Mafia Romance Meets a Fractured Fairy Tale in Emily McIntire’s “Hexed”

Hexed by Emily McIntire

“He’s the prince of La Cosa Nostra. She’s the witch who steals his heart.”

Emily McIntire is known best for her stories that give fairytale characters a new, dark and romantic spin. Her books are captivating and will make your head spin as she weaves contemporary representations of these stories and shows them in a new light.

Her Never After series has gained the author a legion of fans, and these retellings, featuring dark romance and a dash of romantasy, are as coveted as they are devoured by those who love complicated characters. Thanks to her books full of slow-burn romance and non-reliable narrators, she is a USA Today, Publisher’s Weekly and Amazon bestselling author.

Her sixth installment in the Never After series, Hexed, covers the complicated tale of The Little Mermaid. This immersive retelling, led by witchy main character Venesa Anderson, is a book that new readers and fans of her work will not be able to put down.

Venesa has lived a secluded life, held captive by her uncle, a gangster who has protected her since the death of her parents.

Just like Ariel in The Little Mermaid, readers will immediately connect the dots of how Venesa’s feelings parallel those of the famous mermaid. She wants out, she wants to seek a better life. She is tired of being overprotected and of doing everything her uncle demands.

Her escape comes in the form of her cousin’s return to their small coastal southern town and whisks her away alongside Enzo “Loverboy” Marino.

Dark and mafia romance readers will quickly gain interest in learning more about Enzo. His story and main characteristics make him the classic coveted bad boy. Enzo’s personality, as well as scenes where readers will feel his romantic tension with Venesa, satisfy.  

Venesa and Enzo show readers the stark reality of forbidden love. Here, a formerly secluded woman is paired with a wealthy man who hides a life of crime. But their differences can be found in more than their backgrounds. Their romance is complicated by the fact that Enzo is currently engaged to be married.

Readers will see familiar and beloved dark romance themes, such as love and hate, and dangerous romantic entanglements. But McIntire has a way to make these themes feel like they are new and refreshed, especially while working with characters who are based on well-known fairytales. McIntire twists the story in a way that readers will forget that they’re reading a retelling. Hexed is a well-written contemporary version of The Little Mermaid, full of relatable themes and topics. 

In the novel, women are not afraid to be bold and powerful, though the men don’t always understand the women’s intentions, since they come from a world where men rule the narrative.

Venesa is not afraid to show off her powers as a witch. While Ariel was trapped by the fear that she feels to leave a familiar world to follow a new one, Venesa is a powerful female character who grows within the story and moves through her fear. 

She confidently attempts to lure Enzo with her seductive and powerful siren song. While tempted, Enzo has his own fears about an entanglement with Venesa. It is not only his forced engagement that gets in the way, but within his strong facade lies a man afraid to explore anything that would lead to true happiness. He, too, must grow throughout the story.

With this novel, Emily McIntire proves once again that she’s a powerful force within the romantasy and dark romance genre.

Plus, as a recent Stage IV breast cancer survivor, McIntire has been open on social media about her journey of writing of this novel. She discussed how much it meant to her to see the book out in the world and in the hands of readers.

McIntire proves with this book that there are so many ways to take classic stories and make them your own. These stories will transcend past being retellings, they have the power to become classics of their own. In a world where we all need the distraction of a good novel, it’s important to read stories that capture the imagination and are not afraid to try a little something different with familial topics front and center.

Publish Date: November 5, 2024

Genre: Romance

Author: Emily McIntire

Page Count: 544 pages

Publisher: Bloom Books

ISBN: 9781728275864