Growing up in the Netherlands means that Halloween is a relatively new season. So, I won't tell here that I'm counting down until spooky season. However, I do love all the spooky romantic stories being released last year and this year! I mean, I love romance, but I always need my romances to be just that little bit more. And when adding witches, you're exactly adding that little bit more. When I saw this book on Netgalley I just had to request it and I'm so happy One More Chapter gave me a copy!

This book was incredibly entertaining from start to finish. I can't imagine anyone could get truly bored while reading this book. That's firstly because of the setting and especially the magical house. There's so much going on in the house. It feels like every time the characters enter the house and show us around everything has changed. Basically, even though the story mostly takes place in the same house, it still feels like a different, new and exciting setting every time.

I was also very positively surprised by the plot! Yes, this book contains a nice and cute romance, but the romance is not the main plot. The main plot is magical and I really admire how the author manages to connect everything. At times, because there's so much going on and the witchcraft is a little out of controle, the plot feels a little chaotic. However, apart from the fact that chaotic fits the characters and setting, everything does happen with a reason and it all makes sense in the end!

Lastly, I really loved the characters. I have to admit that I personally do think they could have gotten a little more depth, even in a story like this. But even though they seemed a little generic at times, they had enough background and most of all enough really cute interactions to start caring about them and to start rooting for them. More than once I was giggling out loud because of their conversations and I do think they make a really cute couple!

I hope the author returns to this world and writes more like this!

Essie lives in a house in the village of Good Winter, with a bunch a witches with various personalities. Enters Josh, the new landlord, who just discovered his tenants haven't paid the rent in over 300 years... and he is somehow drawn under Essie's spell.
I wanted to love this, so much, but it didn't grab me. I couldn't relate to the characters, there was not enough romance, and no chemistry between the two main characters. The story seemed disjointed at times between the scenes, and I felt like pieces were missing. It contained too many things, too many characters, so I skimmed most of it. However, I did find it contained a lot of humor. I probably would've appreciated it more if I went into it not expecting a rom-com, because that is not what this is. The writing was good, it just wasn't for me.
I received an advance review copy for free and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

I will be a very lonesome voice in the crowd and really its a classic "its not you, its me story".

I fell in love with the cover of this book and I fell even more in love with the synopsis of this book.
But then I quickly fell out of love when I started reading. And I am so disappointed, especially because everybody seems to love this book and I just couldn't connect with it.

I think the main reason why I disliked the story so much was the female lead Essie. She is a grown woman living in a house full of witches but acts like a 13 year old teenage girl. I cant do silly, weak female leads. I love my woman strong, independent, witty and a little sarcastic.

And then there is the plot. This book tries to add so much of different plotlines, but none of them are executed well. And that is such a shame.

I think the book would have really benefited from just being a witty, witchy romance instead of packing it to the brim with other stuff to.

Such a shame, but like I said its just me...

I received this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Fun hook but lots of overlapping stories, as other reviews mention. Would be fun to see this put as a series rather than a book. Liked the ideas but too many ideas is a negative thing, especially with confusing POV.

Cute story… unfortunately, my interest fell off about 75% of the way through the book. (I did finish it.)

It’s almost as if there were too many competing ideas and the climax came too early. Would have liked to have seen this as two separate books with more meat to it, or less downtime between the “freezing” and the “burning.”

Overall though, it was cute and I did enjoy watching the characters grow.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC. All thoughts and opinions are wholly my own.

This story was a lot. It moves at steady pace and has like 4 stories all rolled into one. This meant the story was never boring or slow. But it was a lot to digest and sometimes things got confusing. I liked the characters and thought it was humorous but at about 70% I had my fill. The last twist felt like a bit too much and pushed down my rating because everything after that point felt like overkill. It was a cool story but with a little too much going on. I’d still recommend others read it and see if they enjoy it. Thanks to NetGalley and the Publisher for the ARC.

Hex Appeal is a witchy whimsy that tries to be as heartwarming as it is bone chilling, but doesn't quite manage it. All of the right autumnal notes are there - broomsticks, and spells, and hidden evil, with a cast of quirky characters to boot - however, the plot veers in so many directions that it never simmers down. It never finds the ingredients it needs to make a fully sweet and enchanting paranormal escape.

The story itself is set in a little Essex town called Good Winter. Essie, one of the protagonists, happens to be a dungaree-wearing witch with winter magic at her fingertips who lives in a moody, changeable house that cannot be found by most people. That is, until Josh, the new landlord moves to town and is intent on collecting rent...

Which hasn't been paid for nearly 300 years!

Suddenly, not only is the perception spell on Beldam House acting wonky any time he's around, but soon there's danger afoot that could mean the end of the world. That leads to a team-up and a sweeping romance. Then throw in some time travel, an incarnated monster, a rich and pregnant half-sister, and a hex that causes forgetfulness and there's a lot going on.

I'm disappointed I didn't like this one better. It had all the fancifulness I wanted, all the small town idiosyncrasies and Glenda The Good Witch lightness, but I am sorry to say it failed to engage me in romance or plot.

Thanks to NetGalley, One Chapter, and HarperCollins UK for the ARC.

I was hopeful this would be a fun witchy read for fall but this one fell short. The beginning was a bit slow, it picked up in the middle but then just dragged on until the end. They characters were likable but really hard to connect with so it was hard to feel invested in the story. I also had a hard time following all the different characters and how they related to each other. At times it felt like an exciting story about witches trying to conquer a monster but at other times it felt like a witchy romance parody. There was some funny banter between characters but overall this one just wasn’t for me.

Thank you NetGalley for this ARC

Fast paced fun witchy book perfect for the fall season. There's a little spice, magic, time travel and some fun twists and turns alo g the way to keep the reader fully engaged. I was able to binge in one day. Recommended for anyone looking for a fun witchy read for the fall!

This was a witchy romance about Essie- a witch who has sworn off men, and Josh- a lawyer from the US who inherits an old farm house in her small English town. I wanted so badly to love this book, but it came off more of a “meh” for me.

What I liked:
-The witchy house concept. A house that changes in response to the residents needs and moods? Great idea.
-The romance. Josh and Essie were adorable. Their chemistry was fantastic.
-The setting. I love a small town and I love it even more when it is described wonderfully.
-Gave me the spooky, fall vibes I was after.
-The cover is beautiful.
-There is a gender fluid witch (side character) that changes appearance based on if they feel more feminine or masculine or a combo. They were delightful.

What I didn’t love:
-The Witchy house changed so often that I couldn’t picture it, and I was always lost while reading scenes that took place in it (many, many scenes). It was too much. I felt disconnected.
-Too much happened. This book could have been a less confusing series. The ideas were great. Cramming them into 1 book and cutting out info to make it fit- did not work. It didn’t flow and felt choppy to me.
-Somehow, even with so much happening, it felt repetitive. I don’t even know how.

I have read lots of reviews for this book, because I feel bad writing a less than stellar one. It seems 50/50. People either love it or feel meh about it like I did. I guess every book can’t be my favourite.

I would describe Hex Appeal as a cute rom-com with a witchy, magical vibe. Essie is our witchy main character and she lives in a magical, protection-spelled house in Good Winter, England. Josh is the American, from Seattle, that just arrived and is now the landlord of several properties---including Essie's. It's a cute, easy read with enemies to lovers, witty banter, lots of growth for our characters, and magic.

This book sounded like it was going to be the perfect spooky season read. But I just could not get into this one. The writing was in this weird 3rd person style that was hard to keep up with. I really didn't know what this book was trying to accomplish. I really didn't feel a connection between any of the characters.

Actual rating 3,75 star

This book was provided to me as an ARC by netgalley in an exchange for an honest review. The Hex appeal by Kate Johnson was not what I expected. I thought that it would be a romcom with a sprinkle of magic. Instead it was heavily focused on worldbuilding and plot. The worldbuilding was very easy to get into and so was the plot. It was definitely a page turner. On the other hand I didn’t feel like I got to see much of the main couple together and their relationship was a bit rushed for me. It felt like everything happened in a couple of days but you didn’t really much of them together. At the same time I liked the characters individually. Overall the book was good and it's for those who want romantic books but with heavy plot and worldbuilding.

Josh has just left his American life and moved to England to an old estate he had recently inherited. It turns out the estate is a money pit, but luckily there’s an income involved - Josh has tenants! And some of them owe him, uhm, 300 years worth of rent.

And that’s how Josh met Essie.

Essie, her fellow witches and their house are protected by a perception spell so people forget them (a convenient trick if you don’t want to pay rent btw) but somehow Josh remembers…

Essie had this alternative, quirky, long hair and dungarees thing going on, sort of “I’m not like other girls” but not exactly, and it worked great on her. Josh was a good guy and that was his main trait; definitely not an alpha male which on one hand was refreshing but on the other… I need my book boyfriends a little more defined and maybe a teeny tiny bit alpha- ish? 🫣

Essie and Josh were an adorable couple but I would have loved to spend more time with them getting to know and love each other. Maybe the fact, that the story is written in third person makes it more difficult to feel what they feel?

My favorite character was Essie’s house that changed with the witches’ moods, “provided what they needed” and basically had its own personality. Other witches were a nice touch and even though the magical world was chaotic it had its charm and it was a perfect match for Essie’s temperament.

All in all it was a pleasant, warm and cozy read with likable characters. If you’re looking for a low angst witchy story, this is your book!

<b>3,5 round up to 4 </b> because I needed a feel good book and this one delivered so I’m in a generous mood 😁

Thank you HarperCollins UK, One More Chapter and NetGalley for sending me this book in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to Netgalley and publisher for an arc in exchange for my honest review.

Publication: October 1, 2022

I bounced between 3 or 4 stars so I decided to go down the middle with 3.5 stars. This book is the perfect witchy read for the Fall season. Since the temps are dropping here in the mountains, this book satisfied that fall itch I was having.

The writing is easy to follow for the most part but I did take some adjusting to settle into the rhythm of the book. I was sucked in to the point that I forgot that I was reading. However, at around the halfway point, no romance has really happened and there wasn't much plot line to go off of. This led to my lower rating.

I loved the witty banter but there really wasn't much romance. Josh more wanted to figure out who Essie was. Overall, this was a fun witchy read to get you read for spooky season.

I really loved this sweet, spooky Halloween read! A perfect rom com as we move into autumn. Full of witches, wit and wonder, I loved how developed the characters were and the detail that went into the house and the other features within it. Personally, I could have done without the time travelling element, but it did tie in well to the overall plot.

The perfect witchy rom com to get you in the mood for fall!
The characters were well written, it had the most hilarious moments and it had a little steam.
I'm hoping Kate Johnson carries on the stories of the other characters as I'd be first in line to read!
4.5 stars

— 𝐁𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝐑𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰 —

𝐓𝐢𝐭𝐥𝐞: Hex Appeal
𝐒𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐬: N/A
𝐀𝐮𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐫(𝐬): Kate Johnson
𝐆𝐞𝐧𝐫𝐞: Fantasy Romcom
𝐃𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐏𝐮𝐛𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐡𝐞𝐝: 13th October 2022
𝐑𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠: 4.5/5

‘You shut up about destiny,’ Essie hissed back. ‘This isn’t a romance novel.’
‘What’s wrong with romance novels?’ Avery demanded.
‘Nothing, they’re just not very… realistic.’ ‘
Dear, you are a witch.’

Well, I had lots of fun with this one. Hex Appeal was the exact potion I needed to stop a reading slump. It was witty, witchy, sweary and sweet. With a storyline that had echoes of history (particularly seventeenth century Essex) yet makes me hope for similar future books.

The characters were impeccable and had an incredibly enjoyable dynamic. To be honest, this book has everything from time travel, teasing the devil, some slight spice, and a bucket load of ice courtesy of our main character, Essie, the winter witch.

I wish there was more information about how the magic actually worked. I’d genuinely love to read more about this world Kate Johnson has created. I’m so glad I’ve read this refreshingly funny and magical book, finishing this book this morning was a truly perfect way to start the day.

🧚🏻‍♀️

This is just a magical story of love and loss and belief and happiness and just so much. Essie thinks she is doomed and Josh thinks he is unworthy. Neither one is further from the truth but they can only find it out if they trust each other and themselves. The secondary characters are just as fun as the main couple and I think I am going to re read this every spooky season.

This was the PERFECT little rom com to continue with my halloween-y mood. I loved this book so much, and it was so easy to fall in love with all of the characters. I could easily see spin off books where each of the witches Essie lives with finds their own person to have a HEA with. My only complaint with this was the occasional phrase that seemed inauthentic or oddly placed (more commonly for things the American character said, but that's just my opinion). I believe anyone looking for a steamy fun romance novel with a HEA that may just fit into the Holiday season would ADORE this book! Highly recommend!