I'm not sure what to think about this book - this wasn't exactly what I expected.
I don't usually read romance so the pacing was weird to me.
The beginning was good, with interesting relations between characters, fun witches and I just loved Beldam manor. The tone was light, the adventure part was minor, and so the book felt like it dragged a little in the middle as the romance took over. The main characters also started becoming a little annoying.
This is really a question of what genre you like to read, this is for romance readers who like to pepper it with a little magic and thrill. I really prefer it the other way around.

I was really interested to read this book after the good reviews on it but I have to say I lost interest 50% of the way in. I think Josh was the only thing keeping me reading as his story arc was really interesting but he is way too into Essie for someone he's met for the first time that I just started to not care. I didn't feel the chemistry between the two main characters and therefore did not care about their romance. Essie was a strange character but I can't put my finger on why I just didn't like her. Maybe it was the writing style as it felt clunky. I think the main thing that confused me the most is if you have lived in a house for hundreds of years how does no one know whether you pay rent or own the house. Also Essie's attitude towards Josh for wanting the rent is ridiculous like you can't just live in a house for free that you don't own and also couldn't they just magic up money? I don't know I had really high hopes for this book especially with spooky season but it didn't feel very witchy to me.

Genre/ Trope: Mystery, Low fantasy, witchcraft, thriller, romance
Rating:⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️4/5
Steam:🔥🔥🔥3/5


Blurb:

Essie Winterscale is one of several witches rooming in an enchanted home with a mind of its own. Frowning upon her freezing powers, Essie spends her days longing for a normal Essex life. New to town, with a bit of a chip on his shoulder, Josh Henderson has just inherited a few properties, Essie’s witchy Beldam House being one of them. Essie is drawn to him, Josh can’t seem to stay away, and there are a few family secrets that, after many years, will finally be revealed.

🕯This book was a bit slow to start. Jam packed with details, I found myself getting distracted and not able to commit to the story. As twisty turny as the plot was, I became invested in their journey.

Essie and Josh are both cynical characters, which led me to not initially be enthusiastic about their story. Once they started developing their storylines, I was sold on their love story.

The plot is a whirlwind of events and elaborate witchery. Although a little confusing at times, it definitely will keep the reader on their toes.

Hex Appeal is a magic filled light hearted romance with some comedy, mystery, and adventure that can be enjoyed any time of the year.

I really wanted to love this book and it was well written (which is why it earned the 3 stars from me) but it the story and characters fell a tiny bit flat for me. I loved the concept of it, but I just couldn't quite connect to the characters and get myself really invested in their stories. I would love to see what else Kate Johnson comes up with in the future, but Hex Appeal just really didn't do much for me.

Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC!

DNF at 41%

This had a lot of potential with some of my favorite tropes--small town with quirky characters, sentient house, outsider moving in, etc. My issue is that it was all surface-level. The characters were one-dimensional, and not a single one was particularly compelling. I'm also 40% into the book and there still is no real movement in the plot, so it's hard to feel motivated to keep going. I'm echoing some of the other reviews here--this isn't a bad book, it's just also not good.

4.5
Charming quirky characters, the magical house added to this stories whimsy! Adored it, moved at a great pace and surprised me!

why was this book so boringgg, i’m so upset. the writing was so detaching, the characters have absolutely zero personality and were just bland, the plot the author has tried to flesh out was not logical and made no sense whatsoever.

around the 60% mark i was about to dnf, hadn’t it been for my own stubbornness. i was expecting a cute cozy romance, but josh and essie have no chemistry it’s almost jarring to read about.

thank you so much to the publisher for providing me with an arc in exchange for an honest review!

→ 2 stars

‘Move to England,’ he muttered. ‘It’ll be like Miss Marple before all the murders. They don’t tell you… about the damp, and the birds in the roof. .. This village was weird. All of England was weird.”

My thanks to HarperCollins U.K. One More Chapter for an eARC via NetGalley of ‘Hex Appeal’ by Kate Johnson.

This witchy romance was a great deal of fun.

Josh Henderson moves to Britain from the USA after he inherits an estate in the picturesque Essex village of Good Winter. His inheritance includes a ramshackle house that will require a great deal of renovation and a number of tenanted properties that should provide him with rental income. The key word is ‘should’. Those that are habitable have peppercorn rents fixed in perpetuity. For one property, Beldam House, it appears that no rent has been paid since 1746! Josh is determined to take his landlord duties seriously and sort this out.

Essie Winterscale only ever wanted a normal life but she is unable to suppress her witchiness and is drawn back to the ever-changing Beldam House. She now lives there with a coven of other witches of various ages.

Then Josh turns up on their doorstep and while Essie is determined to keep him at broomstick’s length, things don’t go as planned. No further details to avoid spoilers.

I found this an engaging tale that balanced a lovely romance with fantasy, humour, and some chilling bits. Most of all it was clear that while there are fantastical elements in the tale, Kate Johnson had researched the history and practices of magic and witchcraft and more importantly is aware of how it actually works. Her Author’s Note on the burning of witches, poppets, and witch finders was very informative.

While I don’t mind silly witchy stories, I am always impressed when an author does understand the nature of the Craft and conveys it through their writing. It elevates the storytelling for me to have that foundation.

I definitely will be reading more of her writings following this positive experience.

Lord I wanted to love this witchy story but I was so bored out of my mind. The characters were super immature and I just couldn't connect with anyone at all. DNF 20%

Essie Winterscale is a witch living in an enchanted house that people find when they need it but they never remember it afterwards. Until Josh Henderson comes to town that is. He CAN remember the house and the witches that reside there - which throws a wrench in things being normal. When the winter ritual is done too early and a monster set loose Essie and Josh work together to find and bind it. But will the magic stop working and Josh forget everything, including his love he’s developed for Essie?

4.5

I enjoyed this one and it was cozy and sweet. The magic was interesting and seeing how Britain handled witchcraft in the olden days and contemporarily was cool!

This was a great October read. I love anything to do with magic and witchy characters. The characters were quirky and funny and I couldn't have enjoyed myself more during a story. I love the character building and the town that worked as the setting. The plot was fast paced and so easy to follow along

Thank you #netgalley for an early read of #hexappeal in exchange for an honest review

If I would describe this book in one word it would be meh. Everything was mostly ok and not that great, imo. It had potential but ultimately was not for me.

At first, I was enjoying it. I liked the descriptions of the Beldam House and how it constantly changed depending on the witches' moods and needs. It was Encanto vibes on crack and it was fun. I also enjoyed the witches and their different powers. But after the first quarter of the book, I didn't enjoyed it as much. There was so much going on that it felt confusing and unnecessary. Also, I still have so many questions about things that happened.

The romance was very insta-lovey where I was expecting more of an enemies-to-lovers, from what I understood of the blurb. The two characters had little chemistry and Josh constantly felt like he was more attracted to literally anyone else other than Essie. Just weird. I didn't vibe with it. Also, their conflicts were mostly because of miscommunication (which I hate) and assumptions which just felt dumb.

Several times throughout the book, Essie's body is described as possibly plus-sized but at times in a way that made me feel icky. "Essies was - he tried to think of a polite way to put it - a substantially built woman. And the stairs seemed to have no problem holding her weight." Immediately no.

Overall, I think this was just not for me and maybe if anyone else who enjoys witchy romance books with a little spice in them reads this, they might actually enjoy this.

Essie Winterscale and her coven haven't paid their rent for nearly 400 years, and they're perfectly fine with that. Their house happens to be owned by new-to-the-area Josh Henderson, who is eager to find it and get the money he's owed because the town of Good Winter isn't ripe with job opportunities for a down-and-out lawyer. A well-crafted spell usually keeps normal folk away from Beldham house and its inhabitants, but it doesn't seem to be working on Josh. He sees Essie and seems to like what he sees...

I enjoyed the characters and setting of this book, but had a few issues with its pace and cohesiveness. It definitely moved a little slowly for me in the beginning but picked up toward the end. I could see this becoming a series as we follow the inhabitants of Belham house.

This was a really fun read. The banter between Josh and Essie really did make me laugh and made it all more entertaining.

Such a fan of all of these new witch romances coming out, Hex Appeal is a fresh take on the subject! A perfect romcom that mixes Encanto and Hocus Pocus for a super cute, spooky romance. Loved this one by Kate Johnson!

A great fall read! Super heartwarming and heartbreaking with all of the ups/downs. There was so many unexpected twists and turns, my head was spinning. Must read for the spooky time of year!
Thank you Netgalley and HarperCollins UK for the ARC in exchange for an honest review of content.

I'd like to thank NetGalley and One More Chapter for approving me for an ARC of this book, after reading and enjoying The ex Hex by Erin Sterling I was on the look out for another fun, witchy read to sink my teeth into.

This book screamed Hocus Pocus meets the Gilmore Girls! With it's close-knit coven, sarcasm and an enemies-to-lovers romance, there's plenty to keep us entertained. I loved the different witches in the coven and the powers they each possessed. From knitting the future to keeping the ice cream frozen, their powers seem to offer help with every day living but when the knitting predicts something bad it has them all on tenterhooks.

I was very interested in the history of Bedlam Hall and the witch hunter, I almost wish we'd had even more history, especially when we end up back in 1634. I could have easily stayed there a little longer and seen how Essie and Josh coped in that period. The unwinding of the family secret and its repercussions were well thought out and I liked the twists and turns along the way. Essie seems to have a very complicated history with her mother and once again I wanted to know more about the two of them, I feel there could be an entire second book on these two women!

My favourite parts were the magic, history and friendships between the women. I didn't warm to Essie and Josh as much as a couple but could appreciate the sentiment. For me, I felt that Essie was such a strong character and the added romance only complicated the story.

This was a cosy, easy read where the magic just sparkled off the pages. I'd love to see a sequel and find out what is next for Essie and the coven.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This was a fun and good October read. The book was very enjoyable.

Thank you to the publisher, author and NetGalley for a chance to read this advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

3/5 stars

The draw of an unknown prophecy has the American descendant of an ancient witch hunter uprooting his life to take care of inherited land in England. When he meets his tenants, a witch and her coven, odd events ensue while he suddenly is also left to help his pregnant sister prepare for the birth of her child (when she shows up out of nowhere). The group band together in the name of love to cast the witch hunter's spirit back to wherever he came.

I thought this story was cute, quirky and whimsical. The love story was adorable, relatable and the characters were diverse. However, I didn't like the third person pov, the slower pace at times that left you wondering where the story was going, and the weird turns. It fell flat a bit, in my opinion, which is why I gave it 3 stars. It seemed to lose its voice amongst a mountain of witchy-themed books that were released at the same time.

An enjoyable autumnal, spooky read but the twists and turns got a bit much at some points. Definitely would recommend though!