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

Tags

4 stars, Book Review, demons, magic, paranormal, romance, Sarah Hawley, witches

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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Shadows from Another Life (More in Heaven and Earth) by Katherine Gilbert – Review

Tags

5 stars, angels, Book Review, humor, Katherine Gilbert, magic, paranormal, romance, series, vampires, werewolves, witches

Review of Shadows from Another Life

Teena Jones can see other people’s past lives.  Not that she wants to.  Teena herself is living a reincarnation.  However, because of her skill, the Magical Council wants her to look into their latest case.  She has a team of Irregulars to help her, made up of several other supernaturally gifted folks, including William, the ghostly love of her life, who looks really great in a bowler hat.

The case involves a murderer, Nicholas Brown, who is targeting those who he feels wronged him in a previous life and Teena is probably on that list.  Actually, it seems like he is the one who wronged Teena, but who can reason with a crazy power-hungry man?

The case takes the team to several interesting locations, including a ride on the Orient Express.  It seems they are chasing a man, who in his previous life, had ties to the Nazi’s.  And now, Brown wants to try again, bringing back the Nazis take over the world. Are you kidding me?!  How did we get to this? 

“….for the last decade or so, the masks were off, and any irrational hatred or prejudice was not only acceptable again. It was often valorized and cheered. There were too many attitudes which were similar to those during the rise of the Third Reich lately….” (From Shadows from Another Life by Katherine Gilbert)

If this is not a comment on certain aspects of the world today, I don’t know what is.  This is the second book that I have read from this author, and in both, Ms. Gilbert has presented socio-political views that are deftly woven into the story.  The story may appear to be a paranormal romp through multiple locations involving a veritable smorgasbord of supernatural beings, but there is a point to all this.

This book is a follow up to Postcards from Another World, with the heroine and hero (Gillian and Nasser) of that story in charge of this investigation.  Both Teena and William seem to be unassuming people, content to stay in the background, except when they feel it is important not to be.  Most of the team is similar, with very little real leadership needed.  The play to their individual strengths and do whatever it takes to complete the task.  They exemplify teamwork.

While part of the More in Heaven and Earth series, Shadows from Another Life stands on its own.  I liked this book as much as I liked Postcards.  The story is mapped out in a similar way.  The plot is simple, but takes the reader on many side streets before getting to the final destination and ultimate confrontation.  The characters are diverse, including a talking dog, vampire, sorcerer, angel and werewolf.  And the romance between Teena and William is sweet!  Reader’s who enjoy a good paranormal adventure will appreciate this story and probably the entire series.

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

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About Shadows from Another Life by Katherine Gilbert

Teena Jones has always known about being murdered in her past life. That’s no biggie. But when she falls in love with a revenant, things get complicated. Still, can’t a girl break up with the undead man she loves for reasons even she doesn’t understand without the Magical Council sticking their noses in? If only.

The Hon. William Ambrose Deighton was the younger son of a minor baron a century or so ago, and nothing in that lifetime prepared him for the afterlife he’s living. Or for Teena, who–despite the fact that they’re perfect for each other–won’t let him love her.

But suddenly the Council comes calling. It seems Teena’s murderer has been reincarnated and is leaving behind bodies again–including Teena’s, if she doesn’t look out. Together with the Council’s Outer Banks Irregulars–which include a psychic, a sorcerer, a dog-shaped magical parolee, a revenant who dreams of the circus, and a drag queen vampire–they need to figure out why, and how to stop him.

Still, as they race across Europe, through stately homes, stone cairns, Parisian cemeteries, and ancient Venice–not to mention a ride on the Orient Express–the case becomes much more complex. It seems this killer has accomplices from his former life, and, this time, the changes they plot will drag the world into a cruel and heartless past from which it might never escape. Can the paranormal world’s weirdest (and occasionally entirely unprepared) detectives find a way to stop them?

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Weekend Tales

Tags

a mirror of ink and madness, Art, banned books, currently reading, paranormal, Paula McLain, romance, Sarah Hawley, Shauna Robinson, suspense, witches

Once upon a time, this blog had a regular Friday post. I though I might start that up again, sharing the book or books I am currently reading or listening to. Also, I would love for you to do the same by posting in the comments at the end.

This print is available from amirrorofinkandmadness on the Society 6 website.

I’ll kick this off with the three books I am currently reading. Clicking on the book covers will take you to Amazon. Use of these links supports this blog and is very much appreciated. I also recommended checking with your library (if you want to save some $$$).

I borrowed the print book of The Banned Bookshop of Maggie Banks by Shauna Robinson from my library. I’m likely to take the full checkout period to finish this one since I rarely read print books. As a librarian, you can imagine that book censorship is a hot topic with me. The Banned Bookshop of Maggie Banks is not about the censorship we typically hear about in the news these days, but the perpetrator of the censorship (rich and/or powerful male) is just like we hear in the news. I’m about half way through and so far, so good. Looks like there is a bit of a romance in there too!

About The Banned Bookshop of Maggie Banks

When Maggie Banks arrives in Bell River to run her best friend’s struggling bookstore, she expects to sell bestsellers to her small-town clientele. But running a bookstore in a town with a famously bookish history isn’t easy. Bell River’s literary society insists on keeping the bookstore stuck in the past, and Maggie is banned from selling anything written this century. So, when a series of mishaps suddenly tip the bookstore toward ruin, Maggie will have to get creative to keep the shop afloat.

And in Maggie’s world, book rules are made to be broken.

To help save the store, Maggie starts an underground book club, running a series of events celebrating the books readers actually love. But keeping the club quiet, selling forbidden books, and dodging the literary society is nearly impossible. Especially when Maggie unearths a town secret that could upend everything. 

Maggie will have to decide what’s more important: the books that formed a small town’s history, or the stories poised to change it all.

On my Kindle, I have an advance copy of A Witch’s Guide to Fake Dating a Demon by Sarah Hawley. This contemporary paranormal romance releases on March 7. So far, it’s got humor, sticky situations and romance possibilities. I’d classify it as New Adult, so a bit youthful for my taste, but I just started it, so I have to give it a fair chance.

About A Witch’s Guide to Fake Dating a Demon

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.

My current audiobook is When the Stars Go Dark by Paula McLain. I downloaded this from my library after being on the wait list a bit. It is a bit slow at the beginning – a few chapters in and I’m not really hooked. Still good reviews and the fact that actual cases were used to craft the story have me continuing.

About When the Stars Go Dark

Anna Hart is a seasoned missing persons detective in San Francisco with far too much knowledge of the darkest side of human nature. When tragedy strikes her personal life, Anna, desperate and numb, flees to the Northern California village of Mendocino to grieve. She lived there as a child with her beloved foster parents, and now she believes it might be the only place left for her. Yet the day she arrives, she learns that a local teenage girl has gone missing.

The crime feels frighteningly reminiscent of the most crucial time in Anna’s childhood, when the unsolved murder of a young girl touched Mendocino and changed the community forever. As past and present collide, Anna realizes that she has been led to this moment. The most difficult lessons of her life have given her insight into how victims come into contact with violent predators. As Anna becomes obsessed with saving the missing girl, she must accept that true courage means getting out of her own way and learning to let others in.

Weaving together actual cases of missing persons, trauma theory, and a hint of the metaphysical, this propulsive and deeply affecting novel tells a story of fate, necessary redemption, and what it takes, when the worst happens, to reclaim our lives—and our faith in one another.

Tell me! What are you reading?