Going to college was hard enough, learning your roommate is a demon with a pet cat who will steal your soul if you look into her eyes for too long makes the whole thing a lot more stressful.

This was such a fun and lighthearted read. It had great romcom vibes and an amazing fake dating trope all the while not having a third act break up scene. I can’t tell you how happy that made me. The friendships made was also something I really liked in this book and how some friends kept the secret of the fake dating to themselves rather than going and getting the journal break of the year. It was nice to know they wouldn’t sell out their friend’s personal life to help their future career.

Favorite Quote: ❝ "Just not Monopoly, it causes too many fights."

"It's only fun for the people who win," says Evie. "Like capitalism." ❞

First off, I want to express my most sincere gratitude to St. Martin's Press/Wednesday Books and NetGalley for this ARC! It is my first of many, I hope.

"My Roommate from Hell" follows college student Owen Greene in his first semester where, to his surprise, his new roommate is Zarmenus, the prince of Hell, studying at Point for the semester in a foreign exchange program. Because so much is riding on this historic collaboration of human and demon, Owen is offered an opportunity that will get him closer to his goals in life if he can stick it out for the semester and show the world that humans and demons can coexist. Which is hard when the demon you have to coexist with is a party boy who brings all sorts of chaos into Owen's life including but not limited to bathroom ghouls, a soul-stealing cat (so basically just a normal cat), and sleepless nights where, if he's not being woken up to loud sloppy make outs, its just the fire alarms blaring because their dorm room is being engulfed in flames.

The books got good bones. The overall story is enjoyable, and not some re-hashed coming out story I've read many times. Talking about the queer experience is very important, of course. But I've read too many stories that just say the same thing, so its nice for a change of pace with representation that doesn't harp too much on what we already know about coming out and the potential family trouble or friend drama that could ensue. It has the representation without making sure the reader knows "I always felt different from the other kids growing up." which I think is a good step towards normalizing this sort of representation. We need more books that treat it like a normal love story just as much as we need the ones that tell us about the struggles that come with the queer identity.

But as much as I liked the overall story, and many of the characters, it was not without some some incredible willpower that it took for me to get through the book in its entirety. I really wanted to like this book more than I did, but there were a few glaring things that hold it back from a perfect rating. For one, Owen is very repetitive in talking about certain plot points, or making sure we know that he DEFINITELY does not like Zar and definitely does NOT want to date him. Most of his decisions made me so annoyed I contemplated not finishing the book for a short time. But I think that comes down to my biggest issue with it: Owen has a reason for many of his decision, and I feel that the book doesn't give that reason the spotlight it deserves in order for the reader to really understand.

Without getting too deep into it, it stems from seeing how people following their dreams, going after something they want with everything they have, can end up leaving them hurt. He's witnessed this, and has seemingly become a bit more jaded in the idea of following one's heart and doing what feels right, rather than doing what seems practical. But this event in his life that affected him so heavily, making him into the person he is, is alluded early on, and then mentioned twice in more detail. The second time is close to the end of the book, and the first time Owen opens up about this event was during a bowling 'date' which was immediately overshadowed by a more attention grabbing confrontation right after. I would have liked to see this scene be more fleshed out and emotional, have more focus on this without being immediately pulled away from it by something else. It explains so much about Owen's character and it doesn't get the attention it deserves.

I finished in seven days, and according to my e-reader, 65% of the book was read today. I was invested, and I wanted to know how the story would end. I had some issues, and at one point in the day I was at my wit's end with Owen and his poor decision making skills, at one point messaging a friend about how infuriating the main character is, stating that, "Bro just needs to get laid by his hot demon roommate". At the time, I wasn't aware that you could still submit feedback for ARC's if you DNF the book, but even still I don't think I would have stopped because I would always wonder what happened. Even with these faults, I still enjoyed the book for the most part.

The story is good, and I realized one thing towards the end of the book that made me rethink my overall ideas of it. Throughout so much of the book, I had this huge knot in my stomach whenever Owen made a bad decision or decided to push down his feelings, whenever there was a will-they-won't-they moment, and I realized that knot in my stomach was only there because the book did overall make me care about the characters and hopeful for a happy ending. A book that makes me feel things for fictional characters on a page and hope that they get to be happy in the end is definitely an effective one.

But I think that, overall, my biggest disappointment was when Zar mentioned his birthday, making me happy that we share a birthday, only for him to rip that happiness away a few paragraphs later when he confesses to lying about it to go first in a board game.

cute YA romance with a novel spin (demon exchange student fake dating boyfriends?) but predictable plot. any conflict in the book felt Not That Serious and quite repetitive over the course of the story, which i think resulted in the chemistry build-up not being quite there; not a slow burn or a rapid falling-in-love but a lukewarm something in the middle. but it was an easy + lighthearted read!

There’s a lot to love about this book. I loved the college setting, the twist on what hell is and how it’s handled, the characters and the honesty that came out of the page. It’s probably one of the better handled romance stories I’ve read in this genre. However, the style and writing of the book failed to rise up to that standard. Despite being about college, it read very juvenile and repetitive, and there were certain sections where I felt like I lost the plot because of an irrelevant side thing that happened. As much as I enjoyed my time, I would give it a three stars.

I loved the concept of this. I really did. And, I did enjoy reading it for the most part! But my god is Owen a fucking doormat. Annoyingly so. And our demon roommate is very annoying at times. You'd think it would be common since to clean up after yourself if you no longer live in a palace? I did however LOVE the concept of demons coming from another dimension and it being a whole science discovery thing. That was something I haven't seen before and enjoyed! Overall, I liked it in the end, I just expected and was hoping for more. Thank you NetGalley for the arc.

My Roommate from Hell is such a fun, fast-paced read that perfectly balances humor, chaos, and heart. Cale Dietrich captures the banter and tension of an unlikely roommate situation with sharp writing and characters you can’t help but adore. The story is filled with witty dialogue, laugh-out-loud moments, and just enough drama to keep the pages turning quickly. Underneath the humor, there’s a real warmth and sincerity that makes the relationships feel authentic. It’s clever, entertaining, and the kind of book that makes you want to recommend it to friends right away.

This book was so fun to read, the main character was so relatable and the relationship was so well written! I’m so glad I got to read this early! Will definitely be recommending it to my friends!


Thank you to net galley and St. Martins Press for the ARC as well as thank you to Cale Dietrich for this amazing story!

I absolutely freaking adored every last second of this book. It was unexpectedly hilarious and Zar and Owen had me kicking my feet and screaming cheering me on the entire time. Oh and Bell the demon kitty! She may not have stolen my soul but she darn sure snatched my heart. I cannot wait to talk about this one on Booksta!

My Roommate From Hell was such a fun surprise! It was so funny! I was laughing out loud, which rarely happens when I read haha. The author, Cale Dietrich delivers a perfect mix of humor, romance, and surprisingly deep themes.

The story follows Owen, a soft, awkward college freshman who ends up rooming with Zarmenus — a literal prince of Hell. While the fantasy elements might sound far-fetched, they blend really well with the emotional layers of the story. The romance between Owen and Zarmenus is a classic opposites-attract, fake-dating trope, and while their relationship starts off a little rocky (with Zarmenus coming off as selfish at times), but their chemistry grows into something sweet and real.
That said, there were moments where the pacing felt a bit off, especially in the beginning when their dynamic was more irritating than romantic and Owens inner monology was a bit much. But by the end, I was completely invested in their relationship and didn’t want the story to end.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this ARC.

Owen’s college life was already not going as planned when he finds out that not only is Zarmenus, the literal prince of Hell, going to his college, but he’s also his new roommate. It wouldn’t be so bad if they got along, but they’re rarely on the same page. When Zar’s activities begin to put the already fragile demon-human relations on the line, Owen finds himself agreeing to pretend to be the prince of Hell’s boyfriend. What will happen when these fake boyfriends begin to develop real feelings?

I was excited to start reading this because enemies to lovers, forced proximity, and fake dating? Sign me up! Unfortunately, I quickly discovered that I didn’t particularly care for Owen, and he’s the narrator of the story, so you can just imagine the kind of pickle I was in. I think I would’ve liked it a lot more if Owen’s narration didn’t go overboard at times. It felt like we were getting a blow by blow narration of every little thing, which made the story drag for me.

That said, I do like that there are some realistic issues thrown in. For example, there’s a lot of issues that could’ve been solved with some basic communication, but these are a bunch of brand new adults at a university and communication isn’t always the first choice. The usual college life shenanigans were also fun to see play out.

All in all, I really wish I enjoyed the book more than I did, but I only made it about halfway through before I gave up. It was getting harder and harder to follow Owen as he seemed to narrate every second. I liked Owen and Zar’s parents, and Zar didn’t seem so bad, but I think that me not liking Owen or his narration put a huge damper on the book. Is this a book for you? It could be! It just wasn’t for me.

3.75 ⭐️

This was a pretty good romance novel, I enjoyed the reading and the characters were pretty likable. At times the book had a bit much info dumping on irrelevant topics for my liking but tbh it wasn't anything crazy and it was perfectly fine to read. I loved the otherwordly appearances we kept getting from random creatures and even though I didn't care about most side characters I think the story was nice. I personally would've loved to see more tension between Owen and Zarmenus and for the resolving of that tension to be more epic in a way, but again, that's personal preference and me being nitpicky and the book is fine as it is.

Overall I liked it a lot and I'm very happy I got invited to review this one!!

Dedication: to Nicholas!
First sentence: the good thing about never getting your hopes up is that you’re rarely surprised.
Last sentence: Hell, yes.

For someone who has written 6 books, you think they’d be good at writing by now.
For someone who mentioned TED LASSO and THE TRAITORS, two things I very much love, in their acknowledgments, you’d think I’d very much love what they wrote.

But I don’t. The only thing good about this book is the book summary I read on Goodreads. Sorry, Cale, your writing reads like a Wattpad romance written by a 19 year old who thinks people’s memories are erased chapter to chapter. Seriously, why do we have a little “oh this just happened” sentence at the beginning of every chapter? I know what just happened. We don’t need to recap the last chapter at the beginning of the next chapter, this isn’t a stupid Netflix reality show.

I don’t need to go on, but I do. These characters are so flat, and had so much room to do something Interesting. THE PRINCE OF HELL?? IS YOUR ROOMMATE?? Be still my beating heart, this is SUCH a GREAT IDEA, and WOW I DESERVED MORE than a OMG I LIKE YOU romance. This is a slow burn that somehow has NO dramatic build-up, NO Thematic tension, and NO cute little work-your-way-up-from-enemies-to-omg-i-like-you moments. Any sort of tension or drama is solved within 3-4 sentences, like in a Wattpad romance.
“Hey [insert friend here], I think I like this guy, what do I do?”
“You should tell him how you feel.”
“Huh, you’re right, thanks friend. I’m going to go call my other friend now”
“Ok thanks, bye.”
“Hey Friend on the Phone, I like this guy. But it’s wrong.”
“Oh no. Tell him how you feel, he deserves to know.”
“Oh ok, that’s a good idea. Bye!”
“Bye!”

And like. That’s it. Truly, madly, deeply, that’s fucking it. I deserved a better book, honestly. Someone take this plot and write a better book because this one is blander than a bland thing that is so bland, it makes me feel bland.
Thanks Netgalley for giving me an advance copy of this book in exchange for my true feelings.

Thanks to Netgalley for an arc copy of this book! Owen is a hard working college freshman who just happens to be roommates with a prince from hell. Despite the demon prince title, Zar, was anything but evil! I adored the dynamic between the two main characters. The fake dating was brilliant, sweet, and not at all fake! Both Owen and Zar are very likeable characters. I rooted for them and loved their individual and joint growth throughout the book. I would love to read more about them!

A really fun concept with some cute moments, but the pacing in this book 😬 it’s definitely a SLOW burn.

“He is chaos, I am order. We make no sense.” I loooooove an opposites attract, light enemies to lovers, love story. This is definitely a YA romance where the most sinful “spice” is a shirtless demon and a few steamy kisses. 😘

My Roommate From Hell was such a cute premise, a queer demon/devil college exchange student meets Owen, a type-a queer boy. It was so easy to enjoy this story, especially the cutie little demon cat. 🐈 Truly, where can I get one of those?! Uuughhhhh.

Anyways, an adorable story peppered with a tiny bit of Hell Fantasy and a shocking amount of LGBTQ+ community members!

Thank you Wednesday Books and NetGalley for this ARC!

Thank you to NetGalley for the chance to read this book. My Roommate from hell was a funny walk down memory lane for me filled with all the best tropes. Only one bed is actually only one dorm room, Fake dating to pull one over on people is glorious! The growth of characters was believable and adorable at times. The complications of rooming someone and trying to communicate needs and expectations in adult ways is 100% believable.

I would definitely recommend this to anyone who wants a cute cozy read as well as a walk down college memory lane. It's also. A great book for teens to see a glimpse of what college roommates and friend life can be. As well as the growth, the nerves of trying to communicate and the disbelief of people liking you.

10/10 can't wait to read this again.

Thanks to Net galley and the publishers for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I really liked this one, it was a lot of fun to see the two fall in love. There were a lot of funny scenes, and I especially liked all of the odd things that happened. But I also liked the depth to it of figuring out just how far you would go. This was a fun read.

You’ll know almost instantly if this one is for you - the first chapter will either hook or repel you. If you're looking for a light & entertaining read, this is a great option. It's not all fluff, but it is good-humored through its darker moments (which makes the angst much easier to digest). There are certainly clichés employed a few times, and the writing style can't be called "sophisticated" (whatever that means), but it is FUN.

Owen is incredibly relatable to those with social anxiety and low self-esteem. It was easy to see pieces of myself in him, and the author leans into that connection. He put him in situations that would no doubt terrify any anxious person - swarms of paparazzi, parties where you're not sure you're welcome, and the unforgettable experience of your roommate getting frisky in your dorm. When Owen flies up that emotional rollercoaster, you're strapped in beside him - including for the drop, however awful that may be. That shared emotional state brings out the nuances of his character and makes the storyline that much more captivating.

Zar, on the other hand, is a classic case of first impressions gone wrong. Initially, he seems like a selfish, party-loving demon with little regard for others. As the story moves forward, the reader gains insights that change that perspective; however disruptive his actions may be, they come from a good place. The added complexity to his character makes his relationship with Owen and human society in general more compelling. Basically: if you stick with it, you'll grow to love him.

Overall, this book is a great time. It's a nice, casual read that balances humor, emotion, and just enough supernatural elements for dynamic world building. If you're in the mood for a story that's both entertaining and emotionally resonant, give it a try.

This book was such a cute, funny, and sweet story. I loved each and every character in this book, and I also loved how original the plot was. I didn't feel like I was reading just another copy and paste romance story. There were moments in this story that had me actually giggling out loud and I was just so obsessed with it.

From page one, My Roommate from Hell was laugh out loud funny. Owen's roommate, Zarmenus, just so happens to be the prince of Hell, which also happens to exist thanks to its discovery by this world's scientists. Hijinks ensure as these two young men, the complete opposite of one another, start off as enemies and become lovers.

Dietrich knows how to create emotional, lovable characters, and Owen and Zarmenus are perfect foils to each other. Adding in the complex themes of acceptance, prejudice, and authenticity, Dietrich has created a beautiful YA novel that can resonate even with those outside of the queer community.

Thank you to NetGalley and to the publisher for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.