A Fun, Fast-Paced Paranormal Rom-Com!
A Witch's Guide to Fake Dating a Demon
Paranormal Romance, Romantic Comedy, Cozy Fantasy, Fantasy Romance
Berkley
March 07, 2023
ebook, paperback, audiobook
395
Mariel Spark knows not to trust a demon, especially one that wants her soul, but what’s a witch to do when he won’t leave her side—and she kind of doesn’t want him to?
Mariel Spark is prophesied to be the most powerful witch seen in centuries of the famed Spark family, but to the displeasure of her mother, she prefers baking to brewing potions and gardening to casting hexes. When a spell to summon flour goes very wrong, Mariel finds herself staring down a demon—one she inadvertently summoned for a soul bargain.
Ozroth the Ruthless is a legend among demons. Powerful and merciless, he drives hard bargains to collect mortal souls. But his reputation has suffered ever since a bargain went awry—if he can strike a bargain with Mariel, he will earn back his deadly reputation. Ozroth can't leave Mariel's side until they complete a bargain, which she refuses to do (turns out some humans are attached to their souls).
But the witch is funny. And curvy. And disgustingly yet endearingly cheerful. Becoming awkward roommates quickly escalates when Mariel, terrified to confess the inadvertent summoning to her mother, blurts out that she's dating Ozroth. As Ozroth and Mariel struggle with their opposing goals and maintaining a fake relationship, real attraction blooms between them. But Ozroth has a limited amount of time to strike the deal, and if Mariel gives up her soul, she'll lose all her emotions—including love—which will only spell disaster for them both.
“Power. Pure, raw power. The hair on his arms rose, and he shivered in appreciation. The witch was brimming with it—golden, brilliant magic such as he hadn’t seen in centuries.”
A Witch’s Guide to Fake Dating a Demon by Sarah Hawley perfectly blends a rom com with cozy fantasy vibes and gives you a warm hug of an HEA. In other words, A Witch’s Guide to Fake Dating a Demon is perfect for fantasy lovers, readers who love to be immersed in worlds like our own but instead is brimming with magic, and those of us (hello, it’s me) who just cannot resist a bad boy demon as our Male Main Character.
Mariel Spark is the butt of her family’s jokes. She’s like another famous literary character, but instead of her family cheering her on to fulfill the prophecy spoken at her birth, she’s brow-beaten and belittled with nearly no hope in sight. Her one solace is her nature-based magic and even though she’s talented beyond reason within the natural world, she blunders on the consequential magic—such as summoning—because of the pressure her mother puts on her. It’s because of this a simple summoning spell that should have resulted in flour, actually summons Ozroth the Ruthless, a demon whose sole job is to make soul bargains (don’t come at me for this aptly timed pun).
“Humans had a tendency to wish for batshit, logistically intensive things, and it was a mark of pride in the demon community whenever anyone circumvented a particularly wild deal.”
Ozroth is in a pickle. Summoned by name, the witch in question has no intention of actually entering a bargain for her soul. She’s perfectly happy as she is, but Ozroth is pressed. She’s disorganized, sloppy, and nervous with her spellcasting. I absolutely love how Mariel and Ozroth interact. She’s the messy to his clean, the sloppy to his organized, and the sunshine to his grumpy demeanor. Ozroth is pressured by his own mentor to complete the bargain, but with a newly acquired human soul thanks to some sneaky word play from a previous bargain, Ozroth has developed feelings. A demon with a human soul. Poor Ozroth.
Watching the relationship unfold between Ozroth and Mariel is the stuff that romance readers absolutely love. These two have loads of chemistry. I also adore Mariel’s ancient relative who has learned how to prolong his life, Alzapraz. Even if I want to toss the rest of Mariel’s family out on the street with the rest of the trash, Mariel’s friends definitely make up for it.
“Love. It was such a human word—small but imbued with disproportionate meaning. Terrifying.”
The plot seamlessly weaves the romance and the drama together, and I found myself binge reading until the HEA. Sarah Hawley has such a wonderful way of storytelling, and the tease of what is to come next makes me absolutely giddy. I love when romance blends so well with fantasy in a world not so dissimilar to our own. Definitely put A Witch’s Guide to Fake Dating a Demon onto your radar! You won’t regret it!
Jes is a self-proclaimed bookworm, who recently moved from the PNW back to the Midwest. When her nose isn’t in a book, she’s spending time with her husband, two kids, and her three fur babies, or exploring the globe. She also firmly believes that you should start the day with coffee, and end the day in bed with a good book.
