Review :: Hex and the City by Kate Johnson

October 1 means it is officially spooky season, and this year I’m keen to read some of the witchy romances I’ve seen popping up over the past little while. Tonight I’m reviewing Kate Johnson’s Hex and the City, which I received an early ecopy of via NetGalley. Check out the synopsis, then read on for my thoughts below.

What is Kate Johnson’s Hex and the City about?

Things you should know about Poppy:

1. She’s a witch

2. She has magical hair like Rapunzel from Tangled

3. She lives with Iris, the head of her coven, in a beautiful, ramshackle house next to Highgate cemetery

4. She works at Hubble Bubble, a magic shop in Covent Garden. Though none of it is real magic as that would be highly irresponsible. Until…

…Poppy accidentally sells gorgeous celebrity magician Axl Storm, all six-foot-four of him, a cursed pendant.

When all hell breaks loose can the guy with fake magic and the girl with real magic fix the chaos they’ve caused? Or will sparks fly both in and out of the cauldron?

My review of Hex and the City by Kate Johnson

I wasn’t quite sure what to expect going into Hex and the City, although I had seen mostly good things about Kate Johnson’s previous novel, Hex Appeal, so felt like I was probably in for a fun read and I feel like the book delivered just that.

I thought Poppy was a great character – I loved her AND her hair. The chaos that seems to follow her made for some really fun moments during the book. I also liked that we got some depth and introspection from her, and that she and her leading man, Axl, were both vulnerable during quieter moments throughout the story. I ended up liking Axl more than I expected – he was such a classic case of someone putting up an arrogant front but actually being kind of marshmallow-y inside.

The other main cast members, Poppy’s housemates/coven, were wonderful as side characters and I would actually love to get their back stories or more books in their universe. It kind of gave me vibes of Blue’s home in Maggie Steifvater’s The Raven Cycle and I’m so here for weird old homes filled with witchy ladies!

As alluded to above, there was a mix of frantic fun with quieter more thoughtful parts throughout the story and I thought the balance was pretty good. I enjoyed the plot, which was a bit wacky but in a way that felt just perfect for Poppy and her chaotic life, and there were some twists towards the end that I didn’t see coming.

I’d recommend this for anyone looking for a quick and mostly light romance read that combines a bit of magic with a bit more spice this spooky season.

Let me know in the comments whether you’ve go any spooky reads planned for October.

xo Bron
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Hex and the City by Kate Johnson
Out now from Harper Collins (One More Chapter)

Source: I received a free digital copy for review from Harper Collins via NetGalley (thank you!)
Category: Witchy romcom with some spice

Hex and the City on Goodreads

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