It follows Dina Whitlock, a kitchen witch who runs a charming London café where the pastries are enchanted and the lattes come with a side of emotional clarity. But Dina’s love life? Cursed—literally. Every time she starts to fall for someone, they’re hit with a streak of terrible luck.
Set during a Halloween wedding weekend in the English countryside, the story is full of hedge mazes, candlelit palm readings, and a midnight ritual that might just change everything. It’s got cottagecore vibes, slow-burn romance, and a heroine learning to embrace her magic and her heart.

Thank you NetGalley and Dell for this witchy Arc!

Best Hex Ever was exactly the kind of magical rom-com I didn’t know I needed. Nadia El-Fassi delivers a sweet, heartwarming, and gently spicy debut that had me completely enchanted from the first page. As a fan of fantasy and contemporary romance with a magical twist, this book hit that perfect sweet spot between cozy and swoon-worthy.

Dina is a delight—warm, grounded, and deeply connected to her kitchen magic. Her café in London feels like a place I’d visit daily just for a hexed cinnamon roll and some herbal tea. The magic system, rooted in intuition, food, and nature, gave me total Practical Magic meets Legends & Lattes vibes, which I absolutely loved.

Scott and Dina’s romance is soft, genuine, and full of that butterflies-in-your-stomach energy. The cursed love life premise added just enough tension without ever feeling heavy, and watching Scott fall for Dina—despite the odds—was truly endearing. He’s basically the definition of a cinnamon roll love interest.

While this is more romance-forward than high fantasy, it still has enough magical realism to keep fantasy fans smiling. It’s warm, whimsical, and perfect for a cozy night in. If you love witchy vibes, baked goods, and love that feels a little fated, this book is for you.

Dina is a witch who works her best magic in the kitchen. This is why she runs a cafe. When Scott comes in for a coffee, sparks fly but he disappears before getting her number.
Chance would have them meet again with their friends getting married. They quickly get involved but Dina has a problem. She has been hexed in love and must find a way around it so she and Scott have a fighting chance.
Opinion
This was a super sweet read. The meet cute and following re-meet were quintessential for a romance that adds to the charm of this book. I enjoyed their courtship and the resolution of the hex. I think this book is a great summer/vacation read. It is light and fun and perfect for relaxation.
Many thanks to Net Galley and Random House Publishing Group for providing me with an ARC of this book.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher!
Exactly what they mean when they say “cozy romance”-with a firm side of absolute smut.
I’d totally be friends with this fabulous group of 3!

We get a cozy and magical setting, likable characters and some humor. It’s a perfect fall/October read. I mean spooky season but not really. Perfect for fall.

Another cute seasonal read. The books based around Halloween are some of my favorite books and I feel like this one hit the mark for me- it was exactly what I was looking for!

This was cute and cozy, however, I don't think paranormal romance is for me. I think the author did a great job of blending the paranormal with contemporary and also creating lovable characters. Ultimately, I think this was lacking in plot and chemistry.

A super fun, quick, spicy read. The perfect palate cleanser to cuddle up with on a rainy day. El-Fassi effortlessly gets you invested quickly in these two characters, with chemistry that sizzles off the page. I found myself shipping them from their first meet-cute. The sentient house was my favorite part of the story, though I also really liked the magic system with Dina's baking.

Real rating: 2.5 stars
First off, I would like to start off my review by thanking NetGalley and Dell Publishing for sharing an ARC of “Best Hex Ever,” by Nadia El-Fassi.
The things I enjoyed: I absolutely loved how the author’s dialogue included conversations about consent and contraception, showing that it is possible to have those types of discussions without it being awkward. Most books in my experience do not touch on those subjects. I love the awareness and education on that! I also enjoyed the main character, Dina, being a witch and using her kitchen magic. The author touched on that in the perfect way.
The things I did not enjoy: It was a very spicy read, which I was not aware of when I had requested the book or before I began reading it. Honestly, I found it to be a bit boring for my liking. I did not like how the main characters “fell in love” with each other over the course of a weekend. Personally, there was not the romantic connection I was hoping for. To me, it felt that Dina and the man she fell for, Scott, spent the entire book just lusting after each other, instead of a pure, genuine love.
Overall, I would say that the book itself was not bad, it is just not something I would intentionally chosen, had I known about the content. Other than that, there are definitely some people who I believe would enjoy the book a lot. However, I will not be recommending this book to my friends or family.

Final 3.5

Cute and surprisingly spicy. Moved a bit slow for me, especially in the beginning, but once the hex was revealed, it was a much easier and somewhat engaging read.

I will say that Dina was sort of uninteresting for her to be a witch, and I feel like a bit more could have been done with her character.

I did love how much Scott and Dina were pining after each other. They had great chemistry together.

Not a mind blowing romance read but definitely a cozy one for the fall.

Best hex themed story ever.

This was hot, sweet, and absolutely delectable, just like Dina’s baked goods (and our reverse Indiana Jones, Scott). It also asks the question if the love you want is worth the things you may have to face to get it.

I will definitely be re-reading this in the fall with a coffee and blanket, it’s a perfect cozy read. 5 stars.

This was such a feel good rom com. The FMC is so likable and I couldn’t help but root for her. My only wish is that there was more build up to their relationship. I’m not a fan of insta love.

I enjoyed this one for the most part, but this insta love was a little too much for me.
However, it does make a for a nice cozy fall read. I'm a sucker for witchy romances.
I just wish there was a little more tension involved.

Absolutely adorable! Super a cute feel good romcom! The first thing that hooked me was the cover and then the story kept my attention the whole time!

This was a cute/funny read!!!

Love the magic aspect and the found family in here

Loved the healing the fmc went through to discover herself again

This is a wonderful
Story. The world building is just so beautiful. I loved all the little details. How everything is not perfect and human flaw still exist. The characters are so vivid and very vibrant. I loved them. Such self reflection and humanity that causes the real issue not what you would expect. The plot was a joyful ride with just the right amount of twists. Martin made me laugh. I highly recommend this book. It is a great touching belly laughing romance.

This was a cosy fun time and much spicier than I anticipated. Loved the mouthwatering recipes especially!

Thank you, Netgalley, the author, Random House Publishing for the gifted e-book! ❤️ #gifted. My review is comprised of my honest thoughts.

Read this book if you like: Family curses/hex, paranormal, spicy

I enjoyed this one. It was cozy, funny, and spicy. It was a bit too insta love for me, but it was a good read.

✨ ARC Review✨

Rate: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️✨

I was actually surprised by how much I enjoyed this book! This was a new author for me and I can't wait to read more from her. I loved the witchy and cozy vibes it had! And the SPICY! LORD!

Dian's a witch who owns a cafe in London and wish I could visit it! The setting for the story is perfect and who doesn't like a cafe with rainy weather?! Especially with a chai and a good book! I loved how Dina’s Moroccan background is woven into the story. It gives her character so much depth, and the whole book feels even more special with that cultural touch.

Dian believes that she is cursed since whenever she tries to get close to someone, bad luck follows...

However, in walks Scott, just back from traveling the world after taking time to heal from past heartbreaks. He’s ready to be the best man at his friend’s wedding.

Que the cute meet up! By chance, Scott and Dian meet at her cafe and their attraction to each other is magic! While the sparks are there, they go their separate way. That is until they are unexpectedly reunited as maid of honor and best man at their close friend's wedding.

As the wedding progresses, Dina and Scott are forced to spend more time together and even "forced" to be roommate :p

Their attraction is undeniable and the SPICY was everything I wanted! And it worked so well because their chemistry felt real, they had communicated and their backstory added depth to their relationship.

I love a strong female lead and friend group! Also, the guys weren’t afraid to show their emotions either so that made me love the book even more!

I can't wait to read more books from this author!

Talk about pumpkin spice 😳

Witch books are my favorites, but combine that with baking? Even better. Dina owns a pastry shop and just happens to like a little magic with her pastries. Shes always been unlucky in love and now she needs to protect her heart even more - Dina believes she has been hexed and anyone who loves her will be harmed. When she meets Scott at her best friend’s wedding, the last thing she expected was to fall for him. Maybe loving him will be worth the risk.

I had such a great time reading this book. I thought Dina’s magic and spell working with her pastries was so original and I loved the way the author wrote these scenes. Scott was such a dreamy love interest and he fell hard fast. This book was the perfect blend of sweet and spicy, and I can’t wait to see what this author cooks up next. I’ll definitely be rereading this come Fall.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a review copy.