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A review by indieandajean
A Witch's Guide to Fake Dating a Demon by Sarah Hawley
emotional
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
This has all the heavy hitter tropes! Enemies to lovers? Check. Misunderstandings and associated angst? Check. Forced proximity? Check. Pining? You bet your buttons. Fake dating? It's in the title for a reason. All the tropes, and all the tropes done well!
Mariel Spark is a witch who can't control her magic and despite a prophecy saying that she is the strongest witch in generations, no one can take her plant magic seriously. Least of all her family who bows to her mother's insistence to cut her down every-time she tries to stand tall. Thankfully her supportive friends, and one accidentally summoned supremely attractive demon are all it takes to help her find herself and stand tall. This book is full of magical shenanigans, well written characters, fun trope-y romance, and spice.
I knew when I was reading this that it had to be a series set up, the supporting cast of characters is just too good and I can't wait to see each and every one of them have their own hilarious and sweet love story. It was easy to fall in love with Mariel, Oz, Calladia and Themmie as well as with some of the other minor characters around town and I'm looking forward to more of them in the future.
Also as a side note: the magic system was interesting, well written, and made sense throughout, something I usually can't say for most paranormal romances I read, and something I was very excited to see here.
A couple minor complaints:
Mariel's mom was entirely too much. I know that was the point, but for the turnaround in the end to make sense, she needed to be a little less oblivious to how her narcissism effects others.
There were a few plot hooks that came up that were underused, like "problem appears, problem disappears" issues. These were mostly in the 3rd act, and I know they were there to raise the ante, but they weren't there long enough to have the punch that "do this or everything you love dies" should have for both Mariel and Oz.
Overall though I really enjoyed this book and found it an enjoyable read. Can't wait to see what Sarah Hawley writes next!
Mariel Spark is a witch who can't control her magic and despite a prophecy saying that she is the strongest witch in generations, no one can take her plant magic seriously. Least of all her family who bows to her mother's insistence to cut her down every-time she tries to stand tall. Thankfully her supportive friends, and one accidentally summoned supremely attractive demon are all it takes to help her find herself and stand tall. This book is full of magical shenanigans, well written characters, fun trope-y romance, and spice.
I knew when I was reading this that it had to be a series set up, the supporting cast of characters is just too good and I can't wait to see each and every one of them have their own hilarious and sweet love story. It was easy to fall in love with Mariel, Oz, Calladia and Themmie as well as with some of the other minor characters around town and I'm looking forward to more of them in the future.
Also as a side note: the magic system was interesting, well written, and made sense throughout, something I usually can't say for most paranormal romances I read, and something I was very excited to see here.
A couple minor complaints:
Mariel's mom was entirely too much. I know that was the point, but for the turnaround in the end to make sense, she needed to be a little less oblivious to how her narcissism effects others.
There were a few plot hooks that came up that were underused, like "problem appears, problem disappears" issues. These were mostly in the 3rd act, and I know they were there to raise the ante, but they weren't there long enough to have the punch that "do this or everything you love dies" should have for both Mariel and Oz.
Overall though I really enjoyed this book and found it an enjoyable read. Can't wait to see what Sarah Hawley writes next!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Emotional abuse
Minor: Injury/Injury detail, Fire/Fire injury, Violence, Alcohol, and Animal death