Hex and Hexability

• Author: Kate Johnson
• Genre: Romance (Paranormal)
• Publication Date: September 12, 2024
• Publisher: One More Chapter
• Series: Best Hex Ever Collection #3

Thank you to NetGalley and One More Chapter for providing me with an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Bridgerton meets The Ex Hex this witchy season with this oh so spicy romantasy Regency romcom!’ Do you want to see what witches can do?’

Lady Tiffany Worthington has always had a special talent for making the world around her come to life – whether she wants it to or not – but it’s only with the arrival of her mysterious great aunt Esme on the eve of the Battle of Waterloo that she learns she’s a witch … and that the magic she’s long feared is actually a gift to be embraced.

Now, as she’s exposed to a side of London she never knew existed, one with sea creatures, magical portals, time travel, and a handsome duke from a faraway land with a dashing scar that makes him look like a pirate, Lady Tiffany discovers that despite what the ton might decree, there is no limit to what she can do … or who she can be.

It’s pretty hard to resist a book billed as Bridgerton meets The Ex Hex. If I had to make my own comparison, I would label this as Bridgerton or Half a Soul by Olivia Atwater meets Practical Magic. But serious, a spicy romantasy Regency romcom? I needed that immediately. Plus, I’ve really loved the first two books in this series and the way each story feels both standalone yet part of a series. You don’t need to have read the first two books in order to understand this one, although you might not be as emotionally attached to some of the side characters as you would be if you had read the other books. 

I haven’t read Sense and Sensibility, but looking at the plot summary, this book was heavily influenced by that one. Even so, I found this story really enjoyable in a way I haven’t felt very often with retellings of Jane Austen works. While she retained many of the bones of the original story, the author makes this Regency story feel like it’s unique and modern. In fact, the humor, the writing, and the story itself all lend an updated (and understandable) feel to the story, to the point where I’d get to a part that highly emphasizes the Regency setting.

This is definitely a rom-com, but with a fantasy element, somewhat reminiscent of Half a Soul, where magic users operate beneath a veneer of polite society. Tiffany lives with her brother, who seems largely oblivious to her presence, and his wife, Elinor, who has taken on the role of mentoring Tiffany and preparing her to debut in society so they can get her married to a suitable man. However, strange things seem to happen often around Tiffany—paintings come to life. It complicates her entry into society, especially when she’s trying to stay under the radar, and doesn’t understand what is happening. 

Everything becomes clear shortly after she travels to the home of her great aunt Esme, who lives with a housemate or three, both the two-legged and four-legged kind, and learns that she is … a witch. I think the best part of this is Tiffany’s ability to understand animals.

I loved how quickly things changed at her great aunt Esme’s house—while they still maintained a thin veneer of respectability as unmarried women living on their own, offering Tiffany a chance to live in a positive, welcoming, and empowering environment, while incorporating some fun magic. This was irresistible to me, but I found myself empathizing with Tiffany’s experiences and how they really challenged her in the best possible ways. 

Santiago was a really fun character, and a diverse one at that, adding to the more modern feel of the story. As a golden-skinned Latino man, he stands out amongst the populace, and he’s further othered by the presence of his tattoos and a scar on his face, leading people to view him as a pirate. Yet I had him and Tiffany pegged right from the start, and I wasn’t surprised to discover that not everything is what it seems, although I was surprised at how that plot twist played out. 

As a reader of both spicy and non-spicy romances, I have to say that the descriptions of Santiago practically swooning with heart-eyes when getting to touch Tiffany’s bare hand, and these simple situations were actually really hot. It speaks to Johnson’s talent, because I can’t imagine that making that sound hot yet she managed to.

Overall, this was a fun book, but it did feel as though it was a bit on the long side. I’ve also noticed that Johnson’s books have a tendency to be a bit slow at first, and then grab me once I’m further into the story and things really start to get good. I found myself dreading her visits back to her brother and sister-in-law’s house, because the environment felt so stifling. But for the most part, I got exactly what I was expecting from this book: a cute and humorous story, a connection that practically sizzles off the page between Tiffany and Santiago, and the added bonus of having women in a Regency novel claim their power. This was a fun, light, and humorous story with a heartwarming ending, and I strongly recommend it.

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