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To Vex & To Hex
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Expected 3 Nov 26"Cozy with the perfect amount of spice. A must for your next lazy weekend when you want heated banter, tender touches, and romance with a touch of magic." —Elise Kova, New York Times bestselling author
***
BOOKS. MAGIC. ROMANCE.
Lucy Ansari has a magical life. Literally ― she’s a witch, managing a perfect little bookshop. And whenever she's a little lonely, she turns to Charles ― her beloved, ageing boss ― to keep her company.
Disaster strikes when Charles breaks his his prickly (and gorgeous) grandson Grayson arrives. The English professor from Dublin has never bothered to visit before, but now he’s determined to look after Charles and his bookshop, and Lucy’s ideal life is thrown into disarray.
But Grayson is as stubborn as he is handsome, and he’s set on winning Lucy over, one way or another. As sparks fly between them, Lucy and Grayson may find themselves spellbound by more than just magic…
Neena Noon's To Vex & To Hex is the perfect spicy witchy romance to have you hexed this spooky season!
A Macmillan Audio production from St. Martin’s Press
***
BOOKS. MAGIC. ROMANCE.
Lucy Ansari has a magical life. Literally ― she’s a witch, managing a perfect little bookshop. And whenever she's a little lonely, she turns to Charles ― her beloved, ageing boss ― to keep her company.
Disaster strikes when Charles breaks his his prickly (and gorgeous) grandson Grayson arrives. The English professor from Dublin has never bothered to visit before, but now he’s determined to look after Charles and his bookshop, and Lucy’s ideal life is thrown into disarray.
But Grayson is as stubborn as he is handsome, and he’s set on winning Lucy over, one way or another. As sparks fly between them, Lucy and Grayson may find themselves spellbound by more than just magic…
Neena Noon's To Vex & To Hex is the perfect spicy witchy romance to have you hexed this spooky season!
A Macmillan Audio production from St. Martin’s Press
Audible Audio
Expected publication November 3, 2026
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 231 reviews
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
May 11, 2026Loved the bookstore setup, hated the childish characters.
DNF 45%. The idea of rivals hexing and vexing each other was cute, but the way it all came together felt so disjointed and superficial. Whoever compared this book to A Witch's Guide to Magical Innkeeping needs jail time. That book has heart. This just felt cringe.
The first chapter was so good and set up such a great start, but everything after that was a struggle to get through. If you’re going to give me the lowest of low stakes, I need the characters to pull me in completely. And yet, this is lacking in everything: well developed characters, chemistry, and good dialogue. The tension was being force fed to me, but the interactions were just too cringey and random to actually work.
Lucy is incredibly childish and unlikable (truly the meanest girl I’ve had the displeasure to read about this year). Grayson goes from hating her to liking her to hating her again, and all I can think is: Why would you like her? This girl is awful to you. The rest of the characters feel just as flat.
The idea was good, but it needed a better way to bring depth to the characters and to not force the romance.
─ ✦ ────
✎ᝰ.┊ pre-read: When I tell you I was immediately drawn in after reading the first chapter, I’m not exaggerating.
⬫ ⬪ ⬫
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the arc!
DNF 45%. The idea of rivals hexing and vexing each other was cute, but the way it all came together felt so disjointed and superficial. Whoever compared this book to A Witch's Guide to Magical Innkeeping needs jail time. That book has heart. This just felt cringe.
The first chapter was so good and set up such a great start, but everything after that was a struggle to get through. If you’re going to give me the lowest of low stakes, I need the characters to pull me in completely. And yet, this is lacking in everything: well developed characters, chemistry, and good dialogue. The tension was being force fed to me, but the interactions were just too cringey and random to actually work.
Lucy is incredibly childish and unlikable (truly the meanest girl I’ve had the displeasure to read about this year). Grayson goes from hating her to liking her to hating her again, and all I can think is: Why would you like her? This girl is awful to you. The rest of the characters feel just as flat.
The idea was good, but it needed a better way to bring depth to the characters and to not force the romance.
─ ✦ ────
✎ᝰ.┊ pre-read: When I tell you I was immediately drawn in after reading the first chapter, I’m not exaggerating.
⬫ ⬪ ⬫
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the arc!
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
3.5 STARS!
Readers love bookstores, and we love reading about them too! This book has a fabulous start that pulls you into the story. Magical books and delightful found family are a definite highlight.
Then tragedy happens, and the grandson, Grayson, shows up to take charge; sparks fly… but sometimes not in a good way.
There are many plusses to this story, but there are also many irritations too. I did not like Lucy, the female lead, much of the time. She was rude and downright mean sometimes.
I get that is from feeling threatened in her job, and in her care for the owner, but there are some sparks of anger running through too. She did tend to get on my nerves often!
Grayson was condescending and rude at times, but was truly trying to help and get to know his Grandpa, too. The push and pull between them was a very slow burn, and we really didn’t see a consistent growth of feelings until deep into the second half.
The plot contains a whole lot of vexing and hexing, but it offered some entertaining and delightful parts. The romance is downplayed until the last part of the book, with a sprinkle of spice at the end.
For a witchy bookshop story, it has great bones and a detailed atmosphere. I just wish they were not adversaries throughout most of the story.
~~~
* I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
* Full review - https://amidlifewife.com/to-vex-to-he...
Readers love bookstores, and we love reading about them too! This book has a fabulous start that pulls you into the story. Magical books and delightful found family are a definite highlight.
Then tragedy happens, and the grandson, Grayson, shows up to take charge; sparks fly… but sometimes not in a good way.
There are many plusses to this story, but there are also many irritations too. I did not like Lucy, the female lead, much of the time. She was rude and downright mean sometimes.
I get that is from feeling threatened in her job, and in her care for the owner, but there are some sparks of anger running through too. She did tend to get on my nerves often!
Grayson was condescending and rude at times, but was truly trying to help and get to know his Grandpa, too. The push and pull between them was a very slow burn, and we really didn’t see a consistent growth of feelings until deep into the second half.
The plot contains a whole lot of vexing and hexing, but it offered some entertaining and delightful parts. The romance is downplayed until the last part of the book, with a sprinkle of spice at the end.
For a witchy bookshop story, it has great bones and a detailed atmosphere. I just wish they were not adversaries throughout most of the story.
~~~
* I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
* Full review - https://amidlifewife.com/to-vex-to-he...
June 29, 2026
🔮✨ To Vex & To Hex ✨ 🔮
Oh, I freaking adored this cozy witchy fantasy! 🧙💫
It was everything I wanted it to be and more.
The world building was simple but absolutely perfect. It was filled with magic, books, book lovers, romance, and so much whimsy. This is the perfect book to curl up with on a rainy day with a cozy blanket and a cup of tea☕🍂
I loved watching Lucy and Grayson's relationship grow from prank wars to friendship and then into such a lovely romance💜
And the spice? Surprisingly good🔥 🔥 🔥
⭐️6 star read! One of my favorite books of the year.
What to Expect
🧙 Book Magic
🪄 Magical Bookshop
💚 Enemies to Lovers
✨ Cozy Romcom
🌶️ High Spice
🔮 Witchy Shenanigans
_ _ _ _
📅 Pub Date: November 3, 2026
Thank you to St. Martin's Press, St. Martin's Griffin, and NetGalley for the advanced copy. All thoughts are my own.
Oh, I freaking adored this cozy witchy fantasy! 🧙💫
It was everything I wanted it to be and more.
The world building was simple but absolutely perfect. It was filled with magic, books, book lovers, romance, and so much whimsy. This is the perfect book to curl up with on a rainy day with a cozy blanket and a cup of tea☕🍂
I loved watching Lucy and Grayson's relationship grow from prank wars to friendship and then into such a lovely romance💜
And the spice? Surprisingly good🔥 🔥 🔥
⭐️6 star read! One of my favorite books of the year.
What to Expect
🧙 Book Magic
🪄 Magical Bookshop
💚 Enemies to Lovers
✨ Cozy Romcom
🌶️ High Spice
🔮 Witchy Shenanigans
_ _ _ _
📅 Pub Date: November 3, 2026
Thank you to St. Martin's Press, St. Martin's Griffin, and NetGalley for the advanced copy. All thoughts are my own.
May 31, 2026
To Vex and to Hex brings a lot to the table. I’m just not sure it knows what to do with it.
To start, this is a cozy bookstore rivals-to-lovers romance. Grayson returns to his hometown after his grandfather, Charles, is injured. As Charles’s estranged relative, he steps in to help run the family bookstore, where he immediately clashes with Lucy, the store manager. During Grayson’s years away, Lucy has become as close to Charles as family, effectively filling the role of granddaughter. Both Lucy and Grayson are lonely, carrying their own abandonment issues, and both seem convinced a close bond with Charles will fix everything.
This story has ideas, and I appreciate that. It’s got small-town charm. It’s got rivals. It’s got romance. It’s got found family, grief, loneliness, and an intense love of books. There is a lot of who, what, and why. Unfortunately, that’s about where it stops. The book identifies its themes but rarely explores them. Every fear, insecurity, and motivation is clearly stated and then… just restated. Loneliness is the central theme, yet the story never seems interested in saying anything about it beyond “books help” and “love helps.”
The plot is almost entirely driven by miscommunication. Lucy and Grayson assume the worst of each other at every opportunity and cling to those assumptions with remarkable determination. They don’t really grow so much as stumble into information they didn’t have before. Without deeper reflection or meaningful character growth, the conflict quickly becomes repetitive and, frankly, childish. On top of that, the romance leans heavily on instant attraction. The author spends a lot of time convincing you these two want to have sex and considerably less time convincing you they should be dating. They hate each other, but their mutual horniness never takes a back seat long enough to build much of a foundation underneath it.
Also? There are witches. Don’t worry, it doesn’t matter. The magic never meaningfully shapes the story, the world, or the characters. There’s no exploration of any witch culture, no real tension surrounding magic, and no plot point that truly requires it. Most of the time it exists as a convenient solution to minor annoyances or to move scenes along.
Overall, this was a frustrating read. Not because it lacked ideas, but because it never dug beneath them. It felt less like a story exploring its themes and more like a collection of popular romance elements arranged into a plot. By the end, I was left wishing for more depth, more curiosity, and a lot less repetition.
Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for a copy of this book
To start, this is a cozy bookstore rivals-to-lovers romance. Grayson returns to his hometown after his grandfather, Charles, is injured. As Charles’s estranged relative, he steps in to help run the family bookstore, where he immediately clashes with Lucy, the store manager. During Grayson’s years away, Lucy has become as close to Charles as family, effectively filling the role of granddaughter. Both Lucy and Grayson are lonely, carrying their own abandonment issues, and both seem convinced a close bond with Charles will fix everything.
This story has ideas, and I appreciate that. It’s got small-town charm. It’s got rivals. It’s got romance. It’s got found family, grief, loneliness, and an intense love of books. There is a lot of who, what, and why. Unfortunately, that’s about where it stops. The book identifies its themes but rarely explores them. Every fear, insecurity, and motivation is clearly stated and then… just restated. Loneliness is the central theme, yet the story never seems interested in saying anything about it beyond “books help” and “love helps.”
The plot is almost entirely driven by miscommunication. Lucy and Grayson assume the worst of each other at every opportunity and cling to those assumptions with remarkable determination. They don’t really grow so much as stumble into information they didn’t have before. Without deeper reflection or meaningful character growth, the conflict quickly becomes repetitive and, frankly, childish. On top of that, the romance leans heavily on instant attraction. The author spends a lot of time convincing you these two want to have sex and considerably less time convincing you they should be dating. They hate each other, but their mutual horniness never takes a back seat long enough to build much of a foundation underneath it.
Also? There are witches. Don’t worry, it doesn’t matter. The magic never meaningfully shapes the story, the world, or the characters. There’s no exploration of any witch culture, no real tension surrounding magic, and no plot point that truly requires it. Most of the time it exists as a convenient solution to minor annoyances or to move scenes along.
Overall, this was a frustrating read. Not because it lacked ideas, but because it never dug beneath them. It felt less like a story exploring its themes and more like a collection of popular romance elements arranged into a plot. By the end, I was left wishing for more depth, more curiosity, and a lot less repetition.
Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for a copy of this book
May 23, 2026
⭐⭐⭐ 3/5 Stars — Great Concept with Room to Grow
🩷 Quick Thoughts: To Vex and to Hex by Neena Noon has a fantastic foundation—mature main characters, a fun rivals-to-lovers dynamic, and a heartwarming grandfather figure. However, repetitive miscommunication and some pacing issues kept it from being a total favourite for me.
🔮 Tropes
* Rivals-to-Lovers
* Family Dynamics
* Forced Proximity
* Magic Users (Everyday Life Hacks)
* Grumpy x Sunshine (with a twist)
✨ What I Liked:
* The Concept & Romance Setup: I loved the core premise of the book and was immediately hooked by the rivals-to-lovers dynamic.
* Older Main Characters: It was incredibly refreshing to read about characters who are a bit older, particularly Greyson being a 30-year-old professor. We need more of this in the genre!
* Charles & Lucy: Charles was a standout character for me. The relationship between Lucy and Charles was genuinely heartwarming and felt like the emotional anchor of the book.
* The "Slutty Little Glasses": Greyson wearing glasses? Absolute perfection. (More on this below, because it deserves its own mention!)
🩶 What Didn’t Work:
* Unbalanced Relationships: While I adored Lucy’s bond with Charles, the story placed so much emphasis on it that it heavily outweighed the space given to Greyson building a relationship with his own grandfather.
* Character Maturity vs. Behaviour: Despite their ages, both main characters frequently lacked insight and empathy for one another. This unfortunately made some of Lucy’s behavior read as peevish, and made Greyson—a 30-year-old professor—come across as a bit juvenile.
* Repetitive Pacing & Miscommunication: The story lacked one or two major, driving events to focus the plot. Instead, the miscommunication trope was scattered throughout, meaning the characters would resolve an issue only to revert right back to it. This cycle ended up feeling repetitive and frustrating.
* Underutilised Magic: Aside from a few convenient life hacks, Lucy's magic just sort of existed in the background. It didn't really evolve or become a meaningful plot point.
* Redundant Subplots: While I appreciated Lucy addressing her own family dynamics, it felt unnecessary since it mirrored the issues and resolution of Greyson's family dynamic almost exactly, just in less detail.
* The Wardrobe Malfunction: I have to be honest—the phrase "slutty little waist" did not do it for me. Greyson has slutty little glasses. Don't fix what isn't broken! I’m Team Glasses all day long.
🩷 Quick Thoughts: To Vex and to Hex by Neena Noon has a fantastic foundation—mature main characters, a fun rivals-to-lovers dynamic, and a heartwarming grandfather figure. However, repetitive miscommunication and some pacing issues kept it from being a total favourite for me.
🔮 Tropes
* Rivals-to-Lovers
* Family Dynamics
* Forced Proximity
* Magic Users (Everyday Life Hacks)
* Grumpy x Sunshine (with a twist)
✨ What I Liked:
* The Concept & Romance Setup: I loved the core premise of the book and was immediately hooked by the rivals-to-lovers dynamic.
* Older Main Characters: It was incredibly refreshing to read about characters who are a bit older, particularly Greyson being a 30-year-old professor. We need more of this in the genre!
* Charles & Lucy: Charles was a standout character for me. The relationship between Lucy and Charles was genuinely heartwarming and felt like the emotional anchor of the book.
* The "Slutty Little Glasses": Greyson wearing glasses? Absolute perfection. (More on this below, because it deserves its own mention!)
🩶 What Didn’t Work:
* Unbalanced Relationships: While I adored Lucy’s bond with Charles, the story placed so much emphasis on it that it heavily outweighed the space given to Greyson building a relationship with his own grandfather.
* Character Maturity vs. Behaviour: Despite their ages, both main characters frequently lacked insight and empathy for one another. This unfortunately made some of Lucy’s behavior read as peevish, and made Greyson—a 30-year-old professor—come across as a bit juvenile.
* Repetitive Pacing & Miscommunication: The story lacked one or two major, driving events to focus the plot. Instead, the miscommunication trope was scattered throughout, meaning the characters would resolve an issue only to revert right back to it. This cycle ended up feeling repetitive and frustrating.
* Underutilised Magic: Aside from a few convenient life hacks, Lucy's magic just sort of existed in the background. It didn't really evolve or become a meaningful plot point.
* Redundant Subplots: While I appreciated Lucy addressing her own family dynamics, it felt unnecessary since it mirrored the issues and resolution of Greyson's family dynamic almost exactly, just in less detail.
* The Wardrobe Malfunction: I have to be honest—the phrase "slutty little waist" did not do it for me. Greyson has slutty little glasses. Don't fix what isn't broken! I’m Team Glasses all day long.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
There were parts of this book that perfectly captured the cozy, magical environment. However, there were other parts that just fell flat for me. I liked the characters upon meeting them and learning their backstories. However, I started to dislike them as time went on, mostly due to communication, or lack thereof. I wish the fun light-heartedness of the hexes had lasted a little longer throughout the story. I felt like those moments did a better job of making you root for the characters than the heavy spice the book focused on later. Thank you to the publisher for providing this ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
April 19, 2026
Thank you for the opportunity to read this sweet arc St. Martin’s Griffin! It truly is a cozy fantasy with lots of romance and spice. The magic is used as a beautiful love letter to readers and adds to the romance story line.
October 12, 2026
Noon has weaved a witchy rom-com that is equally as sweet as it is enchanting.
Lucy is a witchy bookshop worker. The owner has an accident so his grandson from Ireland steps in to help run the bookshop. Lucy and Grayson butt heads right off the bat. But soon, sparks fly.
Lucy is sweet and energetic. She loves books and loves helping people find the right one. She's loyal to her boss, to whom she’s formed a special bond with (like a father figure). She doesn’t sugar coat, but she also wants to do what is best. When she loves, she loves with her whole being.
Grayson is a bit of a grump, surly, and can be closed off a bit. He comes across as arrogant at first. But after Lucy gets to know him, he begins to open up. I really think in the beginning he intentionally tried to aggravate her just to get a reaction.
Together, they have really good banter. As Grayson begins to open up, you see a little more of the walls come down. He has a complicated relationship with his grandfather and his family, so things are tense. Grayson and Lucy both have romantic tension that culminates in a really good enemies to lovers situation.
The story is very sweet with some spice. It has a lovely bookshop theme and cozy small town vibes. It’s fast paced and well written. The characters themselves are both interesting. I would love to have more books in this series.
Narrators John Hartley and Maya Dhawan were the perfect choices! John’s voice is amazing. I could listen to him speak all day long!
Tropes/themes: cozy vibes, witch, bookshop, enemies to lovers, found family, family issues, forced proximity, grumpyxsunshine
Thank you Macmillan Audio and NetGalley
Lucy is a witchy bookshop worker. The owner has an accident so his grandson from Ireland steps in to help run the bookshop. Lucy and Grayson butt heads right off the bat. But soon, sparks fly.
Lucy is sweet and energetic. She loves books and loves helping people find the right one. She's loyal to her boss, to whom she’s formed a special bond with (like a father figure). She doesn’t sugar coat, but she also wants to do what is best. When she loves, she loves with her whole being.
Grayson is a bit of a grump, surly, and can be closed off a bit. He comes across as arrogant at first. But after Lucy gets to know him, he begins to open up. I really think in the beginning he intentionally tried to aggravate her just to get a reaction.
Together, they have really good banter. As Grayson begins to open up, you see a little more of the walls come down. He has a complicated relationship with his grandfather and his family, so things are tense. Grayson and Lucy both have romantic tension that culminates in a really good enemies to lovers situation.
The story is very sweet with some spice. It has a lovely bookshop theme and cozy small town vibes. It’s fast paced and well written. The characters themselves are both interesting. I would love to have more books in this series.
Narrators John Hartley and Maya Dhawan were the perfect choices! John’s voice is amazing. I could listen to him speak all day long!
Tropes/themes: cozy vibes, witch, bookshop, enemies to lovers, found family, family issues, forced proximity, grumpyxsunshine
Thank you Macmillan Audio and NetGalley
September 18, 2026
3.5⭐️’s
To Vex & to Hex is a cozy and spicy fall read. In the small town of Little Brook, Lucy Ansari works at Crawley Bookstore where she uses her magical powers as a witch to match people with books. She loves her job just as much as she loves the store owner Charles, a surrogate grandfather to her. So when Charles falls and breaks his hip, Lucy assumes she will be the one to care for Charles and look after the store. But when the hospital contacts Charles’ estranged grandson in Ireland, he shows up with the intention of caring for his grandfather and his store. What ensues is a battle of wills to see who will give in first. But the flames of anger between the two quickly become flames of romance. This first novel by Neena Noon is about found family and working through past hurts. While emotional at times, there is plenty of spice! I gave this book 3.5 out of 5 ⭐️’s. My only critique is that the conclusion of the story was already a sweet moment that didn’t need a spicy moment. I felt that it cheapened the moment. Otherwise, I enjoyed this book and would read this author again.
Thank you to NetGalley, Neena Noon and St. Martin’s Press for this eARC in exchange for an honest review.
To Vex & to Hex is a cozy and spicy fall read. In the small town of Little Brook, Lucy Ansari works at Crawley Bookstore where she uses her magical powers as a witch to match people with books. She loves her job just as much as she loves the store owner Charles, a surrogate grandfather to her. So when Charles falls and breaks his hip, Lucy assumes she will be the one to care for Charles and look after the store. But when the hospital contacts Charles’ estranged grandson in Ireland, he shows up with the intention of caring for his grandfather and his store. What ensues is a battle of wills to see who will give in first. But the flames of anger between the two quickly become flames of romance. This first novel by Neena Noon is about found family and working through past hurts. While emotional at times, there is plenty of spice! I gave this book 3.5 out of 5 ⭐️’s. My only critique is that the conclusion of the story was already a sweet moment that didn’t need a spicy moment. I felt that it cheapened the moment. Otherwise, I enjoyed this book and would read this author again.
Thank you to NetGalley, Neena Noon and St. Martin’s Press for this eARC in exchange for an honest review.
May 1, 2026
Lucy a bookseller witch whose whole world is tied up in her beloved bookstore and its owner who feels more like family than her actual relatives. Then his grandson Grayson shows up out of nowhere annoying, attractive, and very much unwanted and Lucy is immediately suspicious of his intentions. She’s ready to hex him right out the door but he’s just as determined to stay and fix things with his grandfather. Then we have a lot of petty magic, bickering, with the opposites attract trope lol i love.the vibe is immaculate if you like enemies to lovers with a cozy bookstore setting. Lucy and Grayson’s dynamic is all sbanter and stubbornness but underneath that there’s a softer emotional layer about family, belonging, and letting people in. The magical elements feel fun and the romance definitely leans on the spicier side without losing that warm, small town feel.It’s one of those reads that’s easy to love .perfect if you want something witchy, and romantic.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
A Little Bookshop Magic
A cozy bookshop and a touch of witchcraft make for a lovely premise. There’s sweetness to this story, even though it didn’t draw me in as much as I’d hoped.
Lucy and Grayson’s romance had its moments, and the bookish setting suited the story well. Still, I wanted to feel more connected to their relationship. My listening experience was pleasant enough, but I finished without a particularly strong attachment to the characters.
This may be a better fit for readers looking for a light witchy romance with some spice. While it wasn’t a standout for me, there’s charm in the premise and setting.
Three stars.
Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the advance listening copy.
A cozy bookshop and a touch of witchcraft make for a lovely premise. There’s sweetness to this story, even though it didn’t draw me in as much as I’d hoped.
Lucy and Grayson’s romance had its moments, and the bookish setting suited the story well. Still, I wanted to feel more connected to their relationship. My listening experience was pleasant enough, but I finished without a particularly strong attachment to the characters.
This may be a better fit for readers looking for a light witchy romance with some spice. While it wasn’t a standout for me, there’s charm in the premise and setting.
Three stars.
Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the advance listening copy.
September 6, 2026
Thank you to St. Martin’s Press for this ARC!
This one wasn’t for me, but I’m certain there’s an audience for it. The writing style is quick and modern, and the FMC’s separate personal arc is timely and coherent. And there are a lot of cute scenes between the MCs leading up to the end! I was just hoping for something different.
My biggest complaint is that the magic was completely pointless!! There’s no reason at all for our characters to have magic; it doesn’t affect the plot or the character relationships in any way that mundane reasons couldn’t easily replace. It explains why the bookshop owner had the funds to run a dubiously profitable business, and that’s the only justification for the premise I can think of. It introduces mild prejudice against witches into the otherwise unchanged world, even goes as far as to make the MMC prejudiced against witches, and then fails to work that into the plot resolution in any way at all. The magic didn’t matter. I was ready for a witchy book, and this just doesn’t deliver.
Beyond the worldbuilding, the romance is similarly disjointed. The book can’t decide if it wants Greyson to be the Christian Grey-esque daddy dom he is in the sexy scenes or the sensitive, wounded, desperate baby boy he is during the rest of the book. I honestly enjoyed his sopping-wet moments a lot more– one thing this book did give me was the realization that a simple enemies-to-lovers setup pales in comparison to the much more textured “she hates me so much and I just want her to want to be my friend so badly” setup. I would have preferred Sub Greyson to carry over to the smut; as it was, the sex scenes weren’t to my taste. A lot of times, the intensity of the smut felt at odds with the tone of the rest.
And the elephant in the room is that this book is the mother of all unrealistic miscommunication plotlines. It’s like five simple miscommunications stacked on top of each other and swapping out seasonal hats. There’s a much more streamlined plot somewhere in this book. It didn’t need to be nearly as long as it is; at the 50% mark, I was despondently wondering What More there could Possibly be to say about the premise. And that was because the book wastes so much time getting to the interesting parts! We get some semi-solid catharsis eventually, but it doesn’t make the lead-up worth it. (And to clarify, I’m not even talking primarily about the miscommunication resolution for the romantic relationship here. I’m talking about
But! There were cute moments. And Lucy was interesting– there’s one bit of color that really stuck with me about But overall, the book is polyfiber fluff that’ll be a good read if you’re looking for something easy, simple, and predictable with a light holiday theming.
This one wasn’t for me, but I’m certain there’s an audience for it. The writing style is quick and modern, and the FMC’s separate personal arc is timely and coherent. And there are a lot of cute scenes between the MCs leading up to the end! I was just hoping for something different.
My biggest complaint is that the magic was completely pointless!! There’s no reason at all for our characters to have magic; it doesn’t affect the plot or the character relationships in any way that mundane reasons couldn’t easily replace. It explains why the bookshop owner had the funds to run a dubiously profitable business, and that’s the only justification for the premise I can think of. It introduces mild prejudice against witches into the otherwise unchanged world, even goes as far as to make the MMC prejudiced against witches, and then fails to work that into the plot resolution in any way at all. The magic didn’t matter. I was ready for a witchy book, and this just doesn’t deliver.
Beyond the worldbuilding, the romance is similarly disjointed. The book can’t decide if it wants Greyson to be the Christian Grey-esque daddy dom he is in the sexy scenes or the sensitive, wounded, desperate baby boy he is during the rest of the book. I honestly enjoyed his sopping-wet moments a lot more– one thing this book did give me was the realization that a simple enemies-to-lovers setup pales in comparison to the much more textured “she hates me so much and I just want her to want to be my friend so badly” setup. I would have preferred Sub Greyson to carry over to the smut; as it was, the sex scenes weren’t to my taste. A lot of times, the intensity of the smut felt at odds with the tone of the rest.
And the elephant in the room is that this book is the mother of all unrealistic miscommunication plotlines. It’s like five simple miscommunications stacked on top of each other and swapping out seasonal hats. There’s a much more streamlined plot somewhere in this book. It didn’t need to be nearly as long as it is; at the 50% mark, I was despondently wondering What More there could Possibly be to say about the premise. And that was because the book wastes so much time getting to the interesting parts! We get some semi-solid catharsis eventually, but it doesn’t make the lead-up worth it. (And to clarify, I’m not even talking primarily about the miscommunication resolution for the romantic relationship here. I’m talking about
But! There were cute moments. And Lucy was interesting– there’s one bit of color that really stuck with me about But overall, the book is polyfiber fluff that’ll be a good read if you’re looking for something easy, simple, and predictable with a light holiday theming.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Big thanks to NetGalley for the ARC!
A quirky FMC who prefers the company of books over people, a hot Scottish MMC, and enemies to lovers? I was hooked from the get go!
I related so much to the main character, and loved the depth you get behind both of them as the story unfolds. The angst that comes from the missed communication, and the eventual HEA were done really well.
A great fall romance, perfect for those who love a cozy book during those cool autumn months!
A quirky FMC who prefers the company of books over people, a hot Scottish MMC, and enemies to lovers? I was hooked from the get go!
I related so much to the main character, and loved the depth you get behind both of them as the story unfolds. The angst that comes from the missed communication, and the eventual HEA were done really well.
A great fall romance, perfect for those who love a cozy book during those cool autumn months!
May 30, 2026
3.5 ⭐️
This was a fun read with a lot of potential! The main characters were cute and I enjoyed their enemies to lovers journey. However, the conflicts presented in the story were repetitive and surface-level. Miscommunication is probably one of my least favorite tropes (if you literally just talked to each other this wouldn’t be happening!!!) and I feel like there was a lot of that in this book. But ultimately I’m a sucker for a HEA. I appreciate NetGalley for allowing me to read this ARC!
This was a fun read with a lot of potential! The main characters were cute and I enjoyed their enemies to lovers journey. However, the conflicts presented in the story were repetitive and surface-level. Miscommunication is probably one of my least favorite tropes (if you literally just talked to each other this wouldn’t be happening!!!) and I feel like there was a lot of that in this book. But ultimately I’m a sucker for a HEA. I appreciate NetGalley for allowing me to read this ARC!
October 11, 2026
A cozy romcom with some spice! 🌶️🌶️
I enjoyed the cozy setting of the bookstore, especially this time of year. And the back and forth banter and hijinks between the two main characters was cute! Both narrators did a great job.
Thank you NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the advanced audio version of the book.
I enjoyed the cozy setting of the bookstore, especially this time of year. And the back and forth banter and hijinks between the two main characters was cute! Both narrators did a great job.
Thank you NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the advanced audio version of the book.
Read
August 5, 2026🗯Thoughts/sassy musings:
I think this would have been better on audio. It didn’t captivate me, threw me in such a slump that I just stared at it with a scowl.
It didn’t help that the MMC was one of the biggest assholes I’ve ever read. No redeemable qualities
I think this would have been better on audio. It didn’t captivate me, threw me in such a slump that I just stared at it with a scowl.
It didn’t help that the MMC was one of the biggest assholes I’ve ever read. No redeemable qualities
Review of advance copy
What a great debut by the author ! Loved reading about Lucy , Grayson and Charlie! Perfect fall read.
July 1, 2026
It was a cutie romance! Their family stories were intriguing and Lucy and Grayson’s will they-won’t they relationship had me smiling and enraptured through the whole book.
October 13, 2026
Cozy bookstore rivals-to-lovers with a light sprinkle of everyday magic and spice
This is a story about what happens when people assume others know things without them being said. It’s a story about two people that are very different, yet are afraid to be vulnerable, choosing anger and retaliation instead.
The vibe of the bookstore is cozy, thanks mostly to the magical atmosphere Lucy creates with her presence and her cute little touches - like a display that pairs romance books with teas. (Slight side comment: I think arranging books in a bookstore by colour is a touch too far. Cute for your home, not when you’re a customer trying to find a book, unless you want the vibe to be annoyance and dependancy!)
Lucy loves helping customers find their next favourite book, possibly one that will change their lives. When Charlie, the bookstore owner and Lucy’s found family, needs hip surgery, his grandson Grayson comes to help out and to try to reconnect with him. Grayson is quite different from Lucy; he is a practical English Professor that likes things to be efficient, presentable and orderly. Both Lucy and Grayson have experienced abandonment from their families, and both fear the other is trying to take their place.
Over the weeks that Charlie recovers, Lucy and Grayson try to infuriate each other, possibly to encourage the other to leave. This is where I stop connecting with Lucy. She has magic, she has friends, and she is familiar with the bookstore, the community, and even Charlie. Grayson, who came from Dublin, has none of these things, and to me it felt like her tactics crossed the line into bullying (think immobilizing him) while his seemed more playful (think eating her snacks).
It does get better though. Eventually they begin to be able to work together, although their truces are mercurial. Throughout all this, their sexual attraction towards each other grows, as does their courage to speak to and be vulnerable with the people who have the ability to hurt them most. This is a book about complex family dynamics, abandonment and feelings of loneliness, found family, and the importance of communication.
You’ll find a few instances of spice (2.5/5) in the second half of the book. Rather than slow and sensual, it’s more commands, biting, light bondage. There is use of language like “get that d***”, and “good girl”.
Both narrators did a wonderful job and I found Johnson Hartley’s low voice particularly pleasant.
This is a good book for you if:
- You’re looking for a lighter read
- You like cozy bookstores and love books
- You’re okay with challenging family dynamics
- You appreciate rivals-to-lovers and are okay with pettiness and some childishness
- You like found family tropes
- You like a touch of BDSM
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing this ARC for review consideration. All thoughts and opinions are entirely my own.
This is a story about what happens when people assume others know things without them being said. It’s a story about two people that are very different, yet are afraid to be vulnerable, choosing anger and retaliation instead.
The vibe of the bookstore is cozy, thanks mostly to the magical atmosphere Lucy creates with her presence and her cute little touches - like a display that pairs romance books with teas. (Slight side comment: I think arranging books in a bookstore by colour is a touch too far. Cute for your home, not when you’re a customer trying to find a book, unless you want the vibe to be annoyance and dependancy!)
Lucy loves helping customers find their next favourite book, possibly one that will change their lives. When Charlie, the bookstore owner and Lucy’s found family, needs hip surgery, his grandson Grayson comes to help out and to try to reconnect with him. Grayson is quite different from Lucy; he is a practical English Professor that likes things to be efficient, presentable and orderly. Both Lucy and Grayson have experienced abandonment from their families, and both fear the other is trying to take their place.
Over the weeks that Charlie recovers, Lucy and Grayson try to infuriate each other, possibly to encourage the other to leave. This is where I stop connecting with Lucy. She has magic, she has friends, and she is familiar with the bookstore, the community, and even Charlie. Grayson, who came from Dublin, has none of these things, and to me it felt like her tactics crossed the line into bullying (think immobilizing him) while his seemed more playful (think eating her snacks).
It does get better though. Eventually they begin to be able to work together, although their truces are mercurial. Throughout all this, their sexual attraction towards each other grows, as does their courage to speak to and be vulnerable with the people who have the ability to hurt them most. This is a book about complex family dynamics, abandonment and feelings of loneliness, found family, and the importance of communication.
You’ll find a few instances of spice (2.5/5) in the second half of the book. Rather than slow and sensual, it’s more commands, biting, light bondage. There is use of language like “get that d***”, and “good girl”.
Both narrators did a wonderful job and I found Johnson Hartley’s low voice particularly pleasant.
This is a good book for you if:
- You’re looking for a lighter read
- You like cozy bookstores and love books
- You’re okay with challenging family dynamics
- You appreciate rivals-to-lovers and are okay with pettiness and some childishness
- You like found family tropes
- You like a touch of BDSM
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing this ARC for review consideration. All thoughts and opinions are entirely my own.
September 6, 2026
This is a fun book! And it's aimed at readers who love bookstores!
Lucy is the manager of Crawley Books on Long Island, NY. She inadvertently discovered that she loves books when she was very young. She was taken to this bookstore and it became her cozy place. Throughout her growing up years, she constantly went there. When she got her first job, it was part time and there.
Crawley Books is owned by Charles and Sophie. Lucy became very close with them through their mutual love of books. They were the grandparents Lucy never had. Her father's parents were dead and her mom's lived much too far away to visit more than every once in a while.
Her relationship with Charles and Sophie continued to deepen. They became family. When Sophie died, Lucy took care of Charles: made sure he was ok, helped him through his grief.
This was not his first loss. Sophie and Charles had one child. She grew up, got married, had one son. Then when their son was six, they were killed in a car accident. Grayson was brought to his grandparents' home and lived there for a year. Eventually, his father's brother took him to live in Ireland.
Lucy went to college and double majored--English and data analysis. Then Lucy got an office job in "the city" and hated it. When they had cut backs and she was let go, she was not unhappy to not go back, although she missed the nice money. She did not like the work, even though she was good at it.
So, Lucy moved home. Her mom is from Afghanistan and came to the USA for college. Her dad is very much a New Yorker. They met in university and haven't been apart since. They are constantly working and love it! Her parents are both neuroscientists.
Lucy began working again at Crawley Books but full time now. Her parents thought it was ok until she got a "real" job. But Lucy loved it. She eventually became the store manager.
Now, everything changed--Charles fell at home and broke his hip. When Lucy found out, she was horrified to discover that she was not his emergency contact; it was his grandson in Ireland. Charles had been able to call 911 and was taken to the hospital. He had surgery right away. But it would be a while before he would be recovered enough for his life to continue as usual.
In comes grandson, Grayson. There had been no communication directly between the two since Grayson was taken to Ireland. His grandparents thought that they'd be able to see him and get visits from him but each time they tried, his uncle stopped them. Grayson was put in boarding school. He did not develop much of a relationship with his uncle. And he thought his grandparents had sent him away because they didn't want him.
That set up the rest of the story. There is one more element that is good to know. There is magic in the world. Charles, Sophie, Lucy, and her parents all were witches. They used magic. Not in big showy ways. But they used it as they thought best.
As the manager of the bookstore, Lucy had discovered that she could use spells to help match customers with the books they needed when they came in. She told Grayson that books had their own magic but it wasn't always strong enough. So her spell applied to the customers and increased the book magic in the book(s) they needed. She had very happy customers who almost always found books to buy.
One morning, Lucy came into Crawley Books and was getting everything set up for opening when she was shocked to find someone else in the locked bookstore. She came out of the back room loaded up with books, bakery items, and her favorite cup with coffee. There he was. She dropped everything she was holding, including her coffee which went all over him and his shoes. That's Lucy's introduction to Grayson. (And he has no magical powers.)
Their relationship goes from bad to worse. Grayson informs her that she'll be working for him now and that doesn't sit well.
The two of them go to the hospital to see Charles. Visitors are family only. In a short time, Grayson tells the nurse that she is family and the two are told to go to room 313, which they do. She does thank him for including her.
When they get there, Lucy goes to Charles and it is very obvious that they have a close relationship. He talks with her and Lucy is animated and caring. She loves this man and he loves her. Grayson goes over by them but is very much a 3rd wheel.
Lucy finds out that the hospital called Grayson who is a professor in Ireland. He arranged for the last two weeks of his classes and the next semester to be a sabbatical. He wanted to come take care of his grandfather even though he really didn't know him any more.
The rest of this book is watching their relationships. It's fun, frustrating, sometimes I wanted to knock their heads together, mainly Lucy and Grayson, sometimes Charles, too! But they are characters I care about now. And I was very happy with how it all ended the story.
Thank you NetGalley for giving me this book to review!
Lucy is the manager of Crawley Books on Long Island, NY. She inadvertently discovered that she loves books when she was very young. She was taken to this bookstore and it became her cozy place. Throughout her growing up years, she constantly went there. When she got her first job, it was part time and there.
Crawley Books is owned by Charles and Sophie. Lucy became very close with them through their mutual love of books. They were the grandparents Lucy never had. Her father's parents were dead and her mom's lived much too far away to visit more than every once in a while.
Her relationship with Charles and Sophie continued to deepen. They became family. When Sophie died, Lucy took care of Charles: made sure he was ok, helped him through his grief.
This was not his first loss. Sophie and Charles had one child. She grew up, got married, had one son. Then when their son was six, they were killed in a car accident. Grayson was brought to his grandparents' home and lived there for a year. Eventually, his father's brother took him to live in Ireland.
Lucy went to college and double majored--English and data analysis. Then Lucy got an office job in "the city" and hated it. When they had cut backs and she was let go, she was not unhappy to not go back, although she missed the nice money. She did not like the work, even though she was good at it.
So, Lucy moved home. Her mom is from Afghanistan and came to the USA for college. Her dad is very much a New Yorker. They met in university and haven't been apart since. They are constantly working and love it! Her parents are both neuroscientists.
Lucy began working again at Crawley Books but full time now. Her parents thought it was ok until she got a "real" job. But Lucy loved it. She eventually became the store manager.
Now, everything changed--Charles fell at home and broke his hip. When Lucy found out, she was horrified to discover that she was not his emergency contact; it was his grandson in Ireland. Charles had been able to call 911 and was taken to the hospital. He had surgery right away. But it would be a while before he would be recovered enough for his life to continue as usual.
In comes grandson, Grayson. There had been no communication directly between the two since Grayson was taken to Ireland. His grandparents thought that they'd be able to see him and get visits from him but each time they tried, his uncle stopped them. Grayson was put in boarding school. He did not develop much of a relationship with his uncle. And he thought his grandparents had sent him away because they didn't want him.
That set up the rest of the story. There is one more element that is good to know. There is magic in the world. Charles, Sophie, Lucy, and her parents all were witches. They used magic. Not in big showy ways. But they used it as they thought best.
As the manager of the bookstore, Lucy had discovered that she could use spells to help match customers with the books they needed when they came in. She told Grayson that books had their own magic but it wasn't always strong enough. So her spell applied to the customers and increased the book magic in the book(s) they needed. She had very happy customers who almost always found books to buy.
One morning, Lucy came into Crawley Books and was getting everything set up for opening when she was shocked to find someone else in the locked bookstore. She came out of the back room loaded up with books, bakery items, and her favorite cup with coffee. There he was. She dropped everything she was holding, including her coffee which went all over him and his shoes. That's Lucy's introduction to Grayson. (And he has no magical powers.)
Their relationship goes from bad to worse. Grayson informs her that she'll be working for him now and that doesn't sit well.
The two of them go to the hospital to see Charles. Visitors are family only. In a short time, Grayson tells the nurse that she is family and the two are told to go to room 313, which they do. She does thank him for including her.
When they get there, Lucy goes to Charles and it is very obvious that they have a close relationship. He talks with her and Lucy is animated and caring. She loves this man and he loves her. Grayson goes over by them but is very much a 3rd wheel.
Lucy finds out that the hospital called Grayson who is a professor in Ireland. He arranged for the last two weeks of his classes and the next semester to be a sabbatical. He wanted to come take care of his grandfather even though he really didn't know him any more.
The rest of this book is watching their relationships. It's fun, frustrating, sometimes I wanted to knock their heads together, mainly Lucy and Grayson, sometimes Charles, too! But they are characters I care about now. And I was very happy with how it all ended the story.
Thank you NetGalley for giving me this book to review!
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
2.5* rounded up.
I was really close to a petty DNF. The author felt it necessary to repeat and/or reference the name of the book approximately 300 times in 100 pages. No normal person used the word "vex" in everyday language that much. And a witch saying "hex" instead of spell, every. single. time. is just silly. It felt like the author really wanted to bang us over the head with this. Like, "Get it?? Didja get it?? That's why it's called To Vex and To Hex. Because she's a witch and he's not and they have animosity and they keep sparring with it. Get it?? It's rhyming."
DEAR GOD WE GET IT.
Apart from this, the prose is overall ... weak. Wiring feels clunky and unnatural at times.
Plot: Classic enemies to lovers. Classic misunderstanding/ refuse to actually talk to each other. Classic 3ABU.
Magic and witchcraft have nothing to do with the story, other than it being used occasionally for silly reasons like it's faster to clean the dishes.
Characters: Both MCs are fairly annoying. FMC is a really loving, good person—which we're hit over the head with again and again, because 'omg she's so sweet to this old man that she loves like a father'— but she's a witch who uses her powers against another person. Granted it's silly little things, mostly, but sometimes it's things like immobilizing her enemy, and she treats it like a game. I feel like this is against witch code. It's also very anti-consent and pretty gross.
MMC is obnoxious and uptight, acting like he has no idea why anyone would be mad at him, when it should be possibly obvious to anyone with half a brain.
Overall: By halfway through, I was invested enough to want to finish the book and see what happens. I wanted to at least get the party when they finally get together. The steamy parts were decent. I think there was like 3 scenes, for an overall vibe of maybe 🌶️🌶️/5. But the attraction was very instant, with both talking about how they hate each other '... but he/she is so hot.'
FMC relationship with her parents also seemed... unnatural. They're workaholics who have ignored her for her whole life, until one day she gets upset and yells at them, and they immediately change everything about their behavior. For the sake of the happy ending. I would've rather seen nothing change on that end, and just have her realize she had to stop seeking external validation for her life.
The pros: Cute bookshop setting, fall/winter cozy vibes for most of the book, the action moved fast enough to keep me interested and turning pages despite the flaws, spice was mostly well written and notable for people looking for it.
Thanks Netgalley and St. Martin's Griffin for this digital galley.
I was really close to a petty DNF. The author felt it necessary to repeat and/or reference the name of the book approximately 300 times in 100 pages. No normal person used the word "vex" in everyday language that much. And a witch saying "hex" instead of spell, every. single. time. is just silly. It felt like the author really wanted to bang us over the head with this. Like, "Get it?? Didja get it?? That's why it's called To Vex and To Hex. Because she's a witch and he's not and they have animosity and they keep sparring with it. Get it?? It's rhyming."
DEAR GOD WE GET IT.
Apart from this, the prose is overall ... weak. Wiring feels clunky and unnatural at times.
Plot: Classic enemies to lovers. Classic misunderstanding/ refuse to actually talk to each other. Classic 3ABU.
Magic and witchcraft have nothing to do with the story, other than it being used occasionally for silly reasons like it's faster to clean the dishes.
Characters: Both MCs are fairly annoying. FMC is a really loving, good person—which we're hit over the head with again and again, because 'omg she's so sweet to this old man that she loves like a father'— but she's a witch who uses her powers against another person. Granted it's silly little things, mostly, but sometimes it's things like immobilizing her enemy, and she treats it like a game. I feel like this is against witch code. It's also very anti-consent and pretty gross.
MMC is obnoxious and uptight, acting like he has no idea why anyone would be mad at him, when it should be possibly obvious to anyone with half a brain.
Overall: By halfway through, I was invested enough to want to finish the book and see what happens. I wanted to at least get the party when they finally get together. The steamy parts were decent. I think there was like 3 scenes, for an overall vibe of maybe 🌶️🌶️/5. But the attraction was very instant, with both talking about how they hate each other '... but he/she is so hot.'
FMC relationship with her parents also seemed... unnatural. They're workaholics who have ignored her for her whole life, until one day she gets upset and yells at them, and they immediately change everything about their behavior. For the sake of the happy ending. I would've rather seen nothing change on that end, and just have her realize she had to stop seeking external validation for her life.
The pros: Cute bookshop setting, fall/winter cozy vibes for most of the book, the action moved fast enough to keep me interested and turning pages despite the flaws, spice was mostly well written and notable for people looking for it.
Thanks Netgalley and St. Martin's Griffin for this digital galley.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Thank you to netgalley and the publishers for the copy!
I listened to this in audiobook so I first want to talk about the narration, then I'll discuss my thoughts on the story.
Audiobook:
I thought both narrators, Maya Dawan and John Hartley, were phenomenal. It was easy to understand them, they were great with accents, and they added a lot of emotion and energy. Dawan was particularly enjoyable to listen to - bright and vivacious. Hartley had a much deeper tone with a bit of vibrato, and it took some adjustment, but he was so good at bringing the character to life.
The narrators' energy and pacing helped me get through a book that I unfortunately did not enjoy very much.
Story:
- I really wanted to like this. The story has a lot of elements that I do like -- cozy fantasy romance, a grumpy x sunshine romance (must be the 6th one I've read this year), witches and magic, small towns, and a BIPOC lead. It also hits all the plot and character beats it needs to for a contemporary romance (including the classic 3rd act breakup).
- I just did not like our main characters. And in a low stakes story like this, characters are the most important aspect of the story for me. And since I didn't like the characters, I ended up not caring about the romance.
- They both acted like petty teenagers for 60% of the novel, instead of the professional adults they should be. Their constant miscommunication is the only conflict driving the plot forward, and when it started to feel like their problems could be solved with one sit down conversation, I started to lose interest. They always assumed the worst about each other in every circumstance.
- Lucy, in particular, just came across as so mean. I just think that using your magic to annoy another person, small as those annoyances are, is still unfair? Like if he’s able to retaliate with his own magic, it would be fine. But the small little confusion spells or light gaslighting just feel violating to someone who can’t fight back, but maybe I'm reading too much into it.
- I liked Grayson a little bit more, only because his sympathetic backstory made his actions a little less annoying. And he was a little more considerate of Lucy.
- The inclusion of magic was also negligible. This story would be exactly the same without it, which made me wonder why that was included to begin with.
Overall, the audiobook narrators were great. But I did not enjoy the romance, the characters, and the lack of any actual witch magic.
I listened to this in audiobook so I first want to talk about the narration, then I'll discuss my thoughts on the story.
Audiobook:
I thought both narrators, Maya Dawan and John Hartley, were phenomenal. It was easy to understand them, they were great with accents, and they added a lot of emotion and energy. Dawan was particularly enjoyable to listen to - bright and vivacious. Hartley had a much deeper tone with a bit of vibrato, and it took some adjustment, but he was so good at bringing the character to life.
The narrators' energy and pacing helped me get through a book that I unfortunately did not enjoy very much.
Story:
- I really wanted to like this. The story has a lot of elements that I do like -- cozy fantasy romance, a grumpy x sunshine romance (must be the 6th one I've read this year), witches and magic, small towns, and a BIPOC lead. It also hits all the plot and character beats it needs to for a contemporary romance (including the classic 3rd act breakup).
- I just did not like our main characters. And in a low stakes story like this, characters are the most important aspect of the story for me. And since I didn't like the characters, I ended up not caring about the romance.
- They both acted like petty teenagers for 60% of the novel, instead of the professional adults they should be. Their constant miscommunication is the only conflict driving the plot forward, and when it started to feel like their problems could be solved with one sit down conversation, I started to lose interest. They always assumed the worst about each other in every circumstance.
- Lucy, in particular, just came across as so mean. I just think that using your magic to annoy another person, small as those annoyances are, is still unfair? Like if he’s able to retaliate with his own magic, it would be fine. But the small little confusion spells or light gaslighting just feel violating to someone who can’t fight back, but maybe I'm reading too much into it.
- I liked Grayson a little bit more, only because his sympathetic backstory made his actions a little less annoying. And he was a little more considerate of Lucy.
- The inclusion of magic was also negligible. This story would be exactly the same without it, which made me wonder why that was included to begin with.
Overall, the audiobook narrators were great. But I did not enjoy the romance, the characters, and the lack of any actual witch magic.
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
Grumpy x grumpy plus witches? YES, PLEASE!
This book is full of all the cozyness the fall months ask for. Or any season you want a cozy time.
Lucy works in a bookstore that’s more like home than her actual home. Much of the reason is Charles, the elderly bookkeeper and his late wife. Then Charles gets hurt and his non-magical, very stodgy, very estranged Professor grandson Grayson shows up.
Grayson immediately has a problem with literally everything, especially Lucy’s presence and even Charles. He seems to have a chip on his shoulder (it’s a boulder) and wants nothing to do with Lucy. He thinks his showing up means Lucy should go away. Because we get his POV (yay dual POV!) about his complicated feelings about his grandparents. If we didn’t have that he’d be a total douche but we get to understand him and the lifelong hurt he’s carried. Lucy has her own hurt for parents who provided well but have spent their entire lives wrapped up in one another and moderately interested in her.
Back to the love story! What we have are two hurt people actually hurting and throwing physical and emotional barbs at one another. Grayson’s are mostly verbal while Lucy uses her magic for mischief. She turns Grayson into a baby vomit target, makes sure his tea of lukewarm, and a few dozen other hex-y pranks. Which he deserves because he’s not nice to her.
But then the feelings start. I mean, they are always fairly obvious but it’s so fun to watch the will they, won’t they, they did, they did not, and they did again. Their relationship journey is as rocky as a shallow creek bed. They can’t get their feelings out of their heads and into words so they end up hurting each other. I couldn’t wait for them to “grow up” and get it together so they could just be IN LOVE. But I had so much fun seeing them fight and flirt and f— their way into a happily ever after.
I love the uniqueness of the magic system here. Lucy uses her magic to make other people feel better (and find their perfect books!). Charles uses it for joy but also for his everyday tasks. Yay to no personal gain (shout out to my Charmed OGs)! And Lucy’s parents use it for … science and being in love with each other more than they care for their child.
This is a cozy story of a couple individually working through their grief and refusing to let their inner demons dictate their future.
Thank you to St. Martin’s for this gifted copy.
This book is full of all the cozyness the fall months ask for. Or any season you want a cozy time.
Lucy works in a bookstore that’s more like home than her actual home. Much of the reason is Charles, the elderly bookkeeper and his late wife. Then Charles gets hurt and his non-magical, very stodgy, very estranged Professor grandson Grayson shows up.
Grayson immediately has a problem with literally everything, especially Lucy’s presence and even Charles. He seems to have a chip on his shoulder (it’s a boulder) and wants nothing to do with Lucy. He thinks his showing up means Lucy should go away. Because we get his POV (yay dual POV!) about his complicated feelings about his grandparents. If we didn’t have that he’d be a total douche but we get to understand him and the lifelong hurt he’s carried. Lucy has her own hurt for parents who provided well but have spent their entire lives wrapped up in one another and moderately interested in her.
Back to the love story! What we have are two hurt people actually hurting and throwing physical and emotional barbs at one another. Grayson’s are mostly verbal while Lucy uses her magic for mischief. She turns Grayson into a baby vomit target, makes sure his tea of lukewarm, and a few dozen other hex-y pranks. Which he deserves because he’s not nice to her.
But then the feelings start. I mean, they are always fairly obvious but it’s so fun to watch the will they, won’t they, they did, they did not, and they did again. Their relationship journey is as rocky as a shallow creek bed. They can’t get their feelings out of their heads and into words so they end up hurting each other. I couldn’t wait for them to “grow up” and get it together so they could just be IN LOVE. But I had so much fun seeing them fight and flirt and f— their way into a happily ever after.
I love the uniqueness of the magic system here. Lucy uses her magic to make other people feel better (and find their perfect books!). Charles uses it for joy but also for his everyday tasks. Yay to no personal gain (shout out to my Charmed OGs)! And Lucy’s parents use it for … science and being in love with each other more than they care for their child.
This is a cozy story of a couple individually working through their grief and refusing to let their inner demons dictate their future.
Thank you to St. Martin’s for this gifted copy.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Thank you to Neena Noon and Avon Books for an eARC of this book on NetGalley. All opinions are my own.
I loved the concept of this book. Lucy is a witch working in a bookstore who uses her magic to help people find the perfect book. After the owner (Charles) injures himself, his grumpy grandson (Grayson) arrives to help out. The stakes are low and you know everyone will be making it to the end happy and alive.
While I think this book has a lot of potential, there were a few issues with the execution for me:
- There are instances of repetition and over explaining, which made the book feel it was aimed at a younger audience than intended.
- There are various examples of miscommunication, between Lucy and Grayson and also Grayson and Charles. Despite being my least favourite trope, I do think it can be done well but it felt overused in this book and I became increasingly frustrated at the character’s inability to have a conversation, especially when the MMC is 30 and the FMC is 24 (i.e. not children).
- My pet peeve in books is when main characters are unnecessarily critical about someone’s appearance and then face no consequences. For example, Lucy complains about her date (not the MMC) having thinning hair, stating “you can’t have everything”. It might feel minor but these sort of comments perpetuate the idea that someone’s appearance is fair game to criticise.
I couldn’t decide how much I liked Lucy and Grayson as characters. The hexes and vexes were funny but quickly descended into just being mean. They both acted immaturely despite their age, and while there were underlying reasons for their actions, I struggled to connect with them at times. Through the two POVs, we got to learn more about each of them, their relationships with others and the reasons for the grief/pain/bitterness they carried, which was welcome. It somewhat explained their behaviour (although not entirely).
The book is pretty spicy, especially the second half. However, I wanted to see a deeper emotional connection between the two. It’s a cosy fantasy so I don’t need hundreds of pages of dialogue, but even a few more conversations between the two would have made their connection seem more realistic
Overall, if you want a whimsical read with low stakes and a decent amount of spice, this could be the right book for you but it didn’t quite work for me.
My fave tropes:
- Grumpy x sunshine (although she’s grumpy to him)
- A conveniently timed snow storm
- Found family
I loved the concept of this book. Lucy is a witch working in a bookstore who uses her magic to help people find the perfect book. After the owner (Charles) injures himself, his grumpy grandson (Grayson) arrives to help out. The stakes are low and you know everyone will be making it to the end happy and alive.
While I think this book has a lot of potential, there were a few issues with the execution for me:
- There are instances of repetition and over explaining, which made the book feel it was aimed at a younger audience than intended.
- There are various examples of miscommunication, between Lucy and Grayson and also Grayson and Charles. Despite being my least favourite trope, I do think it can be done well but it felt overused in this book and I became increasingly frustrated at the character’s inability to have a conversation, especially when the MMC is 30 and the FMC is 24 (i.e. not children).
- My pet peeve in books is when main characters are unnecessarily critical about someone’s appearance and then face no consequences. For example, Lucy complains about her date (not the MMC) having thinning hair, stating “you can’t have everything”. It might feel minor but these sort of comments perpetuate the idea that someone’s appearance is fair game to criticise.
I couldn’t decide how much I liked Lucy and Grayson as characters. The hexes and vexes were funny but quickly descended into just being mean. They both acted immaturely despite their age, and while there were underlying reasons for their actions, I struggled to connect with them at times. Through the two POVs, we got to learn more about each of them, their relationships with others and the reasons for the grief/pain/bitterness they carried, which was welcome. It somewhat explained their behaviour (although not entirely).
The book is pretty spicy, especially the second half. However, I wanted to see a deeper emotional connection between the two. It’s a cosy fantasy so I don’t need hundreds of pages of dialogue, but even a few more conversations between the two would have made their connection seem more realistic
Overall, if you want a whimsical read with low stakes and a decent amount of spice, this could be the right book for you but it didn’t quite work for me.
My fave tropes:
- Grumpy x sunshine (although she’s grumpy to him)
- A conveniently timed snow storm
- Found family
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
This is an ARC review received through NetGalley.
This is a cozy, modern, small town, romance with a dash of fun magic that plays an important part in the story. The main character’s use of the magic touched my heart as a reader and an empath.
The writing is straightforward, engaging, and easy on the mind. I think this book would be particularly good for a reader who needs a quick, fun mood boost without having /too/ much dramatic stress. I think it’d be good to read on a sick day, a sad day, a long travel day, or after a hard week. I would recommend this to or buy for a friend who likes their enemies to lovers romance with a dash of magic.
I think if you liked Legends and Lattes but could’ve done with even less drama or Assistant to the Villain but done with less worldbuilding or if you liked Fae Flings and Corset Strings at all, I think you’d like this book. It’s a fast, cute, cheeky read and a solid 5 star read in the cozy, smutty, magical romance category.
The main characters are entertaining. The FMC knows what she wants, is smart, determined, and all around someone I’d want to be friends with. The MMC is a tortured professor type with a devious streak. There are some communication issues that cause drama/dramatic tension, but this book takes a really lovely moment to actually spell it out for us – in the characters’ realization of it - that clear, direct communication is important and we ought not to assume that the people who love us know what we want or need or what has hurt us or what we are sitting with. It is best to share – and to ask – rather than assume and let fester. This hit a note for me, as I think as much as I can be critical of characters for not communicating, I have found myself thinking like these characters do, thinking that if I wasn’t asked, I wasn’t wanted.
I like the themes about choosing what we want and what makes us happy over pleasing others, and that the main character does this for herself.
The side characters are delightful and developed enough to contribute to the story.
The banter is funny. The smut is smutty. I laughed at the phrase “slutty little waist”. There were plenty of other parts that I cackled aloud about, especially the vexing and hexing.
Thank you to St. Martin’s Press for approving this ARC! It delivers what it promises.
When does Bia get a book?
This is a cozy, modern, small town, romance with a dash of fun magic that plays an important part in the story. The main character’s use of the magic touched my heart as a reader and an empath.
The writing is straightforward, engaging, and easy on the mind. I think this book would be particularly good for a reader who needs a quick, fun mood boost without having /too/ much dramatic stress. I think it’d be good to read on a sick day, a sad day, a long travel day, or after a hard week. I would recommend this to or buy for a friend who likes their enemies to lovers romance with a dash of magic.
I think if you liked Legends and Lattes but could’ve done with even less drama or Assistant to the Villain but done with less worldbuilding or if you liked Fae Flings and Corset Strings at all, I think you’d like this book. It’s a fast, cute, cheeky read and a solid 5 star read in the cozy, smutty, magical romance category.
The main characters are entertaining. The FMC knows what she wants, is smart, determined, and all around someone I’d want to be friends with. The MMC is a tortured professor type with a devious streak. There are some communication issues that cause drama/dramatic tension, but this book takes a really lovely moment to actually spell it out for us – in the characters’ realization of it - that clear, direct communication is important and we ought not to assume that the people who love us know what we want or need or what has hurt us or what we are sitting with. It is best to share – and to ask – rather than assume and let fester. This hit a note for me, as I think as much as I can be critical of characters for not communicating, I have found myself thinking like these characters do, thinking that if I wasn’t asked, I wasn’t wanted.
I like the themes about choosing what we want and what makes us happy over pleasing others, and that the main character does this for herself.
The side characters are delightful and developed enough to contribute to the story.
The banter is funny. The smut is smutty. I laughed at the phrase “slutty little waist”. There were plenty of other parts that I cackled aloud about, especially the vexing and hexing.
Thank you to St. Martin’s Press for approving this ARC! It delivers what it promises.
When does Bia get a book?
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
***Minor-ish spoilers***
This book is the epitome of the miscommunication trope in the BEST way. Because Neena doesn't do the miscommunication trope for the sake of it or as a random cog to try and push the plot forward. The miscommunication ends up being where the yearning (from both sides) lives. And if you love a good, slow burn yearn, this is the book for you.
Lucy and Grayson (our lovely MCs) are just two people who desperately want to seen. Understood. Loved. And at first glance, seem to be polar opposites. Lucy works at Grayson's estranged grandfather's bookshop and has used her magic and very own charm to turn into to quaint, cozy (read: disheveled, unorganized and too whimsical for Grayson's proper Irish taste).
Lucy is a witch. And so is Charles, Grayson's grandfather. And they get along like grandfather and granddaughter, leaving Grayson, a mere human, already feeling on the outs when he comes to town to help out Charles after a small accident puts him in the hospital. In Lucy's eyes, Grayson is Satan incarnate, never once having visited Charles over the years and now suddenly showing up. She's convinced he's come to take her precious bookstore from her in the name of...well being under his family's name.
Magical, and non, hijinks ensue as Lucy tries her best to drive Grayson out of their little town and Grayson, while he matches her step for step, he's wondering why on earth this fiery, beautiful, woman hates him so much and wants him gone. This definitely gives you an enemies to lovers vibe. He just wants to bond with the only family he has left, but she doesn't believe it one bit.
Hijinks slip into a semi-friendship/truce then to sexual tension, which oozes delicately slow like honey between chapters, the build-up catching on one peak where we think all is good, and miscommunication runs us back down the slope to enemy-ish territory before the delicate ascent upwards again.
At it's core, I think 'To Vex and to Hex' is a story about the relationships we know might break us, but we have to be brave enough to try any way. The found family in this book was so well done. The miscommunication that is left in the words unsaid between Lucy, Grayson and even Charles throughout the book really showcases how the fear of being seen can ruin a good thing even before it starts.
I realize this review might be a little rambly, maybe even slightly vague. But it was hard for me to put words to the emotions I felt reading this one, especially the last half of the book. (Tears may have made an appearance)
Add this to your TBR come November, friends. You won't regret it.
Thank you so much to NetGalley, St. Martin's Press and Neena Noon for this absolutely smashing ARC!
This book is the epitome of the miscommunication trope in the BEST way. Because Neena doesn't do the miscommunication trope for the sake of it or as a random cog to try and push the plot forward. The miscommunication ends up being where the yearning (from both sides) lives. And if you love a good, slow burn yearn, this is the book for you.
Lucy and Grayson (our lovely MCs) are just two people who desperately want to seen. Understood. Loved. And at first glance, seem to be polar opposites. Lucy works at Grayson's estranged grandfather's bookshop and has used her magic and very own charm to turn into to quaint, cozy (read: disheveled, unorganized and too whimsical for Grayson's proper Irish taste).
Lucy is a witch. And so is Charles, Grayson's grandfather. And they get along like grandfather and granddaughter, leaving Grayson, a mere human, already feeling on the outs when he comes to town to help out Charles after a small accident puts him in the hospital. In Lucy's eyes, Grayson is Satan incarnate, never once having visited Charles over the years and now suddenly showing up. She's convinced he's come to take her precious bookstore from her in the name of...well being under his family's name.
Magical, and non, hijinks ensue as Lucy tries her best to drive Grayson out of their little town and Grayson, while he matches her step for step, he's wondering why on earth this fiery, beautiful, woman hates him so much and wants him gone. This definitely gives you an enemies to lovers vibe. He just wants to bond with the only family he has left, but she doesn't believe it one bit.
Hijinks slip into a semi-friendship/truce then to sexual tension, which oozes delicately slow like honey between chapters, the build-up catching on one peak where we think all is good, and miscommunication runs us back down the slope to enemy-ish territory before the delicate ascent upwards again.
At it's core, I think 'To Vex and to Hex' is a story about the relationships we know might break us, but we have to be brave enough to try any way. The found family in this book was so well done. The miscommunication that is left in the words unsaid between Lucy, Grayson and even Charles throughout the book really showcases how the fear of being seen can ruin a good thing even before it starts.
I realize this review might be a little rambly, maybe even slightly vague. But it was hard for me to put words to the emotions I felt reading this one, especially the last half of the book. (Tears may have made an appearance)
Add this to your TBR come November, friends. You won't regret it.
Thank you so much to NetGalley, St. Martin's Press and Neena Noon for this absolutely smashing ARC!
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
5⭐ Cozy, Witchy, Spicy Fun
To Vex & To Hex is exactly what it promises to be: a cozy fantasy romance packed with bookstore charm, magical mischief, and plenty of spice. If The Pumpkin Spice Café and A Witch's Guide to Magical Innkeeping had a witchy bookstore baby, this would be it.
Lucy is a bookseller witch whose life revolves around the bookstore she loves and its owner, Charles, who feels more like family than her own parents. When Charles is injured, his estranged grandson Grayson arrives unexpectedly and immediately disrupts Lucy's carefully ordered world. He's grumpy, stubborn, frustratingly attractive, and convinced he knows what's best for his grandfather. Lucy is equally determined not to let him interfere, leading to a delightful battle of wills filled with petty hexes, sharp banter, and undeniable chemistry.
The enemies-to-lovers dynamic shines here. Lucy and Grayson are both carrying emotional wounds, and their constant bickering masks deeper struggles with family, grief, belonging, and vulnerability. Their journey from antagonists to lovers is messy, frustrating, and incredibly entertaining. The dual POV was especially effective because it allowed me to understand Grayson's complicated relationship with his grandparents; without it, he might have come across as simply unlikeable.
One of my favorite aspects was the magic system. Rather than being used for grand adventures, magic is woven into everyday life and acts as a love letter to books, readers, and human connection. Lucy's ability to help people find the perfect book felt especially charming. The magical pranks she uses against Grayson add humor and lightheartedness while perfectly complementing their growing attraction.
The romance definitely leans spicy, but it never loses the warmth and coziness that make the story so inviting. Watching these two stubborn characters fight, flirt, stumble, and eventually open their hearts was both funny and heartfelt.
With a cozy bookstore setting, grumpy x grumpy romance, witches, family drama, magical hijinks, and plenty of steam, To Vex & To Hex is an easy recommendation for readers looking for a comforting yet spicy autumn read.
Thank you to St. Martin's Griffin for the gifted ARC.
To Vex & To Hex is exactly what it promises to be: a cozy fantasy romance packed with bookstore charm, magical mischief, and plenty of spice. If The Pumpkin Spice Café and A Witch's Guide to Magical Innkeeping had a witchy bookstore baby, this would be it.
Lucy is a bookseller witch whose life revolves around the bookstore she loves and its owner, Charles, who feels more like family than her own parents. When Charles is injured, his estranged grandson Grayson arrives unexpectedly and immediately disrupts Lucy's carefully ordered world. He's grumpy, stubborn, frustratingly attractive, and convinced he knows what's best for his grandfather. Lucy is equally determined not to let him interfere, leading to a delightful battle of wills filled with petty hexes, sharp banter, and undeniable chemistry.
The enemies-to-lovers dynamic shines here. Lucy and Grayson are both carrying emotional wounds, and their constant bickering masks deeper struggles with family, grief, belonging, and vulnerability. Their journey from antagonists to lovers is messy, frustrating, and incredibly entertaining. The dual POV was especially effective because it allowed me to understand Grayson's complicated relationship with his grandparents; without it, he might have come across as simply unlikeable.
One of my favorite aspects was the magic system. Rather than being used for grand adventures, magic is woven into everyday life and acts as a love letter to books, readers, and human connection. Lucy's ability to help people find the perfect book felt especially charming. The magical pranks she uses against Grayson add humor and lightheartedness while perfectly complementing their growing attraction.
The romance definitely leans spicy, but it never loses the warmth and coziness that make the story so inviting. Watching these two stubborn characters fight, flirt, stumble, and eventually open their hearts was both funny and heartfelt.
With a cozy bookstore setting, grumpy x grumpy romance, witches, family drama, magical hijinks, and plenty of steam, To Vex & To Hex is an easy recommendation for readers looking for a comforting yet spicy autumn read.
Thank you to St. Martin's Griffin for the gifted ARC.
Review of advance copy received from Author
Dear Reader,
I read some advice once that said you should write the book you most want to read, and To Vex and to Hex is exactly that. It’s infused with so many of my favorite things: romance, magic, banter, a small town, and plenty of spice, all set against the backdrop of a bookstore-cafe that I sorely, sorely wish was real. But it’s also about two people who are terribly lonely and lost, not realizing the very thing they’ve been searching for is each other.
Some books are difficult to write—you have to wrestle with the plot, squeeze out the emotions, push the characters—but writing To Vex and to Hex was pure joy. Every chapter is full of elements that I adore, whether it’s sparks flying between a grumpy professor and a sunshine bookseller; the particular magic our main character, Lucy, has which helps her to connect readers with their next favorite story; the cozy and slightly chaotic bookstore, filled with freshly baked goods and flavorful coffees; the small town with a variety of characters; or the plentiful romance tropes used, from jealousy to being-stuck-together-in-a-storm to only-one-bed. Writing this book has been its own kind of magic: a welcome escape from life’s worries.
I’ve always been an avid reader, and one of my favorite things about reading has been losing myself to a book: forgetting time and place as I’m transported into the story. As I read, I forget about all the things upsetting me and am instead enraptured by the journey the characters are on. With them, I laugh, I cry—I experience all the emotions. There’s nothing better than the pure full-hearted feeling of finishing a good book: both wishing it wasn’t over while being satisfied by the conclusion and happy ending.
As a writer, my aim is to recreate that feeling for my readers. I know what it is to be lonely and afraid and sad; all I hope is that, with this story, those feelings can go away for a little while, or at least become a little bit more bearable. I hope my cozy, witchy rom-com is as enjoyable for you to read as it was for me to write it.
With love and light,
Neena Noon
I read some advice once that said you should write the book you most want to read, and To Vex and to Hex is exactly that. It’s infused with so many of my favorite things: romance, magic, banter, a small town, and plenty of spice, all set against the backdrop of a bookstore-cafe that I sorely, sorely wish was real. But it’s also about two people who are terribly lonely and lost, not realizing the very thing they’ve been searching for is each other.
Some books are difficult to write—you have to wrestle with the plot, squeeze out the emotions, push the characters—but writing To Vex and to Hex was pure joy. Every chapter is full of elements that I adore, whether it’s sparks flying between a grumpy professor and a sunshine bookseller; the particular magic our main character, Lucy, has which helps her to connect readers with their next favorite story; the cozy and slightly chaotic bookstore, filled with freshly baked goods and flavorful coffees; the small town with a variety of characters; or the plentiful romance tropes used, from jealousy to being-stuck-together-in-a-storm to only-one-bed. Writing this book has been its own kind of magic: a welcome escape from life’s worries.
I’ve always been an avid reader, and one of my favorite things about reading has been losing myself to a book: forgetting time and place as I’m transported into the story. As I read, I forget about all the things upsetting me and am instead enraptured by the journey the characters are on. With them, I laugh, I cry—I experience all the emotions. There’s nothing better than the pure full-hearted feeling of finishing a good book: both wishing it wasn’t over while being satisfied by the conclusion and happy ending.
As a writer, my aim is to recreate that feeling for my readers. I know what it is to be lonely and afraid and sad; all I hope is that, with this story, those feelings can go away for a little while, or at least become a little bit more bearable. I hope my cozy, witchy rom-com is as enjoyable for you to read as it was for me to write it.
With love and light,
Neena Noon
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
1.5⭐️ - 1🌶
☆ Cozy fantasy
☆ Rivals to lovers
☆ Grumpy x Sunshine
☆ Small town
☆ Forced proximity
NetGalley ARC review
Thanks to Netgalley, St. Martin's Press and Neena Noon for the free copy.
This story follows 3 main characters, Charles, the grandfather who has surgery and needs his grandson, the MMC, Grayson, to come take care of him and Lucy, the FMC, who has been in Charles' life since she was a teen and who manages his bookstore. Oh and Charles and Lucy are witches.
I'm gonna start by prefacing that I am a big fan of cozy fantasy romance. And book magic? Please. This should have been an absolute slam dunk. Except... it wasn't. Lucy was insufferable. I am not sure I ever detested a character as much. She was mean and vindictive, to the point where it was starting to feel like a bully romance. She was petty and entitled, completely unlikeable. Her magic was cute, but we only ever see her use it once? Why not explore more of that?
Then there's Charles. I have a very soft spot for elderly characters and they always pull at my heartstrings, but I was disappointed by this one. He wanted a relationship with his grandson, but what kind of effort did he put in while he was here? The miscommunication was hard to read between these three. Charles/Lucy spent a lot of time staying in their little bubble, excluding Grayson completely.
Finallly, the romance... gosh. At first, it was promising, pranks and little inconsequential things done to each other. Him glowering a lot, her being sunshiney, the usual in a grumpy x sunshine trope, but there was no flow. Every bit of spice felt forced, as if it was needed to fill some space or force the relationship along. There were some cute moments, but nothing extraordinary.
The only reason I did not DNF was because this was an ARC and I wanted to leave a review of the full book in case my opinion changed along the way. I always try to find redeeming qualities even for the books that I didn't like and clearly were not for me, but I struggle to find any here. Grayson is probably the one redeeming quality and he deserved better.
☆ Cozy fantasy
☆ Rivals to lovers
☆ Grumpy x Sunshine
☆ Small town
☆ Forced proximity
NetGalley ARC review
Thanks to Netgalley, St. Martin's Press and Neena Noon for the free copy.
This story follows 3 main characters, Charles, the grandfather who has surgery and needs his grandson, the MMC, Grayson, to come take care of him and Lucy, the FMC, who has been in Charles' life since she was a teen and who manages his bookstore. Oh and Charles and Lucy are witches.
I'm gonna start by prefacing that I am a big fan of cozy fantasy romance. And book magic? Please. This should have been an absolute slam dunk. Except... it wasn't. Lucy was insufferable. I am not sure I ever detested a character as much. She was mean and vindictive, to the point where it was starting to feel like a bully romance. She was petty and entitled, completely unlikeable. Her magic was cute, but we only ever see her use it once? Why not explore more of that?
Then there's Charles. I have a very soft spot for elderly characters and they always pull at my heartstrings, but I was disappointed by this one. He wanted a relationship with his grandson, but what kind of effort did he put in while he was here? The miscommunication was hard to read between these three. Charles/Lucy spent a lot of time staying in their little bubble, excluding Grayson completely.
Finallly, the romance... gosh. At first, it was promising, pranks and little inconsequential things done to each other. Him glowering a lot, her being sunshiney, the usual in a grumpy x sunshine trope, but there was no flow. Every bit of spice felt forced, as if it was needed to fill some space or force the relationship along. There were some cute moments, but nothing extraordinary.
The only reason I did not DNF was because this was an ARC and I wanted to leave a review of the full book in case my opinion changed along the way. I always try to find redeeming qualities even for the books that I didn't like and clearly were not for me, but I struggle to find any here. Grayson is probably the one redeeming quality and he deserved better.
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