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A review by akira_outofthegravity
The Ex Hex by Erin Sterling
funny
lighthearted
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? Yes
2.75
EDIT: I realise she is writing under a pseudonym, her real name being Rachel Hawkins. I’ve read Her Royal Highness, and thought it was much better. But suddenly the inaccurate, almost stereotypical, Welsh attributes make sense, as does the paper thin protagonist and rushed ending.
———
A very underwhelming book, and I wasn’t expecting much.
The thing I liked:
The feminist aspect. Rhys is very much just there for the ladies. All the sex (mentioned later in the review) is focused on Vivi’s pleasure, not Rhys’, actually he is never ever shown “getting off”. It’s all about her, her pleasure, and how Rhys pleasures her- which I thought was actually very refreshing.
The twist (if you can call it that? Not super mind blowing) is also very based in patriarchal standards which I liked. The women are all propelled through the story by their own wants and desires, and Viv is more than just Rhys’ love interest.
The thing I hated most about this book: All of the sex mentions.
Fucking Christ we know!! We know they bang! But every page it was talking about Rhys’ attraction to her, or vice versa. I am not a prude, nor do I dislike sex in books (see above) but come on. The ley lines scene in particular was very weird. Not to mention all the times where Rhys is fawning over Viv. Again, at times it was good- see above- but it got so tiring. I’d like to see if Erin Sterling can create a decent romance without mentioning sex every two seconds, then the romance may be fleshed out more. At the moment sex is a crutch for lazy writing and even lazier character development, of which there is very little.
Second criticism: the pacing. Very good first half (sex aside) but the second half seemed rushed. Especially the final act featuring the epilogue. I want to know what Simon thought about the ancestor, I wanted to see Gwyn and Jane work things out, I wanted to see more of the town. Instead it’s like “oop all tied up! Okay let’s end this as soon as we can.”
Third criticism: Erin Sterling seems to be afraid of meaningful conflict, or rather, afraid of writing characters being angry at each other. The initial conflict: Rhys is betrothed while having a fling with Viv, he tells her, she is upset, they fall out, cue the titular hex. But when Rhys returns she goes from angry (where she’s mad but actually secretly anxious for him) to having sex with him, then going “it was a mistake” then having more sex, et fin. It’s almost as if Sterling is afraid of creating scenarios where there is anger they can’t solve, and thus she makes all the situations where the anger is so soft that they have to solve it. Example: the last conflict where Rhys cracks jokes about the curse and Viv gets upset and leaves. Rhys’ immaturity is never brought up before then, in fact aside from the initial incident, his immaturity in how much he ogles Viv is rewarded by her, and it is solved almost immediately by someone else telling him he’s being a dick and him going “yup you’re right”. That is the only development in the whole book.
Viv is complicated in that I love her feminist personality- brash, confident with what she wants and deserves- but at the same time she is thinking about sex all the time and we don’t get any kind of development from her. Why was her magic stunted in the beginning of the book? Why did her mother fear magic? What happened to her parents? There’s times where I loved her wittiness, and others where I hated how devolved into a sex addict she was.
Overall, good bits but in general a very disappointing read. I’m not regretful, but it’s underwhelming, filled with cringe sex mentions, and a plot that is paper thin and solved almost immediately.
———
A very underwhelming book, and I wasn’t expecting much.
The thing I liked:
The feminist aspect. Rhys is very much just there for the ladies. All the sex (mentioned later in the review) is focused on Vivi’s pleasure, not Rhys’, actually he is never ever shown “getting off”. It’s all about her, her pleasure, and how Rhys pleasures her- which I thought was actually very refreshing.
The twist (if you can call it that? Not super mind blowing) is also very based in patriarchal standards which I liked. The women are all propelled through the story by their own wants and desires, and Viv is more than just Rhys’ love interest.
The thing I hated most about this book: All of the sex mentions.
Fucking Christ we know!! We know they bang! But every page it was talking about Rhys’ attraction to her, or vice versa. I am not a prude, nor do I dislike sex in books (see above) but come on. The ley lines scene in particular was very weird. Not to mention all the times where Rhys is fawning over Viv. Again, at times it was good- see above- but it got so tiring. I’d like to see if Erin Sterling can create a decent romance without mentioning sex every two seconds, then the romance may be fleshed out more. At the moment sex is a crutch for lazy writing and even lazier character development, of which there is very little.
Second criticism: the pacing. Very good first half (sex aside) but the second half seemed rushed. Especially the final act featuring the epilogue. I want to know what Simon thought about the ancestor, I wanted to see Gwyn and Jane work things out, I wanted to see more of the town. Instead it’s like “oop all tied up! Okay let’s end this as soon as we can.”
Third criticism: Erin Sterling seems to be afraid of meaningful conflict, or rather, afraid of writing characters being angry at each other. The initial conflict: Rhys is betrothed while having a fling with Viv, he tells her, she is upset, they fall out, cue the titular hex. But when Rhys returns she goes from angry (where she’s mad but actually secretly anxious for him) to having sex with him, then going “it was a mistake” then having more sex, et fin. It’s almost as if Sterling is afraid of creating scenarios where there is anger they can’t solve, and thus she makes all the situations where the anger is so soft that they have to solve it. Example: the last conflict where Rhys cracks jokes about the curse and Viv gets upset and leaves. Rhys’ immaturity is never brought up before then, in fact aside from the initial incident, his immaturity in how much he ogles Viv is rewarded by her, and it is solved almost immediately by someone else telling him he’s being a dick and him going “yup you’re right”. That is the only development in the whole book.
Viv is complicated in that I love her feminist personality- brash, confident with what she wants and deserves- but at the same time she is thinking about sex all the time and we don’t get any kind of development from her. Why was her magic stunted in the beginning of the book? Why did her mother fear magic? What happened to her parents? There’s times where I loved her wittiness, and others where I hated how devolved into a sex addict she was.
Overall, good bits but in general a very disappointing read. I’m not regretful, but it’s underwhelming, filled with cringe sex mentions, and a plot that is paper thin and solved almost immediately.