Our second SPOoOoOoky read for October of this year is The Ex Hex by Erin Sterling, and it was indeed quite fun to read.
TW: Magic, WitchCraft, Ghosts, Generational Curses, Graphic Romance, Language, Sexual Activity.
This one was so much fun and we were both impressed with how it was written. The entire plot was creative and just the perfect amount of quirky, and the end of the story was rather perfect. The relationship between all of the characters was CUUUUTE and it was NOT cliche or too predictable. Instead, the main characters' relationship was very contemporary and relatable for sure. Modern couples for the win! We loved how fast-paced and intentional the book was; not one word was wasted and not one moment of our time felt like it was spent twiddling our fingers and waiting for the next cool thing to happen. The whole book was cool, tbh. Rocked it from beginning to end, which is not always the case!!!
Something we noticed about this writing that we really loved was that the author didn't over-describe any character, which made all of the characters more relatable in the sense that they didn't feel too different for any singular reader to interpret them as unrelatable.
We also appreciated how Rhys treated Vivienne well and had actual respect for her. So many romance novels include some kind of toxic trope or gender-role-associated trait that makes characters wildly dramatic and relatable probably in the wrong way. THESE characters had those nine years apart to mature, which was extremely necessary, and made Rhys and Viv so much more interesting, contemporary, and real. Rhys was so competent and tactful the whole time - it was amazing. And we realized- wow! It's because he's an adult mature man. We love to see it. 🦄 👏
Their dialogue was a blast, and so much fun to read - and the plot was driven by the world the characters were living IN and the magic around them, and NOT by their flawed and messy poor communication skills. Which honestly? Made the book so much more enjoyable because there wasn't any one thing the characters did that made us mad at them.
Sir Purrcival was so so so so funny. We loved him. Treeeeaaats. Same here buddy. Just ate some Taco Bell. Maybe one day my cats will talk too.
In the end, Rhys had his little speech and his commitment to Viv is so real, and we both loved it. "If you need to be here, then I need to be here. Simple as that." This hit close to home, which is why we both loved it.
Screaming, crying, throwing up.
We're invested in these two, clearly.
The big gesture of him moving to the States from Wales in order to show her that he has loved her this whole time, was finally what she needed to see that he cared. If you love this person - GO GET THEM, what are you waiting for?????? (thanks Lin-Manuel) They needed to see this from each other, which they did in these final moments of the book, and that sealed the deal in the best way.
Highly recommend this book as a light spice read with some great comedy for sure.
Definitely reading the next two!!!! Bravo, Erin Sterling! Thanks for a great introduction into the Rom-Com Side of the bookstaverse.
***Be prepared, this book has some spice, so readers beware! Spice Rating Here
Once Again,
Never mix Vodka and WitchCraft!
Brieanna & Ceraya
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