This is such a cute story! It is perfectly paced, it's engaging and it's a lot of fun.

The blurb suggests Bridgerton vibes, which grabbed my attention. It definitely delivers, the historical aspect mixed in with the magic makes for a fantastic read.

It's a slow burn, and the miscommunication tested me a little, but the pure chaos of the story, the details that went into the periodical piece and the developed characters kept me coming back to Hex and Hexability every day until I finished it.

Big thank you for the opportunity to read and review this one!

Hex and Hexability

By Kate Johnson

Hex and Hexability is a fun book about Lady Tiffany who discovers she is a witch. After running into a gentleman who looks like a pirate at a party, chalk on the floor begins to come alive. Lady Tiffany has always tried to stay away from art, for it moves in her presence. But now that she is in Society, she tries her best to blend into the background. Lady Tiffany has always been in the background of her family, being raised by her brother and sister-in-law, all Lady Tiffany wants is freedom.

The gentleman pirate that Lady Tiffany runs into is Santiago, who has just moved to London. Santiago is truly a pirate, but he is also so much more. He has now taken over his grandfather's estate, but has no idea how to act out in society. With the help of Lady Tiffany, and her other witch friends, Santiago takes the Ton by storm. There is a spark between Lady Tiffany and Santiago that they cannot ignore. While Tiffany struggles with freedom, Santiago hopes he is not being cursed by a witch to fall in love with her.

Also not just any storm is brewing in the waters, ships are being torn apart by a monster with tentacles. All must work together to discover and save London from the monster.

I had such a fun time reading Hex and Hexability. It's a great fall read! The only thing I tend to struggle with is the “miscommunication trope,” but I liked how the characters worked through how they communicated. And it didn’t feel like an age for things to be resolved.

I would give this book a 4 /5 stars.

Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read Hex and Hexablility.

Lady Theophania “Tiffany” Worthington has been raised by her much older half-brother and his wife, she can’t even remember her parents, despite the fact that they are both alive. She spent most of her life not truly understanding who she was or why drawings/paintings seemed to come to life around her. She has no desire to marry and wants nothing more than to live a quiet life. But as determined as she is to remain unwed, her sister-in-law is doubly determined to marry her off. Forced to attend a ball, Tiffany is mortified when the chalked floors seem to come to life, and she tries to escape the ballroom unnoticed, this is when she meets Santiago, a man who clearly belongs in the ballroom even less than she does. After a bit of verbal sparring, they part ways, but it is the beginning of big changes in Tiffany’s life when she learns that she is a witch and soon crosses paths with Santiago again, a man she could fall for, but one who has secrets of his own.

Santiago is actually the Duke of St. James, even though he was born in Chile and spent most of his life fending for himself. His father abandoned him and his mother, and his mother left Santiago when he was a young boy to enter a convent. He survived and worked hard, and after years of work, he is a successful merchant with a fleet of ships. He never planned to come to England, but when his grandfather died, his solicitors found Santiago and convinced him to come to England and claim the title and take over the dukedom. He planned to just find someone to run the estate and leave again, but then he met Tiffany and is caught up in the magic of her and some actual magic, making leaving the last thing on his mind. Too bad she doesn’t want to marry, because she would be the perfect bride for a pirate/merchant/duke. Clearly, the road to their HEA is not going to be easy.

I loved the idea of this book, I liked the characters and appreciated that the author took the time to actually learn about the period and used titles correctly but felt that the book moved too slow. The story just dragged for me and while the author acknowledged the proper etiquette and expectations for the period, a lot of it was ignored in favor of giving the story more of a contemporary edge (but at least she didn’t butcher the titles). And while the book promised to be “oh so spicy” and there were hints about the hero’s sexuality at the beginning, they don’t even kiss until well past the three-quarters mark. Overall, this was just another contemporary in period dress, ultra-feminist story with a little bit of romance and a splash of magic. If that is your thing – give this book a try, you will probably enjoy it. For me, it wasn’t bad, but definitely not a book I would read again.

2.5 stars rounded up to 3

*I am voluntarily leaving a review for an eARC that I requested and was provided to me by the publisher/author. All opinions in this review are my own. *

Kate Johnson always seems to be having fun with her stories and characters. Here is no different, Tiffany (don’t use her given name she won’t thank you) is a Lady second, and trying to be an independent woman first; marriage, no! Being open and true to herself and free, yes. She hides her witches ability, as a good Lady should. Or should they? But her station in life and her sister in law outlook seems to mean finding and submitting to a husband. Santiago (he has gained a title, but isn’t happy with it really), wants to know if you really need to wear such awfully restrictive clothes to move around in high society, and would probably be happier at sea on his ships. He is at first frightened when he is saved by Tiffany, but soon becomes smitten. In this setting and with lots of other characters the entertaining story comes to life. For us to enjoy, and have a laugh. Also history was never this much fun at school either, as the author brings real historical facts into the story with a bit/quite a lot of ‘poetic/author license. Thank you to Harper Collins UK, One More Chapter and NetGalley for the ARC. The views expressed are all mine, freely given.

What a fabulous paranormal Regency romcom! Kate Johnson writes a great plot, creates engaging characters and wraps up a swoony romance. She’s also unafraid to ratchet up the degree of difficulty. Our heroine Tiffany (Theophania) doesn’t know she is a witch. She's been abandoned by her parents and is living with her brother and very silly and spiteful sister-in-law Elinor. Elinor is consumed with staying in with the Ton but it's amazing that someone so dumb could also be so toxic. Once Tiffany meets her 'aunt' Esmerelda witchy things start to happen for her. She meets Santiago - a swarthy merchant from Chile - turns out he is the long-lost Duke of St James. He's not really a pirate, rather a multilingual hard-working and capable merchant who is in London to hunt down his missing ships. Do these two have chemistry! There's plenty of swooning and pining and yearning and miscommunication as they cut a swathe through London and the countryside. It's all here, galloping along with secrets and witches, magic doorways and spells and duels and ole Father Thames and all the rest of it. There's a touch of steam but it's a slow burn. For all her witchiness, Tiffany is of her time and upbringing, so it takes a bit for Santiago to get her on board - so to speak 🌶️😉

There's a throughline around the worth and roles of women and Tiffany struggles with how to have agency and independence for herself, and also be in love with a Duke - "she ignored the little voice inside her that said independent ladies did not get to lay their heads on strong shoulders and be held as they fell asleep.' There's also some queerness that plays out beautifully.

For all that, what is truly fantastic for me is Kate's writing - how she writes dialogue is utterly delicious - her language choices are playful and clever and the characters' speech brings them all to life - young Billy in particular is so fun - 'cor, you don't half talk all fancy ... is that what nobs sound like?'

Santiago and Tiffany find each other in a most satisfying way 💖 and all the threads are neatly sewn up. Thank you so much NetGalley, Kate Johnson and One More Chapter for the ARC. Opinions are my own.

Hex and Hexability by Kate Johnson is a fun romantasy set in the Recency era (like Bridgerton). Abandoned by both parents, Lady Tiffany has been raised by an elder brother and his wife. Tiffany dreams of a life without a husband, free from her dreadful sister-in-law.

It’s her first season, and while attempting to hide both herself and her magic at a ball, she encounters Santiago, a dashing figure who seems very out of place in his green evening jacket.

Hex and Hexability offers romance, historical drama, witches, magic, and pirates! I found it a quick and enjoyable read and would love to read more books set in this world.

It’s not quite an enemies-to-lovers situation, and relies heavily on a miscommunication trope that threads through most of the novel. Without the miscommunication/lack of communication, I suppose we wouldn't have tension-building and climax, but this trope is starting to get old.

Recommended for anyone looking for a light read who enjoys romantasy and the Regency era. However, it leans more towards the romantasy aspects over all else.

⭐️⭐️⭐️ (3 out of 5)

Thanks to NetGalley and HarperCollins UK for an advance copy in exchange for sharing my opinions. All opinions in this review are my own.

I enjoyed the spin to the historical fiction side of this book. I love these types of books from back in the day. However I really struggled with this one. I found that it seemed to drag on. Which really got to me as I truly wanted to love this book. I just felt like our MFC complained so much with not enough action on her part. I mean I totally understand she is given a huge choice to make between what she has always known and despise, and what she wants and is scared to go after. It was well written and there was great character development just not as much as I would have liked. That being said I still fully intend to recommend this book as I know many readers who love this time line and I believe they would love this book as well. It just wasn’t for me sadly.

This was my first witchy period piece (think Bridgerton) and I really enjoyed it! Tiffany was such an interesting character and I loved Aunt Esme! It was so fun witnessing Tiffany come into her own as a witch and fight her feelings for Santiago. She was definitely an outlier in society with her desire to never get married and merely be known as someone’s wife. She met her match in Santiago and I love how things turned out for her.

This book is a simple and easy regency read, that takes us to the 1800's in a world of courtship sprinckled with some magic.
We have Tiffany, a young girl forced to live by the time standard rules, but that doesn't fit in. She discovers she is a witch and that opens a world of possibilities.
Then we also have Santiago, a pirate and a Duke. A man that despite his rough past is atracted to Tiffany and does all he can to make her happy and safe. His character was the best in this book!
They start some adventures together and fall in love. Their history has some bumps on the road, all seasoned with a bit of witchiness and banter.
Definitly an enjoyable read!

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for this eARC of 'Hex and Hexability' by Kate Johnson.

'Hex and Hexability' is the newest witchy novel by Johnson and sadly this one falls flat on me compared to the others. I don't know if it's due to the regency content or I didn't connect to the characters but I'd much rather read her other works instead.

Set in the Regency Period Tiffany is in the care of her brother and sister in law as her father is away and her mother disappeared years before. Her upbringing is very strict, with her sister in law trying to find a suitable marriage match, but the only problem is that Tiffany is a witch struggling to control her powers and trying to hide them. Then her great aunt Esme arrives on the scene, along with a pirate, a giant sea creature and a mysterious Duke.
This is the third book in the Hex series that I've read, although they are all standalone stories. I really enjoyed this book, with plenty of witchy action, humour, romance and a great cast of characters. There is some spicy action, although it did suit the story, but maybe a few too many mentions of heaving bosoms for me. It manages to fit across several genres, Regency, romance and supernatural which really worked for me - you might be able to tell that I really liked it. Definitely recommended.
I received an advance copy of this book from the publisher through Netgalley, however this did not influence my review of the book.

An unexpected pleasure- especially for fans of Regency novels. And witchy novels! This blends history with romance with paranormal and all sorts of other things all lead by a dynamic character in Tiffany, Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. It's a good read that made me smile.

This was a cute and enchanting read. Some of the plot points felt a bit like "The Duke and I" (caught in a compromising position, duel, marriage with miscommunication, a horrible father of mmc), but that did not feel like a negative thing. The miscommunication got a tad annoying towards the end, but overall a very enjoyable story. I loved how witchcraft in this universe feels so light and malleable, there's no forced rules or studying, these women just felt so free and in tune with their gifts. A nice cozy read to curl up with this fall.

Sometimes an author has such a great f-ing idea, I nearly get mad at them. Hex and Hexability is one such book; Johnson has such a fantastic premise here AND executes it in unexpected and excellent ways. I loved Tiffany--and having coincidentally just read about the Tiffany problem a few weeks prior to beginning this, I was especially delighted--as a herione and Santiago was a great match for her. I liked having a more "working class" hero (though--spoiler--he isn't quite that) to match with Tiffany's very uptight outer shell. The tension between them crackles throughout the book and Johnson did a great job bringing their relationship to believable highs and lows. That being said, the miscommunication trope between these two did get very tedious by the end; there are other ways to have conflict in a relationship, FWIW.

I certainly hope we get more witchy Regency romances from Johnson, so thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins UK, One More Chapter for the ebook ARC. All opinions are mine alone.

I really wanted to love this book, but sadly it was not for me.

I didn’t connect with the main characters, they really annoyed me actually, and the pacing was off. I felt the supposed romance was pretty forced, the chemistry didn’t feel real at all, and I was stunned to see a rape joke being told and, worse still, laughed at.

I received an ARC from NetGalley, and all opinions are my own.

“Hex and Hexability” is a cute, cozy, historical romance with some fun magic thrown in! The first couple of chapters were a touch confusing with the back and forth of POVs, but it didn’t make me stop reading at all. I enjoyed the characters and loved getting all the background on what each witch can do with her magic. The romance between Tiffany and Santiago is in a “will they, won’t they” style and was fun to read. Overall, this is a quick read, fun and if you enjoy the Bridgerton style/time period, this will be right up your alley.

Thank you to NetGalley and One More Chapter for this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

Once again Johnson wonderfully weaves magical elements into otherwise nórmala settings this time with a regency twist. I loved the paraléleles between the characters and the exploration of the power one can feel in choosing their own name and in claiming identities for themselves.

This book started out soooo strong for me. I was laughing, giddy smiling, and flying through it. I loved the regency feel and the outfits, the old school mannerisms, the characters, and I liked that there was forbidden magic. All of this was set up to be a story I truly love.

The found family of aunts and witches was great. There was humor, fun scenes, a somewhat talking cat, and a good cast of side characters.

Somewhere around 40% the plot slowed down significantly and I started noticing plot holes. It became more difficult to see the storyline and it almost was a bit of a tossed salad - lots of different things happening without being truly developed. The randomness got to be a bit much for me personally around 75% through the end. It felt like an entirely different story than the first half of the book. I lost the character connection and was having trouble figuring out what the point of the story was.

I absolutely will read more by this author. The writing style was fun, quick, and lighthearted. I just didn't quite feel the same about the second half of the book as I did the first.

TW- he's obsessed with her "bosom" so if you hate that word, you've been warned.

So much happening in this book that I can't keep up with... Very confusing, boring, chaotic.. I just couldn't finish it...

A very charming book with a set of loveable characters, witty dialogue and magical flourish. My only gripe was the slight inconsistency of pacing when it came to any ‘big reveals’, however the book itself had interesting focal points, and kept me relatively engaged throughout. Overall a lovely and lighthearted read perfect for spooky season!