⭐⭐⭐⭐ Was I hooked by that book? Yes. The snarky writing style and edgy banter had me glued to the pages.

Calladia Cunnington knows she’s rough around the edges, despite being the heir to one of small-town Glimmer Falls’ founding witch families. While her gym obsession is a great outlet for her anxieties and anger, her hot temper still gets the best of her and manifests in bar brawls. When Calladia saves someone from a demon attack one night, though, she’s happy to put her magic and rage to good use, until she realizes the man she saved is none other than Astaroth, the ruthless demon who orchestrated a soul bargain on her best friend. Astaroth is a legendary soul bargainer and one of the nine members of the demon high council, except he can’t remember any of this. Suffering from amnesia after being banished to the mortal plane, Astaroth doesn’t know why a demon named Moloch is after him, nor why the muscular, angry, hot-in-a-terrifying-way witch who saved him hates him so much. Unable to leave anyone in such a vulnerable state – even the most despicable demon – Calladia grudgingly decides to help him. (Besides, punching an amnesiac would be in poor taste.) The two set out on an uneasy road trip to find the witch who might be able to restore Astaroth’s memory so they can learn how to defeat Moloch. Calladia vows that once Astaroth is cured, she’ll kick his ass, but the more time she spends with the snarky yet utterly charming demon, the more she realizes she likes this new, improved Astaroth, and maybe she doesn’t want him to recover his memories, after all.

MY THOUGHTS

I loved that Calladia was so unapologetically tall and muscular with a penchant for fighting. She gave Astaroth a chance, albeit grudgingly, even though she considered him her nemesis. There were also some complicated familial relationships woven into the story that helped to paint a clearer picture of Calladia.

As for Astaroth, I had mixed feelings about him. In the first book he was a hateful character and in this one he got a redemption arc. I don’t think it could’ve happened without the amnesia angle, which was handled really well. His memories came back to him in spurts, and he continually reevaluated his past actions through the lens of his current feelings.

The diverse cast of secondary characters provided some silly and fun interludes, and the fighting scenes were thrilling. Calladia and Astaroth’s journey were fraught with nail-biting suspense.

I can highly recommend this entire series if you like witches and demons with your steamy romance. I would say it’s better to read them in order, though it’s not strictly necessary.

Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with a copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Were you hooked by that book? Let me know in the comments below.

Genre: Paranormal Romance
Published: November 28, 2023
Sensuality Rating: Warm
Series: Glimmer Falls
Other books in the series: A Witch’s Guide to Fake Dating a Demon
Tropes: Romcom, Enemies to Lovers, Amnesia, Important Quest