Dear Reader,
talking black cats. freshly carved pumpkins. simmering cauldrons. apple spice, pumpkin spice, cinnamon spice! dare we say that it’s the most wonderful time of the year? The air is changing, a preview into chilly winters, football championships, and all of the casseroles that you can imagine. It’s the lead-up to time with loved ones around the holidays, but let’s face it, readers–this season has us streaming Hocus Pocus 2 and Halloween Ends with a full bag of candy corn in our laps.
To kick off this miraculous-spooktacular season we’ll be sharing with you Erin Sterling’s THE EX HEX. Be transported to Graves Glen, Georgia where our main character Vivienne Jones is nursing a broken heart. In the midst of vodka, her witch training, and a soothing bubble bath–she may or may not have accidentally cursed her ex-boyfriend (who just left her to move back home). The lights flicker, she and her cousin laugh as her cheap scented candle blows out–it wasn’t real magic–right?
Nine years later, Vivi has moved on from Rhys Penhallow and his Welsh charm. She’s a professor at the town’s local university. The school operates as an institution for both magical and non-magical students, and Vivi is as dedicated as ever to her studies and students.
Vivienne Jones - Wild Vanilla Orchid by Floral Street
notes: flower petals, ritual baths, and falling for your ex
An amber floral, this scent opens with notes of vanilla flower, cassis, and citruses. It smells like cursing witch boys and mixing vodka with witchcraft. This fragrance then brings notes of flowers, bamboo, and jasmine. The base layer is sweet vanilla bean, sandalwood, orchid, and earthy patchouli. This reminds us of a certain professor, who maybe isn’t afraid to make out with her ex in the school’s library.
As a descendant of the town’s founder, Rhys Pennhallow returns to Graves Glen to represent his family with a (preferably brief) appearance at the annual fall festival and to recharge the town’s ley lines. En route, however, things go awry. Turns out the bubble-bath-yankee-candle-hex was very real.
As Rhys tries to charge the lines, the magic goes astray and that’s when Vivi and her cousin Gwyn realize that maybe the curse did work and the impacts are way bigger than either of them could have imagined.
Rhys Penhallow - Neverending by House of Oud
smells like: suede spices, trying to avoid a certain southern witch, and making out in the library
Opening with a fizzy grapefruit note, this scent is fresh, warm, and completely delicious. A borderline autumnal gourmand, the citrus notes blend into a warm array of spices including nutmeg, black pepper, and cumin. The heart holds jasmine and tuberose, and to round out this fragrance—its base notes are amber, vanilla, and Virginia cedar. Spray this one on your wrist and cast your own spell, who knows if your ex has placed a hex on you too?
All the while things are in disarray, the town is completely oblivious. They’re shopping at Something Wicked, preparing for The Fall Festival, all while the tension between Rhys and Vivi is undeniable. Memories flash back to another autumn in Georgia, kisses in the dark, wounds resurface but feelings that never truly left come roaring back to life.
Fall in Georgia - Saint Julep by Imaginary Authors
notes: bourbon on the rocks, wilting magnolias, and fall festivals
The tops of the trees in Georgia are just beginning to turn, warm shades of auburn, marigold, and crimson filter in and out of Graves Glenn. When you approach the smoldering Welsh witch at the bonfire, order an old-fashioned and kiss under the stars. This scent begins with a sweet sprig of mint before blending into a rich elixir of Kentucky bourbon and tangerine. Lean in closer or you’ll miss the subtle floral notes of the last petals of Magnolia blossoms.
Sterling herself described this romantic comedy as ‘Hocus Pocus but they f*ck’ -– it’s adventurous and steamy with mayhem including ghost hunting, curse-breaking quests, and haunted houses – all in the name to fix their magical town. And hey . . . if Rhys and Vivi keep finding themselves in quiet, dim places–who’s there to stop them from reigniting that spark? They both know it just has to be different this time. The fool and the star.
First Kisses at the Solstice Revel - Slow Dance by Byredo
notes: violet skies, bonfires, and crooked flower crowns
Opening with heady cognac and balsamic-y opoponax notes, this scent is all at once warm and sexy. With heart notes of violet, geranium, and labdanum, it smells like a midsummer celebration under violet skies. Like the beautiful girl in the crooked flower crown, like a Welsh gentleman asking permission to kiss you. The scent finishes with base notes of vanilla, patchouli, and a smoky incense that smells just like the remnants of a bonfire.
This book is everything you want in a romantic comedy of the spooky variety. It’s modern, chic, and wickedly sexy. We love a second-chance romance that gives us butterflies and keeps us laughing at some point in nearly every chapter. The banter between Vivi and Rhys is natural and helps pull the story forward. You’ll be so invested in these characters you’ll immediately reach for its sequel THE KISS CURSE, which is out now!
Until next time, find us on Instagram & TikTok.
Scent-cerely,
Cassie & Taylor