The Neurospicy After Dark Archive

• Accidental demon adoption
• K9 Partner with a Supernatural Secret
• Human-Demon Romance
• Morally Gray Demon MMC
• Strong Female Cop FMC
• Forced Proximity
• Slow-Burn Romance
• Snarky Witty Banter
• Grumpy x Stubborn Pairing
• He Falls First
• Angels vs Demons
• “I Didn’t Sign Up for This” Heroine
• “Who Did This to You?” Energy
• Laugh-Out-Loud Paranormal Romance
• Romantic Comedy with Hellfire

• Law-enforcement themes
• Police work and criminal investigations
• Supernatural violence
• Demons, angels, witches, and religious imagery
• Possession or confinement within an animal’s body
• Threats and dangerous supernatural situations
• Magical attacks
• References to ancient evil
• Morally gray behavior
• Discussions of banishment and redemption
• Identity revelations
• Emotional manipulation
• Strong language
• Sexual attraction and romantic content
• Life-threatening situations
• Animal peril or concern for a canine character

As always, I recommend checking the author’s complete list of content warnings if you have specific sensitivities.

Officer Kelly “Chuck” Charles believes she is choosing a new K-9 partner. She expects an obedient, professionally trained dog who will help her survive difficult shifts and not a centuries-old demon trapped inside a canine body.

Malachi is intelligent, morally gray, deeply opinionated, and understandably irritated by his current circumstances. Unfortunately for Chuck, she initially has no idea that her new partner’s unusual behavior is evidence of something far more supernatural than canine stubbornness despite his uncanny intelligence.

Chuck is also unaware that she is part angel or that her existence is connected to an approaching celestial disaster. When a well-intentioned witch restores Malachi’s original body, Chuck’s strange K-9 situation transforms into a much larger supernatural problem. Now she must navigate magical threats, questions of redemption, and an increasingly complicated attraction to the demon who was never supposed to possess a heart.

How To Tell If Your K-9 Is a Demon is exactly the kind of paranormal romantic chaos its title promises. The premise is absurd in the best possible way: a police officer accidentally chooses a centuries-old demon as her K-9 partner and interprets his suspiciously intelligent behavior as an extreme canine personality problem. How much more ridiculously cute and fun could this read have gotten…I have no idea, but it was a great read.

In my opinion the humor comes from the gap between what Chuck thinks is happening and what Malachi actually knows to be happening. Chuck thinks she just has a difficult to train dog. Malachi knows he is a powerful demon trapped in a canine body being forced to participate in police work while being unable to communicate with a human woman about his circumstances. Personally, I could understand the frustration on this aspect. I often wonder what my Australian Cattle dog would say in English to me if he could speak and usually, I don’t think he’s possessed by a demon…only usually though.

I found that underneath the ridiculous circumstances, a story about identity, trust, redemption and whether a dark or evil history permanently determines who they are and who they are allowed to become. Malachi may be a demon, but his growing connection to Chuck really challenges his belief that all supernatural creatures can be evenly divided neatly into good versus evil.

The book’s greatest charm, the part that made me smile and giggle the most I think comes from balancing celestial danger with the everyday frustrations of humanity. Chuck is dealing with supernatural forces, but she is also an exhausted police officer surviving long shifts, disappointing coffee, and a K-9 partner who appears to be silently judging every choice she makes. That combination keeps the story playful even when the stakes begin to rise.

From my neurodivergent perspective, Chuck’s story taps into the unsettling experience of realizing that everyone else seems to understand rules you yourself were never given. She believes that she is navigating an “ordinary world” unfortunately major pieces of information have been withheld from her. Most late diagnosed neurodivergent feel this way and wish they could go back armed with so much more knowledge about themselves.

I found Chuck to be a capable, grounded heroine who had a practical personality that makes supernatural absurdity even funnier for me. She initially enters into the storyline expecting a run of the mill normal professional responsibility i.e. choose a K-9 partner and get to work. Instead, she adopts a demon with century on century of baggage and intelligence to spare making any kind of training she attempts overwhelmingly difficult for her.

The best thing about Chuck was her strength in the plot did not depend on her understanding it all immediately. She was observant, competent and analytical in a way that I respect but also was able to operate efficiently despite not knowing all the details. Describes similar personality types required to become an emergency medicine physician. To me her overall reactions made genuine sense, were not outlandish nor overdramatized.

She also works well as the emotional anchor of the book. When the plot begins expanding into demons, witches, celestial conflict, and magical destiny, Chuck’s grounded perspective prevents the story from floating away into mythology. She remains recognizably human in her frustrations, confusion, and determination to protect the people and creatures she considers hers.

Malachi is the kind of morally gray paranormal hero who arrives with ancient power, dangerous secrets, questionable ethics, and an impressive collection of loud obnoxious opinions. That makes him even funny when he is stuck as the dog. His initial canine form creates a wonderfully unusual introduction to his character. Even before Chuck knows what he is, his intelligence and attitude are unmistakable. His growling in dead languages, offended response to holy water, and apparent plans for world domination make it increasingly difficult not to laugh out loud. Yet Chuck’s inability to understand the full meaning of his behavior gives Malachi’s irritation an extra layer of comedy as well.

Once Malachi regains his body, the dynamic changes without losing his personality established though his canine behavior. He is still clever, dangerous, sarcastic and resistant to being controlled. His morally gray nature is NOT merely aesthetic; it DIRECTLY complicates the question of whether he can or even wants to be redeemed. This was just such an unknowingly complicated story that I was not expecting.

I have to say that Chuck and Malachi’s relationship begin with one of the strangest partnership arrangements imaginable. Human police officer K-9 handler versus ancient demon trapped in a dog’s body. This imbalance created immediate comedic tension but laid the foundation for a weird and unexpected bond between them. I am still figuring that one out.

Chuck is more complicated than a supposedly angelic destiny would suggest, while Malachi is capable of more loyalty and tenderness than his demonic identity should theoretically allow.

The slow burn works because their relationship must undergo a fundamental transformation. Chuck cannot simply transition from viewing Malachi as her K-9 partner to viewing him as a potential romantic partner without confusion, adjustment, and probably several moments of existential horror.

Their banter is a major source of chemistry. Malachi’s arrogance collides beautifully with Chuck’s practical refusal to be intimidated by him. She may discover that he is a powerful demon, but he is still the creature who judged her coffee, ignored her expectations/commands, and made her question every dog she has ever met.

Beneath the teasing is a more serious conflict: Chuck may eventually have to decide whether Malachi deserves redemption, banishment, or something neither heaven nor hell anticipated.

Trista Ricketts uses a playful, accessible style that embraces the ridiculousness of the premise while still treating the characters’ emotional journeys sincerely. The humor is driven by personality, misunderstandings, supernatural complications, and sharp observations rather than relying exclusively on isolated jokes.

The writing appears designed for readers who enjoy fast-moving paranormal stories with clear imagery, lively dialogue, and a conversational tone. The celestial mythology adds structure to the plot without burying the romantic comedy beneath excessive world-building.

The banter is especially important because it establishes both character and romantic tension. Malachi’s sarcastic superiority and Chuck’s grounded stubbornness create a natural rhythm that keeps their interactions entertaining. The contrast between supernatural danger and ordinary police-work frustrations gives the story its distinctive personality.

The pacing favors momentum and entertainment. Strange K-9 behavior develops into a demonic revelation, which then expands into angelic heritage, magical interference, and a celestial-level threat. Each discovery increases the stakes while maintaining the comedic foundation.

• Hilariously original accidental-demon-adoption premise
• Chuck’s competent yet relatable personality
• Malachi’s morally gray, sarcastic character
• Transformation from a K-9 partnership into a paranormal romance
• Contrast between everyday police work and celestial chaos
• Slow-building banter and romantic tension
• Chuck’s hidden angelic heritage
• Malachi’s reluctant emotional development
• Themes involving choice, identity, loyalty, and redemption
• A supporting cast capable of making an already chaotic situation worse
• The balance between paranormal mystery and romantic comedy

Because the premise is deliberately exaggerated, some developments may feel more convenient than carefully explained. The restoration of Malachi’s body is necessary for the romantic storyline, but readers who prefer rigidly constructed magical systems may want more detail surrounding how and why certain supernatural transformations occur.

The book also has several major ideas competing for attention: police work, K-9 partnership, demonic imprisonment, angelic heritage, witches, redemption, romance, and celestial conflict. At times, I wanted individual revelations or emotional transitions to have more space before the next supernatural complication arrived.

The tonal balance may not work for readers who prefer their demons genuinely terrifying or their police-centered stories realistic. This is intentionally a paranormal rom-com, so humor and romantic chaos take priority over procedural accuracy or dark theological horror.

The unusual progression from dog-shaped partner to human-shaped love interest may require some mental adjustment. The book clearly establishes that Malachi is a demon trapped in a canine body rather than an actual dog, but the setup may still feel too strange for some readers.

Readers should also be prepared for a deliberately bizarre romantic setup. Malachi begins the story physically trapped in a canine form and is initially understood by Chuck to be her K-9 partner. He later regains his true body before the romantic relationship develops. That distinction will matter to many readers, but the concept may remain outside some people’s comfort zones.