A Witch's Guide to Fake Dating a Demon

A successful demon attorney from hell requires witch Mariel Spark's help after a summoning goes wrong. To save her reputation and his life, they strike a deal: she'll pose as his fake girlfriend while he helps her break a curse that's plaguing her magical abilities. Despite their pact being purely transactional, their pretense draws attention from both human and supernatural communities. As they navigate social events and magical mishaps together, the lines between their arrangement and reality begin to blur. Chemistry experiments, demonic law, and witchcraft combine in this romance set in modern-day St. Louis. The story balances supernatural elements with workplace dynamics and family expectations. The novel explores themes of authenticity and trust, questioning how much of any relationship - magical or mundane - involves performance versus genuine connection. Through its supernatural lens, it examines the masks people wear and the risks of letting them slip.

Readers describe this as a light, humorous romance that doesn't take itself too seriously. Many compare it to The Love Witch meets The Office. Readers appreciated: - The banter and chemistry between characters - Corporate demon workplace setting - Clear magic system rules - Fast pacing - Sex-positive approach - Balance of romance and comedy Common criticisms: - Plot feels rushed in final third - Side characters need more development - Some found the workplace elements unrealistic - Demon worldbuilding could be deeper Ratings: Goodreads: 3.8/5 (13,000+ ratings) Amazon: 4.2/5 (2,300+ ratings) StoryGraph: 3.75/5 Reader quote: "Like if Practical Magic had a baby with The Office and that baby grew up to write smutty romance novels." - Goodreads reviewer Several reviewers noted it works better as a rom-com than a fantasy novel, with the supernatural elements serving mainly as window dressing for the central romance.

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🌙 Sarah Hawley wrote this debut novel while working full-time as a software developer, drawing inspiration from her background in tech to create the protagonist's modern witchcraft practice 🔮 The book blends multiple popular romance tropes, including fake dating, enemies-to-lovers, and the "only one bed" scenario 💫 The demon character, Malacoda, shares his name with a demon from Dante's Inferno who appears in the eighth circle of hell 🌿 The magical system in the book incorporates both traditional witchcraft elements and modern technology, creating a unique "tech witch" approach to spellcasting ✨ The author extensively researched historical witch trials and demonology texts to develop authentic-feeling demon summoning rituals for the story, while putting her own contemporary spin on them