Quick Synopsis – Owen is not going to college to have fun. The last thing he needs is to have a loud, obnoxious, and infuriatingly hot roommate. Especially since said roommate just so happens to be the prince of hell.

Prince Zarmenus has come to Point University for the first-ever Earth/hell exchange program, and he’s determined to make the most of it. Sparks fly (literally) as Owen and Zar clash, but Zar’s actions threaten to not only ruin Owen’s peaceful college life, but demon-human relations as well. To clean up his image, he asks Owen to be his fake boyfriend and teach him how to be a better human.

A deal is struck, and the two start pretending to be in a relationship where they each have agendas of their own.

Song This Reminds Me Of – Supernatural by Barns Courtney

Publication Date – Nov. 11, 2025

Bookshop Link – My Roommate from Hell by Cale Dietrich

Content Notes – This is a young adult novel and there is no real sexual content beyond kissing. There is a teen pregnancy, xenophobia, religious zealots, and some light horror elements.

Rating – ⭐⭐⭐out of 5

Review – This is a really cute book staring a slightly oblivious Owen and a demon from hell Zarmenus. In this version of Earth, Hell is another dimension that scientists are able to build a portal to. It’s not really a place where the souls of sinners go, but an entirely different plane of existence. Owen is just a normal human who is excited to go to college, graduate, get a good job, and be financially secure. All that is thrown into chaos when he shows up to college and learns his roommate is actually a Prince of Hell. It turns out that there is an exchange program between Earth and Hell to strengthen human and demon relations.

This is a fun book that really focuses on coming out of your shell and exploring new things. Zarmenus is a fun character, and I liked watching him evolve. At first impression it seems like he’s a party boy, but the more you get to know the character the more you see his vulnerability. Owen is similar, he starts off as being a slightly introverted person with low self-esteem. Throughout the book he really starts to gain more faith in himself and confidence. Which isn’t that what your freshman year of college is for any way?

The two biggest issues I had with this book were the time and place. I couldn’t figure out where in the USA this book was supposed to take place. I thought that maybe Owen was from California, but the college was impossible to determine. I also couldn’t tell when this was taking place. The book says it starts at first semester and that Zarmenus will only be there one semester. But there are several times where the book references the weather getting warmer like it’s going into spring. I know that is me being nitpicky, but it really bothered me.

It you’re looking for a cute rom com with opposites attract, I’d recommend this book.

Thanks to NetGalley and St Martin’s Press – Wednesday Books for the advanced copy. All opinions are my own.