I think my new type in paranormal romance has to be grumpy half demon vets who run animal sanctuaries. There’s just something about a man who doesn’t like people but loves taking care of neglected animals that just warms my heart.

This book has a little bit of everything you could ask for; a curvy FMC, steamy banter, tons of angst, a little grumpy/sunshine action, and of course romance. Plus we have a behind the scenes view of what it’s like when a witch who has been training for one position for most of her life steps down and has to find a new path.

I really enjoyed this read, I’m definitely an animal person so watching how Rose and Damian interacted with them (especially with Bella) just made me happy. Through in the deliciously angsty romance (I mean these two were constantly flirting with each other) and I knew this was the read for me. Perfect for anybody wanting a read with some spooky vibes that can be enjoyed year round.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s press for gifting me a copy of this book in exchange for my review.

I had a difficult time really getting into this novel as there was a lot of different supernatural characters and storylines to keep up with. I feel as though it would have been better for me had I been exposed to the first in the series prior to reading.
But I will say that the details were great and I felt like the author did a great job setting the different scenes. This may be a book I re-approach at a different time when my mom brain can keep track of everything.

GENERAL INFO

Year Pub/Re Pub: 2/7/23

Book's cover: love the pink color

Format: e-book

Source: arc provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Page Count: 335

Book's Price: $10.99 kindle

Price I'd Value: $8.99

Setting: NYC and its boroughs

Genre: Paranormal Romance

Tropes: grumpy H, forced proximity, one night stand

Standalone/Cliffhanger/Part of a Series: Book#2 Supernatural Singles

HEA/HFN ending: HEA

Epilogue Included: yes, Olive's move in day

Character(s)POV Spoken: H/h

M/F-M/M-M/M/F-etc: M/F

Representation: animal lovers

Contains Cheating: no

Contains Children: no

Flashbacks: Damian at 16 yrs. old as a hunter, meeting Miguel

Jealy/Possy/OTT H/h : a little. Damian wants Rose exclusively even though they are not in a relationship.

Amount of Sex In The Book: their 1st one night stand-off page and 2nd hook up @ Damian's place

Overall Smex Rating: 4

CHARACTER DESCRIPTION

Hero: Damian Adams

Hero Description: 34, half demon veterinarian@ Marisol Animal Sanctuary and Clinic. Hexed at 16-when he finds his true love his demon side will take over his heart and soul forever. Dislikes being around people, can't get too close because of the curse. Was the Underworld's most notorious hunter of bad super naturals.

Hero Likability Rating: 4

Hero loves books/writing: no, loves animals more than people.

Heroine: Rose Maxwell

Heroine Description: 32, A witch who manifested powers @8 yrs. old, was the Prima Apparent-trained all her life for the job. Trying to find her passion, changes jobs a lot. Had one night stand w/ Damian at sister's Bonding ceremony. Caught trying to steal horses, punished with community service w/ Damian at the clinic.

Heroine Likability Rating: 4

Heroine loves books/writing: no, loves her sisters most

Secondary characters:
Violet-Rose's sister, fraternal triplet-the oldest, just bonded and true mated w/ Lincoln. Didn't get her magical powers until 32 yrs. old. Traded places w/ Rose as Prima Apparent

Olive-Rose's sister, fraternal triplet-the youngest, lawyer turned Supernatural Studies Professor @ NYU
Harper Jacobs-succubus demon licensed sex therapist, friend to Rose-works @ Potions Up -a supernatural bar

Lincoln-Damian's bff and Alpha of the North American pack

Terrance Yoshida-Human teen volunteering @ the animal clinic

Miguel Sanchez-father figure to Damian, retired veterinarian

Christina Maxwell-Rose's mother

Edie Maxwell-Rose's g-mother and current Prima-leader of all witches

Julius Kontos-Damian's demon half-brother on the Supernatural Council

Ezeil-Damian's father, prince of Hell

H /h RELATIONSHIP INFO
Endearments: "little witch"-Damian to Rose

OW/OM/Exes: Rose's ex Valentin Bisset-the old European alpha. Damian's ex gf neighbor witch who hexed him, so he only does "one and done" w/women.

Cheating Before/During/Outside H/h Relationship: no

CONTENT WARNINGS/TRIGGERS: animal cruelty

AUTHOR OVERVIEW: April Asher

PERSONAL OVERVIEW

Overall Rating: 4

COMMENTS/NOTES: I would recommend reading Not the Witch You Wed first, because this book continues where it left off. Definitely reminds me of Juliette Cross witch series with each sister's love story. The only thing I disliked was you have to read through some fodder -meaning the book could have been 50 pages lighter. Even so, I love witches/demons/angels/shifters mating stories.

I wanted to love this one, I usually really enjoy witchy reads, but it ended up being just an okay read for me. I think I might have enjoyed it more if I had read the first in the series; at times I felt a little lost with the characters. (I will add that they ended up referencing huge events that I think will entirely spoil the first book plot, so if you want to read the first book be sure to do that before picking up this one.)

I did like the characters and there were cute elements throughout the book, but the enemies-to-lovers and the "friends with benefits" tropes dragged on a bit too long, taking some of the fun out of the book.

Heroine at loose ends meets hero ducking their past in this fun, cute romance/urban fantasy. It reads fast and easy-perfect for winter evenings/beach reads. The world building is interesting as I feel like there's a lot of stuff just waiting to happen in the future.

I wanted to love the second installment in the Supernatural Singles as much as I loved the first, but I didn’t. Don’t get me wrong, I still loved it, but it was lacking in a few areas. First, there was so much potential for Rose at the animal sanctuary (obviously she has a gift with animals) but they made her “calling” be hunting. I wish they’d just let that plot point die out. I also felt like Rose’s character kept being pushed to be like Vi. In the first book it was mentioned several times how different the Maxwell Triplets personalities are, but they don’t seem that much different. Second, it wasn’t as funny. Give me more Harper! She’s definitely my favorite character, and if my suspicions are correct, I cannot wait until we get to her book. Lastly, I wish there had been a little bit more to the plot than basically just their love story. In the first, we were breaking down generational barriers but in this one other plots were mentioned (i.e. the sanctuary, hunting, the hex, even Olive) but nothing was quite filled out. Though I did enjoy the hex part, I wish it had been a little less anticlimactic.
I’ll add that I enjoyed the extra spice between Damian and Rose. The humor is still there. And I was super glad that we still get glimpses into what’s going on with Vi and becoming the Prima Apparent. Four stars (probably just because I LOVED the first so much)

I enjoyed this book! It wasn’t as good as the first novel in the series, but the female protagonist was relatable. The love story was also pretty steamy!

Second-born Maxwell triplet Rose is looking for her new purpose after her older sister comes into power as the next Prima Apparent. Rose had been training to be the next Prima (most important witch) as older sister Violet didn't have any magic until -surprise!- it showed up in her 30s. Rose is happy to give up the high-stress job, but it means she's a little directionless. After a mishap, she gets sentenced to community service at a local animal clinic and meets hot vet and demon Damian where they strike up an arrangement to hook up but never get serious. In a twist, Damian has a hex on him where if he ever falls in love, he will lose his soul, so he's serious when he says he can never be anything more to Rose. But don't worry - there's still a HEA. :)

There's a lot to like with these characters but the overdramatics and forced coolness of grandma Edie were tough for me to take. Also the path from "friends with benefits" arrangement to being in love felt very quick. I would have liked them to have more time getting into shenanigans and hooking up than catching feelings after two weeks.

Also - can we please stop with the mates trope? I'm real over this trend in fantasy.

I think many people will like this book and the rest of the series for the formulaic writing and familiar tropes, but I needed a bit more depth.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press, St. Martin's Griffin, NetGalley and the author for the Advanced Reader's Copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I loved April Asher's Not the Witch You Wed, and as soon as I got an email that this one was available on NetGalley, I NEEDED it! I tried using it as my reward for finishing up another NetGalley book that was publishing sooner, but it just wasn't working. So I realized I should stop punishing myself, switched gears, and read this one as quickly as humanly possible. And it was delightful!

I love the world that April has built. The integration of magic and the supernatural with everyday life is well done. I really enjoyed seeing how Rose needed to redefine herself and how she did it all with snark and fun references. Every time there was a detail where I thought "now what happened with that...?" the book answered those questions beautifully.

Overall, this is a great contemporary, supernatural romance. With forced proximity and grumpy sunshine, what's not to love?

I had a lot of fun reading Not the Witch You Wed last year, so I was super excited to dive into Rose’s story Not Your Ex’s Hex! Rose has trained her whole life to be the next Prima of the Supernatural Council, but now that her sister has gotten her powers, she has to find a new path, and after a well-intentioned mishap causes her to do community service, she lands at an animal sanctuary run by grumpy veterinarian Damian Adams. Damian is a half-demon cursed by an ex, and once the two start a friends with benefits relationship, things get complicated. I loved the magic society in this book, I wish there had been more just on that because it was such an interesting society! But as a grump/sunshine romance too, it’s just a joy. Rose and Damian push each other and their banter is so good! Every time he calls her Little Witch, I just swooned, and their chemistry together was just spot on. Rose too is sharp and sarcastic and I loved the Buffy the Vampire Slayer references she makes. She’s got such a big heart too, and I loved her as a heroine. Damian too is all angst and alpha, and he’s just so sexy and caring. And just like in Not the Witch You Wed, I loved the dynamics of the other characters too. They add such dimension to the world and the characters. This is a great follow up in this Supernatural Singles series, and I’m really looking forward to more!

In not realizing this was actually the second book in the series, I picked this up because it sounded really fascinating.

A one-night-stand between a willful witch and a broody half-demon conjures an adventure that wouldn’t be complete without several magical mishaps.

I do have to say if I had to choose between Rose and Damian, I would choose Damian. Don't get me wrong, Rose sounds like she would be fun to go exploring and get in trouble with. But Damian has fascinating layers I kind of would like to explore. I have a feeling if the book were a little longer, we would find out quite a seedy past that was just beginning to come to play for him. I do love how these characters really worked off each other though. Yes, they're both willful to their own level, but they don't let the other get away with it. That push and pull is gratifying as a reader.

I also love the level of world building we got in this. For a romantic fantasy, I thought it was really well done. Especially as this hits me as urban fantasy, more than straight fantasy. I felt like Asher made sure to create a lot of rules for different characters and races, the world in general, etc. I appreciate that as a fantasy fan.

Overall, I really loved this and ended up going back and adding the first book in the series to my to-read list.

Thank you so much for the ARC.

Perfect Supernatural Rom Com! I always love a witchy supernatural and grumpy to sunshine book. This book did not disappoint at all! You will also get laugh out loud moments. So if those are a few of your favorite things then I would highly recommend this book.

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for allowing me to read this arc in advanced.

Thank you April Asher, NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the ability to read this ARC!

Admittedly, it took me a lot longer to get into this than I had anticipated, BUT I know that’s only because I had read entirely way too many romances in a row.

Once I got the ball rolling, I ate this up. It’s your classic grumpy vs sunshine, forced proximity, & fated mates trope and I loved every second. Rose and Damian had amazing banter, and the description of their chemistry was incredible, and so tangible i could have cut it with a knife.

Overall, I really enjoyed this, and I can’t say there is anything I did not like about it.

Also- I knew it was a sequel, and I knew I recognized Violet and Lincoln but it was until after that I released from where. I love the connections, and I love how this sequel sets you up for the next book. I am so excited to read about Olive and Bax because I have grown to love them over the last two novels.

4.5⭐️ rounded up
Another great one by April Asher! This is book 2 of the Supernatural Singles series so if you haven’t read Not the Witch You Wed, stop right here and go read it, you’re welcome 😉

Full disclosure, in book one Rose was definitely not my favourite sister, I didn’t håtē her… I just preferred the other 2 sisters 🤷🏻‍♀️ that being said I’m SO glad I got to meet her! While she’s not as exuberant as Vi is, she’s smart, fearless, witty and actually quite funny!

But… BUT! The real star of this book is Dr. McGrumpy Pants. Dr. Damian Adams. Vet extraordinaire and broody smeggsy half-demon. I can’t begin to tell you how hard I fell for this MMC!

I really enjoyed Rose and Damian’s journey. There’s was more back story, and the characters felt more “mature” too. There’s also a certain shower scene that will live rent free in my mind for a while 😏

The only thing that bothered me a little was that their story was similar to Vi and Linc's. I would have liked it to be something totally different, but then again... why change something that works?

𝗣𝗶𝗰𝗸 𝘂𝗽 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗯𝗼𝗼𝗸 𝗶𝗳 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗹𝗶𝗸𝗲:
😈Forced proximity
😈Grumpy/sunshine
😈Alpha smeggsy half-demons
😈True mates
😈… until her

𝗦𝗽𝗶𝗰𝗲 🌶️🌶️.5
Action ⚔️⚔️
Entertainment 🍿🍿🍿🍿🍿

𝘛𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘬 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘵𝘰 𝘕𝘦𝘵𝘎𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘺, 𝘚𝘵.𝘔𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘪𝘯’𝘴 𝘗𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘈𝘱𝘳𝘪𝘭 𝘈𝘴𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘷𝘪𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘮𝘦 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘢 𝘤𝘰𝘱𝘺 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘦𝘣𝘰𝘰𝘬 𝘪𝘯 𝘦𝘹𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘢𝘯 𝘩𝘰𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘳𝘦𝘷𝘪𝘦𝘸

A delightful read! I definitely think I would have enjoyed this one more had I read the first one in the "series" prior to, but it still was super enjoyable. The characters felt lively and I enjoyed reading about their journeys as they progressed through the book. I didn't feel as strong of a connection to the characters as much as I would have wanted, but again, I think that comes up to the fact that I didn't read the first one. I want to read the first one and then come back to this one to see if I would end up enjoying it more.

I received an arc copy if this book on NetGalley. Not Your Ex’s Hexes is a cute grumpy sunshine romance. Going in I didn’t realize this was the second book in a series but I was not lost in the story. Some previous events are mentioned but they don’t factor into the main characters of this book. I enjoyed the dynamic between Rose and Damian. Rose has been raised to fulfill a certain role her whole life but now things have changed and she needs to discover what she wants to be and do. Into her enters Damian after a well intentioned misunderstanding. Damian is a grumpy vet with some unresolved issues. This book has a great mixture of side characters that will keep you entertained. It follows the typical romance format. If you are looking for a cute romance with a sprinkle of snark and humor this is the book for you.

I’m going to be honest I was a little bit lost in this book because I haven’t read the first book. I didn’t even know there was a first book to this. Not until after I read this one.

It was a good story. I just didn’t know what was going on. Not having read the first book in the series.

Rose Maxwell spent her entire life training to be the next Prima on the Supernatural Council, but now that she has stepped down, she doesn't know what to do with herself. When an attempt to save injured horses goes wrong, Rose is sentenced to community service at the animal shelter run by Damian Adams, a grumpy half-demon veterinarian she can't get out of her head. Neither of them are looking for a relationship, but their sparkling attraction cannot be ignored. To make it worse, Damian's ex's hex will make him lose his humanity along with his heart if he ever falls in love. This second book in the Supernatural Singles was just as fun as the first! The entire cast of characters from the first book are in the second, and I loved every scene with the quirky side characters! I also loved getting to see a more relaxed Rose, she was so uptight as she tried to be perfect in the first book, but she is such a fun character in this book. I also loved the grumpy-sunshine relationship between Rose and Damian as he deals with his inner demon (literally), and she brings light and hope into his life.

Thank you to St. Martin's Griffin, Netgalley, and April Asher for an ARC in exchange for my honest review. I love this series and can't wait for the next book! The end of this story perfectly sets up Olive's story, and I can't wait to read it!

The Maxwell sisters are a mess and I am loving every second of it. Rose’s story was just as fun, chaotic and steamy as Vi’s story. From equine freedom capers to hunting wayward supernaturals, I was so there for it!

Can’t wait for Olive’s story!!

Not your Ex’s hexes By April Asher


PUB DATE: February 2,2023


My rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Spice level: 🌶🌶🌶


Reasons to read this book:
- [ ] Curvy FMC
- [ ] Fantasy world merged with current “norm” world
- [ ] MMC: Damian is a half demon that works with animals because he doesn’t like people around him. 🤗
- [ ] New England setting NY / MA
- [ ] The billiards scene 😩🤯 the tension between rose and Damian ughh
- [ ] Spicy 🌶 🌶🌶
- [ ] Quick read / easy read
- [ ] Grumpy x sunshine
- [ ] Friends with benefits (FCK Buddy)

Damian was a man after my own heart. His childhood was horrible and he had family issues , Like hello so relatable . I instantly rooted for this man to have a better life. He was just like the animals that he took in to take care of. This man needed someone to help him heal and figure out his feeling. In comes fire cracker witch rose 🌹 !