I honestly really wanted to love this book, but I ultimately DNF’d it around 40%. The writing style felt inconsistent and amateur for the most part - I felt like I was always being told things instead of shown them. The pacing was also an issue for me, some scenes dragged on and on while others were glossed over quickly.

I do think the premise has promise and I think that as the author refines her skills more her future books will be great, but this one was a miss for me overall.

I love it when you pick up a new author and are immediately drawn into their story. I have to say, I am not big into witches and all that, but this one captured my attention because it is fun and flirty without all of the intricate witchy things.

This story is a witty read loaded with everything baked goods, wedding craziness, best man/maid of honor attraction, and a pesky hex to mess things up along the way.

El-Fassi tells a fabulous story that is so steamy and sexy, sparks are flying everywhere. The two main characters are on fire for each other and that comes across the page in a delicious manner. She manages to develop a great balance in the story between the insta-lust and the reality of life.

One thing that killed it a bit for me was the ending. It felt super rushed and disappointing for me. I wanted more! However, Best Hex Ever is a fun, sweet, and sexy story that you will totally fall for, just like I did!

Dina Whitlock always knows just the right ingredients to add to pastry, tea blends, and cocoa; everything she creates is infused with magic. Only a select few close friends know that Dina is a witch, but allow f the customers at her bakery reap the rewards. Museum curator Scott Mason is instantly smitten, but Dina is hesitant. It isn't a lack of attraction by any means. Rather, Dina fears for Scott's safety.

Years ago, Dina was hexed. Anyone she loves is doomed to be hurt. So Dina has closed her heart from every possibility of love. As it turns out, avoiding Scott is impossible, given they are the maid of honor and best man at their best friends' wedding. With a little push from her friends and a sprinkle of Samhain magic, Dina gives in to passion and love. But the hex isn't giving up easily.

Author Nadia El-Fassi's debut is cozy, romantic, and enchanting. Dina and Scott's scenes crackle with chemistry, and her friendship with her besties is beautifully written. Magical realism is one of my favorite genres, and this one is especially delightful. I really liked this story and was excited to learn that more books in this setting are coming soon.

I want to thank Netgalley and the publisher for providing me an ARC of BEST HEX EVER in exchange for my honest thoughts and opinions.

Lighthearted story about a kitchen witch and her instalove interest. The concept offers promise. However, the author's style of writing was not to my taste. Don't plan to read more by this author.

This book was cute. I liked it a lot. I was in the mood for a cozy paranormal romance and this was the perfect book for that. I enjoyed that the spice had a build-up and the spice was fantastic once we got there. The characters felt very relatable and even though it isn't reality, it felt like it was! Very natural writing and I can't wait to read more by this author.

This one is perfect for a fall read. It’s got a cottage core witch aesthetic with a witch who owns a coffee shop and infuses her baked goods with spells to give people warm and happy feelings when they eat them. She’s under a hex unfortunately that threatens each time she falls in love. But she can’t help but fall in love anyway!

The two leads were perfect. The FMC was spirited and sweet and the MMC was everything a hero should be—tall and muscular but also gentle and kind. They had great chemistry. And it was a bit of a slow burn which made the spicy scenes feel even spicier! All the side characters were delightful as well, and I would love to see some of them get their own book!

The plot was fairly straightforward, but I thought it was just the right ratio of plot to spice. And the ending worked well.

Overall this was a great sweet and spicy romance that exudes autumn vibes.

Review published 9/5/24 on Instagram, Goodreads, StoryGraph, and Fable, links attached, and will be posted to Amazon on pub day.

This was such a fun and spicy book! The MMC and FMC were such a good match. I actually wish this book was longer. I wish we had more details about the two MC! But I can’t wait to read more from this author

This witchy romance was the cutest, the sexiest, the most heartfelt, witchy romance that I have ever read. The scenes were so steamy, Scott and Dina are everything, I had the sudden urge to eat cinnamon buns now. And I want everyone to read this book… I am such a SAP, so this book is everything for me.

This book is to fall as summer romances are to the beach. It encapsulates the feeling of Halloween, bonfires, and s'mores. Be prepared to desperately crave so many pastries and hot beverages. If you're looking for a read to get you ready for autumn, this is it. There is romance, diversity, inclusivity, and a good dose of magic to tie it all together.

My critiques: the main romantic plot focuses mostly on lust than relationship building, and the main conflict is built up to be a huge issue - but resolved in a few pages. Excellent world-building, but not a ton of meat.

Such a cute little cozy read for Fall with quite a bit of spice. Dina is a witch who has, what sounds like, the cutest bakery of all time and I would love to be able to go there! The magical pastries that can brighten your day or enhance your luck for an important event just sounds like what I need in my life!

You follow Dina through her weekend planning for a wedding and the weekend is full of fun and games! I love the family house that literally accommodates everyone's needs. To Heeby Jeeby's food to a dog bed for a cute little furry guest. My favorite is the tortoise ghost that likes to follow Dina around when she's there! There's hidden rooms in bookshelves and magical mazes!

The physical attraction between Dina and Scott literally jumps off of the page! Wow! I mean, so much so that it kind of drowns out the storyline in many areas! This is the very opposite of a slow-burn romance lol so if you're looking for a hot and spicy, very fast witchy romance, this is a perfect fit for you!

Thank you to NetGalley and the Random House Ballantine Dell for the eARC in exchange for an honest review. I was very intrigued by the premise of this book - love hexes, kitchen witches, museum curators and thoroughly enjoyed the magic system. This was a very quick and cozy read. My one complaint was that I am not a fan of insta love type attraction.

Loved every second of this book! Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for letting me read it! Witchy vibes, a cafe with pastries, spice, and romance. Sign me up! I cannot wait to read more from Nadia!

This was a spicy, witchy romance that the perfect read for the fall. The book is full of likable characters. The book is set in London. I look forward to reading more romances by this author.

3.5 stars

I loved the witchy fall vibes! I was annoyed that the whole conflict of the book was just because the FMC refused to talk to her mother though.

“Best Hex Ever” by Nadia El-Fassi is a charming debut romance that blends magic, love, and a sprinkle of spice into a delightful read. Dina Whitlock, a talented kitchen witch, runs a cozy London café where she serves pastries infused with a touch of magic. While her culinary skills are second to none, her love life is cursed—literally. Whenever someone starts to fall for Dina, a string of bad luck inevitably follows. When Scott Mason, fresh from his travels and starting a new job at the British Museum, enters her life, sparks fly. But the hex that haunts Dina’s love life threatens to extinguish their budding romance.

What I Loved:
- I loved the friendship between the three main female characters. Their dynamic added a lot of fun and warmth to the story.
- Dina’s familiar, Heebie, was adorable and brought a lot of charm to the narrative.
- The book immediately hooked me with its focus on protective symbols, like the hamsa in Dina’s café and the exhibit Scott works on at the museum. This resonated with me because my college portfolio project centered around protective symbols, so I felt a personal connection to the story.
- The foodie elements were fantastic. All the descriptions of teas and pastries had my mouth watering.
- The Moroccan influences, especially Dina’s family and her witchy mother, brought a unique flavor to the story that I really enjoyed.
- Although I’m not usually into spicy romance, I found the dynamic between Scott and Dina engaging, especially with Scott being a bit more assertive and Dina enjoying that dynamic.
- I also appreciated that Dina is bisexual, adding more representation to the book.
- The adorable cover immediately caught my eye, and I’ve seen the UK cover as well, which is just as delightful!
- I picked this book for its witchy, cozy fall vibes, and while it nailed the witchy part, I would have loved a bit more of the warm, cozy fall atmosphere.

What I Didn’t Love:

- While there was plenty of sexual chemistry between Scott and Dina, their emotional connection felt a bit lacking to me. The relationship seemed to move quickly, leaning towards an insta-love scenario.
- I wasn’t a fan of how the major conflict revolved around Dina’s fear of being honest about her bisexuality with her parents when there was no indication they wouldn’t accept her. This made the conflict feel a bit forced. The “you have to love yourself to be happy” theme also felt unnecessary since Dina seemed to already be confident and comfortable with herself throughout the book.

I also read the included bonus chapter for the next book in the series, and I’m definitely looking forward to reading more about Rosemary. The sneak peek has me excited for what’s next!

Overall, “Best Hex Ever” is a fun, magical romance that’s perfect for readers looking for a mix of sweet, spicy, and supernatural elements.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine for providing an eARC copy in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.

3.25 - Best Hex Ever fits the witchy romance vibes of fall! Our FMC is spunky, feisty, and is living my dream of baking pastries and making tea all day! While I really enjoyed the setting of this book and the relationships Dina has with her friends and family, I didn’t love how insta-lovey it became. The physical scenes between the love interests were nice and steamy, but there was not a lot of character development that led me to believe that these two could have a relationship that wasn’t purely physical. I still had a lot of fun and would recommend it to anyone who is into fast-paced witchy romances with all the fall vibes!

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced readers copy in exchange for an honest review.

I LOVE THIS BOOK SO MUCH! I devoured this book in a day. Once I got to chapter 4, I was all in. I could not put it down. I loved the culture in this book. It was so refreshing to have such a different main female character. I loved the magic in this book and it was so well written, so believable. The things she uses in spells is so spot on (as a witch, I would know). I usually don’t go for the ‘love at first sight’ thing but it works so well in Dina and Scott’s story. This book is open door and the spice is unbelievable. Loved every minute of it. Excuse me while I fly back to London and find me a Scott. I really felt with Dina about the hex she accidentally put on herself. My love life has been terrible and I have bee joking this whole year that someone put a hex on me. Reading this made me wonder if I did the same thing as Dina and didn’t know it. This is the perfect book to get your fall fix and will be staying not only on my seasonal list, but my rereads in general.

A cute witchy read for spooky season! Dina meets the handsome Scott at her restaurant and there was an instant spark. Only thinking it was a one time meet-cute, both were surprised to run into each other again on the train to the countryside. Little did they know that their best friends are getting married to each other and they are the maid-of=honor and best man. With magic bringing them together, it also comes at a cost as Dina is hexed and anyone who falls in love with her gets hurt. Will the hex make or break the budding love between Scott and Dina?

This read has quite a bit of spice, but could be better written. I liked the incorporation of the relationship growth with Dina and her mother and how Dina's cat Heebie Jeebie would play matchmaker and continuously bring Scott and Dina back together. She reminded me of Salem from Sabrina the Teenage Witch! Thank you NetGalley for a copy of the book in exchange for my honest review.

WAY more spicy than I was anticipating but I ain't mad at it. Perfect fall read with the witchy and Halloween vibes. I would categorize this as solely Romance rather than Romantasy as the fantasy element is far outbalanced by the romance.

spice rating: 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️

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

Overall, I thought this was a cute witchy romance read but I wished the characters and the romance had more development throughout the novel. Personally, this book relied a little to heavily on the insta-love troupe for my personal tastes. The main characters, Dina and Scott spend most of their time talking about how attractive they find each other but I was often left wondering what else drew them together. I also found Dina a bit unlikable and her actions often made me concerned about the ethics of casting magic on someone without their consent, something Dina did often and did not see much of a problem with. I wish we would have gotten a chance to see deeper aspects of Dina and Scott's relationship outside their physcial attraction for each other to get some insight into what drew them other.

Thank you to NetGalley, RandomHouse Publishing Group - Ballantine, Dell, and Nadia El-Fassi for providing me with an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review 🥰

Rating: 🌟🌟🌟