I’ve never read Sense and Sensibility but this book definitely makes me want to go and read the Austen classic. This story was so much fun, with the magic, the characters, the suspense and all these elements worked so well together. I love the slow burns of historical romance, they get the pining, the desperatation and the love for each that makes the reader fall in love with both the characters and the love story.

I also love a duel scenes and this one was addicting, I read historicals slower than usual but I flew through that scene cause I couldn’t stop. Santiago has such a cool backstory, it’s mysterious, it’s dark and it’s addicting as both the reader and Tiffany, the main female character. Tiffany is a witch, and is discovering her family secrets along with her power at the same time, all this leads to some disasterous situations.

Go check out this fun, historical romance filled with witches, balls, and family secrets!

Thanks to Harper Collins UK - One More Chapter, and NetGalley for providing me with a digital ARC of Kate Johnson’s Hex and Hexability. I really enjoyed this book. I would call this a cozy historical fantasy romance. At the beginning of the book we meet Tiffany, who is unhappy with the idea of marrying, even though she’s been trained to be a society wife for her whole life. She is also being faced with alarmingly uncontrollable powers she cannot explain.

She then meets Esme, and is swept into a whole new found family of British witches. Around the same time, she also meets a gorgeous gentleman named Santiago and sparks fly.

I loved Tiffany’s journey in the book. It started a tad slow for me, but then I got caught up in the characters and story. This is one of those where the side characters are just as much fun to folllow as the mains. I would definitely enjoy other books by this same author. If you loved The League of Gentlewomen Witches by India Holton, I would definitely recommend this book for you as well. I also want to point out that while the title is adorable, this book is not a Jane Austen Sense and Sensibility retelling, as far as I can tell.

Hex and Hexability was just as fun as the previous books in this series. This time around, the story was set in Regency England. Lady Tiffany is a young woman raised by her utterly conventional, much older brother and sister-in-law after both her parents abandoned her soon after her birth. Her sister-in-law is determined to find a titled husband for her, but Tiffany is well aware that strange things tend to happen whenever she loses control of her emotions. Paintings and sculptures come to life around her and if she tries to draw anything, it manifests as a real object.

What Tiffany doesn't know is that she is actually a witch, as was her absent mother. When her "Great-Aunt" Esme, who turns out to be a stylish, smart, independent woman, shows up in her life, she is introduced to a new world in which witches are hidden in plain sight. This causes Tiffany to start longing for a life where she is independent and doesn't have to marry. The only problem is that she's also met dashing, piratical Santiago, who turns out to be a long-lost nobleman and who is as attracted to her as she is to him. Now she's being torn between her attraction to him, and her newly found witchy independence.

These books have been so much fun and I hope there will be more. This one was more romance focused than the previous two, but there were still plenty of witchy hijinks. I loved watching Tiffany gain confidence as her eyes were opened to her own power and how to use it. Santiago was a sweetheart, resourceful, and conditioned by his own difficult upbringing to make the best of whatever situation he found himself in. He was a bit taken back by learning about witches but it didn't take him long to accept it and accept Tiffany wholeheartedly, especially given his strong, instant attraction to her. The plot was a bit muddled as the author tried to marry her Regency romance plot with all of her magical threads and elements, but I read these books for the fun characters and the witchy vibes, and on that level, it was great. My thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an advance copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions in this review are my own.

I eventually decided to not finish this book at 28%. Hex and the City was an amazing book. I enjoyed the setting, the chaos and most of all the characters and their magic. I was therefore really excited about this book and when I saw it on Netgalley I immediately grabbed a copy. However, over a quarter of the book in I still can't care less about any of the characters. The book seems to be a description of anything that is happening, but the emotional part of the book seems not present. Although I already read more than a quarter of the book, both characters are still strangers to me. The plot also feels all over the place. I didn't mind the chaos in the other book by this author, especially because it fit the heroine of that story, but this book truly lacks direction. There are mentions of disappeared ships, sirens and krakens, but the characters are also focussing on dance lessons and learning magic. There are also side characters who are barely introduced even though they are playing a big part. In general. I'm 28% in and there is so far nothing really grabbing me to keep reading. I've therefore decided to not finish this book and spent my time on books that interest me more.

Thank you, Harper Collins and NetGalley, for the advanced copy of Hex and Hexability.

I loved Hex Appeal and Hex and the City, so when I saw Kate Johnson was tying in historical fiction with her hexiness, I was sold! This book did not disappoint. It had everything a great historical fiction should have but doused in some magical doors, drawings coming to life, future seers, pirates, and so much more!! Such a great fun read to get ready for the witchy season!!

'Hex and Hexability' was a lot of fun. A pirate duke and a lady witch in a bit of a reverse Pygmalion/My Fair Lady set in Regency era London.

Lady Tiffany is sick of the restrictions placed upon herself by society just because she's a woman. A chance meeting at a ball with the pirate Santiago and suddenly she finds herself unable to not just control paintings but weird flutters in her chest.

Tiffany was just delightful and I loved her spark and banter with Santiago, as she tries to teach him how to fit into the society he was born into. It did drag out a bit too much in the middle though with the whole compromised scenario. I'd have rather Tiffany make her choice freely instead of essentially being forced to by societal rules (same with a development in the epilogue which would've made her thirst for travel and freedom curtailed). So I was disappointed the author made a 180 and basically made Tiffany conform.

Overall I breezed through this book as it was witty, fun and I adored the chemistry. I look forward to the next installment of this wonderful stand-alone but slightly interconnected witch books.

Thanks to One More Chapter and Netgalley for the ARC.

I liked this book! It wasn’t my favorite witchy novel, but it was still a decent read. It started out slow but built up as we learned more about the characters.

The main problems for me were the pacing of the story and I felt it was hard to follow at times. The ending plot twist kind of came out of nowhere (I know there was a little foreshadowing throughout but…. it just felt out of place to me). There also wasn’t really any depth in any facet of the story; it was all mostly surface-level.

Tiffany and Santiago had some witty banter and funny one-liners, but overall they felt fairly flat and one-dimensional (with a LOT of miscommunication). They very much gave Daphne and the Duke vibes (if Daphne was a witch and Simon was a pirate).

It was a light, simple, cute, quick read if you’re into regency era historical fiction with a hint of magical flare!

And finally - thank you so much to NetGalley and HarperCollins UK and One More Chapter for providing me with an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review!

Such a great read! Highly recommend this one.

Many thanks to the author, the publisher, and Netgalley for my ARC. All opinions are my own.

I love Bridgerton so this pulled me in to wanting to read this book and it definitely lived up to my expectations, I loved the regency meets witchy vibes.

Hex and Hexability by Kate Johnson is her first foray into historical romance and it is quite successful. Set in the Regency period it tells the story of Tiffany, a.k.a. Lady Theophania Worthington , a young witch struggling to come to terms with both her magical abilities and her place in society. While at a ball she encounters the mysterious and slightly uncouth Santiago, a pirate/business man who seems to be disliking the ball just as much as she is. His unusual appearance and dress sense mark him out as someone who does not fit in but he certainly captures Tiffany's attention. What Tiffany does not know is that he is in fact a Duke, recently returned to the city having inherited the title despite the fact that his father abandoned him and his mother in Chile when he was just a child. When the pair are caught in a compromising position they are forced to marry and the fun begins as they try to save the city from a mysterious tentacled monster.
This is a fun light hearted read that brings a little magic to the typical regency romance. I did find the attempts at humour a little heavy handed at times and I was frustrated by the prolonged miscommunication between the couple, it really dragged on far too long which is a shame as I liked both characters, I just struggled to buy into their relationship, which is a problem when reading romance. I did really enjoy the secondary characters and found myself caring more about Tiffany's coven than her relationship.
I read and reviewed an ARC courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher, all opinions are my own.

Don't let the title fool you. This is not a witchy retelling of Austen's "Sense and Sensibility." It's a delightfully spicy Regency romantasy! Perfect for your Summerween or Halloween TBR pile!

Lady Tiffany is new to her witchy powers and Santiago is new to his birthright - a dukedom. They are both black sheep in society and advanced in their beliefs (earning money is just as good as inheriting it, women should be able to have careers and families, equality of the sexes, etc). Of course, they are the perfect team to solve the problem of a violent sea monster targeting Santiago's shipping empire. Together with help from Tiffany's newfound witchy aunt and her friends, they set out to save the day and answer Tiffany's questions about her mysterious mother.

This was a quick read for me. The sex scene was open door and pretty well written. I didn't realize Johnson has a series of "Hex" books because Goodreads doesn't label them a series, but I plan to check them out. This is her only historical romance thus far.

I didn't give it five stars because I felt the feminism was a little heavy handed for too long and at one point it got preachy and annoying. By the last 80% of the book the couple should be fully stable and wrapping up as a team and they were still having doubts. It made me roll my eyes. If my husband called me "his" in front of someone trying to hurt me, it wouldn't send me on an existential tailspin. I wanted to slap Lady Tiffany. Instead, I docked her a star. Santiago is DREAMY! The kind of male lead you want in every historical romance.

Thank you to Harper Collins & One More chapter for the chance to review an advanced copy of this book.

I have read the first two books in this series and really enjoyed them so when the chance to read the ARC ‘Hex and Hexability’ came out I jumped at the chance. I really loved the plot for this mildly spicy, open door historical fiction, fantasy romance novel. I loved Santiago as the MMC, he was this super caring and respectful pirate who protected his lady but also let her fight her own battles. I had mixed feelings about the FMC Tiffany who was very standoffish with Santiago and came off as snobbish at times. It was understandable due to her upbringing and she was able to fight against those judgements that were ingrained into her but it was hard to see her treat Santiago in an unkind or mistrustful way.

I loved the plot of a girl discovering she was a witch and fighting for her independence just when she also finds this undeniable attraction to a pirate turned Duke that can’t stay away from her. Together they keep getting thrown into the mystery of this sea creature that is sinking ships and killing sailors. I devoured the book in a day and a half. So much fun to read!

This is the third standalone book in the series. I love me a witchy romcom. This is a unique and fun story about a witch learning she has powers in the time of the 1800s. What could go wrong when a Lady meets a pirate who has a secret identity. There is lots of Banter and funny moments and some mild spice. I liked how this played out and it had a great pace and enjoyable plot.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing an eARC of this story, what follows is my objective review. Fun read with a great premise, the story is set in alt-universe 1815 England where magic exists but is still mostly a secret. Our couple is Lady Tiffany, who is reliant on the largesse of her older brother and his wife, and the dashing Santiago who is in London for an inheritance from his grandfather. Tiffany chafes at society's rules but abides by them anyway. Santiago plays a bit fast and loose with society's rules, given his atypical youth and upbringing but also his general personality. This is the kind of romance I prefer, where the two romantic leads have their own storylines that develop independently for a while before they fully converge rather than the story being primarily about the romantic relationship. You get to know and like them as individuals first before they become a couple, I find that makes it more satisfying to enjoy their eventual relationship. Enjoyable humor and well-rounded characters. Reluctant attraction. Nice focus on Tiffany coming into her powers. Good mystery to solve but it became a little too convoluted although it ramps up at the end. Love the cover! This is the third in an interconnected set of books, not really a series. This one works fine as a standalone. I have not read this author before and I look forward to reading her other books. Publishes 9-12-24

This is such a cute story! It is perfectly paced, it's engaging and it's a lot of fun.

The blurb suggests Bridgerton vibes, which grabbed my attention. It definitely delivers, the historical aspect mixed in with the magic makes for a fantastic read.

It's a slow burn, and the miscommunication tested me a little, but the pure chaos of the story, the details that went into the periodical piece and the developed characters kept me coming back to Hex and Hexability every day until I finished it.

Big thank you for the opportunity to read and review this one!

Hex and Hexability

By Kate Johnson

Hex and Hexability is a fun book about Lady Tiffany who discovers she is a witch. After running into a gentleman who looks like a pirate at a party, chalk on the floor begins to come alive. Lady Tiffany has always tried to stay away from art, for it moves in her presence. But now that she is in Society, she tries her best to blend into the background. Lady Tiffany has always been in the background of her family, being raised by her brother and sister-in-law, all Lady Tiffany wants is freedom.

The gentleman pirate that Lady Tiffany runs into is Santiago, who has just moved to London. Santiago is truly a pirate, but he is also so much more. He has now taken over his grandfather's estate, but has no idea how to act out in society. With the help of Lady Tiffany, and her other witch friends, Santiago takes the Ton by storm. There is a spark between Lady Tiffany and Santiago that they cannot ignore. While Tiffany struggles with freedom, Santiago hopes he is not being cursed by a witch to fall in love with her.

Also not just any storm is brewing in the waters, ships are being torn apart by a monster with tentacles. All must work together to discover and save London from the monster.

I had such a fun time reading Hex and Hexability. It's a great fall read! The only thing I tend to struggle with is the “miscommunication trope,” but I liked how the characters worked through how they communicated. And it didn’t feel like an age for things to be resolved.

I would give this book a 4 /5 stars.

Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read Hex and Hexablility.

Lady Theophania “Tiffany” Worthington has been raised by her much older half-brother and his wife, she can’t even remember her parents, despite the fact that they are both alive. She spent most of her life not truly understanding who she was or why drawings/paintings seemed to come to life around her. She has no desire to marry and wants nothing more than to live a quiet life. But as determined as she is to remain unwed, her sister-in-law is doubly determined to marry her off. Forced to attend a ball, Tiffany is mortified when the chalked floors seem to come to life, and she tries to escape the ballroom unnoticed, this is when she meets Santiago, a man who clearly belongs in the ballroom even less than she does. After a bit of verbal sparring, they part ways, but it is the beginning of big changes in Tiffany’s life when she learns that she is a witch and soon crosses paths with Santiago again, a man she could fall for, but one who has secrets of his own.

Santiago is actually the Duke of St. James, even though he was born in Chile and spent most of his life fending for himself. His father abandoned him and his mother, and his mother left Santiago when he was a young boy to enter a convent. He survived and worked hard, and after years of work, he is a successful merchant with a fleet of ships. He never planned to come to England, but when his grandfather died, his solicitors found Santiago and convinced him to come to England and claim the title and take over the dukedom. He planned to just find someone to run the estate and leave again, but then he met Tiffany and is caught up in the magic of her and some actual magic, making leaving the last thing on his mind. Too bad she doesn’t want to marry, because she would be the perfect bride for a pirate/merchant/duke. Clearly, the road to their HEA is not going to be easy.

I loved the idea of this book, I liked the characters and appreciated that the author took the time to actually learn about the period and used titles correctly but felt that the book moved too slow. The story just dragged for me and while the author acknowledged the proper etiquette and expectations for the period, a lot of it was ignored in favor of giving the story more of a contemporary edge (but at least she didn’t butcher the titles). And while the book promised to be “oh so spicy” and there were hints about the hero’s sexuality at the beginning, they don’t even kiss until well past the three-quarters mark. Overall, this was just another contemporary in period dress, ultra-feminist story with a little bit of romance and a splash of magic. If that is your thing – give this book a try, you will probably enjoy it. For me, it wasn’t bad, but definitely not a book I would read again.

2.5 stars rounded up to 3

*I am voluntarily leaving a review for an eARC that I requested and was provided to me by the publisher/author. All opinions in this review are my own. *

Kate Johnson always seems to be having fun with her stories and characters. Here is no different, Tiffany (don’t use her given name she won’t thank you) is a Lady second, and trying to be an independent woman first; marriage, no! Being open and true to herself and free, yes. She hides her witches ability, as a good Lady should. Or should they? But her station in life and her sister in law outlook seems to mean finding and submitting to a husband. Santiago (he has gained a title, but isn’t happy with it really), wants to know if you really need to wear such awfully restrictive clothes to move around in high society, and would probably be happier at sea on his ships. He is at first frightened when he is saved by Tiffany, but soon becomes smitten. In this setting and with lots of other characters the entertaining story comes to life. For us to enjoy, and have a laugh. Also history was never this much fun at school either, as the author brings real historical facts into the story with a bit/quite a lot of ‘poetic/author license. Thank you to Harper Collins UK, One More Chapter and NetGalley for the ARC. The views expressed are all mine, freely given.

What a fabulous paranormal Regency romcom! Kate Johnson writes a great plot, creates engaging characters and wraps up a swoony romance. She’s also unafraid to ratchet up the degree of difficulty. Our heroine Tiffany (Theophania) doesn’t know she is a witch. She's been abandoned by her parents and is living with her brother and very silly and spiteful sister-in-law Elinor. Elinor is consumed with staying in with the Ton but it's amazing that someone so dumb could also be so toxic. Once Tiffany meets her 'aunt' Esmerelda witchy things start to happen for her. She meets Santiago - a swarthy merchant from Chile - turns out he is the long-lost Duke of St James. He's not really a pirate, rather a multilingual hard-working and capable merchant who is in London to hunt down his missing ships. Do these two have chemistry! There's plenty of swooning and pining and yearning and miscommunication as they cut a swathe through London and the countryside. It's all here, galloping along with secrets and witches, magic doorways and spells and duels and ole Father Thames and all the rest of it. There's a touch of steam but it's a slow burn. For all her witchiness, Tiffany is of her time and upbringing, so it takes a bit for Santiago to get her on board - so to speak 🌶️😉

There's a throughline around the worth and roles of women and Tiffany struggles with how to have agency and independence for herself, and also be in love with a Duke - "she ignored the little voice inside her that said independent ladies did not get to lay their heads on strong shoulders and be held as they fell asleep.' There's also some queerness that plays out beautifully.

For all that, what is truly fantastic for me is Kate's writing - how she writes dialogue is utterly delicious - her language choices are playful and clever and the characters' speech brings them all to life - young Billy in particular is so fun - 'cor, you don't half talk all fancy ... is that what nobs sound like?'

Santiago and Tiffany find each other in a most satisfying way 💖 and all the threads are neatly sewn up. Thank you so much NetGalley, Kate Johnson and One More Chapter for the ARC. Opinions are my own.

Hex and Hexability by Kate Johnson is a fun romantasy set in the Recency era (like Bridgerton). Abandoned by both parents, Lady Tiffany has been raised by an elder brother and his wife. Tiffany dreams of a life without a husband, free from her dreadful sister-in-law.

It’s her first season, and while attempting to hide both herself and her magic at a ball, she encounters Santiago, a dashing figure who seems very out of place in his green evening jacket.

Hex and Hexability offers romance, historical drama, witches, magic, and pirates! I found it a quick and enjoyable read and would love to read more books set in this world.

It’s not quite an enemies-to-lovers situation, and relies heavily on a miscommunication trope that threads through most of the novel. Without the miscommunication/lack of communication, I suppose we wouldn't have tension-building and climax, but this trope is starting to get old.

Recommended for anyone looking for a light read who enjoys romantasy and the Regency era. However, it leans more towards the romantasy aspects over all else.

⭐️⭐️⭐️ (3 out of 5)

Thanks to NetGalley and HarperCollins UK for an advance copy in exchange for sharing my opinions. All opinions in this review are my own.