What the Hex

Hex #2

by Jessica Clare

One of Amazon's Best Romances of April!

Enemies-to-lovers has never been more enchanting in this witchy romantic comedy from the New York Times bestselling author of Go Hex Yourself .

Penny Roundtree wants nothing more than to be a familiar to a witch. She’s been a member of the Society of Familiars ever since she was old enough to join the Fam. There’s just a small problem—no one’s hiring. Witches and warlocks are so long-lived that there are far more familiars available than witches to train them. So when an unorthodox arrangement to apprentice under the table to a forbidden warlock presents itself, she takes it.

Willem Sauer is banned from having a familiar due to past transgressions, thereby limiting his magic-casting abilities. Unfortunately for the surly, Prussian warlock, he has no choice but to work with enthusiastic Penny as a familiar. They immediately clash like dried roan horsehair and honeycomb gathered by moonlight (it’s a terrible spell combination, ask anyone).

Casting spells has delightful perks Penny never could have dreamed of, but also greater dangers. Someone is targeting Penny. Willem and Penny must work together to catch their enemy, and if their ploy requires a little kissing on the side, who is to question the rules of magic?

Genres: Romance, Fantasy, Witches, Paranormal, Audiobook, Paranormal Romance, Magic

Audible Audio

First published April 4, 2023

About the author

This is a pen name for Jill Myles.

Jill Myles has been an incurable romantic since childhood. She reads all the 'naughty parts' of books first, looks for a dirty joke in just about everything, and thinks to this day that the Little House on the Prairie books should have been steamier.

After devouring hundreds of paperback romances, mythology books, and archaeological tomes, she decided to write a few books of her own - stories with a wild adventure, sharp banter, and lots of super-sexy situations. She prefers her heroes alpha and half-dressed, her heroines witty, and she loves nothing more than watching them overcome adversity to fall into bed together.

Reviews

[Nilufer Ozmekik · Rating 4 out of 5]

Amazing sequel with more action packed, twisty revenge story line and more adorable characters! I absolutely loved the second book of the series a little more and my adoration is not only related with my favorite tropes. Yes, enemies to lovers, forced proximity, fake dating, sunshine meets the grump tropes are perfectly blended inside the witchery- sorcery fantasy storyline!

Poor Penny Roundtree is such a lovely heroine with worst kind of name already stole my heart as a supporting character of Go Hex Yourself, working so hard as a devoted member of Society of Familiars. Actually she’s only at long waiting list to be familiar candidate to a witch .
But it seems like she’s gonna be old lady till she has a chance to serve for a proper witch.

When Reggie and Ben approach her to present an offer with a catch, she feels so excited to have a chance to become an apprentice under the family. But this is not only unorthodox part of this arrangement. She has to work with dislikable jerk Willem Sauer who is banned to have a familiar for his past transgressions. He is not patient enough to wait for extra ten years and Penny: at the age of 30, is impatient as well not to lose her last chance!

But other catch they didn’t mention to Penny is about Stroker: the old mentor of Willem who ran away from is so adamant to avenge after nearly 3 centuries later. His threats may also put Penny’s life in danger.

Living with a grumpy, surly warlock is not the big problem for Penny because under the brooding facade, he has kind heart that he is afraid of sharing with people. And Willem also start getting attracted by tiny woman in neon clothing with vermin pets and snub noses.

As nosy friends in the society of familiars keep blackmailing Penny for source of gossip, in the meantime Stroker’s threats get escalated. Penny and Willem are forced to team up against the enemies while they keep pretending as lovers. But a few bites and spanking later they realize they don’t need to pretend anymore.

Overall: I enjoyed this romantic fantasy more than the first installment and had an amazing reason time!

Special thanks to Netgalley and Berkley Publishing Group for sharing this amazing digital reviewer copy with me in exchange my honest thoughts.

[buket · Rating 5 out of 5]

the grumpiest grump x the sweetest sunshine🤭😍💞💖💓



look look i'm so high with my feelings 🦋 right now to write a proper review and i believe Elizabeth and RLbooks ❤️ have the greatest reviews about this so i'm just gonna say three things;;;;;

1-old fashioned, shy hero who blushes when she talks about sex or compliments him!!!!!!!(and he was celibate for 12 DECADES)
2-sweet and strong heroine who doesn't shy away from speaking her mind!!!!!!
3-fake dating without owd/omd and no third act!!!!!!!!!
🧿🧿🧿🧿🧿🧿🧿🧿🧿

and guys do you know the feeling that your heart feels like exploding? when you feel like crying because the scene is so cute that your heart can't handle it? because everytime this man opened his mouth i felt like that🥺(after %35 mark because let's be honest he was kind of rude before that)

so i'm just gonna leave some quotes that made my heart explode🥺💖

I want to tug her into my arms when she nudges her half-eaten slice of carrot cake toward me with a knowing look, as if we’re sharing a secret. It feels good to be part of a couple.
HE NEEDED SOMEONE TO LOVE HIM😭😭

Why is it so difficult for me to tell her that I have feelings for her? That she makes me absolutely crazy and yet her smile is the best thing I’ve ever seen?
😭😭😭😭😭😭

I matter to someone. I’m important to her, and for the first time in a very, very long time, I feel as if I’ve got someone truly on my side and at my back.
MY PRECIOUS BABY🥺

She giggles at her own joke, and her nose scrunches up again, and it’s just so damned adorable that I want to reach over and kiss her.
MY MAN WAS OBSESSED OVER THE NOSE SCRUNCH🤭

Surely Penny doesn’t truly think I’m “cute.” She’s just playacting for her friends, and I’m fool enough to be absurdly pleased by it.
🥺🥺🥺🥺🥺🥺

and it's the perfect fall read with witchy vibes 🧙🏼‍♀️🧹🪄🔮

[Mara · Rating 5 out of 5]

Edited - I'm still thinking about this so bumping to 4.5 stars

I'm borderline giving this 4.5 stars, but I do think the development from hate to love was a little abrupt, so I'm staying at 4 stars for now (but may bump up TBH because this just made me happy). This was so much fun! I realized reading this that this kind of campy or comedic paranormal romance feels very cozy to me, and this series perfectly hits that cozy sweet spot. I really liked the dynamic between Penny & Willem, and this is a fake dating trope where the fake dating aspect feels very earned.

I hope we get more in this world!

[Elizabeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

Second read.

I re-read this as an audiobook when I received an advanced reader copy of the audiobook version. and I was just as happy or happier the second time around. Loved this so much.

A grumpy hero who knows how to caretake (he brings her cookies and milk when she's upset) and accepts his heroine with all her quirks... 😍 my catnip.

I adore that these two people who both annoy others (for different reasons. She's too cheerful and he's a prick) so completely love and support and cheer each other on by the end.

This is not about character growth. This is about character reveals. You may think that Penny is too nice and sweet. But you'd be wrong. She knows how to kick ass and take names. And look adorable doing it. I love that she rescues him in the end and is just so courageous and strong. It's fun to see such a feminine cutesy heroine be so kick ass!

And you'd think Willem was totally self-centered because of his prickliness and downright rude behavior in the beginning. But he's sweet and mushy when he sees that Penny needs care. He wants to protect her and others.

The comeuppance for the villain is so satisfying. Tho, it does resolve really easily.

This is a low stress book that is just a pure joy. It's going on my all-time favorites list. You can't help but cheer when they first meet and he learns that Penny isn't a pushover. And when Penny beats up the bad guys at the end... it's magnificent!

The book ends with me feeling sooo happy.
----------------
First read.

This was soooo good! I was given an advanced reader copy and this was the best one I’ve ever read. There are a few tiny editing errors that may get fixed in the final version, but otherwise, it was perfect.

This dude is the epitome of grumpy on the outside but he’s a caring soul. He’s just not been in a position to be challenged to be more kind. But he’s great about taking care of his new secret familiar/fake girlfriend. He starts off pretty terrible but because the heroine stands up to him, I could handle his assholery.

This book is also perfect in its spiciness. These two are hot together!

I had tried the first book but didn’t think I’d like it. Now I’m going to hunt down all books by this author because this was soooo good. It doesn’t come out until April 2023 but go on NetGalley and request it or put it on your TBR and read it later. You won’t be disappointed!!

There are men who hit on the heroine but it’s nothing serious.

The woman is strong and smart. Even tho she’s bubbly, she’s also kickass. It makes me soooo happy to see her take on power and be firm about what she needs with the hero and others.

No third act breakup. Just them together, fighting against the villains!

[RLbooks (in and out) · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars

Penny (h) and Willem (H) were so fun and made for an excellent team, in magic, fake dating, and finally a real relationship. Their first intro is not the best and there's an adjustment curve where Willem pisses Penny off and she stands up to him (yes!). Willem is grumpy, buttoned-up, likes shades of gray and order, and has a secret caring side under all his exterior prickliness. Penny is cheerful, bright, loves color and patterns, and has a vulnerable side that gets taken advantage of by others. Willem is a wizard who's under a punishment and has several years remaining before he's allowed to have a familiar again (a familiar is like an assistant/apprentice) and Penny wants to be a familiar, but it's a hard position to come by.

They're brought together by friends and have to practice casting magic in secret, while presenting a facade of a relationship. Outside forces though are trying to work against them with an old enemy of Willem's, giving the story a touch of suspense. Overall though, it's funny, emotional, sweet, and steamy with characters that you can really cheer for. No third act breakup!! Written in first person, dual POV. No ow drama, negligible om drama when h gets hit on (H does have some jealousy), and neither are virgins (H had been celibate for decades; it had been a while for h too; also h is sex positive, sometimes embarrassingly for the H due to his old fashioned nature).

I had a great time with this story and how the relationship developed between Penny and Willem. I loved the moments where they argued and Penny didn't take his crap, the ones where Willem pressed cookies and milk on her to cheer her up, and how they came to lean on each other. Willem notices all these wonderful details about Penny like her nose and her smile. She appreciates the finer aspects of his character that others don't see, once she's allowed to see them herself. The scenes of them doing magic together and discussing components and theory were really interesting and Penny's reaction to Willem drawing magic from her was fun. This was a slow build/burn even though they have chemistry and attraction, but the steamy scenes were well incorporated and well written. They also don't just happen in a bedroom ;).

I also loved that Penny has a pet squirrel, who just melted my heart. Their friends, Ben and Reggie, are the main characters from book 1 (which I didn't read and didn't have to in order to follow this story) and offered support. There are other side characters who are hoping to be familiars, Penny's boss, and her parents, all of whom are shades of good and not so great. Then there's Willem's former mentor who he believes is responsible for some attacks. Willem's backstory involving this old mentor offers a lot of insight into the person he became.

Most of the story focuses on Willem and Penny, whether they're doing things at home, taking steps to sell their fake (initially) relationship, strategizing, etc. The climax of the book was fantastic. This is not a damsel in distress tale, in fact this damsel has unexpected moves and isn't just a pretty face with a sunny personality. All I'm saying. The ending was so satisfying. The epilogue is several months later and their HEA, which was adorable and offered great closure. I did end up not giving this 5 stars because there were some repetitious bits of info and times where the writing felt a little stilted. There was also one part of the epilogue that I didn't love, which was a personal preference. But still a great read and thank you to my friend Elizabeth who encouraged me to read this with her excellent review! I definitely recommend!

[DIVINITY🌙 · Rating 4 out of 5]

AFREAKINDORABLE

[Laura · Rating 2 out of 5]

I don't think I was hate-reading this, so much as I was reading to see just how absurd it could get and being consistently amazed by the increasing levels of absurdity. This is a not-complete list of real things that happened in this book:

spoilers

• Penny, the fmc, said internet acronyms out loud unironically and did so with such regularity that if you took a shot every time she exclaimed OH EM GEE you would die of liver failure
• The reason given for the fake relationship once it was discovered the fake relationship was fake was....Will, the closed-off grumpy mmc, wanted a baby???
• Which then inexplicably led to a brief pregnancy/breeding kink moment once the fake relationship became real
• Also, that happened when Penny snuck into Will's jail cell and then they IMMEDIATELY started to have sex
• The words RAW DOGGING IT were used MULTIPLE TIMES
• Based on the fic-type nature of the first book I'm assuming Will was supposed to be the guy in Star Wars who's also Bill Weasley???? Which I guess isnt bad, but admittedly gave me pause
• PENNY ORGASMED EVERY TIME WILL DID A SPELL AND HE DIDN'T EVER NOTICE BECAUSE SHE DIDN'T TELL HIM UNTIL THEY WENT ON A DOUBLE DATE WITH THEIR FRIENDS
• LIKE THEY WERE IN PUBLIC THEY ALL HAD A CONVERSATION ABOUT IT
• Also, the first time they had sex was in a car in a parking lot after THAT conversation
• Penny told Will she wasn't really interested in kids despite the use of the phrase RAW DOGGING only to immediately be pregnant in the epilogue
• Because apparently RAW DOGGING it multiple times isn't great for avoiding pregnancy

This was a real book.

[Leslie Ann · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 ⭐️

I didn’t like this book nearly as much as I liked Go Hex Yourself.

What the Hex was so focused on sex that it seemed the author was annoyed when they had to add some plot elements to the book.

I also couldn’t stand that the FMC seemed to only be able to communicate through Zoomer net-speak.

[Noi (in & out) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Why didn't Libby tell me is a 2nd in a series? Then again I don't care enough to stop, random book mood won over

Ppl, this was so good! funny, light-hearted, smutty... all the things.

[Regina the Constant Reader · Rating 4 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ -Library Book 📕

Grumpy/Sunshine Trope. Book #2 of the series and has recurring characters from the first book. A very entertaining read!
Smut rating: 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️

[Alli · Rating 1 out of 5]

I'm not sure why I wanted to read the second of Jessica Clare's Hex series after giving the first book 2 pity stars. And I should have trusted my gut. This book was WEIRD. All of my original complaints about the first book (e.g. the nonsense magic system, the lack of connection between characters) stayed true in the second book.

One thing that stood out from this story that I was so weirded out by was the sexual scenes. The "dirty" talk was so cringey and made me want to throw the book against the wall. There is literally a scene in which Penny sees Willem's penis and realizes it's uncircumcised and spends two pages playing with his foreskin......... I mean, come on!

TLDR; Go Hex Yourself should have stayed on AO3, this one should have never been written.

[readabookonce · Rating 4 out of 5]

Oh em gee

MAIN CHARACTER NAMES AND AGES
Penny Roundtree (30) | Willem Sauer (270)

SUMMARY
Willem has been banned from having a familiar, so when he finds out his old master is planning an attack, Willem rushes to find a familiar whose energy he can draw on to cast & protect himself.

Penny has been waiting to be a familiar, but with every passing year, the less likely she is to be chosen. When a friend approaches her about becoming an unauthorized familiar for a notoriously surly warlock, she reluctantly agrees.

To keep their situation a secret, Penny comes up with a ruse for her and Willem to fake date. As they spend more time together, their opposite personalities clash and combust until the tension between them explodes. What’s fake becomes real as the two try to stop whatever Willem’s old master is planning.

REVIEW
The beginning of this book was PERFECT. I loved their initial meeting and subsequent clashing. Willem was uptight and rude; Penny was cheerful and loud. I couldn’t think of a more disastrous match, but it worked.

I was a bit disappointed by the fake dating aspect. Normally, I love the trope, but I had hoped to see their relationship develop naturally without being propelled by “expectations” of how a couple should act. Also, there’s no way anybody believed that Penny wasn’t doing magic while dating a warlock, but I digress.

While I loved having dual POV, at times it was unnecessary. For example, in a text exchange, Penny relays information to Willem in-depth of what WE already knew because it had literally just happened, and yet, we get a detailed paraphrase without Willem adding any new insight. Similar situations happened enough that it was noticeable, but not so much that it hampered the story progression (on a first read. I’m sure upon reread, it would be far more apparent).

Between a murder plot and a pointless animal sacrifice (killing done off-page not by any main characters past or present), What the Hex was a bit darker than Go Hex Yourself. Despite this, it maintained all of the camp and charm of its predecessor. I hope to see the series get more additions, but even if it ends here, it’s been a fulfilling and fun experience.

POV dual / first person
SPICE LEVEL 4 / 5
RATING 4 / 5

[Robin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you so much to Berkley Romance and Netgalley for providing an advanced copy of this. All thoughts and opinions are still my own.

I absolutely adored book 1 in this series, but unfortunately this sequel didn't quite live up.

I LOVE this world. Witch's and warlocks living secretly amongst humans while also playing a big role (unknowingly) in history is such a fun setup. I love the humor, the ridiculous pettiness of the witches, and the magic system itself.

But I knew going into this one that the heroine wasn't my favorite character. And sadly this book didn't do anything to redeem her to me...

This book follow Penny who is desperate to become a familiar and learn magic. So she jumps at a chance to work secretly as a familiar, even illegally to a warlock who is banned from having one.

But Penny is "quirky". And not in a way that feels natural. But in a way that feels like the author really wanted you to know just how quirky she is. And it often felt like too much.

On top of that, this entire series require a bit of suspension of disbelief. The whole thing is kind out there and silly. Which I LOVED in book 1, but felt like too much in this sequel at times.

And then finally - and this is honestly more of a personal thing that any knock against this book - but I didn't love the pregnancy plot line at all.

In order to rationalize why the main characters are spending so much time together they have to lie about dating. But no one believes them. So Penny comes up with a new solution - she's carrying his child.

Look. I know surprise pregnancy/baby is a common trope in romance. But it's not my fav. And lying about pregnancy for the sake of humor didn't sit right with me. Especially since in the end she ACTUALLY has an accidental pregnancy...

Overall this was.. fine. I never felt particularly invested in it or the romance. I'm still somewhat curious about future books in this series if there are any. As the world itself I quite like.

[Sofia · Rating 3 out of 5]

What a crazy ride.

After loving Go Hex Yourself, I couldn’t wait to read What The Hex. I’ve read it and now I have a few mixed feeling about it.

I loved Penny and I loved Will but, the book felt like watching a YouTube video while scrolling the time bar. You see it happen but you don’t get the in depth experience. Or watching a movie in x5 speed. That’s the best way I can explain it.

And the problem was that the fast pace right at the stage where that start to develop feelings. It felt like one day they could barley stand each other and the next they were calling each other girlfriend and boyfriend. Which was really off putting.

Once they started dating things KINDA slowed down and they were incredibly cute together, I can’t say I didn’t enjoy them because I did! Penny is so chaotic and Will is stoic and relatively calm so they compliment each other so well. They’re chemistry and feelings for each other were so incredibly cute and wholesome.

But there’s just that part in the middle that messes everything up…

I’m a little bummed I didn’t enjoy as much as I could’ve but enjoyed it nonetheless.

[Stacee · Rating 4 out of 5]

After reading the previous book, I was extra excited to see that Penny was getting her own story.

I really liked Penny. She's bright and loyal and not afraid to speak her mind. (I did hate hate hate that she said "oh em gee" and "double-yew tee eff", but that's something else.) Willem is crunchy and stoic and not even close to being ready for Penny...and it was fabulous. I thoroughly enjoyed these two crashing together and the ensuing chaos.

Plot wise, it was good. There's a good amount of time for them to get to know each other and their relationship evolve from strangers to working partners to friends to more. The conflict is near the end, but not rushed and the resolution is near perfection. And the epilogue is just right.

Overall, this was a fun and quick read. If there is more to this series, I will definitely be reading.

**Huge thanks to the publisher for providing the digital arc free of charge**

[Julie - One Book More · Rating 4 out of 5]

What the Hex is the charming and romantic second book in Jessica Clare’s Hex series. The story follows Penny and Willem, who were introduced in the first book. This pair has total grumpy-sunshine vibes, so when they end up living and working together, things don’t go smoothly.

Penny is a bubbly and happy ball of sunshine. From her clothes to her personality, she is optimistic and vibrant. A bit of an extrovert, she is the opposite of the moody, broody, and introverted Willem. Since Willem is banned from having a familiar and practicing magic, he and Penny work together secretly. And to keep up the guise that they are not doing anything magical, they pretend to be dating. A grumpy/sunshine, fake dating, romance with magic? Yes, please! lol

Penny and Willem have amazing chemistry and the best conversations. They are the perfect example of how opposites attract and work. I like how Penny and Willem become a team. Living and working together, they spend a lot of time together. They become friends, and they develop a trusting and real connection. Some of their chats are laugh-out-loud funny, especially since they are so different in age and personality. Other scenes and conversations are super romantic, especially when Willem starts to open up and become more vulnerable. His feelings for Penny are so swoon-worthy, and the fake dating aspect of their relationship ratchets up the sexual tension. Their sexy times are pretty steamy! I didn’t expect it, but I am definitely not complaining.

The story also has a unique magical world, danger and intrigue, and a bit of suspense as Penny becomes the target of an unknown antagonist. And when Willem is wrongly arrested and incarcerated, the stakes are even higher. Penny, of course, won’t stop until she clears Willem’s name. It makes for an interesting and suspenseful plot, which is balanced well with the lighter aspects of the story. The magic system is intriguing too, and Penny’s pet squirrel is adorable!

I thought this was a great read. It’s fun and funny, suspenseful and romantic, and the messages about love, friendship, and fighting for those you love are strong. Though it’s the second book in the series, you can totally read What the Hex without first reading Go Hex Yourself. That being said, I’m definitely going back to read it because the protagonists from the first book are in this book, and I need to read their love story!

Special thanks to NetGalley and Berkley Books for providing me with a copy of What the Hex. All thoughts are my own.

[maddie (thenmaddieread) · Rating 2 out of 5]

Aw man. This book was just… not good.

I had a fair time reading the first book, although I was supremely uncomfortable with the language that Clare used to describe people of mixed magical and non-magical parentage. Because that was one of my biggest issues, I was really hopeful that this book was going to work much better for me. I was incorrect.

I know this author comes to us, in part, from fanfiction, and WHAT THE HEX truly feels like the worst of what fanfic has to offer, as someone who truly enjoys reading it. Our characters are not characters but caricatures - Penny is a 30 year old woman who speaks exclusively in internet acronyms that no one has used unironically since 2013, and it is painful. The plot is weird and meandering and we could have lost some asides for a clearer narrative: Willem is forbidden from taking a familiar, but obviously does, and somehow their fake dating excuse explodes into “he wants a baby so I’m going to have one for him”????? So weird.

There’s just a lot of super bizarre one-liners that really reinforce to me that the author has very little political awareness. Breasts are identified as “girl bits,” Willem is very bizarrely anti-lube, and even though Penny says she’s really not ready to have a child with Will, the epilogue ends with her very pregnant just months after the bulk of the plot.

I love a witchy book, and I was eager to give this author another try. I think her writing is just not for me, and I’m hesitant to recommend her without a lot of caveats or forewarnings.

Thank you Berkley and NetGalley for the ARC.

CWs: neglectfully apathetic parents, various murder attempts, an animal sacrifice (you don’t see the sacrifice on page but you do get all the entrail readings), pregnancy talk, some linking of body parts to gender

[Lindsay · Rating 1 out of 5]

Oh em gee! Double you tee eff did I just read?

1.5 stars.

Penny was just too quirky for me. Her clothes, speech, perpetually perky attitude, and pet squirrel were just steps too far. One or two of those traits would have been believable. It made her seem immature at several points in the story.

The romance plot moved at a breakneck speed. Readers do not get enough interactions for their relationship progress to even seem remotely believable. This speed also did not help Willem's character development at all. Part of the appeal of these grump characters is seeing them change, but he just becomes nice halfway through the book with little prompting.

There were a few times during the novel that did perk my interest. I thought Clare was touching on something when she described how involved how familiars get into their witch or warlock's life after being matched together. It seemed exploitative and just a sad way to live. Penny trying to reform familiar-caster relationships or just getting through to her parents would have made, in my opinion at least, a better arc for her. The scene with her parents was one of the few times I felt genuine emotion--other than annoyance--toward her. This earned that half star.

Overall, I simply spent too much time cringing or rolling my eyes for me to recommend this novel.

[Emily · Rating 2 out of 5]

Oh emm gee, what a bummer!

This was dopey and ditzy and such a dud after the fun of the first book! Penny was such an annoying character to read. The spelled out acronyms were driving me crazy. Also had a bit of an insta-love situation without much chemistry.

Second in a series - would not read as a standalone (....would not read at all).

Thank you to NetGalley & the publisher for providing an eARC for review.

[☠Kayla☠ · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book! I must admit, though, I did like the first more, but I did really love this, too. I loved the grumpy sunshine trope, as it's one of my favorites, and the fact that Penny's pet was a squirrel? I loved that. I also really liked that we got to see a lot of Reggie and Ben in this book. Out of all the witch books I've read, these two are my favorites.

[Elle G. Reads · Rating 4 out of 5]

I just finished reading WHAT THE HEX in one sitting and I really enjoyed it! This is the second book in the Hex series by Jessica Clare and can stand alone. I say this because I haven’t read the first book yet but I do plan to!

What the Hex is a paranormal romcom with a fake dating and grumpy/sunshine trope! This book not only had me laughing out loud but it has some really good spice too! I wasn’t expecting it to be so SEXY, but it most definitely was. Don’t go into this one thinking it’s a clean romance because it’s not! You’ve been warned!!

If you’re looking for a fun, HOT, hilarious romcom where sunshine MAKES the grump change his brutish ways then I highly recommend this one. I love how these two started off with so much disdain for one another but that changed because of how cute, quirky, and sweet our heroine is. You just can’t deny her! There’s also a little bit of a revenge plot within the story that I think many readers will love. It certainly has you rooting for the characters!

𝗠𝗬 𝗥𝗔𝗧𝗜𝗡𝗚: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
𝗛𝗘𝗔𝗧: 🔥 🔥 🔥

[Catherine Rodriguez · Rating 1 out of 5]

I have many issues with this book, and I really only kept reading it because it read so quickly and this was my plans for the evening. But oh goodness...Just too many cliches. Entirely see-through plot in all aspects, not just the romance. And what the heck is it with authors obsessing over female MCs having to be petite and be looked at by the love interest as these delicate, little creatures? Sure, Penny was strong on her own, but it's like being hit over the head with a trope. Also, Willem spent 250 years with his trauma only to be "healed" by love in two weeks? Absolutely not.

[Lindsay (pawsomereads) · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was essentially witchy smut with a little bit of plot. It was a fun and spicy read for the fall season and I enjoyed these characters. The grumpy/sunshine trope was so good and it was really great to see Penny and Willem grow together. I don’t think this was trying to be anything more than it was. It wasn’t a standout but it was still a quick and entertaining read.

[PlotTrysts · Rating 4 out of 5]

So remember how we said that we had just recently been introduced to the witchy romcom subgenre of contemporary romance? Well we're trying another: What the Hex, by Jessica Clare.⁠
⁠
So like, what did we think of this one? Well, do you like sunshine/grump romances? Do you like PNR? Does the idea of entering into an illicit professional relationship that you're covering up with a fake romantic relationship sound like something fun? Then you might want to pick up What the Hex.⁠
⁠
The way witchcraft works in this world is a little bit complicated: spellcasters make offerings to the gods while drawing on the well of magical power in their familiars. Familiars, in addition to acting as the magical batteries for their witches, are also kind of like apprentices: they are learning how to cast magic of their own. Also, witches live basically for-ev-er. So by becoming someone's familiar, you can learn how to cast spells AND get eternal life. You can imagine, then, that the pool of familiars is much larger than the pool of witches looking for familiars. It's a total buyer's market.

Willem is a warlock who was banned from taking familiars about a decade ago. Normally he would just wait out his 20-year sentence, but he's been targeted by his old master and needs to cast spells to protect himself. Enter Penny: the secretary of the Society of Familiars, she's been hoping to be picked up as a familiar ever since she turned 20. (It's better to be frozen into eternal life when you still look young, amirite?) She's 30 now and sees no hope of being chosen by a witch in the near future. So even though she's a rule follower, she agrees to be Willem's secret familiar. And since they have to spend a lot of time together, she comes up with the perfect cover: they're in a SERIOUS dating relationship and she just moved into his place.

This is a fun romcom that keeps the tone light, despite the heavier elements of the plot (Willem's past, Penny's relationship with her neglectful parents, and a touch of wrongful imprisonment). But the highlight of the book is watching Penny's raunchy manic pixie dream girl pull down all of Willem's walls.

This objective review is based on a complimentary copy of the novel.

[Brooke 𝜗𝜚 · Rating 3 out of 5]

—— 𝟹.𝟸𝟻 ✰ ꜱᴛᴀʀꜱ. 🔮🐿️

❝ 𝓜𝔂 𝓹𝓾𝓻𝓼𝓮 𝓼𝓲𝓽𝓼 𝓪𝓽𝓸𝓹 𝓽𝓱𝓮 𝓽𝓪𝓫𝓵𝓮 𝓷𝓮𝔁𝓽 𝓽𝓸 𝓶𝓮, 𝓪𝓷𝓭 𝓘 𝓼𝓲𝓹 𝓪 𝓬𝓸𝓬𝓸𝓷𝓾𝓽-𝓶𝓲𝓵𝓴 𝓬𝓱𝓪𝓲 𝓵𝓪𝓽𝓽𝓮 𝓪𝓼 𝓘 𝔀𝓪𝓲𝓽 𝓯𝓸𝓻 𝓶𝔂 𝓵𝓸𝓿𝓮𝓻’𝓼 𝓶𝓸𝓻𝓽𝓪𝓵 𝓮𝓷𝓮𝓶𝔂 𝓽𝓸 𝓪𝓹𝓹𝓮𝓪𝓻. ❞

✎﹏ After reading & loving the first book in the series, Go Hex Yourself, I was looking forward to reading What The Hex. Now that I've read it, I have mixed feelings.

• I couldn’t stand the FMC, Penny. The author tried too hard to make her ~quirky~ which in doing so made her absolutely cringy. From the way she dressed to the way she talked (oh em gee) right down to her pet squirrel. We get it… you’re ~not like other girls~
• The romance between Penny & Willem moved too fast. It felt like they went from not being able to stand each other to calling each other boyfriend & girlfriend. Readers do not get enough interactions for their relationship progress to even seem believable. The fast pace also did not help with Willem's character development. I love the grumpy/sunshine trope when it’s done right & this wasn’t. Willam randomly went from being mean to a little less mean.
• The author seemed too focused on the sex scenes. It was pretty much spice with little plot which is a bummer because the plot itself was what I was most invested in. It was an okay read despite my constant cringing. I’ll still read future books in the series because I do like the OG characters, Reggie & Ben, & the world itself.

❝ 𝓘 𝔀𝓪𝓷𝓽 𝓽𝓸 𝓴𝓲𝓼𝓼 𝓱𝓮𝓻 𝓱𝓪𝓻𝓭 𝓮𝓷𝓸𝓾𝓰𝓱 𝓽𝓱𝓪𝓽 𝓼𝓱𝓮 𝓯𝓸𝓻𝓰𝓮𝓽𝓼 𝓪𝓫𝓸𝓾𝓽 𝓮𝓿𝓮𝓻𝔂𝓽𝓱𝓲𝓷𝓰 𝓫𝓾𝓽 𝓶𝓮. 𝓝𝓸 𝓸𝓷𝓮 𝓰𝓮𝓽𝓼 𝓽𝓸 𝓱𝓾𝓻𝓽 𝓱𝓮𝓻. 𝓝𝓸 𝓸𝓷𝓮 𝓰𝓮𝓽𝓼 𝓽𝓸 𝓶𝓪𝓴𝓮 𝓱𝓮𝓻 𝓯𝓮𝓮𝓵 𝓼𝓪𝓭. 𝓢𝓱𝓮’𝓼 𝓶𝓲𝓷𝓮 𝓽𝓸 𝓹𝓻𝓸𝓽𝓮𝓬𝓽, 𝓪𝓷𝓭 𝓲𝓯 𝓲𝓽 𝓶𝓮𝓪𝓷𝓼 𝓴𝓲𝓼𝓼𝓲𝓷𝓰 𝓱𝓮𝓻 𝓾𝓷𝓽𝓲𝓵 𝓼𝓱𝓮 𝓼𝓮𝓮𝓼 𝓼𝓽𝓪𝓻𝓼, 𝓽𝓱𝓮𝓷 𝓽𝓱𝓪𝓽’𝓼 𝓪𝓫𝓼𝓸𝓵𝓾𝓽𝓮𝓵𝔂 𝔀𝓱𝓪𝓽 𝓘’𝓶 𝓰𝓸𝓲𝓷𝓰 𝓽𝓸 𝓭𝓸.❞

[Laura • lauralovestoread · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars!

I love a witchy romance, and What The Hex is the second book in the Hex series that follows Penny Roundtree, the heroine in our story, who is forced to team up with grumpy warlock Willem while also pretending to be dating.

*many thanks to Berkley romance and Netgalley for the gifted copy for review

𝙒𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙃𝙚𝙭
✍🏻Jessica Clare
🗓️4.4.23
💕Contemporary Romance

𝘍𝘦𝘢𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘨:
🪄 fake dating
🪄forced proximity
🪄grumpy/sunshine
🪄enemies-to-lovers
🪄witch/familiar

[shockiie · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 / 5 starssss!!

It was perfect. Perfect until they finally got together. The build up of their relationship was entertaining, that arguments and laughs and idk, everything they did was perfect. That starting attraction got me engaged in them, how they started thinking abt each other with different eyes... PERRRRFECT!

BUT, the big problem was, out of the blue, they love each other. Like they go from hating to being kind of attracted to, the next morning, being obsessed with each other, loving each other. And it felt slow bc that was like at 50% of the book. The other 50% took me two days to read while the first a morning. It was just slow, and it had a bunch of bad written sex stuff (all the main characters could think about was fucking each other, even in dangerous situations. Like WHAT??).

THE CLIMAX SITUATION WAS BORING and the way to solve it was SO PREDICTIVE. So yeah. I got VERY BORED. The writing kind of changed or became slower, heavy...

If it was just for the second 50% I would give it like 1 star but the first 50% was VERY enjoyable and funny and it was a 4 stars. So yeahhhhh

[Allison Speakmon · Rating 3 out of 5]

I so enjoyed the first book Go Hex Yourself in the Hex series last year, so I was excited to jump into the sequel What the Hex. But I always find the second book in romance series to be iffy. I think it’s a ‘me’ problem and I get to attached to the first set of characters, that it’s hard for me to switch into the new characters.

Penny has been on the familiar list for years and is nowhere near getting assigned to a witch. Willem Sauer is a witch banned from taking a familiar for another decade. When Penny is presented with an opportunity to be Willem’s familiar off the books, she jumps on the opportunity even though it could cost them both if they’re found out.

I loved Penny in Go Hex Yourself. She was enthusiastic and charming, and while she starts that way in this book, her personality felt all over the place. Occasionally she was a doormat, and sometimes she took what she wanted. It felt inconsistent. She also makes some CRAZY decisions which were cringy. I mean who jumps to saying their trying to have someone’s baby like that, there were so many other options she could have used. Literally anything else would have worked. Willem’s personality was the typical grumpy male love interest but while I liked him, I never loved his character. The relationship between Penny and Willem was cute. The progression of their relationship was abrupt but the sexual chemistry between the two was well done. This is definitely an Open Door romance, even more so than the first book, so be prepared for some steamy scenes.

Normally we have one main romance trope but there are 3 big ones used in this story, which I felt was a lot. Not only is this a bit of an enemies to lovers story just like book 1 but it also incorporates fake dating, and the grumpy/sunshine trope as well. It was a bit much for me.

Overall, this is still a fun and quick rom-com but was the transition from Penny and William hating each other to loving each was a bit abrupt. I never felt truly invested in their ‘love story’ which took away from the story for me. I’d still read another book in the series, but this one wasn’t my favorite.

What the Hex comes out April 4, 2023. Huge thank you to Berkley Books for my advanced copy in exchange for my honest opinion. If you liked this review please let me know either by commenting below or by visiting my instagram @speakingof.books.

[Ella Hooper · Rating 2 out of 5]

they’re whole relationship moved soooo fast, it was soooo spicy for literally no reason like seriously why it was not necessary. There relationship felt so surface level and physical rather than an actual foundational relationship. The parts where they weren’t doing it every five minutes was ok and I really only liked the parts where we saw Reggie and Ben. I did like will and I liked penny occasionally but the girl was so freakin full of herself. This book brings the definition no plot just vibes


no third act breakup or conflict
- met twice and were literally talking about having baby like seriously no

[Paula · Rating 1 out of 5]

i'd like a word with the editor just to ask them why they think describing someone's vulva as their "folds" 50 times in a row is even remotely okay