Author: Sarah Hawley
Series: Stand Alone
Category: Paranormal Romance
Spice: 🌶️🌶️🌶️
"But while Mariel had perfected a killer cranberry tart and raised beautiful flowers, she couldn't manage even a simple cleaning spell without making a horrible mistake."
A Witch's Guide to Fake Dating a Demon has a lot of things going for it, but like its main character Mariel, it can't get out of its own way.
Supposedly powerful but unsuccessful Mariel accidentally summons Ozroth the Ruthless and despite the seriousness of the situation, she throws sass left and right as part of her charm.
"'Are you sure there's nothing I can give you?' he asked. 'Money, love revenge against your enemies?' She rolled her eyes. 'You are such a cliché.'"
Despite the other characters constantly telling us how caring and loving Mariel is, she has a tendency to lash out, jumping to the worst conclusions. Though we are given plenty of evidence for why Mariel has low self-esteem, it was hard to like her character's repeated attempts to make her friends and Oz feel as small as she saw herself.
Oz definitely stole the entire show! Dealing with an accidental summons with no clear way out, he has the only believable character development in his acceptance of new emotions and how he sees himself.
"There were several terms for the woozy, giddy, horrific emotion that had seized his internal organs in an iron grip, and if he'd never understood the concept before, he did now. That fucking soul in his chest was absolutely gagging to lay itself on the altar of love."
Ozroth the Ruthless grows from a grouchy, heartless demon into a devoted partner who only wants to be there and support the woman he loves. For being the demon in the relationship, he was awfully sweet ❤️
"'You aren't a small piece,' Ozroth said. 'You're a queen.'"
"How can anyone know you and not love you?" - Ozroth
Every good romance book has its kooky characters, and we definitely have a host of them in this one, some better than others.
Mariel's mom was hilarious, besides the obvious emotional abuse and torment she laid on her daughter. That aside, she was the comic relief when the story dragged on and had the best one-liners. A terrible mother in every sense but obviously living her best life as a drama queen matriarch of a powerful family doing whatever she wants.
"Yes, I know, but abusing drugs can be surprisingly useful. I once went on the longest cleaning spree after snorting coke with your father in college..." - Diantha, Mariel's mother
"Aren't you going to watch the battle royale? We're competing in an hour outside Mothman's Mushroom Mart. All the combatants are going to get naked and take magic mushrooms." - Diantha, Mariel's mother
Naturally, Mariel's best friend Calladia is heavily involved in her budding romance with a demon, but most of the time she leads Mariel in the wrong direction. Ironically, just as their moms have a toxic frenemies relationship, I didn't think Calladia and Mariel were much better together. Mariel's other best friend Themmie exists to try to be the voice of reason but does not have any strong personality outside of being a social media influencer.
It didn't take long after Mariel summons Oz for the insta-love sparks to fly. The sex was dynamic between them but as the story progressed, their relationship was one-sided and forced. Not sure if Mariel was more into getting laid than supporting Oz as he did for her.
"Mariel, you horny disaster." - Calladia, Mariel's friend
Most of the drama in the book, outside of the looming bargain plot, is manufactured on Mariel's side. Oz proved himself with actions time and time again, but Mariel allowed herself to be manipulated by her own baggage. She can’t get out of her own way and unfortunately drags the story down. Oz is the demon but he deserves a whole lot better than her, even allowing a whole bunch of her insecurities.
Even if this review isn't all positive, I'd recommend the book for Oz alone. You can never have too many book boyfriends. And entertainment-wise, A Witch's Guide to Fake Dating a Demon is a fun read that makes you curious about what debut author Sarah Hawley will write next.
Tropes and Themes: Demon, Magic, Witch, Small Town, Fake Dating.
Blurb
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.
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