I enjoyed the book's writing style and the fact-based quality of the witchcraft elements. Scott and Dina had a lot of spark, but I personally dislike insta-love, so I missed the tension that developed between them. I thought it was cool that Dina was a kitchen witch who also owned a café and used her magic in her baked goods. The magical elements in this book were enjoyable to me as well. It was easy to read and really nice.

Thank you to Random House Publishing- Ballentine | Dell, NetGalley, and the author for an e-arc..

Dina Whitlock is a kitchen witch who owns her own bakery and imbues her pastries and drinks with spells to help others, but can’t help herself when it comes to love. Scott Mason is a museum curator who is weary of love due to his past.

I loved the writing of this book and the factual nature of witchcraft elements. The relationship between Dina and her parents, friends, house, and her familiar Heebie was loving, playful, and just all around delightful.

I highly recommend this read for a cozy but spicy fall read.

Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for my advanced digital copy!

What a way to start the Halloween season!

This book was the equivalent of a gorgeous cup of hot chocolate: comforting like a warm hug and completely melting right down to the bone.

I loved Dina. I loved Scott. I loved Heebie and all of the supporting characters.

What I fell in love with, though, was the cozy world El-Fassi created. It was so good. A perfect autumn evening. Everything in this felt like it was written exactly for me (I know it wasn't, but whatever). From the rowing to the magic to the baking to Dina's bisexuality to the sex scenes to literally everything, it was everything I wanted from Practical Magic and then some.

I am SO looking forward to book 2...next year.

I would like to thank Random House Publishing- Ballentine | Dell, NetGalley, and the author for an advanced copy. All opinions are my own.

Read if you like:
🩷💜💙 Bi rep
🪄 Magical Food
🧙‍♀️Kitchen Witches
🌶️ Cozy with Spice

2️⃣ POV
📍 London, England

Dina is a kitchen witch who runs her own cafe in London which serves pastries with a little magic baked in. Only her family and very close friends know about her abilities and no one knows that she’s been hexed. If she falls in love with someone, that person will have bad luck and possibly get hurt. Scott is a curator at the British Museum happy to be home after traveling the world. His best friend is getting married and he’s the best man who realizes at the wedding weekend that the woman he met at a cafe and can’t get out of his head is Dina, the maid of honor. Dina is falling for Scott too but needs to find a way to break the hex to prevent Scott from being in danger.

This was a fun read, I loved all of the foodie talk and wish I had a secret magical cafe to visit! Dina and Scott’s chemistry was great but I am not a fan of instalove, just a personal preference, so I missed having some tension build between the two. The spice was nice though! This book touched on some deeper themes, especially about how one views themselves, which I really appreciated and added to the character growth. I recommend this one for a cozy but spicy fall romance.

I unfortunately had to DNF this one.
Although I was excited to read it and was ready for a cozy romance I couldn't get behind the insta-lust. It never works for me because they are getting to know the other person for a specific reason. I also found the writing to be a style that I don't enjoy and for both of those reasons I couldn't get into the book. The cover is adorable though!

This book was perfectly fine. It was super cute and an easy read. It's a good witchy romance book but something just felt like it was missing for me. I just can't put my finger on what it is though.

I liked the idea of Dina being a kitchen witch and it translating to her being a cafe owner and her putting her magic into her baked goods. I also did enjoy the magic aspects in this book.

3.5 stars rounded up

Getting ready for winter but not quite ready to let go of the pumpkins? No worries I am still behind on reviews so I'll still keep this witchy reading streak going even if it snows on my pumpkins...
Looking for that one last (or maybe not?
) cozy,
witchy fall read? Best Hex Ever is a sweet and spicy delight, perfect with a pastry and spiced tea. Dina Whitlock, a kitchen witch with a cursed love life, runs a magical London café. When Scott Mason, a globetrotting curator, stumbles into her life, sparks fly-but the hex threatening their romance forces Dina to take a leap of faith.
This enchanting debut blends humor, heartfelt moments, and witchy whimsy. Dina and Scott's slow-burn romance is irresistible, with sizzling chemistry and endearing charm. The side characters, from Dina's loving parents to her quirky friends, are so vivid they feel real.
With its spellbinding mix of magic, romance, and autumn vibes, Best Hex Ever is the ultimate feel-good read for the season. Heartwarming, funny, and unputdownable!

A delicious fantasy rom-com with cozy, lived in magical worldbuilding and a great, charming cast of characters. The protagonists are real and flawed and you root for them, even as you sometimes cringe at their choices. Funny and sweet and the perfect autumn read.

The instant-lust/love didn't work for me in this one, but overall it was a cute book. Perfect for the fall vibes!

Short synopsis: Dina owns a bakery, but she cooks up more than just pastries, she infused magic into her recipes. But a hex gone wrong has been plaguing her and her one true love.

My thoughts: This book was a touch spicier than I was expecting! I should have known, the synopsis was very clear about it. But it was just too much for my personal preference.

The Instalove was so believable to me. Especially given the magical aspect of the book. I liked the whimsy in the magic, and the side characters were just so darn fun.

Read if you love:
- Bakeries
- Lots of spice
- Great friends
- Magic
- Instalove

thank you to netgalley for my e-arc. big no from me regarding the magical realism elements, the fact she has the name "kitchen witch". this was definitely a booktok book.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫
🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️

i need to preface this with there are some concerning behaviors in the characters (i.e. insta-love and also our mmc changing his emergency contact to our fmc like two or three weeks into dating what the actual fuck!!)

HOWEVER...i choose to ignore it because i simply needed a very horny, witchy, cozy magical book with not a lot of problems and a whole lot of sex. and this delivered it!

highly recommend this one if you're looking for:
⟢ cozy fantasy
⟢ forced proximity
⟢ insta-love/attraction
⟢ sweet sisterhood that feels like an episode of friends (not the humor, just the love)

cute and cozy with witchy vibes! has insta-love which I’m not really a huge fan of but if you’re looking for a quick cozy fall romance then I’d recommend!

3.5 stars. This is a cozy fall romance.

Dina is a witch that infuses charms into her baking. She also happens to be hexed. Anybody that falls in love with her will experience bad luck.

Scott finds himself in her bakery and can’t stop thinking about her. He doesn’t have to wait long to see her again though, since it turns out they’re about to be in the same wedding party as best man and maid of honor. The bride and groom keep trying to set Dina and Scott up, but Dina is afraid to fall because of the hex.

It’s third person, dual POV, and spicy.

Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for my advanced digital copy!

This was a good palate cleansing book. It kept me interested enough to keep coming back as we went on the journey of self healing for our FMC.

Unfortunately I had to DNF this one. The premise sounded amazing however, the instalove was way too much for me. And more than the “love” part it was all lust and nothing else. So this was not something I could enjoy.

Cute and cozy. The sex was a little over the top for my taste-- way too perfect and nonstop. but the characters were likable. The magic was fun. The witchcraft was presented as both religion and lifestyle, feeling much more realistic than many witch novels. The friendships and family bonds were strong and healthy. There were cute pets and a friendly sentient house. So much food description. I loved the strong representation of both expat Moroccan culture and queerness, including being a queer child of an immigrant parent. The audio narrators were both terrific. And there was heavy foreshadowing for a second book featuring their friend Rosemary, to which I look forward.

Thank you to #NetGalley and Ballantine for an advance copy of #BestHexEver

Dina is a kitchen witch, who owns her own cafe in London. Only her close friends know about her magic… and about the hex that has sabotaged all of her romantic relationships. Whenever her partner falls love, a series of unfortunate events follows.

Scott is a curator at the British Museum. After traveling the world following a break-up, he is more determined than ever to be the best best man at his friend’s wedding.

After a chance meeting at Dina’s cafe, the two expect to never cross paths again. Little do they know, they are both in the same wedding. As the two are thrown together continuously during the events of the wedding weekend, their attraction continues to grow to undeniable levels. Will the hex keep them apart?

Read if you like:
- forced proximity
- witchy magic
- cozy fantasy

This was a great, cozy fall read. I loved the strong female friendships and the men that weren’t afraid to show emotion. Dina and Scott’s relationship developed a little bit too quickly for my liking, but in the end their chemistry and communication was unmatched. I loved the concept behind Dina’s magic and her connection with nature. If you’re looking for a book that has cozy vibes and is full of magic, look no further.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballentine / Dell for a free digital copy of this book. This is my honest review. Publication date: October 1, 2024.

This is was so cute! Foodie romances are my favorite and add a little bit of spicy witchcraft it will always be a good time.

Best Hex Ever is a fun and cozy style romance. The witchy aspects and the spice level were perfect for this fall season. I flew through this book and loved reading through it at any chance I could. I especially loved the kitchen witchcraft aspect and the connection between the two main characters!