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Hit Me with Your Best Charm
The occasionally magic, always superstitious town of Prior’s End is famous for three
Whimsical charm at the annual Fall Festival.
The legend of the wishing well hidden in a forest bristling with secrets.
And Nova Marwood’s missing hiker father.
Every year without him, it gets easier to pretend Nova doesn’t believe in myth and magic. Easier to pretend she’s doing okay. Easier to pretend she doesn’t have a secret crush on the girl she fake-hates.
Kiara Mistry is the luckiest girl in town and the thief of every crush Nova had her heart set on first. In theory, Nova should resent Kiara. But it’s getting harder to deny her feelings.
When Nova lays an unintended hex on Kiara at the Fall Festival, and one misfortune after another swiftly follows, soon Kiara’s very survival at stake. To reverse the bad luck, Kiara’s exes turned BFFs commence a quest for the miraculous wishing well. There’s only one person who can get them there . . . Nova.
But to save Kiara—and maybe find her dad, too—she’ll have to believe in something much stronger than magic. Nova will need to believe in herself.
Whimsical charm at the annual Fall Festival.
The legend of the wishing well hidden in a forest bristling with secrets.
And Nova Marwood’s missing hiker father.
Every year without him, it gets easier to pretend Nova doesn’t believe in myth and magic. Easier to pretend she’s doing okay. Easier to pretend she doesn’t have a secret crush on the girl she fake-hates.
Kiara Mistry is the luckiest girl in town and the thief of every crush Nova had her heart set on first. In theory, Nova should resent Kiara. But it’s getting harder to deny her feelings.
When Nova lays an unintended hex on Kiara at the Fall Festival, and one misfortune after another swiftly follows, soon Kiara’s very survival at stake. To reverse the bad luck, Kiara’s exes turned BFFs commence a quest for the miraculous wishing well. There’s only one person who can get them there . . . Nova.
But to save Kiara—and maybe find her dad, too—she’ll have to believe in something much stronger than magic. Nova will need to believe in herself.
416 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2025
21 people are currently reading
13519 people want to read
About the author
Lillie Vale
6 books566 followersLillie Vale is the USA Today bestselling author of books for both teens and adults, including Hit Me with Your Best Charm, Wrapped with a Beau, The Decoy Girlfriend, Beauty and the Besharam, The Shaadi Set-Up, and Small Town Hearts, an American Library Association 2020 Rainbow Books List selection. She writes about secrets and yearning, complicated and ambitious girls who know what they want, the places we call home and people we find our way back to, and the magic we make. She currently lives in an Indiana college town.
Find her on Twitter @LillieLabyrinth and Instagram @labyrinthspine, or visit her website lillielabyrinth.com.
Find her on Twitter @LillieLabyrinth and Instagram @labyrinthspine, or visit her website lillielabyrinth.com.
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July 23, 2025firstly, thank you to the publisher for an arc!
unfortunately dnf @27% — i can see that the entire plot of this book stems from our fmc nova being a brat, and i’m not interested in a bratty fmc.
i’m sure this sapphic witchy romcom will find its audience, but it’s not me.
unfortunately dnf @27% — i can see that the entire plot of this book stems from our fmc nova being a brat, and i’m not interested in a bratty fmc.
i’m sure this sapphic witchy romcom will find its audience, but it’s not me.
September 16, 2025
I've previously loved all of Lillie Vale's books, so of course, I had high hopes for this one, but I'm sad to say it didn't live up to my expectations. I think it's a combination of the story not feeling fleshed out enough and the book having a completely different vibe from what I was expecting, especially in the second half. I never felt like I really got to know the characters, not even the main character or the love interest, which made it very hard to feel invested in the story and the romance. I also expected something very charming and cutely witchy, but it ended up being more on the creepy side. Which is fine, but it wasn't the vibe the book cover and synopsis had given me. I'm still very confused by the ending, because the main plot of the book got wrapped up in a very rushed way, which felt unsatisfying.
July 24, 2025
I thought the premise was interesting, but sadly I didn’t enjoy this book 😢
Seven years ago, Nova’s father went into the woods and didn’t come back.
After accidentally hexing her crush with bad luck, Nova embarks on a camping trip in the company of Kiara, the girl she likes, and all of Kiara's exes-turned-best-friends. Nova is hoping to find her town's fabled wishing well in order to undo the hex, and secretly hoping to find her father too.
What I liked: Nova and Kiara's relationship was cute, it was frustratingly endearing that Nova never picked up the signals that Kiara was sending her, and her self doubt and guilt prevented her from admitting to have a crush on the other girl.
I also enjoyed the fact that through most of the book we're left wondering if there’s actually a magic element or if everything is superstition, and maybe the characters only want to believe in the supernatural.
Apart from that, there were too many plot lines for my taste and I felt the story was all over the place. The book felt unnecessary lengthy, filled with extra dialogue and scenes that didn’t add anything to the story.
When the plot starts to pick up and make sense, we're already at the 75% mark.
Maybe readers who like lengthy dialogue and banter might enjoy this one more than me.
Thanks to Viking Books for Young Readers via NetGalley for providing an eARC
Seven years ago, Nova’s father went into the woods and didn’t come back.
After accidentally hexing her crush with bad luck, Nova embarks on a camping trip in the company of Kiara, the girl she likes, and all of Kiara's exes-turned-best-friends. Nova is hoping to find her town's fabled wishing well in order to undo the hex, and secretly hoping to find her father too.
What I liked: Nova and Kiara's relationship was cute, it was frustratingly endearing that Nova never picked up the signals that Kiara was sending her, and her self doubt and guilt prevented her from admitting to have a crush on the other girl.
I also enjoyed the fact that through most of the book we're left wondering if there’s actually a magic element or if everything is superstition, and maybe the characters only want to believe in the supernatural.
Apart from that, there were too many plot lines for my taste and I felt the story was all over the place. The book felt unnecessary lengthy, filled with extra dialogue and scenes that didn’t add anything to the story.
When the plot starts to pick up and make sense, we're already at the 75% mark.
Maybe readers who like lengthy dialogue and banter might enjoy this one more than me.
Thanks to Viking Books for Young Readers via NetGalley for providing an eARC
July 25, 2025
3.3
*Review to come*
*Review to come*
July 20, 2025
One of the best books I've read this year. An instant five star read.
Nova Marwood has spent the last seven years looking for her missing father. Every ounce of magic and wonder she once believed in as a girl is gone. As her mother finally prepares to move on after being stuck in stasis for so long, Nova can't help but feel angry and betrayed. Turning her ire on the source of her problems, Nova ends up accidentally hexing one of her classmates, Kiara, and all hell breaks loose. But, the only way to undo her mistake might also be the only way for her to find her missing father: a quest to a magical wishing well hidden deep in the woods. But the road is long and the path is dangerous. Can Nova, Kiara, and their friends make the trek before its too late?
This book was not what I expected it to be. Honestly, it was so much more. I expected a light hearted, ya romance with some witchy magic vibes. Instead, what I got was a deeply compelling, thought provoking read that left me on the edge of my seat with every page turn. Ms. Vale has given us a story filled with such depth and emotion that I'm going to be thinking about this read for years to come.
To say that I never saw the end coming would be an understatement. The way Ms. Vale wove so many different threads together into the most perfect ending... I applaud her. The characters in this book are all so well written. They're young, naive, and inexperienced but they aren't unintelligent. Their personality types are varied but they blend so well together. We have Nova, a pessimist who has lost all sense of wonder; Kiara, an eternal optimist and sunshine presence that you can't help but love; Tayla, headstrong and determined, a competitor to the core; Kieffer, the goofy and loveable jock; Evan, a little bit of a hippy and wise beyond their years; and Radhika, the gifted child who has to succeed. The interactions between them all were some of my favorite parts of this story. The friendship and camaraderie that grows between them as they move towards their goal was just everything.
I feel like I want to say so much more about this read but I'm at a loss for words. How do I tell you how amazing this was without giving all the twists and turns away? Realistically, this is one you'll need to read for yourself. I promise if you pick this one up, you won't regret it. But even if you did, if you find the wishing well, maybe you'll be able to undo that regret.
Nova Marwood has spent the last seven years looking for her missing father. Every ounce of magic and wonder she once believed in as a girl is gone. As her mother finally prepares to move on after being stuck in stasis for so long, Nova can't help but feel angry and betrayed. Turning her ire on the source of her problems, Nova ends up accidentally hexing one of her classmates, Kiara, and all hell breaks loose. But, the only way to undo her mistake might also be the only way for her to find her missing father: a quest to a magical wishing well hidden deep in the woods. But the road is long and the path is dangerous. Can Nova, Kiara, and their friends make the trek before its too late?
This book was not what I expected it to be. Honestly, it was so much more. I expected a light hearted, ya romance with some witchy magic vibes. Instead, what I got was a deeply compelling, thought provoking read that left me on the edge of my seat with every page turn. Ms. Vale has given us a story filled with such depth and emotion that I'm going to be thinking about this read for years to come.
To say that I never saw the end coming would be an understatement. The way Ms. Vale wove so many different threads together into the most perfect ending... I applaud her. The characters in this book are all so well written. They're young, naive, and inexperienced but they aren't unintelligent. Their personality types are varied but they blend so well together. We have Nova, a pessimist who has lost all sense of wonder; Kiara, an eternal optimist and sunshine presence that you can't help but love; Tayla, headstrong and determined, a competitor to the core; Kieffer, the goofy and loveable jock; Evan, a little bit of a hippy and wise beyond their years; and Radhika, the gifted child who has to succeed. The interactions between them all were some of my favorite parts of this story. The friendship and camaraderie that grows between them as they move towards their goal was just everything.
I feel like I want to say so much more about this read but I'm at a loss for words. How do I tell you how amazing this was without giving all the twists and turns away? Realistically, this is one you'll need to read for yourself. I promise if you pick this one up, you won't regret it. But even if you did, if you find the wishing well, maybe you'll be able to undo that regret.
September 4, 2025
The premise sounded interesting and as someone who lost a parent, I thought this would be really meaningful to me.
Unfortunately, this was predictable, adolescent, and anti-climactic.
There were some parts I enjoyed but more of the characters were petty and annoying. I think I’m just not a big fan of the YA genre anymore because teenagers are constantly being written as selfish and bratty.
The “romance” was a snooze fest.
Unfortunately, this was predictable, adolescent, and anti-climactic.
There were some parts I enjoyed but more of the characters were petty and annoying. I think I’m just not a big fan of the YA genre anymore because teenagers are constantly being written as selfish and bratty.
The “romance” was a snooze fest.
July 15, 2025
In the whimsically dark town of Prior's End, where sunset arrives twenty-four minutes early and weather forecasts are perpetually wrong, Lillie Vale crafts a narrative that feels both achingly familiar and refreshingly unique. Hit Me with Your Best Charm is more than just another young adult fantasy romance—it's a meditation on grief, guilt, and the courage required to believe in something greater than our own pain.
Vale's Prior's End isn't your typical magical small town. This is a place where "occasional magic" strikes without warning or invitation, where superstition runs as deep as the roots of ancient trees, and where the past refuses to stay buried. The town itself becomes a character, unpredictable and sometimes cruel, yet undeniably alive with possibility.
Nova Marwood: A Protagonist Worth Rooting For
Nova Marwood emerges as one of the most compelling protagonists in recent YA literature. Seven years after her father's disappearance during a hiking expedition to find the legendary wishing well, Nova carries the crushing weight of childhood guilt. Her last words to her father—"Fine! Go, then!"—echo through every page, shaping her worldview and relationships.
Vale masterfully develops Nova's character arc from someone who has armored herself against hope to a young woman learning to embrace vulnerability. Nova's voice is authentic and relatable, filled with the kind of sharp wit that masks deeper pain. Her relationship with magic mirrors many readers' own relationship with faith—desperately wanting to believe while simultaneously protecting oneself from disappointment.
The author's portrayal of Nova's grief feels particularly genuine. Rather than presenting healing as a linear process, Vale shows how loss reshapes us in unexpected ways, sometimes making us stronger and sometimes making us afraid of our own capacity for love.
A Romance That Defies Expectations
The central romance between Nova and Kiara Mistry transcends typical enemies-to-lovers tropes. Their relationship is built on layers of misunderstanding, genuine attraction, and the kind of emotional complexity that makes readers invested in their outcome. Kiara isn't just the popular girl who gets everything she wants—she's a fully realized character with her own vulnerabilities and depths.
Vale excels at writing romantic tension that feels both sweet and realistic. The camping scenes, in particular, crackle with chemistry while maintaining the emotional authenticity that makes young adult readers connect deeply with the characters. The author handles the LGBTQ+ romance with sensitivity and joy, avoiding both tragedy and tokenism.
The supporting cast of Kiara's exes—Tayla, Radhika, Evan, and Keiffer—could have easily become stereotypes, but Vale gives each distinct personalities and motivations. Their group dynamic feels genuine, capturing the complexity of friend groups where romantic history complicates but doesn't destroy bonds.
The Quest That Changes Everything
When Nova accidentally hexes Kiara at the Fall Festival, the story transforms into something deeper than a simple supernatural mishap. The quest to find the wishing well becomes a journey of self-discovery for multiple characters, each grappling with their own desires and regrets.
Vale's pacing in the wilderness sections is expertly handled. The author builds tension gradually, introducing supernatural elements that feel organic to the world she's created. The revelation about the lost hikers and the true nature of the wishing well provides satisfying answers while raising questions about the cost of our deepest wishes.
The forest scenes showcase Vale's descriptive prowess. Her writing brings the Longing Woods to life as a place of beauty and danger, where nature itself seems to have opinions about human intrusion. The atmosphere she creates is reminiscent of the best fantasy works, where the setting becomes integral to the story's emotional impact.
Themes That Resonate
Grief and Healing
Vale's exploration of grief feels particularly nuanced. She shows how losing a parent affects not just the child but the entire family dynamic. Nova's mother's relationship with Aurora the psychic illustrates how desperation can make us vulnerable to false hope, while Nova's own journey demonstrates that healing doesn't mean forgetting.
The Power of Choice
The climactic scene at the wishing well presents Nova with an impossible choice between her heart's deepest desire and doing what's right. Vale doesn't take the easy path here—the resolution feels earned rather than given, and Nova's decision showcases genuine character growth.
Community and Belonging
Prior's End itself becomes a meditation on what it means to belong somewhere. The town's quirks and magic create a sense of place that many readers will recognize—that feeling of being simultaneously frustrated by and deeply connected to where we come from.
Writing Style and Craft
Vale's prose strikes an impressive balance between accessible and literary. Her dialogue feels natural and age-appropriate, while her descriptive passages create vivid imagery without overwhelming the narrative pace. The author has a particular gift for capturing the internal monologue of teenagers—the way thoughts spiral and contradict themselves, the intensity of emotions that adults might dismiss but that feel earth-shattering in the moment.
The story structure works well, with clear three-act progression that builds naturally to its climax. Vale wisely avoids over-explaining her magic system, instead letting it feel organic to the world. This restraint serves the story well, maintaining the sense of wonder while keeping the focus on character development.
Minor Criticisms
While the book succeeds in most areas, there are occasional moments where the pacing feels slightly uneven. Some of the middle wilderness chapters could benefit from tighter editing, and a few secondary character arcs feel underdeveloped. Tayla, in particular, seems to exist primarily to create relationship drama rather than as a fully realized person.
Additionally, while the magical elements are generally well-integrated, the rules governing Prior's End's "occasional magic" sometimes feel inconsistent. Readers looking for hard magic systems might find this frustrating, though it works well for the story's overall tone.
The Verdict: A Charming Success
Hit Me with Your Best Charm succeeds as both a fantasy adventure and a coming-of-age story. Vale has created a world that feels lived-in and characters that feel real, even when surrounded by magic. The book tackles serious themes of loss and healing without becoming overwhelmingly dark, and the romance feels genuinely earned rather than forced.
While not perfect, the novel demonstrates Vale's growth as a storyteller. Her previous works, including Small Town Hearts and Beauty and the Besharam, showed promise, but this book represents a new level of sophistication in her writing. The integration of fantasy elements with contemporary issues feels seamless, and the emotional payoff is substantial.
For readers seeking a book that combines magical adventure with authentic emotional depth, Hit Me with Your Best Charm delivers exactly what its title promises. It's a story about finding the courage to believe in yourself when everything you've trusted has let you down, and about discovering that sometimes the most powerful magic is simply choosing to hope again.
This book earns its place among the stronger entries in contemporary YA fantasy, offering both escapism and emotional truth in equal measure. Vale has crafted something special here—a story that will linger with readers long after they've turned the final page, leaving them perhaps a little more willing to believe in their own capacity for magic.
Vale's Prior's End isn't your typical magical small town. This is a place where "occasional magic" strikes without warning or invitation, where superstition runs as deep as the roots of ancient trees, and where the past refuses to stay buried. The town itself becomes a character, unpredictable and sometimes cruel, yet undeniably alive with possibility.
Nova Marwood: A Protagonist Worth Rooting For
Nova Marwood emerges as one of the most compelling protagonists in recent YA literature. Seven years after her father's disappearance during a hiking expedition to find the legendary wishing well, Nova carries the crushing weight of childhood guilt. Her last words to her father—"Fine! Go, then!"—echo through every page, shaping her worldview and relationships.
Vale masterfully develops Nova's character arc from someone who has armored herself against hope to a young woman learning to embrace vulnerability. Nova's voice is authentic and relatable, filled with the kind of sharp wit that masks deeper pain. Her relationship with magic mirrors many readers' own relationship with faith—desperately wanting to believe while simultaneously protecting oneself from disappointment.
The author's portrayal of Nova's grief feels particularly genuine. Rather than presenting healing as a linear process, Vale shows how loss reshapes us in unexpected ways, sometimes making us stronger and sometimes making us afraid of our own capacity for love.
A Romance That Defies Expectations
The central romance between Nova and Kiara Mistry transcends typical enemies-to-lovers tropes. Their relationship is built on layers of misunderstanding, genuine attraction, and the kind of emotional complexity that makes readers invested in their outcome. Kiara isn't just the popular girl who gets everything she wants—she's a fully realized character with her own vulnerabilities and depths.
Vale excels at writing romantic tension that feels both sweet and realistic. The camping scenes, in particular, crackle with chemistry while maintaining the emotional authenticity that makes young adult readers connect deeply with the characters. The author handles the LGBTQ+ romance with sensitivity and joy, avoiding both tragedy and tokenism.
The supporting cast of Kiara's exes—Tayla, Radhika, Evan, and Keiffer—could have easily become stereotypes, but Vale gives each distinct personalities and motivations. Their group dynamic feels genuine, capturing the complexity of friend groups where romantic history complicates but doesn't destroy bonds.
The Quest That Changes Everything
When Nova accidentally hexes Kiara at the Fall Festival, the story transforms into something deeper than a simple supernatural mishap. The quest to find the wishing well becomes a journey of self-discovery for multiple characters, each grappling with their own desires and regrets.
Vale's pacing in the wilderness sections is expertly handled. The author builds tension gradually, introducing supernatural elements that feel organic to the world she's created. The revelation about the lost hikers and the true nature of the wishing well provides satisfying answers while raising questions about the cost of our deepest wishes.
The forest scenes showcase Vale's descriptive prowess. Her writing brings the Longing Woods to life as a place of beauty and danger, where nature itself seems to have opinions about human intrusion. The atmosphere she creates is reminiscent of the best fantasy works, where the setting becomes integral to the story's emotional impact.
Themes That Resonate
Grief and Healing
Vale's exploration of grief feels particularly nuanced. She shows how losing a parent affects not just the child but the entire family dynamic. Nova's mother's relationship with Aurora the psychic illustrates how desperation can make us vulnerable to false hope, while Nova's own journey demonstrates that healing doesn't mean forgetting.
The Power of Choice
The climactic scene at the wishing well presents Nova with an impossible choice between her heart's deepest desire and doing what's right. Vale doesn't take the easy path here—the resolution feels earned rather than given, and Nova's decision showcases genuine character growth.
Community and Belonging
Prior's End itself becomes a meditation on what it means to belong somewhere. The town's quirks and magic create a sense of place that many readers will recognize—that feeling of being simultaneously frustrated by and deeply connected to where we come from.
Writing Style and Craft
Vale's prose strikes an impressive balance between accessible and literary. Her dialogue feels natural and age-appropriate, while her descriptive passages create vivid imagery without overwhelming the narrative pace. The author has a particular gift for capturing the internal monologue of teenagers—the way thoughts spiral and contradict themselves, the intensity of emotions that adults might dismiss but that feel earth-shattering in the moment.
The story structure works well, with clear three-act progression that builds naturally to its climax. Vale wisely avoids over-explaining her magic system, instead letting it feel organic to the world. This restraint serves the story well, maintaining the sense of wonder while keeping the focus on character development.
Minor Criticisms
While the book succeeds in most areas, there are occasional moments where the pacing feels slightly uneven. Some of the middle wilderness chapters could benefit from tighter editing, and a few secondary character arcs feel underdeveloped. Tayla, in particular, seems to exist primarily to create relationship drama rather than as a fully realized person.
Additionally, while the magical elements are generally well-integrated, the rules governing Prior's End's "occasional magic" sometimes feel inconsistent. Readers looking for hard magic systems might find this frustrating, though it works well for the story's overall tone.
The Verdict: A Charming Success
Hit Me with Your Best Charm succeeds as both a fantasy adventure and a coming-of-age story. Vale has created a world that feels lived-in and characters that feel real, even when surrounded by magic. The book tackles serious themes of loss and healing without becoming overwhelmingly dark, and the romance feels genuinely earned rather than forced.
While not perfect, the novel demonstrates Vale's growth as a storyteller. Her previous works, including Small Town Hearts and Beauty and the Besharam, showed promise, but this book represents a new level of sophistication in her writing. The integration of fantasy elements with contemporary issues feels seamless, and the emotional payoff is substantial.
For readers seeking a book that combines magical adventure with authentic emotional depth, Hit Me with Your Best Charm delivers exactly what its title promises. It's a story about finding the courage to believe in yourself when everything you've trusted has let you down, and about discovering that sometimes the most powerful magic is simply choosing to hope again.
This book earns its place among the stronger entries in contemporary YA fantasy, offering both escapism and emotional truth in equal measure. Vale has crafted something special here—a story that will linger with readers long after they've turned the final page, leaving them perhaps a little more willing to believe in their own capacity for magic.
October 7, 2025
Unfortunately, this book was written by someone who believes that a skeleton left in the woods would still be fully articulated after seven years.
October 23, 2025
It took me a while to get to this book. Which naughty me, it shouldn’t have. But whatever it did, but it’s read now. I actually enjoyed this book A LOT. The story was really good. Which I didn’t expect tbh. I really was expecting a basic teen romance with paranormal romance (I don’t know if it’s considered paranormal romance or magic realism, but we are going with a paranormal romance) mixed in. But the story kept building, and building. By the end of the book, I sat the book down and was like “WTF did I just read?”, and “That was actually really cool, and really good!”. If you’re an older reader, I will admit the book starts out with teen drama (that will have you rolling your eyes), and you might even want to just put it down. The author does layer it with other deeper events too. But I promise keep pushing. Now for younger readers, you are going to love that aspect. The author did do well making the book appealing to a wider range of readers IMO. The book does have some things happen that had me going “what?! I didn’t see that coming”. That to me is a huge positive. Love when things come out of left field in a book. Anywho, there is a wide variety of personalities which for me was good. I get bored with books when the characters all seem the same. These characters weren’t. Definitely recommend for those who love YA reads.
This is a fun YA Paranormal Romance. The romance is frenemies to lovers. The book is fairly clean, but does have some more mature moments as the characters are older high school age. The book’s heat does reflect this. Nova thought she was playing a harmless joke, but instead, it created a string of events she can’t take back. Now she has to help Kiara Misery, her childhood crush, and the one person who takes everyone Nova has ever crushed on to find a well of myth that’s located in the woods outside her town. The same woods that took her dad years prior. They have until the full moon to find the well to undo the mistake that Nova made.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🎧Audiobook with 📖 Physical Copy
This is a fun YA Paranormal Romance. The romance is frenemies to lovers. The book is fairly clean, but does have some more mature moments as the characters are older high school age. The book’s heat does reflect this. Nova thought she was playing a harmless joke, but instead, it created a string of events she can’t take back. Now she has to help Kiara Misery, her childhood crush, and the one person who takes everyone Nova has ever crushed on to find a well of myth that’s located in the woods outside her town. The same woods that took her dad years prior. They have until the full moon to find the well to undo the mistake that Nova made.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🎧Audiobook with 📖 Physical Copy
August 17, 2025
Book Review + Feature
📖✨🍂⛺️
thank you so much partner @penguinteen @storygramtours for the gifted copy!
Hit Me with Your Best Charm
Book by Lillie Vale
About the book 👇🏽
✨ The highlights 👉🏽 Spooky Mystery, Cozy Autumnal Town, Adventure, Sapphic Romance, + Found Family ✨
A young adult novel by Lillie Vale, set in the whimsical town of Prior's End, known for its annual Fall Festival and a legend of a wishing well. The story follows Nova Marwood, who accidentally curses her crush, Kiara Mistry, during the festival. To reverse the curse and possibly find her missing father, Nova embarks on a quest with Kiara and her friends to find the wishing well.
🍂 My thoughts:
I had a good time with this one! Because who doesn’t love a good accidental hex and a good ole autumn festival! I was able to read it fast and It had so many elements I enjoy. Its magical realism meets adventure with a splash of mystery and romance. If you’re looking for something different this fall, this one was not what I was expecting and in a good way. You get found family (literally), it’s actually deeper than it seems, and it has an ending you won’t see coming! Hit Me with Your Best Charm is out now.
Happy reading 📖✨⛺️🍂
#PenguinTeenPartner #HitMeWithYourBestCharm #LillieVale #cozyreads #storygramtours
📖✨🍂⛺️
thank you so much partner @penguinteen @storygramtours for the gifted copy!
Hit Me with Your Best Charm
Book by Lillie Vale
About the book 👇🏽
✨ The highlights 👉🏽 Spooky Mystery, Cozy Autumnal Town, Adventure, Sapphic Romance, + Found Family ✨
A young adult novel by Lillie Vale, set in the whimsical town of Prior's End, known for its annual Fall Festival and a legend of a wishing well. The story follows Nova Marwood, who accidentally curses her crush, Kiara Mistry, during the festival. To reverse the curse and possibly find her missing father, Nova embarks on a quest with Kiara and her friends to find the wishing well.
🍂 My thoughts:
I had a good time with this one! Because who doesn’t love a good accidental hex and a good ole autumn festival! I was able to read it fast and It had so many elements I enjoy. Its magical realism meets adventure with a splash of mystery and romance. If you’re looking for something different this fall, this one was not what I was expecting and in a good way. You get found family (literally), it’s actually deeper than it seems, and it has an ending you won’t see coming! Hit Me with Your Best Charm is out now.
Happy reading 📖✨⛺️🍂
#PenguinTeenPartner #HitMeWithYourBestCharm #LillieVale #cozyreads #storygramtours
January 28, 2026
I picked this up expecting a cozy, magical story based on the cover and description, but the actual reading experience felt much quieter than that. The story takes its time getting started, and the overall tone stays fairly grounded.
The magic is present, but only in small amounts. It shows up here and there rather than shaping the story, so it never really created that warm, enchanted feeling I was hoping to sink into.
A large part of the book follows a group of characters who come together fairly quickly. Their connections form fast, sometimes before I fully had a sense of who everyone was, which made parts of the story a little hard to follow.
The main character didn’t fully work for me. They often felt bratty or self-absorbed, which made it harder to feel emotionally cozy while reading.
There are queer characters throughout the story, simply existing as part of the world without much emphasis placed on it.
By the end, I felt mostly neutral. I wasn’t upset or disappointed, just slightly underwhelmed. There were ideas I liked and moments I enjoyed, even if the book never fully matched the tone I expected. I’m giving it four stars because it held my interest and had enough charm to keep me reading.
The magic is present, but only in small amounts. It shows up here and there rather than shaping the story, so it never really created that warm, enchanted feeling I was hoping to sink into.
A large part of the book follows a group of characters who come together fairly quickly. Their connections form fast, sometimes before I fully had a sense of who everyone was, which made parts of the story a little hard to follow.
The main character didn’t fully work for me. They often felt bratty or self-absorbed, which made it harder to feel emotionally cozy while reading.
There are queer characters throughout the story, simply existing as part of the world without much emphasis placed on it.
By the end, I felt mostly neutral. I wasn’t upset or disappointed, just slightly underwhelmed. There were ideas I liked and moments I enjoyed, even if the book never fully matched the tone I expected. I’m giving it four stars because it held my interest and had enough charm to keep me reading.
July 12, 2025
Hit Me with Your Best Charm is a cute, paranormal adventure. A father lost to the woods after trying to save a friend. An angsty teen, dealing with grief, who happens to hex her current crush. An unlikely team of exes, banding together to break a curse.
Attempting to find a magical wishing well in a forest that claims any hiker who dares to wander off the beaten path, Nova (our fmc) and her group must determine what is real and what is a trick of the mind. Although the pacing starts off a little slow, quite a bit of excitement happens within the last 25% of the book. I’m still processing one surprise twist that felt unresolved.
Think YA vibe with a focus on chaotic teenage friendships that bend and grow as the characters navigate an eerily deceptive forest.
Thank you NetGalley, Penguin Young Readers/Viking Books for Young Readers, and Lillie Vale for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Attempting to find a magical wishing well in a forest that claims any hiker who dares to wander off the beaten path, Nova (our fmc) and her group must determine what is real and what is a trick of the mind. Although the pacing starts off a little slow, quite a bit of excitement happens within the last 25% of the book. I’m still processing one surprise twist that felt unresolved.
Think YA vibe with a focus on chaotic teenage friendships that bend and grow as the characters navigate an eerily deceptive forest.
Thank you NetGalley, Penguin Young Readers/Viking Books for Young Readers, and Lillie Vale for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Want to read
November 19, 2024"The occasionally magic, always superstitious town of Prior’s End is famous for the whimsical charm at the annual Fall Festival, the legend of the wishing well hidden in a forest bristling with secrets, and Nova Marwood’s missing hiker father."
ya sapphic fantasy
ya sapphic fantasy
May 17, 2025
Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Young Readers/Viking Books for the free ARC
I really enjoyed this witchy tale talking grief, family, and accepting your romantic feelings.
This story has wonderfully charming characters, great LGBT representation and surprising twists. Our main character is ultimately faced with a very hard decision between undoing a hex placed on her father or her friend Kiara. The stakes are high in this one.
Overall I really enjoyed this book. But let's be honest just about most books with a touch of magic are going to be a must read for me.
I really enjoyed this witchy tale talking grief, family, and accepting your romantic feelings.
This story has wonderfully charming characters, great LGBT representation and surprising twists. Our main character is ultimately faced with a very hard decision between undoing a hex placed on her father or her friend Kiara. The stakes are high in this one.
Overall I really enjoyed this book. But let's be honest just about most books with a touch of magic are going to be a must read for me.
September 24, 2025
Meh. Wanted to keep up my cozy witchy romance for fall and needed a palate cleanser after private equity but I didn’t realize this was YA, and also broke my adorkable rule. So angsty. I listened to the epilogue like 4 times and still don’t understand too.
August 16, 2025
The title of this book really does not fit it at all. I actually put this down because early Nova was obnoxious. But my car started up the audiobook on me again and I was too lazy to switch it. The story grew on me - a little retro kid squad adventure storyish. Older, queer Temu Goonies.
July 20, 2025
So, I was really excited about this book. The cover is GORGEOUS. It's about magic and hexes (perfect to get me in the mood for Halloween 🎃). It has a little romance. The problem that I had, though? I really didn't end up liking this book. Before I go any further with the review, I don't think Hit Me with Your Best Charm is a bad book. I think I just expected something a little... more than what it was.
I'm going to start with the characters because I think a lot of what I didn't like starts with the characters. Nova specifically made me so unbelievably mad at times. Now, to preface, she is only 17, but sometimes she acted like she was 12. All of the problems and "occasional magic" was caused by her volatile emotions. She's mad at Aurora, a psychic, for convincing her mom to declare her father legally dead since he's been missing for seven years. So, when she gets to Aurora's tent and she's not there, instead of LEAVING, she tells her arch-romance-nemesis, Kiara, that she will have misfortune, bad luck, and sacrifice in her future. Like, Nova, even if it wasn't a real hex (which she only meant to scare Kiara anyway), words have power and mean something. She should've learned that with her dad, but nope.
I liked all the other characters, but you really don't get a lot of development with any of them besides what their specific personalities are. You don't know what they do at school. You don't know what they like/dislike. They're just there to fill some empty space. Even Kiara was basic and just a "pretty" girl without much depth to her.
With the plot, I loved the beginning with the letter about Prior's End and its history. That felt like a really strong start, after that and chapter one, I feel like it all kind of went downhill for me after that. I wouldn't say I was bored exactly, but basically after they find out Kiara is hexed, the group of 6 ish teens travel into the Longing Woods to find the wishing well that will let them undo Kiara's bad luck. The Longing Woods was a really cool concept, and many weird things (otherworldly, you could say) happen out there. But, again, just like the characters, I felt like the woods lacked depth and it stopped me from being truly pulled into the story. Alsoooo, the epilogue? I was beyond confused and trying to figure out who the proverbial, not-mentioned-by-name characters were, but I couldn't figure it out. Y'all help me please and leave a comment if you knew what the epilogue was supposed to be about 🙈.
Honestly, this was going to be a three star read for me, but something that happened at the end REALLY threw me off (along with the epilogue), so it bumped down to two stars. I mention spoilers on my blog if you want to check them out!
Overall, while I really didn't enjoy this novel, it's definitely not the worst thing I've ever read. I think it lacks depth and character development, but a younger audience may enjoy it more than I did. Two out of five stars for me, but, again, I think many people will enjoy this book even if I didn't. It has magic, a little romance, and a lot of folklore. A huge thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for allowing me to have an advanced reader copy of Hit Me with Your Best Charm.
Originally published on: https://www.heididischler.com/book-re...
I'm going to start with the characters because I think a lot of what I didn't like starts with the characters. Nova specifically made me so unbelievably mad at times. Now, to preface, she is only 17, but sometimes she acted like she was 12. All of the problems and "occasional magic" was caused by her volatile emotions. She's mad at Aurora, a psychic, for convincing her mom to declare her father legally dead since he's been missing for seven years. So, when she gets to Aurora's tent and she's not there, instead of LEAVING, she tells her arch-romance-nemesis, Kiara, that she will have misfortune, bad luck, and sacrifice in her future. Like, Nova, even if it wasn't a real hex (which she only meant to scare Kiara anyway), words have power and mean something. She should've learned that with her dad, but nope.
I liked all the other characters, but you really don't get a lot of development with any of them besides what their specific personalities are. You don't know what they do at school. You don't know what they like/dislike. They're just there to fill some empty space. Even Kiara was basic and just a "pretty" girl without much depth to her.
With the plot, I loved the beginning with the letter about Prior's End and its history. That felt like a really strong start, after that and chapter one, I feel like it all kind of went downhill for me after that. I wouldn't say I was bored exactly, but basically after they find out Kiara is hexed, the group of 6 ish teens travel into the Longing Woods to find the wishing well that will let them undo Kiara's bad luck. The Longing Woods was a really cool concept, and many weird things (otherworldly, you could say) happen out there. But, again, just like the characters, I felt like the woods lacked depth and it stopped me from being truly pulled into the story. Alsoooo, the epilogue? I was beyond confused and trying to figure out who the proverbial, not-mentioned-by-name characters were, but I couldn't figure it out. Y'all help me please and leave a comment if you knew what the epilogue was supposed to be about 🙈.
Honestly, this was going to be a three star read for me, but something that happened at the end REALLY threw me off (along with the epilogue), so it bumped down to two stars. I mention spoilers on my blog if you want to check them out!
Overall, while I really didn't enjoy this novel, it's definitely not the worst thing I've ever read. I think it lacks depth and character development, but a younger audience may enjoy it more than I did. Two out of five stars for me, but, again, I think many people will enjoy this book even if I didn't. It has magic, a little romance, and a lot of folklore. A huge thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for allowing me to have an advanced reader copy of Hit Me with Your Best Charm.
Originally published on: https://www.heididischler.com/book-re...
August 11, 2025
Disclaimer: I received this e-arc from the publisher. Thanks! All opinions are my own.
Book: Hit Me With Your Best Charm
Author: Lillie Vale
Book Series: Standalone
Rating: 2/5
Diversity: Bisexual FMC, Queen characters, Queer Jewish Polish Indian Character
Recommended For...: Young Adult readers, Fantasy, Romance, Paranormal, Magical Realism, Forest, Mountains, Appalachia
Publication Date: July 15, 2025
Genre: YA Fantasy
Age Relevance: 13+ (parent disappearance, language, romance, cancer)
Explanation of CWs: A parent disappearing for years is brought up a lot in the book and is a central plot point. There is some cursing. There is some romance. There is cancer mentioned.
If This Was a Taylor Swift Song: Gold Rush
Publisher: Viking Books for Young Readers
Pages: 416
Synopsis: Whimsical charm at the annual Fall Festival. The legend of the wishing well hidden in a forest bristling with secrets. And Nova Marwood’s missing hiker father. Every year without him, it gets easier to pretend Nova doesn’t believe in myth and magic. Easier to pretend she’s doing okay. Easier to pretend she doesn’t have a secret crush on the girl she fake-hates. Kiara Mistry is the luckiest girl in town and the thief of every crush Nova had her heart set on first. In theory, Nova should resent Kiara. But it’s getting harder to deny her feelings. When Nova lays an unintended hex on Kiara at the Fall Festival, and one misfortune after another swiftly follows, soon Kiara’s very survival at stake. To reverse the bad luck, Kiara’s exes turned BFFs commence a quest for the miraculous wishing well. There’s only one person who can get them there . . . Nova. But to save Kiara—and maybe find her dad, too—she’ll have to believe in something much stronger than magic. Nova will need to believe in herself.
Review: Overall, I thought that this book had some pretty good premise to it. I love books that are set within the mountains that I grew up in and stuff that has like a touch of magic to it. I thought the vibes of the book were pretty immaculate and if this is a book that you're feeling, I think you're going to be having a great time reading it.
Unfortunately, that was not me lol. I thought that the book was not cohesive at all and it was very disjointed. I was really confused about the area that it was set in because it kept mentioning the Blue Ridge mountains, which is great because I know where that is exactly. The Blue Ridge mountains are in the upper Georgia area and they go into North Carolina and then up north from there. However, at one point in the book they mentioned college girls from Murfreesboro and the line was that it was close enough to draw local attention? Murfreesboro is more towards in Middle Tennessee. I thought the World building and the character development were both severely lacking. I also think overall that this book could have just been a spooky short story. There wasn't a ton of plot to keep it going as much as it did and I was really bored with the book overall.
Verdict: It was good, just not for me
Book: Hit Me With Your Best Charm
Author: Lillie Vale
Book Series: Standalone
Rating: 2/5
Diversity: Bisexual FMC, Queen characters, Queer Jewish Polish Indian Character
Recommended For...: Young Adult readers, Fantasy, Romance, Paranormal, Magical Realism, Forest, Mountains, Appalachia
Publication Date: July 15, 2025
Genre: YA Fantasy
Age Relevance: 13+ (parent disappearance, language, romance, cancer)
Explanation of CWs: A parent disappearing for years is brought up a lot in the book and is a central plot point. There is some cursing. There is some romance. There is cancer mentioned.
If This Was a Taylor Swift Song: Gold Rush
Publisher: Viking Books for Young Readers
Pages: 416
Synopsis: Whimsical charm at the annual Fall Festival. The legend of the wishing well hidden in a forest bristling with secrets. And Nova Marwood’s missing hiker father. Every year without him, it gets easier to pretend Nova doesn’t believe in myth and magic. Easier to pretend she’s doing okay. Easier to pretend she doesn’t have a secret crush on the girl she fake-hates. Kiara Mistry is the luckiest girl in town and the thief of every crush Nova had her heart set on first. In theory, Nova should resent Kiara. But it’s getting harder to deny her feelings. When Nova lays an unintended hex on Kiara at the Fall Festival, and one misfortune after another swiftly follows, soon Kiara’s very survival at stake. To reverse the bad luck, Kiara’s exes turned BFFs commence a quest for the miraculous wishing well. There’s only one person who can get them there . . . Nova. But to save Kiara—and maybe find her dad, too—she’ll have to believe in something much stronger than magic. Nova will need to believe in herself.
Review: Overall, I thought that this book had some pretty good premise to it. I love books that are set within the mountains that I grew up in and stuff that has like a touch of magic to it. I thought the vibes of the book were pretty immaculate and if this is a book that you're feeling, I think you're going to be having a great time reading it.
Unfortunately, that was not me lol. I thought that the book was not cohesive at all and it was very disjointed. I was really confused about the area that it was set in because it kept mentioning the Blue Ridge mountains, which is great because I know where that is exactly. The Blue Ridge mountains are in the upper Georgia area and they go into North Carolina and then up north from there. However, at one point in the book they mentioned college girls from Murfreesboro and the line was that it was close enough to draw local attention? Murfreesboro is more towards in Middle Tennessee. I thought the World building and the character development were both severely lacking. I also think overall that this book could have just been a spooky short story. There wasn't a ton of plot to keep it going as much as it did and I was really bored with the book overall.
Verdict: It was good, just not for me
December 30, 2025
NetGalley ARC.
2.5 stars.
Sloooooooow pacing. A lot of boring parts. I actually stopped and started this a few times and then finally persevered and pushed through in October. Was it worth it? Let the star rating tell you. :/
2.5 stars.
Sloooooooow pacing. A lot of boring parts. I actually stopped and started this a few times and then finally persevered and pushed through in October. Was it worth it? Let the star rating tell you. :/
November 3, 2025
A book that started at 2 stars for me but grew to four. I think Lillie Vale is definitely more suited to writing horror, suspense, and thrillers than to teen romance.
Starting with the cons, the pacing in part 1 was honestly awful, I almost gave up reading but I'm glad I stuck it through. By part 2 (around halfway through the book) it still felt like really not much at all had happened. The romance was awkward and stilted, a feature that wasn't really improved much even by the end (and none of the characters' mutual infatuation really made sense or had reason to exist), but I appreciate the many attempts at it and bits of diverse representation that were squirreled into the story. A lot of the dialogue in part 1 felt like an adult trying to write how they think teenagers talk and think. There was too much focus on trying to be relatable and trendy that it ended up just feeling out of touch.
Finally, the pros! By two thirds of the way through the book, it finally got more interesting and exciting. The ambience of trekking through a dark and maybe haunted forest made it feel much more like a horror plot, with plenty of well placed subtle hints for twists and scares that happened later on. I was really trudging through the book up until this point, but after this scenery and pacing change I sped through the rest of it in one sitting. So many things happened in part 3, and I appreciated that almost every thread was neatly wrapped up.
SPOILERS BELOW
When Nova was faced with the choice of wishing to undo her regret of cursing Kiara or her dad, it wasn't a surprise that her decision ended up ultimately being to save Kiara. I fully didn't expect the additional reveal of her dad actually having been alive all this time though, which was a pleasant surprise. I wish Tayla's parents had been shown a bit more, especially since their daughter died and all. I'm also not sure how I feel about the main cast's decision to just... not tell anyone about the wishing well and trust that no one else will go looking. The epilogue was interesting, since I thought that Kiara's wish for the well to undo itself would've met the "diminish" criteria, but if the ghost of Tayla (and my guess - Austin's dad?) persisted regardless - was this by the well's magic or just the forest's? If that's the case, would the forest have chosen to keep them both alive? It's also unclear how Nova's dad and the others who weren't ghosts managed to stay alive all this time, if they weren't stealing like Mickey's bachelor party group was. Surely after 7 whole years they would have run out of supplies, especially in a magic forest that seems to be actively trying to kill all humans. Speaking of Mickey's group too, what a bunch of assholes (plus essentially serial killers?!) holy shit. But also, what weirdo decides a fun bachelor party activity is going hiking in the woods to find a magical well, while dressed in your full wedding attire? Very strange. Another thing that didn't make much sense to me, why would Austin's dad just suddenly decide to kill himself with a poison mushroom after 7 years of toughing it out?
I will say however, the twist that Tayla was actually dead for days, and mentioning that if they'd reached the stream a bit earlier, they would have found her body was so well done. I ended up going back to re-read the scene where she returned to the camp with the water bottles and saw the hints were there but not addressed at the time, which was very clever. It makes me wonder too how much of the Tayla ghost that Nova was with the whole time they were searching as a pair for Kiara after she fell off the cliff was truly her as opposed to the forest working against Nova. If there's a sequel I am definitely intrigued at this point to see what else Prior's End has to offer.
TL;DR
I came into this book expecting a cute romance story with a bit of magic in a small town, and kind of got that? However, the romance was definitely not the highlight of this story. In fact, it took a backseat - and I might've been fine without it at all - to the horror, psychological thriller, showcasing of the most terrible parts of humanity, as well as the touching elements of family and coming of age themes that *were* the highlight of the story... after managing to get through a very sluggish first half.
I also learned some cool things about forests and nature that make me never want to go camping!
Starting with the cons, the pacing in part 1 was honestly awful, I almost gave up reading but I'm glad I stuck it through. By part 2 (around halfway through the book) it still felt like really not much at all had happened. The romance was awkward and stilted, a feature that wasn't really improved much even by the end (and none of the characters' mutual infatuation really made sense or had reason to exist), but I appreciate the many attempts at it and bits of diverse representation that were squirreled into the story. A lot of the dialogue in part 1 felt like an adult trying to write how they think teenagers talk and think. There was too much focus on trying to be relatable and trendy that it ended up just feeling out of touch.
Finally, the pros! By two thirds of the way through the book, it finally got more interesting and exciting. The ambience of trekking through a dark and maybe haunted forest made it feel much more like a horror plot, with plenty of well placed subtle hints for twists and scares that happened later on. I was really trudging through the book up until this point, but after this scenery and pacing change I sped through the rest of it in one sitting. So many things happened in part 3, and I appreciated that almost every thread was neatly wrapped up.
SPOILERS BELOW
When Nova was faced with the choice of wishing to undo her regret of cursing Kiara or her dad, it wasn't a surprise that her decision ended up ultimately being to save Kiara. I fully didn't expect the additional reveal of her dad actually having been alive all this time though, which was a pleasant surprise. I wish Tayla's parents had been shown a bit more, especially since their daughter died and all. I'm also not sure how I feel about the main cast's decision to just... not tell anyone about the wishing well and trust that no one else will go looking. The epilogue was interesting, since I thought that Kiara's wish for the well to undo itself would've met the "diminish" criteria, but if the ghost of Tayla (and my guess - Austin's dad?) persisted regardless - was this by the well's magic or just the forest's? If that's the case, would the forest have chosen to keep them both alive? It's also unclear how Nova's dad and the others who weren't ghosts managed to stay alive all this time, if they weren't stealing like Mickey's bachelor party group was. Surely after 7 whole years they would have run out of supplies, especially in a magic forest that seems to be actively trying to kill all humans. Speaking of Mickey's group too, what a bunch of assholes (plus essentially serial killers?!) holy shit. But also, what weirdo decides a fun bachelor party activity is going hiking in the woods to find a magical well, while dressed in your full wedding attire? Very strange. Another thing that didn't make much sense to me, why would Austin's dad just suddenly decide to kill himself with a poison mushroom after 7 years of toughing it out?
I will say however, the twist that Tayla was actually dead for days, and mentioning that if they'd reached the stream a bit earlier, they would have found her body was so well done. I ended up going back to re-read the scene where she returned to the camp with the water bottles and saw the hints were there but not addressed at the time, which was very clever. It makes me wonder too how much of the Tayla ghost that Nova was with the whole time they were searching as a pair for Kiara after she fell off the cliff was truly her as opposed to the forest working against Nova. If there's a sequel I am definitely intrigued at this point to see what else Prior's End has to offer.
TL;DR
I came into this book expecting a cute romance story with a bit of magic in a small town, and kind of got that? However, the romance was definitely not the highlight of this story. In fact, it took a backseat - and I might've been fine without it at all - to the horror, psychological thriller, showcasing of the most terrible parts of humanity, as well as the touching elements of family and coming of age themes that *were* the highlight of the story... after managing to get through a very sluggish first half.
I also learned some cool things about forests and nature that make me never want to go camping!
June 24, 2025
Thank you Netgalley and Viking Books for Young Readers for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!
Lillie Vale’s “Hit Me With Your Best Charm” is a whimsical, slow-burning YA book that gently blends teenage romance, grief, and a dash of subtle magic. Centered around Nova Marwood, who is a prickly, grieving teen with a tangled heart, the story is as much a journey into the woods as it is into her own messy emotions.
Seven years after her father disappeared in the forest surrounding their town of Prior’s End, Nova is still haunted by guilt and loss. When she accidentally hexes her longtime crush Kiara with a streak of terrible luck during a moment of jealousy and bravado, Nova finds herself joining a camping trip to the mythical wishing well said to grant desires. She hopes to undo the curse... and maybe, deep down, find answers about her father too.
What follows is a coming-of-age road trip (or forest trip, rather) that includes Kiara and her exes-turned-friends—creating a dynamic, occasionally chaotic group full of banter, tension, and teenage awkwardness. Nova and Kiara’s relationship is an emotional highlight. Their chemistry is warm and natural, with just the right amount of angst and longing. Nova’s self-doubt makes her blind to Kiara’s very obvious interest, and watching her slowly realize her own feelings is both frustrating and endearing.
The book’s strength lies in its characters and atmosphere. Vale paints the forest with rich, immersive imagery, and Nova’s inner monologue feels raw and real. Her grief, guilt, and emotional confusion are central to the narrative, giving the book a poignant undercurrent that grounds its magical realism.
That said, the book does suffer from pacing issues. The first half meanders with scattered plotlines, repetitive dialogue, and clunky transitions that can hinder immersion. Important details appear without much context and vanish just as quickly, making the story feel a bit structurally uneven. The magic, too, is more hinted at than shown, and I wanted more of a focus on the magical aspect of the story.
However, for those who appreciate a character-driven narrative with emotional depth, the slow start is rewarded. The final act delivers meaningful choices, surprising twists, and an unexpected emotional punch.
Overall, “Hit Me With Your Best Charm” is a charming, heartfelt YA book about the unpredictability of love, the ache of grief, and the quiet power of believing in something just enough to make it feel real. Vale strikes a delicate balance between whimsy and weight, and while the story takes its time finding its rhythm, it ultimately leaves a sweet and lingering impression.
Lillie Vale’s “Hit Me With Your Best Charm” is a whimsical, slow-burning YA book that gently blends teenage romance, grief, and a dash of subtle magic. Centered around Nova Marwood, who is a prickly, grieving teen with a tangled heart, the story is as much a journey into the woods as it is into her own messy emotions.
Seven years after her father disappeared in the forest surrounding their town of Prior’s End, Nova is still haunted by guilt and loss. When she accidentally hexes her longtime crush Kiara with a streak of terrible luck during a moment of jealousy and bravado, Nova finds herself joining a camping trip to the mythical wishing well said to grant desires. She hopes to undo the curse... and maybe, deep down, find answers about her father too.
What follows is a coming-of-age road trip (or forest trip, rather) that includes Kiara and her exes-turned-friends—creating a dynamic, occasionally chaotic group full of banter, tension, and teenage awkwardness. Nova and Kiara’s relationship is an emotional highlight. Their chemistry is warm and natural, with just the right amount of angst and longing. Nova’s self-doubt makes her blind to Kiara’s very obvious interest, and watching her slowly realize her own feelings is both frustrating and endearing.
The book’s strength lies in its characters and atmosphere. Vale paints the forest with rich, immersive imagery, and Nova’s inner monologue feels raw and real. Her grief, guilt, and emotional confusion are central to the narrative, giving the book a poignant undercurrent that grounds its magical realism.
That said, the book does suffer from pacing issues. The first half meanders with scattered plotlines, repetitive dialogue, and clunky transitions that can hinder immersion. Important details appear without much context and vanish just as quickly, making the story feel a bit structurally uneven. The magic, too, is more hinted at than shown, and I wanted more of a focus on the magical aspect of the story.
However, for those who appreciate a character-driven narrative with emotional depth, the slow start is rewarded. The final act delivers meaningful choices, surprising twists, and an unexpected emotional punch.
Overall, “Hit Me With Your Best Charm” is a charming, heartfelt YA book about the unpredictability of love, the ache of grief, and the quiet power of believing in something just enough to make it feel real. Vale strikes a delicate balance between whimsy and weight, and while the story takes its time finding its rhythm, it ultimately leaves a sweet and lingering impression.
May 27, 2025
Features:
- Small town setting with a mysterious, and perhaps magical, past
- Sapphic YA romance
- Deals with grief and loss of a parent
Synopsis:
Seven years ago, Nova’s father disappeared into the woods he knew so well never to return. Unable to live with the uncertainty of his fate, Nova has stubbornly looked to the Longing Woods for answers while everyone, including her mother, moves on. Hoping to confront the mysterious psychic to whom Nova believes is responsible for her mothers willingness to ‘give up’ on her father, she attends the Fall Festival on the anniversary of her father’s disappearance. But what is supposed to be her moment of triumph quickly goes sideways when she accidentally curses her secret crush, Kiara. With Kiara’s safety at risk, Nova has no choice but to lead her and her group of friends into the woods in search of a legendary magic well. But does the well even exist? Could this journey to save Kiara be the perfect opportunity for Nova to finally find the answers she has been looking for?
Thoughts:
2.5 Stars
This rating kind of hurts my heart because there’s quite a bit here to enjoy. It reminded me a little of “The Lost Story” which I really enjoyed. Unfortunately, for me, the writing really became its own worst enemy. It’s a bit hard to explain because there are definitely some great sentences and descriptions when you look at them in isolation. However, there is frequently something slightly wonky with the order in which information is presented or in how one idea flows into the next. Important details suddenly pop in without preamble and leave our focus just as quickly. To try and sum it up: it’s clunky in a really unusual way that interrupted my ability to become truly immersed.
I really felt for the main character Nova and loved how this story tries to approach grief; especially in the absence of true closure. However, the aforementioned writing style sucked a lot of the life out of the quieter moments and potentially meaningful dialogue. To me, it felt like we were going through the thoughts and motions without ever really finding the true heart of it. I still found Nova’s relationship with Kiara endearing and there are some interesting twists in store. However, you will have to be patient and push through the first half of the book to get there. Ultimately, this book wasn’t really for me, but mileage will definitely vary.
Special thanks to NetGalley and Viking Books for Young Readers for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review!
- Small town setting with a mysterious, and perhaps magical, past
- Sapphic YA romance
- Deals with grief and loss of a parent
Synopsis:
Seven years ago, Nova’s father disappeared into the woods he knew so well never to return. Unable to live with the uncertainty of his fate, Nova has stubbornly looked to the Longing Woods for answers while everyone, including her mother, moves on. Hoping to confront the mysterious psychic to whom Nova believes is responsible for her mothers willingness to ‘give up’ on her father, she attends the Fall Festival on the anniversary of her father’s disappearance. But what is supposed to be her moment of triumph quickly goes sideways when she accidentally curses her secret crush, Kiara. With Kiara’s safety at risk, Nova has no choice but to lead her and her group of friends into the woods in search of a legendary magic well. But does the well even exist? Could this journey to save Kiara be the perfect opportunity for Nova to finally find the answers she has been looking for?
Thoughts:
2.5 Stars
This rating kind of hurts my heart because there’s quite a bit here to enjoy. It reminded me a little of “The Lost Story” which I really enjoyed. Unfortunately, for me, the writing really became its own worst enemy. It’s a bit hard to explain because there are definitely some great sentences and descriptions when you look at them in isolation. However, there is frequently something slightly wonky with the order in which information is presented or in how one idea flows into the next. Important details suddenly pop in without preamble and leave our focus just as quickly. To try and sum it up: it’s clunky in a really unusual way that interrupted my ability to become truly immersed.
I really felt for the main character Nova and loved how this story tries to approach grief; especially in the absence of true closure. However, the aforementioned writing style sucked a lot of the life out of the quieter moments and potentially meaningful dialogue. To me, it felt like we were going through the thoughts and motions without ever really finding the true heart of it. I still found Nova’s relationship with Kiara endearing and there are some interesting twists in store. However, you will have to be patient and push through the first half of the book to get there. Ultimately, this book wasn’t really for me, but mileage will definitely vary.
Special thanks to NetGalley and Viking Books for Young Readers for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review!
December 11, 2025
From the get-go, the FMC being the same age as my youngest child made it difficult to read about her crushes - of which she had myriad!
We start with Nova's father being missing in the woods by their town for SEVEN years. She's still hoping that he's alive. She goes into the woods by herself to see if she can find him. SEVEN years!! I understand that at 16/17, you would have that unbounded hope. But as a middle aged, realistic woman, I wouldn't. Especially because her dad went in to find Austin's dad who was in trouble.
Then Nova ends up hexing Kiera as a joke. But it turns true and Kiera ends up with really bad luck and according to Aurora, it will kill her by the next full moon. It still reads as hokey, but ok, they are teens - I will believe that THEY believe its true.
The fellowship of the fling - Oh the audacity of teenage hormones - trapezes into the forest. There's interpersonal strife - mostly between Tayla and Nova. And at this point I am rather bored. There is just so much emotional dump from Nova about how she feels about Kiera and her dad and her guilt over both of them.
There's some spookiness with the other campers they encounter. There's weirdness with Kiera vanishing a day into their camping trip. And of course Tayla and Nova split up from the main group to go look for Kiera.
Near the end is where it goes from spooky/ emotional to downright horror.
That ending, it just ruined it for me. I was hoping that it would just be spooky vibes and not delve entirely into the supernatural. UGH!
We start with Nova's father being missing in the woods by their town for SEVEN years. She's still hoping that he's alive. She goes into the woods by herself to see if she can find him. SEVEN years!! I understand that at 16/17, you would have that unbounded hope. But as a middle aged, realistic woman, I wouldn't. Especially because her dad went in to find Austin's dad who was in trouble.
Then Nova ends up hexing Kiera as a joke. But it turns true and Kiera ends up with really bad luck and according to Aurora, it will kill her by the next full moon. It still reads as hokey, but ok, they are teens - I will believe that THEY believe its true.
The fellowship of the fling - Oh the audacity of teenage hormones - trapezes into the forest. There's interpersonal strife - mostly between Tayla and Nova. And at this point I am rather bored. There is just so much emotional dump from Nova about how she feels about Kiera and her dad and her guilt over both of them.
There's some spookiness with the other campers they encounter. There's weirdness with Kiera vanishing a day into their camping trip. And of course Tayla and Nova split up from the main group to go look for Kiera.
Near the end is where it goes from spooky/ emotional to downright horror.
That ending, it just ruined it for me. I was hoping that it would just be spooky vibes and not delve entirely into the supernatural. UGH!
April 16, 2025
Following Nova Marwood in the slightly magical town of Prior’s End, Hit Me with Your Best Charm is a delightful and touching novel about friendship, grief, and teenage crushes. I was very much pulled in by the descriptive writing with the imagery. Whenever the characters are in the forest, the writing feels at its best. It’s so easy to immerse yourself in this world, and it’s one of the novel’s biggest strengths.
I quite liked Nova; she felt like a realistic teenager who made teenage choices, but her strength and interiority held the heart of this novel together very well. After casting a bad luck charm on her crush, Kiara, she sets out with her and her friends to try and undo the bad luck curse. It’s a solid plot, but there is a missed opportunity, because I thought there would be a little more magic than there was. This was not a total loss, but it was a little surprising. Supporting characters-wise, there are times where this novel falls into very repetitive dialogue/conflicts between characters, but they balanced each other out very well once the novel finds its footing, which isn’t until a little over the halfway point.
The pacing fluctuates here; I struggled a bit in the beginning, but once we got 60% in, it flows a lot better. So, a slow start, but a stronger finish, which maybe could have been better handled if we jumped to the forest quicker.
Not spoiling, but there is something that happens with a character right towards the end that I am still so unsure about the choice. It was a bit unexpected of a turn, and since the novel was over by that point, we do not get enough time to reconcile with the feelings it brings up, so it ends up just feeling oddly thrown in there for a shock. Like, I feel a bit distraught over it, but if we were given more time to sit with it, it might’ve had a better overall effect. Now, I’m just wondering too much about the aftermath, which we do not get to see.
I think this is a cute book and the actual romance between Kiara and Nova is very sweet, their banter is on point. And above all else, Nova’s journey with grief and her inner turmoil is the most fleshed out here, and makes the novel worth the read.
Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Young Readers/Viking Books for the free ARC!!!
I quite liked Nova; she felt like a realistic teenager who made teenage choices, but her strength and interiority held the heart of this novel together very well. After casting a bad luck charm on her crush, Kiara, she sets out with her and her friends to try and undo the bad luck curse. It’s a solid plot, but there is a missed opportunity, because I thought there would be a little more magic than there was. This was not a total loss, but it was a little surprising. Supporting characters-wise, there are times where this novel falls into very repetitive dialogue/conflicts between characters, but they balanced each other out very well once the novel finds its footing, which isn’t until a little over the halfway point.
The pacing fluctuates here; I struggled a bit in the beginning, but once we got 60% in, it flows a lot better. So, a slow start, but a stronger finish, which maybe could have been better handled if we jumped to the forest quicker.
Not spoiling, but there is something that happens with a character right towards the end that I am still so unsure about the choice. It was a bit unexpected of a turn, and since the novel was over by that point, we do not get enough time to reconcile with the feelings it brings up, so it ends up just feeling oddly thrown in there for a shock. Like, I feel a bit distraught over it, but if we were given more time to sit with it, it might’ve had a better overall effect. Now, I’m just wondering too much about the aftermath, which we do not get to see.
I think this is a cute book and the actual romance between Kiara and Nova is very sweet, their banter is on point. And above all else, Nova’s journey with grief and her inner turmoil is the most fleshed out here, and makes the novel worth the read.
Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Young Readers/Viking Books for the free ARC!!!
July 15, 2025
A story of grief and guilt, magic and wonder, determination and hope. The magic of the Woods is the most fascinating thing about this creepy story of magic, hexes, and things that go bump in the night - it’s like a living entity, trying to protect itself from people who want to exploit it and trying to help those who have good intentions. I’m still not quite sure why it became a black hole of sorts, keeping people trapped in its borders - maybe it thought they knew too much?
The cover and description of this book made me think it was going to be much more lighthearted and witchy, but in reality, Nova carried so much anguish from her dad’s disappearance and presumed death that not only did she stop believing in magic and wonder, she didn’t believe she deserved happiness and kept a wall around her heart. There are charms in the book, but Nova only resorts to them when it becomes clear that she’s accidentally hexed her enemy/crush Kiara.
While the premise of this book is a fascinating idea, the depth of character was lacking. I still don’t know why Nova and Kiara have been obsessed with each other so much, other than they are both apparently super pretty. I also don’t know why it took them so long to get together if they are as obvious with their crushes as their friends seem to think. Most of what Nova does is wildly inconsistent, and she can’t seem to make up her mind about anything - you could say that’s trauma response, but all the other characters are inconsistent, too. The whole time they are in the woods, they are all either getting along better than expected or suddenly bursting into conflict. I wanted to feel for Kaila’s curse situation, Nova’s guilty conscience, and the danger everyone was risking going into the woods, but I was mostly annoyed by their refusal to communicate and fluctuating attitudes. I never felt like I got to know anyone enough to truly care what happened to them, unfortunately.
Thank you to NetGalley, Penguin, and Viking Books for Young Readers for an advance copy of this book for review purposes.
The cover and description of this book made me think it was going to be much more lighthearted and witchy, but in reality, Nova carried so much anguish from her dad’s disappearance and presumed death that not only did she stop believing in magic and wonder, she didn’t believe she deserved happiness and kept a wall around her heart. There are charms in the book, but Nova only resorts to them when it becomes clear that she’s accidentally hexed her enemy/crush Kiara.
While the premise of this book is a fascinating idea, the depth of character was lacking. I still don’t know why Nova and Kiara have been obsessed with each other so much, other than they are both apparently super pretty. I also don’t know why it took them so long to get together if they are as obvious with their crushes as their friends seem to think. Most of what Nova does is wildly inconsistent, and she can’t seem to make up her mind about anything - you could say that’s trauma response, but all the other characters are inconsistent, too. The whole time they are in the woods, they are all either getting along better than expected or suddenly bursting into conflict. I wanted to feel for Kaila’s curse situation, Nova’s guilty conscience, and the danger everyone was risking going into the woods, but I was mostly annoyed by their refusal to communicate and fluctuating attitudes. I never felt like I got to know anyone enough to truly care what happened to them, unfortunately.
Thank you to NetGalley, Penguin, and Viking Books for Young Readers for an advance copy of this book for review purposes.
March 26, 2025
"Hit Me with Your Best Charm" by Lillie Vale had so much potential, but ultimately it didn’t quite hit all the marks for me. Let’s dive in! 🤿✨
The premise of the book is super intriguing! 🧙♀️ Nova accidentally hexes Kiara, leading to a curse that could ruin everything. That magical twist hooked me right from the start. I loved the small-town setting with its charming mystical vibes. 🌙✨ Nova's journey to figure out the curse while also grappling with her feelings for Kiara kept me curious throughout the story.
But… 🤔 the characters, especially Nova, left me feeling a bit mixed. She’s relatable and vulnerable with her grief over her dad’s disappearance 💔, but at times her behavior felt a little bratty and hard to connect with. 😬 Kiara, on the other hand, is sweet, but I wanted more depth from her—there was a lot of potential there that didn’t quite get explored.
The romance between Nova and Kiara is cute, though it’s a very slow burn 🔥. Honestly, I was waiting for a bit more tension and spark, but it didn’t quite live up to the build-up. While the chemistry is definitely there, it felt like the plot meandered a little too much without getting to the heart of their relationship until late in the book. 🥰
The pacing was a little hit or miss. Some chapters dragged, and I found myself skimming through parts of the story that felt repetitive or didn’t add much to the overall plot. 😕 I also felt that some subplots (like Nova’s friendships) took away from the main story, which made it harder to stay engaged at times.
Overall, I did enjoy the book—there’s something about the magical world and Nova’s growth that kept me invested. But I just wish there had been more depth to the characters and a tighter plot. It’s fun, light, and magical, but doesn’t quite have the oomph I was hoping for. 🌈✨
Definitely worth reading if you’re into magical realism, but don’t expect a rollercoaster of emotions or a fully fleshed-out romance. 🎢❤️
The premise of the book is super intriguing! 🧙♀️ Nova accidentally hexes Kiara, leading to a curse that could ruin everything. That magical twist hooked me right from the start. I loved the small-town setting with its charming mystical vibes. 🌙✨ Nova's journey to figure out the curse while also grappling with her feelings for Kiara kept me curious throughout the story.
But… 🤔 the characters, especially Nova, left me feeling a bit mixed. She’s relatable and vulnerable with her grief over her dad’s disappearance 💔, but at times her behavior felt a little bratty and hard to connect with. 😬 Kiara, on the other hand, is sweet, but I wanted more depth from her—there was a lot of potential there that didn’t quite get explored.
The romance between Nova and Kiara is cute, though it’s a very slow burn 🔥. Honestly, I was waiting for a bit more tension and spark, but it didn’t quite live up to the build-up. While the chemistry is definitely there, it felt like the plot meandered a little too much without getting to the heart of their relationship until late in the book. 🥰
The pacing was a little hit or miss. Some chapters dragged, and I found myself skimming through parts of the story that felt repetitive or didn’t add much to the overall plot. 😕 I also felt that some subplots (like Nova’s friendships) took away from the main story, which made it harder to stay engaged at times.
Overall, I did enjoy the book—there’s something about the magical world and Nova’s growth that kept me invested. But I just wish there had been more depth to the characters and a tighter plot. It’s fun, light, and magical, but doesn’t quite have the oomph I was hoping for. 🌈✨
Definitely worth reading if you’re into magical realism, but don’t expect a rollercoaster of emotions or a fully fleshed-out romance. 🎢❤️
May 4, 2025
This story was absolutely adorable! Teenage romance, with just a hint of witchiness. Nova is a high school student and descendant of Henry Pryor, the namesake for the town of Pryor's Landing. Her father, Jules, used to take her into the woods to explore, so she grew up feeling quite at home in the woods. Unfortunately, he disappeared years ago after Nova said some harsh words, and she thinks she's responsible. She continues to search for him, and the mythical wishing well supposedly discovered by Henry Pryor, but to no avail. Her mother seems almost ready to move on, prompted by the words of a psychic (who Nova thinks is a sham), so Nova goes to the fair festival to confront the psychic. She is not in the tent, but Nova''s crush, Kiara, is. Nova says that Kiara will be struck with bad luck, spurred by a desire to both discredit the psychic and dim some of Kiara's shine. Unfortunately, the hex becomes real, and Kiara starts struggling with VERY bad luck. Radhika, also a descendent (adopted) of Henry Pryor, Kiara's ex and friend, reaches out to Nova to request she lead Kiara to the wishing well to undo the hex. Nova reluctantly agrees, feeling partially responsible for the hex, only to be dismayed when Kiara insists on bringing her exes now friends, Tayla, Radhika, Keiffer, and Evan along. The group attempts to find the wishing well, with characteristic banter and high school romance. Kiara and Nova grow closer throughout the quest, but the group is plagued by mysterious signs, missing gear, and other tricky situations.
The characters are very engaging, with lots of LGBT representation. There's also an unexpected twist at the end that I thought was positively delightful. The magic in this story is subtle, but it was a very cute and breezy read. Although YA, I think adults looking for a whimsical tale will enjoy it just as much. I would very much recommend this story, and I'm looking forward to new books by Lillie Vale!
The characters are very engaging, with lots of LGBT representation. There's also an unexpected twist at the end that I thought was positively delightful. The magic in this story is subtle, but it was a very cute and breezy read. Although YA, I think adults looking for a whimsical tale will enjoy it just as much. I would very much recommend this story, and I'm looking forward to new books by Lillie Vale!
June 20, 2025
Thank you to NetGalley, Viking Books for Young Readers, and Penguin Young Readers Group for this advanced copy. You can pick up Hit Me with Your Best Charm on July 15, 2025.
This book starts out as a cute, cozy paranormal romance between our main character, Nova, and her rival/first crush, Kiara, who has uncommonly good luck. Nova, in an act of petty jealousy, accidentally hexes Kiara with a string of bad luck that leads to disastrous consequences. To undo the hex, they decide to pursue the legendary wishing well hidden in the woods near their town. The same woods where Nova's dad disappeared seven years ago.
While the premise of this book sounded exciting and cute, the execution was not, unfortunately. Like I said, things started out fun and cozy. But things quickly fell apart once we got to the woods, where Nova and Kiara are joined by their friends. The writing, in an attempt to come across as banter between found family, ended up cringey and cheesy. There were too many characters and personalities attempted to be juggled at the same time, leaving little room for the actual couple to build intimacy and romance. In fact, an entire chunk of the last half of the book has Kiara missing and Nova going on a soul-searching journey with Kiara's jealous ex-girlfriend, Tayla.
There's also much more of a horror and suspense element to this book that is NOT depicted in the cover and blurb. We knew they were going into the woods where people had gone missing, but I did not expect *SPOILERS* half-dead ghosts who harm and stalk fellow hikers, steal their goods, and are cursed to roam the woods forever with no peace.
All in all, this book just really tried to be too many things at once. Cute magical town with accidental hexes, AND found family, AND creepy camping suspense, AND tragedy/drama, AND commentary on losing a parent, AND second chance sapphic romance. It really needed to pick a lane and stick to it.
This book starts out as a cute, cozy paranormal romance between our main character, Nova, and her rival/first crush, Kiara, who has uncommonly good luck. Nova, in an act of petty jealousy, accidentally hexes Kiara with a string of bad luck that leads to disastrous consequences. To undo the hex, they decide to pursue the legendary wishing well hidden in the woods near their town. The same woods where Nova's dad disappeared seven years ago.
While the premise of this book sounded exciting and cute, the execution was not, unfortunately. Like I said, things started out fun and cozy. But things quickly fell apart once we got to the woods, where Nova and Kiara are joined by their friends. The writing, in an attempt to come across as banter between found family, ended up cringey and cheesy. There were too many characters and personalities attempted to be juggled at the same time, leaving little room for the actual couple to build intimacy and romance. In fact, an entire chunk of the last half of the book has Kiara missing and Nova going on a soul-searching journey with Kiara's jealous ex-girlfriend, Tayla.
There's also much more of a horror and suspense element to this book that is NOT depicted in the cover and blurb. We knew they were going into the woods where people had gone missing, but I did not expect *SPOILERS* half-dead ghosts who harm and stalk fellow hikers, steal their goods, and are cursed to roam the woods forever with no peace.
All in all, this book just really tried to be too many things at once. Cute magical town with accidental hexes, AND found family, AND creepy camping suspense, AND tragedy/drama, AND commentary on losing a parent, AND second chance sapphic romance. It really needed to pick a lane and stick to it.
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