Okay, this book? Absolute chaos in the best way.

Nancy has officially given up on finding her person—until Jack Jackson walks into her bookstore. He’s huge, broody, and has the kind of reputation that screams stay away. But turns out, he’s also wildly clueless about dating and kinda desperate for help. So what does Nancy do? She agrees to coach him in the fine art of romance. (Because, why not? What could possibly go wrong?)

Well... Jack’s not just bad at dating. He’s literally the demonic son of Satan. Yep, horns, hell, eternal damnation—the works. And the “dream girl” he’s trying to win over? Part of some cosmic Beauty and the Beast-style curse. If he doesn’t become a better man, all hell (literally) breaks loose.

But here’s the twist: Nancy might just be a witch. And she might also be falling for the demon she’s trying to help fall for someone else.

Cue: adorable fake dating moments, awkward tenderness lessons, demonic meltdowns, and a slow-burn romance that’s so sweet it’ll melt your heart (and possibly set it on fire).

This story is funny, weird, heartfelt, and totally swoony. If you love grumpy/sunshine dynamics, small-town magic, and reluctant heroes who accidentally find their soulmate, you’re gonna eat this up.

Final thoughts:
Witchy, witty, and wickedly romantic. 10/10 would date the son of Satan again.

Sigh, this was a bust for me sadly. It had so much potential. I read the blurb and thought this is going to be so fun. Sadly, the writing is very basic and it wasn't very interesting to me. The plot was highly predictable in an annoying way. The entire story lacked a depth of feeling. I don't imagine I'll be reading anything else by this author.

This book was a bit underwhelming in my opinion. The cover is so fun and in my head I think I imagined a very different male character. Jack Jackson (I kind of hated his name also), is the demonic son of Satan. He obviously doesn't know anything about romance because he is a demon, but he knows nothing about romance despite having a very soft personality.

Nancy owns a book store and decides to help him learn how to date by fake dating her. Cute concept, but Jack is insanely clueless about EVERYTHING. He calls Nancy "kid" several times even as their romance progresses and that was just very off putting for me. I would never want a romantic partner to call me kid.

I think the most fun part of the book was Jack's magical truck. I enjoyed all of the silliness that came with it like when it changes the song to something that related to the moment. Thank you to Netgalley, St. Martin's Press, ahnd Charlotte Stein for an ARC of this book. This review is my own honest opinion.

I really liked the premise of this book, but I felt like some depth was missing. I would have liked to get to know the characters more personally. There were some things that could have been explained more. Overall, it was a fun read.

A heartwarming romance with charming characters and just the right amount of emotional depth. Overall a great read and highly recommended.

I thought the premise was really fun — the town "loser" turning to the local bookshop owner for dating help, only for both to discover there's more to each other than meets the eye. I enjoyed watching the characters grow, especially as they come to understand they are both deserving of love. The story had a cozy, lighthearted feel, with a gentle touch of magic and a satisfying slow-burn romance.

That said, I did wish for a little less focus on the prolonged pining and more development around Nancy. She was such an intriguing character, and I wanted to learn more about her. The ending also felt a bit rushed, and the plot twists could have used more time to breathe. While I usually don’t love excessive fluff, this story actually could’ve benefited from a bit more — not just to flesh out emotional beats, but also to help clarify some of the more confusing parts.

Overall, it’s a sweet and whimsical read with a unique premise, but I found myself wanting just a little more from it in the end.

Thank you so much for the opportunity to read this ARC.

I absolutely adore Charolette Stein's works and this book is no exception! I devoured How to Help a Hungry Werewolf and I was delighted to return to this world! Nancy and Jack were so adorable and I enjoyed seeing their relationship progress on the page. I loved the tension in this book!! Jack trying to be the perfect human boyfriend was so iconic and I felt this novel was deliciously paced. So excited for pub day!

It was okay…a cute read but it took me a little bit to get into it. Jack is looking for his dream girl and Nancy is the one to do it. Unknown to him, she is a witch on the down low but he’s also a demon. A cute ending.

A bit like “Beauty and the Beast” but spicier and with a demon. Quick and easy read.

Thanks to St. Martin’s Press for this ARC in exchange for my honest review. Watch for Dealing with a Desperate Demon to come out October 7, 2025.

Any book that references the novelization of one of my favorites (I'm find I swear) childhood movies, and I have the novelized version of said movie in my possession, you know I'm going to enjoy this.
It was fun going back to the world of Sanctuary for Supernatural Creatures.
I adored Nancy and Jack's story.
this was an interesting twist to beauty and the beast...the beast being a demon add to that a touch of "it was always going to be you" and this is the cutest cozy fantasy.

My one complaint(?) would be that while we referenced her childhood, we kind of just brushed over the fact that she was in an institution. Like it was the first time we are hearing about it and when Nancy brought it up, I felt like maybe we should have known beforehand. It just seemed a bit off to me that's all.

But all in all, this was a fun ride.

This book has so much going for it. It has really creative aspects that draw you in and keep you captivated. Jack is a demon that doesn't know how to function as a man, which he wants to do so. He uses old movies to learn which has humorous results. Nancy grew up thinking she was mentally ill and was treated horribly by her father. Jack and Nancy are sweet and passionate together. This is a fairy tale with extra. I read this on Net Galley in exchange for an honest review.

This was my first Charlotte Stein book - even though she’s been on my radar for awhile. Was this amazing? Definitely not. Will I remember this in a year? Can’t see it. But it was lighthearted and fun and provided entertainment while I was reading it, and I’ll definitely read more by this author in the future.

<b> <i> Doubt is the worst thing about being human </i> </b>

Our girl, Nancy, doubted herself enough for all of us. Like - how did she not figure out that she was the girl Jack was talking about all along?! I felt it was painfully obvious the entire time.

Speaking of Jack - I loved his adorkable awkwardness. He just wanted love, and studied rom-coms to learn how to be human (to some hilarious results).

The pacing was a bit off in this - it didn’t really get going until ~50%. It also has a lot of unanswered questions (how is Nancy’s magic possible? According to the book - just accept that she’s a witch and can do these things)…

I’d recommend this book to anyone looking for something with a golden retriever demon, a talking dog, a semi-sentient truck named Steve who communicates through song titles played on his weird stereo and very little explanation on the how/why of the paranormal elements.

Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press for the ARC of this.

I think this book could've been 4 stars with more editing. Nancy is a witch who forgot she is a witch and gives fake dating lessons to a man we know from the cover is a demon. The demon reveal happens at the 50% mark, despite the fact that we already know that from the cover and title.

I personally didn't find Jack very likeable. I think cocky and making mistakes would've been fine, or unconfident but doing things right would work too, but having both no confidence and making mistakes made it so he didn't have many endearing qualities. I found his language to be a bit cringy with saying oh jeez oh man during sex immediately pulling me out of the story. Nancy wasn't really given any backstory except her dad sucked and she was sent to a psychiatric hospital. I didn't really connect with her character because we aren't really given any information on her.

I think this was an interesting concept for a story, but the ideas needed to be fleshed out a bit more. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the free eARC.

We met Cassie’s friend Nancy (and potential fellow witch) in How to Help a Hungry Werewolf, and she takes center stage here. Nancy’s generally a nice person, so when it comes to her attention that town weirdo and general angry person Jack Jackson (yes, that’s his name, but in his defense, he probably picked it himself and he’s not that good at pretending to be a real boy) needs help wooing a girl to break a Beauty-and-the-Beast-esque demon curse, she feels obligated to help.

Much like the previous book, this was a lot of fun! It’s funny in parts (I particularly liked Jack’s sentient vehicle) and has some cute moments. It’s definitely not perfect (I didn’t love the ending, it felt a little rushed), but I had lots of fun reading it.

Honestly It’s hard to find a cozy paranormal romance I won’t like lmao. I need to read the authors other book in this series I loved it so much. The chemistry between our characters was so cute.

3 stars — Hellfire, Heartstrings, and a Whole Lotta Hijinks

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC of Dealing With A Desperate Demon! I was fully enchanted by the premise: a reluctant witch, a demon with dating woes, and a cursed fate wrapped up in a Beauty and the Beast-style romance? Count me in.

Nancy is a charmingly prickly heroine, a bookshop owner whose dry wit and low-key witchy vibes make her the kind of character you root for. Jack, the demon in question, is all growl and no game—at least at first. Their banter has its moments, and the “practice date” set-up is undeniably fun. There’s a sweetness to the dynamic that made me smile, even when the plot got a bit infernal.

That said, while the book casts some fun spells early on, the book lost a bit of its magic in the middle. The tension wavered, and at times, the chemistry between Jack and Nancy felt more theoretical than fiery. I was hoping for more heat, more stakes (literal or emotional), and a bit more depth in the cosmic bond plotline. The premise promises big emotions and epic consequences, but some of that fizzled in execution.

Still, there’s a delightful weirdness to the story that I appreciated—like someone threw Lucifer, Practical Magic, and a Hallmark movie into a cauldron and stirred vigorously. If you like your romances quirky with a hellish twist and don’t mind a few bumps on the broomstick ride, this might be your kind of strange love story.

Would I recommend it? With a wink and a warning: embrace the chaos and enjoy the charm, but don’t expect every spell to land.

Cute and entertaining, a light rom com with the vibe of Beauty and the Beast, but more like pretty bookstore owner and son of Satan. Large, grumpy, clumsy son of Satan who has daddy issues of a serious sort. A fun read, perfect for a weekend or vacation.

Thank you to Netgalley and to the author for letting me read this book in advance. This is my fourth arc of Charlotte’s to get to read, and every time I’m squealing and kicking my feet like it’s Christmas.

Charlotte puts so much magic, and whimsy, and character into her books. I never ever pick one up and think, “Oh, this is just like some other book.” They are so intricately unique.

The characters are always witty, and honest, vulnerable, and desperately in need of love. And the books seem wildly unrealistic, and yet are so incredibly heartfelt, almost too accurate in the realm of human emotion.

Needless to say, I treasured this one just like the rest!!!

I liked this book. It was sweet and one of those books that have the message of there is someone out there who likes you for you and you shouldn’t be afraid to be yourself. It reminds me of My Big Fat Fake Marriage in a way. Although, Jacknis comfortable with the raunchy side of things, he wants to be more sweet( more than he already is. He knits and watches Romcoms which is adorable in itself) I also liked Nancy’s self discovery and acceptance of herself, I definetly recommend this book.

Just like the previous book in this series, Dealing with a Desperate Demon was a pure delight. It was ridiculous from the jump, from Jack's fish out of water behavior to Nancy's fanciful imagination (which turns out to be less imagination and more witch-related). This book does not take itself seriously in the most delightful way. There is a sentient flying car, a pug/chihuahua familiar, and a trip to hell and back. The banter between Jack and Nancy is laugh out loud as she tries to help him win over a girl in a hellish contract. While she helps him learn to be a perfect boyfriend, he helps her rediscover her power as a witch, which she suppressed in childhood.

Oh and there's mutual pining, which we love to see. Jack's reactions to Nancy's interest in him are so pure--he can't believe someone like her would be into someone like him, and she's over here thinking the exact same thing. Silly romance leads!

My favorite line is also a great summary of the vibe of this book: "You wanted a golden-haired guy in shining armor, riding up on a white horse. And instead you get a seven-foot-tall demon in a pick-up truck that hates you."

If you want have fun, and laugh, and swoon, this is the book for you. And it doesn't need to be said, because this is Charlotte Stein, but the spice spices.