Hex and the Single Girl

by Valerie Frankel

Emma sees naked people (not necessarily a bad thing!) Emma Hutch's upscale Manhattan clients call her the "Good Witch." Her uncanny telepathic abilities enable her to plant images into unsuspecting minds, which has made her New York's most successful professional matchmaker. After all, what bachelor, confirmed or otherwise, could deny his true destiny when the woman he can't seem to stop thinking about suddenly appears right in front of him? Now an all-too-perfect blonde socialite needs Emma's help to snare the most eligible single man in the city -- all in a day's work for the Good Witch. Except William Dearborn -- visual artist, software genius, total hunk, and dedicated hedonist -- is not so easily snared. And he's becoming a little too interested in the desperate matchmaking sorceress who's been following him all around town incognito. Emma doesn't have to be psychic to know what's going on in his mind. William's having very wicked thoughts indeed about the Good Witch . . . and Emma likes it! But she's got to resist his special brand of magic . . . or else her witchy career is going up in flames.

Genres: Chick Lit, Romance, Fiction, Paranormal, Fantasy, Contemporary Romance, Magic

320 pages, Paperback

First published February 21, 2006

About the author

She's written twenty books (e.g., The Accidental Virgin and The Girlfriend Curse), and contributed to dozens of publications including the New York Times, Self, Allure, Glamour, Parenting and Good Housekeeping. Her memoir, Thin Is the New Happy, about overcoming bad body image after 30 years of dieting and self-loathing, was recently described as "Rueful, zestful and surprisingly funny," by the New York Times.

Reviews

[Deb Omnivorous Reader · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a surprisingly fun little supernatural fiction book with the girl getting the boy at the end.

Emma is a regular girl in a regular world, with a nice apartment and a mortgage, but Emma also has a 'talent'; she can put images in people's heads if she is touching them. Based on this talent she has a small business, The Good Witch, with the mission statement of helping girls get a first date with a man they are in love with. Emma is all about the romance and the passion, so when a high powered executive type turns up and wants to hire her Emma is concerned by her lack of emotion for the man. BUt, what is a girl to do when the mortgage payment is due? So she takes the job and the hijinks and repercussions commence.

That is the outline of the plot, but the real fun in this book comes from the writing style, the consistent humour and light treatment of the characters. It is fun to read and Emma's attempts to deal with dating, life and people in general are engaging. I loved the byplay between Emma and her bestie, Victor and the leading man, when he makes his appearance is sufficiently hot and interesting.

The plot has flaws, the people are at times way, way to clever and witty in conversation, Emma at times is an over-the-top fluffhead. Despite these few flaws it is a great light reading experience fun and lighthearted, which I was exactly in the mood for.

[Laura · Rating 2 out of 5]

The premise of this book was exciting. Quirky? Check. Funny? Check. Romance? Check. But that was just the description on the back of the book. I actually opened the book and decided to read it. Uncheck. It really was a Harlequin romance in a different jacket. If you like the Harlequin thing, this would fit the mold perfectly. Somehow, I left those Harlequin days behind in high school...... Well, maybe college. I read it quickly, but that was only because of time spent in doctor waiting rooms and other situations when you only have a minute or two to read and need something brainless. This was the perfect book in that case. SO, here's the plot. Emily is a matchmaker of sorts with a special talent. She can implant images in other people's minds simply by a concentrated touch. Unfortunately this backfires for her in her own love life when she experiences fantasies at inopportune moments (the only funny part of the book, but it was hilarious). However, when a client asks her to implant images of the client into the head of William Dearborn, a famed graphic artist, it backfires. Suddenly William thinks only of Emily. I felt that this book had a great idea, but it was poorly written. It felt so unrealistic that the story was no longer likable by the end. I rated two stars for the laugh in the beginning and the idea. I just wish it was better developed with descriptions.

[Deb · Rating 2 out of 5]

Fun chick-lit with some laugh-out-loud moments.

[Harry · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hilarious and well-written!

[Zierra · Rating 4 out of 5]

Honest rating : 4.5/5 star

I first read the summary and was completely hooked. Took a leap and skip all other book and read this book first. I brought the book with me everywhere, yet did not get around to actually start reading it..

I managed to convinced myself to start reading it today... and I actually finished it today... and my gosh, I really like this book.

The book promise you fun light read with funny humor that I adore.

Slight summary:
Introducing Emma, a woman who can do a little something special and she work as a matchmaker. It was all nice and dandy and the work gives her the thrill (she likes seeing people in love).. until one highly sophisticated looking woman came to her with a job that pays well (she REALLY NEEDS that money) and help the woman to at least get a certain man to go out on one date with her.. Emma did this kind of job all the time, so how hard can it b?

Noo.. it's not just any man, it's this extremely good-looking guy that just happen to be good-looking, famous and rich... and sorta have a thing for Emma and Emma for him.. That's when it get's slightly complicated.


It was a really fun read for me. A nice book to just enjoy and chill with. Emma is a joy to read. she was spunky and sorta relateable (I use that word pretty loosely here). Reading about her journey was fun and makes me feel like I was in the story. I pick up the book and I instantly feel an odd sort of connection with her.

Emma love the idea of love.. except she did not think that it was meant for her. Then come this one guy who is a perfect package.. kinda like a dream come true.. and as we all know, some dream is meant to be just that.. a dream. We delved into Emma's insecurities as she try to open herself up to a wider possibilities for herself.

I recommend people to read this book. I mean, even Meg Cabot like this book, so go pick up a copy and start reading :D

[T.S.C. Lawrence · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this book some time ago now (I want to say maybe 10 or so years ago now?) and it was one of the first little black dress novels I had ever picked up.
Was it how I remembered it? Yes and no. Yes that I still enjoyed it and found it funny in many a place, but no in the sense that I had missed quite a few problem spots in the book.
Our main character Emma being a 'witch' and using her skills to send still pictures via touch into someone's mind just leads to straight up comedy moments when she had to disguise herself to get near the guy in question. Cue her dressed as a little old lady, a security guard, a guy with a wonky moustache, and yes it's funny and humorous and gets her into all kinds of trouble. That side of the book is comical and charming and I loved it.
But then comes some of the more...questionable parts, mainly that everything that happens in the novel is over the course of 9 days.
Remember that, 9 days.
To which she has two couples get engaged after just meeting each other, she falls in love herself, goes to countless events, gets threatened, uncovers some scandal involving fraud and hidden money, has her love interest get shot at, helps a model break away from a toxic ad campaign, and that's just off the top of my head mind you!
No offence to the author, but you don't get engaged after a day. You don't fall in love after a day.
Yes books are books, they are fantasy and what have you but....come on, even fantasy has a limit you know.
And I also won't go into the client who justifies her creepy ex dry humping a teenager girl on the bus...*shudder*
Onto the next!

[Jaiden Hettick · Rating 2 out of 5]

What the heck was this book? This book made me laugh because I was so confused as to what was happening. This book is possibly the weirdest book I have ever read... and I have read "Duck Runs For President". The plot was absolutely insane. A witch uses powers to get people together by inserting risque photos of them into other people's minds. (Spoilers) she makes money off of single desperate women and falls in love with one of her assignments! William Dearbon, a man who promises that he can show her a good time... if you know what I mean. The ending was rushed there was almost a murder, but there wasn't. She ends up pregnant with Dearbon and she no longer owes money to her crazy landlord.

FAV PART - Would have to be when they inserted the photos of the guy she liked into someone else's mind when they were kissing... see... crazy story (end spoilers).

In the end, there were side plots left unanswered and one confused Jaiden.

[Fizza · Rating 4 out of 5]

Some of it was exceptionally good, some not so much. I enjoyed the funny moments. Loved the main character and her friend Victor. But I didn't like Liam much. I mean, was he even human? I know romance books have "perfect" men as heroes, but there should be limits to how much perfection we are talking about. They must at least appear human. Anyhow, other than that; the book is great. I enjoyed reading it a lot.

[Josephine Draper · Rating 2 out of 5]

An easy and very lightweight read, about a modern day witch who uses her unique skill (an ability to transmit images by touch) to matchmake for others in New York. Unsurprisingly, because this is chicklit, she quickly finds herself caught up in her own romantic misadventure complicated by business transactions. I enjoyed the inventiveness of this matchmaking business concept, but the rest of the story was as thin as a veil.

The ease with which every character seemingly fell in love in the blink of an eye spoke to the childishness of the story. It was quick to please but rapidly lost my interest when it became clear that the fun witchy bits were not to be utilised to the fullest and everyone was to be too conveniently paired up. It felt like the pairing up was done to try to make the story better but felt like lazy writing for want of other ideas. Could have been better.

[Neha S R · Rating 3 out of 5]

Simple easy read - nothing too extraordinary but nothing too boring either, would have like a bit more magical oomph

[Melani Jaffe · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun beach read !

[Rab · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun, fluffy and easy read if you got nothing else on your to-read list.

[Monica Abbott · Rating 3 out of 5]

Light read perfect for my absent mind

[Bethany Smith · Rating 3 out of 5]

A quick read that's slightly edgey... characters are quirky and the story line is a bit chaotic but if you are wanting a grab-n-go for the weekend this would fit the bill nicely

[Hendrix Eva · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cute! Much better than the other title I've read from the author.

[Kait Mulrane · Rating 4 out of 5]

Some of this book was slightly problematic—fat shaming being a big one. However I thought the premise was unique and entertaining. I’d tread it again. I liked it.

[Nicole Cerone · Rating 3 out of 5]

I picked this up at a Free Library for a bus trip and had no expectations. It was a fun and quick read.

[Jessica · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this book. I can't wait to read it again. Sadly i loaned this book among other good ones but the loanee never returned them.

[Tia Lappe · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm not even sure what this book is. It was a bit nonsensical and scatterbrained but entertaining nonetheless.

[Becca Johnson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really different story. Enjoyed the humour and the storyline of Emma's relationship.
A book that kept me gripped.

[Erika Boncz · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another fun book, easy read cute story

[Estelle Tam · Rating 2 out of 5]

Average smut. Nothing special. Main character is very likeable. Smut but not enough of it.

[Jami M. · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wasn’t expecting much from this book. I just wanted a break from my normal reading and this book sounded interesting.

I haven’t read a funny book in a long time. This book is super lighthearted and likable. It was the perfect book break I was looking for. 3 giggling stars!

[Jackie Uhrmacher · Rating 5 out of 5]

Emma Hutch has the unique ability to send images into the minds of people she touches, which works wonders for her matchmaking business, The Good Witch, where women pay her to plant images of themselves into the heads of men they want to date, but it doesn’t work so well during sexual situations when her attention isn’t fully on the individual in front of her. Sending men screaming from your bedroom because they saw naughty images of other men can be a fierce blow to a woman’s ego, and it might drive a woman to do something crazy to keep potential suitors at bay. Like claiming anorgasmia.

Her lie works beautifully to keep men from trying to enter her forbidden kingdom. Then along comes William Dearborn. Smart, sexy, with a touch of a British accent that makes her knees go weak. Unfortunately, he’s also her mark, a man meant to fall in love with her client. But she can’t get his image out of her own head, so how is she supposed to plant the image of another woman in his head?

Hex and the Single Girl by Valerie Frankel may sound convoluted, but it is one of those books that make you sigh in contentment with a big, fat, cheesy grin on your face. It isn’t gritty, it isn’t intense, it isn’t dark and menacing like a lot of paranormal books. It’s light and fluffy and funny as hell while managing to remain smart and savvy.

Some of the loose ends are tied up far too easily (all I can say is Jews for Jesus t-shirts in the right place at the right time), but you end up not caring. You’re too busy laughing at the side characters’ banter or the mushy eyes the protagonist and her love interest are giving each other or the old woman and her orthopedic sneakers scaling a fence. If you like cute stories, there is no way Hex could earn anything less than 5 tombstones.

[Mel · Rating 3 out of 5]

Hex and the Single Girl is a true chick-lit title. This is actually my first Little Black Dress title and I don't think it's that bad. The plot is a little whimsical; after all, it's about a good witch who uses her powers to help match couples, almost like Emma by Jane Austen really (her name's Emma too!), except now, she falls for a guy meant for a client. What's a girl going to do?

Emma's nice but unfortunately, her personality doesn't really shine through. She sort of just comes across as the good girl who tries to do good by people but is sort of stuck in a sticky situation. I didn't feel like there was much depth to her character. I did feel like she had chemistry with the male lead, Will Dearborn, but it could have been written and explored better.

Things did get a little confusing when quite a few supporting characters came out of the woodwork. While their side stories were entertaining, I didn't think they were ALL needed. A few, with more detailed backgrounds, would have sufficed.

There was, maybe, 2 sex scenes in this one. The first one, I sort of get, but the second one was just.. I don't even know where it came from. It just felt like it had to be there but for no good reason. Overall, one of those books you can switch off your brains for. 2.5 stars.

[Marina Schulz · Rating 1 out of 5]

Hex and The Single Girl is the story of a matchmaker, Emma, who is also a psychic. She can pass images into other people's brains, and she uses this "power" in her line of work: women look for her telling them about men they care about but haven't noticed them, and she puts their image in their minds. To quote the blurb: "After all, what bachelor, confirmed or otherwise, could deny his true destiny when the woman he can't seem to stop thinking about suddenly appears right in front of him?". But then she has a new job, and she's falling for the object of her costumer's desires...

Sounds interesting right? It really, really, isn't due to bad writing, contrived situations, and just really bad writing. I read this so long ago, and yet I still remember feeling offended by it. Fake technology exists in a romance novel, which is something that really irks me. Everybody gets a happy ending and great sex. WOW!!!!

Just... so bad. How can an author have such an interesting idea and ruin it so badly??

[Shea · Rating 5 out of 5]

I feel almost guilty giving a chic lit 5 stars.

But it's funny- the LOL kind. Reading the book felt good, as if watching a good rom com.

Okay some feminists won't be happy with Emma's choices and Liam's behaviour. I personally would react differently but this isn't my story and a good book need not be about making all the "right" choices.

If the storyline is somewhat a fluff, filled with convenient co-incidences and lucky chances, let me remind you that this book is about a woman with telegraphopathy a.k.a MAGIC. So yeah.

The 5 stars is for being one of the best of its genre. And for entertaining me and making me feel good and optimistic. And for amusing people (and strangers) who saw me smiling, giggling, and laughing out loud while reading this book.

[Leeankh · Rating 3 out of 5]

My biggest complaint about this book is that the cast of characters is a little too small. Considering how few know each other at the beginning, it seemed just a little too convenient by the end. Emma just so happened to be friends with someone that works for a non-profit that will be able to help another character that happens to be the rival of another character that is trying to hook up with another character's love interest, etc. But, there were plenty of laugh out loud moments and overall, I did like the book. So long as you remember to suspend your disbelief a little, it's a good read. :)

[Diana · Rating 4 out of 5]

Emma is a witch with the power of projecting images to other people. She uses her power in her matchmaking service, bringing love to others. One client's love, however, may turn out to be the one she's been waiting for all her life.

Absolutely fascinating premise and the supernatural aspects were great. The story was a little uneven and seemed too pat at times. The romance felt a bit unfulfilling as well. There were also multiple storylines cluttering up the book. However, it was a cute and fun read with a unique twist on the witch lit.

[Kallierose · Rating 3 out of 5]

I didn't expect to like this book much but I actually did end up enjoying it quite a bit. The concept was interesting (I won't say more because I'd hate to spoil it) and the characters were fun. This book was sort of like the foamy froth on top of a Pepsi - you suck it down quickly and enjoy it, but there's nothing of any substance there.

Not that that's necessarily a bad thing. I enjoy a silly, guilty pleasure book as much as the next person. But a solid diet of them would probably rot my brain teeth.