What’s a little necromancy between family?
For the Crow Witch, Icarus "Rus" Ashthorne, Moondale seemed the perfect hiding place. But like they always say, you can't go home again, and Rus finds out quickly that nothing is how she remembered, while at the same time very little has changed. Then she comes face to face with the only woman she's ever loved, Az Elwood, and... well, things get messier than she thought they ever could.
The Elwoods are a staple of Moondale, respected, feared, powerful, and Azure Elwood was always happy with her place amongst them. Happy to play the part of the good little witch, until Rus Ashthorne. Eleven years ago, Rus got on a bus and left Azure behind, but she's back, with two little girls trailing her like ducklings, and enough unspoken things between them to drown the town.
Now witch hunters are knocking at their proverbial door, the council of magic is being a real pain in the ass, and Rus wonders how much magic it’ll take to protect the people she loves from herself and the danger following her.
A LGBTQ+ cozy urban fantasy novel for fans of The Ex Hex, Practical Magic, and October Daye.
If The Ex-Hex and Practical Magic had a sapphic baby, it would be The Hex Next Door. A wickedly charming second chance HFN romance wrapped in a snarky, Cozy Witch package.
I’d been excited to read this book since I first heard about it a while ago. It’s basically a Justin Arnold summoning circle— Witchcraft? Check. Snark? Check. LGBTQ+ Cast? Check. Plus, it had enough Halloween atmosphere to warrant this book coming with a dry ice machine and a bag of plastic spiders.
In short…it lived up to all of those things. This was my 5th book by Lou Wilham and quickly skyrocketed to my favorite. From the setting to the magic system, to the play on romance and Cozy Witch tropes, there is so much going on here that works, and it’s Wilham at her finest.
The leading characters of Rus and Azure are well-done. Their personalities compliment each other so well and watching how they dance around each other— and the past— is refreshing. It’s cute, healthy, and doesn’t overdo it on the steam (But has just enough so I don’t feel cheated). I’m excited to watch them grow as a couple as the series progresses.
I received an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
