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Synopsis
In a Witch’s Guide to Fake Dating a Demon Mariel Sparks, a witch who has been prophesied to be the most powerful, prefers baking and gardening to performing hexes (much to her mother’s disappointment). So, when Mariel accidentally summons a demon instead of baking flour no one is surprised. Unfortunately, Mariel has summoned Ozroth the Ruthless, a demon who has a reputation to be one of the best soul bargainers, but since his last deal went wrong, Ozroth now has something to prove.
Mariel and Ozroth find themselves stuck together until they either strike a bargain or find a loophole.
What I Loved
Ever since I began reading Witchy romances last fall, I haven’t been able to put them down. However, something in me made me pause when I saw the love interest was going to be a demon. Call me whatever you want, but for some reason, that unsettled me (maybe I haven’t read enough witchy romances). I am also wary of stories that romanticize toxic or abusive behaviors, and I wasn’t sure how the author was going to make a demon who bargains for souls a desirable partner. Nevertheless, I was intrigued by the premise of the story and wanted to see how the demon thing was going to play out. Without giving too much away, the demon, Ozroth the Ruthless, turned out to have an unexpected backstory and character development that got me over the whole “demon thing.”
The relationship between Mariel and her family is very relatable. In this book, we see how difficult it can be to set and maintain boundaries with loved ones, and how disheartening it can be to have an unsupportive, narcissistic parent. If you are lucky enough to have ease setting boundaries or do not have intense, stressful family dynamics, then this story will provide you with an accurate perspective of what that life is like.
This book also contains commentary on environmental activism and conservation (Mariel’s strongest powers come in the form of healing and connecting with nature). Environmentalism is one of my passions, so this aspect of the story was very welcomed and hopefully gets more people talking.
What I Would’ve Changed
Honestly, I thought this book provided a new twist and perspective on the typical Witchy romance. The only thing I wished for at the end of the book was the next installment in the series.
Final Thoughts
A Witch’s Guide to Fake Dating a Demon felt like it contained aspects of the Ice Planet Barbarians (specifically when dealing with Ozroth), and the Witches of Thistle Grove series (this series also has interesting twists and perspectives while delivering fantastic Witchy romances and you can read a review on Back in a Spell here). So, if any of this post resonates with you, I think you just found your next read.
