Don’t Hex and Drive (Stay a Spell #2). By Juliette Cross. 2020. Juliette Cross (ARC eBook).

When an expensive car collides with Isadora Savoie and her bicycle, she is not impressed by the tall, dark and gorgeous vampire driver’s charming ways. Isadora prefers to maintain a low-key social life. And while she may be a witch, she knows she’s not in the same zip code as Devraj Kumar, a Stygorn—an elite warrior/tracker of the supernatural—and former Bollywood heartthrob. But now he has moved in next door and everywhere she turns—Devraj is there. What’s an introvert witch to do but sneak a peek at the hot, yoga-practicing vampire next door?

Devraj has come to New Orleans on a new assignment. Rueben, on of Devraj’s oldest friends and the vampire lord of New Orleans needs help in solving the multiple disappearances of young human women in the supernatural part of the city. Devraj is dedicated to his work, but he is also intrigued by Isadora, who with her healing power, becomes an asset as the case develops.

Don’t Hex and Drive is the second book in the Stay a Spell series and it is an entertaining paranormal romance. It’s a nice blend of romance, as Devraj and Isadora drop their shields and open up their hearts, and steam (oh boy, is there ever sexy times!) when the two can no longer resist each other. Cross delivers interesting world building with vampires, witches, werewolves and grims. With the abilities, power structures and clashing personalities, I want to read book one and I look forward to the rest of the series.

I read the first and second book of this series back to back, soooo, yeah, you could say I am a fan of Juliette Cross’ writing.
The Savoie Sisters are so much fun to read about and I can’t wait to read more about their powers and their sexy love interests.
Even though this is the second book in the series, you can def. read it out of order without being lost.

Don’t Hex and Drive is Isadoras story. She is the shy sister, the one who prefers plants and dogs to humans - or supernaturals. In comes Devraj who is not only a revered and bad ass vampire warrior but also a bollywood star with too much charme for his own good. (Love the diversity, btw!)
Reading about these two polar opposite supernaturals was a lot of fun. Their quiet moments were just as powerful as their steamy scenes (and yes, Cross knows how to write great steamy scenes!). I love how you can really see the differences between these characters as opposed to the main characters of Cross’ first Savoie-novel. Especially the love interests and how their different supernatural worlds differ (vampires, werewolfs) and how those are reflected not only in the characters but also in the steamy scenes, makes every novel a new experience even though it is set in the same setting with the same witches.

I loved that we got to see more of the sisters and their lives. I especially liked the scenes where everyone gets together and chaos ensues.
Compared to the first novel in the series, you also get a better look into the supernatural world of the love interest. It was really interesting to see how the world of the vampires is structured and the laws are made and enforced. All of this is shown in the sub-plot of girls who go missing. Even though I thought it was mostly well done, I do think this plot line was kind of pushed aside in the middle of the story in order to focus on the love story which I found kind of weird (they def could have done more in that time to find the girls).
But all in all I enjoyed this fast and fun read.

AND another plus: I love the epilogues of this series. Without going into spoiler territory, I can tell you, that Juliette Cross doesn’t use the epilogue like other Romance authors do and I am SO HAPPY about it.

Highly recommend you check out this series.

Don’t Hex and Drive by Juliette Cross is the second novel in her Stay a Spell series. The novel can be read as a stand-alone—but readers will not want to miss out on any book in this charming and clever series. The blending of modern day society with magical elements is seamless. Cross weaves the elements of magic, witches, and paranormal beings so genuinely it allows readers to get completely immersed in the story. The heroine and hero of this novel—Isadora and Devraj grow together slowly in such an authentic way. Cross makes it easy to fall in love with her characters. The superb character development and interesting storyline blended with the sexy and swoon-worthy romance will make this novel (and the whole series) by Juliette Cross an instant favorite.

Another great addition to the Stay a Spell series!

Isadora is a witch and the shy and timid sister who is very uncomfortable being the center of attention. She's happiest with her plants and dogs. Then we have Devraj who is a vampire Bollywood star who is very comfortable in the spotlight. I loved the diversity in this story and how they are opposites but able to draw out certain traits in each other and really complement the other.

This is a cute love story that neither Isadora or Devraj expected but as they spend time together trying to find what has happened to a number of girls that have gone missing it's clear they have great chemistry and work well together. Isadora can be strong and bold when she needs to be and Devraj loves to make her blush and push her boundaries to get her to open up.

It was great seeing the many characters from the first book and also to see other developing relationships to come. I look forward to the next story in the series.

DNF at 16%. No chemistry, just lots of objectification of the male MC, which would maybe be less ick if not for the fact that this is the second in the series and second in which Cross has paired a white woman with a man of color. I got to the wet t-shirt part of the program and needed to move along.

I'm not a reader who loves Jane Austen's novels, I think I might have enjoyed this a bit more if I was. So. Many. References.

There’s also a small-penis joke at the beginning, so trans readers may want to avoid.

I loved this book so much!! The humor was absolutely perfect, and the sexual tension and chemistry was off the charts. I was never really into vampires before, but Devraj may have just turned me! I also really loved the Bollywood element! It’s something I don’t really see in books, but I’ve always loved Bollywood movies, and that just made me love the story even more! But what I loved the most was that it wasn’t predictable at all! I didn’t see the end coming the way it did, so that was fantastic.

Juliette is a master a getting me addicted to her characters and there relationships. The Stay a Spell series has seriously been favorite thing of 2020 so far.

I am absolutely in love with the Stay a Spell series and Don’t Hex and Drive did not disappoint!

Don’t Hex and Drive had all the steam, charm, and mystery as the previous book Wolf Gone Wild! This book is not a PNR rom-com, though, but I don’t mind! I love Devraj so much!

First, I really love how Isadora and Devraj met! The book starts off with Isadora daydreaming and getting hit by Devraj while she was on her bike! Sparks fly between the two, but I love how Isadora was immune to Devraj’s vampire charm!

I really didn’t like Isadora at first. I am not a fan of the quirky, awkward Manic Pixie Dream Girl type, but Isadora doesn’t really imbue the Manic Pixie Dream Girl trope. And I am so relieved about that! We see shy and awkward Isadora slowly open up to Devraj and he tries his best to woo her, with minimal success (at first). It was also refreshing to read about a sexy vampire who does not immediately entrance the woman he wants!

Devraj really shines in this book. I love reading about his backstory and how he became a vampire and a Stygorn. I love how he is made to work for Isadora’s affection, how he tries to woo her sisters and her by cooking! We get a lotta yummy Indian food here! By the way, he is the vampire mentioned in Wolf Gone Wild.

Isadora and Devraj ultimately team up and try to solve the mystery of the missing humans. I love that the mystery kept me guessing. The other characters – the Grim Reaper (we finally know his name!), Ruben, the Savoie sisters are amazing! I love everyone in this world!

The next couple in the series is revealed at the end of this book, and I absolutely can’t wait!

I chatted with Juliette and badgered her about the series and here’s what I know that is spoiler-free.

Jules and Ruben’s book is not the last in the series (we know it’s going to be Jules and Ruben because they have been hinted at in Wolf Gone Wild and in this book, of course. We do see a little bit of why they have this love/hate relationship going on.
I guessed who the Grim Reaper is going to pair up with and I absolutely love it! I suspected in Wolf Gone Wild and I am so glad that they are paired up.
If you haven’t read Don’t Hex and Drive yet, I highly recommend it. It’s really refreshing reading a PNR that isn’t dark with broody heroes!

Don't Hex and Drive is the second book in the Stay a Spell series. Don't Hex and Drive follows Isadora, one of the Savoie sisters and a Conduit, and Devraj, a warrior vampire and Bollywood star. I honestly didn't think that I would love Isadora and Devraj more than I loved Evie and Mateo in the first book Wolf Gone Wild, but here we are. This pairing is simply divine. Isadora is such a lovable but also fierce character and Devraj is just... *chef's kiss*

One of my favorite things about Don't Hex and Drive is the humor. It was absolutely amazing. I was laughing so hard at the banter between Isadora and Devraj. So many hilarious but also heartfelt moments. This book really tugs at your heartstrings. I also loved the mystery element, the missing girls, in Don't Hex and Drive. It was a nice balance between character driven chapters and story driven chapters.

I'm so enthusiastic about this series and honestly can't wait for the next book which will follow Violet and Nico's story. So exciting! You should definitely read this if you love supernatural romance.

DON’T HEX AND DRIVE is the second book in Juliette Cross’ “Stay a Spell” paranormal romance series. This is such a fun series. I enjoyed the previous book and DON’T HEX AND DRIVE is equally entertaining. Isadora Savoie is a witch whose specialty is helping and healing. She’s also a bit of an introvert. Devraj Kumar is a man of many talents – vampire, Stygorn warrior tracker badass, former Bollywood star. He rolls into town and almost runs over Isadora. These too have an inauspicious first meeting, but Devraj works for it and he grows on Isadora.

Isadora has accepted Devraj’s apology but whenever she turns around, wherever she goes – he’s there. Not only is he there, but he’s charming everyone but her. It’s amusing that his best efforts to get close to her and charm her, are just annoying her. I totally understand because I’m the same way. Devraj has so much charisma that it can come off like he’s trying too hard, or that he’s insincere or fake. It takes him some time before he understands the best way to connect with and woo the woman he finds he wants desperately. He tries to lure her in by using lust and have her desire him. That works but only up to a point. It’s only after he lets Isadora get to know the real him by opening up about his past, and by engaging about things that interest her, that she changes her opinion of him and starts to fall for him. Juliette Cross does a great job of balancing the paranormal romcom aspects of this story with the blood trafficking subplot. The disappearing women and rogue vampires also give Devraj and Isadora another thing to work on together and bond. Normally, Isadora uses her healing abilities after the fact when something bad happens, but this time she is able to exercise a little bravery and be a little more proactive.

DON’T HEX AND DRIVE is a fun tale of paranormal pride, prejudice, and vampire wooing. I eagerly await the next “Stay a Spell” book. I look forward to stories about all Isadora’s sisters, but I’m especially eager to see how thinks get resolved between Jules and dapper vampire overlord Ruben, and to see if there’s a grim hottie in Clara’s future.

A love story between a witch and a vampire. When Devraj hits Isadora with his car on a way to his new home the last thing he expects a bike driver to be a witch. A beautiful witch who is immune to his charm but spikes hie interest so high that he can't stop thinking about her and will do everything to make her his. A great love story with two strong well developed characters. The story is strong, interesting, and easy to read. I was entertained the whole time while reading it.
I volunteered to review an ARC of this book for NetGalley

Firstly, I would like to thank the author for providing me with a copy of the second book in the Stay A Spell series, Don’t Hex & Drive. This book was just what I needed and more! The characters were relatable, hilarious, swoony, and fun to read. Releases September 8th!

This is Isadora and Devraj’s story. First impressions of Devraj? He is FINE! with a capital F!
What wasn’t there to love? He’s tall, dark and handsome. He’s a Bollywood star, a powerful vampire, and so sweet and thoughtful (cue the heart eyes). Isadora is awkward, sarcastic, and a powerful conduit. The dynamic between Isadora and her sisters is so fun and I love getting to see the magic each sisters possess. I absolutely loved Devraj and Isadora together. They were HOT and had such great chemistry. Can I also mention my appreciation for Devraj being a POV and according to the author he looks like Ranveer Singh?! Like I don’t know about y’all but he is SEXY! I have been a huge Bollywood fan since I was a kid, and this book gave me all the Bollywood vibes sans the dance breaks Lol. This book had me watching Bollywood movies into the wee hours of the morning! I also loved seeing characters from the first book and I am super excited for the next book which is Violet & Nico’s story. If your looking for a great PNR with POC love interests, then I highly recommend picking up this series! 4.5/5 stars!

I love the Savoie sisters. Juliette Cross has a great voice, with a fun, refreshing plot. Honestly, she had me at "supernatural dating app."

❤️❤️❤️❤️ out of 5
I’ve been looking forward to this book after reading book 1 and LOVING IT! These books remind me of the paranormal romance books that made me fall in love with the genre. Then I come across this book- a witch heroine and an Indian vampire.... sign me the heck up!

Our heroine is riding her bike when she gets hit by a car.....driven by a hot Indian former Bollywood star vampire (what a meet cute!!!). Our heroine is a classic introvert and doesn’t want to interact with our hot vamp but he just keeps sticking around until she can’t help but fall for him!

Both MCs felt so real in their personalities and I loved exploring the introverted heroine and the sexy hero especially with his Indian culture. JC is hitting it out of the park with this series! Each book leaves me NEEDING more! This is paranormal that isn’t too dark and angsty, but still has all the heat 🔥🔥🔥.

Devraj and Isadora are relationship goals. Who wouldn't want a BF like him. So attentive to details. And the patience he displays with Isadora's phobia's, is amazing. He pursues her relentlessly and she is equally relentless about staying away. I adore Mateo and Evie but I stan these two hard.

ARC provided for voluntary review consideration.

Isadora Savoie is the introvert of her brood of sisters and is content to stay that way. She spends most of her time in her greenhouse and visiting her local animal shelter, using her Conduit powers of growth and healing. Isadora is happy to remain in the shadows, until she runs into flashy and flirty vampire, Devraj Kumar. Devraj has been sent to New Orleans to help on a case of missing women and to use his Stygorn powers to get a break in the case. When Devraj meets Isadora, he is amused by her resistance to his charms and it makes her that much more appealing.

I have been preparing for Halloween and this book totally got me in the fall mood! I am a sucker (no pun intended) for stories that alternate between both protagonists and loved hearing both from Isadora and Devraj. This paranormal romance is STEAMY *fans self* and I thoroughly enjoyed the story of Isadora and Devraj.

What I liked:
+I loved loved loved how the author talked about Devraj’s past, the customs and history of his 300 year old Bollywood star from India. It felt as though she really did her research and the effort was not lost on me.
+This story is a romance with a slight undertone of a mystery. It was a fun added excitement that I wasn’t expecting.
+THE. STEAM. My word, the author did an amazing job writing about not only the budding romance of these two characters, but y’all. Juliette Cross can write the steam *choo choo*
What I didn’t like:
+There are a lot of characters to keep track of in this story and I found myself confused at times, trying to remember who was who.
+This story started off a little slow for me (this might’ve just been me) but once it picked up, I was hooked!

Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed this story! If you are looking for a paranormal romance going into fall, look no further. I look forward to hearing about the rest of the Savoie sisters, grab your copy today!

3.5 stars. This was a pretty good book. Don't Hex and Drive is a standalone book, within the Stay a Spell series. This series is a fun, paranormal romance series featuring a set of witchy sisters in New Orleans who each find love in their own books. This book is Isadora Savoie and Devraj's story. Isadora is a witch and is somewhat shy and reserved. She feels most at home with plants and animals. Devraj is a vampire and is a very charming, Bollywood actor. He is in town to help investigate a mystery of young women going missing, with vampires as the suspected culprits. Devraj moves next door to the Savoie sisters and one night, he accidentally hits Isadora with his car. She isn't hurt, luckily, but Devraj is intrigued by her and attracted to her. Isadora is reluctant to get involved with a seeming playboy, but the two soon strike up a romance, fall in love and solve the mystery.

I will say I liked this book, but not as much as book one, Wolf Gone Wild. It was an entertaining read with an interesting story. I did feel like it a little slow to start. I liked Isadora and Devraj in general but didn't completely love either one of them. Devraj has a history as a playboy in the press that he never fully explains to Isadora. She, herself, had low self esteem, while Devraj has a high self esteem, which made them feel unbalanced. I also felt like the relationship took too long to develop, lacked chemistry, and was at the very end before ILY's were exchanged. Still, this was a relatively enjoyable read in general.

Overall, this was an entertaining book, even if it's not my favorite in the series. I still enjoy this fun, paranormal series and look forward to the rest of the sisters' books.

3.5 stars

This is the second book in Cross's Stay a Spell series, which is set in New Orleans and focuses on a family of witch sisters in charge of the city's supernatural community. Isadora is a sweet, garden-loving witch who's uncomfortable around most people outside of her family, and who enjoys gathering herbs and enchanting them for sale at her family's witchy boutique. Devraj Kumar, a powerful vampire tasked with hunting down vampires who break their community's laws, accidentally hits her with his car and becomes enchanted with her, although Isadora at first wants nothing to do with him. They're thrown together further when young women begin disappearing from the New Orleans bar scene and it becomes obvious that vampires are involved, and Isadora and Devraj have to work as a team to take down the culprits.

I really love the supernatural worldbuilding that Juliette Cross develops in this series, from the witches and vampires to the mysterious Grims and artistic werewolves. I also love how she sprinkles in hints of relationships that will be the focus of future books (I cannot WAIT for the book focusing on Jules, the powerful head witch, and Ruben, the boss of the New Orleans vampires, who have great chemistry in every scene they're in). Cross is also great at writing romantic scenes, and I loved Devraj as a character--he's very complex, as one would expect from a centuries-old vampire who's been able to travel the world and live life to the fullest. I connected less with Isadora, who didn't have as strong of a personality as many of her other sisters, and who seemed much less dimensional than Devraj. Although I do really enjoy this series, as a whole I didn't enjoy this installment quite as much as I did the first book, Wolf Gone Wild, but I'm definitely looking forward to reading the other books in the future.

I received an eARC of Don't Hex and Drive via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

The second in the Stay a Spell series, this book features Isadora, another one of the Savoie sisters. Like the rest of her sisters, she’s a witch, and she’s specifically a Conduit, which means she can heal people using her magic. Isadora is very much a homebody, content in her greenhouse and with her family and close circle of friends, partly because of her social anxiety. Her life revolves around gardening and selling potions at the family shop, and frankly, the only thing she thinks is missing is a dog. And then a hot vampire hits her bicycle with his car.

“Let me get this straight.” A shocked laugh belted up my throat. “You speed down an unfamiliar road, hit someone with your Porsche, send her flying into the air, injure her ankle, break her expensive, imported plant, and then decide to flirt with her?”


Devraj is an extremely powerful vampire – a Stygorn – who also happens to be an extremely attractive and rich retired Bollywood actor. He’s there at the request of the head New Orleans vampire, his friend Ruben, to help track down several human women who’ve gone missing from various bars around the city. He’s a jetsetter, fixing issues in one country before setting off for another, partying with actors, basically living a dream lifestyle. But it’s begun to pale lately and what he’s come to the realization that want he really wants is to finally settle down somewhere.

“I’d stopped dating a few years ago, immersing myself in happier pursuits. Like gardening. Men just didn’t compare to the joy of hyacinth in bloom, sorry to say. Not in my experience anyway.”


Devraj is attracted to Isadora initially because of how authentic she is, but it’s also that quality of hers that makes her think they can’t work out together. Sure, Dev’s actually a sweet and humble person, but his movie star lifestyle sounds like a nightmare to introverted Isadora. She describes herself at one point as Mr. Darcy, and there’s definitely some P&P similarities here in how she initially treats Dev. Plus Isadora know that as soon as the case is wrapped up, Dev will leave, so what’s the point of risking getting attached to someone who can’t – or won’t – stay?

Despite the mystery around the missing girls, this is a lighthearted book. Yes, it’s a bit over the top – he’s a retired actor AND a really powerful vampire AND rich AND a mama’s boy – with a side of insta-lust, but it’s ridiculously fun. There’s dates with delicious food, lots of Savoie sister banter, and the inevitable “well, we’ll just sleep together once to get it out of our systems” rationalization. Mmmhmm, we know how that works. Isadora and Devraj are just so cute together – not too mention their great chemistry – and basically everybody besides Isadora realizes that quickly. Luckily, it’s a lot of fun watching her figure that out!

Isadora has both social anxiety and anxiety related to being in a car. While everyone seems to accept that she’s the quiet Savoie sister just fine, I was a little off-put by how some of the other characters treated the car-related issues – her sister brushing off her worries and saying that the person was a good driver, Devraj deciding to teach her how to drive without asking if that’s something she even wants.

Overall, this was a sweet and funny paranormal romance, and I’ll definitely be keeping my eye out for the next Savoie sister’s book!

I received an advance review copy of this book from NetGalley. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Don't Hex and Drive by Juliette Cross is book 2 in the Stay a Spell Series. This is the story of Devraj Kumar and Isadora Savoie. I have read the previous book which did add to my enjoyment of this one. But, I do think you could make it a standalone book if you wish to do so. Devraj is a vampire who has seen and felt it all in his hundred of years. But when he meets the shy witch Isadora he starts to have new feelings and wants. They have been brought together to work on a mystery which is bring them closer and closer together. I am such a fan of this author's writing and always would recommend her book and of course this series.