The Ex Hex

Vivienne, in a fit of drunken anger over a breakup, casts a curse on her ex, with the help of her cousin. They think it's a joke and don't think much of it. 9 years later, when Rhys returns to their small town, the curse goes into effect, and bad luck befalls him at every turn. He must enlist Vivienne's help to find out how to get rid of the curse before it starts doing serious damage. Sparks fly as they become reacquainted.

I loved this book. Reading it in October was perfect. This book definitely has Hocus Pocus vibes, with 3 witches who live in a small town in secret. The romance was adorable, the magic was fun and corny, and the characters were all lovable. Vivienne's character development was a joy to read as she became more confident in her abilities, and in turn, herself. Rhys's support of her throughout the story was beautiful and helped show a really lovely dynamic between the two. The setting and the magic were so corny and stereotypical in a way that made me fall in love with this town. I want to live there so badly. Rhys's family manor cracked me up every time it was described. Just everything about this story was a joy.

Everyone, go read this book.

TW: occult, sexually explicit scenes

The Ex Hex is about Vivi who accidentally puts a hex on her freshly ex boyfriend, Rhys. Years later, when Rhys comes back in town, and the hex wreaks havoc, they have to work together to put things right.

Overall rating: 4.5

A perfect October/fall read. Witchy, fun, light and entertaining with tons of cozy vibes and set during Halloween! I really enjoyed reading it. I'd recommend it for people who enjoy some light fantasy with their romance.

I really enjoyed the romantic aspects of this book. Vivi and Rhys had great chemistry. They were so cute together, and sexy too! I was rooting for them the whole way, I'd love to read more about them in the future. I liked how their families were involved in the story. It felt like there might be more books coming either about Rhys' brothers or Vivi's cousin, and I'd be super interested in reading about any of those. I especially loved Vivi's cousin, who's the best friend we all need in life. She's fun, supportive and smart.

The setting was also perfect for the season. I loved the town, the fantastical elements, Vivi's family store. It's all perfectly cozy, great vibes.

I also really enjoyed the humor of the book. It was full or sarcasm and sass.

I do wish that as the romance picked up that the fantasy aspect wasn't fully dropped. It felt like our two MCs fully focused on their relationship for a long time, while the two was on the brink of coming apart. It kind of took away from the urgency of the problem they're trying to fix. When the issue first happens, so many things go wrong, that it didn't feel realistic that they could completely put all those aside for multiple days while they fully invested in rebuilding their relationship.

Overall it was a book I really enjoyed and one that I'll be recommending to any who likes some light and cozy reads with Halloween vibes.

What a delightful read this was! Almost a decade ago, Rhys Penhallow broke Vivienne Jones' heart. While deep in her break up ritual - she and her cousin decide it might be fun to curse Rhys, because he was horrible to Vivienne. But they're just playing around, right? Nothing would have come from their “curse” - they weren't serious, and the candle wasn't even anything special, so of course it's fine. Fast forward to present day, Rhys, as a descendant from the town's ancestors, has come back for Founder's Day - only weird things start happening around him. Soon, he's teaming up with Vivi, Gwyn and Elaine to try to figure out what is happening, what is going wrong and how to fix it before it's too late. Turns out their harmless fun almost a decade ago, wasn't so harmless. 

If you love fluffy romance, small town coziness and anything witchy, The Ex Hex is 100% the book for you. I loved the characters, and their dynamic. The writing was well paced throughout and I even laughed out loud a few times, which was an added bonus. I really enjoyed the well-balanced nature of the romance, it was never too full on and the chemistry was definitely believable. If I had to pick anything I didn't like as much, (and this is being pretty nit picky, and trying to not spoil anything), I wish the full on action of figuring out the curse started a little sooner. Overall, I really enjoyed The Ex Hex and will be recommending it a lot this upcoming spooky season and beyond.

The Ex Hex by Erin Sterling has been described as Hocus Pocus but they fuck and I can definitely see that connection. This book follows two characters, Vivi and Rhys. Vivi is a young witch who has just gotten her heart broken by Rhys after a steamy summer fling and she decides to do a funny curse on him with her cousin. Nine years later, Rhys returns back to the town to recharge the town's ley lines and be there for founders day. While he is making his way through the town, bad luck strikes him too many times and once he see's Vivi again, they realize together that the curse she put on him nine years ago is real. They must work together to break the curse and learn more about the town along with Vivi's family history.

This was a super cute read. It honestly felt like a normal contemporary romance but with witches. I loved the dynamic that Vivi and Rhys have. I am a sucker for sarcastic romances where the two main love interests know how to poke fun at each other and make jokes.

I definitely feel like there could have been more though. It felt like the story was a bit rushed. Not in the writing sense but the plot. Each chapter something major would happen and it would be resolved by the end of the chapter. I loved Vivi and Rhys relationship but I could see it needing to be flushed out more or have more moments together. Those felt super quick as well.

Overall, it was a super cute and easy read. It brings a twist to a normal contemporary read. I would recommend picking it up for any romance and magical lovers.