We chat with author Nadia El-Fassi about Best Hex Ever, which follows a kitchen witch with a penchant for baking and a (literally) cursed love life meets someone who’s worth breaking a hex for in this sweet and spicy debut romance.
Hi, Nadia! Can you tell our readers a bit about yourself?
Hi, thanks for having me! I’m Nadia, author of Best Hex Ever. By day I’m a commissioning editor for fantasy, horror and sci-fi at Orbit Books and when I’m not writing you can find me playing D&D or watching period dramas and horror movies. I have a crippling addiction to iced coffee, reading fanfic and powerlifting. I grew up in London and now I live in the English countryside with my husband and our perfectly round cat Fitz.
When did you first discover your love for writing and stories?
My parents gave me a big book on myths from around the world (which I still have!) and the rest is history. I grew up reading Eva Ibbotson, Lemony Snicket and was obsessed with the Worst Witch series. I used to write short fantasy stories and take them to my primary school English teacher to review. I also used to work in a bookshop so if you let me I’ll spend hours recommending books!
Quick lightning round! Tell us:
- The first book you ever remember reading: Tony Ross did an illustrated chapter book on the plot of Macbeth which I read a million times – mostly for the cool witches and all the murder!
- The one that made you want to become an author: I knew I wanted to try writing contemporary romance after I read Talia Hibbert’s The Princess Trap – she is the queen of British spicy romance
- The one that you can’t stop thinking about: I’m going to avoid pitching any of the books I’m an editor for so I’ll say, for fantasy: Blood Over Bright Haven by M.L. Wang which I read recently and for paranormal romance: Heather Guerre’s Cold Hearted which I’ve read like five times.
Your debut novel, Best Hex Ever, is out October 1st! If you could only describe it in five words, what would they be?
Witchy, Spicy, Cosy, Whimsical, Spooky
What can readers expect?
A magical café, a spicy romance between a cursed kitchen witch and a museum curator, lots and lots of cosy autumnal baking with a focus on Moroccan recipes which I learnt growing up, bisexual rep, joyful family and friend relationships, adorable pet familiars, spooky houses in the English countryside, Halloween rituals, sensual palm reading, heaps of the forced proximity trope and my favourite, a sentient house.
Where did the inspiration for Best Hex Ever come from?
I have a love of baking and spent my childhood in and around London’s many museums and galleries so I wanted to write a romance that featured both of those things. I especially wanted to write about my Moroccan heritage and what better way to do that than with a kitchen witch who bakes a lot of Moroccan recipes. I also wanted to write Scott’s POV, the love interest in Best Hex Ever, to show a man in romance who is sensitive and caring as well as living up to all the other contemporary romance tropes readers expect of a book boyfriend!
Were there any moments or characters you really enjoyed writing or exploring?
I really loved writing the mother and daughter relationship between Dina and her mum Nour. Nour is also a witch, and I based her larger than life, sharp-witted and deeply caring personality on my own mum, who passed away some years ago. Writing Nour, I almost felt like I got to spend a little more time with her.
This is your debut published novel! What was the road to becoming a published author like for you?
Is it cheesy to say it’s been a dream come true?! As an editor, it’s been my job for some years to acquire other author’s books and publish them and now I get to be on the other side of the experience, with my own book being published. . . it’s been crazy!
Why romance?
I love nothing more than reading about two people falling in love and knowing, every time I pick up a romance book, that it will end with a happily ever after. I unironically love all those cheesy moments you get in rom-coms and I always end up squealing and kicking my feet in delight when two characters kiss for the first time. It’s joyful, swoony, what’s not to love about that!
What’s next for you?
My second book, Love and First Fright is a paranormal romance which has Rosemary as the main character, who is one of the side characters in Best Hex Ever. In the book, one of her novels is being adapted into a movie, and she finds herself butting heads with Hollywood heartthrob Ellis Finch, who is playing the main role in the movie. Oh and did I mention this all takes place in a gorgeous manor house filled with ghosts? And that Rosemary also has the uncanny ability to see and speak to ghosts? It comes out in Autumn 2025!
Lastly, what books have you enjoyed so far this year and are there any that you can’t wait to get your hands on?
Some of my top romance reads of this year have got to be Love of My Afterlife by Kirsty Greenwood, Ne’er Duke Well by Alexandra Vasti (and I’ve reread her Halifax Hellions novellas multiple times) Bride by Ali Hazelwood – of course! In 2025 I can’t wait to read The Tomb of Dragons, the third spin off book by Katherine Addison – it’s darkly cosy and beautifully hopeful fantasy.
