"Hit Me With Your Best Charm" by Lillie Vale is a spellbinding read for young teen readers who enjoy a blend of thriller, romance, and mystery, with a touch of fantasy. The story follows Nova, a teenage girl grappling with guilt related to her family's connection to a mysterious forest with a tragic history. She embarks on a journey into the forest to save a friend whom she believes she has cursed out of jealousy. Along the way, Nova teams up with a seemingly mismatched group of classmates, all eager to right a wrong. As they navigate their challenges, important lessons are learned, and romance blooms in this engaging LGBTQ+ tale.

Thank you to author Lillie Vale, publisher Viking Books, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and give my review.

Thank you Viking Books for Young Readers for the free ebook!

I was floored when Kiara kept having the string of bad luck after Nova spouted off the fake hex. And I loved the band of Kiara’s exes going with her into the forest to find the wishing well.

A lot of the book was focused on the group dynamics and it made a lot of the bigger plot pieces feel more like an afterthought. Although that twist right at the end had me gasping.

Overall, 3.75/5. Had a fun time, would come back for more shenanigans.

DNF at 54%. Lillie Vale is such a hit-or-miss author for me, although the misses usually were here adult books. However, this appears to be the exception, with this book boring me throughout, The history and lore of the town was my favorite part, so I wish there had been more of that. 7( the pacing was slow, and the characters very bland

Pros- interesting characters, settings, and premise, Cons- lags a bit in parts, sometimes hard to tell what’s going on, a lot of the parts seemed too convenient or unrealistic.

Hit me with your best charm is a cute name, but I don’t think it fits the book too well. That title would make me think it is a sappy rom com type book, which although romance is in the book this is definitely not that. The idea of a magical well hidden in the woods that can undo a regret is very interesting. Unfortunately the book could drag and sometimes be hard to tell what is going on. The ending hints there might be a second, I would read it since the idea is interesting to me.

Thank you Net Galley and PENGUIN GROUP Penguin Young Readers Group for providing this early copy for review.

This was a cute YA fantasy novel that had a lot of world building and minor details that helped piece together the overall picture of the story. I enjoyed how all the characters changed and grew over the course of the story and how new connections and friendships were made while on the adventure.

I loved the premise of a magical town with magical woods that hold a wishing well deep inside it. The lore of the town ran DEEP! With people going missing while looking for the wishing well and I liked how even the things that seemed like minor details in the town lore ended up being important and needed to solve the problems the main characters and their friends face.

This also dealt with some strong emotions of grief, regret, jealousy, self doubt and so much more. I liked how the characters grew despite these emotions and learned from their mistakes.

This book was a good. I love Nova, she was such a strong girl! The entire group were great. I did not see the ending coming and when it did I wanted more! Nova went with a group that were not exactly her friends, but as they went through their mission they each accepted each other. This kept me on the edge of my seat and I could not stop turning pages! I thoroughly enjoyed this book and can’t wait for the next!!

I want to thank NetGalley and Penguin Group Penguins Young Readers Group for this advanced reader copy and this is my honest review!

In chapter one, Lillie Vale’s words tumble you into Prior’s End and the Longing Woods. There’s teenage angst, happiness, & heartbreak.


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#HitMeWithYourBestCharm
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Fun, dramarama YA tale with enough emotional heft to leave you in your feels. The forest world building was spot on for darkness and supernatural thrills. Crushes abound and familial tragedy is resolved in a somewhat rushed manner. The ending was odd, but overall enjoyed.

Thank you to PENGUIN GROUP Penguin Young Readers Group | Viking Books for Young Readers and NetGalley for providing an eARC for a honest review.

Sparkling and sweet, this romance hit all the right notes. Vale balances humor, flirtation, and deeper emotional growth seamlessly. A couple of the side plots felt underdeveloped, but I still rooted hard for this couple. A fun, feel-good read.

Thank you Netgalley and Viking Books for Young Readers for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Lillie Vale’s “Hit Me With Your Best Charm” is a whimsical, slow-burning YA book that gently blends teenage romance, grief, and a dash of subtle magic. Centered around Nova Marwood, who is a prickly, grieving teen with a tangled heart, the story is as much a journey into the woods as it is into her own messy emotions.

Seven years after her father disappeared in the forest surrounding their town of Prior’s End, Nova is still haunted by guilt and loss. When she accidentally hexes her longtime crush Kiara with a streak of terrible luck during a moment of jealousy and bravado, Nova finds herself joining a camping trip to the mythical wishing well said to grant desires. She hopes to undo the curse... and maybe, deep down, find answers about her father too.

What follows is a coming-of-age road trip (or forest trip, rather) that includes Kiara and her exes-turned-friends—creating a dynamic, occasionally chaotic group full of banter, tension, and teenage awkwardness. Nova and Kiara’s relationship is an emotional highlight. Their chemistry is warm and natural, with just the right amount of angst and longing. Nova’s self-doubt makes her blind to Kiara’s very obvious interest, and watching her slowly realize her own feelings is both frustrating and endearing.

The book’s strength lies in its characters and atmosphere. Vale paints the forest with rich, immersive imagery, and Nova’s inner monologue feels raw and real. Her grief, guilt, and emotional confusion are central to the narrative, giving the book a poignant undercurrent that grounds its magical realism.

That said, the book does suffer from pacing issues. The first half meanders with scattered plotlines, repetitive dialogue, and clunky transitions that can hinder immersion. Important details appear without much context and vanish just as quickly, making the story feel a bit structurally uneven. The magic, too, is more hinted at than shown, and I wanted more of a focus on the magical aspect of the story.

However, for those who appreciate a character-driven narrative with emotional depth, the slow start is rewarded. The final act delivers meaningful choices, surprising twists, and an unexpected emotional punch.

Overall, “Hit Me With Your Best Charm” is a charming, heartfelt YA book about the unpredictability of love, the ache of grief, and the quiet power of believing in something just enough to make it feel real. Vale strikes a delicate balance between whimsy and weight, and while the story takes its time finding its rhythm, it ultimately leaves a sweet and lingering impression.

🔮 Bookish Thoughts
This started off so strong. A fun paranormal YA romcom! Our FMC, Nova, accidentally curses her hate crush with bad luck (oops 😬) and joins a magical quest to break it, along with her crush and four of her old crushes 💘 Peak YA drama, and I was here for it.

But halfway through, the tone and writing shifted. The supernatural parts started feeling unclear, and the story got bogged down with slowwwww conversations that didn’t move the plot forward

The final 10 percent was total WHIPLASH! I had to reread several parts, and a MAJOR moment was glossed over like it was no big deal?!? The epilogue leaves the door open for more, but I was left with a lot of questions. Honestly, the ending just made me mad 😤

💫 What You Can Expect
• Paranormal. Kinda
• Hate-to-crush energy
• Found family
• Fall festival setting
• Grief

📖 Final Score: ⭐⭐⭐
📅 Pub Date: July 15, 2025
Thank you to Penguin Teen and NetGalley for the advanced copy. All thoughts are my own.

Thank you to NetGalley, Viking Books for Young Readers, and Penguin Young Readers Group for this advanced copy. You can pick up Hit Me with Your Best Charm on July 15, 2025.

This book starts out as a cute, cozy paranormal romance between our main character, Nova, and her rival/first crush, Kiara, who has uncommonly good luck. Nova, in an act of petty jealousy, accidentally hexes Kiara with a string of bad luck that leads to disastrous consequences. To undo the hex, they decide to pursue the legendary wishing well hidden in the woods near their town. The same woods where Nova's dad disappeared seven years ago.

While the premise of this book sounded exciting and cute, the execution was not, unfortunately. Like I said, things started out fun and cozy. But things quickly fell apart once we got to the woods, where Nova and Kiara are joined by their friends. The writing, in an attempt to come across as banter between found family, ended up cringey and cheesy. There were too many characters and personalities attempted to be juggled at the same time, leaving little room for the actual couple to build intimacy and romance. In fact, an entire chunk of the last half of the book has Kiara missing and Nova going on a soul-searching journey with Kiara's jealous ex-girlfriend, Tayla.

There's also much more of a horror and suspense element to this book that is NOT depicted in the cover and blurb. We knew they were going into the woods where people had gone missing, but I did not expect *SPOILERS* half-dead ghosts who harm and stalk fellow hikers, steal their goods, and are cursed to roam the woods forever with no peace.

All in all, this book just really tried to be too many things at once. Cute magical town with accidental hexes, AND found family, AND creepy camping suspense, AND tragedy/drama, AND commentary on losing a parent, AND second chance sapphic romance. It really needed to pick a lane and stick to it.

This YA story is brimming with heart, folklore, witchiness, and emotional stakes. Nova Marwood is a compelling main character. She is caught between grief, self-blame, and the kind of complicated crush that makes your heart wrench in the best way. I loved the push and pull between Nova and Kiara. Their "will-they-won't-they" tension felt authentic, especially as their bond deepened through the story's journey and emotional revelations. Oh, to be a teenager again when butterflies and heartache were so intense.

Just when I thought I had it figured out, the ending delivered a twist I did not see coming. It hit hard and added a haunting depth to everything that came before. I love that the book is about the belief in yourself and what you truly have the power to do.

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Young Reader Group / Viking Books for Young Readers for the opportunity to review and provide my honest feedback.

I think this suffers from both not knowing what sort of book it wants to be and a marketing mismatch. From the cover, title, and description, you expect a YA romcom, a cheekily witchy camping trip romp centered around a sapphic romance and emotional core of grief, guilt, and acceptance. Instead what this book is much more about the discovery of the magic behind the creepy forest that disappears people and legend of the wishing well within its depths, centered around Nova's guilt at being the catalyst for so many events and reluctance to accept that her father is gone. The romance between Nova and Kiara is flimsy at best - there's much more of a connection between Nova and most of the rest of the Fellowship, something that isn't helped with conversations have to necessarily exclude Kiara or her getting kidnapped partway through.

That's not to say the book is bad - once you let go of any expectations, there's some really good forest horror moments and watching Nova come more into her own is enjoyable. I do have a lot of qualms about any effects of magic here, particularly around Nova's words and how the forest operates, but for a YA teen magic book, I'm willing to let a lot of that go.

Hit Me with Your Best Charm by Lillie Vale is pure magic—a sparkling, swoon-worthy romance that strikes the perfect balance between heart, humor, and heat. Vale’s signature voice shines through with clever banter, emotionally grounded storytelling, and characters you’ll fall in love with from the very first page.

The chemistry between the leads is off-the-charts. Their dynamic is electric, filled with flirty tension, laugh-out-loud moments, and the kind of slow-burn build-up that makes you want to read "just one more chapter" until suddenly, it’s 2 a.m. But beyond the romance, Vale infuses the story with warmth, depth, and a touch of vulnerability that gives the book its heart. It’s not just about falling in love—it’s about finding the courage to be fully seen and embraced for who you are.

Hit Me with Your Best Charm is a magical, heartfelt triumph bursting with fall vibes, slow-burn sapphic romance, and the bittersweet ache of grief and hope. Lillie Vale has crafted a gorgeously layered story that is equal parts whimsical and emotionally resonant, grounded in the enchantment of a town where luck is real, wishes might come true, and love is the most powerful magic of all.

Nova Marwood is a standout protagonist—sarcastic, guarded, and deeply vulnerable beneath all her carefully built walls. Her grief over her missing father, tangled feelings about belief and magic, and slow realization of her love for Kiara make for a beautifully authentic emotional journey. And Kiara? The girl Nova "fake-hates" is everything: radiant, lucky, maddening, and impossible not to love.

The dynamic between Nova and Kiara is electric and perfectly paced. From playful rivalry to tentative alliance to something genuinely tender, their romance is filled with longing, sharp banter, and quiet moments that linger. Add in Kiara’s quirky, lovable exes-turned-besties (yes, really) and a cursed quest through a magical forest, and the result is a novel that feels fresh, funny, and brimming with heart.

Vale’s writing is lush with autumnal charm and small-town magic, yet never loses sight of its deeper themes—grief, identity, self-worth, and the terrifying thrill of falling in love. Nova’s arc of learning to trust herself and open her heart is as moving as the story’s spellbinding adventure.

Hit Me with Your Best Charm is a romantic, whimsical love letter to the ones who’ve been left behind—and to the courage it takes to keep believing. If you’re looking for sapphic yearning, magical mischief, and a fall festival backdrop to get completely lost in, this book delivers it all in the most charming way possible.

I liked that this was sapphic but I really couldn’t get into it beside that. Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for this arc ebook in exchange for an honest review.

I am such a sucker for a witchy romance, and Hit Me With Your Best Charm was so cute! It’s a sapphic romance that tackles tough topics like grief and loss of a parent. I really felt for the main character, Nova, and was rooting for her as she learned how to deal with her grief. Her secret crush and growing relationship with Kiera was very endearing, and I enjoyed their chemistry and slow burn!

There were some issues with the pacing, causing some parts to drag or feel a bit repetitive. That being said, this was a super cute premise and will make for a great YA romance this fall!

The expected publication date for Hit Me With Your Best Charm is July 15, 2025. Thank you NetGalley and Viking Books for Young Readers for this eARC in exchange for my honest review!

Hit Me With Your Best Charm is a whimsical and captivating story that’s hard to classify. There are elements of romance, suspense, mystery, grief, and of course magic. The cast is young but this isn’t written to feel super YA, and the characters don’t act too much like high schoolers either. I thought the storyline was unique and entertaining. I really enjoyed the quest the Fellowship of the Fling went on and overall enjoyed this book!

I took off a star for a few things. One was that the pacing felt a little off — the beginning was a bit slow and the ending felt a bit rushed. I also thought there were some plot holes and confusing details, including why Nova’s dad couldn’t leave if he wasn’t dead and him surviving for seven years felt implausible. I’m curious if there will be another book based on the epilogue, which may address some of my questions.

endearing story that builds up well towards any elements that are being prepped. 5 stars. tysm for the arc. would recommend.