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.

3.75 Stars

Pros:
- I really enjoyed the unique things that happened around them because he was from hell. I really enjoyed all the scenes where something weird was happening, especially the ghouls.
- The characters were all very likeable.

Cons:
- I was, unfortunately, a little bored. It took me a while to get through it. if the characters weren't so likeable, I think it would have been hard to be motivated to continue. I think for such a wild premise, so much could have happened, but nothing really did. Even the one moment of high stakes drama was quickly over. The book went on quite long for how little actually happened.

I would suggest this to someone who enjoys slower burns/casual build ups. Or someone looking for something a bit more silly.

3.9/5 ⭐️
Publishing: Nov 11th, 2025
YA
Thank you St. Martins Press & Netgalley for this e-ARC

Queer
College roommates
Fake dating
Opposites Attract
building self confidence

Soiler Free Review-
This is such a fun read! The relationship between the 2 MMC’s is so “angsty teenager”. The two learn what is actually important and how to successfully communicate with each other.
This is such a fun twist of some really popular tropes and I had such a fun time reading it! There was some good character growth and the book is just what I expected from a teenage romance.

I found this book to be an enjoyable read. The story kept me engaged from start to finish and had some moments that really stood out. Overall, it offered an entertaining reading experience.

This was sooooo repetitive. Like my goodness we get it. I didn’t like this. I do like this author. But this was a miss for me.

Thank you to Cale Dietrich, Wednesday Books, and Netgalley for allowing me to read this in exchange for an honest review (unpaid).

A truly unique twist on the royal-commoner and oh my god they were roommates trope 🧡

Sometimes you want to read a romance novel that is cute and low impact and fun. This will fit that bill. It will make no real demands from you, except that you are able to tolerate people not talking about feelings and making their own problems when talking about them would help.

The mysterious nature of the best friend's pregnancy progression was baffling to this midwife. As was the nature of the seasonal change going from cold to warm, if this was supposed to be the first semester of an American college. Neither of these things really matters to the escapism of the novel, however.

When Owen arrives for move in day for his first year of college, he finds that his roommate has been switched, and he is now living with the prince of hell. After demons have revealed themselves as real life characters, humans and demons are working to create a symbiotic relationship where humans understand that demons are not innately evil. When Owen is offered the internship of his dreams if he can play nice with the prince of hell, he is motivated to overlook his roommate's messiness, lack of social cues and disrespect for a shared space. And when the prince of hell needs to clean up their image, there is only one choice for he and Owen. The prince will be a better roommate, and Owen will pretend to be his boyfriend.

Rating: 2.5 stars
Spice: Kisses only

Tropes:
Forced Proximity
Fake Dating

Triggers:
Bad Roommate
Religious Fanatics
Peer Pressure

My thoughts:
Usually if I finish a book, it is automatically three stars, but I just cannot give this one three-star credit. The pacing was off (they didnt start fake dating until 50% through the book), there are tons of loose ends, and a character that really either does not need to be in the book or needs further development. I found the plot to be forced in a lot of ways - the fake dating where the MMC suddenly is no longer a f^ck boy, a religious cult that disbands in just a few pages, and the MMC just changing his parent's mind with just one statement. And what happened to the ghouls and the haunted doll? They were a captivating part of the story that you learn nothing more about. Also, the pregnant best friend? Why was she in this book? She is 18 and is cool with not being able to go to college and completely changing her life course. It is just not believable that a person that age would not be having some sort of existential crisis. I would have loved to see the conflict with what was going on with her life. The character fell flat and was only there to give advice. She could have been left out of the book entirely.

Was I rooting for Owen and Zar? Yep! Did they have some great angst and hilarious moments? Also, yes! I just wish the other elements of the plot were fully developed, as this book had tons of potential.

Owen arrives at Point University, full of hope and dreams and determined to study hard and get a good job. When he discovers his roommate happens to be the prince of hell, Owen becomes anxious.

Prince Zarmenus, is here at the University as part of first Earth-Hell exchange program, he has been sent to maintain a good releations between demons and humans. But his behavior frustrates Owen, Zar plays video games without headphones, invites random boys into their room and accidently sets room on fire.

When the Dean offers Owen a dream internship on the condition that he befriends Zarmenus and upholds the image of good human and demon relationship. Owen agrees, he tries to make Zarmenus understand the situation. But Zar repeatedly makes mistakes and not only that he asks Owen to be his fake boyfriend.

They make a deal, which means everyone in the campus and the media will know about the relationship. Owen now has to balance his studies and manage his relationship with Zar. His feelings for Zar begins to change, can a fake relationship become something real?

My roommate from Hell is lighthearted and fun read.

This book exceeded my expectations! I loved the premise of this book especially as a college student (who also did not have the best freshman year roommate) it was very relatable. The book did start a little slow for me but around halfway I was obsessed! I loved both of the main characters though I did think we heard just a bit too much of Owen's inner dialogue. Their relationship was so cute, I am a sucker for fake dating! I would recommend this book to anyone looking for a cute, funny, wholesome YA rom-com!

I decided to not finish this book after reading through to the 25% mark. I believe this could be a fun read, but it should be marketed to a specific audience. It is a YA book but the writing and plot set up comes off more middle grade.

I know this is a romance book, but 25% of the way into the book and I can’t see any real chemistry between the two main characters and I’m not itching for it to pick up between them either. Truthfully, all I can sense is that they don’t connect well and are inconsiderate of each other. My rating doesn’t have anything to do with this, but a miscommunication trope is not a great plot device to raise stakes.

I do really love the concept of the story and the idea, but feel I’m not the right audience for the way it is being told. I can see it easily being a 5 star book for another reader. I would recommend this book to someone that is looking for a light, LGBTQ+, college romance. The cover is beautiful!

this book?? so funny i was actually laughing out loud by page one 😭 my roommate from hell came into my life at the perfect time 🥹

it’s a ya romcom with fantasy vibes & it’s honestly one of the most entertaining reads i’ve picked up in a WHILE. we follow owen as he heads off to college and finds out his roommate is LITERALLY the prince of hell and not like “haha i’m so evil” NO, like actual prince of hell 😭 the worldbuilding was really clever, scientists just recently discovered hell exists & NOW!! everyone’s trying to figure out how to live with that knowledge. this book manages to be hilarious but still say something real about acceptance, identity & breaking down prejudice 🩷

it also has fake dating ( my fav ), enemies to lovers, opposites attract, amazing chemistry & one roommate who is loud & chaotic while the other is soft, awkward & just wants to study 🫶 we love a good grumpy sunshine dynamic!! the romance gave me literal butterflies and i even teared up at the end because i didn’t want it to be over 🥲

also shoutout to the way it handled shifting dreams, growing up & learning how to let go of what you thought your future was gonna look like. that hit harder than i expected tbh and was extremely relatable! 🥹

this was such a chaotic, heartfelt, surprisingly deep story that still made me laugh & swoon. please give it a chance 🫶🖤

thank you netgalley for the arc! 💌

Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read this Arc!

In Cale Dietrich’s novel "My Roommate from Hell," readers are in for a fun time. Owen is starting college, hoping to dedicate himself fully to his studies in order to succeed in the tech industry. However, his roommate, Zarmenus, is the prince of Hell.

The story begins on a rocky note for the roommates, introducing an enemies-to-lovers dynamic. Throughout the book, there is also a fake dating trope. The beginning is engaging and holds your attention. However, I feel that the ending wraps up too quickly and easily. While it concludes with a happily ever after something I'm generally fine with. I just wish it hadn’t rushed to get there. Overall, it was a quick and enjoyable read.

Maybe I just started college during covid but for the love of whatever you believe in, hooking up with a non-consenting party in the room, AKA a sleeping roommate, is sexual harassment. That needed to be stated on the page and it was not. I read those scenes as going beyond just making out but maybe not fully having sex.
If you find yourself in that situation you need to tell your Resident Advisor (who should have been a character really) and report the Dean for making you feel like you have to put up with sexual harassment for an internship. Young Adult books have a responsibility to call bad behavior out and this was not called out well enough at all.

Anyways, I was really thrown off by the book reading like the semester started in January? It really read like it was a spring semester which is weird for a first semester at college and I feel like I missed an explanation.
I wanted more exploration of what Hell actually is and more subplots about the weird things Zaramenus attracted. The doll, tentacle monster, and the eye could have been a bigger deal.
Bell eating Owen in a dream was cool. Honestly, I could have used more Bell. She was an under utilized side character.
Speaking of side characters, Ashely and Jackson’s visit could have been a video call and it didn’t do much for Ashley’s character arc (or lack thereof).
ALSO, what college even has alcohol as an option for even students over 21 at an office event?
This book also came really close to having an interesting take on religion but ultimately did nothing. Why was Zarmenus’s mother named Listeria if they had no contact with Earth before the book started?

What did I like? Well it was compulsively readable and the premise was interesting. I think the story telling fell flat and I thought I was getting more of a horror romance than a romcom. I might have enjoyed this more if it was shorter. Ultimately I was so thrown off by Zarmenus’ behavior in the first half, that there was little chance of recovery for me.

Thank you St. Martin’s Press and Wednesday Books for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Reading My Roommate from Hell by Cale Dietrich was like stepping into a chaotic, fiery whirlwind of laughter, heart, and slow-burn romance. From the moment Owen meets Prince Zarmenus, his new roommate who just happens to be the literal prince of hell, the story bursts with comedic tension and magical mayhem. I was instantly drawn to the opposites-attract dynamic: Owen, the uptight overachiever with a five-year plan, and Zar, the chaotic demon royal who thinks "college life" means nonstop parties and casual infernos. Their clashing personalities had me laughing out loud, and every interaction was filled with energy, wit, and undeniable chemistry.
What truly made the story shine, though, was how much heart it packed beneath all the banter and brimstone. Watching Owen and Zar evolve, from enemies to reluctant allies to something much more, was deeply satisfying. Their fake dating arrangement starts off as a strategic bargain, but slowly unravels into something real, filled with vulnerability, acceptance, and warmth. The supernatural setting added a fun twist, but it never overshadowed the emotional depth of the characters. My Roommate from Hell is pure rom-com magic with a demonic edge, a delightfully fiery read that had me grinning, swooning, and wishing for just one more chapter.

I'd like to start by thanking NetGalley, Wednesday Books, and Cale Dietrich for an e-ARC of "My Roommate from Hell." This was such a cute and funny book, I absolutely loved it. I can see this being the perfect read for fall/Halloween.

Moving away and going to college is always daunting, especially when you won't have your best friend at your side like you've always planned. Add on the fact that on move-in day, you find out you've swapped roommates. The guy you've spent the summer getting to know is no longer the person you'll be sharing your room with. Instead, your new roommate is loud, messy, and always hooking up. Can't get any worse than that, right? Wrong. He's also the Prince of Hell, a literal demon, and with that comes even more troubles, like the ghouls in the bathroom. Luckily, Owen is a very dedicated person. He wants to impress the Dean and secure an internship at Google, so he'll do anything he can to prove that demons and humans can coexist.

This book was very flirty and fun while also being chaotic in the best way. I truly loved it.

Overall, 4/5 stars.

Thank you Wednesday Books and Netgalley for this eARC, these opinions are my own. Owen was so excited to start college far from home with his best friend, but her plans changed because she is pregnant. Now on his own he feels guilty for getting to have the experience they were both so excited for. And things become even more complicated when his roommate turns out to be a Prince but not just any Prince the Prince of Hell. You see humans had discovered another dimension that led to Hell. An exchange system was quickly set up and now Prince Zarmenus is here for a semester to show humans that demons are not what they have always been depicted to be. Owen can handle this however Zarmenus is the worst roommate, he never cleans, has odd things continuously happen, and brings hook up after hook up to their room. But he’s also incredibly sweet and funny. And then when a scandal breaks he’ll cut a deal with Owen to pretend to be boyfriends. Zarmenus will get his parents off his back and Owen gets a better roommate. But what does Owen do if he soon learns is feelings for Zarmenus may be stronger then he thought? Could the Prince of Hell like an ordinary human like him back? To make it all more complicated they have to deal with cultists who don’t want demons on Earth. An incredibly enjoyable book! Lighthearted, charming, and funny! Cale Dietrich always creates a wonderful reading experience that I very much enjoy!!

3.5 stars
This is one of the most mediocre books I've read. When I first read the description I was so excited for this. The concept is amazing and I was really interested. But when I actually got to read the book, I expected... more. More intensity, more emotion, more character. My main problem was that I couldn't care about the characters as much as I wanted to. In some shallow level I could feel for Owen, but about Zarmenus I couldn't care less. That's why it was hard to care about their relationship, Zarmenus's troubles and just plain hard to finish this book.
I think if you are bored of a traditional contemporary novel and want something to spice it up a little, this romance with a portal fantasy backdrop is a great story for you.
Unfortunately it just wasn't for me.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the Publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The first half of this book was super silly and fun but as the book went on I just found the side plots really anticlimactic (the golden sun) and the side characters underdeveloped. I also found it annoying how oblivious Owen was.