Hex on the Beach

Magic & Mixology Mystery #1

by Gina LaManna

Welcome to The Isle... Lily Locke has never believed in witches and wizards, ghosts and magic, shifters and vampires—especially cute blonde vamps with blood-intolerance issues. A rising star at a hotshot marketing agency in Minneapolis, Minnesota, all Lily knows is that she’s a PowerPoint guru, an Excel ninja, and a coffee-maker extraordinaire. Not to mention she’s next in line for a huge promotion. All that changes when Lily’s assistant delivers a strange quiz to her, one titled A Magical Assessment for Normal Folks. With it comes the promise of a land she's never known existed. A land where Lily not only discovers her biological family for the first time, but a place where she can make a difference, change lives, and step into the role she’s destined to fulfill. But first, Lily must admit she’s a witch. Then, she has to acknowledge that the tall, dark, and mysterious man who offers his help is strictly focused on business...at least, for now. When a body turns up dead and the next target is Lily, she must trust her powers and accept the help of her newfound friends. Otherwise, she'll never survive the trials of the magical island tucked far, far away in the frigid waters of Lake Superior. Welcome to The Isle. ** ** This novel is a full-length, humorous cozy mystery featuring a splash of magic, a handful of witches, and a dash of romance. It's rated PG-13 due to mild language and some romance.

Genres: Fantasy, Paranormal, Mystery, Romance, Cozy Mystery, Magic, Witches

255 pages, Kindle Edition

First published April 29, 2016

About the author

Originally from St. Paul, Minnesota, Gina LaManna has also called Italy and Los Angeles home. After studying numbers and equations in college, she realized multiple choice tests were “just not for her” and began writing books instead. She loves cappuccino foam and whipped cream and would subsist solely on sprinkles if possible. She currently lives in St. Paul with her wonderful husband and family.

Reviews

[Jessica · Rating 1 out of 5]

Lily, 26, finds out she's a witch and moves to secret island to learn witchcraft. I'm in, but wait, this all read like a YA book that's got the controlling cute boy. Ugh.

I couldn't keep any of Lily's new family characters straight. They all, and I mean ALL, the female characters sounded like they were in high school. Even the mothers of these "almost thirty" year old cousins. They talk about cute boys, and "oooh did you KISS him?" Begin teenage squealing. And.... I'm out.

I could have looked past this if there was more. I wanted world building, inquiry into her mother who never told she was a witch, and wasn't in her life growing up. Why was she never curious to ask the new aunts or grandmother about her own absent mother? Also, please explain the genetics behind witch parents having a shifter or blood-intolerant (that's right, no blood drinking) vampire child? Is it all just a lottery with magic babies?

Maybe all this is remedied in further books, but as I said, I'm out.

[Montzalee Wittmann · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hex on the Beach
(Magic & Mixology #1)
by Gina LaManna

This was a fun book. A young gal looses her job when her presentation seems to come alive on the screen. Too bad it was a lion! She gets a visit by two strange women who say they are her aunts and want to take her home which is a magical island for witches. After a great display of witchery, she agrees.

Once there, life gets really weird! A secretive and handsome Ranger starts protecting her. Someone is trying to kill her. She meets her crazy and caring family and so much more!

This was just the book I needed at the time. Something light and fun with a mystery and a touch of romance. Humor sprinkled throughout.

[Sue · Rating 2 out of 5]

Just didn't do it for me, I had such high hopes (WAS a huge fan of Stephanie Plum and Harry Potter). After reading it (It's closer to Stephanie Plum and really has none of the wonder and magic of HP). I think I've outgrown Stephanie Plum type silliness, rating reflects that.

[Emalie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Going into Hex On The Beach I didn't know what to expect exactly, because it was my first book by Gina LaManna and I just knew that this wouldn't be a typical book about witches.

I really liked the idea of a girl - Lily - being the fated mixologist on a weird island with weird people, for example a vampire who has a blood intolerance and a shifter, who is unable to shift into anything scarier than a kitten, aka her cousins.

Lily's interaction with her family was quite funny, because most of her family isn't right in the head, they are all a little insane. Also Lily wasn't stupid, she knew she had to work to fulfill her potential and I'm quite impressed that she could memorize the whole book she had to study in only 2 days. I wish I could to that, school would be so easy.

Then there Ranger X - I'm really intrigued about what his real name is and why he calls himself Ranger X in the first place - and the potential of a love interest. Hex On The Beach is definitely a slow-burner in that department. Not that that is a bad thing.

I'm actually surprised about how light a read this book was, even in the "dark scenes" there was something to laugh about. It for sure was a great read for a lazy sunday evening.

Also the moment when the title of the book makes sense - best feeling ever!

I really enjoyed Gina LaManna's writing style, the only thing that bothered me a bit was that some scenes were made up of so much description, sometimes I would have liked a bit more dialogue. But I guess you need a bit more description in the first book of a new world, otherwise how would you describe it properly? :)

I definitely can see me reading the next book Witchy Sour.

Rating: 3,75 stars

[Josie Shinkfield · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was a light, fun read - if somewhat a bit silly at times.
There were some things that were totally skimmed over, or ignored (and if I were Lily, I'd have been demanding answers). IMO the story really needed to be fleshed out some more.



I'm not sure if I'll bother continuing with this series. It had so much potential, but just fell flat.

[Miki’s⚠️ Safety Reviews & Rants⚠️ · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars for the whole series
⭐️This is a review for the WHOLE 8 book series. I did the audiobooks. In my opinion this was a perfect audiobook read.

My rating is based on MY ENJOYMENT of this series not necessarily because it was the best series or books I have ever read. It just hit the spot for me.

🌟Brief Summary:
‼️Such a fun and delightful series! Gah I loved it.
♥️SAFE!
‼️Closed door romance
‼️Cozy Magical world
‼️Building storyline w each book
‼️Great Audiobook
‼️Likeable characters
‼️Sweet and swoon Romance
‼️Quick short books that are jam packed


‼️This series follows Lily when she finds out she isnt human but a witch with magical powers. She is THE Mixologist. There is only one in the world at a time and she is the MOST powerful to come along maybe EVER.
She is taken by her two aunts to a magical island where her family lives and she has a whole mixology bungalow and store.

‼️We follow Lily as she finds out secrets about her mom and dad, falls in love, learns about magic and becomes more powerful.
She is very kindhearted and always has to solve mystery each book BUT also the over arching plot builds and gets better with each book.

♥️The Romance is so sweet. To me it was very balanced w the mystery and plot WHICH I LOVE. It’s hard to find decent Romance in these types of books that are not set to the background.

Around book 4 the mystery and plot line does get slightly darker. Not a crazy amount but the stakes get higher and higher.

Things I Did 💔 Not Like

-As the books go on I found myself confused by Lilys Reactions to things sometimes. At times she was just immature and jumped to extreme judgement without all the facts. It got annoying after a while.

-Zin is not m fav character she is very selfish. Infact sometimes certain members her family annoyed me

-This sometimes reads very YA. When these characters are late 20s early 30s.

🥀 Hero:
Ranger X- Lead Ranger on the island
He’s Hot 🔥
He’s super swoon😍
He is head over heels in love with Lily ♥️

He’s very powerful and very secluded from any form of relationship or romance. It’s his job that keeps him that way. The way of a Ranger is that they don’t have personal connections. But our boy changes EVERYTHING to be with his one true love ♥️

🦋 Heroine:
Lily- THE Mixologist
She is kind hearted
At times immature and reactive
Sometimes takes a while to get the clues together
But overall is sweet and kind and doing a great job with what she has been thrown at her.
I can’t say I always understood her but overall the good out weighed the bad

💭 POV:
Single first person POV told through the h

😡/😍 Angst level:
Low with occasional medium

❤️‍🔥 Sex & Burn Rate:
Slow build but def tons of chemistry throughout there is immediate attraction but it’s not acted on. By the end of book 3 they are together but still have issues to work through
-Closed door-

🌓 Push/Pull:
Mild for the first few books. There is reasons they cannot pursue a relationship so there are complications.


☠️ OW/OM Drama:
None

🤮 OW/OM Sex / Fluid or DNA Exchange:
None

🤬 Cheating:
None

👰🏼‍♀️ Virgins:
None
No history given for either,
No past brought up
Neither had loved anyone before

⛈️Separation/ 3rd Act Breakup:
None
They def have lots to work through but once together they never separated

🎧AUDIO
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ great I think the narrator did great. She showed emotion, changed her voice for diff characters and she had a good clear voice.

Safety⚠️Triggers🗡️:
Nothing major typical bad guy stuff but there was some death in the family and some bad daddy issues

🌈Epilogue:
There is a few lead ins to a spin off connected to this world with new characters small and short.

Yes! Not far in the future but def starting to work HEA!

🥂HEA:
Yes! Married and got the big baddie

❌My opinion is just that… MY OPINION.❌
I know we all get passionate about our favorite reads and characters but we should respect each opinions a thoughts. ~Thank you

[Cissa · Rating 2 out of 5]

Nothing in this book was well-thought out.

Nothing.

The characters are one-dimensional, incoherent, inconsistent, and annoying. The youngest ones are around 30 years old- but act like 11-year-olds. The romance makes no sense, since Lily is so incoherently written.

The plot, such as it is, makes no sense, and the final climax was especially and obviously avoidable.

The world-building and the magical system are also utterly incoherent. And as a bonus, it has no sense of place, because the magical Isle, while in Lake Superior, seems to have a tropical climate.

I got this for free through Amazon Prime, and that was too much to pay for it.

[Sally906 · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a fun read - only complaint - the story had finished for this adventure but there is a last minute cliff hanger to lead you into the next book.

[PugMom · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a fun book! I can't wait to read more in the series!

[i fall in love book blog · Rating 4 out of 5]

I LOVED this book. It just made me happy and giddy, and put me in a good mood. It is a fantasy, but a humorous type of fantasy set in a contemporary world. This book is currently part of the "Prime Reading membership", so I was able to read it for free through my Amazon Prime membership. It was well worth the time spent reading it, and I'm considering picking up a copy to own.

I picked up this book on the recommendation of two different bloggers I follow. I've heard it described as Stephanie Plum meets Harry Potter, but I think you will be disappointed if you go in expecting Harry Potter. This is definitely a light book, and a "chick lit" version of magic. BUT if you go in expecting a light, silly, magic-ish romance then you will be happy.

I thoroughly recommend this book to anyone that enjoys a funny PG-13 romance with a touch of magic.

[Kelly · Rating 1 out of 5]

Not well done, at all. Interesting premise...lacks likeable characters and a well developed plot. Obvious story arc. Skip it.

[Noi (in & out)]

35%.

[Sabrina Roy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this series. Lily and her family are fun characters, Ranger X adds some love tension. It will be fun to finish this series.

[Joy Novel Thoughts · Rating 5 out of 5]

I think that Gina LaManna's books get better every time she publishes!

I'm typically not into magic, shifters, vampires, witches, etc. But with the humorous twist that Gina puts on Hex on the Beach had me intrigued from the beginning!

Hex on the Beach is such a magical book! I was taken for such a fun ride from a mundane office job to an island, unlike anything I have ever experienced in real life for fiction.  Along with these fun times, we still had a mystery that needed to be solved and looming feeling of something darker coming in on the horizon which will leave you longing for more these stories.

Not only did I love our heroine in Hex on the Beach, Lily, but the side characters and the love interest were just as fascinating! From the mysterious Ranger X to her cousins Poppy and Zin. Don't forget her grandmother and aunts.  These characters are original and hilarious!

"It's more important now than it's ever been that we have an experienced Mixologist on our side. We need her prepared, and time's a-ticking. If we wait any longer, it'll be a danger to all of us."

Hex on the Beach will leave you craving more from the magical and mysterious isle.

[Jeanie Jackson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hex on the Beach is a fun light paranormal mystery. While it is obviously laying a solid foundation for the future, I found that if flowed smoothly and presented plenty of action as well as delightful interactions among the characters.

Marketing expert and amateur mixologist, Lily Locke, discovers that her talents for creating new drinks comes from a surprise source, her witch heritage. A heritage of which she had no knowledge and in which has very little believe until she is carried into that world by bus, no stops, as in her amazing departure from the bus is what finally convinces her that magic does exist. Once on the Isle she meets and, mostly, falls in love with a family that was something else of which she had no knowledge. But! She refuses to fall in love with anyone else! For one thing she is a little busy learning her crafts and staying alive!

She and her cousins are a little immature for their ages, but I suspect that is one of the growth issues that will work itself out as she becomes settled into her new life.

[Kat Lebo · Rating 3 out of 5]

Hex on the Beach (The Magic & Mixology Mystery Series Book 1)
by Gina LaManna

This was a new author and a new series to me (although I believe the second book in the series just came out about a week ago). I thoroughly enjoyed the plot, found the book to be well written, the characters well developed (and easy to identify with), the editing and proofreading to be top notch, grammar, spelling, syntax all excellent. So why only 3 stars? A very definite and intentional cliffhanger ending. I know some of you don't mind those, but I hate them with a passion. There are so many great series that don't rely on not ending a story in order to get readers to read the next book, that I can't see bothering with an author who has so little faith in her own writing that she needs to set up the reader with a cliffhanger to get the reader to buy her next book. This ain't TV, lady.

So, yep, Gina LaManna lost one very dedicated series fanatic right here. There will be no more Magic & Mixology series for this long time reader of series fiction.

[Dallass · Rating 3 out of 5]

A witchy cosy mystery with a twist

Had a lot of fun reading this book. It was reasonably fast paced, and had some quirky characters that didn’t fit the usual mould. Lily was an utter nonbeliever of magic until it bites her in the butt during an important marketing meeting. After that disaster, she’s confronted with magical relatives and is whisked off to a magical island to become the next Mixologist (don’t forget the capital M).

Lily encounters her offbeat relatives, a Ranger who keeps seeing her underwear, and a grumpy old fart called Gus who is now her teacher. Along the way she runs into a few of the other inhabitants of the island, and gets caught up in a rather unfortunate death. Ranger X is a hard ass who isn’t sure whether to arrest her or kiss her, and her cousins have identity issues.

Only real con for me was the lack of info a out her mother, and what’s up with her father.

A lot of fun, will pick up the next book soon.

3.5 stars ⭐️

[Ksandra · Rating 4 out of 5]

When I bought this book, I thought it might be a cheesy fantasy. Well it is in it's own way, but it's also more than that.

Equal parts fun, thrilling, and a touch romantic, this novel follow the journey of Lily. She learns that she is descended from Witches that live on the Isle - a magical place hidden from humans. Most witches are content with this. However, a group called the Faction is determined to wipe out humanity.

Leaving her human life out of curiosity, Lily is told she is the new Mixologist - a witch who brews potions for other. She is supposedly the strongest in a long time. But the Faction wants her working for them and will do anything to get her.

Though an easy read, this book isn't just a cliche of romance and fantasy. Hence why I'm excited I have the second book!

[Gillian Murrell · Rating 3 out of 5]

Hex on the Beach could have been a really good book. I'm not saying it was bad as it was funny and the ideas was interesting but this book needs a lot more work on it. The characters need to be developed a lot more and one of my pet hates the obvious things that Lily should have been asking were not even considered. Come on it stands out a mile that you should have asked where is my mum is she alive what happened that make her leave the island, how did you get the other half of my mums necklace and many more ???? I do however like the grand mother as she is a bit cooky and would like to have learned more about her and the cousins. As for the aunts they don't really feature much and I think they should have as they will be the ones with a lot of answers.

[Merry Chapman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gina LaManna has started a new series! As soon as I started this book I couldn't put it down except to eat and sleep! This book is a laugh out loud romp through the world of Magic and Witches! the protagonist is at first unwilling to accept her fate, but once she has...all things crazy happens. Each and every character we are introduced to in this book is so quirky and crazy you can't help but be entertained nor can you wait to find out what could possibly happen next! Surprises and twists and turns add to the incredible story and we are left with a cliff hanger for the author to give us book 2 in this series and I can't wait! A highly recommended book!

[Cindy · Rating 2 out of 5]

Just not my usual reading genre. If you like problems solve by magic, jarring shifts in story line, and some really wacky characters, try this book. For me, these factors should have made it a skip.

[Barb · Rating 4 out of 5]

Just hearing the words “romance novel” makes me envision tearing bodices and throbbing manhoods. So why is it I just gave 4 stars to a romance novel? I couldn’t help enjoying this quick little beach book about a witch who knows nothing of her family or background until her two aunties send a mysterious assistant to give her a surprise quiz that proves she has a healthy dose of her mother’s genes.

Lily is convinced to join them on an island conjured by the spooks of the world (witches, vampires, shape shifters, etc.) as a haven from the hostile mortal world. It’s paradise, that is until someone turns up dead after Lily has performed her specialty magic and mixed him a drink to cure his hypochondria. All witches have their own brand of magic and Lily is destined to be a mixologist like her mother before her, that is if she lives long enough.

As all eyes focus on Lily with suspicion, she’s forced to try to uncover the identity of the real murderer. With the help of the aforementioned aunties and a couple of spunky girl cousins, as well as the sexy Ranger, she needs to find her powers before someone turns her into the next “late” mixologist.

The book is fast paced and fun to read, with a quirky plot that’s entertaining. There are several more books in the series and I intend to make a meal of them shortly. Go on, have some fun and join me!

[Anastasia · Rating 3 out of 5]

Hex on the Beach by Gina LaManna is the first book in the Magic and Mixology series. Lila Locke discovers that she is a witch with mixology powers and is wisked to a magical island by her relatives after the previous mixologist is killed. An interesting story but very light on the mystery. I thought Lila's bewilderment of discovering her family traits and meeting her relatives was rather drawn out and silly. The characters acted more like silly teenagers rather than young women. There really wasn't much of a mystery or investgation and it is really more of a fantasy novel. Not really the type of book I enjoy.

[Jenna · Rating 3 out of 5]

A great first book to start a series.
A good story featuring charming characters with elements of humor, mystery, paranormal, romance, and an on going conspiracy/villainous organization.

I'll definitely continue with the rest of the books.

[Pam · Rating 5 out of 5]

Light, happy romance/paranormal...just fun!

[Valerie Nicole · Rating 3 out of 5]

Gina's works just don't do it for me. I know a lot of people love her books but I'm just not one of those people. If you're on the fence about reading her books I suggest starting with Shades of Pink. In my opinion it's her best book.

[H J Hauer · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was really silly and I enjoyed it
I was not a fan of the inconsistent chapter lengths but I got over that

[Melania Kunasz · Rating 2 out of 5]

The book had a good idea for the story but was hard to read. Poor and cringy dialogue, and the writing feels very young.

[Peggy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Recommended to read

Love this book . Characters are fun and interesting. Love the storyline I hope the main character eventually gets her man .They would great together.

[Kimberly]

I am going to DNF this book. I've just outgrown these type of books i think. not my thing anymore. I'm pretty sure this was a cover buy for me. :). maybe someday i'll come back to it but for i'm done with it.