Wayward Reviews

A sweet fantasy romance about a witch who accidently summons a demon during her practice. Now she has to find a way to get him to leave – and that’s not as easy as it looks.

Book Synopsis

Book Details

Pages: 400

Genre: Fantasy Romance

Publisher: Gollancz

Format: Paperback

Mariel Spark knows not to trust a demon, especially one that wants her soul, but what’s a witch to do when he won’t leave her side—and she kind of doesn’t want him to?

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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Review

* Non-Spoiler Review*

I brought this book on an impulse from my local Waterstones bookstore, and I was pleasantly surprised by how sweet and wholesome this story was. Mariel is a very relatable character – she has a wonderful group of friends, testing family members and a personal passion that her family don’t understand.

Like many cosy fantasy romances the chemistry is quick, and the MCs become serious before the halfway mark of the book. To avoid spoilers Hawley is creative in the way the two MCs interact and how they try to find a solution for an awkward situation.

Overall, I had fun with this story – I am not sure I will read the sequel to this book as I am not that invested in the characters. But if you are wanting a sweet romance, then this might be the book for you.

Spice Rating: 4/6 – See my rating system here

Book Rating: 4/5