Hate Hex by Gina LaManna is a fun, light-hearted paranormal rom-com that delivers plenty of charm, but doesn’t quite push the envelope when it comes to originality. Fans of the enemies-to-lovers trope, especially those who enjoy a dash of magic and supernatural shenanigans, will find it an entertaining, if somewhat predictable, read.

Trixie Gardens, a witch who's been downplaying her powers for years, crosses paths with Dominic Kent, a brooding vampire billionaire who just so happens to be her landlord. Their initial meeting is classic rom-com material—complete with Trixie accidentally unleashing her magic in the form of a cork to the face. From there, the tension escalates into an entertaining back-and-forth of hexes, curses, and witty banter as Trixie and Dom butt heads over his plans to evict her from her beloved, rent-controlled apartment.

The chemistry between Trixie and Dom is playful and full of snarky banter. Their hate-to-love dynamic plays out with the usual beats—reluctant teamwork, a shared enemy, and the inevitable spark of attraction that neither can ignore. While their romance is cute, it doesn’t offer much in the way of surprises. The plot takes a familiar path, complete with the revelation that Dom is more than just a grumpy landlord, and Trixie starts to see the soft side beneath his vampire exterior.

What Hate Hex does well is embrace the whimsy of its paranormal setting. Trixie’s world—a magical, paranormal section of New York—adds a fun backdrop to the story, with plenty of supernatural elements to spice up the plot. LaManna throws in hexes, enchantments, and magical hijinks that keep the tone light and humorous, even when the stakes rise with the return of Dominic’s vengeful brother.

That said, the story stays pretty surface-level. The characters, while likable, don’t have a lot of depth, and the plot feels more like a vehicle for the romance rather than something that fully grabs your attention on its own. It’s a sweet, low-stakes kind of read, perfect for when you want a quick, fluffy romance with a paranormal twist, but it may leave readers wanting a bit more in terms of character development or emotional complexity.

Overall, Hate Hex is a cute, enjoyable read that hits all the right rom-com notes, though it doesn’t offer many surprises beyond the classic enemies-to-lovers setup. If you’re looking for a fun, easy paranormal romance with a dash of magic, this one will do the trick—but don’t expect anything too groundbreaking.

thanks to netgalley for providing me an e-arc of this book!

this was fun and the first supernatural/halloween book i have read this season and it set me off on the right foot. if you want a fun quick paced paranormal romance, this would be a great one to pick up. it's not too deep, very slight worldbuilding to buy into, and a cute romance with comedic and witty flirting. this would've been five stars for me, but full disclosure the single sex scene is fade to black, and as someone that would've loved to know what happened it knocks off one star for me.

Hate Hex
by Gina LaManna

“𝘑𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘣𝘦𝘤𝘢𝘶𝘴𝘦 𝘐 𝘭𝘪𝘬𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶, 𝘛𝘳𝘪𝘹𝘪𝘦 𝘎𝘢𝘳𝘥𝘦𝘯𝘴.” 𝘐 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘰 𝘣𝘦𝘵 𝘩𝘦 𝘤𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘳 𝘮𝘺 𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘣𝘦𝘢𝘵 𝘤𝘭𝘰𝘮𝘱𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘨𝘢𝘪𝘯𝘴𝘵 𝘮𝘺 𝘤𝘩𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘭𝘪𝘬𝘦 𝘢 𝘣𝘶𝘤𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘣𝘳𝘰𝘯𝘤𝘰. “𝘐𝘵’𝘴 𝘢 𝘨𝘰𝘰𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘐 𝘭𝘪𝘬𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘵𝘰𝘰, 𝘋𝘰𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘪𝘤 𝘒𝘦𝘯𝘵.”

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶️

Hate Hex was the perfect read to start of September with!

Trixie is a taxi driver who has been having a tough time with life. She is a witch and has been repressing her magic until finally she accidentally unleashes it on none other than Dominic the vampire; he just so happens to own her apartment building! Dominic plans to sell her apartment building so her and her roommate place a “hate hex” on him as revenge. Dominic decides to place a hex back but their plans go out the window when Dominic’s vengeful brother returns! 🩷

I thought Trixie was a realistic and likeable character. I truly felt for her after everything she went through with her mom. 🚕

Dominic was protective and handsome! I felt like he was willing to give the world to Trixie by the end of the book!

This was a perfect read to get into spooky season! 🐈‍⬛

3.5 ⭐️

Pros: If I could use one word to describe this book, it would be cozy. As soon as I started reading, I had a grin on my face I couldn't stop. Trixie was so much fun, and getting to see her crack Dom's shell was such a joy. I really like that this book felt like a slow burn but wasn't really. The characters spent a TON of time together, and it really helped flesh out their relationship even if it was off page. I also thought the author did a great job handling some tougher topics with a light hand.

Cons: While I thought Trixie was a very detailed and complex character, I would have liked to have seen Dom get that same treatment. We very lightly skipped over his past, and even his POV chapters weren't very detailed when it came to any introspection. I would have liked to have gotten to know him better. I also would have loved to see more of this world because unfortunately we didn't see hardly any of it.

Overall this book was fun, quick read and I will be checking out more by this author!

I love paranormal things. This is the perfect book to get you into for fall spirit! I it is short and an easy read with I love! Dual POVs are always my fav because I love seeing the book from both sides and I can play it in my head like a tv show.

"Hate Hex" by Gina LaManna is a delightful blend of mystery, romance, and supernatural elements, set in the quirky town of Wicked, where witches, shifters, and magical mishaps are the norm. The story follows Trixie, a suppressed witch who finds herself in trouble with Dom, a rich vampire she can't stand, who is also buying out her apartment complex. The book is filled with humor, charm, banter and an engaging plot full of twists and turns. LaManna's witty writing and well-developed, lovable characters make "Hate Hex" a fun and fast-paced read, perfect for fans of cozy paranormal mysteries with quite a bit of romance and a bunch of enemies that turn into lovers.

I had to get used to the characters but it was more than worth it and I will be recommending this absolutely amazing book to my customers!

#Netgalley #HateHex

A paranormal delight!
 
The main characters had great tension, which made it super exciting to experience their love story play out!
 
I won’t lie, I had a bit of a rough time connecting with these characters, but in the end I found myself liking them!
 
All this to say, I did enjoy this story a lot! It was a humorous and fun read. Perfect for anyone who wants a quick romantic enemies to lover!
 
Thank you so much to the publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read the early copy!

3.5⭐️

This was just a fun book! Trixie is such a genuine character. She had to rely on herself all her life and rarley lets people get to close. She’s been burned before by the ones she loves and is determined to not let that happen again and to keep her magic hidden. Dominic is a rich and powerful vampire, but the moment he meets Trixie he knows his life is about to change. His belief in her and his unending support of her is beautiful. This is the perfect fall book.

3.5 Stars rounded up.

Trixie is a 30 year old witch who suppresses her powers. Dom, the rich and grumpy vampire, and Trixie meet in an alley and have an instant connection. They quickly become enemies because Dom is in the process of buying out Trixie's apartment building, a place she has lived in since she was a child. So naturally, Trixie places a hex on him, and the story takes off from there.

This was a cute read to start off spooky season! It was pretty surface level (instalove and no world building) but I still enjoyed the humor and banter between Dom and Trixie. I also thought the political competition was a fun side storyline. Belinda and Trixie's grandma were delightful side characters. This was my first book by Gina LaManna and she has 70+ others, many with spooky themes, that I will have to check out!

Thank you NetGalley, LaManna Books, Victory Editing NetGalley Co-op, and the author for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you for the early ARC of Hate Hex! I was so excited to kick off spooky season a little early with some spooky romance. The beginning started off really strong and I really enjoyed Trixie & Dominic as main characters. Their banter was fun and Dominic sounded hot! Unfortunately I felt that their romance was too rushed and I couldn’t fully connect with their story. I wish the book had an extra 50-100 pages so their story could really develop. This was a cute, quick read though!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for the advanced readers copy of Hate Hex!

This was fun read for autumn, quick to get through and very cosy. I liked the world a lot, and the idea of a magical council. I did feel like it could have had more ‘magical’ elements somehow though - I would have loved to know more about the magic system, as well as the different types of creatures mentioned.

Overall this was a great comfort read and I will try the author’s other books in the future 😊

BOOK: THE HATE HEX
AUTHOR: GINA LaMANNA
PUB DATE: 01 SEPTEMBER 2024
🧙🏻‍♀️🧛🏻‍♂️
REVIEW- 4.2 stars
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for this ARC. I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
🧛🏻‍♂️🧙🏻‍♀️
This book was beautiful! I loved all the words, pages (almost everything). But this book had a wonderful storyline and characters. My favorite part of the book was Dominic. Characters like him are always portrayed as arrogant and never listen to others, but he was different. I loved the way he loved Trixie and his personality. He was perfect!
🧙🏻‍♀️🧛🏻‍♂️
I liked Trixie, she was okay. I'm glad that she found a solution to her magic and resolved her trauma. I liked her character, I liked her growth, but I didn't think she was a good fit for the Circle membership (the group that governs the paranormals). Plus, I didn't like her name, I'm sorry, but I don't. Other than that, I had no other issues.
🧛🏻‍♂️🧙🏻‍♀️
The love story was very straightforward without any miscommunication or slow paced-ness, and I loved it! I admired the trust they both had in each other, it was a delight to read.
🧙🏻‍♀️🧛🏻‍♂️
I loved the book, but I wasn't satisfied with the paranormal community. I just wanted more.
🧛🏻‍♂️🧙🏻‍♀️
This book was a delight and you should definitely read it@
🧙🏻‍♀️🧛🏻‍♂️

This was the first book I read by the author, it was quite light to the point of lukewarm. I think that the plot wanted more building and the description of the book refers you to a more dynamic story. It tells us that the protagonists join forces against Dom's brother and that they fight to stay alive and with their alliance they discover attraction. with this description I imagined that I would see a fight for survival, Trixie and Dom chasing his brother and somewhere in the middle hate evolves into attraction and then love. I didn't see any of that, i was never convinced in the book that Dom really hated Trixie and no matter how much the author tried to justify how quickly they fell in love, she didn't convinced me about that either. There were characters in the book without depth who were simply in the story to serve some scene in the book and to somehow continue the story, I think one of those characters was Trixie's grandmother .

This was an entertaining, well-written book. It was fun, action packed and I didn't want to put it down. I enjoyed this book and will look for more books by this author.

Hate Hex follows Trixie, a witch living in a magical NYC and her landlord Dominic. When Trixie and Dominic meet sparks fly until she finds out he’s in the process of selling her building and she’ll need to find somewhere else to live. Their resulting hex war gets even more complicated once a coven council election and Dominic’s murderous brother get thrown into the mix.

This was a quick, fun, closed-door romance that was perfect to read at the beginning of the fall season. The short length didn’t lend itself to very deep or complex characters, but the plot was interesting and fast. There was some insta-love but it made sense in context and overall this was an enjoyable read.

A light and fun paranormal romance, perfect to kick off autumn!
Good chemistry and banter between Trixie and Dom, with a small dose of spice.

A very good fun witch vampire romance.
Trixie and Dominic meet in a strange way.
They each put a hex on each other which didn't turn out the way they wanted.
A easy fun read,
Voluntarily reviewed,

Thank you to NetGalley for an Advanced Reader Copy of Hate Hex

Rating: 3.5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️✨
Spice: 🌶️🌶️ closed door

If you enjoyed the Ex Hex by Erin Sterling, but you wanted less spice than this is for you!

Has all the witchy vibes and is a feel good paranormal romance set in a magical universe within New York City.

Trixie is a struggling 27-year-old taxi driver in New York City and has a rent controlled apartment and is having to deal with greedy landowners trying to take it over. Yes, a lot of the plot was silly and outlandish but that’s what this was supposed to be and I think it did a good job. I rated it 3.5 stars though because it was a little too instalovey for my liking and I didn’t really care for Dom character who is our MMC. I would definitely read another book in this universe!

3.5 Stars (rounded up)
One Liner: A light timepass read

Trixie Gardens is a taxi driver in the paranormal section of NY. She is twenty-nine and struggling with her finances. She is also determined not to use her magic, which could cause trouble soon.
Dominic Kent is a multi-billionaire vampire who owns many businesses, including the building Trixie lives in. Their interactions are heated, and Trixie decides to hate-hex him for making her life hard. Soon, there’s more than hate between them as the two cannot seem to avoid each other.
However, they have a lot more to deal with as Dominic’s brother, Sebastian, returns, determined to create a mess. Can Tix and Dom fight Sebastian and have their happy ever after?
The story comes in the first-person POVs for Trixie and Dominic.

My Thoughts:
I wanted a light and easy read and got it. This is a quick paranormal romance with some fun banter. It’s pretty much insta-love but works since the book is short and has a steady pace. There are enemies-to-lovers and fated-mates tropes as well.
The dual POVs give us both backstories and make it easy to understand the characters. Dom’s first-person POV is quite good. There were times I liked it more in the first half.
The FMC has a strong reason to suppress her magic. However, we don’t get the reason until the halfway point. By then I was starting to grow weary of her. Maybe the reveal could have come 5-10% earlier and used for further character development afterward.
Though there is no world-building, it is easy to get into the plot without wondering about what’s and why’s. However, if you are new to this genre, you may need more than what’s provided. Turns out, the book is set in the same world as an established series (Magic & Mixology Mystery) with eight existing books. I got to know only when I read the author’s note.
I quite like the descriptions of the apartments, though. Emmy’s lab sounds like a fun and explosive place to be. The friendship between the FMC and Emmy is also sweet and cute.
Grandma Betty, though in a minor role, is charming and delightful. I wish she had more space, though given the book’s length I can’t ask for much. While Vix is almost uni-dimensional, Belinda (a pixie) is a fun character to meet.
Apart from the Sebastian track, there’s another subplot about the Circle and nominations for the wildcard seat. Though this acts as a catalyst for the plot to move, it could have been better woven into the plot. I wouldn’t mind reading a few pages extra to know more about this.
There is a third-act breakup of sorts which made me groan. However, the way it was used in the climax surprised me. Such a cool idea!

To summarize, Hate Hex is a lighthearted and quick romance (pretty clean too!) with interesting themes like forgiveness, healing, acceptance, etc. Since I wanted a fluffy romance and got one, I cannot complain (hence rounding the rating up to 4 stars).
Thank you, NetGalley, LaManna Books, and Victory Editing NetGalley Co-op, for eARC. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.

Trixie Gardens is a witch who minds her own business, but the moment she meets the vampire upstairs, her life starts to unravel. Dominic Kent is the most irritating man (ahem, vampire) she has ever met... and even worse... he's kicking her out of her apartment!

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Hate Hex was an enjoyably entertaining, paranormal romance read! Trixie and Dominic hate each other at first sight... or so they try to convince themselves! A few "hate hexes" later, and suddenly the two enemies find themselves on the same side of a magical nomination... and the bedroom!

Trixie is a powerful witch who has been suppressing her magic, but she has her reasons for doing so. Dominic is a centuries old vampire who is more worried about his bloodthirsty brother than the magical happenings around The Hollow... that is, until he meets Trixie Gardens...

I enjoyed the plot and the characters in this book immensely. Trixie was a deeply wounded witch who protected herself by turning her back on her magic. Dominic was a strong vampire who has never been more vulnerable since he found Trixie. But together they find a connection, and a love that neither knew existed, now they have to find a way for a witch and a vampire to live together in peace... even when the world around them does their best to tear them apart...

I received a complimentary copy of this book for my honest and unbiased review.