This cute, cozy, and witchy rom com will be so perfect for the fall (aka spooky season!) I absolutely fell in love with the ever hexed Dina and just had to root for her and Scott!

Thank you Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine and netgalley for this arc!

A witchy romance and a HEX

Coffee shops and black cats have my heart and a HEX. Perfect read for summerween.

I am obsessed with this book. I devoured is so fast. Will recommend to everyone who loves witches, fall and coffee.

Best Hex Ever is the story of Dina, a kitchen witch, and the hex that controls her dating life. She meets Scott, a museum curator, and knows the hex is going to be a problem.

This was a fun read, I love books about witches. It did get quite spicy! I wasn't expecting that but it was a pleasant surprise.

Such a cute story! I am obsessed with anything witchy so getting this ARC was so fun!

Dina is a kitchen witch who owns a little cafe in London serving magic infused goodies. Very few people know she’s a witch but her two funky best friends do. I want a story for Rosemary next 🖤 I love their relationship! The sticky part of the story…Dina had a hex cast on her years ago. Anyone who falls in love with her gets hurt. Physically hurt that is. Enters Scott, the guy that may just be worth breaking said hex. He’s a museum curator back in London after traveling around the world to heal his broken heart. These two have chemistry and can’t seem to stay away from one another.

I finished this books so quickly! It’s definitely a little on the spicy side but I love that too! Excited to read the next book.

I really wanted to love this book, and there is plenty to love. However, there were also some issues that kept it from being a great read, at least for me.

I really liked the coziness and the premise. At first blush I liked the mythos of this magical world, the fact that magic wasn't top secret and the idea that Dina used magic to innocuously help her cafe patrons. Adding in a museum nerd as a romantic interest was a refreshing change of pace from the alpha-himbos that feature heavily in the currently popular sports romances. (I love those too! It is just nice to mix it up). The meet-cute/star-crossed aspect actually kind of worked and not too much of the plot progression had to be shoehorned in. The HEA/resolution of the conflict is a neat, low-stakes, twist on the classic and in that respect, I adored this book.

All that said, I didn't really feel connected to any of the characters, nor did the chemistry really pop. The spice was well written and the dynamic had the potential to be hot, but the characters just didn't seem to develop any real personality as the romance progressed. I am 100% here for a shameless, plotless shag-fest. This book however tried to wedge that aspect into an otherwise incongruous story. It just didn't mesh for me.

Overall though, I would still recommend this as a fun fall read. It just didn't hit all the stars for me.

Thank you NetGalley and publishers for giving me the opportunity to read an arc of The Best Hex.

A super cozy witchy book with spice. Definitely the perfect little witchy rom com to read in the fall. I loved the magic!! I think the writing about Dina and the magic around her was perfect. I want her house! The characters were easy to fall in love and root for along the way, especially her parents and friends.

With that - The whole thing felt rushed. It took me sometime to get into the story line, worried I would DNF but glad I hung on because it took a twist and I could not put the book down. Once the characters hit their spice, everything felt so rushed! I feel as if there were parts missing, I just wanted more context and less… I hate to say it, cringy spice.

I am excited to see the next book when it comes out and the growth of the author too. I have a feeling R’s story is going to be epic!

The following review was posted on Goodreads today (07/14/24)

A kitchen witch who was hexed by someone years ago to doomed relationships meets someone that is worth taking a chance on, which she does during her friend's wedding weekend. The word building, starting when we meet the main character in her cafe in London, and continuing into the descriptions of her parents home and weekend cottage were extremely cozy and well written and felt like a warm hug.

A lot of this book was not my cup of tea (pun intended) b/c it was so *very* spicy. I wish there would have been more cozy and less explicit language. It was interesting enough that I just skimmed through the parts that made me uncomfortable b/c I really did want to see what would happen at the end.

If you like both cozy books *and* spicy books then this would be a good choice. If you are not into spicy it is worth skimming over those bits b/c the rest of it is really fun.

This book was kindly provided to me through the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Best Hex Ever features Dina Whitlock, a magical bakery owner, and Scott Mason, a curator at the British museum. Dina has a hex on her that complicates getting involved, but of course these 2 have a meet cute and then a forced proximity plot line.

I read a lot of romance books and a lot of magical realism. I love books about witches and feminist novels. I really enjoyed Best Hex Ever. I liked the main characters and loved the supporting cast. I thought the plot was was paced and the spice level was spot on. The magic here was folksy and I LOVED the Scott's area of focus at the British museum.

Thank you to Netgalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine for the advanced reader copy. The opinions here are my own.

I recently read "Best Hex Ever," a delightful supernatural rom-com that's perfect for the spooky season. The story follows Dina, a kitchen witch who has been unlucky in love due to a hex placed on her by an ex. When she meets museum curator Scott, she begins to wonder if their attraction could overpower the hex.

What I liked:
- I appreciated the infusion of the supernatural into a modern, non-fantasy setting.
- Dina and her kitchen witch skills were brought to life with such love and care in the writing.
- The tension and romantic elements fantastic

What I didn't like:
- THIS IS A SPOILER IF YOU DON'T WANT A SPOILER SKIP PAST THIS SECTION TO THE BOTTOM.
I found Dina's reluctance to come out to her mother in order to break the hex a bit frustrating. While I understand the challenges of coming out to traditional parents, her family's love and support were evident from the beginning.

Overall, "Best Hex Ever" was a highly enjoyable read, and I would rate it 4/5 stars, with a solid 3/5 for spice

Thank you to NetGalley, Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine, and Nadia El-Fassi for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

this was cute, insta-lovey though which isn’t something i normally enjoy. this was a cozy paranormal romance that’s great for the season.

This book was so many things. Fun, cozy, adorable, deep, and, of course, smutty. I enjoyed reading it so much. The only thing wrong is that it wasn't longer. I want to know all of these characters better. They're all wonderful and interesting and I wish they were real so I could be friends with them. The setting was lovely, and scenes in Dina's cafe felt like a warm hug. I'm convinced that Nadia El-Fassi is actually a witch and infused this book with emotion the same way Dina does with her baked goods.
I'm so excited to read the next book in the series (I'm not patient enough for the wait) along with whatever comes next!

Thank you to Random House and Netgalley for the e-ARC.

Thank you to Ballantine Books and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this e-ARC. Dina is a kitchen witch in London who owns a cafe that sells magic-infused treats to her loyal customers. While her treats and drinks give her customers feelings of happiness and love, Dina normally avoids love at all costs. She was hexed and any partners in her life find themselves dealing with a string of back luck - some of them near fatal. Scott is a curator at the British Museum who returned to London after nursing a broken heart. A chance meeting at Dina’s cafe followed by a train ride to an out of town wedding to finding out they are the best man and maid of honor at the same wedding leads to a weekend that includes a peculiar hedge maze, palm readings by candlelight, and a midnight Halloween ritual. This is a cozy fall read that people will like if they are fans of spice and insta-love. I loved learning about the Moroccan food and culture and the symbols of protection. I am not the biggest fan of insta-love and I missed the tension and buildup in the smut scenes, but that was easier to overlook because I loved that Dina was a curvy FMC who had strong friendships and a wonderful connection to her mother and her culture. I also loved HRHH because who doesn’t love a cat with attitude? There is another book coming in 2025 and I will be reading to see what happens next!

I will be posting my review on my Instagram page (kristynlovesbooks) and Goodreads 2 weeks before release as requested!

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House for letting me read this ARC of Best Hex Ever by Nadia El-Fassi.

Quick read with super cute moments. I loved that we get magic and witches in the real world, that’s my favorite kind of magic, as if it truly exists in our world. I loved that Dina used her magic to make people feel memories when they ate at her cafe. Give me a pastry that gives me the feeling of childhood comfort and I will ALWAYS come back for more 😍 Dina and Scott ❤️❤️❤️ I wanted more of them, they are so cute together!! Their fairytale ending ❤️❤️

Best Hex Ever comes out October 1st, 2024. Please please please add this to your TBR if you love cozy magic and romance.

Favorite quotes:
“That was very caveman of you. Me Scott. Dina my woman. Kyle no touch,”

“Dina, I could live for a million years and that still wouldn’t be enough time with you.”

Tropes:
Best man x maid of honor
Forced proximity
Slow burn


My review is up on Goodreads and Instagram now.

This book is a fast pace, cozy warm book with spice and romance. The female character is bi-sexual and she is hexed by her previous relationship should anyone fall in love with her. She is very skilled as a baker but can her magic skills get rid of the hex and can she ever find love again?

Spice level: 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️/4

Dina, a barista and kitchen witch, and Scott, a curator that works for the British Museum. Dina, previously hexed by an ex girlfriend, has had every promising relationship the in disaster ever since. When a wedding brings the two of them together after a meet cute and two other happenstance meetings, can they help falling for each other? Can Dina get around this hex and find love?

This was a bit of a slow start. I do feel like the spice tries to go from 0 to 100 really fast when the characters don't really know anything about each other yet; I didn't read it as chemistry, more just lust. I would have enjoyed more of Dina actually being a kitchen witch and more showing, less telling. I appreciated Scott's view of museum artifacts. Though this wasn't for me, you will likely enjoy it if you want a lot of spice with some cozy witch vibes. The genre is cozy kitchen witch meets very spicy romance. 

Thank you to Random House Publishing Group-Ballantine for an ARC on NetGalley. All opinions are my own. This book is due to be published  10/1/24.

I absolutely love this book! At first I was unsure if I would like it but as soon as I started reading I was hooked! If you're looking for all the witchy, fall vibes with a touch of romance this is definitely for you. Dina is a kitchen witch who owns a cafe and Scott is a museum curator who makes an unexpected stop into Dina's cafe.

This is a fun, light, rom-com. Dina Whitlock is a kitchen witch, she owns a café in London where she infuses bits of magic into her pastries. Scott Mason is a curator working at a British Museum. When Scott comes into her café, and locks eyes with Dina, it begins an intense emotional desire for each other.

The story is a bit much for my personal taste, the story does flow nicely, the magical aspect is fun without being overly spooky or dramatic. The characters are enjoyable, described as young and at the cusp of becoming into the next phase of their lives. My only caution would be to mention there is a lot of sex in this read. I realize I’m not the target demographic for this novel and I don’t mind a good steamy sex scene but this book takes it to the soft-core porn level. The fantasies, the tension, the build-up alone are quite descriptive but then comes the sex, which takes it to another level and only continues after Dina and Scott have gotten together. Not my cup of tea but for others this may be exactly what they want to read. It is an enjoyable rom-com.

This was such a fun, cozy, SPICY read! This is the perfect cozy romance for fall. I am admittedly a sucker for anything witchy, so this was perfect for me. Dina and Scott had me going through all the emotions! I loved all the characters, even the side characters. I loved the relationship between Dina, Rosemary and Immy so much. Dina and Scott both had such amazing parents too!

I’m so excited for the next book!

Read if you enjoy:
*Witches and ghosts
*Halloween
*Open door spice
*Dual POV
*Cozy reads
*Fall
*BAKED GOODS

What a fun, spooky romcom. I can’t wait for more books from this author. I highly recommend it to fellow romcom readers.

This book was AMAZING! I loved the beginning how the reader could see what was going to happen with them ending up going to the same wedding but they couldn’t see that. The spicy in this book is well written and very enjoyable, not to raunchy but still very enticing. The book was well written and I would recommend it to anyone who likes a witchy romance!