Friends of Montclair Library

Maybe it’s the Harry Potter generation growing up, maybe we’re all looking for a little escapism in the Covid era; whatever the reason, the last couple of years have brought us a cauldron-full of rom coms with a magical bent. Here for your Halloween reading pleasure are nine fun books that mix romance and witches (plus two bonus ghost stories). You’ll find all the usual tropes here — second-chance romance, fake dating, enemies-to-lovers, forced proximity — along with a welcome smattering of diverse representation. (For even more witchy books, see this list from October 2020.)

The Ex Hex by Erin Sterling
“Vivienne Jones handled the biggest break-up of her life the way that any witch would: vodka, bubble baths, and a curse on her ex. That was nine years ago. Now Rhys Penhallow, descendant of the town’s founders, breaker of hearts and still irritatingly gorgeous, is back…But when his every move results in calamity, Vivi realizes that hexing her ex might not have been so harmless after all…Vivi and Rhys must put their personal feelings aside and work together to break the curse and save not just the town, but also Rhys’s life.” — FantasticFiction.com. (If you like this book, the next book in the series is The Kiss Curse.)

Payback’s a Witch by Lana Harper
Reviewers described this book as “the Sapphic modern Gothic I didn’t know I needed” and “John Tucker Must Die meets the Tri-Wizard Tournament,” as witches with a lot of history between them converge on the magical town of Thistle Grove for a spellcasting tournament. (If you like this book, check out the sequel, From Bad to Cursed.)

The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches by Sangu Mandanna
“As one of the few witches in Britain, Mika Moon knows she has to hide her magic, keep her head down, and stay away from other witches so their powers don’t mingle and draw attention. And as an orphan who lost her parents at a young age and was raised by strangers, she’s used to being alone and she follows the rules…with one exception: an online account, where she posts videos “pretending” to be a witch. She thinks no one will take it seriously. But someone does. An unexpected message arrives, begging her to travel to the remote and mysterious Nowhere House to teach three young witches how to control their magic.”

Witch Please by Ann Aguirre
“Practical Magic meets Gilmore Girls in this adorable witchy rom-com” between a cursed bisexual baker and a thoroughly modern witch whose family runs a magical tech repair shop. (There are two more books in the series: Boss Witch and Extra Witchy.)

Go Hex Yourself by Jessica Clare
“When Reggie Johnson answers a job ad in the paper, she’s astonished to find that she’s not applying to work at her favorite card game…but to be an actual familiar for an actual witch.” The only problem “is warlock Ben Magnus, her employer’s nephew and the most arrogant, insufferable, maddening man to ever cast a spell.”

Not The Witch You Wed by April Asher
A magic-less witch in New York City and a werewolf who broke her teenage heart end up fake dating to circumvent arcane Supernatural Laws requiring them to find mates.

Witchful Thinking by Celestine Martin
“On the eve of her ten-year high school reunion, Lucy…casts a spell that brings trouble in the form of…her high school crush merman Alex…But once he discovers that his new neighbor is the witch who got away, Alex starts to rethink his plan” to flip his new house and get back to the ocean.

The League of Gentlewomen Witches by India Holton
Witchcraft, pirates, flying houses and madcap humor make for a rollicking historical romance with added magic as witch
Charlotte Pettifer joins forces with pirate Alex O’Riley to track down a missing amulet. (There is some dispute about who is kidnapping whom.)

What the Hex by Alexis Daria
“The Addams Family meets Miami in this short and steamy witchy rom-com” set on “Isla Bruja, a secret magical enclave home to the richest and most powerful Latinx witch families.”

Plus two bonus ghostly romances about ladies who can see (very handsome) ghosts:
A Ghost in Shining Armor by Therese Beharrie and Dead Romantics by Ashley Poston