To Vex & to Hex

Today, Neena Noon releases her debut novel, To Vex & to Hex. This paranormal romance stars a witch bookseller, Lucy, who is very close to her elderly boss, Charles. But after a fall and broken hip, Charles’s estranged grandson, Grayson, arrives all the way from Ireland. He and Lucy instantly get off to a bad start, each vying for Charles’s preference and hoping to run the other out of the store. They play constant pranks on each other (Lucy generally with the use of her magic), but they can’t deny the spark between them. Can they surmount communication issues enough to see a genuine relationship between them?

What I Liked:

• Bookish magic! I always loves books about books, and To Vex & to Hex brings that in spades. Not only is it set in a Long Island bookstore, Lucy also has a special gift to help shoppers make a real connection with a book. I loved this concept! The whole bookstore has such an appealing atmosphere to it, from twinkle lights to the smell of baked goods permeating the space.
• Back and forth shenanigans. This one is both a pro and a con, but to its credit, the constant bickering between Lucy and Grayson is fun to witness. They really do not get along, and they’re both, frankly, kind of childish about it. Little pranks, verbal spats, and more seem to take up the majority of the time they spend together. They also have a back-and-forth relationship with their romantic (or rather, lustful) feelings for each other. Honestly, they just can’t decide how they feel about each other.
• Family issues. One of the biggest core themes here is complicated family ties. Lucy has always felt disconnected from her parents, despite her efforts to find common ground with them. Grayson was orphaned at the age of six, and despite his Grandpa Charles taking him in at first, Grayson was swiftly sent away to family in Ireland. He has years of anger at Charles for that. Meanwhile, Lucy is closer to Charles than to her own parents. Both Lucy and Grayson need to clear the air with their respective family members.

What Didn’t Work for Me:

• Lucy is so myopic. I wanted to like her, but she was so infuriating! Lucy expects Grayson to just magically know what Charles wants, such as doing the grocery shopping and meal preparation together with Grayson. Lucy somehow doesn’t see that, by taking on these tasks alone, Grayson is obviously trying to be helpful to his injured grandfather. Just… give him the benefit of the doubt? Maybe see what he’s doing and the logical, kind intentions behind those actions? Honestly, her narrow point of view (and lack of empathy) seem to be an inherited trait from her annoying parents.
• Miscommunication literally all the way through. There are so many points of miscommunication throughout this book, and rarely do the characters take any real initiative in having an honest conversation. When we get to the third-act breakup, the miscommunication trope has overstayed its welcome. And I wasn’t too impressed with what caused the rift between Grayson and Charles, either.
• There are witches, but why? This is a cozy paranormal romance in which Lucy and Charles happen to be witches. She does magic, and it’s sometimes cute and helpful, and sometimes meant purely to antagonize. But not much is done with these elements otherwise. There isn’t more to the witchy community beyond it being a loosely kept secret.

Audiobook:

Maya Dhawan and John Hartley portray Lucy and Grayson, respectively, in the audiobook for To Vex & to Hex. Both do their characters justice, and I enjoyed getting a bit of Irish accent in Grayson’s character. The narrators made for an engaging listen, even when the book got a bit repetitive.

Final Thoughts

To Vex & to Hex is a fun and cute romance about family, the magic of books, and two rivals who can’t keep their hands off each other. It’s uneven in some ways, but still a promising debut. I will look out for Neena Noon’s next book.

Special thanks to St. Martin’s Press, Macmillan Audio, and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of this book!

Get the Book

You can buy To Vex & to Hex here – it’s available as a paperback, ebook, and audiobook.

To Vex & to Hex by Neena Noon
Audiobook Narrators	Maya Dhawan and John Hartley
Audience	Adult
Genre	Paranormal Romance
Setting	Long Island, NY
Number of Pages	320
Format I Read	Audiobook & Ebook (NetGalley ARCs)
Original Publication Date	November 3, 2026
Publisher	St. Martin’s Griffin

Official Summary

“Cozy with the perfect amount of spice. A must for your next lazy weekend when you want heated banter, tender touches, and romance with a touch of magic.” – Elise Kova, New York Times bestselling author

***

BOOKS. MAGIC. ROMANCE.

Lucy Ansari has a magical life. Literally ― she’s a witch, managing a perfect little bookshop. And whenever she’s a little lonely, she turns to Charles ― her beloved, ageing boss ― to keep her company.

Disaster strikes when Charles breaks his hip: his prickly (and gorgeous) grandson Grayson arrives. The English professor from Dublin has never bothered to visit before, but now he’s determined to look after Charles and his bookshop, and Lucy’s ideal life is thrown into disarray.

But Grayson is as stubborn as he is handsome, and he’s set on winning Lucy over, one way or another. As sparks fly between them, Lucy and Grayson may find themselves spellbound by more than just magic…

Neena Noon’s To Vex & To Hex is the perfect spicy witchy romance to have you hexed this spooky season!