Dina runs a cosy little cafe in London and meets museum curator Scott there one day during a shift. Dina is a witch and has been hexed, causing anyone she falls for to suffer harm. So she decides to try and ignore this handsome stranger, but they meet again when it turns out he is best man at one of Dina’s best friend’s weddings. Can she stay just friends or will the hex get to Scott?

This was an easy read and there were elements of it I liked - Dina’s parents’ house being like a magical tardis, the magic from around the world, both in Dina’s family and the artefacts Scott curates. But the rest of it didn’t really work for me. Clearly aiming for “spicy cosy fantasy”, parts of it felt a little forced, like a few too many mentions of “cosy” tropes had been thrown in to make it fit. You’ve got tea, cinnamon, baking….. I think further exploration of Dina’s family’s magical roots would have been more unique and interesting.

I’m sorry to say that this isn’t a book I’ll be recommending but might be enjoyed by people looking for an easy cosy fantasy book.

I really wanted to like this book. The kitchen-witch premise with the main character running a bakery where she uses her magic to bake good feelings into her cakes was really cute.

Unfortunately that was pretty much the only part I liked. I wouldn’t normally comment on editing and typos in an arc but it was so poor in this that it really impacted my enjoyment. The FMC thinks about the MMC’s “happy trail” on a couple of occasions and on one of the occasions refers to it as a snail trail instead. That’s an extremely unfortunate mistake!

The whole premise around the main character having a hex on her love life and being unable to tell her mother who is a powerful witch in order to get help, but won’t because it would reveal that she is bisexual and she fears her parents reaction is just a convenient way to give the main couple something keeping them apart. The FMC’s parents are incredibly loving and supportive and would clearly never react badly. Also, she could easily have told her mum about the hex without revealing she was bi.

I also wasn’t keen on the insta love between the main characters. There was no build up at all, and the relationship didn’t have any weight for me because of it. I wasn’t keen on the sex scenes either. I like a spicy book but this just didn’t work, the style of the sex scenes didn’t suit the characters at all.

One last thing, there’s a part where the story of Greyfriar’s Bobby is retold and at the risk of sounding dramatic, it felt a bit appropriated! Why not just tell the real story?! I’m a Scot so maybe I’m taking that a bit too personally, but I found it annoying!

I powered through because I was on holiday and it was a quick read but under other circumstances it would have been a DNF for me.

Thank you to NetGalley and publisher for granting me access to an E-ARC for this book.

In this book we follow Dina and Scott who fall in love at first sight.

Literally. They meet once and then they are obsessed.

It's supposed to be a cute romance with a touch of spice. And honestly the spice wasn't needed and sometimes cane off as creepy.
Like the dude starts going feral over the sound of her groaning after she was injured.

Really think it would have been better as a closed dooresque or more wholesome book as the spice felt out of place and took away from the romance

Dina believe her ex-girlfriend put a hex on her that causes hurt to anybody knew she dates and falls in love with. She can’t tell her Mum about the hex because she would have to explain she’s bisexual so instead has resolved to be single and live happily with her magic-infused pastries. However, when she meets Scott and it turns out he’s best man at her best friend’s wedding she decides that maybe she can risk a quick fling.

This book was fine. It was a fun romantic holiday read however I had a few criticisms. Firstly, the wedding took up too much of the book and the rest of the ‘home’ scenes felt a bit like bookends. Secondly, I like a spicy book, but the amount of oral sex in this was unnecessary in my opinion. I don’t know, I just didn’t buy it and although I enjoyed the book I wasn’t excited to pick it up and read it.

Thank you to Netgally and the publisher for sending this for me for an honest review.

Dina is a kitchen witch who sprinkles a bit of magic into the food she cooks in her super cute cafe, Dina lives a pretty content life with her friends and her cat Hebbie however Dina has a hex on her which means anyone who falls in love with her will get hurt which has caused Dina to reject any sort of relationship, along comes Scott who works at the museum and comes bustling into her cafe knocking down her magic protection and Dina and Scott's romance begins......but what about the hex?

I recently read another witchy book and it just didn't do it for me so I went into this knowing that however I really loved this. I really enjoyed Dina being a kitchen witch and baking magic into her food at her cafe, I really liked Scott and loved their love story. This book was very steamy and didn't promote safe sex which took the book down a little bit for me, all it took was for Soctt to say I'm clean and Dina to say ok, I mean you've just met the guy and you're taking his word for it hmmm, also the book was a little bit insta lovey but I was here for it as I love the love at first sight book.

Overall I would highly recommend this magical romantic book.

A cute witchy read that brings some much needed diversity to the trend of witchy romances that has cropped up the last few years. With a main character of Moroccan descent who is also bisexual, this book was really refreshing to read. While I can think of a least one other book with a main character of colour, this is the first witchy read I’ve come across with a non-straight main character so that was exciting.

I felt this book had a bit too much sex, so if you like your book with a bit more spice than I do, it might be more up your street than mine. I also found that the hex plot was a bit threadbare through most of the novel. A lot of time was spent establishing Dina and Scott’s relationship with the Hex only really coming into play in the last part of the book. As someone who’s more into plot than romance, this put me off a bit.

I loved the cast of characters though. I feel in this books the side characters really bring the whole thing to life and while Scott’s friend was a bit dull, I found Dina’s two best friends to be really interesting to read about.

On the whole too much sex and not enough plot for me to really love it, but I really enjoyed the bisexual representation.

I had a good feeling about this book before I even started it, like it sounded exactly like my kind of vibe and I wasn’t wrong! It’s cosy, it’s witchy and it’s SPICY yet also somehow wholesome too!? And the WHIMSY!!

I’m sorry but Dina has a MAGICAL house! I want a magical house and a room that makes it seem like it’s raining so I can have the perfect cosy reading day vibes at ALL times! It packs for you too and knows what you need and I’m lowkey jealous, okay.

ANYWAY!! As I’m sure you can tell, I really enjoyed this one! Like I said, it’s warm and cosy but also pretty spicy too and I really loved the message at the end! It was almost like it was a self-fulfilling prophecy, kind of thing? In a way, and I feel like there’s a positive message behind it that encourages you to be a bit kinder and gentler with yourself that I think we could all do with!

Not only did this book make me hungry af with the mouthwatering descriptions of food and baking (+100 cosy points for this alone!) but it was so magical and whimsical! Magical house aside, I loved the magic laced cakes and drinks etc so you’d be reminded of a particular feeling when you eat or drink them and the MOONLIGHT scene!? *chef’s kiss*

I really loved the magic of the book, okay! It was creative and fun and steeped in Dina’s Moroccan heritage like this book was SATURATED in magic! It popped up in so many different ways and it felt so natural and organic to the book’s world (or at least Dina’s!) which made it a lot easier for me to swallow the insta-love. I’m not going to lie, I don’t always vibe with insta-love, it depends entirely on how it’s written and I feel like it really worked in a book as magical as this!

I really loved Dina, I found her easy to empathise with especially towards the end when handling the hex and how it came about, plus why she concealed it from her mother. I also really empathised with Scott, even if I WAS insanely jealous of his job! The tension between them was IMMACULATE and the communication was on point too!

I also loved the supporting characters, I thought Immy and Rosemary were so much fun and I’m BEGGING for a Rosemary book with the hot actor! PLEASE!

While it was a little insta-lusty and I kind of felt it was rushed a little towards the end with the hex resolved pretty quickly (although I get that Dina building it up in her mind was part of the problem) ultimately, this was a really lighthearted, fun and witchy read that was saturated in magic and cosy vibes at every turn! There’s even a fun scavenger hunt and plenty of spice!

5 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

COZY, AUTUMNUL, SPICY read and of course full of MAGIC

I loved this book so much! The comfortable setting of London and a cozy cafe the Serendipity cafe which by the way I wish was real. Dinas drinks and foods sounds amazing!!!

If you want an Autumnal read which takes you from Haloween into Winter then this is the book for you.
It has the fun and mischief that 3 friends can get up too. And friends you wish you could have.

A very handsome man 🤭 and Dina the very best of kitchen witches. Who has a family that loves her so much.

As this story also has that element of self discovery and above all self love. Which by the end I can't deny tears almost fell from my eyes.

Can't forget about the spice 😈🥵🤭 however I think you need to discover that for yourself.

I highly recommended book! And a wonderfully done debut from an author I cannot wait to see more from!!!

A cute cosy witchy read. Perfect for autumn & winter months. I loved the magic elements especially the magic house! I wasn’t keen on the spicy parts of the book, they didn’t really sit right with the cosy magical feel that the rest of story had.

Unfortunately I DNFed this book at 30% in, I was finding it difficult to connect to the characters and I found the 1st person writing to be quite distracting.

I appreciate the opportunity to read this arc and would definitely pick it up and give it another go, as it may have been the mood I was in at the time.

I loved this so much!
-Really good mix of cosy and ehart left and smutty and wicked!
-The MMC is an absolute dream and my perfect idea of a man which helps
-Loved the friendships in this and the FMC with her family
-Lovely message about loving and accepting yourself and knowing that you are worthy of love
-I could read multiple books from these characters!

this was such a sweet book!
i loved both scott and dina so much and their romance was the sweetest!
the side characters added such a great element to the story too.
i feel that the story was slightly insta-love but i didn’t feel that this affected it too negatively!

⭐️⭐️⭐️.5 - It was such a fun read with cosy witchy autumnal vibes and magic.

✨ cosy romance
✨witch
✨ Magic
✨ forced proximity
✨ friendships

This cosy story follows Dina a witch and Scott who works in a museum and their journey to falling for each other.

I loved the themes within this lovely story and the way that Nadia writes is so beautiful and cosy and fun. It was so descriptive allowing me to vision the kitchen and all of its wonderful tastes and smells. Nadia has written the a fabulously perfect easy and cosy witchy romance read!

Scott was the most perfect MMC possible. He was delightful, loving and kind and everything that Dina needed to help her through her own personal battles and start to focus on herself.

Dina’s relationship with her friends was so pure and their friendship was everything.

I loved watching Dina grow as a character and really develop.

Thank you to NetGalley and Nadia for this amazing eARC. I really enjoyed it 🫶

This was the most perfect autumnal read. I love a good witch book, and this did not disappoint. Cosy, wholesome, with the right amount of spice! I loved it!

This was a really fun, spicy, witchy rom com! I love this genre of sweet and cosy urban fantasy, and I fell quickly for both Dina and Scott. Their relationship develops quickly, but believably, and the chemistry between them is wonderful, so it's easy to root for them from the off. The story rolls along at the perfect pace - I devoured it in pretty much one sitting, so it's the perfect length to curl up with and just really enjoy an afternoon of magic, baked goods, and love.

Thank you for allowing me to read an early copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This novel is a cosy, witchy romance that would make a great read during the autumnal months.

I was really excited by the concept of this book but unfortunately I struggled with the writing style. It seemed we were told things a lot more than shown.

There are some great tropes in this novel for fans of forced proximity, cursed love and insta-lust.

The witchy magical elements that we did see were great and I especially liked the descriptions of the character baking - particularly adding a bit of magic to the treats. They all seemed delicious!

Best Hex Ever reminded me in some ways of the cosy 90s movies and tv shows like Practical Magic that were centred around witches, just with a lot more spice. I didn’t personally like the insta-lust but I can appreciate others would enjoy this a lot.

From when Nadia started talking about Best Hex Ever, I knew I was going to love this book, and I was not wrong. I adored it from the first page to the very last, and it's definitely up there with my top reads of autumn.

Dina Whitlock runs her own cafe in London, baking magically infused goods for her customers and few loyal friends who are the only ones aware of her magical abilities as a kitchen witch. It's safer that Dina keeps most people at arms length after her ex-girlfriend cursed her lovelife. Anyone who gets close to her tends to end up in some very sticky and sometimes serious situations regarding their wellbeing.

Scott Mason has returned from travelling the world and has secured a job at the British Museum, He's excited to be back in London, he left after a brutal breakup and feels like he's finally healed enough to return. He has no idea attending his best friends wedding will have him completely bewitched by the maid of honour who also happens to run his favourite cafe and is, in fact, a witch.

There's no denying the chemistry Dina and Scott share, but with Dina's hex looming over them, can Dina finally work out how to end the curse?

This is such a joyous, inclusive, cosy read that made my heart feel so warm and full. I adored every single character, especially Scott and Dina's parents, who are so wholesome.
I've seen a few people say that the romance is quite insta lovey, but I didn't get that vibe from this at all! It's a reasonably short book, so things do move at quite a fast pace, but I also was fully invested in them, and their chemistry felt believable. There is quite a lot of spice, and I thought for a debut it was done well.
The magic is so cosy and whimsical, and the setting of The Serependipity Cafe felt completely comforting.
My favourite thing about this whole book, though, was the self-discovery journey Dina goes through and how she learns to love herself fully and feel proud of who she is.
Overall I can't recommend this one highly enough. I had an absolutely magical time reading it and can't wait to see what Nadia writes next!

This book was everything I wanted from a cosy autumn read. I adored Dina so much, her cafe was what I wished I could have where I live. Her relationship with her family was so amazing and gave me all the feels. Dina is such a strong character and it was so refreshing to read a book where the FMC is not questioning every life decision she has made because of a man. Scott fit into her life so seamlessly and honestly, I loved him just as much. I loved the chemistry and how unforced their relationship felt. To top it off Dina also has top tier friends who I could related to, their friendship is stronger than the space between them. I am so excited for the next in the series and cannot wait to read more of El-Fassi's work, she is now an auto-buy author for me. Make sure you have a cinnamon bun near when you read this one.

I really loved the idea of this book but for me I DNFed at 30%. The characters were great but the insta-love was a bit much for me and also it felt very heavy on the spice too quickly. I can see why some people would love this book but it wasn’t one for me.

I was initially drawn to Best Hex Ever as I loved the title and the cover is gorgeous.

I really enjoyed the magical, cosy vibes of Best Hex Ever and loved FMC Dina. At the beginning she seemed like such a strong independent woman and the bond with her family and friends was so wholesome.

Then chapter 19 happened... now I'm no prude but those sex scenes were too much. They were far too detailed and a lot of the 'sexy talk' gave me the ick. The 'C' word to describe the female genitalia was horrendous. What makes it worse is that I don't think they were needed. I also don't really believe the insta-love between Scott and Dina.

I did like the twist at the end regarding the hex but overall I feel duped by the cover.