What the Hex (Hex 2) by Jessica Clare-Review,Excerpt & Giveaway

What the Hex (Hex 2) by Jessica Clare-Review, Excerpt & Giveaway

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ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date April 4, 2023

Penny Roundtree wants nothing more than to be a familiar to a witch. She’s been a member of the Society of Familiars ever since she was old enough to join the Fam. There’s just a small problem—no one’s hiring. Witches and warlocks are so long-lived that there are far more familiars available than witches to train them. So when an unorthodox arrangement to apprentice under the table to a forbidden warlock presents itself, she takes it.

Willem Sauer is banned from having a familiar due to past transgressions, thereby limiting his magic-casting abilities. Unfortunately for the surly, Prussian warlock, he has no choice but to work with enthusiastic Penny as a familiar. They immediately clash like dried roan horsehair and honeycomb gathered by moonlight (it’s a terrible spell combination, ask anyone).

Casting spells has delightful perks Penny never could have dreamed of, but also greater dangers. Someone is targeting Penny. Willem and Penny must work together to catch their enemy, and if their ploy requires a little kissing on the side, who is to question the rules of magic?

••••

REVIEW:WHAT THE HEX is the second instalment in Jessica Clare’s contemporary adult HEX erotic, paranormal romance series. This is troubled and embattled warlock Willem Sauer, and thirty year old, apprentice familiar Penny Roundtree’s story line. WHAT THE HEX can be read as a stand alone without any difficulty. Any important information from the previous storyline is revealed where necessary .

Told from dual first person perspectives (Penny and Willem) WHAT THE HEX follows the building romance and relationship between troubled warlock Willem Sauer, and thirty year old, apprentice familiar Penny Roundtree. Warlock Willem Sauer has been banned from procuring a witch’s familiar, a person with a well of magic whom witches and warlocks need for fuel and power. Hundreds of years earlier Willem Sauer was the familiar to a powerful warlock but when he left to pursue his own dream of becoming a warlock, Willem has suffered in the wake of false accusations and trumped up charges but Willem is desperate for a familiar, someone to help him uncover the truth. Enter thirty year old, apprentice familiar Penny Roundtree, the woman with whom Willem will fall in love. With the help of Ben Magnus (Go Hex Yourself 1), Willem will come face to face with his future, a young woman who has yearned to become someone’s familiar but as Willem and Penny begin a search for the truth, they must enter into a fake romantic relationship in an effort to keep the spies at bay. What ensue is the building romance and relationship between Penny and Willem, and the potential fall-out as the charges against Willem become all too real, and Penny must search for answers where history has failed.

The relationship between Willem and Penny begin as a professional arrangement but a forbidden arrangement in the eyes of the Witch’s Council. Willem has been banned from doing magic, and from using a familiar but in his desperation to prove his innocence Willem is willing to break the laws, falling in love in the process. Penny is desperate to be chosen as a familiar but very few familiar have been chosen from the local pool of magic. With the help of her friends (Ben and Reggie) Penny finds herself a familiar to a man who has been shunned by his peers, shunned by betrayal and lies. As Penny and Willem’s fake relationship turns into something more, they find themselves the target of magic and revenge. The $ex scenes are erotic, passionate and intense.

The secondary and supporting characters are colorful, energetic and magical. We are introduced to several witches and warlocks: Penny’s boss Vivi, wanna-be familiars Cody, Katrina and Derek; Warlocks Titus and Stoker, as well as the return of Ben and Reggie (Go Hex Yourself). The requisite evil has many faces.

WHAT THE HEX is a story of magic and power, betrayal and vengeance, obsession and retribution, acceptance and love. The character driven premise is entertaining and captivating; the romance is seductive and provocative; the characters are fun, dynamic and determined.

Click HERE for Sandy’s review of book one GO HEX YOURSELF

Copy supplied by Netgalley

Reviewed by Sandy

Excerpted from What the Hex by Jessica Clare Copyright © 2023 by Jessica Clare. Excerpted by permission of Berkley. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.

 

PENNYThere’s nothing better than a well-established routine.

I love knowing what to expect. I love everyone playing their individual part, and watching it all come together. Maybe that’s me romanticizing even the mundane aspects of life, but the best kind of progress happens when the system works like a well-oiled machine. That’s why I don’t mind the weekly meeting of the Society of Familiars. Some people might find it boring, but I love it.

Well, most nights I love it. The current president of our society is . . . a bit difficult to listen to for long periods of time, if I’m being honest. I stifle a yawn as Derek Chapman bangs a gavel on the meeting table and then drones on. “Any other news to discuss before the society?”

It’s silent.

“Anyone? Anyone?”

I glance out at the gathered audience. There are twenty people here tonight. There should be all fifty of our local members out there, but a lot of them lose faith and stop attending, or they come around just enough to renew their dues and then disappear again for another year. I’m doing my best to make coming to society meetings more fun, but sometimes it feels like an uphill battle since no one else is putting in effort. I don’t blame them for feeling down about things. It’s hard to keep being positive when year after year, there’s no opportunity to apprentice. But I believe in positivity, and I’m sure our situation will change at some point. We just have to keep on.

“Anyone?” Derek drones out again.

Derek doesn’t think he’s part of the problem with the Fam, as we call the Society of Familiars. It’s an ironic name, because none of us are actually familiars. We’re the pool of candidates in waiting to become familiars. We’re here because we have the bloodlines and the inclination, and we’re just waiting for a witch or a warlock to come along with an opening for an apprentice. Until that glorious moment happens, all we have is the Fam.

And Derek isn’t exactly a dynamic leader. He’s dry and boring. He reads in a monotone from manuals instead of learning the information and speaking about it from the heart. He hyperfixates on tiny things about the society, like dues and attendance, and focuses less on the people themselves and what they bring to the group. As a result, our attendance numbers keep dwindling. You don’t have to attend all the meetings to be in the society, of course, but as someone that loves to be part of the group, it’s hard for me to watch everyone peel away under Derek’s lead.

“This is your opportunity to speak up,” Derek continues in the same colorless voice. He rubs his nose rather wetly, examines his fingers, and then peers out at the group. “Might I remind you that attendance and joyful participation will be considered by some warlocks and witches as a sign of enthusiasm.”

Ugh. Please. There’s a hierarchy to our group. Names are put on the list in order of how long we’ve been waiting and rarely get shuffled. The warlock or witch then pulls from the top candidates. It doesn’t have anything to do with “joyful participation.” That’s just Derek being, well, Derek.

I raise my hand and bounce to my feet, clutching my notes. Time to save the day. “I just wanted to say to please remember to bring your cookies for next week’s baking swap! All cookies, cupcakes, and brownies are welcome, but remember that if you use known allergens or rare spell components in your baking, to please label your goods accordingly.” I glance around the room, smiling at everyone as warmly as I can. “I also wanted to get volunteers for the car-wash fundraiser for Abby this weekend, and a reminder that several of us are going out for drinks after this. Everyone is of course invited!”

“Thank you, Penny,” Derek replies, his monotone drowning the shot of fun I just tried to inject. “Any other familiar business?”

No one speaks up. There’s a polite cough in the back.

“Then I’d like to close the meeting-” Derek begins, lifting his gavel like he’s a judge.

“Wait.” Someone in the audience stands up. It’s Cody, a good friend of mine. We’re about the same age and in the same situation-as in, we’re both from a long line of familiars, and yet we have no one to serve. “When are we opening up membership again?”

I look over at Derek, who frowns. “We’re not.”

In the audience, Cody looks unhappy with this bit of information. “Why not?”

Derek blinks. He’s elderly, and for a moment, I wonder if he’s forgotten where he’s at, and my heart squeezes with pity. Poor old thing. But then he turns to me, a hint of confusion on his face. “Why not?”

I have to answer? I stammer for a moment, then try to frame it in as positive a light as possible. “Right now we’re focusing on our existing members to give them the best opportunity for familiarship possible.”

“So in other words, we’re not letting in new people because it’d make things too competitive?” Cody crosses his arms, his pose challenging. “Doesn’t that seem a little unfair?”

I look over at Derek, but he’s still watching me, so I bite back a sigh of frustration and keep a bright smile on my face. I shouldn’t be surprised that Derek is making me do part of his job. I kinda end up doing it anyhow. “Membership being open or closed is voted upon at the annual meeting. If everyone feels really strongly about opening up for new applicants, we can take a vote then. Or you can send a formal request to have it added to a future agenda-”

Cody waves a disgusted hand at me and sits back down.

Oh. Well then. I keep smiling and look over at Derek. I guess it’d be impolite to point out that not only did Derek propose that we close enrollment, but he’s supposed to be the one enforcing it, not me. Then again, if he’s having trouble remembering where he’s at, I guess I shouldn’t be surprised he’s forgetting this, too.

Derek bangs the gavel. “Business concluded for this evening. See you all next week.”

“Drinks at the Alehouse around the corner,” I call out cheerily. At least now it’s time for my favorite part of meeting nights. “We’d love to see you guys there!”

Despite my warm invitation, less than half the group migrates over to the Alehouse. I buy a few rounds of drinks to encourage people to stick around, and sip my amaretto sour as my friends talk about nothing in particular. Darcy is complaining about her job at a bookstore, and Megan just broke up with her boyfriend. Nathan asks if my job is hiring, but he always asks that. We’re never hiring for my part of the job, unfortunately. There’s a guy that works weekends at the front, but for spell component fulfillment? It’s just me. I get why he asks, though. Of all of us in the Society of Familiars, I’m the only one that has regular contact with any witches or warlocks. The rest of them just sit back and . . . wait.

I head for the bar once my drink is gone, ready to order another round. To my surprise, I run into Derek. He’s sitting at the bar instead of with the rest of us, and I feel a twinge of pity. I put a hand on his back and tap it to let him know of my presence. “I didn’t know you were here! Why didn’t you join us?”

He waves an irritated hand at me. “No one wants to sit with an old man like me.”

Oh dear. Derek’s words are slurred. I frown at the cluster of empty beer glasses in front of him. “You’re not old,” I say cheerfully. “You’re just distinguished.”

“I’m seventy-eight.” He leans over toward me. “And I never, not once, served a witch.”

“Because you’ve made your life all about the Society of Familiars, right?” Derek moved here recently from out of state, and ever since, he’s been determined to be involved in our local group. I’m thrilled that someone’s showing interest other than me, but I just wish he were a more dynamic leader.

But Derek just shakes his head. “No one wants an old familiar. I’m never gonna get to serve.” He peers over at me through beer-glazed eyes. “You’re gonna age out soon, too.”

That stings. Ouch. “I just turned thirty. There’s plenty of time for me yet.”

“Yes, but there’s always someone younger,” Derek says in a lofty voice. “You’re like me. The society is gonna be your life.” He nods sagely and then taps my arm. “Play your cards right and you can be where I am someday.”

I smile politely and grab the tray of drinks from the bartender the moment he sets them on the bar, practically flinging down my tip. Somehow, I manage to keep smiling as I make my way over to the table again, even though Derek’s words are ringing in my ears like a death knell.

The society is gonna be your life.

Do I even want that? I’m here because I want to learn witchcraft. I’m here because I want to serve as a familiar. I want to grow in my own power and live hundreds and hundreds of years, and I can do that only if a witch or warlock takes me under their wing and teaches me. But the problem is that because most witches are so long lived, they don’t like swapping out apprentices. They don’t like change. So anyone that apprentices can expect to be serving for a few decades at least before being taught to go out on their own.

 


 

Jessica Clare is the pen name for Jill Myles.

Jill Myles has been an incurable romantic since childhood. She reads all the ‘naughty parts’ of books first, looks for a dirty joke in just about everything, and thinks to this day that the Little House on the Prairie books should have been steamier.

After devouring hundreds of paperback romances, mythology books, and archaeological tomes, she decided to write a few books of her own – stories with a wild adventure, sharp banter, and lots of super-sexy situations. She prefers her heroes alpha and half-dressed, her heroines witty, and she loves nothing more than watching them overcome adversity to fall into bed together.

Website: http://jillmyles.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorJessicaClare?directed_target_id=0
Twitter: https://twitter.com/_JessicaClare
Goodreads: http://tinyurl.com/q4272wf

 

THE READING CAFE & BERKLEY ROMANCE are graciously offering a paper copy of WHAT THE HEX to ONE (1) lucky commenter at The Reading Cafe.

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