recommend this fun read for October.

Thanks to HarperCollins UK, One More Chapter & Netgalley for allowing me to read and review this digital ARC

I usually don't read books like this but I'm glad I had the opportunity, especially around this spooky time of year! I enjoyed reading about Josh and Essie and their adventures fighting against a monster. This was a quick and heartwarming read that I highly recommend!

This book was a great choice for this season.
It provided exactly what it promised, after reading the description I got excited and I was quickly invested in the plot of the book.

Hex Appeal had great characters and the pages were filled with chemistry and energy. Essie and all the side characters were so funny and so enjoyable to read about. I'm so happy I got a chance to read this arc from Kate Johnson, and I look forward to reading more from her.

A true Ecanto meets Hocus Pocus.
Essie is a confounded witch trying to come to terms with the new American boy next door.
The witch's house in this story is its own character.
There is a lot of exposition in the beginning of the story, but it picks up closer to the middle. A good halloween read for those who enjoy something a bit mischievous and a lot of fun.

I went into this thinking it was going to be a fun, witty, witchy read. I was not disappointed in that aspect. It read as a fun witchy book which is perfect for spooky month! I enjoyed the plot, and the characters, but I needed the characters to be more fleshed out. I do also think a lot was happening, I think it would have been/be great as a series. I don't think it would have been so crammed full.

If you're just looking for a light witchy read, then this is the book for you!

I'm not really sure that the synopsis of the book did this book justice to be honest. I mean they say it's like Encanto and Hocus Pocus and we'll no, no it's really not sorry. I'm a massive Disney nerd and that was one of the things that drew me to it in the first place. I couldn't wait to jump in.

Putting all that aside. The book was ok. It felt a little bit disjointed however. But I liked the premise, but I didn't like the third person aspect as I felt it a little hard to relate to.

I really hope it was just me. sorry

The 3rd person perspective made the book difficult to follow. Characters really didn’t have depth and there wasn’t much to love. Unfortunately, this was not for me.

This book was so fun and perfect for fall. HEX APPEAL has a house with a personality all of its own (think Disney's Encanto) which made for fun mayhem and sometimes trouble for characters, such as going back in time. This story is whimsical, witty, and humorous, making it a delight to read.

Big thank you NetGalley and to the publisher for the chance to review this book pre-release. This book was the perfect blend of Practial Magic, Encanto and Hocus Pocus all rolled into one, and I absolutely LOVED it. Great bingable autumn read for those who need a little magic in their lives. A more formal review will be available on my IG/TikTok and Goodreads.

When an American attorney moves to England, he attempts to find all his rental property to update his finances. Essie's coven has their home spelled to keep wanderers away. They develop a growing relationship that is intriguing. There's a magical house that changes to meet needs and the need to bring on winter to keep evil away. Such a fun book and adventurous tale!

Kate Johnson's Hex Appeal is a clever witch rom-com and the perfect read to kick off the spooky season. Essie Winterscale is a witch who lives in Essex's wondrous and mysterious Beldum House, where she lives with a group of other witches, including those who weave the future and those who specialize in fertility. stake. Essie's talent is her ability to freeze, but she primarily uses it to chill wine. There's something about it, and it's not just his beautiful face, but the fact that he seems to be immune to the wards used by witches, causing others to forget about them... and their abilities. He is keen on collecting rent, which has not been done since the 18th century, but he soon finds himself drawn to Essie and her mismatched companions. As the book unfolds it becomes clear that their relationship may be due to destiny and family secrets. It was a great read. I loved all the residents of Beldum House and felt their skills were very well thought out and put to use in the story. House is pretty much a character in itself, so maybe that's where some of the Encanto comparisons come from. I liked the paranormal plot which added a nice dimension and worked well for the plot as a whole. I really enjoyed this book and would definitely recommend it. I have read and reviewed his ARC courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher. All opinions are my own.

I wanted to like this book SO BAD but it just didn't work for me. It was a bit all over the place and to be honest, I only finished it because it was an ARC :/

Allllll the witchy vibes!! I love a witchy book, and this one was absolutely perfect. I expected it to be a fun and enjoyable read, after reading The Ex Hex, and I was very pleased that I was right.

The characters are very well written, and providing you can suspend disbelief about the witch elements, you can absolutely relate to them. The plot was gripping, and I actually found that some scenes in the book were more graphic than I expected, but this only added to my enjoyment. The writing flowed perfectly, and it is easy to follow.

I really enjoyed this, and would definitely read more by Kate Johnson.

It’s that time for all things fall and witchy! This book will help you get in the mood. But honestly I think it would make a better movie than book. I get where’s it’s going but I wanted more. The climax didn’t build enough and delivery (yeah, , that’s what she ( i ) said) for me. I love the setting but the time travel part and how it affected the “now” just didn’t flow and then felt like a puzzle with missing piece at the end to bring it together better. Still worth a cozy get in by mood read.
Thank you NetGalley, HarperCollins UK and One More Chapter for that ARC!

This book is a witchy rom com perfect for October reading. It has Hocus Pocus vibes with goofy witches and a house that has a mind of its own. The book focuses a LOT on the hi-jinx of the house, which seem to go haywire after a miscommunication trope with the two love interests. You’ll enjoy this book if you liked The Ex Hex and Sabrina the Teenaged Witch. Thank you to net galley for the ARC of this book!

In Hex Appeal, a book described as “Hocus Pocus meets Encanto”, Josh (an American) travels to Good Winter, Essex where he will be the caretaker of a house left to him after his grandparents passed away. It is there where he meets our other main character, Essie, who is a witch. She’s living in the house that he owns and no one has paid rent in centuries. Essie is a winter witch who has the ability to freeze things and people in place, but it’s also her job to welcome winter in every year. Oh, did I forget to mention the house has an enchantment on it that whenever someone leaves it they forget they were even there? So, when Josh doesn’t forget Essie or Bedlam house after he leaves and Essie becomes overwhelmed with premonitions of impending disaster, she has to figure out what is going on and uncover the secrets that have been hidden from her all her life.

The story is narrated in the third person, from Essie’s perspective. It would have been fun to have other chapters be from Josh’s perspective or perhaps even some of the other witches. The cast of characters--the house included! The Bedlam House has its own personality for sure!-- is fabulous and outrageous in the best way. There is great character development here even in the supporting characters. Lots of banter, a little bit of spice and every Autumnal, Halloween, witchy note is hit!

The author’s writing style is intelligent, more than I often see in cozy witch books. I binged it in one sitting and I think a lot of people will love this book!