"Hex and the City" by Kate Johnson is a spellbinding urban fantasy that seamlessly blends magic, mystery, and romance. Johnson crafts a vibrant world where supernatural elements coexist with the hustle and bustle of city life. The protagonist's journey, woven with wit and charm, adds a layer of relatability to the magical narrative. The plot is engaging, filled with twists that keep readers eagerly turning pages. What makes the experience even more enchanting is the audiobook rendition, where the narrative comes alive with the skillful narration, immersing listeners in the world of Hex and the City. "Hex and the City" stands out for its unique blend of the mystical and the modern, making it a captivating read or listen for those seeking a delightful escape into a world where enchantment meets the everyday.

Hex and the City by Kate Johnson

I received an advance review copy for free thanks to NetGalley and One More Chapter and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Blurb

Things you should know about Poppy:

1. She’s a witch

2. She has magical hair like Rapunzel from Tangled

3. She lives with Iris, the head of her coven, in a beautiful, ramshackle house next to Highgate cemetery

4. She works at Hubble Bubble, a magic shop in Covent Garden. Though none of it is real magic as that would be highly irresponsible. Until…

…Poppy accidentally sells gorgeous celebrity magician Axl Storm, all six-foot-four of him, a cursed pendant.

When all hell breaks loose can the guy with fake magic and the girl with real magic fix the chaos they’ve caused? Or will sparks fly both in and out of the cauldron?

My Opinion

I am not sure why it has taken me so long to get around to reading this book but finally I have gotten around to it. This was a delightful adventure that is filled with chaos. This is one of those books that is going to make for a cosy read during the darker months. An entertaining read that will put a smile on your face.

Rating 4/5

Loved the sound of it and was hoping to read something a bit quirky and funny but sadly it just didn't don't for me. It felt a bit haphazard and I couldnt get into it. I did however enjoy the narration.

Sigh… what the hell did I just read? Please someone tell me it was a parody of a witchy rom-com and not written seriously as some sort of funny and quirky romance because if it’s the case, well… it was so absurd and ridiculous I would consider it a fail. Now, it was funny because of how over the top and borderline stupid it was: the viking magician performer and the quirky (honestly straight up weird) witch in London which is already ridiculous in itself. Poppy’s thoughts were interesting and I don’t mean it positively, for example her obsession with his d!ck, or « I want to climb him like a tree »… please don’t. She was just very immature and weird, Axl (that’s his stage name but what the hell is that?) or Alex was just as weird and honestly, I can’t really say anything other than WTF. Oh, and the 3rd act breakup was so dumb and really unnecessary, I genuinely don’t know why Poppy suddenly felt insecure about his numerous hook-ups. Her hair thing was kinda funny tbh but she was constantly painted as « not like the other girls » which is ANNOYING. 2 stars.

A funny and entertaining witchy romance with mystery, time travel, magic and mayhem.
It's a lighthearted and quick read that had me hooked and smiling all the way through. I loved the two characters, Axl and Poppy. They had great chemistry and were adorable together.
This was a lovely, fun read. I enjoyed the narration immensely.

“‘Got drunk, accidentally cursed an object, forgot about the object,’ Iris summarised as Poppy tailed off. ‘We’ve all been there.’”

My thanks to HarperCollins U.K. Audio One More Chapter for a review copy via NetGalley of the unabridged audiobook edition of ‘Hex and the City’ by Kate Johnson. The audiobook is narrated by Catrin Walker-Booth.

Poppy is a witch. She is currently living in a beautiful, ramshackle house next in Highgate, the home of Iris, the head of her coven. She works at Hubble Bubble, a magic shop in Covent Garden owned by Sylvia, another member of the coven. The shop sells crystals, broomsticks, and the like though nothing really magical as that would be irresponsible. Poppy has started creating jewellery to be sold there. Poppy also has very long hair that appears to have a mind of its own.

One evening she has rather too much to drink following a sighting of her former girlfriend getting frisky with another woman outside a pub. Deeply upset she accidentally places a curse on an Eye of Odin pendant. The next day she hardly remembers doing it.

However, things get complicated when her fellow shop assistant, Elspeth, sells the pendant to celebrity stage magician, Axl Storm, who is looking for a gift for Yelena, a valkyrie in his Viking-themed magic show. Poppy realises that she has to retrieve the pendant and remove the curse before it hurts anyone. She confesses all to Iris and so they head off to the Mysterio Theatre to retrieve it. Of course, things proceed to go spectacularly wrong.

The main romance comes in the form of Axl, whose ‘rockstar Viking’ look bears more than a passing resemblance to a certain hammer-wielding Asgardian. She calls him ‘man-bun’ and he calls her ‘Rapunzel’. Sweet. Of course, there are many adventures along the way, including time slips, ghosts, and a restless mummy. Add to this the mundane rom-com tropes of complicated family relationships and various misunderstandings.

The book is set primarily in modern day London and takes place in the same fictional universe as her 2022 ‘Hex Appeal’. However, while there are mentions of ‘the Essex cousins’ and a bit of character crossover, the books work fine individually.

With respect to the audiobook, Catrin Walker-Booth had previously narrated ‘Hex Appeal’. She has a light, clear voice that was well suited to this title. I have also enjoyed her readings of other recent audiobooks.

Overall, ‘Hex and the City’ was great fun and I ended up reading in a single day as I was enjoying it so much. I am hoping for more ‘Hex’ books from Kate Johnson as they have a great balance between comedy, romance, and witchcraft-themed fantasy.

Where can I start with this adorably cute book! I loved The Ex Hex and i knew I would adore this one as well. This book is based on an entirely different cast of characters,(there may be a quick snippet of an old favorite of course). Poppy was such an awesome character to follow - she is super clumsy, loses everything all the time, and barely manages to make it to work on time on her best days. Then she goes and curses a necklace and it gets sold to someone famous.... Inset Axl....

Just go and read this book and you will love it! Magical, witchy, funny, amazing!

It was an enjoyable storyline, if a bit slow at times, but everything was neatly tied up at the end.

The love-interest guy accepts Poppy's witchcraft very easily and slides nearly into sorting things out with her, when her life starts to unravel.

All in all, a nice, easy read with enough going in not to be boring.

Despite a cute premise and charming Rapunzel-esque main character, the audiobook just didn't win me over as I hoped.

We follow a witch with magical hair named Poppy who accidentally sells a cursed object to a male celebrity magician and it is up to the two of them to fix things.

Thank you so much NetGalley for a copy nonetheless.

I loved this book so much I got the kindle edition and the audiobook. It’s not as light as you think at first sight. Loved it.

Storyline:
When the traits of a Witch and Rapunzel are spun together, it will precisely result in something like... Poppy. Poppy spends most of her time creating jewellery, living with the head of her coven next to a cemetery. And though she never truly felt she had any magical powers, hell breaks loose when she sells a cursed pendant to a very hot Magician (Alex). Oh, what a time to be chaotic!

My take:
It's a witchy romance book that features a chaotic protagonist and a too-sexy-for-his-own-good love interest. While the magical elements in the book are spread across different timelines (from mummies to Victorian London), it is safe to say it's all very easy on the eyes and brain. The vibe is definitely light and magical. You will find yourself swooning over quite a handful of romance scenes. A quick disclaimer though, there are detailed descriptions of love-making activities (literally - no curtains). So keep in mind what you are signing for - witchy adult romance in a modern world setup.

Thanks, @netgalley @k8johnsonauthor @harpercollinsuk for the ARC, it was a fun read.

Poppy a witch with magical hair and a habit of creating chaos wherever she goes. After a drunken night out she accidentally cursed a necklace and sells it to Axl. Axl is a relatively famous stage magician come illusionist who just happens to look like a Viking King. What could go wrong? Time travel, a ghostly Egyptian Mummy and talking ship figureheads. That's what.

This book is a comedy cosy fantasy with very likeable characters. It made a nice break from the heavier novels I've been reading. The only thing I really didn't like was how fast the relationship between Poppy and Axl developed. Declaring their undying love after only a week was a bit too much even for a fantasy romance. But that aside I really enjoyed this story.

I listened to the audio book over two nights and really liked the naration. I did find it a bit strange that sometimes when reading the character of Axl the narrator changed to an Australian accent mid sentence. As the book went on I learned the reason for it though and suddenly it made sense.

Thank you to Netgalley and Kate Johnson for allowing me to listen to an advanced copy of this audio book in return for a fair and honest review.

If you enjoyed Kate Johnson’s previous book, the Ex Hex, or Erin Sterling’s witchy romances, Hex and the City is definitely a book you should pick up.

As with her previous book, what in the surface appears to be a fluffy romance with a witchy theme packs in so much more. Addressing many serious topics in a sensitive and empathetic manner, such as the different types of families, bullying and eating disorders, this book hits a lot harder than you might expect.

Featuring a time travelling twist (which feels like it’s becoming the author’s trademark!), the twists and turns of the plot kept me on the edge of my seat. Poppy was a great main character and I liked the depth woven into the character of Alex, the love interest.

I didn’t get quite as emotionally invested as I did in the Ex Hex but I throughly enjoyed this audiobook. The cameo appearance of Aubrey from the Ex Hex was a lovely touch too.

Fantastic narration made this a very enjoyable listening experience.

This was a fun, witchy romance which was super easy to read and I finished it within a day! We follow Poppy , a chaotic witch in London who meets an on stage magician. Their chaotic romance was cute and I enjoyed every bit of this book. Steamy in places and tense in others, it was a great mix of fantasy , mystery and romance