Review: The Ex Hex by Erin Sterling

I do not like horror or scary stuff when it comes to my Halloween. I am a Disney Channel Original Movie kind of gal so I have a hard time finding festive books that aren’t too cheesy. I really enjoyed The Ex Hex by Erin Sterling (aka Rachel Hawkins) because it just let me live in a world where bad things weren’t happening. It’s fun, easy, and a little bit sexy. Perfect for the spooky months!

Synopsis:

“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.” —NetGalley

What I Liked:

1. The Cozy Vibes—This book is PEEK cozy Halloween vibes. I don’t like horror or scary stuff when it comes to my Halloween so this was right up my alley. The setting was charming and basically Halloweentown. The characters were fun and lighthearted. All around a cozy, sexy read.

2. The Escapism—I think this book came at the right time for me and I could really escape into a world where a pandemic, wildfires, flooding, and all other terrible things didn’t exist. I know it’s important to read about the hard things, but sometimes we also need to just relax into a world where the biggest problem is a witch on the loose.

3. The Banter—Rhys and Vivi were fun characters with sexual tension (but not too tense) and you knew where it was going all along. I appreciated this in my mental state.

What Didn’t Work:

What I have to say about “not working” doesn’t mean it’s bad. I’m just pointing out what I think some people might have a problem with, but I didn’t mind this light read.

I will say this book is on the fluffier side when it comes to romance. It’s not Hallmark level cheesey, but it doesn’t ask much from it’s readers. I don’t think this is a problem because sometimes we need those stories! This book is perfectly festive, witchy, and cozy.

Content Warnings:

Literally for the first time ever…nothing.

Character Authenticity: 4/5 Steam Rating: .05/5 Overall Rating: 3.9/5