In July I checked out a new bookstore near my summer spot in upstate NY. Perusing small town bookstores is one of my chosen summertime Hallmark movie-type activities, along with supporting volunteer firefighters at pancake breakfasts, going to outdoor concerts, and volunteering at the annual library book sale. I have a goal of racking up as many of these charming small town staples as possible for my own amusement. Alas, there was no bookstore meet-cute this time, but I ended up finding (and purchasing) Sarah Hawley’s A Witch's Guide to Fake Dating a Demon. Why this book? First, the main character’s name – Mariel Spark – is very close to one of my all-time favorite author’s names (Muriel Spark), second, it had fake dating in the title, and third, I always like to support an independent bookshop. Lucky me, it was a funny, witchy romance just right for a day or two of light reading, and perfect for this particular time of year.
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.
The story opens with protagonist Mariel proving that she struggles with magic: she accidentally explodes a chicken in her kitchen. Mariel gets “simple” spells wrong all of the time, and is harassed about it by her self-important and -absorbed mother (the mothers in this story are THE WORST). Later when she tries to summon flour for a recipe, she instead accidentally calls a demon, Ozroth the Ruthless, to make a bargain. Two problems there: it was a mistake, and Mariel’s not interested in surrendering her soul for any of the things the demon may be offering. When her mother meets Ozroth (Oz for short), Mariel panics and says they are dating. Thus, a romance novel plot is born!
Character-wise, Mariel suffers from chronically low self-confidence due to unreasonable expectations placed on her by her family (there was a capital P prophecy at her birth!) and underperforming over the years. Her magic is nature-based, and only succeeds when she focuses where she has genuine interest (i.e. caring for plants and baking). Her loyal friends Calladia and Themmie join Oz in trying to build up her magical confidence and backbone with her toxic family, but Mariel must commit to that growth on her own.
Oz, on the other hand, is looking for redemption. He used to be a cold, emotionless soul bargainer, but sometime in the past six months he accidentally got himself a human soul! He’s on thin ice in the demon realm and uncomfortable feeling things, so what better place to be stuck trying to set it all right than in the human realm with only the clothes on his back?! As Oz slowly adjusts his expectations, Mariel starts valuing herself, and various fake dating hijinks ensue. The romance itself is light, predictable, and features a fairly slow start (the characters kiss for the first time somewhere around page 170), but then takes off.
There are two interesting things that set this book apart from the usual fare. First, although it is primarily a small town romance… this is a small town is set in an alternate universe where magic and magical creatures are accepted and commonplace, the demon plane exists, and there are different cultural rules throughout. For a full-on romance, it has one of the most well-developed fantastical settings I’ve ever seen. It is also a self-aware creature fic. By that I mean that there are lots of in-jokes and allusions to tropes that will resonate with folks who either read a lot of fantastical/paranormal romance or fanfiction. For instance, the main character knows about knotting, barbed genitalia, and so on, and there are funny asides and in-jokes, such as Oz liking pumpkin spice flavor ice cream best.
In all, this is a light, formulaic romance set in an interesting magical universe, with characters who must work through their pasts and toxic habits before they can commit to their happily ever after.
Recommended for: fans of small town and paranormal and fantasy romance, and anyone who is feeling witchy autumn vibes and wants to read a romance to enhance that feeling.
