A guilt-ridden former coven is forced to tap into the magic of their past . . . if they want to stop their lives from going up in flames again.

On the outside, luxury real estate agent Sarah Nelson looks like every other mom in the suburb. But she has an edge that others don’t: She’s a witch. And no one knows . . . except her estranged ex-coven and college friends, Katrina and Alicia.

One terrible night during their freshman year, the trio accidentally burned down their dorm, and soon after they scattered. Their secret had been safe, until Sarah learns they’ve been invited back to commemorate the anniversary of the fire.

Suddenly, the magic doesn’t want to be controlled. Sarah’s orange tabby cat, Katy Purry, now argues with her. Her broom has become self-brooming, and her fridge somehow restocks thirty pounds of sliced turkey for school lunches. As it grows increasingly difficult to hide the magic and the past, Sarah, Katrina, and Alicia must harness their power together . . . before they find out if polite society still burns witches.

In Hex Education by Maureen Kilmer the best feature is how positive the magic is presented, even as the women struggle with the errors of their past. Maureen Kilmer does a fantastic job of setting up the world and the circumstances immediately with Sarah Nelson as the main protagonist of the novel. Sarah’s dilemma is fairly apparent from the very beginning but the solution and the true source of difficulty aren’t quite what you expect. As we get to know Sarah, Katrina, and Alicia, we learn quickly that just using magic won’t provide the answers that any of the women are looking for and that is such a genuine and believable concept. 

I have to say one of the elements I loved the best was Katy Purry. Not only is the name fun but so is the character. I especially love that the cat argues with Sarah and doesn’t just tell her what she wants to hear. Some of the most humorous scenes in the book come in the interaction between Sarah and Katy. I love that the story forces Sarah to come to terms with her magical abilities and realize that magic can be a force for good. In the end, the presentation of witches is one that is done with love and is positive, positive in accepting the abilities but also positive magic. 

If you love books that embrace witches as positive magic and good, this novel will be great fun but there is also a ton of complexity as Sarah learns to accept the past and embrace her full magical self. The humor is out of this world and the complex issues will make readers think about their lives and what kind of person they want to be. 

Rating: 5 out of 5 magical spells.