2.75 stars

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC.

Gina LaManna's 'Hate Hex' was a really cosy, fast-paced read but I don't think this is what I expected at all. I think the concept was good. I really wished that the worldbuilding was crafted or established a bit better. The characters, subplots and romance felt very underdeveloped.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and the publisher for this arc. It was a cute fluffy paranormal read and the banter was funny.. made for a quick cute read.

A short, entertaining, eerie, and witchy read. The plot is interesting and heavily emphasizes romance and magic. Though not particularly complex, the political side story was easy to follow. It takes until halfway through the novel to completely explain her hesitation to embrace magic, so readers may be left perplexed for a good chunk of the narrative. Her character is given more depth after her motivation is disclosed, however the wait seems a little long. This book was just light, fluffy, and fun! thank you Gina and NetGalley for allowing me to read this ARC!

𝗥𝗔𝗧𝗜𝗡𝗚: ★★★★★
𝗥𝗘𝗟𝗘𝗔𝗦𝗘 𝗗𝗔𝗧𝗘: September 1 2024
𝗔𝗥𝗖 𝗥𝗘𝗩𝗜𝗘𝗪:

I absolutely loved this book! From the very first page, I was completely hooked by the enchanting world Gina crafted, blending the paranormal with the gritty charm of New York City. Trixie Gardens, our down-on-her-luck witch, is such a relatable and endearing protagonist. Her quirky sense of humor and resilience make her instantly likable, and I couldn’t help but root for her throughout the book.

Dominic Kent, the grumpy yet irresistibly handsome vampire, is the perfect foil for Trixie. Their banter is sharp, witty, and utterly delightful. The chemistry between Trixie and Dominic crackles with intensity, making their journey from enemies to reluctant allies to something more incredibly satisfying.

The plot is fast-paced and filled with twists and turns that kept me on the edge of my seat. The way Trixie and Dominic's relationship evolves amidst the chaos of curses and enchantments is both heartwarming and thrilling. Gina strikes the perfect balance between romance, humor, and suspense, making this book an absolute page-turner.

Hate Hex is a spellbinding read that I couldn't put down. If you’re a fan of paranormal romance with a touch of humor and a whole lot of heart, this book is an absolute must-read. Gina LaManna has truly outdone herself, and I can't wait to see what she conjures up next!

Huge thank you to Gina LaManna and Netgalley for giving me an arc for this book!

𝗧𝗥𝗢𝗣𝗘𝗦: Paranormal romance, vampire mmc/witch fmc, billionaire romance, enemies to lovers, forced proximity, opposite attract

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/p/C9zC3_XgoUU/?igsh=MW56cmx4dTkyamgyOA==

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/6652232282?type=review#rating_752180006

Storygraph: https://app.thestorygraph.com/reviews/eb6aa43a-48dc-45e8-92b1-50291ba0319f

This book is the perfect heartwarming “witch-lit” read for those of us that like a little personal growth with our love stories.
Trixie and Dom have the sweetest enemies to lover arc that I have ever read. This book is perfect if you want a low stakes enemies to lovers trope that will leave you feeling warm and fuzzy the whole time.

Rating: 3.25/5 💜❤️💜

This was a fun book to read. It was my first book relating to witches and vampires (the paranormal) and it was quite interesting to learn about the magic system in this book. With that being said, it was an okay read for me, it was a good fun book but perhaps not my complete cup of tea. Though I don't regret reading it. It introduced me to something new within the world of romantic fantasy.

Thank you NetGalley and LaManna Books publishing for this fun ARC read. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

A fast paced and light hearted rom com! It took me a few chapters to get into the story but once I was in I was hooked! The chemistry between the main characters was very strong and I thoroughly enjoyed their journey from enemies to lovers (and all the pranks in between!). Would definitely recommend 😊
- enemies to lovers
- closed door romance

3.5 ⭐️ Thank you, Netgalley, for this arc in exchange for an honest review.

This was a fun paranormal rom com, I binged it within a day, and I would say this would get you in the mood for Spooky season !!

💜rivals to lovers
💜close proximity
💜witch x vampire
💜insta connection
💜billionaire

This was extremely fast-paced, and there is some suspense in this.

THIS IS ALSO A CLOSED DOOR ROMANCE !

I say insta connection, but Dominic felt it first. But the chemistry between Dom x Trixie was there, and it was cute and sweet. I normally like my romances a little sexier.

I went into this hoping for a charming fall rom com and it didn’t quite deliver. While the concept was absolutely great and I loved a lot of the elements, it felt really rushed. I wanted so much more background on the magical world and elements, more exploration into the characters and their messy families, and overall I just wanted to see more from everything. They fall in love fast, things happen fast, things get solved fast. Nothing is given a lot of time to develop or explore so it feels underdeveloped.

Thanks to netgalley & the publisher for arc copy. I will definitely be reading more by this author. I was immersed. This was one of my top reads so good! Vampire & witch, hexing each other, was so good!

Thank you NetGalley for the advanced reader copy of Hate Hex. This book was super enjoyable and it was perfect for summerween. Trixie and Dom were easily a power couple through the banter and the struggles they had to overcome. I LOVED the hexes they did to each other. I found myself giggling at each of them and Grandma Betty’s was my favorite *wink wink* but if you’re looking for a good enemies to lover, witch falls for vampire (vise versa), magical abilities and a little hexing then this book is for you!

If you’re looking for a light rom-com-esque paranormal story, this is a great option!

Trixie is a witch, although she’s been repressing it (she has a lot of trauma, let me tell you that), who basically is a paranormal uber driver. But when she meets Dom, her rich vampire landlord, in a backalley her magic just… pops off. And the feeling sure is mutual.

They absolutely hate each other instantly, but there’s a weird pull there. You know, there’s a fine line between love an hate.

This isn’t exactly what I normally read, but it was enjoyable enough.

It was a quick and easy read, and the side characters were very good, mostly Emmy, Trixie’s roommate that wasn’t born a witch but by sheer curiosity and lots of study, and Vix, Dom’s head of security and a total boss ass bitch!

Sometimes I found it hard to believe the connection between the main characters, but that might be a me-problem because I am not the most romantic person (working on it).

Thank you @victoryeditingngc and @netgalley for the oportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

The book is scheduled to launch on September 1st 2024


Review will be posted on instagram on August 8th and on Amazon upon release.

Trixie Gardens is one average witch, thank you very much.

A down-on-her luck taxi driver in the paranormal section of New York, Trixie has spent a lifetime repressing her magic. Until one night, she meets a grumpy, devilishly handsome vampire in a dark alley, and she accidentally activates her powers by shooting the cork from a cheap cabernet bottle at his face.

It turns out the vampire is none other than Dominic Kent—the stormy, rough-around-the-edges billionaire who owns Trixie’s apartment building. When she discovers Dominic is trying to kick her out of the only place she’s ever called home (and did she mention rent-controlled?), it’s hate at first sight.

After Trixie puts a teeny, tiny hex on her new nemesis, Dom retaliates in a big way. It’s all clever enchantments and witty curses, until Dominic’s brother suddenly returns, hellbent on revenge. When things turn deadly, Dominic and Trixie must bond together to survive.

As Dom and Trixie fight to stay alive, they try to ignore the electricity crackling between them that’s got nothing to do with magic. However, before she knows it, Trixie finds herself wondering why the line between hate and love feels like it’s so thin it might have vanished entirely…

2.5, rounded down. This had the bones of a good book - which makes sense considering it was 250 pages and would have been much better at 350. But the pacing was terribly off. The beginning starts too quick, but quickly finds its footing. The next 25% is a fun (if enjoyably predictable) romance. But despite being so short most of the middle lags. The jump from we hate each other to we love each other is way too quick. Almost as quick as Trixie getting over all her angst and becoming a super charged witch over a single cup of coffee. The end was rushed and chaotic and the reason for the “win” was laughable nonsense. Had there been more pages there could have maybe been more prep, more foreshadowing, more something. I would be down to read a longer book from LaManna in the future, but this length was too awkward to tell the story she wanted to tell completely and believably.

Hate Hex is a super cozy, witchy rom com that was so much fun to read. It's the perfect book to read in the fall because of the magic and witchy vibes. It was fast paced, well written. The two main characters, Trixie and Dom, are really easy to like, and their dynamic is amazing. It has some closed door romance as well as some really sweet and vulnerable scenes between them.

✨️Grumpy x sunshine
✨️Witches, vampires, elves, and more
✨️Rivals to lovers
✨️Fated mates

4/5 ⭐️
0.5/5 🌶

Thank you to NetGalley, Gina LaManna and publisher for proving me with this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Honestly, this book was a 3.5/5 star read for me. Was it bad? No. But it could have been so much better. It was a quick read which I loved. It was sweet. My favorite character was Emmy. Now for the reasons for it being such a low rating. It seemed poorly written in the sense that tons of books have the same plot, magic systems, etc but isn't a mind blowingly, stand out amazing book. The whole time I was reading it, I kept thinking " This is sweet but seems like a boring, run of the mill book. Too many books are the same exact thing basically just a few minor things changed ". The romance between Trixie and Dominic was way too rushed and just didn't feel right. I liked the characters but I just didn't feel connected to them and couldn't really care what happened to them. I am very much so character driven and I can't enjoy a book well if I'm not connected to the characters. All in all, I probably wouldn't recommend this book and I felt like it could have been so much better. No hate to the author, as this may just be a fluke. Her other books may be better!

Fast paced, witty, and funny, this was a great witch/vampire read. I adored Trixie and her roommate as well. I felt the enemies to lovers part was a little too quick and could've been fleshed out more but overall this was a fun read.

4.25 ⭐️ A book about a witch trying to make a living as a taxi driver in New York? There was no way it could go wrong (and it didn’t). It was SO fun, the banter between her and Dominic was top tier 😮‍💨🤌🏻 I ate this up in a couple hours bc it’s super fast paced and so hard to put it down. Highly recommend :)

*Thank you Netgalley and publisher for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

⭐️ Rating: 3/5

TROPES:
♡ Witch FMC
♡ Vampire MMC
♡ He falls first and harder
♡ Supernatural billionaire
♡ Fated mates
♡ Closed door

A cozy and lighthearted read. It’s fast paced and the banter is comical. The characters are funny and likeable and the world building is immersive. I especially loved the friendship between Trixie and her roommate, Emmy and felt she was an interesting side character.

Trixie’s reasons for repressing her magic was very understandable and it added further depth to her character and made me sympathize with her. I only wish it had been explained a little earlier in the book. The political elements could have been further explored as it felt a bit underdeveloped, which is unfortunate as it was an interesting part of the story.

If you want a little paranormal fun for fall, then this is the book for you

A big thank you to NetGalley and LaManna Books for the eARC. I am voluntarily reviewing this book. I don't feel that this is an enemies to lovers book. I mean in the big picture maybe-are vampires and witches enemies? I enjoyed Trixie! I loved that she was a taxi driver. It made her feel more down to earth. I did like both Dom and Trixie. Is this the beginning of a new series? I can see that this would not be for everyone, but I found it to be a quick, fun read. 3.5 stars