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Review of A Witch’s Guide to Fake Dating a Demon

Mariel’s magical talent is a bit wonky.  She is great with plants, but not so great with everything else.  Just ask her mother.  While practicing non-plant magic one day, Marie accidently calls the demon Ozroth.  Problem!!  The demon has no intention of leaving until he has bargained for Mariel’s soul.

Mariel has no intention of giving up her soul.  And Ozroth, who recently and unexpectedly received a soul, is not soul-thirsty enough to aggressively pursue it.  Until he gets the soul, Ozroth needs to stay close to Mariel, so they start fake dating.  Which has all sorts of comical outcomes with Mariel’s friends, boss, and especially her mother. 

In the meantime, there is bickering, witty banter, laughs and attraction.  There is also a power-hungry mayor who wants to destroy the land to make way for a spa.  Something evil is eating at the forest.  And there is Mariel’s mother, who is the worst at parenting.  Never supportive and ever critical, to Mom, Mariel falls way short of the family legacy and prophecy. 

All this means that in addition to a charming romance, there is plenty of intrigue. As Mariel, Ozroth and her friends deal with the bad guys, Mariel’s magical spark may finally start to burn.  Even though I felt the books started slowly, all the plot lines built up to make for a fun read.

With a youngish heroine witch and a hero demon who is old, but practically starting over, I would categorize this book as New Adult.  Even though the current retail listings don’t indicate a series, at the end of the book, there is an excerpt for the next book.  A Witch’s Guide to Fake Dating a Demon is a standalone, but with plenty of characters that just may also get their own story.

Through NetGalley, the publisher provided a copy of this book.  My review is my honest opinion.

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About A Witch’s Guide to Fake Dating a Demon by Sarah Hawley

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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