NetGalley Review: Best Hex Ever by Nadia El-Fassi

Best Hex Ever by Nadia El-Fassi

My Rating: ✩✩✩✩✩

I really wanted to love this book, and there is plenty to love. However, there were also some issues that kept it from being a great read, at least for me.

I really liked the coziness and the premise. At first blush I liked the mythos of this magical world, the fact that magic wasn't top secret and the idea that Dina used magic to innocuously help her cafe patrons. Adding in a museum nerd as a romantic interest was a refreshing change of pace from the alpha-himbos that feature heavily in the currently popular sports romances. (I love those too! It is just nice to mix it up). The meet-cute/star-crossed aspect actually kind of worked and not too much of the plot progression had to be shoehorned in. The HEA/resolution of the conflict is a neat, low-stakes, twist on the classic and in that respect, I adored this book.

All that said, I didn't really feel connected to any of the characters, nor did the chemistry really pop. The spice was well written and the dynamic had the potential to be hot, but the characters just didn't seem to develop any real personality as the romance progressed. I am 100% here for a shameless, plotless shag-fest. This book however tried to wedge that aspect into an otherwise incongruous story. It just didn't mesh for me.

Overall though, I would still recommend this as a fun fall read. It just didn't hit all the stars for me.

Published on 1 October 2024 by Random House/ Ballentine

Book #44 of 2024  

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