You know, for not reading the first book and going into this one blind, it was so dang good!

I really enjoyed the relationship that the sisters have and it's made me interested in reading the first (even though I totally know how that story ends now.) Definitely want to read more by April Asher now!

This story was cute. Broody half-demon + sunshine witch + one night stand and then forced proximity = amazing tension and spice.

Super thankful to St. Martin's Press for sending me this book to read and review ahead of publishing. 💛

I loved the character development of Rose and Damian.

Rose is a sassy witch trying to find her way in the world after stepping down as Prima Apparent. I liked how she was written to find herself and learn to speak up for herself. I felt like she is relatable in a lot of ways.

Damian is a badass demon who is trying to overcome his dark past and be a better person. When he meets Rose, all hell breaks loose. He doesn't want attachments, but can't help it with Rose.

I felt like this story was well written and easy to get into. However, I felt like the segues into new chapters was a little choppy for me. It almost felt like starting a new story. However, this is a great book to escape into.

This was a super cute read I read it so quickly and couldn't put it down read it in a day and really enjoyed it.

Absolutely adorable! I'm going to have to go find the first book in the series because the Maxwell sisters are enchanting in every way possible. I love the Grumpy/Sunshine pairing and Damian/Rose do not disappoint. The magic is fun, but not the main focus of the plot. It mostly provides a fun addition to the adventures they go on. The spice is mild (only a couple of full encounters with some implied encounters otherwise) but when it is there it is excellent. The plot is fun and different, but also really engaging. All of the characters bring their own wit and fun to the plot and just make me want to see more of this world.

If you are looking for a cheesy, Zootopia, low stakes, paranormal romance, then look no further, this book is for you. I need to preface this by saying that I didn’t read book one and I don’t think it is necessary to understand this book.

Rose Maxwell was trained to become the leader of witches her entire life, so when her sister finally comes into her powers and claims the spot, she’s left with no purpose. She finds herself stuck doing community service at an animal sanctuary owned by the hot as hades, half-demon, veterinarian, Damian Adams, who also happens to be a former one-night-stand. When the two can’t deny their attraction any longer, they agree on a friends with benefits arrangement while Rose completes her service hours and tries to find her calling. Damian can’t start falling for Rose though because of an ex’s hex, if he does, he’ll lose his humanity.

I wanted to like this, but wanted to DNF it so many times. I don’t like to DNF ARCs though, so I continued on. I thought the idea was cutsey, but the execution, and story line was boring and flat. The dialogue was super cringey. It felt very forced and not like how people would actually talk to each other. Rose is 33, and the amount of times she calls Damian a “jerk,” “ass,” or “grumpy pants” was very juvenile. Damian is mid 30’s as well and referred to himself as Dr. Grumpy Pants. It was supposed to come off as funny/cute or endearing, but just read cringe to me.

The jokes seemed out of place, and reminded me a bit of cheesy fantasy shows on Hulu. While out bounty hunting demons, Damian and Rose would “bicker” and make corny jokes and the target (a “dangerous” demon) would joke back. It was all very sitcom *crowd laughs here,” to me.

The reviews are almost all positive, so maybe this just wasn’t for me. The writing style is definitely not for me.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

2 ⭐️
0.75 🌶️

I was really excited to read this book because the first one was a 5-star read to me. When I got approved for this ARC through NetGalley, I decided to also re-read the first book as an audiobook at the same time.

And that duality did me no favors in liking this book. There is repetition that just takes away from the fun of either book.

The main characters have been with each other in the past but somehow are acting like enemies now. I can see the author trying to give us the flavor of that enemies to lovers trope. But why? In the first book, there was some reason to it. He had stood her up. In this one, they had a one-night stand. There’s no reason for animosity.

In both cases, they do some casual sport together. In the first book, it’s bowling. In this one it’s pool.

Both books have the heroine falling off a ladder and the hero catching her.

But what really got me was how the author has given Rose a personality transplant. She’s no longer the super responsible, ultra-competent witch… she’s now unsure of herself and takes dangerous chances. Somewhat like Violet from the first book.

In addition, this book has that exhausting trope of “we can’t be together because of reasons”. They want to make sure “this is just a physical relationship… no one catch feelings”. It’s exhausting. A fellow reviewer describes this as negative motivation and it gets tired real quick.

I am not in the mood to keep reading through annoyance. I probably shouldn’t have tried reading these books simultaneously. Now, I have fewer favorable thoughts about the first book. It was a fun one-off. But sadly, the author didn’t keep it going with this one. I’m disappointed and stopped reading around 44% in.

Rose Maxwell has relinquished her role as Prima Apparent now that her slightly older sister, Violet, has finally manifested her magical abilities. She does not mind no longer having that role, but it has left her at loose ends, with no clear plan for her future. Half-demon Damian Adams is a veterinarian, and with few exceptions, prefers animals to people/supernatural beings. He is struggling to keep his veterinary clinic and animal sanctuary afloat. He could easily obtain the money he needs, as he was once the best Supernatural Bounty Hunter, but his demon side enjoyed the job too much, and Damian did not like who/what he was becoming.

Rose convinces her sisters and their friend, Harper, to help her "rescue" two horses that appear to be neglected. What Rose did not know (or bother to find out) is that the horses had already been rescued and their current location was an animal sanctuary where they were receiving proper care. The four of them are caught, and while the charges are dropped when the situation is explained, the Supernatural Council imposes its own punishment on the four women. Rose is given community service hours at the animal sanctuary with Damian. Rose and Damian had an enjoyable unplanned intimate encounter in the past but had not seen each other since then and had never planned to repeat it.

Rose and Damian do not get off to the best of starts when she begins her community service. They irritate and infuriate each other. However, the sexual tension and attraction is quite strong, and Rose will soon propose an "arrangement." The story contains multiple detailed intimate encounters. At times, it feels like the rest of the story was created just so the characters would have something to do between intimate encounters. However, there is a more involved plot centered around Rose's efforts to help make the animal sanctuary more financially secure; her discovery that she enjoys working with and is good at working with animals; and Damian coming to terms with events from his past that have made him avoid any chance at a permanent relationship.

The story has a lot of humorous moments and very enjoyable characters. The most interesting characters are actually the youngest Maxwell triplet, Olive, and the succubus, Harper. I hope they get their own books in the future (which seems likely, as "Not Your Ex's Hexes" is the second book in a series that started with a book focused on Violet Maxwell).

A stunning sequel to 'Not the Witch You Wed', 'Not Your Ex's Hexes' follows Rose and Damian, during their journey to love, after Rose - the former Prima Apparent - steps down from her position and decides to figure out what she wants her future to look like. If you haven't read Not the Witch You Wed, you'll want to before picking this up, as it really sets the stage for this paranormal universe, and establishes some of these characters.

April Asher is so good at writing a believable, fun romance, and you'll 100% want to pick this up! If you love grumpy x sunshine, well-developed female characters, urban fantasy mixed with humor, then this is definitely for you!!

(I'm also a sucker for Damian and I'm so glad we got their story).

Not Your Ex's Hexes is set to be published on February 7, 2023. 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.

Thank you Netgalley and publisher for an arc in exchange for my honest opinion.

Publication: February 7, 2023

I personally haven't read much fantasy/supernatural/paranormal so when I saw the premise of this book, I thought I would give it a try. Asher's writing was very easy to follow along and I found myself forgetting that I was reading! Asher did a good job with the world building so I found I could slip into the story easily.

However, I struggled with the paranormal parts mostly because I don't read this genre very often. Also, I felt that how Damian and Rose were described seemed like older teenagers (maybe ages 17-20). They were also described as in their thirties which is right in my age bracket. This stunted parts of the book for me. I will say grab a fan because those spicy scenes were spicy!

Perfect for fans: young adult, paranormal romance, supernatural romance, fall time reading

If you are a fan of the grumpy sunshine trope, this is the perfect book. I absolutely adored Not Your Ex's Hexes in ways that I can't even explain. Damian and Rose made me laugh and cry and fall in love with them on every single page. I fully blame this book for putting me into a witchy rom com mood. It had everything from supernatural creatures, a sexy half-demon, an independent witch, and amazing support characters. April Asher has beat out all the other authors and is officially my favorite author. I highly recommend reading this book! I'm obsessed.

Rose and Damian's story was delightful! This book doesn't have the problem of over-developing the world too quickly like its predecessor. There are definitely grumpy sunshine vibes and I love me some demon, or half-demon in this case, love. I really enjoyed how well-rounded Damian's character was and he and Rose together were super cute. The ending felt a little rushed so looking forward to seeing how the next book wraps everything up.

I received an advance review copy for free through NetGalley, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Thank you so much for the eARC in exchange for the honest review! Overall, I enjoyed it! And I love the plus sized rep. Unfortunately, I just was not expecting all the other paranormal creatures, and I was really hoping there'd be more focus on witches. Just not quite for me, but I can definitely see why people would enjoy it!

GENRE: Plus-Size, Witchy, Romance
RATING: 5/5
SPICE: 3/5

In the second novel featuring the Maxwell sisters, we are focused on Rose, the former Prima now witch-trying-to-find-herself-in-this-really-weird-world, a feeling man of us I think can relate to. If you loved April Asher’s first installment of this series, then you will absolutely adore this one. Especially since it features Damian, the sexy grump veterinarian half-demon. He is so dreamy. I thought I couldn’t like a male lead more than I liked Lincoln in “Not the Witch You Wed” but Damian really ups the ante. He is tough with a big heart running an animal sanctuary. Rose and Damian have such amazing chemistry, it’s almost hard to believe I was reading a book and not watching a film! I would pay my good well-earned money to see these books as a TV series or film series.

Asher does it again with this witchy romance, that not only leaves you utterly satisfied, but wanting more. It is witty, funny and filled with pop-culture and witch references that makes Asher a “instant-read” author for me.

I received a DIGITAL Advance Reader Copy of this book from #NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This book was incredibly cute and was so easy to read. I never read the first book in this series but you don't need to at all, it stands on its own. But after reading this I really want to go back and read the first book and any other books that come after this and check out this authors other books.

If you're interested in books with romance and supernatural elements then this book is perfect for you. I really loved the supernatural world and all the different creatures in this book.

The only real reason I knocked it down a star (basically a 4.5) was the plot point around Damian's hex. It might have just been me but it felt slightly clunky but it didn't really take away from everything else I loved about this book.

Such a cute book. Great banter and chemistry between the two MC. Look forward to the next book in the series.

3.5* rounded up

This was such a fun little ride! When I requested this book, I didn't realize it was part of a series. I had seen the first volume on NetGalley but had not requested it. So, before I read this, I read the first volume. I'm glad I did!

This is definitely a standalone romance between Rose and Damian. However, it is set in a supernatural world and a lot of the base explanations for that world and its rules are in the first novel in the series. It felt like the author assumed you'd read them in order. There was some explanation, but not a lot. Also, we follow the same characters and reading this without reading the first volume will ruin the first volume's story for you.

Thus far, volume one followed Violet and Lincoln and volume two follows Rose and Damian. Violet and Rose are two-thirds of the Magical Triad and triplets. They have a third sister named Olive, who's story I hope will be explored in a third volume in this world.

I liked this romance a lot because we see Rose change quite a bit. In volume one, she is a straight-edged, follow the rules woman. In this book, she starts that way and learns to grow and change and evolve. It was nice to see some good character development that was independent of, but adjacent to, a love interest.

Damian is every teen girl's bad boy fantasy. He's gorgeous and broody and in need of fixing. If Mr. Darcy wore a leather jacket, rode a motorcycle and had a traumatic past, he'd be Damian. While this isn't enemies-to-lovers (see book 1), there is a lot of banter and sexual tension. But, Rose doesn't fix Damian, which is such a nice change. His growth is also adjacent to Rose and his growing feelings for her. Yet they aren't co-dependent. It's a bit more mature than a typical romance.

Unfortunately, there was still some confusion in this world and how it works. Plus, it's a rom-com, so some decisions and events really don't make sense or have natural flow. Hence, the star rating. On the one hand I wanted this to flow perfectly and on the other I recognize that it is a rom-com and I am likely to scoff at it.

All in all, this world feels alive. I enjoyed the quick read and I want another few volumes because there are characters that need to find love and I want to read about it. I'm a sucker for supernatural romance and I'd definitely recommend this.

// ✨

Not Your Ex’s Hexes
(Supernatural Singles #2)
By April Asher

This standalone novel is the second novel in the Supernatural Singles series and it follows the oldest sister in the Maxwell triplets. I didn’t read the first novel (Not the Witch you Wed), I had no problem following along and really enjoyed it! It will spoil the first novel in terms of the ending, as this one picks up a couple of months after so you know how the first one ends, but now I can’t wait to read the first one.

I love the supernatural aspect of it, the writing was smooth and funny, the plot was perfectly timed, the development of the characters was perfect and so enjoyable! This novel did a wonderful job setting up the plot of the third novel, and I can’t wait to read the youngest sister story.

Rose and Damian are the perfect sunshine/ grumpy pair. Rose attempts to “recuse” horses by kidnapping them in the middle of the night, only the horses are at Damian’s animal sanctuary. This leads to Rose needing to complete community service at the sexy half demon’s sanctuary. This novel is the perfect amount of sexual chemistry, laugh-out-loud moments, and an engaging plot. Also, if your looking for delicious smut scenes, this novel has you covered. I love a no strings attached fling that evolves into a head over heads romance. I now have to go read Not the Witch you Wed, and wait till autumn to feel my witchy vibes.

I would like to thank St.Martin’s Griffin and NetGalley for the free ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Publication Date: February 7 2023

Romance Level: ❤️❤️❤️
Steam level: 🌶🌶🌶
Plot Points: 💥💥💥💥
Stars: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

A super enjoyable read about another one of the Maxwell triplets, as she recovers from events in the first book in the series. It isn't necessary to read the first book to enjoy this one, but I do think you will get more out of it if you understand a bit more about Rose's history, through the events of book one. A little bit of supernatural in this series where they coexist with "norms". Happy Rose got her HEA and I can't wait for the next book about the final Maxwell triplet!

Not Your Ex’s Hexes is a witchy romp of a good time! (That wasn’t as funny as I’d hoped) Well written with fun(ny) characters, spicy sexy times, and my weakness - authentic experiences and emotions. This second in the series satisfied what I wanted and expected from the author and story - hijinx, heart, humor, heat, and hexes. I love the Maxwell sisters and am so glad I read Rose’s story. And it might be cheesy, but following your magic because it will not lead you astray are probably some of my favorite literary words of wisdom.

I received an ARC courtesy of the publisher and NetGalley. The opinions and definitely kind of cringe review are my own.

I had a hunch that I would love this book, and it happened! Rose and Damian were everything!

Their relationship starts with a one night stand so that’s already a winner for me. Then the forced proximity and their opposite personalities did the rest. I enjoyed so much how they bonded thanks to the animals in the sanctuary! They had all the chemistry, and the steam was amazing because their banter made it funny but sexy at the same time. I also loved the touch of forbidden love since Damian is literally hexed to be ruled by his demon side if he falls in love… but he obviously can’t not fall for Rose. The romance was my most favorite part of the book, and I loved how everything was solved. Also, I loved Rose’s determination to find her true calling after stepping down as Prima Apparent. She’s a queen.

As in the previous book, I loved the Maxwell sisters so much! Rose, Vi and Olive are so cute. They’re so supportive and protective of each other! I can’t wait for Olive’s book. In fact, I already read between the lines in the first book and started seeing couple potential between her and Bax, and it was so obvious in this book! I really hope their book is next! Also, please, give Harper a bookie too, I don’t care she’s not a Maxwell sister! I love them all.

This series is funny, steamy, the characters are amazing and the magic is super cool. I’m very excited for more books by April.

Rating: 4/5
Steam level: Open door, 3-4 scenes, high level of detail

Thanks to St. Martin’s Griffin and NetGalley for my ARC. Opinions are my own!