First off, thank you to NetGalley for a chance to read this book!

TL;DR - A fun, witchy romance that's perfect for the fall season.

World Building/Storytelling: I deeply appreciated the world building throughout the entire story - I felt that the author was really building this world so that we could possibly anticipate some of the non-main characters getting their own book in a series. I loved that the world was built in magical realism, rather than extreme fantasy - I could engage with the characters without feeling like I had to learn an entirely new vocabulary. And, thank you for bisexual representation - this made me so happy!

I loved how a key plot line was explored at the beginning of the book, and then subtlely simmered under the surface throughout the book without being too heavily explored until later in the book. A lot of the story pacing felt appropriate at the beginning of the story.

Spice: Yay, there's spice! I was really pleased that the book has spice, because you never know before you get into a story. That being said, there were times when the spice level felt slightly out of sync with the story, or it felt as if the spice came out of left field in multiple moments. The primary initiation of spice went from 0 to 100 - I audibly said "WOAH" to myself because I really felt like it took me by surprise.

Additionally, I felt that many of the spicy moments followed the same pattern and were lopsided. It was hard to feel immersed in the spicy moments when they all felt so similar to one another. There were times when the building tension either went too fast, or the actual...deed...wasn't explored as much as I expected. I also felt like some of the MMC's spicy banter was too spicy for the character as he'd been written before.

Challenging Moments: Two details took me out of the story - one was how quickly the characters said they loved each other, and the other was about emergency contact information. I find it extremely difficult to believe that someone would change their emergency contact info to someone they're dating after three weeks of knowing each other. I know that love can happen quickly, so I'm less put off by that, but the emergency contact part felt a little unwarranted based on the relationship the two main characters had.

Overall, I would recommend this book, especially for people who like witchy romances (or romance in general) because I think the book is such a cozy escape into another world.

#BestHexEver #NetGalley

The only thing I love more than fall reads? Witchy fall reads! Before I looked at a single page I figured I would like this book.

And it delivered! Best Hex Ever is a fun and quick read following Dina, bakery owner and kitchen witch. I loved Dinas character and all of her interactions with both her customer and friends. The MMC, Scott, is a local museum curator who falls for our female lead. I loved Scott. Is it partly because he reminds me of my husband who is also named Scott? Yes, probably. But I also felt he had a strong character and his feelings for the FMC were very obvious. The spice was good.

I did take 1 point away for a few points. First, I understand she is a 'kitchen witch' but there is just a little bit too much insta-love for my taste. Let us see SOME of these relationships develop. I also would have loved more 'witchy things'.

This super cute romance had all the fall and spooky vibes, and I loved the cozy aspects of Dina as a kitchen witch. I was reading with a big smile on my face for most of the book. I’m not usually a big romance reader so the spice was spicy for me in a great way, if a little repetitive in the verbiage. That said, most of the connection I felt from the characters was purely physical and I feel like I almost would have preferred a clean romance where the connection the characters instantly felt was actually built on some sort of communication. Then again, why can’t we have both?! 😉

Overall this was adorable and happy and launched me right into the fall season. I liked the way all of life’s little magics showed up as real magic. Great representation too!

I’m officially ready to kick off Spooky Szn — wherein I alternate witchy rom coms and horror novels. Started with a witchy rom com ARC from NetGalley… and unfortunately, it was a big miss.

It was too much instalove and not enough witchiness. IDK - she has a hex on her that hurts people she loves, they fall into a relationship quickly and with no development whatsoever, I didn’t care about these people, it was all so rushed-through, it was just a metaphor for, like, sabotaging yourself…. It’s not as poorly-written as the last book I read, at least, thus the 2. I mean, if you’re looking for a Spooky Szn low stakes ‘romance’ I suppose go for it, and know you’ll be done in a day and forget about it 15 minutes after it’s over. There’s just nothing to this; the pacing was so weirdly rushed and entire parts seemed skipped-over.

Best Hex Ever is a captivating and enchanting read. This novel weaves a spellbinding tale, filled with magic and an irresistible hex that will leave readers spellbound.

This was such a cute fall read! Everything about it screamed fall. Dina runs a café and bakes pastries. Scott is a curator at a museum. SO cute! While reading, I could envision the smell of the cinnamon rolls baking and all things fall.

Dina and Scott are likable and sweet characters. I loved seeing how the little things they’d do for each other spoke volumes and showed how much they cared about one another. They had a strong connection and chemistry.

I also loved how supportive and kind Dina’s friend group was.
Best Hex Ever would be a great read on a cozy fall day.

Thank you Random House Publishing Group and Netgalley for the Arc!

"A kitchen witch with a penchant for baking and a (literally) cursed love life meets someone who's worth breaking a hex for in this enchanting romance debut written with a heap of spice and an equal measure of heart.

As a skilled kitchen witch, Dina Whitlock knows her way around a pastry recipe. In fact, she runs her very own London café, serving magic-infused treats to her loyal customers. She is not as much of an expert on romance, thanks to the hex hanging over her head. It's hard to fall in love when your partner is cursed with a string of bad luck. But who needs love when your best friend is getting married, right?

Scott Mason has returned from global travels thrilled to embark on his new role as a curator at the British Museum. Having left London two years ago to recover from a devastating breakup, Scott has missed out on a lot. With his best friend's wedding approaching, and Scott as best man, this is his chance to make up for lost time. Little does he expect to be enchanted by the magical maid of honor.

During a romantic weekend filled with a peculiar hedge maze, palm readings by candlelight, and a midnight Halloween ritual, there's no denying the chemistry between them. But the hex still holds, and Dina knows that Scott is in danger of more than just bad luck - because she's falling, hard. Will Dina be able to undo the hex before it's too late?"

I mean, who hasn't imagined falling for a member of the wedding party? This just has an extra dose of magic.

Thank you to Random House and NetGalley for providing me with a digital copy of Best Hex Ever by Nadia El-Fassi in exchange for an honest review.

Kitchen witch Dina Whitlock is enjoying life. She has a successful business, excellent best friends, loving parents, and an adorable familiar. There is just one dark spot. A youthful infatuation led to an unfortunate (and highly regrettable) mistake with an ex, marking Dina with a particularly nasty curse: anyone who loves Dina is doomed to get hurt. Not emotionally, but physically. Tragic accidental kinds of hurt. And yes, she's tried everything to break the curse. Everything but turn to her mother, also a skilled witch. Because to do so, Dina would have to disclose the fact that she's bi, and the ex who hexed her was a woman. So Dina immerses herself in her otherwise great life and tries to avoid love. It's best for everyone.

UNTIL .... She meets Scott Mason, museum curator and super-hot nerd. The day Scott strolls into her cafe, a protection amulet falls and breaks. Dina assumes this is a bad omen, but man, this guy is cuuuuuute. They are both smitten immediately but he ends up leaving before he manages to ask her out. Seems like a missed opportunity.

EXCEPT... As luck (or fate) would have it, they are attending the same wedding. He's the best man. She's a bridesmaid. Interfering soon-to=be-weds set them up to share a cabin for the weekend. So even though Dina knows, SHE KNOWS, that she should stay away from Scott and his super-hotness, she definitely doesn't.

While the romance moves a little fast, given that it's less than a week before they're madly in love, it's a great story. The banter is excellent. The shenanigans are the right mix of funny but not overly absurd. The food descriptions will leave you drooling. Dina can be frustrating at times but Scott is the ultimate book-boyfriend (Is dominant cinnamon-roll a thing? It is now.)

All in all, this book feels like a big, romantic, sexy, magical hug. It leaves the reader wishing they'd been invited to the magical wedding weekend. Highly recommended for readers who like their tea with a heavy dollop of magic and readers who enjoy stories that feel like wearing favorite sweater and eating croissants.

First of all thank you so much Netgalley and the publisher for the approval of my arc copy! I’m forever grateful that they approved this arc and gave me my copy.

I really enjoyed and loved listening to this book being read aloud. This feature is how I binge listen to multiple arcs while doing my chores and or indoor walks.
This is one of the best “early” fall reads for 2024 for me. It is a nice romance fall book. I loved this book and forever again thankful and grateful to have the opportunity to listen to this book being read aloud before it is released to the world! This book is good add it to your tbr and fall reads.
I know I need the physical copy of the book for my home library 📚

Ya know, it’s hard to be in a cozy, fall-like mood when you live in a state with heat like the surface of the sun. But reading Best Hex Ever by debut author Nadia El-Fassi definitely made me feel like I was in a London café and craving some cinnamon-flavored treats.

Dina Whitlock is a witch cursed by a hex. Any person she has romantic interest in gets hurt (non-fatally!) so she’s put off being in a relationship. But when museum curator Scott Mason walks into her café, it’s insta lust for both of them. Some forced proximity at a wedding, plus some intervening by Dina’s cat, their mutual friends, family and her family’s magical house (it packs sexy pajamas that were NOT in there before!) keep bringing them together. Dina doesn’t want Scott to get hurt, and the weight of the hex, plus hiding her bisexuality from her parents, makes her feel guilty for pursuing love. Then the hex injures Scott and Dina has to decide if this whirlwind romance is worth breaking a curse for.

This was so cute! It’s very steamy, and all of the recipes Dina describes while baking at her café made me want to bake too. Scott is a cinnamon roll who has a filthy mouth, and he’s perfect for Dina.

I also appreciated reading about characters who don’t want children, and it doesn’t end with them changing their minds. More of this please! I’m excited about Rosemary’s book being next. She sees ghosts and is a horror writer plus she loathes the actor who got cast as the lead in her book adaptation. I can’t wait!



Thank you to @dellromance and @netgalley for the e-ARC in exchange for a review.

3.75 🌟

Listen, I'm from the midwest.... I like my 🌶 mild. 😬😅

Ok, a witchy baker who is able to enchant the things she makes with a little magic to make people's day a little better - what's not to love?! I did enjoy this book but it does start off a little slow. And also, the spice was a little much for me. However, if you are someone who enjoys spice and is looking for a witchy romcom - def pick this book up!

Thanks, Netgalley for the ARC of this book!

I uploaded my review to Goodreads. I will upload my review to Amazon on publication day.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Nadia El-Fassi for providing me with a complimentary digital ARC for Best Hex Ever coming out October 1, 2024. The honest opinions expressed in this review are my own.

I normally don’t go for contemporary romance. It’s not my favorite genre. A publisher sent me this book, so I gave it a shot because I do love autumn and witch books. This was a little too insta for me and I thought there were be a little more depth in the beginning between Dina and Scott. The “good girls” were not my favorite. Some of the dialogue seemed overdone. I think I wanted a little more. I liked the London setting and diversity in the book. I would check out other books by this author.

I wanted to love this one, but it just feel short for me. I constantly felt like I was being rapidly jerked between an adorable rom-com and a spicy romance, but those things just didn’t blend well together.
The romance between the MC never made sense. I understand having an instant lust thay grows into love. But it seems all they ever had was lust, that only stayed at lust, but somehow they were each others true love. Their relationship was only built on their physical attraction, it was superficial and never grew beyond that. I had a hard time finding to believable that they were meant to be together forever and having a strong love.

Overall it was cute and fun, but I do think this one needs a couple more rounds of revisions to get to a place that makes it unputdownable.

I feel rather ambivalent towards this book. I love the message of the book that we get at the end but the build up to it was somewhat of a let down.

The book is very progressive with a bi FMC, a non binary waitress that uses the they pronoun, a MMC with two moms, and a few heterosexual couples as well. The book is rather lighthearted with a sweet message that everyone can take and should take to heart at the end!

I liked parts of the book and was rather annoyed with others. the beginning was great, I loved the lead in to the wedding ceremony, I felt more disconnected once the sex started and then enjoyed the ending like I mentioned. I didn’t really connect with character on a long term basis and so at some points it felt like I was turning pages but not progressing in the story.

I do not enjoy insta-love and while I’m not denying some people absolutely know when they know, it’s no fun to me. I love the slow burn, the tension, the buildup, and the sudden realization and that was missing. Between that and the sex scenes, the middle part of the book was less fun for me on all fronts.

However, the story is cute and does make for a fun seasonal read with a great premise. The friendship between the three women is strong as diamonds and one every girl wants to have. The magic elements are perfect and I wish they were real life. The romance is okay but the connection between the two main characters is written so well. All in all, it’s a good book but not necessarily a me book, though I am very glad I read it.

Happy Reading!

First off, thank you for giving me an eARC of this book! Congratulations to Nadia on a lovely debut novel. This book was very cozy and a perfect read for the fall. I loved the main character Dina and the dynamic between her friends, Immy and Rosemary. I think there is so much Nadia could expand on with them that will leave the readers coming back to see what they’re up to!

Overall, I wasn’t too enthralled by the relationship between Dina and Scott. It struck me as instalove and I normally am not a fan of this troupe. If you’re looking for a surplus of spice with minimal plot, this will be right up your alley. Unfortunately for me I found myself wanting more plot instead of smut.

The message Nadia conveys through Dina saved this in the end for me. I love how it ended for her & it is a reminder that we all need.

Loved this book and its vibes. It's a nice cozy, witchy, fall read with spice for those that enjoy it. The fantasy part of the story was unique and I enjoyed that as well.

I adored this book. I loved the spice level and the fantasy elements. Dina and Scott were an adorable couple and I loved not only their relationship, exploration of her family as well as her friendships.

This book was one of my most antipacated book. The characters were charming and the atmosphere was tangible. However, I did not finish this book so I don't feel I can review it. The first 40% was slow with no tension. I was really looking forward to this book and I may return to it during Halloween season.

I unfortunately, had to DNF this book. While the the concept was interesting and I'm always excited to read a witchy rom com, the writing style was dull and cliche. Pair that with a 3rd person POV and I simply could not get invested into the storyline or the characters.

The perfect fall read. Cozy, witchy, spooky, and spicy. Loved the representation we got in the different characters as well