Don’t Hex and Drive by Juliette Cross, Author

#Review
#ComingSeptember

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‘“I was going to ask you” - he scraped his sharpened canines along my shoulder, pulling aside the strap of my sleeveless dress- “if you wanted me to f*** you hard or nice and slow.” Another scrape of his sharp teeth then a soothing sweep of his tongue. “But I’ve figured out what you need.”

“Oh, yeah?” I asked, shocked to hear myself panting in his quiet kitchen. “What do I need?”

He stilled with his mouth above my collarbone, tracing the delicate line with his tongue, the smooth piercing a tantalizing caress.

“Everything,” he whispered against my skin. “And I’m going to give it to you.”’

Right now, writer Juliette Cross is my go-to author for all things supernatural romance. In all of her books she manages to incorporate a heavy dose of humour, an incredible array of multifaceted, exciting and endearing characters, plus offer up readers a plot blessed with intelligence, wit, passion, action, magic and mischief, not to mention her scintillating, hilarious and oftentimes scorching hot dialogue. In her latest story ‘Don’t Hex and Drive’ Juliette Cross has managed to include, elevate and expand upon all of these ingredients, dishing up a scintillating supernatural romance that is this remarkably heady and thrilling kaleidoscope of various cultures, personalities and worlds. The magical elements are utterly magnificent. The romance and sex are a spine-tingling, sweaty, thigh-clenching, heart-stopping extravaganza. And the cast of characters are simply beguiling - our hero Devraj and heroine Isadora in particular.



There is this wonderful balance between promoting the supernatural elements of the story, fleshing out the intricate and fascinating details within the different sections of the paranormal world and garnering a spectacular display of romance throughout. It was a slow-burn romance of sorts but the chemistry and push and pull of Devraj and Isadora is a work of pure magic all on its own.

Devraj is probably one of the most subtly sexy heroes I’ve ever had the pleasure of falling in love with. He is so very sophisticated, worldly, dangerous, smooth and full of so many different layers, emotions, thoughts and ideas. He is so many things wrapped up in a hot vampire package. There was not one facet of his personality that I did not love. He had me enthralled, mesmerised and ready to do his bidding from the get go.

Thankfully he meets the lovely and socially awkward Isadora Savoie. Or rather he, ‘bumps into her.’ It’s no secret I am drawn to the quirky, awkward, anxious heroines and that is exactly what Isadora is but she is also so much more than her anxieties. She is kind, funny, selfless, courageous and perhaps a little bit lonely, even though Big John plays a pivotal role in her life. Her soft nature sparks something off in Devraj’s more cynical one. They spark and flare off one another with a sensuality that ignites the pages. Juliette Cross is exceptionally talented at creating stories where our protagonists get to understand each other. They exalt each other's differences. They open up, learn to not only love each other but themselves too. They help each other discover parts of themselves that had been dormant or dead for far too long.

If you’re searching for a supernatural romance that is exhilarating in all ways then please look no further than this extraordinary love story. A story where the magic is plenty. Flowing through the plot, the characters, the dialogue. Weaving its way through each and every word, sewing a pattern of love, lust, danger, excitement and enchantment.

"He reeked of power. His disarming stance and charming smile did nothing to diffuse it. My Conduit magic could detect potent sources of energy better than any supernatural, and this guy was pumping it out in waves. I suddenly wanted him out of our house."

So, I went into this one thinking there was NO way that I would love Devraj and Iz as much as I loved Evie and Mateo because Evie is my fictional soul sister and I enjoyed their story SO much. I am happy to say though that was totally wrong! Iz and Devraj now hold an equally special place for me.

Don’t Hex and Drive was swoony and sweet with great chemistry between our MCs. I enjoyed this journey with them and I CANT WAIT for Violet and Nicos story.

The predecessor to 'Wolf Gone Wild', this was a decent followup to the 'Stay & Spell' series which centers around the next Savoie sister in line, Isadore.

Isadore was far more relatable and due to our similarities, I was able to connect with her a lot more than with Evie. Then we have our vampire Bollywood star, Devraj Kumar (who I picture as Ranveer Singh because I mean… look at him!). He was woo-wee hot! And the diversity, bravo! They were complete opposites in every single way but what I liked the most about their relationship besides the scorching chemistry was how they were able to balance each other and work seamlessly together when searching for the missing women.

Addition to that, the side characters were everything! I seriously can't wait to read Jules and Ruben's story and what led to their disastrous relationship as well as Violet and Nico. The cousin to Mateo, Nico seems like a troublemaker and I'm here for it.

Nonetheless, I enjoyed this more than 'Wolf Gone Wild' and can't wait to see which sister is next. Fingers crossed it's Ruben and Violets because I need to know what their history was and the nature of their relationship.

Oooo, sooo excited to get my hands on an early ARC and revisit the witchy Savoie sisters. Isabella is a very strong Conduit and Devraj is a powerful Stygorn vampire and former Bollywood actor who’s come to New Orleans to track some missing women. Timid and shy, Isabella has a difficult time evading the enigmatic Devraj’s attempts to woo the fascinating witch. Despite her insecurities, Isabella is more than ready to assist in the search and eventually realizes that Devraj is not as enamored with his former celebrity life. Be prepared for laughs and surprises as Isabella blooms into a confident woman once her eyes are opened to the possibilities before her. Don’t Hex and Drive is the 2nd book in the Stay a Spell series and can definitely be read as a stand-alone (but you definitely want to read Wolf Gone Wild if you haven’t already!).