The Witch of Hexen Holler Review (B.L. Brown)

Updated on October 9, 2026

Verdict: A short, spicy second-chance witch novella set in the Appalachian hollers, with a world readers want more of and a satisfying reunion, held back by a length that leaves little room for depth and an opening that some find rushed.

Best for: Readers who want a quick sapphic paranormal romance with witches, a coven feud and on-page heat, and who are happy with a novella-length story.

Heat level: ★★★★☆ (4/5 — our estimate; romance.io lists the book but has no steam rating, and readers describe it as spicy)

Rating: ★★★★☆ (3.7/5 — a 4.21 Goodreads average across only 24 ratings, discounted because eight of the 18 written reviews come from advance copies and the evidence base is small)

Tropes: Second chance, witches, rival covens, magical ritual, forced proximity, novella, connected standalone.

The Witch of Hexen Holler is a standalone sapphic witch romance novella by B.L. Brown, published by Good Intent Press in March 2026 and set in the author’s World of C.R.O.W., in which Josephine Braddox returns to Hexen Holler four years after leaving Blaire Carver heartbroken, claims her title as Witch of the Demesne and summons Blaire to the top of Roan Mountain to finish the binding ritual they began long ago.

It is a very small book with a small readership. Goodreads shows a 4.21 average across 24 ratings and 18 written reviews, and Amazon carries 4.3 stars from 7 ratings. That is too little to call anything a consensus, so the patterns below are indicative only. Readers mostly enjoy it as a quick, spicy introduction to a larger world; the reservations are about how much a 73-page story can hold.

What Is The Witch of Hexen Holler About?

This is paranormal romance rooted in place. Hexen Holler is a witch’s demesne in Appalachia, where witches live and die by their ties to the land, and two covens are at odds. Josephine and Blaire were bound together once and kept apart by magic and secrets; the ritual that brings them back together is also the means by which old lies come out and a divided coven might be united.

The book is technically part of the Witches of C.R.O.W. series but is written as a standalone, and readers new to the world say they did not feel they were missing anything. At about 73 pages, it is a single-sitting read, and eleven of the 18 written reviews mention its length.

What Makes This Sapphic Witch Novella Work

The world: Fourteen of the 18 written reviews talk about the setting, the magic or the wider series, and readers say it made them want to read more of the World of C.R.O.W.
The reunion: Readers describe the second-chance romance as spicy and satisfying.
An easy entry point: Readers new to the series say it works on its own and serves as a good teaser for the larger world.
Appalachian setting: One reader highlights the hollers of Appalachia as the backdrop, and another the witches’ ties to the land.
The heat: Nine reviews mention it, mostly with approval.

Book Synopsis

Four years ago, Josephine Braddox left, and Blaire Carver was left behind, stranded and heartbroken. Magic kept them apart, and neither has forgotten the trial they never finished.

Now Josephine has come home to Hexen Holler to claim her title as Witch of the Demesne, and her first act is to summon the one witch she abandoned. Blaire answers the call to the summit of Roan Mountain, where the binding ritual they began years earlier is waiting to be completed.

To finish it, they will have to bind their magic together in an intimate rite, expose the lies that separated them and find a way to unite a divided coven. The question the book sets up is whether two women who were torn apart can trust each other enough to try again.

My Review

The world is the best thing here, and readers say so. Brown builds a sense of a larger magical order around one reunion, and readers who have not read the main series say the novella still stands up and makes them curious about the rest.

The second strength is efficiency. In a novella, a second-chance romance can skip the meet and go straight to the tension of two people with history, and readers who enjoy it describe the reunion as spicy and satisfying.

Where it struggles is the length, and the lower ratings say so. A three-star reader found little depth and no real character development, calling it a decent quick read between books. Another three-star reader felt lost in the world, and the one two-star reviewer found the opening rushed and all over the place, adding that the spicy scenes fell flat for her.

The expectation to reset is the scale. This is a short piece set inside a bigger series, not a full-length romance. If you want an hour of witchy heat and a taste of a new world, relax. If you want depth, calibrate.

It is also worth knowing how thin the evidence is. Eight of the 18 written reviews mention an advance or review copy, and with 24 ratings in total, the average can move easily.

My honest note: A four-star world in a three-star length. As a quick, spicy taster of the World of C.R.O.W. it works; as a standalone romance, it is slight.

Element	In The Witch of Hexen Holler
Central relationship	Josephine Braddox & Blaire Carver — former partners in an unfinished binding ritual, reunited after four years
Core tropes	Second chance, witches, rival covens, magical ritual, forced proximity
Setting	Hexen Holler, a witch’s demesne in Appalachia, and the summit of Roan Mountain
Heat level	4/5 — our estimate; readers describe it as spicy
Series	Witches of C.R.O.W., written as a standalone novella of about 73 pages
Content notes	Past abandonment and heartbreak, coven conflict

How Spicy Is The Witch of Hexen Holler?

We estimate a 4 out of 5. romance.io lists the book but has no steam rating yet, and the publisher describes it as steamy. Readers who mention heat mostly enjoy it, calling the reunion spicy; one two-star reader found the scenes flat.

The element worth knowing in advance is that the intimacy is part of the magic: the binding ritual itself is described as intimate. For comparisons, The Honey Witch is a longer, more popular sapphic witch romance, and our guide to heat in witch romance covers the range.

Who Should Read This Book?

You’ll likely love it if: you want a quick paranormal romance, you love witches and coven politics, you enjoy second chances with heat, and you might go on to read the wider series.

You may want to skip it if: you want a full-length romance with character development, you dislike short fiction, you want a fully explained magic system, or you want a sweet, low-heat witch story.

In short: a spicy, atmospheric taster of a larger witch world, at the cost of depth.

What Readers Are Actually Saying (October 2026)

The Witch of Hexen Holler is a small independent release. It came out in March 2026 and has 24 Goodreads ratings and 18 written reviews as of October 2026, plus 7 ratings on Amazon. I could not check Reddit or TikTok for this one, and I found no audiobook edition on Libro.fm. One reader notes that it expands a shorter piece previously given away by the author, which suggests readers already in her circle make up much of the audience.

Why readers love it (according to the discourse): The world, above everything. The second theme is the spicy reunion. The third is how well it works as a standalone introduction.

What readers argue about and complain about: Depth, from the two three-star reviews and the one two-star review: too short to develop the characters, confusing for a newcomer to the world, and rushed at the start. No written review is below two stars.

The series question everyone should ask first: The book is part of the Witches of C.R.O.W. world but is marketed as a standalone, and readers new to the series confirm that it can be read on its own.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is The Witch of Hexen Holler a standalone?

Yes. It sits within the World of C.R.O.W., but readers say it can be read without the other books.

How spicy is The Witch of Hexen Holler?

We estimate a 4 out of 5. It is billed as steamy, and readers call the reunion spicy.

How long is The Witch of Hexen Holler?

It is a novella of about 73 pages.

Is The Witch of Hexen Holler a second-chance romance?

Yes. Josephine and Blaire were separated four years earlier and reunite to finish a binding ritual.

Where is The Witch of Hexen Holler set?

In Hexen Holler, a witch’s demesne in Appalachia, with the key ritual on Roan Mountain.

If You Loved The Witch of Hexen Holler, Read These Next

For a full-length sapphic witch romance, try The Honey Witch. For another witch story with magic at sea, go to The Mermaid, the Witch, and the Sea. For more like this, browse our sapphic witch romance list and the rest of our book reviews.

The Bottom Line

The Witch of Hexen Holler sets out to deliver a short, spicy reunion between two witches in a larger magical world, and on atmosphere and heat it does. The world is inviting and the reunion satisfies the readers it was written for. The length leaves the characters thin, and newcomers may feel a little lost. If you want a quick witchy romance or a way into the World of C.R.O.W., it is worth an evening. Check The Witch of Hexen Holler on Amazon →

The Eikna Overall Ranking

On the Eikna scale, The Witch of Hexen Holler ranks as a pleasant indie witch novella — atmospheric, spicy and a good entry to its series, held back by its length, and best approached as a taster rather than a full meal.