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3.7 AVERAGE
3.7 AVERAGE
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
funny
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
I didn’t know what to expect from this new to me author and her book ‘Hot Hex Boyfriend’ but I do love a good witchy read. The plot line had me intrigued, a family hexed to not be able to do magic and warlocks watching over them so they don’t break that hex. Delia has been blessed with fairy magic but she feels her life is cursed until she unwittingly breaks the hex that has plagued her family and begins falling for the prickly warlock next door, Max, who turns out to be a golden retriever MMC. As the truth comes out about why the family was hexed Max rushed to save her magic and their budding relationship.
I really loved the progression of Max and Delia’s relationship and their interplay with both of their families was really fun. I loved how Max’s perspectives on witchcraft changed the more he knew about Delia’s situation and how open minded he was as well as how quick he was to come to Delia’s defence. Also, I liked the mystery element to the story towards the end. I found the story slow at the beginning and it was a very drawn out romance before they finally got together which I didn’t enjoy as much. Overall I really enjoyed this and I will definitely look to read from this author again, maybe a sequel for Amy and Luc’s story?!
Max and Delia had such chemistry and the banter/dialogue was snappy, humorous, and fun. The side characters—all of Delia's family, her BFF Amy, Max's brother Luc, and Darling Nikki the "cat"—were the perfect secret ingredient to this magical book that weaved the best spell over me.
The dual narration was wonderful even if I'm not an expert on Texas accents. I highly recommend this if you're looking for a witchy rom-com to take you into the fall, spooky season.
The dual narration was wonderful even if I'm not an expert on Texas accents. I highly recommend this if you're looking for a witchy rom-com to take you into the fall, spooky season.
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
3.5 stars!
Fluffy, witchy, cozy fun, "Hot Hex Boyfriend" by Carly Bloom is the perfect way to begin the upcoming spooky season! This book and these characters are quirky, intriguing, and zany. It's got a bit of everything: family shenanigans, long-time lore, spirits, hexes, witch-core vibes, true love, and spells. I loved Delia and the entire eccentric Merriweather family! She really was such a great character. I resonated with her quite a bit. She's quite messy, doesn't know what she wants to do with her life, is a witch with no powers...quite relatable (minus the witch part). Delia's chemistry with Max is SO GOOD! I thoroughly enjoyed them as a couple. Their personalities offset each other perfectly. This story is also about found-family and community coming together to help those they love. It's also about using magic for good purposes. This book approaches magic and matriarchy in a compelling way that I have not really seen before (but admittedly, I do not read a lot of witch-centric books). Ugh, so cute, and so dang funny! Some people might not like this book *because* it's too cutesy, but I didn't mind at all. Sometimes, you need something light and silly to offset everything else you read. It's also slightly spicy, which I was surprised about. Loved that! Dual audiobook narrators Laura Knight Keating and Zion Jang bring this story to life in an entertaining, fabulous way. They fit these characters so well! I just loved their work here, and their narration kept me engaged and interested throughout the book. I hope Bloom writes more Willow Root books in the future!
Thank you to NetGalley, Carly Bloom, Hachette Audio, and Forever for the complimentary ALC of this book. All opinions are my own. I was not compensated for this review.
Fluffy, witchy, cozy fun, "Hot Hex Boyfriend" by Carly Bloom is the perfect way to begin the upcoming spooky season! This book and these characters are quirky, intriguing, and zany. It's got a bit of everything: family shenanigans, long-time lore, spirits, hexes, witch-core vibes, true love, and spells. I loved Delia and the entire eccentric Merriweather family! She really was such a great character. I resonated with her quite a bit. She's quite messy, doesn't know what she wants to do with her life, is a witch with no powers...quite relatable (minus the witch part). Delia's chemistry with Max is SO GOOD! I thoroughly enjoyed them as a couple. Their personalities offset each other perfectly. This story is also about found-family and community coming together to help those they love. It's also about using magic for good purposes. This book approaches magic and matriarchy in a compelling way that I have not really seen before (but admittedly, I do not read a lot of witch-centric books). Ugh, so cute, and so dang funny! Some people might not like this book *because* it's too cutesy, but I didn't mind at all. Sometimes, you need something light and silly to offset everything else you read. It's also slightly spicy, which I was surprised about. Loved that! Dual audiobook narrators Laura Knight Keating and Zion Jang bring this story to life in an entertaining, fabulous way. They fit these characters so well! I just loved their work here, and their narration kept me engaged and interested throughout the book. I hope Bloom writes more Willow Root books in the future!
Thank you to NetGalley, Carly Bloom, Hachette Audio, and Forever for the complimentary ALC of this book. All opinions are my own. I was not compensated for this review.
funny
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Hot Hex Boyfriend was a funny and cozy romance with a lot of witchy vibes thrown in.
I enjoyed the characters and story. I found myself laughing a lot.
I wasn’t a huge fan of the narrator for Delia. The story was set in Texas so a southern accent made sense but she was the only one who had one so it didn’t work for me.
Definitely would recommend for anyone ready for falls vibes and to get ready for Halloween and all things witchy.
Thanks to Hachette Audio and Netgalley for the ALC in exchange of an honest review.
adventurous
funny
hopeful
informative
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Awwww this had all the sugar and spice you need and it was such a nice listen!!! I LOVED ZION’s voice!! Yummy and toe curling for me with this smooth deep voice 😍. It took me a bit to get used to Laura’s voice, not going to lie.. i was mildly irritated for a little bit until I was accustomed to hearing it.
Delia and Max are the chef’s kiss! They are so cute together! And This book is full of amazing side characters!! This was truly a great small town witchy romance! It’s a great way to start your fall with cozy rom com!
𝗔𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗯𝗼𝗼𝗸…
🧹Cozy witch Rom Com
🧹Small Town
🧹Slow Burn
🧹Grumpy/ Sunshine
🧹True Love
🧹Dual POV
🧹One open door scene
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
funny
lighthearted
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
3.5⭐️ thank you netgalley Harper Collins and Carly Bloom for this arc in exchange for an honest review.
What I liked -
-Grandma Maddie stole the show ! I loved the female bonds between all of Delia's family.
-Nikki was utterly fabulous
-I liked the change up from other witchy reads with Max being a male witch.
-I don't know why, but I'm feeling something between Luc x Amy.
What I DISLIKED
- this took so long to get to the punchline. I was waiting Delia to just break the Curse in such a dramatic way, and she would be this badass witch. But no. I didn't get this. You have to wait until 60% of the way through for it to happen.
- Very little spice, no spicy action until around 80%
This is seperate from review - but Netgalley needs to fix formatting on some of the arcs. It made somethings confusing.
T R O P E S
✨️strangers to lovers
✨️close proximity
✨️slow burn
✨️grumpy x Sunshine
✨️found family
✨️he falls first
What I liked -
-Grandma Maddie stole the show ! I loved the female bonds between all of Delia's family.
-Nikki was utterly fabulous
-I liked the change up from other witchy reads with Max being a male witch.
-I don't know why, but I'm feeling something between Luc x Amy.
What I DISLIKED
- this took so long to get to the punchline. I was waiting Delia to just break the Curse in such a dramatic way, and she would be this badass witch. But no. I didn't get this. You have to wait until 60% of the way through for it to happen.
- Very little spice, no spicy action until around 80%
This is seperate from review - but Netgalley needs to fix formatting on some of the arcs. It made somethings confusing.
T R O P E S
✨️strangers to lovers
✨️close proximity
✨️slow burn
✨️grumpy x Sunshine
✨️found family
✨️he falls first
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
Loveable characters:
Yes
Delia’s family is convinced they are witches, and that Delia is the blue witch. Delia is convinced they are a little bit silly for thinking that since they don’t have any magical abilities. When Max Halifax moves in next door to handle his uncle’s estate, things get even more interesting. Max actually is a witch, and somehow, without knowing it, Delia breaks the hex that has been keeping magic from her family.
This was an adorably fun romcom. I loved Delia’s family. They were so much fun and their relationships with Delia were so sweet. Max and Delia were fantastic main characters and I loved the way their romantic relationship developed. There was a bit of mystery in this book which was a nice touch.
I listened to the audio which was absolutely fantastic. I love dual narrators and Laura Knight Keating and Zion Jang did a fantastic job bringing Delia and Max to life. Their emotions were so easy to feel through the narration.
I highly recommend this if you are looking for a fun witchy romcom for your spooky season TBR!
Thank you to NetGalley and Hachette Audio for the advance copy.
slow-paced
Synopsis:
Delia Merriweather grew up believing she was a witch, like all the women in her family, but none of them ever had any magic. Now an adult, Delia is skeptical about magic—until she accidentally breaks a hex and restores her family’s powers. Suddenly, she’s forced to navigate a new reality where she truly is a witch. This might also explain why her mysteriously handsome neighbor, Max, has been watching her so closely, as if waiting for her to fly off on a broomstick.
My Thoughts:
If I’m being honest, I had high hopes that Hot Hex Boyfriend would be a cozy, magical read perfect for fall, but it fell a little flat for me. The romance between Delia and Max didn’t quite sizzle, and their chemistry was lacking. Their relationship felt more like a subplot than a central focus, which made it less engaging.
The pacing also affected my enjoyment. The story had a slow start, and the main plot from the synopsis didn’t really kick off until about halfway through. By that point, I was ready for the pace to pick up and found myself more interested in just reaching the end. The last 20% of the book was where things finally started to get interesting for me, and I found those sections the most enjoyable.
One highlight was definitely Nikki, Max’s uncle’s imp familiar. An imp who can shift between cat and human forms, Nikki was funny, sneaky, and sweet, bringing a lot of humor to the story. His antics were delightful, and honestly, a whole book about him would have been fantastic!
The adorable cover was also a big plus and definitely worth mentioning. Overall, I’m giving this book 3.5 stars, mainly for Nikki and the charming cover. It didn’t fully meet my cozy fall expectations, but it still has some whimsical moments worth checking out. Hot Hex Boyfriend will be available on September 3!
Thank you to Forever (Grand Central Publishing), the author, and #NetGalley for the advanced reader copy!
Delia Merriweather grew up believing she was a witch, like all the women in her family, but none of them ever had any magic. Now an adult, Delia is skeptical about magic—until she accidentally breaks a hex and restores her family’s powers. Suddenly, she’s forced to navigate a new reality where she truly is a witch. This might also explain why her mysteriously handsome neighbor, Max, has been watching her so closely, as if waiting for her to fly off on a broomstick.
My Thoughts:
If I’m being honest, I had high hopes that Hot Hex Boyfriend would be a cozy, magical read perfect for fall, but it fell a little flat for me. The romance between Delia and Max didn’t quite sizzle, and their chemistry was lacking. Their relationship felt more like a subplot than a central focus, which made it less engaging.
The pacing also affected my enjoyment. The story had a slow start, and the main plot from the synopsis didn’t really kick off until about halfway through. By that point, I was ready for the pace to pick up and found myself more interested in just reaching the end. The last 20% of the book was where things finally started to get interesting for me, and I found those sections the most enjoyable.
One highlight was definitely Nikki, Max’s uncle’s imp familiar. An imp who can shift between cat and human forms, Nikki was funny, sneaky, and sweet, bringing a lot of humor to the story. His antics were delightful, and honestly, a whole book about him would have been fantastic!
The adorable cover was also a big plus and definitely worth mentioning. Overall, I’m giving this book 3.5 stars, mainly for Nikki and the charming cover. It didn’t fully meet my cozy fall expectations, but it still has some whimsical moments worth checking out. Hot Hex Boyfriend will be available on September 3!
Thank you to Forever (Grand Central Publishing), the author, and #NetGalley for the advanced reader copy!
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No