Poppy Thistlewood is a witch. A chaotic one, who seems to cause things to happen without meaning them, and the black sheep of her non-witchy family. Alex Raine (aka Axl Storm) is a stage illusionist, all charm and showmanship and abs. When Alex enters the magic shop where Poppy works to buy a crystal, it sets off a disastrous chain of events that shakes the foundations of everything they thought was important.

I love a good supernatural romcom that doesn't take itself seriously, and Hex and the City fit the bill perfectly. This had everything from covens to curses, time travel, sentient hair, relationships, witchcraft, stage illusions, sex, betrayal, identity, gender identity, sexuality, the meaning of family, and everything in between, all with a good dose of humour, to boot.

This was a fun, fast-paced read. I read this in two days and wanted more: more about this world - the Essex cousins, Iris's background, what happens next, and I hope the author releases more in this series.

~Many thanks to NetGalley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review~

This was an adorable, witchy romance that is the perfect lighthearted palate cleanser, just in time for fall!

Poppy is new to being a witch, and chaos seems to follow her everywhere she goes. She hasn't quite gotten control of her magic or her magical hair, which seems to have a mind of its own and is always acting up. Poppy works at a touristy "witchy" knickknack shop, but she accidental curses a pendant that is then sold to Alex aka Axl Storm, popular illusionist and playboy. Poppy tries to get the pendant back from Alex, but she's too late - chaos erupts at his show and the pendant slips away. The two team up to try to get the pendant back and stop all hell from breaking loose as the curse causes one disaster after another.

The hijinks in this book were delightful and the relationship and banter between Poppy and Alex was also really cute. This was just a fun, quick read that I really enjoyed! Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

The book's first section introduces the characters, including Poppy, a real witch, her not-coven, Alex, a phoney magician, and a slew of others. W

Poppy and Alex fall in love in the second quarter, with potentially fatal repercussions. Here's a link to Hex Appeal and a similar incident that I won't go into too much detail about. I was enthralled by the history of London, which is interwoven beautifully with the plot. This book was so simple to get into that I devoured it in a matter of days. Poppy is a terrific character because she is a mess and confused, which adds to her attractiveness. And Alex wasn't such an awful addition either…I'm referring to the imagery in my head. There were a lot of twists and turns, and I was amazed at how quickly the novel ended. I can't wait to read more from this author because everything I've read so far has been fantastic.
#Hexandthecity #netgalley #romancebooks #bookstagram #romance #booklover #books #romancenovels #bookstagrammer #romancereads #bookworm #readersofinstagram #bookish #contemporaryromance #bookaddict #booknerd #romancereadersofinstagram

This was a bewitching story.

Poppy is a young witch who causes chaos everywhere she goes, meanwhile magician Axl is hiding who he is.

When a necklace Poppy accidentally cursed is sold to Axl, both magic and chemistry keep bringing their paths together again.

A throughly entertaining read. But be warned, not everyone is who they seem.

The story, like the main character, is a little chaotic! It's an easy read with some fun characters, and was nice to have a couple of familiar ones pop up too. For me it was a solid 3 stars.
Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for the arc ebook.

Disclaimer: I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Publication date: September 3, 2023

Hex and the City is my first book by this author. This is a witchy rom-com which I normally love but unfortunately this one fell a bit flat for me.

Poppy is a witch…..chaos follows her wherever she goes and often involves her inability to control her magic. She has perfectly normal parents who donor know she is a witch. Poppy lives with the head of her coven as she learns more about her magic and how to control it.

After a particularly rough night at the bar, running into her ex and her new lover, Poppy drunkenly goes into the shop she works at and curses a pendant necklace. It’s not until the next day at work when a really really nice looking guy buys the necklace that Poppy remembers the curse.

Thus ensues the adventures of Poppy and Alex while they figure out where the necklace went and why all of a sudden Poppy’s magic is even more chaotic than usual.

This is a 3 star read for me. I didn’t connect with any of the characters and didn’t buy the connection between Poppy and Alex either. I absolutely love witchy romance books but this one just wasn’t for me.

#NetGalley #katejohnson #hexandthecity

This is a great cosy, autumnal, witchy romance; exciting throughout and really held my attention. Some moments were more predictable than others but it was still entertaining
And I definitely enjoyed more than Hex Appeal. I really enjoyed the chemistry between Alex and Poppy too and I liked the increase in sexual tension and spice in this one.

Another adorable laugh out loud witchy romance by Kate, it was a pleasure to read. Loved the magic and her magic was hilarious - I'm forever going to love some sentient part, like her hair xD Hilarious and cute.

- steamy and spicy
- witchy romcom
- must work together

I enjoyed this book so much! Great world building and quirky characters, I especially loved Poppy’s hair, a sentient mane that picks up random items and expresses pleasure and displeasure.

Poppy is a witch but she’s kinda out of control. She’s had exes, and when she sees one of them with another woman she has a few too many drinks and accidentally hexes a pendant at the magic shop where she works.

Axl Storm (Alex) is a magician who puts on elaborate shows with lots of smoke, mirrors, and harnesses so he can fly. When one of the women he works with (and sleeps with) gets angry with him he buys her a necklace to appease her. Unfortunately, it’s the hexed necklace from Poppy’s store..

When Poppy and Alex meet, sparks fly but Poppy has to get the necklace back. She joins with some of her coven members to retrieve it, and Alex gets involved after a tragedy at his last show.

They go on to have adventures in different places and different time periods. I was impressed with the level of detail used in describing their travels, and I found I couldn’t put the book down until I’d finished it! This is a fun read, 4.5 stars.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed as in this review are completely my own.

Incredibly fun, flirty and exciting story! I enjoyed this so much that after enjoying the arc I went and bought myself a copy for my book shelves. The main characters were appealing and I loved the dynamic between the two throughout the story. I also absolutely love the cover design for this and really think it fits the romance genre whilst still standing out against other books on the market.

Witches, magic and cursed pendants, what's not to like?

Poppy is a witch, and she works at a magic shop in Covent Garden. One day her shop assistant sells a cursed pendant to celebrity magician Alex Storm. A pendant Poppy cursed after seeing the women she loved with someone else.

When trying to retrieve the pendant, a terrible accident happens. And when all hell breaks loose she is thrust together with Alex to find the pendant before the curse causes more harm.

I thorougly enjoyed this book by Kate Johnson. Definitely a laug-out-loud rom-com. Poppy is such a likable character, and the chemistry between her and Alex make the sparks fly off the pages! Sexy and fun!

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for my eArc!

This book was an easy sell to me, a witch and a magician? Excellent premise for a rom com in book form. I liked Poppy and Alex as characters, and the plot was absolutely chaotic but I liked how everything that was happening came together in the end. However Alex’s eating/image disorder was largely a part of his character and it felt crass that Poppy objectified him so often and to such an extent that we were subjected to some excessive paragraphs about his ‘size’. Overall I enjoyed the novel, and found that while there was a lot to keep track of, it wasn’t so convoluted that I couldn’t put the book down for fear of coming back and having no idea what was going on. It flowed well enough and was an engaging read.

Poppy is a witch. One that hasn’t fully mastered her craft. Or at least one that always seems to find herself in some messy situations. When she accidentally sells a famous magician a cursed pendant chaos ensues and sparks fly.

So I liked this one. It’s cute, it’s light. It’s a witchy romance. She had magical hair with a mind of its own. It’s spicy. Anyone looking for an easy read with a little bit of magic will enjoy this one.

I really wanted to love this story, and it honestly might have been me more than the book, but it just felt oddly slow and a little too silly for me. But I confidently think most readers will enjoy it, especially come spooky season. The romance was cute and the witchy aspects were fun. Maybe this authors other books will hit more with me later!

The witchy essence was very present in this book. From a cursed necklace, to ghosts, to time travel, glamor spells, and riding on brooms, it made me get into the spirit of Halloween coming next month.

Of course when a witch hooks up with a magician, things heat up, literally. I really liked both Poppy and Alex's characters. They both gained some confidence as the book progressed.

I enjoyed this book more than the previous one. It seemed to get going a lot faster. We got enough info about the characters quickly and the magical chaos started shortly thereafter. Overall creative and fun!

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for providing me a copy of this ARC for my honest review.

What a fun romp this one was! I feel like it combined all the things I love into one story and the witchy romance just heightened the overall experience! Sex and the City meets ghostbusters meets Hocus Pocus? Say less; I'm there. I thought Poppy and Axl were perfect together and their dynamic had me laughing out loud. It was chaotic in the best way and I couldn't get enough!

Hex and the City is such a fun and light spooky season read! Very fun and flirty and the characters have a great chemistry together. Very cute and enjoyable!

Unfortunately this book wasn't for me and I had to cease reading 28% off the way through. I found it difficult to connect to the characters and found it a shame as I usually love a witchy read!

This was an entertaining light witchy read! I will say I’m definitely more of a 1st person point of view romance reader so this wasn’t an absolute favorite. But I enjoyed the main romance!

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an arc in exchange for my review.

Thank you so much for the advance copy of Hex and the City! I adored Hex Appeal and I was so excited for Johnson’s sophomore work!

This title didn’t disappoint! I loved the characters, their love story, and the cameo appearances from some of the characters and the house from the first book. I’m hoping next year will bring a third witchy book from Johnson!