This book will put you in the fall mood instantly and make you laugh! I typically love books with magic and witches, but this one was just okay.

2.5 stars
This is a hard one to review. I’ve read Kate Johnson’s other book Hex Appeal, and didn’t really like that one either. I had the same problems with this book as I did with that one.

I feel like there was too much stuffed into this book. There were like 5 conflicts that felt like the main part conflict. By the time I actually got to the true conflict I was kinda over it. Plus all of that action happened in a week. Even the romance, which wasn’t great.

I thought the first book (Hex Appeal) would play more of a part in this one- they have super similar covers. They weren’t really connected at all. All that was mentioned is the country house and the “cousins.”

Special thanks to Netgalley and HarperCollins UK, One More Chapter for this digital ARC.

Poppy is a witch with magical hair, much like Rapunzel. She works in a magical shop, and one day, she accidentally sells a cursed pendant to Alex, a gorgeous celebrity magician. Can they join forces to fix the chaos?
This is a witchy romance. Although I'm not a huge fan of instalove, I liked that both characters were outsiders who found each other. The third person dual POV made things a bit confusing at times (especially since the change in POV are not clearly marked enough for my taste, it's not one chapter him/one chapter her, they alternate in the chapters), and I did find that things were a bit dense and chaotic at times for a romcom, but it was definitely a cute witch read, perfect for fall.
I received an advance review copy of this book for free and I'm leaving this review voluntarily.

This book was so easy and fun to read!
A big thanks to NetGalley for the advanced reader access to this book.

This witchy romcom has fun and relatable characters, entertaining plot twists and that whole “I’ve felt wrong and not good enough my entire life, but in reality I’m just special and original” vibe going on. So prepare for that if you have felt that way too and you want to fall right back into the scenarios and experiences that made you feel not good enough.

Poppy is a witch who has never quite figured out her specialty and feels like things always go wrong. Maybe a lot of the time they do.
Her friend group or coven is a fun dynamic of women ranging from old woman to mother of young kids. But they come together and take care of each other.
Her family is a piece of work, but “love her in their own way”. They irked me a little bit since they are a big part of making her feel not good enough only to turn a 180 in the end, which is heartwarming but maybe a little convenient and leaning towards “just for the plot but not really logical”. This did in no way ruin the book for me though. Promise!
Oh and there is spice and Viking-like fake wizard romance.

All in all a fun, entertaining and easy read.

Rapunzel meets Bedknobs and Broomsticks.

If you haven't checked out Kate Johnson's Hex Appeal yet I'm not sure what you're waiting for. The follow up, Hex and the City, is the absolute perfect fall romance.

Poppy is a witch where chaos follows her at every step. Alex is an illusionist who is a bit lost and trying to hide a painful past. But then one night Poppy has a few too many, possibly curses a pendant that Alex perhaps is sold the next day and his show comes crashing down around him. Chaos. Ensues.

I think one of the many things I love about Kate Johnson's books are just how FUNNY they are. I tore through this book and you will too. I'd recommend reading Hex Appeal first but it won't affect your enjoyment of Hex and the City if you don't. Plus another beautiful cover to boot.

Thank you to Netgalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed this one! The writing was really good, and I liked the characters a lot. I liked that this had a male main character with body issues, and a confident female main character. The magic was also really nice, and I loved it all so much.

Poppy is a witch who has accidentally cursed a pendant - and sold it to Axl, a famous stage m magician. Things start to go a bit awry....
I had just finished the first book in the series, Hex Appeal, that I really enjoyed and was looking forward to this one. There is some overlap of characters, but this can definitely be read as a standalone. Again there are witches, ghosts, flying broomsticks, time travel and some not-so-real magic, together with plenty of humour and (spicy) romance. I can definitely recommend this book as an ideal escape from real life - or is there some truth in here and do witches really exist amongst us?
I received an advance copy of this book from the publisher through Netgalley, however this did not influence my review of the book and I have already pre-ordered it as I enjoyed it so much.

What a delightful read! I laughed out loud at multiple points and was completely entertained by the wild twists and turns this story took along the way. Fun, flirty and doesn't take itself too seriously. This is exactly how I wanted to jump in to the fall reading season - highly recommend as we enter into September!

Synopsis:

With her sentient, Rapunzel-esque hair, ability to commune with ghosts and animals alike, her job at a magic shop and the giant house she shares with some older women who love to meddle, Poppy Thistlewood’s life is a little chaotic. In fact, chaos seems to be following her at the moment, particularly as she gets drunk after seeing her ex with someone new and accidentally curses a pendant she then sells in her shop. Finding the pendant, and stopping any further harm from happening, is a journey that will take her across London, back in time, to face offs with horrifying ghosts and into the path of the extremely hot, extremely tall Viking-looking illusionist Axl Storm…

My thoughts:

This was such a fun read and is perfect for anyone looking for a witchy romcom to head into the autumn months with. It is written with humour, the romance between Alex and Poppy is very cute and I loved the LGBTQ+ rep! Some elements were over too quickly for me (I wish they’d stayed in the past a little longer!) but I really enjoyed this one and hope there are some spin offs focusing on the other ‘coven’ members (e.g. the enigmatic Iris) or Poppy learning more about her magic!

I absolutely recommend it to fans of writers such as Erin Sterling and will definitely read more books by this writer. A huge thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for an ARC.

Thank you, NetGalley and HarperCollins for this eARC in exchange for my honest review.

Poppy causes chaos wherever she goes… more so than her average witch. One night when she is drunk and heartbroken, Poppy curses a pendant that is accidentally sold to Axl Storm, a famous and vain actor with a body that won’t quit. They don’t quite get along but as they team up to control the chaos the cursed pendant causes the city they live in, it is no surprise that they don’t learn that they don’t actually hate each other. A tiny bit spicy and I love the enemies to lovers trope. This book is creative and cute.

Chaos, in all the best ways. It started off super strong and held through the entire story! It was fun, magical and endearing ride. Poppy and Alex were fun to get to know and their romance was hot. The plot was wonderful. 5/5. The spice was good 2/5. I absolutely do not like one aspect of this book but it isn’t my favorite trope to begin with so I won’t hold it against it. I’m keeping this vague because I want it spoiler free. This was overall a perfect fall read. I adore the Easter eggs from the previous book. I would say they are interconnected standalones but they are both worth it so check them out! This was an arc and I’m voluntarily leaving this review!

Hex and the City - @k8johnsonauthor 🧹🧙‍♀️🌉

*ARC ~ Release Date 3rd September*

Hex & the City is the second book in the series but can definitely be read as a stand alone (I haven’t read Hex Appeal… yet). This was a really fun read, the characters were really charming and lovable in their own way, perfectly imperfect. I thought Poppy & Axl, aka Alex had amazing chemistry. I really enjoyed all of the little twists and turns in this book and definitely didn’t expect the ending! I couldn’t put it down I needed to know what was happening and how this would play out

Thanks @netgalley & @onemorechapterhc for a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review

It’s cute! I received a free copy in exchange for an honest review (NetGalley).

I enjoyed the story and felt like it was a cute read for Halloween/spooky season. The beginning was a bit hard for me to follow, but once I got into the story it flowed a lot better.

It has MAJOR Tangled vibes. The character's personalities are fairly similar to Rapunzel and Flynn Ryder (IMO).

There were some parts that were a little rough, but I don't think it deters enough from the book to make a huge difference.

While drunk, Poppy cast a spell on an amulet. Sober, she watches as her friend sells it to an on-stage magician. When chaos ensues, it is up to Poppy to undo the harm. Axl, the on-stage magician, sets out to help her before he realizes she is a real witch. By then, he is drawn to her.
Opinion
I love witchy novels. This book had me fantasizing about my hair being able to do all kinds of tricks, just like Poppy's hair. I did wonder how she could have gone on so long before she knew she was a witch.
Johnson's imagination certainly made mine run. As I went from scene to scene in the book, I wondered what it would be like if we could actually do the things that Poppy and Axl were doing. I think a small part of me still wishes for the paranormal world to be a reality, which could be why I was so drawn to this book.
This is the first Kate Johnson novel that I have read but you can be sure that I am going to go and read Hex Appeal. (I had apparently gotten it at some busy point in my life as I have it but have yet to read it.)
Many thanks to Net Galley and One More Chapter for providing me with an ARC of this book.

Chaotic fun supernatural read. This is my first read by Kate Johnson and it took min to adjust to shifting dual POVs within the chapters, but I found I liked getting both Poppy and Alex's perspectives as the bizarre situations unfolded.

I think this is a cute lighthearted witchy read, but it was too light and felt a bit immature and not quite for me.

I enjoyed the setting and a witch falling for a magician sounded like so much fun. Unfortunately I wasn't digging the execution. It was very insta-love which I am not a fan of and you hear a bit about Alex's womanizing ways which always put me off a MMC especially when it's one of the first things you learn about them. The plot was a bit chaotic as well. I also want to warn people there are talks about disordered eating in this book.

I don't think I would check out more books from this series.

*I received a free ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review*

3.5/5

This was a fun, witchy, madcap romp set in London. I enjoyed it, there were so many crazy moments and situations that kept the momentum of the book going and held my engagement as the reader.

I had my issues with this book, hence the 3.5 stars. Mostly, I was put off by the immaturity of the characters. There were also aspects of the plotline that were super disjointed.

However, overall I think this was an enjoyable book that many readers will fall in love with!

Hex and the City-Kate Johnson

Star rating - 3.5

Synopsis:

Poppy is a witch who chaos tends to follow. She works in a small magic shop where nothing is actually magical, that is until one day, when she accidentally curses a pendant. Now she must track down the handsome celebrity magician Axl Storm whom she sold the pendant to, and try to fix the mess that has followed this unfortunate incident.

This was a super cheesy, and super cute witchy romance. Just like the main character Poppy, this book was a bit chaotic. From Poppy's magical hair constantly getting her into trouble, to some rushed parts of this story, I felt like this book needed to slow down and add more to the background. That being said, I am a sucker for witches, spells, and covens, and this book provided it all. It also would be a great fall read, very light-hearted, and seasonal. This book read more like a young adult romance and I would say that is my biggest complaint about this book. Overall, if you like fun instant love kind of books, then this is for you!

Thank you, NetGalley, Kate Johnson, HarperCollins UK, and One More Chapter for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you to the publisher and author for an E-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

After getting drunk and accidentally cursing a necklace after seeing her ex on a night out which is subsequently accidentally sold to Alex, a magician with a vest selling stage show, Poppy finds herself working with Alex to find and disable the necklace before it hurts anyone else.

I enjoyed the magic and overlap with our modern world and the banter and slow burn with poppy and Alex is good fun but overall and some of the adventures their task leads them on.. but some of this felt a little predictable and overly cutsie for my personal tastes.

That said, if you want a cute fluffy autumnal witchy romance with some magical drama, spice and secrets then this may be the book for you, it just didn’t suit my personal taste.

Hex and the City by Kate Johnson is a laugh-out-loud magical romantic comedy that shocked me with a few fascinating twists.

I loved the magical system, which has a unique aspect with Chaos magic. Poppy, the main character, learned that she was a witch when she turned 18, and ever since, she’s been learning how to develop and control her magic with the help of Iris, an experienced witch. Her talent is in chaos magic, which makes sense since chaos surrounded her all her life, including her hair, which truly has a life of its own. I am fascinated with chaos magic and all that it can do.

The relationship between Poppy and Alex, a famous magician, is steaming hot almost from their first meeting. Their relationship goes through all sorts of twists and turns - none of which I saw coming, and I enjoyed all the surprises along the way. Those twists created a fresh and original story while maintaining the traditional elements of a romantic comedy.

Written from Poppie’s perspective, the pace stays fast from start to finish, helped by several thriller-style elements introduced with the many twists and turns. And there are some doozy twists, which I already mentioned. Can you tell they were my favorite part of the story?

Hex and the City is a magical choice of reads - perfect for the upcoming fall season.