If you're searching for a truly witchy spooky season read, this is the book. The vibes are perfect for fall / halloween, and with such an intriguing magic system, the fantasy and worldbuilding are wonderful!!
I think I was personally hopeful for a bit more on the character side, and really wanted to root for Josh and Essie more than I did. The side characters throughout the novel really stole the show for me, and with so much happening in the magic side, the romance fell to the back burner in my mind.
There is A LOT happening throughout the book, and I think if this were to continue as a series that could absolutely help!!
At the end of the day, my desire for a spooky read was met and the story was cute, quick paced, and fun!

Very unique book. Somewhat confusing at times, but I liked the characters and the idea that the house disappeared for certain people. I also liked Josh bonding with Siena.

Let me scream it from the rooftops: I loved this book!!!
Originally I was excited for a Halloween romance but was also rewarded with a killer plot that was way more action and magic packed than I originally anticipated. I adored everything about this book from the atmosphere of this small British town, the aura surrounding Beldam House and the witches that lived there, and of course, the chemistry between Essie and Josh.
I had a smile on my face more time's than not and I would now absolutely love a sequel story following Sienna. Maybe she falls in love with a new witch in town! Please Kate Johnson I'm begging you, give me more from these characters!

This book was a lot more than I was expecting. It got to the action right away and pretty much never stopped until the end. The characters were fun and inventive. All in all a fun Halloween read.

This books is so much fun and absolutely perfect for spooky season or any season that your needing a witch fix! This was fun and enjoyable and I'll definitely be keeping my eye out on Kate Johnson's books.

Oh man, oh man. I have to be honest here. I really did not enjoy this book. I rarely dislike books, but this just felt very disjointed. I am sure there will be an audience for this book, however, it was not for me. I felt that the concept of this was okay, but the actual story was very unbelievable. I did like some of the characters, such as Siera and Blessing, but I really found myself disliking the main characters. Josh and Essie's love story was frankly ridiculous and made me cringe during the spicy moments. There was just no relationship build-up there, I think Josh kissed Essie after knowing her for a few days....it was just odd and unfortunately not fun to read. I want to end this on a more positive note though, I did love their house and how it changed based on their moods, the greenhouse and plants. I wish more of the book was focused there and I really wish more time was taken to develop the characters. Not an awful book, it just wasn't for me. #netgalley

I saw Hocus Pocus and Just clicked request lol. This was cute, witchy with a small town/homey feel. Perfect in time for a Halloween read. It was a little weird with the pacing but other than that I enjoyed this one.

Fun and easy cute book to read! Cozy and witchy book and the art cover is SO CUTEEEE! small town witch romance vibesss

What a fun book! The story held my attention throughout! Loved the characters in the story, how well I connected to them. A fantastic, fun read for me!

Super cute and fun witchy book, perfect for october! I really enjoyed reading this. It was light and fun. The only issues I had with the book was with the pacing. Several points in the book I thought we had reached the Big Climax and it would be ending soon but then after the resolution the book would escalate again. While this did make it a fun twisty-turny read, it really broke up all the momentum the novel was building up. Also a very minor point, but even though the main mans is supposed to be from the US, you can clearly tell the author is very very british because he does not sound like an American at all hahaha. When he's dropping british slang it makes it a bit hard to imagine he's a new transplant to the UK.

But overall, I enjoyed how fun the plot was, Bedlam House was very imaginative, and the side characters were all quite interesting.

This is a very cozy book. I expected more rom-com, but it had a historical element to it. At first I was confused by the historical element, as it is a much darker plot point than how the book started, but after reading the author's note, I felt that I understood the choice more. I liked the characters, the quirky setting, and the ending was great.

I was looking for a fun witchy read, I loved the "ex hex" last year but this one was just o.k for me. It had the small town witchy whimsicalness I wanted but the romance parts just fell flat. There were also some fat phobic comments that i thought were a little dated.

2.5/5

Dnf at around half of it because it was boring and I couldn’t connect with any of the characters and I was missing the explanation of how magic work in this world. Maybe it is explained later on the book but somehow I doubt that.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for my copy.

DNF @24%- Honestly, for the first 5-10% of this book, I found myself having trouble staying awake. I just couldn’t get into the story, didn’t feel connected to any of the characters, and felt like the whole thing was just kind of muddled and dull.

Fleeing from a bad relationship and a midlife crises, Josh packed up and moved to England for a fresh start. Unfortunately, the properties he inherited from his late father were dilapidated and unprofitable. With nothing else to lose, Josh settles into his new home, a quiet forgotten village full of quaint customs and secrets, not the least of them being the witches living in a house that no one can find or remember.

In short, this story is about a man who finds witches. There's a mess of confusing magic, a grim prophecy, some interesting people, time travel, romance, and witches. I expected to enjoy this book as a comforting paranormal romance, but while the premise was interesting, I didn't connect with the characters, and too much time was spent on bedroom scenes instead of shoring up the main characters' personalities and other shortcomings.

Josh is a very passive actor throughout the book. He hardly ever does anything to steer the plot. His personality matched too. He's basically a timid puppy, scared of every moving shadow. And when he did show emotion, aside from the romance parts, it was at odd contrasts with the moments where you'd expect more from him. For example, Josh spent more time enthusing about some quaint English game than he did on finding out his girlfriend was a witch. It was just... weird. Even though I didn't like him very much, I did appreciate the gender role reversal, with Essie being the stronger and braver of the two.

The magic was all over the place, with hardly any set rules, and either I read it wrong, or there were several logical issues with the magic system and certain plot ideas. Sometimes a no rules magic system works, but it didn't come through perfectly here.

While this was a romance, I felt the story could've spent more time on building their relationship. It was practically an insta-love, and there were way too many in bed and out of bed scenes. Relationships should be built on more than bed time.

The blurb sounded really good. I was hoping for better. It's not terrible, but I'm happy I'm done with it.

Josh has moved from Seattle to Essex, occupying an ancient home and suddenly becoming the landlord to a handful of old cottages, one of which hasn’t paid rent in 300 years. The home in question belongs to Essie Wintercastle and the women of her coven, witches each with their own quirks, including knitting the future, casting fertility spells, bringing in winter, or brewing potions that are either hangover cures or manifestation potions. Their home, Beldham house, can is never remembered by visitors, until Josh stumbles into Essie’s life, bringing chaos and questions.

I expected a cute, witchy, rom-com. What I got was all of the above but also the coolest storyline and magical mystery! The humor is witty and consistently placed throughout the narrative, while each character brings a unique perspective to the plot. I was cheering for the romance, but so consumed with the magical twists imbedded in this story! While a delightful October read, this would be perfect in any season.

Thank you to Netgalley, Harper Collins UK, One More Chapter, and the author for the opportunity to read and review this book!

I went into this one pretty blind based on cover appeal and I am so glad I did, it was fun, action package and an all round perfect witchy romance!

A cute, slightly spooky, read with witches and curses--great for fall or spooky season!

Josh finds himself in Good Winter, across the pond where he's originally from. He's inherited a house that needs almost as much work as he does. In this small, eccentric village, he meets Essie the witch. Josh is actually not supposed to remember that she's a witch or where she lives, but he seems to be the exception to the perception spell on her home.

Overall, I enjoyed the book. It was a light read with cute characters and I didn't take much of it very seriously. I really think if you're looking for a witchy romance, this is a good pick. I loved the coven of witches in their weird home with their animals and chaotic rooms.

My main problem with the story was that it couldn't decide what it wanted to be. It tried to be a romance, a mystery, a fantasy, a bit of horror(?), being serious in some parts with the apocalypse while also trying to keep things light and funny. There was too much going on for me to feel settled in the plot and setting.

Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Collins UK/ One More Chapter for providing me with an eARC of the book for my honest review!

Fun, charming, and oh=so-spicy, "Hex Appeal" is perfect to add to your bookshelf this spooky season! I highly recommend this Kate Johnson story to anyone looking for a Halloween romance read - any time of year.

If you are in the mood for a spooky romance this is the book for you! A fun read that captures the Halloween spirit. I read it is 2 days and loved every minute. Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for the ARC. I received this book in exchange for my honest review.