Reviews with content warning for Death of parent - The Ex Hex

This was a nice palate cleanser after reading a few thrillers and mysteries back-to-back. I'm probably the last person to read this, but I remember seeing not great reviews when this first released, so I was hesitant.

While I wasn't a fan of the number of times Rhys felt aroused in Vivi's presence and eventually started rolling my eyes a lot, I still did really enjoy this. It's not the greatest romance story of all time, but if you're looking for a fun, easy romance read this spooky season, I recommend it.

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lizy's review against another edition

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Not my thing. Cheesy, but not in the right way. Constant eye roll inducing. I had to quit halfway

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bookcheshirecat's review against another edition

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emotional funny lighthearted medium-paced

4.0

“You almost ran your ex-boyfriend over with a car, and then left him lying in the literal dirt on the side of the road. It is such a big deal, you absolute queen.”

➽ The Ex Hex is an entertaining, paranormal Romance about Vivienne who accidentally puts a hex on her ex-boyfriend. Nine years ago she was dumped and swore to get revenge. In a silly, drunken daze, she put a hex on him ... even though she didn't have the materials to create any big harm. Turns out her curse is much more serious than she expected. The second Rhys Penhallow comes back to their hometown Graves Glen, things start going haywire. The Hex has now affected the entire town and if they don't do anything soon, all the magic will become volatile. Vivi teams up with Rhys in order to stop her curse, but refuses to fall for him again. I really liked the second-chance romance and how both of them become reluctant allies against an out-of-control Hex. Vivi's been hurt in the past, but Rhys never managed to get over her!

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d0505's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional funny hopeful lighthearted 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? Yes

3.5

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blewballoon's review against another edition

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emotional funny lighthearted relaxing fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.5

This felt like a rom com crossed with a Disney Channel Original Movie in the best way. I felt as delighted by the whimsy and witchy plotline as I did watching Halloweentown as a kid. I had fun reading this from start to finish. I will say that the two leads felt (unnecessarily) super horny and that did make me roll my eyes a bit, but that's common for romance novels so I know it comes with the territory. Maybe other people actually experience that kind of ridiculous sexual tension, but I don't, so it always takes me out a bit. That's my only real critique though, and it's minor. If you want some cozy small town spooky Halloween vibes with lots of good people trying to be nice to each other, I recommend.

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aimeemg155's review against another edition

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funny hopeful lighthearted fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.5

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ellementary's review against another edition

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lighthearted fast-paced

Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.5

I can see why this book would appeal to some, but I don't think I am the right audience for it. If I was rating this book purely on the plot, I'd have given it a higher score. The story about a witchy little town that is accidentally cursed and how the witches come together to try and save it is just wonderfully cozy spooky season reading. It reminded me of a spicier little Hallmark movie. Unfortunately, the romance overwhelms the plot and I was not all that interested in that part of the story. I also wish there had been a bit more attention paid to world-building and character development (and maybe there will be in future books). I wanted to know more about the magic and get deeper into the history of both the Penhallow and Jones families - especially when the origins of the curse were revealed - but mostly we just kept circling back to Vivi and Rhys pawing at each other. Don't get me wrong, I can enjoy a romance and I can certainly savor those spicy scenes, but I'm much better with a slow burn than something like this, and sex over story isn't really my jam. This was more lust than anything and, honestly, I think I would have been fine with that if I didn't feel like the author was trying to convince me that this was a real-deal romance at every opportunity. The connection, reader! The connection! The moment Rhys tries to convince Vivi they should get a room at a B&B instead of, you know, saving the town, well, that was the point of no return for me. The characters dated for 3 months almost a decade ago and in the span of a couple of weeks back in each other's presence we are supposed to believe they're madly in love as evidenced by the fact that they can't keep their hands off each other long enough to focus on the mission at hand. I just didn't buy into it. I also didn't find Rhys as charming as I think I was supposed to so I'm sure that didn't help.

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ilaxaria's review against another edition

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lighthearted fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No

3.5

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