This is such a cute witchy read! The book is very well paced (although a rather quick ending), and it is engaging from start to finish.

The different types of witches was a nice touch providing something different to your typical witchy romances.

The romance itself was good and I loved the entertaining situations Poppy and Alex found themselves in.

Great, fun book, with lots of feel-good and positive moments.

Kate is a fantastic writer and after enjoying Hex Appeal so much I knew I had to read this one too! I was not disappointed, a wonderfully written book full of romance, laugh out loud moments and of course plenty of magic! The characters are wonderful and you just want to be friends with them.
A perfect read for getting ready for spooky season!

Sometimes you need a little chaos to liven things up. Poppy’s knack for chaos makes for lots of fun. She’s a mess but so authentic! She feels big feelings and just wants to belong and find a connection that lasts. Meanwhile, Axl’s curated lifestyle and over-managed image disguise a heart that’s unwilling to connect beyond physical interactions; at least they do before he meets Poppy. Somehow, amidst the absolute mayhem and terror that accompany their interactions, something comes alive within Axl that throws his entire existence on its head. If they can just make it out alive, they might get everything they ever hoped to find.

Hex and the City is a fun, fast adventure with plenty of humor, mystery, and suspense. The characters are a riot; Poppy’s hair alone offers some of the best comedic moments! I enjoyed all the twists and turns and loved seeing cameos from a few of the witches in Hex Appeal.

Hex and the City by Kate Johnson is an enthralling tale that boasts remarkable characters, an enchanting setting, and a captivating storyline that will keep readers engaged until the very last page.

⭐️: 4/5

When chaotic witch Poppy accidentally sells a cursed amulet to celebrity magician Alex, all hell breaks loose as the two go on an adventures to get it back.

It’s a little earlier than I’d normally do a witchy read, but since the publication date is early September, here I am, reading a spooky season book in August. I loved the vibes in this one though, since the witchcraft wasn’t too complex in terms of the magical rules/system, and the story alternated perfectly between adventure and romance. This one was such a cute, witchy read, and I am seriously considering going back and reading the first in the series closer to Halloween. Although this one is the second in the series, and apparently some characters in this one made an appearance in the first book as well, Hex and the City definitely functioned perfectly fine as a standalone, and I didn’t feel like I was missing any information at all. The pacing was done really well in this one and I didn’t feel like there were any lulls in the story or that the climax was too abrupt. Overall, a great, spooky read!

Thank you to @netgalley and @onemorechapterhc for this eARC in exchange for my honest review!

A fun light read! Poppy, a witch, accidentally sold Alex an amulet she made and cursed, And now she's got to get it back before really bad stuff happens. Turns out, Alex, an illusionist, gave the amulet to someone and bad things are already happening. And now the two of them are careening around the UK trying to find it, Along the way, they building a relationship that turns to....love. Witches seem to be popular this year- Poppy is a nice one, Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. A good read.

What's not to love about a witch named Poppy with sentient hair and a knack for causing everything around her to go wild? In a twist of fate Poppy sells a cursed amulet to none other than the famous Axl Storm a stage illusionist heartthrob but when things start to go wrong at his show and the amulet disappears Poppy and Axl have to team up to save London from the curse.

A perfect read going into Fall for those who love the spooky season and witches!

Thank you, NetGalley and HarperCollins UK & One More Chapter, for this ARC, available September!

This book was so chaotic and really not in a good way. From the character having *such mind blowing sex* that they time travel to the Great Fire of London to the insta-love to the absolute 0 world building - this had WAY too much going on and I felt like I was on a rollercoaster that wouldn't stop.

In truth this book was aggressively not for me and I probably would have DNF'd it if I didn't have an ARC. But it was also like watching a slow moving train crash and I couldn't look away. One of my issues is that the magic system is basically never explained other than "witches have powers and some have an affinity for certain magic" - this left me mildly confused the whole book as to what witches can and can't do. For example, Poppy at one point banishes a "mummy ghost" (whatever that is) but has never been told that she could fly on a broom? And she can time travel but not teleport?

The MMC, Alex...man where do I start. Well, he has an eating disorder that is represented TERRIBLY with no real resolution. While I do think it's important to see a male character dealing with an eating disorder, he seems to deal with it...not at all. He says terrible things to and about himself and though Poppy says she is attracted to more than his body, it feels more like lip service when she's known him for less than a week. There is no growth with his body image issues other than he starts to eat junk food sometimes? (and mostly because he's heartbroken when Poppy leaves him). The resolution of his eating disorder are two throwaway lines in the last chapter that "his face was a little fuller, and his stomach less washboarded" and "he was slightly less ripped in the abs department" which I guess is meant to show us that he isn't so obsessed with healthy food? He even admits to Poppy at one point that he has an eating disorder and it's never talked about explicitly again... Also Poppy's bio mom (in a glamour) has had sex with Alex for nefarious purposes and I REALLY felt like that deserved just a little more discussion because it is very much glossed over.

There were just so many plot lines in this book that made everything so hard to follow - I really think this needed some strong editing and paring down. I will say, for as chaotic as the whole book is, the ending felt pretty run of the mill and abrupt. And don't get me started on Poppy not realizing that her bio mother (who she was told is very good at glamours) was the one sabotaging her and Alex's relationship and lying to her. Even I, as someone who can never figure out plot twists/reveals knew exactly what was happening...

I think the writing of this book is technically fine - the dialogue felt natural and well written. There is bisexual representation from Poppy (and maybe Alex? But this was unclear to me).

Thank you to Netgalley and HarperCollins UK/One More Chapter for the eARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

This was a fun, easy read full of witchy hijinks and a budding romance between our two leads Poppy and Alex. The plot was entertaining, the leads had chemistry and I liked the author’s writing style. Eclectic mix of supporting characters as well. Ending felt a little rushed and I would have like more of resolution/ discussion about unresolved issues between the leads (the mum thing, player/trust issues, more apologies from her) but overall it made for a decent summer read. (3 ⭐️)

Sadly, I wasn't able to get into this book. From the beginning, this story felt disorganized and a little too juvenile for my tastes. There was so much information and character thrown at you that it was difficult to understand what was happening. I reached a point where I stopped caring and found it impossible to continue reading. I am DNFing this book. However, I'm rating this book a 3⭐. While it didn't work for me, it could be the perfect book for someone else.

Book Releases September 3, 2023

Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins UK, One More Chapter for the E-ARC

All thoughts and opinions are honest and my own.

Poppy is chaos personified, a trait which combined with her magical abilities can cause a wealth of problems beyond just repeatedly losing her phone. For example, drunkenly cursing an amulet which then gets sold to illusionist Alex which... well. Chaos.
I found it a little difficult to get into this book to begin with, because Poppy's chaotic existence means there's a lot going on. However it grew on me as the plot developed. Poppy and Alex are both flawed characters with deep insecurities, and that made for additional drama between the two of them as well as everything that's happening around them. There's a strong humorous voice throughout and plenty of well-defined supporting characters (I'm including Poppy's hair in that), and after needing to persevere with the start, I'm definitely on board with this idea of witches in a modern setting.

Firstly, thank you NetGalley and Harper Collins UK for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Unfortunately, this was just not my cup of tea, and I didn’t really vibe with the writing style or the pacing- there was too much going on and the main characters were exhausting. I think a lot of people will enjoy this though, if they like witchy chick lit- it releases just in time for spooky season!

Pub date: September 3

Thank you to HarperCollins UK, One More Chapter, and NetGalley for the ARC of this book. All opinions in this review are my own.

I love witchy rom coms, especially during or gearing up for spooky season! I was excited to get an ARC of this book because it sounded up my alley.

Hex and the City follows witch, Poppy, who really doesn’t have her life together but does have pink, sentient Rapunzel hair, and Alex, magician who has no real magic.

Ultimately, the first third of the book was a fun adventure, but after that it became zanier and zanier, and I thought it was too much. It was a pretty quick read, though.

I did really like learning about the different types of witches, and I liked the idea of time travel (I just found it in combination with the other things that happen to be too much). The coven was fantastic, and the side characters were A+. There were good and cozy found family vibes.

Some of my bigger frustrations with the book was that the MMC has an eating disorder that isn’t addressed. There were other miscommunication moments where I wanted to scream at the characters to just talk to each other and trust each other. Finally, I’m not a huge fan of insta love, and we definitely have that here.

Overall, Hex and the City was okay. Check it out if you want a witchy romance book filled with bigger and zanier adventures the more the book progresses.

Cute and fluffy, but I wouldn’t say this feels like anything new in a fairly heavily saturated market of witchy romcoms at the moment.
I found the writing a little immature but might be fun for a ‘switch-off’ read, and I didn’t particularly warm to the ‘chaotic’ main character.
All-in-all, not quite what I hoped for but I’m sure it will be great escapism for some!

4 -⭐⭐⭐⭐

"Plan? I don't know, what's your usual plan for dealing with ancient ghosts who've stolen you magic amulet?"
"Sarcasm?"

Hex and The City is a witchy Adult Paranormal Romance standalone that follow Poppy and Alex. Poppy is a witch with hair with a mind of its own and a tendency to fall into chaos while Alex is a human illusionist. When all hell breaks loose thanks to series of unfortunate incidents caused by a cursed pendent, Alex and Poppy are forced to work together to bring some resemblance of order back to the world...but will the secrets and truths that come out during their (mis)adventures drive them further apart or closer than they ever imagined?

This was such a fun read that I absolute adored! Poppy is this fun and chaotic character who is adorable and resilient throughout. I love the little quirks to her like her hair and her little quips. I felt she helped guide the story so well. She has a lot of self doubt about herself because of her family but the confidence she gains by the end is so sweet. Axl/Alex has the fun contrast of being both confident as well as insecure in regards to his past. Watching him go with the flow with Poppy and all the craziness was hilarious and I adored how well he handled things. I will say he starts off as a bit of a player and I enjoyed the change and growth he gains by the end.

There is an excellent cast of side characters that I think also helped build this story from Iris, Yelena, Elspeth, Sylvia, Fiona, and more. They provide amazing banter and support to the characters through all their struggles.

In terms of spice, I would place this around around 2.5 spicy peppers out of 5 spicy pepper. There is an immediate attraction between the characters at the beginning and some fun steamy moments but watching them fight evil together and support each other through revelations and awkward family circumstances. The spice fully hits around the 60-70% and it was well written and fit the story and the characters so well.

"You could call it magic if you like...but I call it a gym membership."

The story takes place in London and relies heavily of people having a general understanding of the city. I felt the name dropping of locations helped cement a sense of place. The story itself was a wonderfully chaotic adventure that had me smiling and giggling the entire time as they characters are hit with magic misadventure again and again with increasing absurdity and hilarity. I felt it had a powerful start and took readers through a good pace, though it did go a little too much off the rails with no sense of direction at the midway point before coming back to focus with a clearer story. It has all the features of a rom-com that we love with awkward and sweet moments, family drama, relationship challenges, and more. Yet it also these interesting twists because of the witchy theme that helped set it apart for me. I felt the ending worked well to bring everything together and it had all the cheese I like.

Overall, this novel was an absolute pleasure I did not expect. This is a perfect fall read filled with chaos, romance, and adventure that these characters fall into and their reactions and actions are perfect. I cannot wait to see what more Kate Johnson does next.

Thank you One More Chapter, Harper Collins, and Netgalley for the e-ARC.

Just like Poppy, this book is chaos but in the best way!
A fun, chaotic and easy read to get you in a witchy mood for Halloween

Thankyou for the ARC

Kate Johnson has done it once again!

Hex and the City is my second book by Kate Johnson, and I enjoyed this hilarious and entertaining read. Hex Appeal and Hex and the City qualify as standalone series, but I recommend reading the books in order to get better acquainted with the stellar and delightful characters. Poppy is a lovely character who exudes chaos, grace and strength throughout the book. The reference to Rapunzel was a cherry on top, and I was cheering for her throughout the book. Axl Storm, a talented illusionist, grew on me, and his and Poppy's interactions were nothing short of endearing, flirty and fun! After some heavy reads this month, this was a welcomed reprieve. Please leave it to Kate Johnson to deliver a fast-paced plot, sizzling chemistry and the power of a cover! If you're looking for something light to read next month, do not skip this read.

Thank you to NetGalley & HarperCollins UK, One More Chapter, for the invitation to review this e-ARC. This honest review is left voluntarily.

Okay, Kate Johnson, I see you. @k8johnsonauthor This was delightful! 😂 I didn’t know what to think of this one as I had never heard of this author before. Thanks to @netgalley and @harpercollinsuk for my digital ARC.

Poppy is probably one of my favorite characters. She was quirky and so totally out there. Not only is she a witch, but she also has magical hair, a la Rapunzel. I loved how she approached situations and just babbled on and on. The actual plot was absolute chaos in the middle of the book and some parts read more YA. Overall, a fun read!

This would be the perfect book to read around Halloween if you wanted a fun, light-hearted romcom.

Read this if you like:
🔮 Magical hair
🔮 Hunky Vikings
🔮 Time travel
🔮 Laughing out loud & witty banter
🔮 London landmarks

Author Kate Johnson knows how to write a funny loveable chaotic character and her name is Poppy.
Poppy is a witch and works in a Magic Shop and is just a chaotic person.
So when a man comes into the shop and she accidentally sells him a pendant she shouldn’t have all kinds of trouble happens can she fix it.?
Hex and the City is a funny Rom Com that is an enjoyable read.
The Hex Appeal series by Kate Johnson are just delightful reads.
Thank You netgalley and Harper Collins

A magical, twisty, witchy romance. Poppy is a very likable character and I loved how her hair basically had a mind of its own. There was a great twist towards the end that I really didn’t see coming. Overall a good romance to read to get into the fall/spooky season!
Thank you Netgalley and publisher for the ARC!