Review: The Ex Hex

I know a lot of people loooove *spooky szn* but I'm not really one of them. The fall aesthetic I love? Witches and spells and all sorts of hocus pocus magic. So when I heard about The Ex Hex, just published today, I was all in. I really enjoyed Erin Sterling's witchy rom com and I think a lot of others will too!

Here's the book's description:

Nine years ago, Vivienne Jones nursed her broken heart like any young witch would: vodka, weepy music, bubble baths…and a curse on the horrible boyfriend. Sure, Vivi knows she shouldn’t use her magic this way, but with only an “orchard hayride” scented candle on hand, she isn’t worried it will cause him anything more than a bad hair day or two.
That is until Rhys Penhallow, descendent of the town’s ancestors, breaker of hearts, and annoyingly just as gorgeous as he always was, returns to Graves Glen, Georgia. What should be a quick trip to recharge the town’s ley lines and make an appearance at the annual fall festival turns disastrously wrong. With one calamity after another striking Rhys, Vivi realizes her silly little Ex Hex may not have been so harmless after all.
Suddenly, Graves Glen is under attack from murderous wind-up toys, a pissed off ghost, and a talking cat with some interesting things to say. Vivi and Rhys have to ignore their off the charts chemistry to work together to save the town and find a way to break the break-up curse before it’s too late.

I wasn't expecting open door and steamy sex scenes with this book but I got them and I was here for it! Rhys and Vivi haven't, exactly, confronted all the issues they had back when they were younger, but there's one thing they know for sure: sexy times are necessary. The only thing that annoyed me was they got so wrapped up in each other that they didn't focus on the curse. HELLO. The town is CURSED. Keep it in your pants for a bit and let's get that hex lifted, shall we? But also the chemistry between them was top notch and I was totally rooting for a Happily Ever After!

Speaking of the curse, the magic in this book was really fun (er, apart from the whole "the town is cursed" thing). I like contemporary witch stories when they're in a town surrounded by humans but still have their covens and ability to do their magic (I don't really love that they have to hide their magic from others though...). I especially liked that there was a college that had both magic and non-magic classes. I think Vivi's hesitation to using magic made some sense - she could only remember her mom hating magic before she died - but I don't think it was explored as much as it should have been. It was a trauma that she wasn't addressing and was avoiding magic so much (even teaching "normal" history classes) but no one seemed too concerned by it. I also wish there hadn't been any references to Harry Potter. I get it, I love the books and Vivi and Rhys are millennials who would have grown up with the books. It's just always so odd to have another magical story get referenced in a magical story. And that doesn't even get into the issues surrounding JKR. But! Magic! Fun! I got a kick out of Vivi's aunt and cousin running a witchy shop that catered to those "normals" who fancied themselves witches. Truthfully, I'd love to find a town just like this and wander around! Though I would hope the toy skulls wouldn't come to life...

I liked that there was a twist with the history of the town and the founding family. That's one aspect of fictional witchcraft that I really like - how there's so much importance with ancestry and heritage, and making sure magic and information is being passed down through the generations. Anyone else love that too? Plus, family is so important and I loved the relationship between Vivi, her aunt, and her cousin.

I think anyone who loves rom coms and witchy stories will love The Ex Hex. Erin Sterling has written a really great novel that gave me just the right Halloween vibes. I'm hoping this will be a series because I'd love to return to Graves Glen next fall! And remember, friends, NEVER mix vodka and witchcraft!

*An egalley of this novel was provided by the publisher, HarperCollins Canada, via Edelweiss in exchange for review consideration. All opinions are honest and my own.*