2.5 stars…

Essie Winterscale is a witch living in a magical house in Good Winter, Essex. She lives with several other witches each who have their own skills. The home can only be found by those that need it and it’s forgotten by all others that visit (as it’s protected by magic). A home that happens to be owned by Josh who inherits it from his late father. Josh finds out that tenants haven’t paid rent in over 300 years and is eager to locate the house to collect the rent.

This one was very different than I expected. The first half of the story we are introduced to all the witches, including Essie, who each have their own talents. We’re also introduced to the mysterious house that alters its appearance and structure according to the witches moods. I did enjoy that part, but after that it was all down hill for me.

At this point in the story we meet Josh the new landlord. He was very withdrawn and strange so I found it difficult to connect with him. A evil spirit ends up being unleashed and Essie and Josh have to work together to banish it. At that point the story line gets extremely hectic. Their romance gets overshadow by all the crazy drama going on. It goes in so many different directions and gets very confusing and difficult to follow. I had to keep re-reading certain parts just to understand what was really happening. I did finish it, but it was a struggle. This one just wasn’t fit me. Thank you to netgalley for this arc in exchange for my honest review.

This witchy story is about Josh, a seemingly normal guy, and a witch Essie. Josh moves to Good Winter because he inherited his fathers properties and is having trouble finding one of the houses. On this wild journey you meet a diverse bunch of people, even a monster.

I really enjoyed this book. The characters all brought something different to the story and every chapter left you wanting more. There were lots of twists and turns, and the way the story unfolds - I was never bored!

This was definitely an interesting read. I can definitely see the Encanto meets Hocus Pocus reference... I would actually say another Disney movie really fits with this one but it's spoilery so I won't say haha.

This book follows Josh who has inherited a house in England and decides to move there and leave his American life behind him. Once he gets there he finds out he actual owns a bunch of houses in the area with one owing 300 years of back rent. He goes looking for this house but can't seem to find it which is when he meets Essie... of course a lot more happens from there.

This book started out really slow. It didn't really pick up until the 40% mark and I seriously considered DNF-ing it during that first 40%. I did enjoy the book afterwards but felt like there was a lot going on that I was trying to keep track of so I wasn't overly invested in the story. The romance was really more of a side plot in this one which was fine but just something to note.

Overall, it was a cute spooky season read but could've probably cut quite a bit of the beginning out.

I wanted to love this one but sadly it wasn’t for me. I was confused a bit in the beginning and it was sorta choppy the whole way through. I didn’t really love the characters either.

I’ve been on the lookout for some seasonal romcoms to add to my tbr to balance out the thrillers I’m hoping to read this spooky season.

Hex Appeal features Essie Winterscale, a witch living at a spelled house in Essex with some other witches with big personalities. When newcomer Josh arrives from America, Essie is interested but hesitant due to a frosty past with dating (IYKYK). Essie and Josh find themselves drawn together, she decides he is worth taking a risk but secrets and monsters from their past threaten their world as they know it.

If I had to pick a word for this book it would be chaotic. There is just a lot going on that felt like too much to unpack. There are still elements to the story I’m not sure I understand because there were many details that didn’t feel necessary or fully fleshed out. However, I found the characters likeable and Essie and Josh seem well matched. The setting was perfect and it gave strong Halloween vibes.

Hex Appeal is available now and is only 2.99 for the kindle edition if you want to give it a try!

Thank you to @netgalley and @harpercollinsuk for the e-arc in exchange for my honest review!

Hex Appeal was witchy, whimsical, and... a romcom kind of? Really hard to categorize this one. I was a little thrown off by the title as the romance wasn't really the focus. I do get the Encanto meets Hocus Pocus vibes (but with an adult romance) that others mention.

It was fun for the most part, and funny at times, just a lot going on. My interest kind of fell off towards the end and I didn't feel connected with any of the characters. Super creative though!

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC

Hex Appeal
⭐️⭐️⭐️.75
Genre: Fantasy Romance
Format: Kindle eBook
Date Published: 10/1/22
Author: Kate Johnson
Publisher: HarperCollins
Pages: 318
GR: 3.51

I requested a digital advanced readers copy from NetGalley and HarperCollins and providing my opinion voluntarily and unbiased.

Synopsis: Essie Winterscale lives in a huge and ever-changing house in the village of Good Winter, in deepest, darkest Essex. She lives with various witches of various ages. All Essie ever wanted was to have a normal life but in the end she found herself drawn back to Beldam House because she just can’t stop her witchiness. Into this coven of chaos stumbles gorgeous, clueless Josh, their new landlord – and he’s just discovered his tenants haven’t paid rent since the 1700s! As Josh is drawn further into the lives of the inhabitants of Beldam House, Essie is determined to keep him at broomstick’s length. That is, until a family secret, lying hidden for centuries, puts Josh firmly under her spell…

My Thoughts: This is the PERFECT opener for Halloween! I personally do not like too many fantasy books but I do love anything to do with witches or magic. The story is narrated in third person, from Essie’s perspective. It would have been a nice addition to have some chapters by Josh, or even the other witches. Essie is the perfect witch, she wants to be a normal person but has this one witchy hang up. The cast of witch characters is fabulous. You have the future witch, the medical witch, the ghost witch, the mother witch, and then Essie who has the magic of freezing. My favorite is the house which is 100% magic and changes depending on the moods of the witches. The characters were developed well, including the supporting characters, with depth, witty banter, chemistry, and creatively developed throughout the story. The author’s writing style was complex, intriguing, magical, and just brilliant. This book releases today and I highly recommend getting a copy.

Hex Appeal by Kate Johnson was so much fun. It’s perfect if you’re looking for a cute, funny rom-com with witchy vibes that doesn’t take itself too seriously.

There’s a hilarious array of witty and interesting side characters. I would have loved more time with our resident witched Avery, Maude, Prudence, Blessing, and Lilith. There was a lot going on and as a result I found them a little undeveloped. It felt like they were there purely for comedic value even though their backstories had huge potential.

I loved how Beldam House was constantly changing and adapting to whatever the characters needed. It felt like a nod to Encanto although the description was very rushed and confusing at some points. I would have appreciated more time to digest what was happening in each room and circumstance before being thrown into yet more chaos and antics.

Hex Appeal was a very sweet and funny autumn read with lots of potential but I found it disjointed and overwhelming at times. Great for fans of Charmed, Schitt’s Creek and Hocus Pocus.

happy publication day!
i devoured this book over a couple of sittings who doesn’t love some magic and mayhem, it follows essie and her weird and wonderful family in a fight through the ages.
a fun read with a supernatural storyline

Hex Appeal is the newest book of Kate Johnson. It is said that in thiswitchy romcom Encanto meets Hocus Pocus. I always love romcoms as well as witchy stories, which should make this book a perfect fit for me. But what will I think of Hex Appeal?

It’s just a bunch of hocus pocus…
Josh has just inherited a house, and soon finds out he owns half of a village called Good Winter. He is drawn to one of the houses, called Beldam House. A huge, ever-changing house, with tenants who haven’t paid rent since the 1700s! Essie Winterscale is one of these tenants, and she lives with various witches. All she ever wanted was a normal live, but the house and her witchy powers keep calling her. Essie wants to keep Josh way from the house. But soon a family secret puts Josh under her spell. What secrets lie in Beldam House?

This story has a slow pace, and has a just a little action. In stead it is more about getting to know the village and Beldam House, as well as its secrets. Essie and Josh have a slow building romance, but they also like to keep their distance. This makes the character relationships and depth are a bit complicated.

Kate Johnson has a nice writing style, and she knows how to make a romcom with fantasy elements. This book really gave me autumn/winter vibes, which is something I rarely come across. I loved the way the story was build, and all the plot twists that were involved.

Hex Appeal was a bit slow and complicated at some times, however I still enjoyed the story a lot. Therefore I give this wintery witchy romcom a 3,5 star rating.

i LOVED this book!! I’m all about reading about witches around spooky/fall season! It was witty and magical and everything I would ask for in a witchy rom-com.

This was quite a fun read. The writing style is quirky and amusing and very readable, and as whole the book was very sweet. The romance between Essie and Josh was lovely - they had a gentle chemistry and I liked how into each other they both were. The love scenes were well-written and steamier than I expected, and there were some really lovely moments between them.

The external plot worked well for me and it was nice to see the use of English history in the book, including details like no witch burning etc., and that it got across the terrible reality of witch trials. The framing of Matthew Hopkins as a serial killer was interesting to me, and I thought this part of the plot was handled very sensitively. The way it worked into the wider plot was quite clever and there were some exciting sequences in this book.

However, I did think the book as a whole wasn’t exactly boring, but occasionally a bit slow. It took a while to get going, and whilst the romance and the external plot were good separately, I didn’t think they quite worked well together. Still, this is a good book. It was cosy, with some good storytelling and fun ideas, and it’s definitely perfect to curl up with on a dark October evening. I would recommend it to anyone looking for a witchy, spooky read with a gentle romance. I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing a free copy of this book.

Content Notes: Violence, references to tortrue, execution by hanging, intimate partner violence (in past), controlling behaviour (in past), rape (in past), cancer (parent, in past), absent parent, death, on-page sex.

I didn't finish it, it just was a little too slow and a little not spicy enough for my tastes, but cute none the less!

A breath of crisp autumn air! Essie and Josh were cute ( I personally like a little more angst and pining, ya know?) But the real star of this book was Beldam House. I was immediately entranced by its chaotic Hocus Pocus witchy energy!

Thank you Harper Collins U.K., One More Chapter and NetGalley for the arc of Hex Appeal by Kate Johnson in exchange for my honest and unbiased review.

I’ve been in a bit of a reading slump and I can truthfully say that this was the perfect witchy antidote for the spooky season.

This is a totally fun, quick, witty romcom that totally delivers witchy, spooky and romantic vibes. If you love a good witchy romcom, Hocus Pocus and contemporary reads like The Ex Hex, then this will tick the boxes for you.

Key protagonists in the story are Essie Winterscale, a winter witch who is always fabulous at a party, wine is never warm when she’s around and Josh Henderson, an ex lawyer who’s moved to an Essex village to start a new life in the farmhouse he inherited from his father.
Unbeknownst to both, Josh us Essie’s landlord and in need of cash, he’s trying to sort the rent for Essie’s house, that hasn’t been paid for nearly 300 years.

Throw in a bit of a jinxed romance, memory games and a monster from the past coming back to haunt then and end the world, and you have the makings of a fun story, with the odd sub plot for a little diversion.

A totally fun read that will entertain, make you ladies go and go gooey in all the right places. 3.5 stars from me!

A perfect fall rom-com! The romance between the two main characters was heartwarming and heartbreaking with all of the challenges that they face. There was so many unexpected twists and turns throughout the whole thing that I really don't think the description does it justice. This is a must read for any witchy book lover!
Thank you Netgalley and HarperCollins UK for the ARK!

Fun and full of hocus pocus!

Enjoyed this read, it was an easy read and I really liked the dynamic between the characters. The FMC was super funny and had me laughing out loud!

While this was a fun and easy read it didn’t particularly stand out to me. While I wouldn’t say it’s something I wouldn’t recommend to others, it doesn’t stand out to me almost similar witchy romance reads.

I was drawn to Hex Appeal because the blurb was perfect for spooky season. I think the author did a great job incorporating lots of humor and fun moments. This is a book that doesn’t take itself too seriously. Sadly, the characters felt flat to me so I struggled to really get into the story. But if you’re looking for a short romcom book about witches then give this one a try.

this book had so much potential but unfortunately for me it fell short. it was all over the place and it was super hard to determine what the end goal was supposed to be.
however I really liked the writing style so I will be checking out more of Kate Johnson's work.