Overview | Essie Winterscale is a modern witch with some serious old school problems. When Josh, an American ex-pat, moves to her small Essex town, Essie and her coven’s lives turn upside down.
7/10 ⭐️
Tropes | Magical Heroine, Cursed, Small Town
Heat Level | 1/2 🌶, barely open door

*********
Essie Winterscale is a cool character, literally. Her one job (or so she thinks) is to bring wintertime to town. The other 364 days a year, she plays house manager to a rambling self-aware mansion where she lives with members of her coven, wild pets, and very horny plants.

Our heroine is a smart, no-nonsense gal who is feeling pretty lost at the start. She is searching for her place in the outer world and where she fits in as a witch. Add on to that, Essie has several issues which limit her ability to pursue a relationship or receive affection from regular non-magic folks. She’s lonely and doesn’t have many ways to fix the problem – not when every man she meets may forget her entirely or be grievously injured.

Josh, our hero, is also having a bit of an existential crisis. He’s left his career and country behind to hole up in an inherited ramshackle house. When he meets Essie, they may have similar wants and needs, but they are packaged in very different ways. Both of them must deal with the external world interfering with their attraction to each other. At the same time, Josh must learn to accept that Essie isn’t exactly your average girl-next-door. The character of Josh is a little fuzzy around the edges in comparison to the powerful force that is Essie, but he’s still the guy we are rooting for to get his witch.

Paranormal Romance requires so much world building and this book squeezes a ton into 318 pages. The love story between Essie and Josh occasionally takes a back seat and we lose their tension in the story in favor of the big plot tension. Luckily, the magical parts of this are interesting and enjoyable enough on their own to keep reading, even with a few pacing issues.

Hex Appeal calls to mind The Ex-Hex - both are fun, fast reads for the Halloween season.

**********
Thank you to NetGalley, Harper Collins UK, One More Chapter for the ARC in exchange for an honest review. Expected publication Oct 1, 2022.

Whilst I did love the characters in this, I really struggled to get into this 100%. I felt it was incredibly rushed and glossed over, the love aspect felt like it came out of nowhere (but not in a good way) and it almost felt like a sequel where I was missing a lot of key information regarding characters. It was different for me, so maybe that's why

If I could rate this book 10 stars I totally would. It had everything I love! Quirky characters, magic, a monster to defeat, an adorable romance, a magical house filled with magical things... including a time travelling door, and a cat and dog that were fencing?. Really I loved every single page of this book and all the characters. I really hope that this will become a series! I want more of Essie and Josh and Bedlam House! I did not want to put this book down, it had me smiling and laughing out loud, and holding my breath when the big bad attacked. It left me with the perfect warm happy feeling when you've finished a good book! I can't wait to read the other books by this author.

I will absolutely be reading this book again, and buying a physical copy of this book to add to my collection!

I love a good witchy book. I mean, magic, time travel, witches, romance and an awesome witchy house with autumnal and wintry vibes, this book was so my jam. It has everything you could possible want. And with a bit of spice too, Josh and Essie were the most adorable couple.

Josh finds himself in GoodWinter after he inherits a near derelict house and eager to leave his life in America, settles in this rather strange and quirky English village. Whilst going over the rent from the tenants and houses he has also inherited, there’s one particular house that hasn’t paid rent for near hundreds of years and that’s something he’s keen to check out… what he finds though is something he could never expect. And thus from there, opens him to a world of magic and witchcraft.

Beldam House (hidden from all those who do not need to seek it) is housed full of epic quirky characters. From our main girl Essie, who has winter at her fingertips, to the future knitting Maude, gender fluid Avery and midwifery expert Blessing.

This book was chock full of magic and cosy comfort and made for a perfect curl up in a chair and get comfy read. It was gripping and entertaining and really enjoyable from start to finish.

Thank you Kate Johnson, HaperCollins UK, One More Chapter and NetGalley for an eARC in exchange for an honest review. Hex Appeal comes out October 1, 2022.

Hex Appeal is a super cute and light witchy romance with some added action and angst. It takes place in Good Winter, a small town that is a host to weird winter weather patterns and a house that no one can find unless they are in need. In this house, adequately named Beldam House, lives a coven of witches who all have their own special talents, especially Essie a witch who is able to bring in winter and keep things very cold. What this coven hasn't done is pay rent for roughly hundreds of years, that's where Josh, the new owner of Beldam house, comes in. In an effort to collect rent Josh meets Essie and the two embark on a budding relationship complicated by a protection spell, their respective pasts and an evil that is stirring.

I really enjoyed this book, even though I do have to say that there were parts that dragged on for me and then other parts I would have loved more elaboration. Overall though I loved the romance between Essie and Josh, but I especially liked the coven and Josh’s sister. I thought the side characters really made this book, and I hope that there will be a second book that focuses on one of them. If you are looking for a light, fun, and slightly spooky read this fall, I recommend Hex Appeal.

Essie is a reluctant witch who wants a normal wife. Josh is their clueless landlord who doesn't know about the covent.... He's drawn to Essie and doesn't know why...

I love the covent... They are so much fun. A lot of craziness packed in here. Lots of LOL scenes. The whole cast is amazing.

Thanks to the publisher for the arc.

Thank you Harper Collins UK, One More Chapter for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest review!

Grab your broomsticks! A delightfully fun fall read is here! This story was so cute entertaining. It gave me all the witchy vibes one looks for when spooky season is upon us!

I loved the colorful characters and found the plot line was unique and captivating. This had just the right amount of romance and you can’t deny the chemistry between the main characters, Essie and Josh. The book is based in a small village in Essex which added another level to this light, cozy read. If you want a charmingly witchy story check this book out when it’s released next month!

Thank you Kate Johnson for this magical marvel of a book!

I received a copy of Hex Appeal via NetGalley to read and review.

Hex Appeal is being marketed as a rom-com but personally I didn’t think there was a lot of com. The first half was pretty boring. I picked this off NetGalley since I did enjoy The Ex Hex (super cheesy but definitely a rom-com). There were some somewhat funny lines and a few nice moments but overall a miss for me.

Hex Appeal was a fun super easy read that I finished in one day. I really enjoyed the plot, it was different and immediately had me hooked. It was the perfect fall read and I highly recommend this book. Thank you to Netgalley for sharing this digital ARC with me in an exchange for an honest review.

A fun read with a different plot line to the usual books that fill the charts, wish there had been just a little more character development that is all

Blimey! What a fantastic read and perfect to lift the spirits on a dreary day. Some books make you believe the author had a ball writing it and this is one of those.
Bedlam house, where the witches live, is an explosion of magical imagination. It was the small details such as fencing animals, loved up plants and ability to knit the future that gave the world building depth and made the setting unforgettable. The location is a character of its own.
Essie is a witch who believes she is only useful for one day and their talent has hilarious consequences. The chemistry and misunderstandings between her and Josh were a joy to read and the threat of the curse kept me on my toes. I never knew where this novel was taking me but I was never disappointed.
With a strong cast of supporting characters this could easily become a series.
I'm sure when I reread I'll discover details I missed adding to the reading experience, always a sign of strong world building and storytelling.

There have been many good witch related stories this year but this is one of the best romcoms.

I wanted so much to like this book. I thought the idea was great but it drags so much. There is so much fluff that I almost DNF’d more than once. It’s hard to tell what is conversation and inner thoughts. The characters just didn’t pull you in to want to know more.

DNF 9%

This feels like it’s trying to shove too many things in at once with this opening so rather than hooking me it’s leaving me the bad kind of confused. Plus some phrase choices (“curves all the places a woman should”) are hitting poorly and feeling unwelcome to me as a queer reader. I think I’m the wrong audience for this book, as entertaining as the premise sounds. Maybe I’ll try again, maybe it’s just a pass for me, but definitely missing the mark for me right now.

This was a really fun read. I enjoyed the witchy feel of the setting and having the Witch-finder General himself as the bad guy was very good. The romance element was very believable and the right amount of steamy. Perfect read for the cosy/spooky season.

This book had several good moments, but they unfortunately didn’t work well together. I did eventually love the relationship between MCs, but there were moments where the Josh described Essie’s body that seemed almost fatphobic. When they first met, he described her as a ”substantially built women” and remarked that the old staircase could support her weight. 😱
The plot was generally a bit of a chaotic mess. I loved the witchy aspects, but I feel like the plot was trying to accomplish too many things, and it was rather hard to follow, especially with the inclusion of so many characters with their own unique backstories.

It took my a long time to finish this book, and it felt like the story just dragged. There were several times I almost DNF, I just couldn’t get into this.


I was given an ARC by NetGalley and HarperCollins UK, One More Chapter. All opinions are my own.

Hex Appeal is a fun page turner filled with so much energy and immaculate witchy vibes.
I adored this one so much more than I thought I would.

Kate Johnson wrote such an enjoyable read! The adorable witchy vibes were so fun.
The writing in this was also beautifully done, the descriptions were always so vivid. it was amazing.
The setting was definitely one of my favorite aspects. The village of Good Winter sounds like an amazing place to be.
Right from the start I was hooked by our introduction to your main character Essie Winterscale and the side characters are just too much fun.
And the ending was so satisfying and cute!! It was a pleasure to read about such lovable and relatable characters. The perfect story to snuggle up to and get lost inside the pages.

“I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.”

One More Chapter,
Thank You for your generosity and gifting me a copy of this amazing eARC!
I will post my review to my blog, platforms, BookBub, B&N, Kobo and Waterstone closer to pub date.

I will this book to turn into a series and to the author to write more books about the fierce and charming witches of Good Winter I will.

Promise me, promise me, promise me (if you know, you know) to have at least a sequel to Hex Appeal. I was NOT ready to leave this witchery wonderful world. Hex Appeal was action packed, contained a great romance (Essie and Josh’ initial flirting was A+), a coven of compelling characters, and an interesting magical system built into our boring, common world. That being said, I would have LOVED to drench myself in this world and wouldn’t have minded to be info dumped just a tad more. There were so many fun things going on (a cat and a dog fencing! Sultry plants! Time travelling! Crazy parrots!) and I really wanted more time to enjoy all these imaginative details the author created. While reading Hex Appeal I just couldn’t stop thinking this book could have easily been chopped up into three books and be like sevenhundred pages per book - and I would still have loved it.

The author’s note at the end upped my appreciation for Hex Appeal.

4.5 stars. I really liked it!

Thank you NetGalley and HarperCollins UK, One More Chapter for sharing an digital ARC with me in exchange for an honest review.

I read this in less than 24 hours - it was that good! The author makes it easy to suspend disbelief and truly enjoy the witchy elements, like you would any other amazing romance novel. It’s a perfect Autumn read 🍂🍁🍂

This was a fast read for me. I really couldn’t put it down. A great rom-com with witches— very funny and enjoyable!

A coven of witches live happily and peacefully in the Essex village of Good Winter. One of their numbers, Essie Winterscale, meets the cute American man who just moved into town and falls for his charm - despite his inquiries about the rent that her coven hasn't paid in centuries. Essie would like to experience a normal life or a normal relationship just for ONCE - but is that possible, when Essie's family and friends are magical?

This was an adorable read! Much closer to a standalone "A Discovery of Witches" than a traditional romance like "The Ex Hex" - much more "Practical Magic" than "Hocus Pocus" but I suppose that's on the marketing team lol still, very fun! There's great world-building and magic-building and I loved the characters in the coven, they really drew me in, as well as Siena and Josh. One of my favorite tropes in speculative fiction stories is seemingly-autonomous houses that feel like characters all on their own, and Beldam House nails it. I think the best written aspect/thread of the book and the part that kept me engaged was the mystery unfolding as the villain/curse/whathaveyou was revealed to the readers slowly over time. I will also say I don't typically enjoy the crossover of modern world and ancient-y magic, but it didn't bother me much in this story.

That being said, there was a lot to be desired in terms of pacing and I think the book would have benefitted greatly from a heavier-handed editor. The first 20-25% of the book honestly seemed quite boring, I was on the verge of putting the book down but the mystery of the monster was introduced right at the end of chapter 5 so I kept with it. I'm glad I did! But I also think the book should have been about 40 pages shorter. A few sections were action-packed and then others dragged along. It read to me more like a TV show, which is great, for a tv show, but a bit too stop-and-start-y for a romance book. 3.5 for me but rounded up.