Customer Reviews

Over Hexed (The Hex Series, Book 1)

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

What can I say? While I'm a sucker for a happy ending, this one had me laughing in places as well.

Sean Madigan, the handsome, sexy stud muffin of Big Knob (okay, the synopsis had me laughing - who would give any town that for a name!), was just about every available women's `go-to-guy' for great sex. And Sean, being a guy, wouldn't say no. But it got to the point where sex wasn't enough anymore and stopped - for nearly a year, even avoiding the women as much as possible. But the women don't make it easy for him. I must say, the author was really inventive with the places and 'suggestions'. He's thinking about settling down, and the women have him on the run.

The first line, and the rest of the paragraph, set up the story really well. You're snorting, trying not to laugh right then and there. Just when you think the women are about to tear off his clothes in the middle of the street, Dorcas and Ambrose, unknowingly to Sean, come to the rescue. Serendipity, I'd say. They help him with what he wants - too well, I might add.

In comes Maggie Grady. She likes her boss, likes her job, but is getting desperate. As a location finder for SaveALot, she'd been out-bid by the rival store, MegaMart, too many times and is desperately seeking the perfect location. Then a surprising e-mail sets in motion the rest of the story. If the location is perfect, Big Knob is the ticket at saving Maggie's job. But she doesn't know what she's in for...

What she wasn't ready for was Sean. No longer a stud muffin to the rest of the women, sporting awful looking glasses and extremely unruly hair, he's still very 'stud muffiny' to Maggie, and she doesn't want to fall for him. Finding out that the location she's looking at is the very one Sean has been working for doesn't help the situation, and now Sean is determined to sway Maggie in another direction.

While the sex is erotic, it's not overly graffic, which was a plus. It was nice to read something like this for a change - where words were chosen carefuly to give the reader the idea, but not graffic to the point of losing interest. But there's a lot of it.

I did find that there could have been just a bit more to the plot, though. I mean, Sean had wanted help in the first place to back the women, but the more he thought about it, the more he was hoping that the great sex would distract and sway Maggie away from the property he wants. I did like, however, that the story proves the point that looks aren't everything ... and can be deceiving. And even with all the fumbling, he still swept her off her feet; not despite it but maybe because of it.

I sort of felt, however, that the whole George the dragon thing almost took away part of the story. I mean, Dorcas and Ambrose's exile to Big Knob was the whole point for them - because of George. But it sort of really didn't go with the story - almost a diversion.

Still, the story was cute, funny and I'm sure I'll pick up the second book.

I really was intrigued by the characters, but there wasn't any depth to them... too much dialogue and not enough description. I like fast paced novels, but not so much that I can't easily picture the characters and the scene. The book felt more like stream-of-consciousness than anything. I didn't feel the need to stop reading it, the characters kept me going, but I won't be reading its sequel.

With lighthearted comedy, steamy romance, and some colorful, unforgettable characters, it's easy to say I was excited for her new "Hex" series. You will not disappointed with "Overhexed" and I am eagerly awaiting her new one. If you loved the "Nerd" books, you'll love her new series even more! VLT has done it again!

Starting her new series where city girl meets small town, you're introduced to VLT's quiet community of Big Knob. (Kind of obvious reason for the type of books these are, but oh well). Through the main characters, you meet city girl, Maggie Grady and small town Casanova, Sean Madigan from BK. However, you find yourself immersed in this little down-home type place, where nothing is ordinary! With a witch and warlock couple trying to take care of a disobedient dragon living in the forest, they're busy trying to get Maggie and Sean together. Maggie and Sean are made for each other, but while both are vying for the same property, her as a final attempt at saving her job and Sean to save the memory of his family's past, they're trying to suppress the growing passion between them. But someone has to lose the property. In the process does that mean they lose each other?

Exiled for unethical magical matchmaking mischief by Cyril the Grand High Wizard, Ambrose and Dorcus Lowell detest being sent to backwater Big Knob, Indiana, but the matchmaking duo has no say in the matter. They cannot return until they straighten out George the dragon who suffers from ADD. They worry about how to pass time in a town of under 10000 mortals, but consider doing their magic with humans, a no no back home, but what the heck that is a double negative.

The duo meets mortal Sean Madigan, who laments that he is bone weary of females wanting him. Although they know they should stay with the normal clientele, witches and warlocks, the out of town therapists agree to help Sean with his problem by changing him from the hunk of hunks to an average American. Now that he is no longer the fantasy star of female dreams, Sean ironically meets his soul-mate Maggie. He finds he must court her by using charm and tenderness instead of Greek God looks, but this is something he never had to do before and fails at persuading Maggie he is the one for her.

OVER HEXED is a lighthearted romantic fantasy starring two out of control but caring matchmakers and an interesting pair of humans. Sean makes the tale as his wish is granted at a time he meets his true love, but must work at winning her; something he never had to do before as women worked to get him. Readers will enjoy this amusing irreverent frolic that uses the paranormal to spoof the politically correct and anti politically correct babble.

Harriet Klausner

Like heat-seeking missiles, women attract to Sean Madigan from the moment they see this handsome stud muffin. The man is sexual candy to women in the town he lives in. Sean cannot walk down the main street without getting propositioned at every turn. Being a sexual magnet has been a problem he cannot shake. Poor baby.

Being the town sex symbol has finally worn Sean down and now he wants to be normal, unattractive even, and in steps Dorcas and Ambrose the newest residences of Big Knob. Now the magic truly happens...

OVER HEXED is by authoress Vicki Lewis Thompson. From the opening line of this book, "I'm looking for an old-fashion screw," Ms. Thompson never lets up on the humor that weaves throughout this magical romance. The characters flourish to life, becoming people that will nail you to this book. If that is not enough, the fresh premise carries this story until the very end.

Sean has never had a problem attracting women, in fact, he decides that being less handsome and sexy would be better. Maybe then he would be able to lead a somewhat normal life.

Meeting the magical matchmakers, Dorcas and Ambrose--though he does not know that they have been banished to Big Knob for practicing offbeat magic--Sean strikes up a friendship that will end up turning this hot hunk into a downright dud. Dorcas and Ambose do not stop there, nope, they also cannot help themselves in bringing into Sean's path the perfect woman for him. For once in his life, Sean will have to rely on personality and not his looks to get his dream girl. Will it work? Can she see her dream man behind the thick-rimmed glasses, not quite fit body, and mop of unruly hair?

Oh, did this reviewer forget to mention there is also a dragon in this story that will leave you in stitches? Read the book to find out about this too cool creature.

OVER HEXED is one do-not-miss read. Ms. Thompson has penned a snappy and sexy novel that this reviewer found witty beyond words. In a one word summation: Fantastic!

Reviewed by Janalee Ruschhaupt
Courtesy of Love Romances and More

'Over Hexed' is a light and frothy read that's ideal for holiday reading. There's no great depth to the story but it has its amusing moments as we follow the trials and tribulations of Sean Madigan. Sean is the resident hunk in the village of Big Knob (of which many amusing comments are made throughout the book although the joke is rather over-used) and his problem is that he is a magnet for all the local women. He enjoyed the attention as a teenager but now he's approaching thirty he's had a year of celibacy and doesn't really know how to deal with all the women who flock round him, trying to seduce him.

The rather odd new-ish couple in the village, Dorcas and Ambrose, suggest that they can help him by damping down his pheromones with a few herbs. However Sean is rather shocked to discover that their herbs are rather powerful and he's turned into something of a geek. Although solving the problem of the women he discovers it has come at a most inauspicious time, when a stranger has arrived in town - a stranger whom Sean finds very interesting.

Maggie Grady is scouting for a location for a supermarket and she thinks that Big Knob is just the place and the old dilapidated house is the perfect site. Unfortunately Sean has been planning for years to buy the house, where he grew up, and restore it himself. Sean and Maggie finds themselves at odds about the house and his usual powers of persuasion have been dulled so he can't charm her into giving it up. Instead Sean has to try to persuade Maggie that the house should stay a house but together they also have to deal with relocating a skunk family, strange reports of flying witches on a broom and something very large that breathes fire in the Whispering Forest.

There's not a great deal of depth in this book apart from some ideas about physical appearance and the difference that makes to people's success in life. Maggie is a pleasant enough heroine and Sean comes across very well now he's left his rakish ways behind him although his plans to distract Maggie from her job by sex seem a bit, well, short-sighted. However the story did lack a certain amount of depth and the magic aspect didn't add a great deal to the overall plot. Ambrose and Dorcas's main reason for being there, dealing with George the Dragon, felt rather unnecessary to the overall plot and in some ways it distracted from the main story.

This is a pleasant enough and easy read but it's not a book with a great deal of depth and it's perhaps not as humorous as the title and artwork might suggest.

Originally published for Curled Up With A Good Book, [...]. © Helen Hancox 2007

Sean Madigan has finally gotten his wish - he has lost the super sexiness that's plagued him all his life, so he can finally walk down the street without being bombarded by women. But it couldn't have come at a worse time, because Maggie Grady just blew into town and she's the first woman to attract him in who-knows-how-long, but she won't give him a second look. Complicating matters is the fact that she wants to buy the land his childhood home sits on and raze it for a big box store, while he wants to buy it and restore the house to its former glory.

This book is a really fun read, once you get past the very beginning where Maggie is kind of an unlikeable jerk. And if you can ignore the one bump at the end that breaks the rule of No Big Secrets Between the Hero and Heroine by the End. Yeah, aside from those two things, it's a great book. Thompson gets the sweetness between the main characters right, which makes watching them come together quite delicious. And the sensuality is right on!

This book had a really great premise and it started off strong. Then all of a sudden it became "all sex and no story". I read a lot of romances and I like mine with a good storyline. The author definitely let the storyline lag and focused more on lots and lots of sex scenes. If you are looking for a book with lots of steamy sex, then this book might be good for you. However, if you want solid story (with sex on the side), you might want to pass this one up. It was just OK for me.

Dorcas and Ambrose's arrival in Big Knob spells trouble. They help Sean tone down his ability to attract women, just as the one woman he needs to charm comes to town. He's left wooing Maggie the old fashioned way.

Great romance, great town, great story...lots of laughs! Thompson is a gifted storyteller!

As punishment for using some unconventional methods of therapy, witch and wizard duo Dorcas and Ambrose find themselves banished to a backwater town to counsel a dragon with ADD who has been shirking his guardianship duties. Since dragons are nocturnal, that leaves their daylight hours free, so the couple decides to open a relationship therapy service and chooses for their first victim -er client town hottie Sean Madigan. His problem is not that he can't get a girl; he can't get much done for all the girls, women, and ladies in town throwing themselves at him. Dorcas and Ambrose slip him a drug that damps down his pheremones, but less than a day later, he finds a woman he would like to charm. Maggie Grady has arrived in town and happens to want to buy the same property he's after. His purposes are preservation, hers are for progress, ie, installing a Walmart type store into the sleepy hamlet. For both business and personal reasons, Sean wants to be able to use all his charms, but they're all gone. In fact, every bit of magical help he has received has been somewhat lacking. Despite this, Maggie can see that he has some appeal, but duty comes first, doesn't it?

*** Filled with laughs, this is a charmer of a book that shows you best be careful what you wish for, you might get it. Dorcas, Ambrose, and the Dragon George are very interesting characters, especially George. I'd love to see more of him. ***

Amanda Killgore