Oh, I hope this book was just the start of a whole series, because I adored pretty much everything about this.

Essie Winterscale lives in a hidden house in the woods in the village of Good Winter. There's nothing really remarkable about her and her housemates, except that they're all witches with very particular skills. One housemate has a knack for fertility spells, another one knits the future. And Essie controls the temperature. Her main job every year is to make sure winter starts on time, making Good Winter the only town in England that always has snow at Christmas. But then gorgeous Josh appears, their new landlord who discovers his tenants haven't paid rent since the 1700s. Essie tries to keep him away from her and the house with any means possible, but sometimes love is the strongest form of magic.

This was the perfect blend of quirky fantasy, sweet romance, and thrilling fast-paced adventure. The details in this were just spectacular: horny plants, a fencing dog and cat, glass parrots. Add to that a healthy dash of time travel and evil spirits, Essie and Josh who can't stop flirting with each other, and a whole coven of meddling witches, and you end up with a pretty perfect book.

Loved the spooky elements - perfect fall read. I enjoyed the combo of humor and emotion. Essie will stick with me for awhile.

Josh moves to England for a change of scenery/ job.
He meets Essie who is a witch
Time travel, magic, romance.
Fast read

This took me a while, much to my dismay. I love witchy stuff, I was basically raised on Charmed and Practical Magic. But somehow this book didn't quite hit the spot.

Let's start with the concepts. Bedlam House, the Time Door, Essie's powers - everything was so interesting and I wanted more. But there were just so many different ideas/concepts/backstories and it all become a bit crowded and some parts weren't as fleshed out as they should've been.

The book seemed quite long to me and much was spent on describing surroundings, which was fine and all, but I wish we'd gotten more conversations between the characters.

I think this book would've been better as a two-parter, with even more time spent on the entire nature of the witches' magic. It also would've been better for the book's multiple climaxes.

All of it said, I did enjoy the idea and the characters. It was super funny at times and the romance between Josh and Essie very adorable. It happened fast, which usually is a no-go for me, but in this setting and for them it somehow worked well.

In conclusion the ideas were wonderful, but the execution was just a little lacking the right spark.

Thank you to Netgalley for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review

Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins UK for providing the ARC.

I love a good witchy rom-com during spooky season and this one was no different.

I enjoyed both Essie and Josh as characters, and their shenanigans as they navigated the return of a witch-hating malfeasance hellbent on bringing himself into the 21st century. Meanwhile, they are trying to navigate a new relationship with each other that is marred by some pretty serious personal trauma.

At times, this book was laugh-out-loud funny. I love Johnson's writing style, and the incredible banter she gives to these characters. Their back and forth dialogue was hilarious and I actually wish we had gotten more of it.

Overall, a perfect spooky book for Halloween. Perfect for anyone who loves Practical Magic.

Did not love this one - I just wasn’t hooked by the characters! Made it through the first couple chapters but when I wasn’t hooked I put it down.

This is my new go-to autumn and Halloween read. It gave me current-day "Practical Magic" film vibes. If you're someone who enjoyed the "Bewitched" and "Sabrina the Teenage Witch" tv shows growing up, then this book is perfect for you! It's a witchy tale for grown-ups! I can't wait to read more books by this author. This is a cozy, comforting read with a fun, upbeat premise. Now I find myself wanting to visit Essie's house in Essex.

It’s just a bunch of hocus pocus…

Essie Winterscale lives in a huge and ever-changing house in the village of Good Winter, in deepest, darkest Essex. She lives with various witches of various ages, one of whom is still a bit salty about having been burned at the stake in 1635, one who keeps accidentally casting fertility spells, and one who knits things that create the future.

All Essie ever wanted was to have a normal life but in the end she found herself drawn back to Beldam House because she just can’t stop her witchiness (although the ability to instantly chill wine is pretty awesome, even she has to admit).

Into this coven of chaos stumbles gorgeous, clueless Josh, their new landlord – and he’s just discovered his tenants haven’t paid rent since the 1700s! As Josh is drawn further into the lives of the inhabitants of Beldam House, Essie is determined to keep him at broomstick’s length. That is, until a family secret, lying hidden for centuries, puts Josh firmly under her spell…

This was a great pre-Halloween read! Both a mystery and a romance, it kept me hooked and i really enjoyed the writing style. I would definitely recommend!

4/5 stars!

I've gotten very into witchy romcoms the last year or so, so I was really looking forward to Hex Appeal and this book absolutely did not disappoint. Essie and Josh were such a fun couple with fantastic banter and such a sweet relationship.

Check out Hex Appeal for a cozy spooky season read, a cute romance and a little magic.

Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for providing me with a copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

I really wanted to love this book - witches, an enchanted house, enemies to lovers. It started off okay, but then it got to be overly done. I felt like there kept getting more and more added to the plot and by the end I was struggling to finish.

I did like the Essie and her witchy friends. The house sounded AMAZING, as well, and was a character itself!

The plot of Josh needing to find the Beldam house and collect a bazillion dollars of backpay rent was fine, and then added was something about a curse, and then Josh's sister shows up (who I found really annoying and overbearing), and there was time travel, and Essie's mom, and some sort of frozen spirit of a witch hunter...It was just too much.

I'll definitely read more from this author, but this one was just not my fav.

DNF'd at 57%. The cover and the premise made me SO EXCITED. But boy, was this book boring. The writing fell flat, the character development just wasn't it and it just could not keep my attention. It was one of my most anticipated reads of the year, but unfortunately was a let down.

Had a great idea, the book just wasn’t for me. I would still recommend for a fun fall wait me read. I loved the idea and the concept behind the book, something just fell flat for me.

Hex Appeal by Kate Johnson has everything I love in a witchy romance. I loved the setting and especially the characters. Josh was absolutely adorable. He moved to England from America to an old estate that he had recently inherited. Essie and her family of witches live in a house protected by magic that makes others forget about ever seeing their house. The house is owned by Josh and he is there to collect 400 years worth of rent. Of course through out the book Josh and Essie develop a cute romance. Hex Appeal was a pleasant, warm and cozy read with likable characters. The magic was unique and interesting. If you're looking for a cute witchy story, this is your book! Thank you NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read a cute book throughout the spooky season.

If you are looking for a book that specializes in absurdity and quirky characters, this might be the book for you. Unfortunately, this wasn't what I was looking for in my current read so I didn't really enjoy it. If you are looking for something like The Ex Hex or Payback's a Witch, I would not recommend this book. But if you want something with witches any way you can get them, maybe you will like it.

A cute witchy romance perfect for the fall. This book gave me all the atmosphere I was looking for right now. While I did enjoy the characters, the romance felt rushed and I didn’t get the connection I was hoping for. Overall a good read for around Halloween.

This one had all the witchy vibes for a fun fall read: lovely, vivid setting, quirky and likable characters. Parts were slightly drawn out for me, but overall it was a fun read, and I definitely recommend, especially for this time of year!

Happy Halloween!

I was looking for a seasonal book and couldn’t resist this one with the witchy storyline and I’m glad that I was approved this book on NetGalley by Harper Collins UK/One More Chapter.

Essie lives in a hidden and changing house with other witches in the forest of Essex. Josh is their new landlord and new to the area. Josh keeps being drawn to Beldam House and Essie, and a family secret might explain why. As Josh and Essie grow closer, can she keep her own secret, or will she let someone in.

The characters are great, especially Essie and her witchy housemates. Each has a special magical skill that sets them apart, and come from across many centuries, that provides excitement to the story and integral parts to the story. One of the best characters of this book is the house itself, one that changes to its inhabitants moods, it sounds like madness to live in.

This book is full of twists and turns, magic, witchcraft, romance and humour.

This is a funny witchy book, perfect for Halloween.
Essie lives in Beldham House with her coven sisters. The house has a mind of its own, moving rooms and halls around, based on the feelings of the witches who live there.
The house is protected by a spell that will make anyone who comes there forget about the it and where it’s located the further they move away from it.
Josh has moved from the USA to manage family real estate. Unlike everyone else, he actually remembers the house and Essie after he leaves.
Essie’s not sure how it’s possible that he remembers. The answer surprises her and her coven, who have secrets of their own to protect. I recommend this book, 4 stars.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed as in this review are completely my own.

Kate Johnson is a new to me author and I'm so glad that Netgalley gave me a chance to try her books! Hex Appeal was the perfect antidote to a rainy day.