Witchy/paranormal romcoms make me beyond happy 😊

I absolutely loved Hex Appeal by the author so when I saw their was another book along the same lines I flew my broomstick over to NetGalley and was given the opportunity to read the ARC for Hex and the City 🧹 🪄

Magic, hunky viking-like illusionist, Sentient Rapunzel Hair, Time travel, Chaos, add a little bit of ✨spice✨ and you've got a winner on your hands.

I loved our mains of Poppy and Alex along with the side characters. They were all well developed and flawed and allowed you to see yourself/a friend etc in their shoes ✨swoon✨

Honestly I really hope the author writes more witchy romances 😍 Thanks to the publisher and NG for a chance to read and review the ARC.

This novel drops in September 2023 add it to your TBR now!!!

I had to DNF this one at about the half-way point, it just wasn't working for me. I read Hex Appeal and thought it was OK, so I was hoping that this second book in the mythos would be an improvement...it was not. Again, the premise and the world of magic that Johnson built is intriguing, but the characters and plot fail to make use of it. In short: Poppy's chaos crosses the line from quirky to exhausting real fast and when combined with feeling no chemistry between her and the MMC it was really hard to stay invested in a very disjointed plot.

SPOILERS AHEAD (to supplement the review, but not integral...skip these is you think you might like the book): The jump from amulet, to mummy, to animated figureheads to time travel with not a single common thread in sight proved to be more than I was willing to untangle. By the time we were watching the two utterly hopeless protagonists not realize they had time jumped, I was closing this book with an exasperated sigh. If this type o quirkiness is you jam, enjoy! It just wasn't for me.

Thanks to Harper Collins and Kate Johnson for giving me the opportunity to review this ARC!

I loved the magic system with witches and covens with specialities (growth, chaos, transformation), and how they’re applied. I think it is super cute and quirky that Poppy, the MC, has sentient hair that cannot be cut. The coven's personalities and support system is adorable, and it did give me Sex & the City vibes throughout.

A frustration that I have (that is not related to the author) is instant or quick love, and the mentioning of social media apps such as Tiktok. It’s a personal pet peeve, but I quickly got over it!

If you’re looking for a witchy sweet romance with a lot of personality (and spice), this is the book. It’s short and it’s chaotic, but it flows well and embodies the MC’s life.

A cute and quirky RomCom whose MFC is a chaos-magnet, modern witch with magical hair – I’ve never hit “add to Kindle “quicker…and I’m glad I did.

This was such a fun read – filled with laugh-out-loud moments between Poppy and Alex, an underlying mystery linked to a cursed necklace, and a surprise family revelation. Poppy and Alex are on the cusp of an awkwardly sweet romance, but anything that could go wrong does. This page turner was filled with lots of angst inducing twists and turns

Hex and the City by Kate Johnson is the perfect cause and effect tale with lots of opportunities for some fun book club discussion…and the “happily ever after” is simply icing on the cake.

Thank you NetGalley and Harper Collins UK – One More Chapter for providing the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Poppy is a modern-day witch without a handle on her powers, her hair, or her life. When a drunken night out leads to a cursed pendant being sold to a handsome street magician who looks like a Viking, she must go on a journey to find the pendant, and more importantly, herself.

I loved learning about the little history tidbits scattered throughout, like the Cutty Sark and the Great Fire of London. Iris was also great, and I would read an entire book about her crazy life, and all the different historic events she's been witness to. However, I couldn't really connect with the rest of the characters, especially Poppy. While I know everything wasn't her fault, she was very immature and a hot mess to the point of being unlikeable, especially her treatment of everyone trying to help her. Poppy and Alex's relationship was a serious case of #insta-love, and then yo-yoed on and off so often that I never felt like rooting for them when I knew they'd be back together in a few pages.. I've decided that I'm 50-50 on modern day witch romances, and this one, unfortunately, didn't meet the mark.

Poppy’s life is a mess. Sure, she’s a witch and that’s super cool until she accidentally cursed a stone and gives it to Axl Storm a famous, hunky actor. Poppy needs help from the coven to find the stone, and break the curse before bad things start happening, but alas chaos ensues and Poppy and Axl must work together to destroy the mess she created.

This book was chaos. Lol. I tried to think of a better adjective to use but Poppy (and her hair) was a mess and it was almost *too* much. It was hard to get into it when Poppy’s long Rapunzel-like hair was constantly getting things stuck in it, she was always tripping, losing things , it was just too exaggerated and I couldn’t ignore it. I’m a sucker for books that involve witches, covens, magic etc so I definitely enjoyed that aspect of the book. The banter between Poppy and Axl was great, they had great chemistry but this book was just not my favorite. ⭐️⭐️⭐️.8 from me!

A fun romance in London with a magical twist, Hex and the City appeals to lovers of both fantasy and romance. I sped through it, and enjoyed Poppy and Alex's adventures. A little choppy at times, but altogether a fun read.

Okay, this was cute. Did it blow my mind… well, no. Maybe it’s because I just finished reading People We Meet on Vacation (main characters have the same names), or I was in a book slump after reading Fourth Wing, but I just didn’t love this as much as I was hoping I would. If you want a cute witchy read that feels like a soapy show, here you go!

Thank you.

This was a fun and fairly quick paranormal witchy romcom that would be perfect as an Autumn read which is when it releases!

A story about a witch who tends to fall into chaos in all parts of her life who happens to have sentient like hair that lives with Iris, an older more experienced witch. When she accidentally curses a pendant that’s boughten by the charming celebrity magician Axl Storm, the two must come together to try and fix the problem.

It was an insta love, enemies to lovers story but this had many laugh out loud moments. The writing was a bit chaotic too but still an enjoyable read. A fun witchy spin on Tangled.

BLURB:
Things you should know about Poppy:
1. She’s a witch
2. She has magical hair like Rapunzel from Tangled
3. She lives with Iris, the head of her coven, in a beautiful, ramshackle house next to Highgate cemetery
4. She works at Hubble Bubble, a magic shop in Covent Garden. Though none of it is real magic as that would be highly irresponsible. Until…
…Poppy accidentally sells gorgeous celebrity magician Axl Storm, all six-foot-four of him, a cursed pendant.
When all hell breaks loose can the guy with fake magic and the girl with real magic fix the chaos they’ve caused? Or will sparks fly both in and out of the cauldron?

MY REVIEW:
I had high hopes for this, that weren’t quite met. It reads more like YA to me than romcom or PNR.

This light-hearted book is a quick read, with characters that are likeable, but for me, there was just something lacking.

Thank you to NetGalley for a copy of this book in return for my honest review.

I really enjoyed the first book in this series, Hex Appeal, and was excited to return to this paranormal world. This book is within the same world as the previous book, but it can be read as a standalone. It features a different location and Witch Coven then the first book. Though, characters from the previous book do show up on occasion. The premise itself was quite fun, with the main character, Poppy, accidentally cursing a necklace that ends up sold to a famous, Chris Angel style, stage magician. This leads to Poppy, going on a mad chase through England with the Magician, Axl Storm, to try and fix the damage from the cursed necklace. The story was quite fast paced with a mystery and some adventure. Of course, also, some great romance. There were some unexpected twists and turns to make the story even more exciting. I ended up preferring this book to the first, because of that. Would definitely recommend to anyone who enjoys a fun paranormal romance with a great plot. (Thanks to Netgalley and One More Chapter for the ARC)

I love a good Halloween romance! I really enjoyed this one and think its perfect for the fall season. I highly recommend if you're looking for something light.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC!

I’m going to DNF this book. I’m so confused what is happening. The beginning of chapter 1 is reading like abc soup to me. This book isn’t not for me.

A fun, modern retelling of Tangled/Rapunzel , with a chaotic witch with possibly sentient hair and a viking god/human who performs as an illusionist. It was almost love at first sight and while I didn’t feel the chemistry, the story was quirky enough to keep me interested.My only complaint is we didnt get to see enough of the cat! (The Sabrina vibes were clearly there….)

Special thanks to HarperCollins UK and Netgalley for providing an advance review copy in exchange for honest feedback!

I have been known to throw around terms like “Great book”, “Fantastic Read” etc. But I don’t think I have ever used the term and also fully meant it. “Mind Blown”, because that’s what this book does, it well and truly blows your mind! Loved it!

This book had me wishing it was fall which is saying a lot since I’m a teacher and it’s currently about to be summer break! Poppy was oh so much fun and I was cheering for her the whole way. This book will be on everyone’s TBR this September.

While I was reading Hex and the City I felt like I should be cuddled up under a blanket, watching the autumn leaves falling from the trees. It felt like such a bewitching, Halloween-y book. The book was fun, magical, quirky and just a delight to read.

Poppy was a chaotic and hilarious main character but it is her strength and compassion that make her the witch you want to be friends with. Her first interactions with Axl are hilarious and their budding relationship made me swoon. But my favorite thing was that it wasn't all superficial, they both have a deepness to their characters that make you root for them and their relationship.

Overall the book exceeded my expectations. I thought that the cursed amulet was going to be the focus of the story but there was a deeper mystery going on that I thoroughly enjoyed. This was my first Kate Johnson book and now I'm going to read the rest!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC of this book.

Kate Johnson’s HEX AND THE CITY is a fun, easy read that mixes classic magic tropes with rom-com plot lines you’ll quickly recognize.

Poppy is a witch. An ok one with a talent for chaos. Chaos that follows her through London & into the arms of a viking-esque onstage magician named Axel.

Just like Poppy the book is a bit chaotic in parts with so much happening it's hard to follow. It's an enjoyable witchy rom-com with an insta-love/enemies to lovers thing going on. It's a palate cleanser type book, light & fluffy and only mildly spicy (if you can get over the chaotic feel of the writing).

Thank you NetGalley and HarperCollins UK/One More Chapter for granting me access to this book in exchange for an honest review.

What a delightful and enchanting adventure full of chaos, magic, witches, mystery, romance and Poppy's magical Rapunzel like hair! Hex and the City is the second installment in the series. I have not read book one and I had no struggles reading this one first. This is my first read by Kate Johnson and it will not be my last! I absolutely loved this book so much!!♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️

Poppy Thistlefoot is a witch that designs jewelry and works at the Hubble Bubble Magic Shop. Chaos seems to follow Poppy everywhere! She accidentally sells a cursed pendant to Alex (Axl). Alex is a popular illusionist who is so swoon-worthy. Poppy and Alex must work together to reverse the curse. What could possibly go wrong? EVERYTHING!!

Overall, it is a fun and lighthearted read that deserves all the MAGICAL stars!!🌟🌟🌟🌟