I am obsessed with this series!!!!!!!!!! I need more. I need it to never end. The book was super cute yet still fulfilled my spicy needs. I cannot wait for the next one.

Thank you, thank you, THANK YOU. To the publisher, Netgalley, and April Asher for this arc in exchange for an honest review.

I thoroughly enjoyed book one, Not the Witch, you Wed, and book 2 was just as incredible. A lot of times book 2, or movie two, or whatever after a debut or start of a series are noticeably not as good. But this was 100% not the case for this series. I loved every second of it! It was so funny, witty, silly, and low angst/trigger. And I found that to be so refreshing in a book that had magic and shifters and witches, and all those good things. Their romance and chemistry was so*chefs kiss*and the sexy scenes were so freaking good and so hot. I loved every second of reading this book. And I want to re-read it immediately because I don’t want to be without this world and these incredible characters any longer than I have to be. I absolutely cannot wait for book 3. I am so excited for it I can’t even put it into words.

Brava!

What's it about (in a nutshell):
Not Your Ex's Hexes by April Asher is a laugh-out-loud romantic comedy about a female witch and a male demon who had loads of chemistry, yet each resolved to have no serious commitments. But love doesn't care about your resolutions. It will not be denied when it happens, and big declarations are a must. This is the second book in a series, but you can easily read it as a standalone.

Reading Experience:
Where do I begin? I loved this story. Sure, it made me cry in the first half – tears of heartache and joy – because I can't handle animal stories. My heart breaks when an animal is mistreated or suffers from loss or pain. I even cry during trailers of movies about animals – my empathy is that bad. I had read that there were animal cruelty triggers, but I figured out what they probably involved just by the book description, and I was correct. It didn't stop my heartache, but I got through it and enjoyed the rest of the story immensely.

I loved the references – almost love letter level – to popular tv shows. The plot is very much like the one found in Buffy the Vampire Slayer concerning the hex. The main character, Rose Maxwell, even admitted she was basing her snark during demon hunts on Buffy during her hunting. I love snark. It's what made Buffy the Vampire Slayer one of my favorite shows. It makes this book one of my favorite romantic comedies. Also, a smaller reference- a character refers to Lucifer as Lucy, which I've only seen one other place – on the show Lucifer. It's another show that I loved for its wit and snark.

To say that it's an open-door romance is almost downplaying it. An open door is not my favorite romance aspect, but I can easily fast-forward through those scenes. It's interesting, but it felt that a story about a witch and a demon had to be an open door. It would have lost some of its suspended disbelief power if it hadn't.

As for tropes, it's got bits of enemies to lovers and bits of forced proximity. However you want to categorize it, I enjoyed it and found the romance felt very authentic.

Characters:
Rose Maxwell is a powerful witch. She is the middle sister of triplets, and all three sisters are very close. She used to be the Prima Witch Apparent until the oldest of the triplets, Violet Maxwell, came into her powers as an adult. At that point, she felt it was only right to step down and let her sister take her rightful position. But she had spent her life training – physically and magically for the powerful position, so trying to figure out what to do now has been particularly problematic. She has just gotten out of a terrible relationship and finds herself without a job or a love interest. Still, she is perfectly fine with that second part.

Damian Adams is a half-demon who left the demon world behind to become a vet and run a sanctuary for abused animals. He is grumpy and ill-tempered, but he has the biggest heart when working with animals.
A hex when he was a teenager has made him spend a lifetime avoiding love, and then he meets Rose.

Narration & Pacing:
The pacing is rapid, which I, of course, loved. And the narration is in the third person focusing exclusively on Rose's POV. The pacing and narration worked perfectly to hold my interest. I find that relatability is essential in a romantic comedy, and this one gloriously had that factor.

World-building:
The world-building is very detailed and immersive, which is extraordinary, especially in a romantic comedy. The supernatural world's politics and hierarchy are explained in great detail, as is how humans learned about supernatural beings and how they have learned to co-exist. The magic could be more detailed, but it felt better described than I realized as I wrote this. Still, magic is present often, and I never will be unhappy with that!

Read if you like:
Buffy the Vampire Slayer's humor and snark
Magical stories
Enemies to Lovers / Forced Proximity Romances

April Asher's Supernatural Singles books make me absolutely giddy. I adore her character with my whole heart, but this one specifically is outstanding. After the unforeseen events of the first book, Rose Maxwell is searching to find her calling for what she's supposed to do in her life. Her journey to find that purpose as someone who's had her whole life laid out her until recently is heartwarming. She finds new friends, tries some different jobs, and meets a very grumpy veterinarian. Experiencing Rose's journey with her was something that I thoroughly loved and I would highly recommend that everyone experience it with her.

I didn’t read the first book in the series and maybe I would have had a better grasp of the background of the main character but I do think this could be read without reading the first, just need to read the clues for more info. I found this book to be just ok. I didn’t hate it, didn’t love it. Rose kind of got on my nerves, but I did enjoy her and Damien’s banter and friends with benefits vibe. Had some steamy scenes if you’re into that!

GRUMPY SUNSHINE & all the vibes !! Damien and Rose made me laugh, cry, and fall in love with this book. The writing was done so tremendously & the development of the plot, and characters were perfectly executed.

Stop the cauldron! This witchy romance brought the heat. We loved the second Maxwell sister’s story. Previously mated to a bad supernatural kitty, Rose is ready to take the world by storm. No one can stand in her way until the sexy part demon veterinarian finds his way in. Damian should be a slam dunk new lover interact but no, Asher throws us for a delightful hoop. Damian has a hex placed on him - we learn all about him and his hex across this captivating novel.

The Maxwell sisters continue to be a delight and we are left with an HEA that is awesome. I’m sooooo anticipating olive’s story next.

Highlights:

🪄 A hex to end all hexes
🐴 animal sanctuary hijinx
🧙‍♀️ witchy heroine
😈 demon love interest
👯‍♀️ sister love that cannot be replaced


Thank you Net Galley and St. Martin’s Press for the ARC. All opinions here are my own.

The best way to describe Not Your Exes Hexes is the story of a witch who has a one night stand with a demon and ends up fully entangled in his life afterwards. It is quite steamy with magic, a supernatural theme and a wild horse that needs a gentle touch. Clearly way off base from what I normally read but it was a fun one. Nice to mix it up and I was definitely entertained in this made up world. It is part of a series so I need to go back and read the first one.

A lot of fun! I really enjoyed the pop culture references. Cute little paranormal romance! This was fun to read and I will check out other books from this author!

In this sequel to "Not the Witch You Wed." "Not Your Ex's House follows along Rose and Damian. April Asher did a fantastic job a building up this world, connecting the characters from both books. I absolutely love the grumpy x sunshine trope and this book was no exception. I loved getting to laugh and fall in love with Damian, the grumpy half-demon or should I say complete cinnamon roll! Rose is such a great independent woman that has us swooning for her romance development. You want steam? You got it! The spice is well integrated into the novel as we watch the chemistry between the main characters grow. Highly recommend this novel!

I enjoyed this book so much. It’s got strong characters and an interesting plot. I love reading about the witchy world that goes on behind the knowledge of clueless humans.
Damian is a handsome vet and a reformed demon who takes in abused animals. He was hexed by an ex-girlfriend, the result being the loss of his humanity if he falls in love again.
Rose has spent her life learning how to be the next Prima, until her older sister’s magic appeared. Now she’s trying to find a job she’s passionate about.
Rose is sentenced to community service by the witch’s council and meets Damian. They have insane chemistry but Damian has cut himself off from women. Rose has adventures while she’s trying to find her calling, and Damian is there to help her.
Damian knows he must stay away from Rose, but he can’t help himself.
This is a great paranormal romance, 5 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.

I really enjoyed this book which I thought was so much better then book one. This book follows a different sister who has a one night stand with a half-demon vet and is sentenced to his animal sanctuary for community service only to decide they should be friends with benefits. Asher did such an amazing job with this book and thought that the writing improved in this book. The story was so much more enjoyable and and as I already knew about the world, I felt more connected to the story. This one was less political based compared to the first one which kept me hooked to the story but there were also not many huge conflicts. The pacing was perfect and the dual perspective.

Rose and Damian are the main characters in this book and I really enjoyed reading about them. Rose just left the council and has to do community service but is such a sweetheart. Then there is Damian who is the half-demon veterinarian and really hot. Also a sweetheart. I have to say that they didn't have much character development in the book but I enjoyed reading their story. There are also many side characters some which you have seen from the first book and some new ones. The romance is a friends with benefits tropes and there's a lot of bantering also chemistry between the main couple. I really enjoyed the romance which was steamy and just cute.

The ending was well done but I bit fast in my opinion. I really enjoyed this story though and is so far my favorite book of the series. I'm really excited to read the third sister's book because I think that the book will also be great. I did have some minor issues with this book but overall it was a really great story. So much better then the first one. I do recommend reading this book especially if you love contemporary paranormal romance books.

Not Your Ex's Hexes
April Asher
St. Martin's Press
Pub. Date: 7 Feb. 2023

April Asher's second book in the Supernatural Singles follows Rose Maxwell, a witch, as she searches for what she wants to do with her life. Following a series of mishaps such as a one night stand with a grumpy half-demon, a failed animal rescue, and a friends with benefits contract, Rose slowly finds her way in life and love.

Positives: A cute fantasy romance with nice, blended world building, quick pacing, and simple writing style. Even though this is the second novel in a trilogy, readers don't need to have read the first book to be able to seamlessly slide into Rose's story.

Negatives: The pop culture references were a bit much for me, but that is entirely a personal preference.

Overall, I felt this was a good, quick read that kept me interested in the story even though you always know what is going to happen in this type of romance. Fans of romance, fantasy, a sweet cute reads will enjoy this work by April Asher.

Thank you NetGalley and publisher for the dARC of this work in exchange for my honest review.

To start - I mistakenly requested this, and felt obligated to read it despite it definitely not being my genre. Lol I thought this was a cozy mystery when I put in the request.
I am not a romance or smut reader, so I won’t try to rate that aspect of the book due to my unfamiliarity with the genre
But what I can talk about is the quality of the writing.
It opens with a horrible failure of a simile, writes that heels and rabbit slippers are the only two shoe options a female has, mentions repeatedly how often Rose uses her adult toy, and thinks it’s okay to describe eczema-prone skin in the same sentence as being hot to trot.
And I’m not saying I need clinical terms, but the book uses the barf-inducing terms “folds” and “her mound” when writing about Rose’s business. Please bleach this from my brain.
Of course his name is Damien and he’s part demon. Can writers ever think of a different name to associate with the underworld?
There were some inconsistencies and it was quite hard to fathom that Rose, being a super powerful witch, didn’t understand how a soul hex worked.
I did like that Rose is supposed to be a bit on the chunkier side of the scale, and loved all of the scenes at the sanctuary that involved the animals.
Rating: 3 rounded up from 2.5 (I can’t be sure how much of that rating is me hating the genre, and me trying to compensate for the hate)

Love a good paranormal romance!
I hadn't read the first one which I think was ok. I don't think I missed anything but I need to go back and read it.
Damien sounds so hot, half demon, broody, with chin length hair and he's a veterinarian.
Rose stepped down from leading the witches council and can't hold job. Shes stuck doing community service at Damian's animal sanctuary. The forced proximity starts a interesting arrangement between the two.
These two have major chemistry but there's a hex that might get in the way of they catch feelings.
✨ Friends with benefits
✨ Forced proximity
✨ Demon hunting
✨ Witches and Hexes

Thank you stmartinspress and netgalley for the e-ARC for my honest and voluntary review.

*Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin’s Griffin publishing for allowing me to read and review is ARC.*

Fun, spicy, and character driven! If you were a fan of “Not the Witch You Wed,” you’ll love following Rose as she finds purpose and passion after living her life in training as the next Prima. After and ill fated horse napping, Rose is sentenced to community service with Damien, a former one night stand, at his animal sanctuary.

I loved Rose’s and Damien’s arch, as the book was spicy, but still had heart and a story. As I read the book, I found I had to tell every one I knew that they had to read this book if they were a fan of urban fantasy and romance.

Solid 4 out of 5 stars!

I did not love Not the Witch You Wed and I thought it was the plot itself but now that I’m on book two of this series I’ve now figured out exactly what is it that bothers me. It isn’t something strictly about this book but a way of writing that is often popular in paranormal rom-coms. If an author decides to make their characters paranormal then I want to see their abilities, otherwise why make them paranormal at all? I’m not entirely certain what Damian’s abilities really are even having now finished the book. As for Rose we mostly just get told she’s a witch time and again. Magical realism is fine but I can do without changing slang so that the word witch appears on almost every page of the book, i.e. “witch shit” or “witch sitting” or “wing witch.” The term witch appears 211 times in the book, lest we forget Rose is an actual witch because her use of magic is almost non-existant in the first half of the book. 

For the first part of the novel it really is her entire being and being a witch should really just be a part of her. The argument can be made that this over exaggeration and over reliance on her witchiness lessens as she starts to experience the world on her own terms and with the evolution of the romance. So I’m willing to overlook the rather exaggerated dialogue because the actual romance was delightful. It features the friends with benefits trope as well as the (repressed) alpha trope. Damian is a half-demon fighting his better (or in his case worse?) half and runs an animal sanctuary while operating a veterinary clinic 😍. He’s basically a demon dreamboat and for that reason I’m here for this book.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press for providing an ARC through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

The only thing better than having lots of great witchy reads to devour during spooky season is having lots of great witchy reads to enjoy throughout the entire year. I’m especially loving the witchy rom com trend and so couldn’t resist requesting a review copy of Not Your Ex’s Hexes, the latest installment in April Asher’s Supernatural Singles series.

Not Your Ex’s Hexes is a sexy, magical, grumpy-sunshine delight! It follows Rose Maxwell, a sassy, headstrong witch who, after having recently stepped down from the Supernatural Council, is now trying to find her path in life. All she knows at this point is that she is not looking for love. Sex, yes. Love, no. She goes to a bar and sets her sights on Damian Adams, a sexy half-demon who is the perfect candidate for a one-night stand. Once her sexual needs have been attended to, the next item on Rose’s to-do list is to rescue some abused horses she saw in a field. What Rose doesn’t learn until she is caught by the police, is that the abused horses had actually already been rescued. The field she saw them in was part of an animal sanctuary that is run by none other than Damian Adams, her one-night stand who also happens to be a veterinarian. To make matters even more awkward, Rose is sentenced to community service at the sanctuary so she’ll have to work in close quarters with Damian.

You guys, this was such a fun read! I loved both Rose and Damian. Rose is smart, sassy, and just brimming with energy and enthusiasm, especially when she learns the sanctuary is in financial trouble. She makes coming up with ways to save the sanctuary her mission in life, even if she drives Damian crazy in the process. Damian is a sexy, broody guy who is very much trying to keep his inner demon at bay. He may be grumpy and gruff on the outside, but deep down, he’s really just an animal-rescuing cinnamon roll. Like Rose, Damian is also not looking for love, primarily because he was hexed by a former girlfriend and literally cannot let himself fall in love or he will lose his soul. Damian is attracted to Rose though so when she suggests the two of them engage in a no-strings continuation of their one-night stand, Damian readily agrees. Will the two of them be able to keep things casual? If they can’t, what about Damian’s curse?

Filled with sexy, steamy scenes, magical hijinks, demon hunting, and an array of adorable rescue animals, Not Your Ex’s Hexes has a little something for everyone!

I loved this book and was a good edition to the series. Rose is sent to the animal sanctuary for community service after a misunderstanding between the owner and her sisters. She starts working with their grumpy owner and wins him over eventually. She became a part of the team but was still trying to find her purpose.

Damian tries to avoid rose at all costs but he eventually fails . He can’t fall for anyone because of the soul hex he received as a teen. The hex will cause him to lose his soul if he goes all in then his demon half will fully take over.
They decide to try just a casual thing but after time they both catch feelings try as they might .
There were some definite funny moments in this book and I think was written really well.

Terrific second entry in an exciting, paranormal-romance series

Though each book in this series can stand alone, because it has no cliffhangers, I highly recommend that you read Book 1, Not the Witch You Wed, before reading this book, because it is wonderful and will greatly enhance your enjoyment of this book. Also, if you read these two books out of order, because the events in this book occur shortly after the end of NTWYW, this book (and my review of it) contains spoilers for it.

Rose Maxwell is part of a Magical Triad, a set of triplets born 33 years ago, who are descendants of a powerful witch lineage. A Magical Triad is a rare phenomenon that leads to extraordinary powers in the first-born, who ultimately becomes a Prima Witch. Violet’s grandmother, Edie Maxwell, was born as part of a Magical Triad 74 years ago. There are 41 years between these two triads but, before that, there had not been a Magical Triad for nearly 150 years. As Prima Witch, Edie sits on the Supernatural Council and was personally responsible for the Supernaturals’ stepping out from the shadows 50 years ago, when she was only in her early twenties. She has also been instrumental in preventing numerous wars, both human and supernatural, and her magical power is so enormous, it could light up the entire Northeast electric grid. As the first-born (by just minutes) of herself and her two sisters, Rose and Olive, Violet was destined to be a Prima, and she ultimately fulfills that destiny in NTWYW. However, until not very long ago, everyone thought Violet was a dud, with no magical power. Because of that situation, the responsibility of becoming the next Prima was assumed to fall on Rose’s shoulders, as the next oldest of the triplets. As a result, she spent most of her life training for that overwhelming destiny. But now, with that oppressive weight off her shoulders, Rose is currently footloose and fancy free. In the spirit of a spontaneity she has never experienced before, she has a hotter-than-hell, one-night stand with Damian Adams, an utterly gorgeous, 34-year-old, half-Demon veterinarian. Afterwards, they both assume they won’t ever see each other again. Until the night that Rose attempts to rescue an obviously abused horse, only to discover, to her dismay, that the poor horse has already been rescued by Damian, and she has kidnapped the horse from the animal sanctuary that Damian oversees. Because Rose runs into legal trouble due to her altruistic misadventure, she is sentenced to pay reparations to Damian by engaging in community service at his animal sanctuary. In the midst of their forced proximity, it is impossible for them to ignore their blazing attraction, but since both are commitment-phobes, they mutually agree to engage in a temporary, no-strings affair.

I had high hopes for this book, because I loved Violet’s story in NTWYW, and I was not disappointed. NYEH is every bit as romantic, sexy, and packed with adventure, and Rose herself is as dynamic and enthralling a heroine as Violet.

Rose’s opposite number, Damian, is a wonderful version of the “wounded romance hero.” His backstory is tragic, but in spite of it, he has built a vital, compassionate career saving animals—which is quite an unexpected choice for someone with a demonic ancestry.

This main plot of this paranormal romance novel is the ever-popular trope, “fling to forever.” The romantic conflict is well motivated as to why neither wants to commit to anyone, not even the most ideal match either could ever hope to find—each other.

This novel is structured in the traditional, mainstream, romance-novel manner. It is written in the close-third-person point of view of both the romantic heroine and romantic hero; the romance is the central focus of the novel, and the author provides a comprehensive, well-motivated, HEA resolution of their romance.

The magical world-building in this series is not remotely as complex as in a typical, dark-drama, violent-action-packed, urban-fantasy series, such as those written by Ilona Andrews, Patricia Briggs or Jeaniene Frost. Nor is the world-building as extremely limited (and often inconsistent and sketchily motivated) as the world-building in slapstick-comedy, paranormal-mystery series such as those written by Lucy Score, Danielle Garrett, and Dakota Cassidy. It is somewhere comfortably in between. None of the supernaturals in the magical world of this novel have superpowers such as longevity and instant healing, and they age like humans and live a typical human lifespan. Possibly the author did not consider those abilities to be vital to her storytelling because her protagonists are not constantly subjected to grievous injuries, which are frequently created by the brutal battle scenes that occur incessantly in dark and dangerous urban fantasy. In this series, the tone is light, and often humorous. The occasional action scenes are neither bloody nor terrifying, and there is a main focus on romance rather than mayhem.

I am strongly anticipating the upcoming third novel in this series, starring Olive, and I am keeping my fingers crossed that Violet’s BFF, Bax, a sexy, badass, tattooed guardian angel, will be the romantic hero, in an opposites-attract pairing with Olive. I am also very much hoping that Violet’s other BFF, Harper, a virgin succubus (what a concept!) gets her own novel as well.

My only quibble with this book is with the unappealing cartoon cover. Though Violet and Olive are described as short and “curvy,” Rose is not. She is tall with a lean “shifter build.” In addition, Damian doesn’t have a beard, and is a lot taller and broader than Rose. Unfortunately, in the cartoon drawing, he seems to be her same height and about half her width. Not only that, both of them are wearing ugly clothing, like something out of the 1950’s, that is not their style.

I rate this book as follows:

Heroine: 5 stars
Hero: 5 stars
Subcharacters: 5 stars
World-building: 4 stars
Romance Plot: 5 stars
Action-Adventure Plot: 5 stars
Writing: 5 stars
Overall: 5 stars

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley and am voluntarily leaving a review.