A review by val_theburrowofstories
The Ex Hex by Erin Sterling

lighthearted fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.0

Let me start this review by saying that this book made me realize that COZY fantasy ROMANCE with SMUT, is simply NOT MY THING. Is not my thing at all. 

When I think about this book I don’t think I really enjoyed it but I pushed myself to finish it because I had gotten so far and I kept waiting for it to be better, and it was just so easy and fast audiobook… but it was a 2 ⭐ for me. 

Maybe I should’ve run from this book since the prologue but I was curious, I wanted to read about adults with magic but it almost felt like they were still just 19 years old with all the hormones, and that’s also because we know NOTHING about their personalities 9 years ago or even now, like this should be a detective book looking for this couple’s personality because it’s missing, it’s gone, it doesn’t exist at all. 

How did they even fall for each other I just don’t understand. They were together for 3 months when they were 19 and all they did was had sex and then a horrible break up, and for 9 years I think they idolize each other and are “in love” with the image they have in their minds of each other because now all they do is have sex and they don’t have even ONE meaningful conversation in the whole book, that’s what bothers me the most maybe, because okay I can take the smut, but where’s the connection, the conversations, the getting to know each other again as adults? Lost, just as their personalities. 

I don’t think this is an spoiler so I’m going to say it: when this ended and each was going their own way I was HAPPY because she said it herself, they don’t have anything in common and they were not leaving their cities for the other and it was too complicated, I think it was the best for them to just close that chapter in their lives. But then because this is a romance book and they have to end up with each other turns out they both think “you’re the one, the love of my life” and one moves to the other’s city and then the other who was so adamant to never leaving also offered to leave to their city and suddenly nothing was complicated, huh. 

I love fantasy, but I’m starting to realize that I don’t enjoy books where so little to nearly nothing happens with that fantasy/magic, that aspect was a joke in this book and it was more for the “romance” (which I’m not a fan of the genre or the couple here). The only “action” in this book was the two characters acting like bunnies because they were horny 24/7. 

I wish there was more moments with the magic: She learned about her mother being good with magic, but she never embraced being a witch. He is also a witch part of one of the most famous families in town, but didn’t use his powers once. His father was always mentioned as so scary and powerful, but then he got to town for 5 minutes and was just an old man who was put in his place by an small delicate woman. The whole curse on the town was such a powerful magic, but it was solved with the power of love. Sighs. 

You could’ve taken away the fact that they’re witches and just say “oh when she was 19 her cousin found an old spell book and because she was heartbroken they cursed him” and I think that would’ve been way funnier if they as just humans had to fins a solution throughout the town and make it like a quest / journey while they talk and meet their adult version of themselves, because is not like these “witches” use their powers at all or are proud of being a witch anyways (at least in her case) 

Anyways, I think that's all for this review. I know there's a second book about the cousin who I found funny in the beginning and I was interested on her story because she is bisexual and I love the representation, but I could not care less about it now.
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