A DEMON'S GUIDE TO WOOING A WITCH
by Sarah Hawley
A gym-loving witch and an amnesiac demon set off on a quest to recover his lost memories.
Brash and bold Calladia Cunnington loves nothing more than a good workout, and hitting the gym helps her work through her anxieties and fiery temper. A member of one of Glimmer Falls' magical families, Calladia calls on a combination of magic and physical strength to rescue a stranger who's being attacked by a demon, but soon realizes that the person she's saved is a powerful demon himself—and one she's been dying to vanquish. Astaroth is known for stealing souls, particularly the soul of Calladia's best friend. Calladia has been out for revenge ever since, but something is off with Astaroth: He has no memories of the last 200 years and he's stuck in the mortal world. Conflicted about punishing a man, or rather a demon, who has no concept of who he is, Calladia vows to help him regain his memory before exacting revenge. Astaroth is the villain of Hawley's previous book, A Witch's Guide to Fake Dating a Demon (2023), and while there's enough context about his misdeeds for new readers to get by, his redemption might lack impact for them. The tension between Calladia and Astaroth is pulled so tight that it's practically vibrating; it's a great start. Unfortunately, it's undermined by sexual attraction that arrives too soon. Even with amnesia, Astaroth hasn't lost his demonic charm, which frequently butts up against Calladia's tightly wound, quick-to-anger nature. Their banter frays the edges of an already thin line between love and hate, and they move onto lust pretty quickly. The rushed romantic entanglement does a disservice to an otherwise promising setup.
A spicy, witchy romance mostly recommended for returning readers of the Glimmer Falls series.