***I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.***
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.
A Witch’s Guide to Fake Dating a Demon by Sarah Hawley is a delightful, paranormal romance that is light and fun.
Story Recap:
Mariel Spark is prophesied to be the most powerful witch in centuries. But, Mariel prefers to bake and garden and doesn’t show any interest in her limited powers. She practices witchcraft so rarely that when she does, it often goes wrong. Like the time she tried to summon some flour to bake with, she inadvertently summoned a demon to make a bargain.
Ozroth the Ruthless is used to making bargains for souls and has a reputation of being ruthless and merciless in his attempts to get souls. But, recently his reputation took a hit after one of his deals went awry. He’s working to re-establish himself as the best in the business.
But, when he’s summoned to Mariel, he’s in for a struggle because Mariel has no intention of making a deal with Ozroth. But, she can’t tell her parents that she accidentally summoned a demon, so she tells them she is dating Ozroth. Soon they find a friendship and then more. But, Ozroth only has so much time to make a deal, and I Mariel makes a deal, she will lose her ability to love.
My Thoughts:
Sometimes I just need to escape into a light, funny book, and A Witches Guide to Fake Dating A Demon fits the bill perfectly. I laughed, I cried, and I was engaged throughout their entire journey. I was swept away by the hilarious banter and entertaining story.
The side characters are also delightful. Mariel has a wonderful set of friends, and I enjoyed their interactions as well. The fake dating, opposites attract, paranormal romance is just the book for a fun afternoon of reading.
This book is also steamy and sexy. So if open-door sexy time isn’t your thing, this wouldn’t be for you.
Recommendation:
I highly recommend A Witch’s Guide to Fake Dating a Demon to anyone who enjoys romance. I received a complimentary copy of this book. The opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
About Sarah Hawley
Sarah Hawley is an author of romance and fantasy novels. She was a winner of RevPit 2018, and her short stories and satirical articles have been published by Hooked, Slackjaw, The Belladonna Comedy, and Points in Case. She co-hosted the Wicked Wallflowers Club podcast about romance fiction, which was featured on Entertainment Weekly’s “Must List” as “a compelling reminder of why the oft-dismissed genre is a real force in cultural conversations about consent and desire.”
Sarah has an MA in archaeology and has excavated at an Inca site in Chile, a Bronze Age palace in Turkey, and a medieval abbey in England. When not dreaming up whimsical love stories, she can be found reading, dancing, or cuddling her two cats.
I was mentioning on someone else’s blog today that I didn’t used to be a fan of paranormal romances. But all these witch stories, that seem to have a bit of a rom-com-ish feel to them are making me want to read them! This is on the list for me too. Great review!
This just looks absolutely adorable and I’m so looking forward to reading it! Definitely a bit different than my usual read but it looks like such fun!
Great review, Wendy. This does sound fun and one that you don’t have to think about, just go with it.
I was mentioning on someone else’s blog today that I didn’t used to be a fan of paranormal romances. But all these witch stories, that seem to have a bit of a rom-com-ish feel to them are making me want to read them! This is on the list for me too. Great review!
This sounds like a really fun story. I love good banter. I’m definitely putting this on my TBR.
I think you’d enjoy this one, Jenni
Great review. I’ve read a lot of good opinions about this book and it’s on my list.
Oh good. I hope you enjoy it too
This just looks absolutely adorable and I’m so looking forward to reading it! Definitely a bit different than my usual read but it looks like such fun!
It’s a lot of fun. I hope you enjoy it
The title of this book has us intrigued! We’re glad to hear that it proved to be funny and engaging.
Thank you
This sounds like such a good book. I’ve heard so many wonderful things about it. Excellent review!
Thank you, Tessa
I could go for this one. Thanks for putting me onto it, Wendy!
I hope you enjoy it, Sophia
Glad this one turned out to be such a fun read!
Thank you, Lark
I sometimes just want something light and funny to read. I’ll keep this in mind.
It’s perfect for those times!
Just from the title you can tell it will be a humorous read. I think I’d enjoy this one, Wendy. Great review!
Thank you, Teri.
This sounds like a fun paranormal romance!
It is. Thanks!
Yes, with all the crime thrillers I have been reading, this was a delightful treat.
It’s a nice way to break up more serious reading
I definitely want to read this one. Great review!
I hope you enjoy it. Kristi.
Awesome review Wendy!🤗📚💜
Thank you, Susan
I love when side characters are more than just in the background. Glad you enjoyed this one!
Thank you!
Okay, going to add to TBR for after the baby. I cannot read steamy right now, haha! Great review!!
LOL! I understand that!
I like books that help us escape too Wendy! Wonderful review as always!
Thank you, Jodie
Sounds like the perfect escape.
It is! Thank you, Cathy
I need a book to make me laugh, I’m grabbing this one
This will make you laugh!
This sounds super fun. I already like the plot. Definitely adding this to wish list. Amazing review!
Thank you, Yesha. I hope you enjoy it.
This does look like fun. Glad you enjoyed it Wendy 🙂
Thank you, Mallika
This one sounds like the perfect escape when you want something on the lighter side. 🙂
Yes! It was just plain fun!
We all need a bit of escapism at times.
I agree!
This does sound good and it is good to have a few lighter reads sometimes, great review 😊
Yes, I do like to mix them up