I really wanted to love this one, because I love paranormal romance and I love this cover too. Charlotte Stein’s voice, humor, and emotional depth are still so present here, and there’s a lot about this story that pulled me in. Sadly, it didn’t fully live up to my expectations.

The setup is fantastic: Nancy, a bookstore owner who’s lost faith in love, is enlisted to help Jack, the town’s terrifying but weirdly charming outcast, improve his romantic skills. Jack’s secret? He’s a cherry red demon in a thick human suit, complete with obsidian horns and fangs. He’s got one month to win his fated mate, or Satan (who also happens to be his dad) will drag him back to Hell.

The opening really hooked me. Nancy being scared of Jack felt a little off putting at first, but I loved the turning point where she catches him lurking shyly in the romance section. Her brave gesture of rounding up her favorite romance books and delivering them to his cabin was quirky and cute and gave me high hopes for their story. Plus, the idea of coaching Jack on how to be a good boyfriend had a lot of potential for fun and tenderness.

Jack’s character is incredibly endearing. His "soft, mushy demon who just wants to be loved" vibe absolutely shined. His struggle with toxic masculinity (or toxic demonicity?) felt relatable and sad in a way I wasn’t expecting. I loved how he tried so hard to better himself, even if the execution felt repetitive after a while.

The snappy dialogue, emotional undercurrents, and some genuinely funny, charming moments reminded me of what I love about Charlotte Stein’s writing.

I loved the story spell element, like Nancy unknowingly giving Jack his human form was such a great twist, and could have been a truly magical reveal if it had been explored more fully.

The fact that Nancy doesn’t even find out Jack is a demon until halfway through the book was really frustrating. She questions his weird phrasing ("normal human stuff," etc.), but never pushes hard enough for answers until the big reveal. It made her seem a little too passive for too long.

Jack calling Nancy "kid" throughout the story, even during spicy moments, really pulled me out of the romance. It felt uncomfortable and diminished the chemistry between them.

Nancy’s witch identity was so underdeveloped. I was desperate for her to dive into her spell books, to embrace that side of herself, but it was mostly brushed aside for the romance. She didn’t even read the books she picked up!

We barely got any of Nancy’s backstory. She's a compelling character; she is vulnerable, resilient, and kind, but huge parts of her life remain vague. How did she cope after her parents died? What happened between her mental health struggles and her mid thirties?

Hollow Brook itself felt very one dimensional. Besides a few side characters (shoutout to Popcorn and Steve), the world didn't feel as lived in as it could have.

The ending was extremely rushed. There were so many threads (Nancy’s financial struggles, Jack’s deadline, their bond) that could have been tied together more satisfyingly.

In the end, I loved the concept and adored Jack as a character and Nancy was okay, but I just wanted more. More exploration of Nancy’s magic, more time building their relationship beyond lust, more fleshing out of the world they live in.

I hate to rate this lower, because Charlotte Stein’s writing is still delightful, but Dealing With A Desperate Demon ultimately felt like a beautiful rough draft that needed another round of polish to fully bring out its magic.

Thank you to NetGalley, Charlotte Stein, and St. Martin’s Press/St. Martin’s Griffin for the eARC of this book.