July 5, 2021
Filled with delightful witchiness and humor, this playful romantic comedy from Sterling (The Wife Upstairs, written as Rachel Hawkins) explores second chances and self-discovery. Nineteen-year-old Vivi Jones fell hard for Welsh exchange student Rhys Penhallow—so hard that her heart shattered when he revealed his father was arranging a marriage for him back home. Despite only recently learning of her witchy nature, the devastated Vivi put a curse on Rhys with the assistance of her cousin, Gwyn. Nine years later, Rhys returns to small-town Graves Glen, Ga., and his trip is disastrous from the moment he steps foot into the town, proving that even as a teenage witch, Vivi packed a punch. The poor man is felled by mishap after mishap until he discovers the magical cause of his misfortune. With time running out before Halloween, when “the curse reaches its zenith,” Rhys and Vivi, now a history professor at the college where they met, must find a way to break the curse before it destroys the town—which means finding a way to make peace with each other. Comedic chaos rules the day, with plenty of laughs overlaying just a touch of introspection as the exes realize how much they still mean to each other. The result is a fluffy Halloween treat. Agent: Holly Root, Root Literary. (Oct.)
Correction: An earlier version of this review misstated the title of the author's previous book.

August 1, 2021
A small-town witch is forced to make magic with the man who broke her heart when his return sets a series of supernatural disasters in motion. Nine years ago, Vivienne Jones decided to get over the boy who'd dumped her in the only way she knew how: by putting a curse on him. Given that it had been a spell performed after copious amounts of vodka, she hadn't placed much stock in its success. But when Rhys Penhallow finally reappears for the annual fall festival in Graves Glen, Georgia, home to both witches and ordinary people, Vivi begins to sense that her breakup hex might have worked a little too well. In the beginning, it's easy for her to dismiss some wacky occurrences as pure coincidence, but after Rhys invites her to help him magically recharge the town's secret ley lines and the spell goes terribly wrong, they realize they have more problems on their hands than a mere curse. Now, Graves Glen is threatening to fall into total chaos, with problems ranging from possessed wind-up skulls to a talking cat to a very unhappy library ghost. It doesn't help that as far as Vivi's attraction to her ex is concerned, it's almost too easy for her to fall right back into the past and all her old feelings. Putting out small magical fires around town is one thing, but the more often Vivi and Rhys have to put their heads together to solve this mess, the more tempting it is to see if they can pick up where they left off nine years ago--if Vivi can ever forgive Rhys for breaking her heart. Although the story's resolution may feel a bit hurried, Sterling's novel is ultimately crisp and sweet, like biting into the perfect caramel apple, and makes for an equally delicious autumn treat that will sweep readers up into a world of whimsical magic. A wickedly funny rom-com about the power of second chances, family, and love.

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Starred review from October 1, 2021

The first in a new Georgia-set paranormal romantic comedy series by Sterling (the pen name of Rachel Hawkins, author of the Gothic domestic suspense novel The Wife Upstairs and the YA series "Hex Hall"). Young witch Vivienne Jones fell hard for Rhys Penhallow nine years ago, only to have her heart broken when she found out he was engaged. In her vodka-fueled, post-breakup misery, Vivi and her cousin Gwyn pretended to curse Rhys. It should have just been a bit of silliness, but something felt off afterward. As for Rhys, he never intended to fall in love in his ancestral home of Graves Glen, GA, where Vivi's beauty and sweetness enchanted him. He's always regretted how things ended. Now he's returned to attend to family business, and his luck begins to sour the minute he sets foot on Georgia soil. Rhys's mysterious affliction soon begins affecting Graves Glen as well, forcing Rhys and Vivi to get over their mutual mistrust, ignore their chemistry, and work together to break the curse before it kills everyone in town. Sterling writes a fun, sexy romantic comedy with a compelling plot, fantastic worldbuilding, twists that give the story depth, and engaging primary and secondary characters. The novel wraps up plenty of loose ends, but readers will be eager for sequels. VERDICT Recommended for all public library collections.--Heather Miller Cover, Homewood P.L., AL

Copyright 2021 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

September 15, 2021
Graves Glen, Georgia, is readying for Founder's Day, the October holiday that honors the small town's witchy history. Penhallow College, named for the town's founder, offers a secret curriculum for witches along with classes for mundane students. Vivi, who teaches at the college, had been in love with Rhys Penhallow when they were both students, but when he broke her heart, she and her cousin cursed him after downing a surfeit of vodka. Because the town's ley lines, which channel supernatural energy, need renewing every 25 years, Rhys must return from Wales. When they meet again, their chemistry flares. But the curse on Rhys twists the magic, causing spells to go awry and threatening the very existence of the town. While trying to find out how to undo the curse, the couple captures the ghost of a young witch and discover much more is needed to lift the hex. Best-selling Rachel Hawkins turned herself into Erin Sterling to write this diverting, magic-infused romance.

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December 1, 2021

Vivienne Jones didn't truly mean to curse Rhys Penhallow nine years ago. Their summer fling crashed and burned when he admitted he was sort of betrothed to another, father-approved, witch. Some hasty words combined with vodka and a scented candle were just young Vivi's way of healing her broken heart. But when Rhys returns to Graves Glen, GA, to fulfill his ancestral duty and realign the ley lines, his hair still doing that glorious thing, it couldn't be Vivi's Ex Hex causing him so much trouble, right? As everyone's magic seems to be more off-kilter and dangerous, the former lovers are forced to team up to investigate how an un-curse-able Welsh witch somehow actually got cursed--hopefully before Vivi's heart can fall under the spell of Rhys's charm again. Unfortunately Caitlin Davies's narration is not the best match for the cast of characters. There is no attempt to give Rhys a Welsh accent despite the dialogue indicating he would have one, and many of the female characters sound so similar that conversations among them become a bit muddled. VERDICT Despite narration issues, patrons will be clamoring for this audiobook, which is otherwise a delightfully romantic romp with light magic and excellent banter.--Elizabeth Gabriel, Milwaukee P.L.

Copyright 2021 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.