A review by ranaafathii
The Ex Hex by Erin Sterling

funny lighthearted mysterious medium-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

3.0

I chose to read this as a palette cleanser during spooky reads in October, in that sense it delivered. It had a good pace, the magical spooky element was a nice addition.

The cons:
  • The over-the-top pop culture references. Yes, I get it, it's set in the modern day, I don't care about how you listen to TS (even as a swiftie) or how you call non-magical people "muggles" (which, taking into account rowling's recent endeavors, aged like milk). Not every romance needs to be timeless, and this is very much serving into tropes that are popular now (and that I read lovingly), but it sets the re-readability scale at a zero.
  • The stakes are not HIGH ENOUGH. I usually don't mind a little miscommunication, but having the entire hate-to-love built on it is off-putting for me. Everything would be resolved if they talk like the adults they're supposed to be. Instead, they have wild s.e.x & use that to resolve their issues.
  • Rhys's family is not as fleshed out as Viv's (and has the weirdest names, but whatever), I just didn't feel the connection between brothers, or the tension Rhys has with his father, except when it's very clearly said he does.

The pros:
  • The side characters, mainly on Viv's side, are lovable. I would say even more than Viv and Rhys themselves. Elaine was a very interesting character to read about, even though not much of her background was shared. Gwen had, I think, the strongest personality out of the bunch. There's hints at a lesbian/bi (not stated) romance, but it was also not discussed very clearly.
  • They do not take themselves seriously. It was a breath of fresh air seeing characters who are witches embrace halloween for once. They understand that magic is powerful, and they use it all around them, but are welcoming to others who just want to buy fun tarot cards or skulls for decor.
  • The end goal wasn't getting Rhys and Viv back together, the presence of a goal and storyline that requires them to set their differences aside was interesting. It wasn't a great ending by any means, but the road there was good.
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