This was such a cute and cozy read! Perfect to get bundled up with some sweet treats and warm drink!

Our fmc Dina is dealing with a witchy situation that creates a bit of a bumpy ride with her love life. Enter Scott, the charming love interest who’s enthralled by Dina since their first encounter. It has a bit of an insta-love situation but it is written in a way where I didn't feel off putted by it because there was enough hints of chemistry to where I was able to see where these feelings were coming from.

Nadia's writing is beautifully descriptive; you can practically see, smell, and taste the pastries that Dina makes in the kitchen. This book made me crave cinnamon rolls SO BAD and now I want a Dina recipe book lol. I really loved how the story explores Dina's relationships with her family and her journey of self-acceptance. We get to see her navigate her feelings about her Moroccan heritage and the challenges of family expectations. Not only did we get a good talk about contraception but we also got open discussions around not having children which I think should be discussed more in romance books. These moments add so much depth to the story, making it feel really relatable and impactful. While the third act conflict is a bit predictable but it didn’t dampen my enjoyment at all. It was wrapped up quickly and efficiently as well which I enjoyed,

Overall, highly recommend this book! :)

thank you NetGalley, author and publisher for a copy of this arc for a honest review :)

Best Hex Ever by Nadia El-Fassi is another excellent witchy read this season, so let's talk about it!

Our FMC, Dina, is a witch who owns a charming little café in London where she serves magic-infused baked goods. Not many people know about her powers or the hex plaguing her love life. The curse is simple yet devastating: whenever someone develops feelings for Dina, they’re hit with terrible luck until they break up with her.

Enter Scott, our handsome MMC, who wanders into her bakery one day. He's been traveling the world, trying to recover from heartbreak. After another chance encounter on a train with Dina and the eventual realization that they’re both attending the same wedding—Scott as the best man and Dina as the maid of honor—they spend a steamy weekend together and fall head over heels.

But the hex still looms, threatening Scott’s safety. Dina tries everything to break it, and the only solution seems to be ending their relationship. But this is a romance, after all. 😉

I thoroughly enjoyed this book! It’s a 4 ½ star read for me (rounded it up to 5). The diverse representation really stood out: Dina’s Moroccan heritage, Scott’s adoption and upbringing by lesbian moms, and Dina’s bisexuality all added depth to the story. The magical elements were whimsical and cozy, especially Dina’s childhood home. And the spice? Definitely more than I expected—and I loved it!

Thank you, NetGalley and the publishers, for the ARC ebook!

I DNF'd this book at the 43% mark. I enjoyed the beginning cozy vibes but then things got too steamy for my preferences. I know some readers will enjoy it, but the blend of sweet and spicy felt jarring to me.

I really enjoyed this book! I loved how it went from a missed connection to a meet- cute. The pacing of the book was great as well. Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine for allowing me to read this book!

This book had potential but I think was maybe too underdeveloped for my personal taste. It's sweet, the smut is great, and the characters are interesting, but no one aspect is really delved into *enough* to feel like it had the desired impact.

I wanted more magic. I wanted to know more about their friends and family. I wanted more development of the romance in a way that wasn't quite so insta-lovey (I tend to prefer a slower burn, and soulmates by choice). I wanted to feel more from Dina's journey of self-acceptance, particularly where her queerness was concerned, but that too was underdeveloped.

Not a bad read for autumn, sweet and light with a little sizzle if that's what you're looking for!

I cannot wait to read the next one in this series. You get a lil teaser in the back and i'm so excited.This was so good.

Overall I absolutely loved the vibes of this book. It was peak witchy, cozy, fun romcom. A perfect fall book to curl up with a cup of tea on the couch!

The romance plot in this book was unfortunately not my favorite. It felt a bit insta-lovey, like I didn't quite buy in to the ramp up of their relationship after they initially got together. The first half of the yearning felt great, but then it went from 0 to 60 in ten pages.

I still would definitely recommend this book for the fall vibes!

Glad I read this! This is a cute, cozy read with some spice! Perfect for the fall time it has some witchy vibes with a sprinkle of romance.

This is such a great fall witchy read! Hexes, magic, and familiars galore. The two MCs are different in many ways, yet the chemistry between them was very clear and easy to believe. The circumstances/fate that kept throwing them together made for excellent storytelling and kept setting these two up to run into each other when they otherwise wouldn't have. The plot definitely was well paced overall.

I loved the idea of the FMC being a kitchen witch - and infusing her recipes with magic for the people who consumed the treats. And the MMC's job was so unexpectedly specific but also cool - being a curator for a museum with the goal of returning artifacts to their rightful owners/originating countries.

The hex that plagues Dina's love life was an interesting plot line and added a little extra tension in the relationship. While there were times that it felt a little forced, overall it was well represented and woven into the storyline in a way that made sense. I was a little underwhelmed with the resolution of the hex, but was happy to get the HEA that I was hoping for!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC.

This was a really fun, steamy read. I loved the witchy elements and paranormal books are fun especially during spooky season. Dina and Scott were so adorable together and I loved seeing their relationship flourish and grow. The wedding was fun too and meeting all the characters. I figured the twist out before it was revealed but that didn’t take away from the story. I will definitely read the next book in this series! I can’t wait!

This was an enjoyable and comfy fall read! It was an easy read and I flew through it. It didn’t have some super deep plot or mystery, so it felt lighthearted overall. There were a few times I wanted the author to do less telling and move things along in the beginning. The characters were all very likeable though. If you are looking for a cute fall romance, look no further!

I received this book as an eARC in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to NetGalley and Ballantine for the chance to read this book!

Dina is a kitchen witch that owns a successful magical coffee shop in London. She is perfectly content with her completely no-strings-attached romantic life. To her, it's safer that way because it prevents any potential love interests from getting hurt from a pesky hex that has followed her around for years, which has completely stopped her from getting romantically close with anyone--that is, until Scott enters the picture. Scott Mason is a museum curator that happens into Dina's cafe one morning. After this one interaction, they cannot stop thinking about each other. Flash forward a few weeks, and guess what! Both Scott and Dina are in the weddings of their respective best friends, and sparks start flying (maybe literally). This was a really cute witchy romance novel, which was a perfect read for this time of the year since most of the story takes place on and around Halloween.

Spice level: 2.5/5

Things I loved:
-A cozy yet kind of spooky setting
-A little sprinkle of magic
-The quirkiest and most well-developed family and friend group (ahem, I sense a sequel about Rosemary, mark my words)
-A sassy sentient house
-The exploration of Dina's Moroccan heritage
-Both a cat AND a dog are side characters

Things that didn't work for me:
-INSTALOVE/LUST. This trope will be the death of me, I swear. It destroys any romantic tension and honestly makes the characters seem kind of unhinged.
-The conflict was very predictable and easily resolved with next to no effort.
-Once the romance got started between Scott and Dina, it's like all other plot points dissolved. I know it's a romance novel, but it doesn't have to be the ONLY thing going on for it to be enjoyable!

Overall, this was a nice quick seasonal read, but it probably won't be among my favorite romance novels of the year.

Thanks again to NetGalley and the publisher! This book is OUT NOW! Check it out!

Adorable, spicy, and a great romcom for spooky season!

A bisexual witch and a museum curator fall in love at first sight, but a hex could ruin everything.

It’s sweet, incredibly horny (😅), and the perfect witchy romcom for those who love Halloween but not the scary parts!

I definitely recommend this one and can’t wait for the rest of the series!

I received an advance copy from the publisher, all opinions are my own and a review was not required.

I've found another niche romance genre I love and it's "Cozy but Spicy British Kitchen Witch"! And hooray for bi representation!

I loved this book so much - the beautiful friendship between the trio of ladies, the friendship between Scott and Eric, the relationship of Dina and her parents, etc..

This is wonderfully done, and I had such cozy vibes reading it. I cannot wait to read Rosemary's love story - a horror author who sees ghosts and hot British movie star... yes, please!

Sweet and Spicy just like all the best baking done by a kitchen witch. If you only like heterosexual Caucasian romances this one isn’t for you. If you like your romance to be contemporary, spicy, open minded, multicultural, set in England, and magical then this is definitely your book!

# Best Hex Ever
# 10/2/2024 ~ 10/12/2024
# 4.5 / 5.0

Perfect time of year to read a sexy witchy romance and this fits the bill. It was predictable but sweet. I really like the beginning of the book where Dina and Scott kept bumping into each other and then found out were both in the wedding of their best friends. I like the thrown force proximately the wedding setting provided. I really thought the hex that Dina's had on herself was a good story line and made me nervous for Scott's safety. The overall story was cute and fun and I liked it. They had kinda of an insta love which I am not always a fan off, but it worked in this case giving to an attraction that neither could deny.
I found Dina's character a little confusing. She was this strong kitchen witch that has great friends, successful business and a strong personality but she was terrified her very loving and wonderful parents wouldn't understand her. I had a hard time with that part of the story and I felt like it was a contraction to her for most of the story.
I think I would have liked the story better if there had been lead up to Dina telling Scott she was a witch, like the whole bewitched storyline. I feel like her just showing him and him not having a lot of questions was a little quick.
It was a cute story. Fun family dynamic, spicy love scenes, witchy fall setting that is perfect to read on a cool autumn day.

I thought that this book was witty, amusing, fun, spicy and emotional. It handily kept me engaged and entertained, and I found Dina and Scott very likable.

I love a witchy read for spooky season and the audio was wonderful with dual narration! A cute romcom where Dina has a hex on her love life and Scott walks in to her cafe. Insta-love for sure and definitely attraction. Their friends creating a forced proximity situation at the wedding was great. Their banter was lovely as well. I think this was a great read for October and a quick one at that. It definitely kept my attention and the spice was spicy!

What a sweet and cozy book, it was very wholesome and comforting. I love a good witchy book. I like to think that there's magic in the world and sometimes those chance encounters are guided by something bigger. Very cute read that got me into the Fall mood!

So this book started out super cute and I loved the connection of the two main characters, but somewhere around the halfway mark it felt a little disconnected for me. The spicy scenes were nice and spicy, but they didn't feel like they flowed very well, almost like someone else was writing them. I enjoyed the ending and the epilogue was cute, and I very much loved the magical aspect of the book (especially the cinnamon rolls for her best friend). 3.5 Stars.

Thank you to Random House Publishing Group for the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.