Member Reviews

Unfortunately, this one was not for me. I had to DNF at 20%. I typically give a book 70 pages before I put it down, but I wasn't able to concentrate long enough to make it to that point. I don't know exactly what it is that I didn't like. .Honestly, I think I struggle with the 3rd person writing style because it takes a little more to get into the characters. The house also seems interesting, but it just wasn't enough to keep me going.

This book isn't bad, but just isn't my particular flavor!

Thank you to NetGalley, HarperCollins UK, and One More Chapter for the chance to review this book!

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Thank the stars witch books are back. Hex Appeal was an utter delight and I hope we hear more from bedlam house soon. A lovely read, one that I will absolutely recommend to other witchy and non witchy reader alike.

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This was a fun book to read in the fall, it's atmospheric, witchy and has some cool magic in it. I think my favorite part was the residence of the witches, Beldam House. Kate Johnson did a great job with the descriptions and I could imagine everything in great detail from the hurricane room to the horny plants.

There were some interesting characters that I liked reading about, like Avery and Essie's mother, but the two MCs Essie and Josh, weren't too memorable.

I couldn't always follow the plot, I thought it was a bit chaotic and all over the place, but there were some parts that I really enjoyed, like when they traveled back in time.

Hex Appeal was a really quick read and while it had some great elements in it, I don't think I will remember it for long.

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Honestly, this book was underwhelming.
It's a bit of a stretch calling this a romcom, with all the things that are happening. I had a hard time following the plot and its characters, as both were very much all over the place. It's sad, because I really wanted this to be a lovely Halloween romcom!
When I finished reading, it felt as though I'd read several books with the same character, all set in different genres...

Sadly though, I had a hard time connecting with the characters, who were older than I anticipated when starting this book. Their way of thinking did not reflect their age and it just caused a lot more chaos.

I caught myself skimreading pages and that's a surefire way for me to decide it's not a book for me. There are definitely good moments, pages where you'll laugh out loud, and the writing style had me flipping pages really fast. Sadly, it just wasn't for me.

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⭐️⭐️⭐️
This book was Alice In Wonderland-ish but on crack and not as well written. A shape shifting house, a bunch of witches with actual brooms, time travel, and about every witch trope you can conjure up. Yup…there is a cauldron at the front door. #witch #crazyhouse #magical #silly #hexappeal #strange @netgalley @onemorechapterhc
🧙‍♀️

I received a complimentary copy of this book. The opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. Thank you to NetGalley, One More Chapter, and the author for the opportunity to read this book. Pub Date: Oct. 1, 2022..

#bookaddict #booksofinstagram #bookstagram #bookstagramer #bookshelf #booksbooksbooks #readersofinstagram #reader #booklove #bookreader

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I received an ARC of this book from Netgalley.

Josh moves into a new area called Good Winter where he owns the house he is currently moving into along with other houses within that village.

He finds out that he could be making a lot of money if only rent was collected from this one house. Josh decides to go over there, to Beldam House, to talk to his tenants.

This is where he meets Essie, a witch. This house has a spell where visitors go in, but when they leave the house, they don’t remember any of it.

Essie discovers that Josh’s ancestor was famous for finding witches. This upsets Essie, but she is apparently so attracted to Josh that it is slightly conflicting.

This book really sounded cute, but I can’t say I enjoyed reading this book. The characters were in 3rd person and it seemed like there was a barrier between the characters and the reader. I didn’t fall in love or like any of the characters. I didn’t see any chemistry between Josh and Essie.

It seemed like 3+ people wrote this book as the writing styles and moods were different and not cohesive. The part about witches seemed different from the interaction between Essie and Josh, which seemed different with the sex scenes, which was different from Essie fighting a demon when she fights to save the world.

This book could have been great if it was written in a 1st person narrative and if it was more descriptive. While reading this book, the story didn’t flow that well and it jumped from one scene to the next, but it didn’t make sense as it seemed like a paragraph or page was missing.

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Paranormal Romance - MF - Overall 4/5 - Spice 3/5

Lovely witchy vibes throughout with some historical references too. A slow burn romance with some mysteries to solve. I really loved Essie and her confidence and wit.

I liked the bits of humor and sarcasm throughout. The characters were relatable and quirky in a good way. The Beldam House's mysterious ways had me wanting to know more about the house and the witches who live in it.

In the end I could not put the book down, and would recommend this twisty love story.

Thank you to NetGalley and ONE MORE CHAPTER for the ARC!

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3/5 🧙‍♀️
Josh is a Seattle lawyer who inherits a falling down house in Essex and moves out to England. Essie is a witch who ushers in the winter in Good Winter, England and lives with a couple other witches in a house spelled so that no one ever can find it unless they need to. Many things happen including traveling through time, and a lot of stuff about witch hunters, and vanquishing a monster, and even stuff with inheritance from a mega rich father. Oh and Josh and Essie fall in love, natch (spoiler alert). It was A LOT, honestly too much for one book, and not all of it was easily followed but I had a fun (if slightly confused) time and it scratched my spooky season itch. If the author pares down all the things she tries to do in one book and sticks with one maybe two storylines, I am totally in for sequels with the other witches. (Not sure if a series is planned but just a note in case it is).

Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Collins UK for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

#hexappeal #katejohnson #bookreview #spookyseason #spookyseasonbooks

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The Hex Appeal is one of those books that sounds amazing with a beautiful cover to boot, but I just couldn’t get into it. I’m around 30% and I am DNFing it. I won’t be posting this review to Goodreads; however, maybe I’m not alone with my thoughts on this. There wasn’t much plot or much pull to liking the characters. Several times I found myself asking what in the world I was reading. Maybe it is just me, but it felt overly sexualized without much point in it. There was so much going on it was hard to really grasp what was meaningful to the story and what was just added information. This book has potential, but I just don’t think it is for me.

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⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

If you’re looking for a spooky, romance mystery this is the book for you!

Lovers of The Ex Hex would enjoy this book!

Favorite Quote from the Book: “You froze his d*ck?”

This book was an absolute pleasure to read from start to finish. I like that there was a clear climax in the middle but then it was like but wait there’s more and we got a second climax. We don’t always get clear storylines like that these days so I really enjoyed that.

I did not see the plot line coming at all. I saw all the hints but I didn’t get how 1 2 and 3 were all going to add up. It all played out really well.

I gave it a 4 star rating because while it was a great read and I did enjoy it. I typically reserve 5 stars for books that knock my socks, and are so good they are seared in my memory forever. This was good, but it didn’t knock my socks off. I will be recommitting it to friends and in my book groups because it was a really fun read.

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The romance was cute but the book was so boring. It took forever for anything to get going. I would still probably read a book about his sister though.

I received an arc through netgalley.

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My feelings about this book are very complicated and not easy to explain. I thought that the book was very well written and the style of it was just impeccable. The plot, however, I wasn’t completely sold on.

But let’s start with the things that I liked:

I like that it was written in dual pov, I think that’s a bold and creative choice. I like books that give both points of view in a love story. I thought it was adorable how Josh fell for Essie first. That was adorable. The cats were adorable. Normally I hate the miscommunication trope, but I enjoyed it in this case. I thought it was hilarious how Essie thought that Josh had a pregnant girlfriend when in reality, he was just caring for his pregnant sister.

If I’m honest, I’m not the biggest fan of the way that the dialogue is presented. I don’t like that they use apostrophes instead of using normal quotation marks. But that is a minor issue that I can get over.

Overall, I enjoyed the book. I thought that the plot was really a lot more complicated than it had to be, considering it is a romantic comedy… But I’m not complaining a lot about it. It was enjoyable. However I didn’t like the “I forgot about you and then regained my memory” trope, I thought it was just a grab at making the book longer.

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I really enjoyed this book. The characters are personable and likeable, and the story is an easy read - the plot follows 2 people who are not looking for love, but whose lives collide in the most unsuspecting way. I really enjoyed reading their story, especially the twists and turns along the way.

The writing flows beautifully, is easy to follow and makes for an enjoyable read.

I'd recommend for anyone who enjoys romance, cosy mysterys with paranormal hints.

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Sorry, this book wasn’t for me. I just couldn’t get in to it. I found the start really confusing with too much going on. DNF.

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Honestly, I expected to enjoy Hex Appeal. I was looking forward to a fun, sexy, Halloween-y romp with a witch MC. To my surprise, I got that and SO much more! I absolutely loved this book, these characters, and the feminist, historical, meaty plotline that kept me glued to my couch cushion.

Essie, an English witch living in a mysterious coven, meets a cute American guy who is new in town. She will come to learn that there is more to him, and his family history, than meets the eye. The historically accurate depiction of (accused) witches in England was absolutely fascinating. I also enjoyed the colorful cast of characters that made up the coven, including one who changed genders as the mood hit.

Another delightful surprise was just how creepy, even terrifying, this book could be at times. Some scenes chilled me to the bone. This book also had some great subplots about family, power, and control that filled it out nicely.

I would give this 10/10 stars and recommend it to anyone who likes romance, thrills and chills, history, or adventure.

Thanks, NetGalley, for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

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I wanted to love this book so much. I tried to fall in love with it over 10 whole days of reading it and instead was falling asleep, or being so bored I had to read something else before falling into the dreaded reading slump.
I almost DNF during multiple parts of this book just because none if it made sense and this book was all over the place. If someone asks me what this book is about, I will honestly tell them that I have no idea.
What was the plot?
What was the challenge?
What was the end goal?
I have no idea. I just know that I went into this story thinking it was a fun Witchy Rom-Com, perfect for the spooky season. There was no cute witchy romance, the main characters were all over the place in their thinking and actions, that it made me wish I was reading from any of the hundred other side characters POV.

There were some good laugh out loud moments, and I enjoyed the authors writing style, I just personally didn't love this book because it was so hard to follow along with the story.

Thank you NetGalley and HarperCollins UK, One More Chapter for the ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. This book is set to be published on October 1, 2022!

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Hex Appeal is a fun and fast paced paranormal rom-com from author Kate Johnson. This is the first book I have read by this writer but I plan to read more. I enjoyed the laid-back writing style and quirky characters of Hex Appeal.. It is a story with eccentric British witches, a good-looking American man, and an ever changing mansion that reflects the moods of its inhabitants. The love story is central but the obstacles to the happily-ever-after are myriad and highly entertaining. I also enjoyed the author's use of many pop culture references, which also added humor. This was an enjoyable book and a fast read. I hope there will be more stories about the Beldam House witches.

Thank you to NetGalley and publisher One More Chapter for the digital ARC of Hex Appeal in exchange for my honest review.

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Thank you NetGalley, Kate Johnson, and One More Chapter for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review! This is a really cute and fun read that’s perfect for Spooky Season. It follows Essie in the village of Good Winter as she meets Josh, who is new to the town. It describes Essie’s household full of witches and witchcraft and I really enjoyed learning about all of the characters! The history aspect was really fun to read about as well. I recommend this one!

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This book was SO much fun! It got me into my fall/spooky mood in the best way. I was laughing out loud and loving every minute. Essie and Josh's relationship was so much fun and I found myself rooting for them all along. I REALLY hope there are more stories that are added into this world. A must read for spooky season!

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Hex Appeal was the perfect book to kick off my Autumnal reads with - fun, flirty and oh so witchy, it was such a joy to read. I loved it!

From the blurb, I was prepared (and very much all) for the fun and the flirting - which Essie and Josh delivered in spades! But I got so much more from the witchy-ness than I was expecting. There was the usual magic and mayhem but amongst the curses and concealments, were small nods to actual witchcraft history and with it's nod to a real life Witchfinder, the storyline was both fascinating and enchanting.

The characters were quirky, original and a whole heap of fun. So much so, that I'd happily read a sequel to learn more about the witches of Bedlam House and to see how Essie and Josh's relationship develops - I need more of them, please somebody, make it happen!

I'll definitely be reading more from Kate Johnson, as I found her writing style wonderfully witty and thoroughly engaging. Her sense of humour, really shone through and had me in stitches. It's unusual to enjoy every character in a book, but Kate has managed to create a fabulous cast of colourful characters, I loved every second I spent with them.

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