Initially, I was not into reading this sequel by Jessica Clare, but I’m happy I went through with it. What the Hex, the second book in the Hex series, has more at stake compared to the first and continues themes of enemies to lovers with a magical backdrop. Continue reading to get my take on this new release!

An Actual Conflict!
One of my major qualms about the first Hex book was the lack of an actual conflict at the end. I guess Clare felt my energy on that and decided to fix that in the second book. I thought the plot lines of familiar needing witch and warlock needing familiar (but legally not able to have one) an interesting and clean way of bringing the main characters together. No doubt it also lends itself to also causing a larger conflict.

I did like how this was also not the only conflict within What the Hex. There were familial issues of neglect within Penny’s family, issues of grudge-wielding mentors for Willem, and grubby backstabbers in the familiar’s club! This created some additional depth to the characters, but also to the plot. Unfortunately, I do not think I really learned more about the magic of the world, which would have been nice.

Characters & Romance
Honestly, my favorite character was the squirrel. Give me a book about the squirrel and I’d be set. Besides him, Penny and Willem were very much opposites, which can sometimes feel a bit much. Yes, opposites attract, but must they be so obviously opposite (and most likely incompatible)? This was a bit over the top and unbelievable. I do not always mind the enemies-to-lovers-who-have-to-live-with-each-other-for-certain-circumstances trope, but that is kinda what already happened in the first book. So it feels in a way that Penny and Willem are reflections of Reggie and Ben. There have also been a lot of fake-dating plot lines that I’ve been reading and maybe it was just, unfortunately, stuck between them, but it made the ending romance seem forced due to the required close quarters.

Overall
I think What the Hex was a huge step in the right direction in terms of creating a more thorough conflict and its subsequent resolution. The romance seemed very similar to the first book, but at least we have the squirrel. It is a very quick and light read and there certainly are a plethora of steamy romantic moments. So if that is what you are in the mood for, this book is definitely for you!

I'm just going to keep this review short and sweet. I really liked the idea of this story and thought the premise of it was great. Unfortunately, as much as I wanted to like this book, it just didn't work for me. I had a hard time connecting with the characters and found the spelling out of OMG to be completely annoying. For me, it made Penny sound juvenile and was a total distraction.

‘What the Hex’ by Jessica Clare was SO good!! Not only was the romance amazing, but I really loved the unique take on witchcraft, and the world building, too. This was so fun (it left me smiling), full of all the best tropes, and I literally couldn’t put it down. So looking forward to more books in this series! Highly recommend.

I really wanted to love this one, but there was just so much that made me cringe. Did I enjoy the story and the magic? Yes. Did I want to punch Penny every time she said "double-yew tee eff" or "ess tee eff yew" or "oh em gee." Also yes. Sounding out the words was unnecessarily annoying and takes you out of the story each time.

I wish I could say I enjoyed this more—I found Go Hex Yourself largely delightful, but the second in the series feels a bit too contrived. The plot is slight with stakes that aren’t particularly propulsive, and Penny’s exclamations and word choices are relentlessly dated and cringey instead of quirky as intended. As with the first in the series, there were some fun witchcraft details, though even those were too few and far between. But the high heat factor is well accounted for, which kept me reading. If you’re looking to switch off your brain and step into a low-stakes, steamy world, you’ll likely enjoy this. Gratitude to NetGalley and Berkley for the arc in exchange for an honest review.

Another easily devourable witchy read! MCs have similar characterization to the MCs in the first book in the series, plus similar tropes: grumpy/sunshine and enemies to lovers, but I'm not mad about it. I love the level of spice brought in both of these books. I have to admit to finding Penny's tendency to speak in acronyms slightly annoying at times, but once the dirty talk started between her and Will, I forgot all about being annoyed haha.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for my thoughts. All opinions are my own.

What the Hex by Jessica Clare was a fun read. I really like some of the different nuances on the typical portrayal of the magic of the witches and wizards, especially that their familiars are people and not animals. This storyline kept my attention throughout. I feel this is a really well-written book. This was an interesting read.

What The Hex is a sexy and fun romp that combines fake dating and some mutual pining with a magical spin.

What The Hex is the funny sequel to Jessica Clare’s Go Hex Yourself. I loved Go Hex Yourself and had high expectations for the sequel. I would recommend reading the books in order as there is some magical world building and character continuations that would help you understand what is happening in book two. Overall this was a fun book with some spice, fake dating and a bit of mystery.
Penny has been waiting for years to be picked to be a familiar by a witch. At age 30 she feels really stuck in her life and just wants some excitement. She’d also love a relationship like her friend Reggie found with her witch, Ben. When Ben and Reggie come to her with a situation: be a familiar for a witch who’s not completely above board, she says yes without thinking about the consequences. And that’s how she meets Willem: a very uptight and rigid with with some control issues who doesn’t seem to remember how to smile. All he is focused on is revenge for the wrongs that has cost him his magic and his livelihood. When Penny and WIllem agree to pretend to be dating to cover for the illegal magic they’re making, Penny finds the excitement she’s looking for, and a whole lot more.

When Willem and Penny first meet they instantly can’t stand each other. They are the definition of grumpy and sunshine. But of course, their fake dating turns into some hot and smutty scenes. Watching these two fall for each other was so much fun. Willem is the type of stoic man who’s a pleasure to watch fall apart. As Penny pushes his buttons she also finds a confidence she was missing. When the two of them get together it’s electrifying. I love watching a man be vulnerable, and Willem truly learns how to be a better person thanks to Penny’s support and security. Swoon. There are some very open door sex scenes with a lot of heat. There’s a good amount of dirty talk as well. Let’s just say neither Willem or Penny are shy.

When we meet Willem he is focused on redemption for past wrongs. When he is wrongly arrested by the council there is a fun mystery that Penny, with the help of her friends, has to solve to save Willem’s life. It was great to see Ben and Reggie again and see how their relationship had evolved. A stand out character for me, though, was Pip the squirrel, Penny’s beloved pet, who gives her her first taste of love and loyalty that her absent parents aren’t able to. To no one’s surprise, Willem is at first horrified by living with a rodent. As he falls for Penny, he also falls for her adorable sidekick.

There were two flaws for me: Firstly, I wasn’t a fan of the epilogue. It would have been a perfectly entertaining read for me without it. And secondly, Penny has a bit of an annoying way of talking that grated on me as a reader instead of endearing itself to me. However, once I got used to it it did disappear for me.

All in all this is an enjoyable sequel. I loved living in Jessica’s quirky and magical world again.

Thank you to Berkley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Y’all. This book was the magical romcom of my dreams! Grumpy/sunshine, a sex positive heroine and magical intrigue? Literal perfection!

Willem Sauer is not Mr. Popularity within warlock society. He’s been banned from having a familiar thanks to an untrue murder accusation. And now his former master, Stoker, is getting aggressive and Willem is worried. He needs to be able to cast but that means he needs a familiar. And he winds up paired with Penny Roundtree. She’s vibrant, enthusiastic and full of magical potential. For her part Penny is excited to finally be chosen to be a familiar! She’s pushing 30 and willing to do whatever it takes. The two hatch a plan to hide their arrangement by saying they’re dating. What could go wrong?

I know I do this a lot but let me reiterate for the readers in the back: I LOVED THIS BOOK! It had a great plot, interesting characters and a fun writing style! I could not read this book fast enough. The books had some really great lines and some funny moments too. The dynamic between our two main characters was so well written and watching them slowly open up and accept each other just made my heart sing!

The world building in this series is so cool! The magical logistics are so fascinating. The idea that you have to make an offering to the gods in order to cast or scry and that you must use specific components makes it so interesting!

Penny is the type of dependable person that could easily be taken advantage of. Her parents are both familiars and this she’s self sufficient because she had to be. She’s super quick and reliable at her job to the point where if she her productivity drops even a little her boss gets nervous about a disaster. She dresses and acts in a way that brings her joy and I love that. Penny is not the type to change herself just because someone tells her to. She’s open about what she wants and she’s also exceptionally loyal. Honestly, she’s literally a ray of goddamn sunshine. Willem is cold and calculating because he’s had to be. When he first meets Penny he treats her as little more than a possession and seems to have no redeeming qualities. However, as time goes on and you learn more about him, you find that he’s actually a decent guy. He’s just had really bad experiences and he pushes everyone away because of it.

Like I said the dynamic between these two was amazing. Their chemistry was off the freaking chart. And the spicy scenes were plentiful and amazing. Penny is another woman who knows what she wants and, while Willem is a bit more reserved, they seemed to have no problems in the bedroom! Loved that for them!

If you liked Go Hex Yourself be prepared to like this book too. Probably more! I loved Ben and Reggie but I legit think Penny and Willem have my heart! If you’re looking for a magical romcom with amazing chemistry and the perfect grumpy/sunshine dynamic then check out this book!

Thanks so much to Berkley Romance and NetGalley for providing me with an advance copy in exchange for my honest review!

Coming April 2023
Cute and funny, with some VERY hot sexytimes, this enemies-to-lovers paranormal romance was a fun followup in the Hex series. Penny's inner dialogue is absolutely hilarious, and Will is a grump on the outside, marshmallow on the inside. You don't have to have read the 1st (Go Hex Yourself) before this, but this will reveal some spoilers for it. A light, escapist read for when you've had a stressful day.

I so enjoyed the first book Go Hex Yourself in the Hex series last year, so I was excited to jump into the sequel What the Hex. But I always find the second book in romance series to be iffy. I think it’s a ‘me’ problem and I get to attached to the first set of characters, that it’s hard for me to switch into the new characters.

Penny has been on the familiar list for years and is nowhere near getting assigned to a witch. Willem Sauer is a witch banned from taking a familiar for another decade. When Penny is presented with an opportunity to be Willem’s familiar off the books, she jumps on the opportunity even though it could cost them both if they’re found out.

I loved Penny in Go Hex Yourself. She was enthusiastic and charming, and while she starts that way in this book, her personality felt all over the place. Occasionally she was a doormat, and sometimes she took what she wanted. It felt inconsistent. She also makes some CRAZY decisions which were cringy. I mean who jumps to saying their trying to have someone’s baby like that, there were so many other options she could have used. Literally anything else would have worked. Willem’s personality was the typical grumpy male love interest but while I liked him, I never loved his character. The relationship between Penny and Willem was cute. The progression of their relationship was abrupt but the sexual chemistry between the two was well done. This is definitely an Open Door romance, even more so than the first book, so be prepared for some steamy scenes.

Normally we have one main romance trope but there are 3 big ones used in this story, which I felt was a lot. Not only is this a bit of an enemies to lovers story just like book 1 but it also incorporates fake dating, and the grumpy/sunshine trope as well. It was a bit much for me.

Overall, this is still a fun and quick rom-com but was the transition from Penny and William hating each other to loving each was a bit abrupt. I never felt truly invested in their ‘love story’ which took away from the story for me. I’d still read another book in the series, but this one wasn’t my favorite.

What the Hex comes out April 4, 2023. Huge thank you to Berkley Books for my advanced copy in exchange for my honest opinion. If you liked this review please let me know either by commenting below or by visiting my instagram @speakingof.books.

🔮Book Review🔮
What the Hex
Publish Date: April 4, 2023
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶️🌶️🌶️

In the words of the MC, Penny, Oh em gee! I didn’t expect to love this one as much as I did because I don’t read lots of cutesy romcoms. But the enemies to lovers and forced proximity situations of Warlock Willem and his Familiar, Penny, are so great! Penny is a lovable, over-the-top character, and she is kind, determined, and strong (even if she does say things like double-yew tee eff)! Willem is a no-nonsense but likable grump who had no idea what he was getting himself into with Penny. Throw in an adorable pet squirrel, Pip-stachio, and this story was just fun from cover to cover!

Thank you to @netgalley the publisher Berkley and the author for an advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

⭐⭐⭐.5/5 - A fun & smutty witchy bit of brain candy! 🧙🔮🧙‍♀️☾ ⚗️ (<< that’s a cauldron for today’s purposes and not a highly specific piece of lab equipment for which I have no answer as to why it needed an emoji…)

A SHORT PREVIEW:
In book #2 of Jessica Clare’s ‘Hex’ series follow Penny on her journey to finally becoming a familiar to a witch. With only so many witches & warlocks to go around and way too many familiars, she might just have to skirt the rules she loves so much to make her dreams come true. Introduce Willem Sauer to the mix.. the warlock that’s been forbidden from having a familiar.. and what do you get? An explosive grumpy sunshine duo doing their best to outsmart one of Willem’s mortal enemies.

THOUGHTS:
- This book is incredibly smutty.. but not just for the s3x scenes. It’s just sort of in the way the characters talk? As if they’re actually speaking their intrusive thoughts lol
- Nothing in this story is heavy. There are a few ‘sad’ parts but none of it is IMP worthy of noting a content warning, (except perhaps for the open door s3xual content more suited to mature readers) – and sometimes these stories are exactly what you need between more serious reads?
- 'What The Hex' has a super cute premise with great character building. I feel like I could absolutely SEE the characters in my mind and I loved predicting how they were going to react in their conversations? So cute.

FAVORITE QUOTE:
-- “ Were we both not thinking torture?” – When I tell you I cackled at this scene (please see Grace cackling at her desk? That was actually me at work today!!! Lol the whole dialogue here is HILARIOUS. You’ll know it when you get there! )

<img src = "https://media.giphy.com/media/RghAaK2rEvH9EUWui0/giphy.gif?fit=around%7C700:700&output-quality=90&crop=700:700;center,top"/>

NOTES:
- HEA ending
- Grump/sunshine
- Super fast read/would be a perfect audiobook
- 🌶🌶🌶/5 - Open door smutty

**I received this book for free as an advanced reader copy, but all thoughts are my own. – SLR 🖤

I really liked this twist on witchcraft, with human familars and mandatory apprenticeships. If goodreads had a spicy rating, this one would get 4 🌶.

I am not super well-versed in magic, especially in the context of more modern stories that mix present time and technology with older styles of magic like casting and using familiars. I think it was really great that the alternating perspectives highlighted the characters’ differences and I never had to double check which POV I was reading because of that. I like that the story integrated information about how the magic worked, so I didn’t feel out of the loop for not knowing things but I also didn’t feel like there was tons and tons of explaining happening. The only reason this isn’t a 5 star read for me is because it felt like the leap to being lovers was incredibly sudden, to the point that I had to check if I accidentally skipped ahead by accident. It felt like a slower build up was starting and then suddenly that slow build was thrown out the window and we were jumping right in with both feet.

I really enjoyed reading this one! It hooked me from the very beginning and kept me hooked the whole time!

The second entry in Clare's delightful Hex series features Penny who wants to be a familiar more than anything and Willem who has been banned from having a familiar. They are both so desperate, she to learn magic and get started towards becoming a witch and he to practice the magic he wants, they team up and hide their relationship by pretending to be in love.

If you’re a romance reader and you want a book that will leave you grinning ear-to-ear, this is it. Look no further. Penny has wanted to be a familiar for years, and her time is running out. Meanwhile Willem needs an under-the-table familiar because he’s banned from having one. How can they work together without getting caught? Fake dating, of course! Which is hilarious, considering this is the *ultimate* grumpy/sunshine romance. Penny is sunshine personified, and watching as Will reacted to her was nothing short of delightful. This is the perfect paranormal rom com, from its most excellent tropes to the “good girl” vibes that made the spicy scenes utterly addicting. Do yourself a favor and pick this one up! Oh, and if that wasn’t convincing enough (the spice alone should be — you're welcome), Penny has a pet squirrel who is adorable!

4 stars, pushing 5

Another banger from Jessica Clare. Honestly, I even liked this one more than Go Hex Yourself. Another excellent well-done enemies to lovers with EXCELLENT communication. It's 2023 and I'm so thankful every time I read a book where the author has thrown out the mis-communication nonsense right out the window. Almost an instant 4 star read for me.

As with Go Hex Yourself, my favorite aspect of this book was how the conflict was resolved, and Jessica Clare does it so so well. The plot wasn't working against our two mains to tear them apart. No, she gave us a plot and then said, "alright, how can they work TOGETHER to resolve this." And shows us, as readers that these beloved little romcoms we love so much can be even better when the MC's become a team, a unified force. That's what Clare gave us with Penny and Willem. Sure it's enemies to lovers, but pretty early on we get to see each other working for each other and being aware of needs (and a little pettiness, but we love it).

However, there of course is still conflict between our MC's it isn't a straight road to blissville without a few bumps, but how she writes conflict is so healthy and refreshing that I can't get enough of her storylines. So I say, please write more Jessica Clare. Romcoms so good, they can be devoured in one sitting.

I'm borderline giving this 4.5 stars, but I do think the development from hate to love was a little abrupt, so I'm staying at 4 stars for now (but may bump up TBH because this just made me happy). This was so much fun! I realized reading this that this kind of campy or comedic paranormal romance feels very cozy to me, and this series perfectly hits that cozy sweet spot. I really liked the dynamic between Penny & Willem, and this is a fake dating trope where the fake dating aspect feels very earned.

I hope we get more in this world!