September 2025 Not First in a Series BOTM - Hexed by Emily McIntire

[Jamie]

He's the prince of La Cosa Nostra. She's the witch who steals his heart.

From USA Today bestselling author Emily McIntire comes a dark and delicious fractured fairytale of The Little Mermaid.

Venesa Andersen has never been good. She wasn’t good enough for her parents, and she isn’t good enough for the gangster uncle who took her in after they died. But she’s cunning. Beautiful. Dutiful to her uncle’s demands. And she doesn’t have time for a moral compass, anyway. When her runaway cousin returns to their coastal southern town, she brings a man with her…and Venesa soon realizes he’s the only one who’s ever seen her for her.
There’s just one problem: she can never have him.

Enzo “Loverboy” Marino is a wealthy businessman by day and prince of the underworld by night. Underboss to a notorious mafia syndicate, he answers to no one except his father, the strongest don in the Northeast. When he’s tasked with marriage, Enzo doesn’t think twice.

Until he meets his fiancée’s cousin.

Venesa is everything he never knew he wanted, bewitching him with her sultry voice and supple curves. But Enzo learned long ago that for a man like him, life is better without the things you want.

When plans unravel and temptation sings its siren song, they’ll both have to choose what’s more important: duty to their families, or a forbidden love that was never supposed to be.

**This BOTM thread will be open until October 5th @ Midnight (in your time zone)**

[Grace]

This finally made it to BOTM! So glad I don't have to read it alone lol

[Amanda]

I noticed that this book is part of a series. Do I have to have read #1-5 before reading this one or they unrelated?

[Grace]

they're standalones, each a retelling of a fairytale
as far as I know they're not interconnected and nor do you need to know the past stories

[Carrie]

started this one this morning-anyone else actively reading it?

[Carrie]

THROUGH 12~(view spoiler)[So why did Enzo get Aria? Im assuming she came back after going to get help? She is the one that wanted to save him? Also, did I miss the reason Aria was in the area in the first place to save him? She wasn't the one who tried to kill him obviously or her daddy wouldn't have approved of the marriage? I guess the marriage of the two families is reason enough for Aria to get Enzo, but Vanessa is technically an "adopted" child of Uncle T? (hide spoiler)]

[Carrie]

THROUGH 20~(view spoiler)[ OMG, He told Gio he wants out! But there is no way he can go to Venesa after breaking it off with Aria. He is going to get killed defending Venesa to Aria. He better be more careful. I also think it is real sketchy that she takes full credit for saving Enzo, never has mentioned that Venesa was there too and it was her idea and potion. (hide spoiler)]

[Carrie]

Through 30~(view spoiler)[Oh I hate the Aria character! Good for Venesa for taking what she wants! I hope it doesn't end up both of them being killed! And now to find out that her uncle killed his own sister? But her mom was scared enough to hide her baby girl. And he killed her on her birthday? What an ass! I did not like this book at first, but am really liking it more and more the worse that Aria gets. (hide spoiler)]

[Amanda]

Carrie wrote: "started this one this morning-anyone else actively reading it?"

Carrie wrote: "Through 30~[spoilers removed]"

Mine came in the mail the other day. Is it good so far? I might go ahead and start

[Carrie]

I am really enjoying it. Took me a minute to connect but has been nonstop after I got there!

[Carrie]

Through 40-(view spoiler)[so glad he ended it with Aria. Can’t believe that V was so expendable to him. Also how does she have no money? Did her uncle not pay her? I sure thought she had a stash nd was shocked that she barely has anything. They finally released their heat so hope it doesn’t fizzle immediately. She keeps telling him she needs to talk but couldn’t be that she saved him? That is not that big of a lie? Is it? Has to be more right? (hide spoiler)]

[Carrie]

Through 49-(view spoiler)[ oh how is this all going to wrap up in just a few chapters? Sure Baz didn’t kidnap her? Omg no it’s the bitch Aria and wtf Fisher? Why would Fisher betray his best friend? I knew there had to be some kind of reason he wouldnt talk to V while she was away. Enzo has to come save her from these backstabbers (hide spoiler)]

[Carrie]

Finished-

[Grace]

Might start this tonight, but I just finished a horrible book and I don't want to carry that resentment into this.....

[Grace]

=> chp 3

(view spoiler)[
so I am not sure what the prologue was meant to do. it feels pretty useless since we kinda understand the same thing about Venesa in the first couple of chapters... is this a specific person who will tie to the story later?
Is this Peppino, Enzo's brother?
Otherwise I don't think it is a useful thing to have.


Now, Enzo.
One of the reasons I hated Hooked was because I hated James. He was so misogynistic and condescending. And after everything he did to Wendy, he NEVER apologised.

I am seeing the same pattern here with the internal dialogue of Enzo and how he describes Aria
I'm not saying Aria is amazing, but I am saying the way he speaks about her is just so demeaning and objectifying

I seriously cringed on several instances in his first chapter.

Like ew

Originally, I hadn’t intended for it to be anything more than a few satisfying nights of her tight little pussy clamping around my cock.
and
Besides, what do I care if she’s shallow? I’m not marrying her for deep conversations; I just need her to keep her mouth shut and her legs open, let me put a couple of kids in her belly, and look good on my arm in public.

And then the way he describes Venesa when he sees her the first time is also so predatory and objectifying.

Now if I didn't read Hooked and saw something similar I probably wouldn't have been bothered that much
And if I didn't just finish a horrible book I would've been more patient to see where it goes, but right now there's only dread.

I'll see how this goes but I am here for now and trying to take this with an open heart. (hide spoiler)]

[Jamie]

Based on that comment Grace, (view spoiler)[I'm so glad I walked away from this series and author, lol (hide spoiler)]

[Grace]

This is my second book by her, (view spoiler)[ and I kinda have to try because a friend chose it for me. But it's not fairing well and I think I might walk away from her too when I either DNF or finish this book.
It's gona take this book being 7 stars for me not to (hide spoiler)]

[Grace]

=> chp 20

(view spoiler)[
I don't have much words for the characters, I am not a fan of Enzo but also don't dislike him too much? And I am neutral towards Venesa.

However, why are we trying to force the connection by laying it so thick on the sexual attraction? Like they have a pretty good and solid emotional and intellectual and personality connection. Why infuse the sexuality and lust that much and that hard?

On plot points

1) Venesa's father keep being mentioned, which tells me he will make a reappearance.
I am wondering if Uncle T paid him to lure and seduce and abuse Venesa's mom so that Trent can take over the empire because he knew his father wanted to give it to Venesa's mother.
2) still think the will is in the painting
3) also believe that this mysterious uncle in New Jersey is Venesa's dad

I don't suppose we will get too much insight into legitimate reasons why Aria hates Venesa other than she's entitled.

I'm waiting to see how and when Enzo will find out it was Venesa who actually found and saved him. Will he be injured again on some yacht? and she will tell him the same words? (hide spoiler)]

(view spoiler)[
I am also assuming Enzo's dad is not too far off to be paranoid but maybe not as much as he is.
Maybe the De Lucas /New Jersey are trying to overtake him and it's all led by who I presume is Venesa's dad under Trent's directive

or I might be giving the plotting way more credit and Emily didn't weave such a deep dramatic tale (hide spoiler)]

[Grace]

Carrie wrote: "THROUGH 12~[spoilers removed]"

(view spoiler)[Aria never went for help, she just woke him up with the vile Venesa gave her and kept him from bleeding out with Venesa's hoodie.
And I am assuming her called his people when he woke up.

But well, Aria did come back to the hospital and I presume with what we're told that she did that because it was publicity for her (viewers, stories, followers, etc.)

I don't see anywhere where it is mentioned that Venesa is Trent's adopted child. I would say he's her legal guardian after her mother's death and father's disappearance (hide spoiler)]

[Grace]

Carrie wrote: "Through 30~[spoilers removed]"

lol this is somehow a very valid statement

[Grace]

=> chp 45

(view spoiler)[
it kinda feels underwhelming that he conveniently remembered she was the one who saved him on the day she wanted to tell him? off choice but okay

I still don't understand the purpose of the prologue and us knowing how and that she killed Joey.

no surprise that Trent killed her mom, I kinda expected this outcome one way or another.
And Bas found something in the painting? is that the spare will I was assuming was there?

I also don't trust Fisher.....

The back to back spicy scenes were a bit too much, like we get you finally are able to touch but I don't need to know all the details.
But I anyway think this is unnecessarily long so, these scenes didn't do much to help me stay connected (hide spoiler)]