Hot Hex Boyfriend by Carly Bloom,
Narrated by Laura Knight Keating & Zion Jang

Magic, spice and everything nice

My rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐✨
Spice: 🌶️

Hot Hex Boyfriend follows the Merriweather clan of witches. Well, they don't have magic, and nobody really believes they're witches, but surely Delia will break the hex that makes that so, right? Not if Max, a logically inclined witch sent here to prevent just that, has anything to say about it. But Max quickly gets drawn into Delia's southern charm, broad smiles and joyfulness. And both of them will soon discover that they're facing much more than an ancient Hex...

I really just plain adored this book. It reads away very quickly while keeping a good pace. The plot was cozy, warm, just surprising enough to stave off predictability, and all in all just a joy of an october-themed witchy book. Bloom's portrayal of Delia's and Max's families was quirky and enjoyable, and the different forms of love portrayed radiate off the page. Bloom excels in a large cast of lovable side characters to compliment the main characters.

Delia & Max's romance is slow-burn, natural and incredibly heart-warming and sweet. While it does get a little bit spicy, tenderness and adoration are the main themes here, which for me was a nice change of pace from the intense books I usually read.

I'm not sure how to feel about the female narrator, Knight Keating, as her voice is unfortunately a little harsh/grating to my ears. It took me a couple paragraphs to settle back in to her narration each time, which made the whole experience less enjoyable. The switching of POV and narration voice was also rather abrupt, startling me almost every time until I was about 80% into the book. Both narrators fit their characters well, however. Especially Jang (the Male narrator) does a great job at accent work and character delivery.

Thank you to NetGalley, Carly Bloom and Hachette Audio for the review copy. All in all I greatly enjoyed reading Hot Hex Boyfriend, a witchy romance wonderfully heralding in the cozy, comfortable energy of fall. Highly recommend!

4⭐️s. Available now! Bit of magic and some romance. A whole lot of family drama. I’m not a horror reader so I feel like this was a good way for me to start my spooky season.

Delia is convinced that her family is crazy and they are not a bunch of witches without magic. Until one day, the hex that apparently is on them is broken and they have magic again. All Delia wants is to be a successful home decorator. Especially when the best house to decorate has the very handsome nephew of the previous owner trying to sell it. Max is torn between the chemistry he feels for Delia and a family responsibility. In fact, it’s his family that insistents on making sure the hex is put back on the Merriweather women. Can Delia trust Max to love her and not hex her? Can Max trust Delia’s clueless nature to not control his heart with her uncontrollable magic?

Wonderful narration by both Laura Knight Keating and Zion Jang. I really appreciated their flow with as many other characters involved. It never felt muddled with so many character parts communicating back-and-forth.

What are some fun props you use with your review posts? I’m still working on mine.

thank you too @netgalley @carlybloombooks and @hachetteaudio for the advanced listener copy.

This is a perfect option for a cozy witchy RomCom for a reader looking for those fall vibes. This story has banter, tension and quirky, lovable characters. I enjoyed the magic system and the backstory created for the magic system. I really liked Delia’s eccentric family and the neighbor’s cat Nikki. The narration was really fun - the narrators did a great job bringing this story to life. I found it to be super entertaining, and I highly recommend it if you like audiobooks. Otherwise, the print book was also equally fun!

Thank you to NetGalley, Carly Bloom, Hachette audio, and Forever publishing for this audiobook ARC and eARC.

I listened to the audiobook and the narrators were perfect! I loved the storyline and parts of it were so funny! The characters were all interesting and I really hope this is the beginning of a series- so many more stories to tell in this world! Highly recommend!

✨AUDIOBOOK r e v i e w✨

Hot Hex Boyfriend by Carly Bloom
⭐️⭐️⭐️3/5
PUB DATE: September 3, 2024!

Synopsis:

“ As a child, Delia Merriweather believed with all her heart that she was a witch. Because all Merriweather women were witches. There was just one problem: they had no magic. As an adult, Delia no longer believes magic even exists. However, when she accidentally breaks a hex and restores her family’s powers, she’s forced to accept a new reality: she is a witch. And maybe that’s why the crushingly handsome guy next door has been looking at her like he’s expecting her to fly off on a broomstick, cackling into the night.

Just when Max thinks he’s done keeping an eye on the bumbling Merriweather women, now he must help his neighbors learn to control their magic before they out witches everywhere. But Delia can’t decide if Max is helping or hexing, and Max can’t tell whether his growing feelings for Delia are real, or if he’s come under the spell of the most powerful—and clueless—witch he’s ever known. And the last thing Max needs is to fall for the one witch who could rule the entire witching world by controlling the hearts of men.”

This book was really cute. It has all the romance and witchy vibes, which I was so excited about as we enter fall! I think that if I read the physical book vs listening, I might’ve enjoyed it more. I didn’t dislike the narrators, but the southern accent for Delia really threw me off and I couldn’t get past it. I’m not even sure why, because it wasn’t poorly done, but it just didn’t work for me. Regardless, this was a super cute witchy read, and definitely got me in the spirit 🎃🧹

Thank you @netgalley and @hachetteaudio for this ALC!!

Looking for the perfect cozy, witchy rom-com to curl up with this fall? "Hot Hex Boyfriend" has got you covered! This delightful story follows Delia Merriweather, a skeptic when it comes to magic despite her family's witchy claims. But when she accidentally breaks a generations-old hex, chaos ensues, and enters Max Halifax—the brooding (and oh-so-handsome) new neighbor who's not too thrilled about the sudden magical mayhem next door. Sparks fly, magic misfires, and trust me, you'll be hooked from page one.

I absolutely loved the charming small-town Texas setting Carly Bloom created. Places like the Mourning Glory Cafe and the Ice House felt so real and inviting, I found myself wishing I could pop in for a coffee or a dance! The side characters are just as enchanting, each bringing their own quirks and southern flair that add so much warmth and humor to the story. And let's talk about the magic system—surprisingly detailed and intriguing for a lighthearted read, it adds the perfect sprinkle of enchantment to Delia and Max's journey.

If audiobooks are your jam, you're in for a treat. The dual narration along with the fun accents bring the story to life in the best way possible. Narrators Laura Knight Keating and Zion Jang do an amazing job of giving each character a unique voice. With a dash of enemies-to-lovers vibes, personal growth, and plenty of magical mishaps, "Hot Hex Boyfriend" is a feel-good read that will leave you smiling and believing in a little bit of magic. Grab a pumpkin spice latte, get comfy, and enjoy this enchanting ride!

Read if you like:
- witchy rom coms
- small towns
- quirky side characters
- cozy paranormal romances
- grumpy x sunshine

All the Merriweather women consider themselves witches, except Delia, who finds it absurd. But in their town, it's serious business. As the family's blue witch, Delia is destined to lift their curse and restore their magic. Max, a witch aiming to prevent the Merriweather curse from being broken, finds himself enchanted by Delia. Can they resist the magic between them?

Though it was a little slow to start, the story was a quick and entertaining listen. The location and magical aspects were super charming and really added to the Southern appeal. The dialogue at times was actually laugh-out-loud funny, and I really enjoyed the other characters, especially Nicky, who reminded me a lot of Salem from Sabrina the Teenage Witch.

I listened to the audiobook version was thoroughly impressed with the narrators variety of accents — it made it feel like a full cast audiobook even though it wasn’t. I will say that the female narrator, Laura Knight Keating, spoke a lot slower than the male narrator, Zion Jang, so I found myself adjusting the speed for her sections and slowing it down for his.

I would recommend it to anyone who likes rivals to lovers, boy next door, small town romances, all with a sprinkle of magic of course!

📖: Hot Hex Boyfriend: a standalone

🖋️: Carly Bloom-new to me author

🗓️: Published 9-3-24, Read 9-3-24

⭐️Rating: 5/5

🌶️ Steam: 3/5, 1 good scene between H/h

📔Page Count: 364

🎧Narrators: Laura Knight Keating and Zion Jang voice the characters. The narrators' voices fit the characters with standouts from Delia's Southern drawl. The reading style brought the text to life, and the author and narrator worked together perfectly. The pacing and flow allowed me to get lost in the story. The narrator paused and announced new chapters and there was a table of contents which helped me follow along with the E-book and audiobook.

🏃🏽‍♀️‍➡️Run Time: 11:49


⚠️ TW: threat of baby killing

Genre: Paranormal Romance, Mystery, Fantasy, Contemporary Romance

Setting: Willow Root,TX

Tropes
✨magic/witches/demons/fairies
✨Halloween
✨ open door
✨forbidden romance
✨forced proximity
✨POV: dual 3rd person

Summary: Cordelia "Delia" Merriweather (29) and her family are a coven of witches with no magic. They believe they are hexed and any lovers they have will die. Their neighbor Hartwell Halifax has recently passed, and his nephew Maximus "Max" Halifax (33) comes to pack up his house and spy on the witches next door. The High Priestess Morgaine Gerard sent Max because she believes they are dangerous and use blue magic to steal peoples' hearts. When Delia and Max meet there is insta-attraction, but they both know their covens don't mix.

🤔My Thoughts: I loved the world building and folklore of the witches. The Logos line (Halifax) and the Cor line (Merriweather) witches don't mix, and Hallifaxes don't fall in love. They use logic-based magic, while the Merriweather's use magic with their hearts. Delia's grandmother Madora "Maddie", her mother Fiona, and great aunts -Aurora, Thea, and Andi have loved and lost believing the two-hundred-year curse from a Halifax ancestor. The side characters were flushed out, especially Luc (Max's younger brother), Amy (Delia's BFF since childhood), and Nikki (Hartwell's familiar). I see the potential for future books, and this was a great start.

🙏🏽Thanks to NetGalley, Forever (Grand Central Publishing) and Hachette Audio for the ARC and ALC🐈‍⬛! I voluntarily give my honest review, and all opinions expressed are my own.

Delia Merriweather comes from a family of witches - or so they claim. However, she doesn't believe in magic, and she definitely doesn't believe that her family possesses it. But she loves her family, and so every blue moon, she plays along when they ask her, as the blue witch, to attempt to break the hex on their family. Meanwhile, Max Halifax, who comes to town to settle his uncle's estate, is shocked when Delia miraculously breaks the hex, which could cause a cosmic shift in the witching world.

This was a super fun read. Max and Delia's chemistry was spot-on, and all the characters felt fully fleshed-out, including all their friends and family members. The story was fast-paced yet still easy to follow, and the humor had me laughing out loud throughout the whole book. I highly recommend this for anyone looking for an upbeat witchy rom-com.

I don't listen to a lot of romance books on audio, but I enjoyed that Delia and Max's points of view were narrated by different people. My biggest complaint, which is really specific to the audiobook, is that the volume difference between the two narrators didn't seem very well regulated so I needed to adjust my volume often while listening.

A funny and heartwarming cozy paranormal romance. When Delia Merriwhether breaks a centuries old curse and brings magic back to her family, her neighbor Max (a fellow witch) is concerned that the power of the Merriweathers, that the ability to control the hearts of men, could be harnessed for evil. This book was so fun!

This gave me all the Sabrina The Teenage Witch vibes!! I loved Nicky, the British talking cat.

This was the coziest read to kick off Spooky Season.

This audio was so fun and the narrators made the story come to life!

I loved the chemistry between Max and Delia - it was HOT HOT HOT

Found Family is one of my favorite tropes - and this made my heart swoon!

super cute, fun Halloween read!

Thank you NetGalley, Hatchett Audio, and Forever for this ALC!

- I love a witchy romance, and this book had everything I look for! It was so fun, sweet, silly, and I could not put it down!
- I loved every part of the “they are witches but they’ve lost their magic in a curse but they have continued pretending to be witches and the whole town thinks they’re crazy” dynamic. It was so incredibly fun to watch that play out, between how sweet Delia was towards her aunts and grandmas and how strange the rest of the town thought they were.
- Max and Delia were so great together, and I love the “stuffy MMC who has never felt emotions meets a girl that makes him feel things” trope-this book did that so well!
- The world building was so much fun, and I really hope we get more books in this universe!
- Nicky was my absolute favorite character, and his arc was so surprisingly impactful!!

This was such a fun book. Full of witchy magic, cozy vibes and an evil scheming villain. I think this is a perfect romantic read for fall. I loved the dual POV’s and suggest listening to the audiobook version. The two narrators are really fun and portray Delia and Max really well. I loved that there wasn’t just romance in this story there also was a mystery and some twists. I will say I saw the twists coming and thought parts of it were pretty obvious but it was still a really fun feel good story. Delia and Max had a great relationship. It felt natural and I loved the slow burn, chemistry, and spice between them. It was so cute seeing Max come out of his shell and fall head over heels for Delia. The ending was honestly my favorite part and I loved how this author handled everything. Definitely a perfect HEA that made my heart happy with some revenge! I highly recommend this one for fans of paranormal romance with fun fantasy elements, humor and great characters.

This is a fun rom com perfect for fall. It follows a family who think they're cursed witches as they try and break the hex. Delia can't help but flirt with her neighbor's nephew Max, who is unknowingly keeping an eye on her witchy family.

There's a lot going on in the premise but once you're in it's an enjoyable story full of magic, family and love. It has Sabrina the Teenage Witch vibes including a magical cat. The romance aspect wasn't my favorite -- there was a bit of an insta-love connection with not much chemistry.

Overall it's an easy weekend read if you want to get into the Halloween spirit.

I liked the audiobook, though it took me time to adjust to the alternating narration due to Delia's southern accent.

Thanks NetGalley and Hachette Audio for the complimentary audiobook.

This wickedly fun romance was a good way to pass the time over Labor Day weekend. While I didn't like the male narrator, I still really enjoyed the story. I really hope this isn't the last we'll see of this family of witches or the semi-magical community they live in.

Rating: 3.5

Big thanks to NetGalley and Hachette Audio for the ALC!

What a witchy delight! This book was exactly what I hoped it would be…sweet, kooky, atmospheric, and a little spicy. What I wasn’t expecting was all that lore! I loved how the story featured an entire magical world with a rich history, including a secret city, different witch classifications, ancient texts, enchanted objects…the list goes on! The author put so much work into the fine details and I hope that means there’s a series in the works.

And the characters! I fell in love with the entire Merriweather family, especially the aunts. They made me laugh out loud SO many times! All the kudos to the outstanding narrators who brought the large cast of characters to life. There are LOTS of people in this book and the voice actors did an incredible job making each distinct.

The one part I wish was stronger was the romance. It’s very much present but didn’t get as much page time as the world-building, relying on an “insta love” connection that I had a hard time buying into. If this does end up being a series, I hope more time is spent exploring Delia and Max’s connection.

Excuse me while I place a little enchantment to help manifest Book 2 (and 3…and 4…)! I had a blast listening to this sweet-spooky romp and hope to spend more time with Delia, Max, and their families someday.

HOT HEX BOYFRIEND IS LITERALLY LIKE IF THE PRACTICAL MAGIC MOVIE WAS TURNED INTO A BOOK (yes I know Practical Magic is a book but the movie is way different 👀) ANDDD IF IT WAS SET IN TEXAS AND THE CHARACTERS WERE SOUTHERN (which I love even more than the setting of Practical Magic because duh)! 🥳😍
As someone who is starting to get into the fall/halloween/spooky vibes, this was PERFECT! There's romance, magic, AND suspense! I love when romance books also have an aspect of suspense and let me tell you, I never would've predicted the ending!
The southern vibes, the kinda enemies to lovers, the personal growth story, the amazing characters (main and side), magic, the really great narrators, and an amazing story made this an AMAZING listen for me!
if you're looking for amazing book with all of the great southern + fall vibes, you should definitely give this book a listen! Thank you so much to Forever Books for an early audiobook copy in exchange for an unbiased review!💖

Thank you to Forever Publishing for the eARC/ALC.

Hot Hex Boyfriend was a hoot. Delia’s family line is descended from witches…at least that’s what her grandmother says, even if Delia doesn’t believe it. Max is there taking care of his late uncle’s home (Delia’s neighbor) and making sure that Delia doesn’t break the hex upon her family.

This book was just funny and cozy. It was dual narration so it was great getting to see both points-of-view and getting to know more about the magic side from Max’s view. There were instant sparks between him and Delia and it was adorable seeing them fall into their feelings for each other. There wasn’t a ton of steam in this story, but what was there was *very nice.*

The best part was the side characters, though. Delia’s kooky (but loving and accepting) family, her ride or die best friend, Max’s brother and parents, and even Nicky, the imp/familiar (hellloooooo to his accent). Hot Hex Boyfriend was really just light and happy (although I did cry at one point—spoiler alert) and I couldn’t get enough.

I will happily read this again and will look for more from this author.

This was a lot of fun, and I really loved both of the narrators.

I love a good witchy story to usher in fall and this was perfect for what I was looking for. I loved Delia and Max so much. I also loved all of the side characters - a lot of the time the side characters can really make the story for me.

I would like to thank NetGalley for giving me an audio-arc in exchange for an honest review.

This was so stinking cute!!

I loved Delia and Max!!

The Merriweathers have said they were witches for forever and have made a "soup" every year in order to break the supposed hex that was placed on the family. So when Delia accidentally breaks the hex, she's absolutely surprised that it's all true.

We get adorable moments between her and Max that lead to their inevitable relationship, we get cute moments with the family as they mess around with their magic, and as much as this book had cozy written all over it, the ending had some action. This totally gave me Practical Magic vibes, and I was here for it.

And to top it off, the narrators did a fantastic job bringing this to life. I highly recommend this cozy cute book to literally everyone.