Tag: romance

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My Roommate From Hell by Cale Dietrich – Review

A swoon-worthy YA rom com about an ambitious college student whose plans get derailed when he discovers his roommate is the prince of hell.

Owen is not going to college to have fun. Nothing is going to stop him from achieving his goals: study hard, get a good job, and set himself up for the rest of his life. 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. Which may or may not include wild parties, bringing in random boys to his and Owen’s room, and accidentally setting Owen’s furniture on fire. 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 in exchange for an internship that will secure Owen’s future. That, and Zar will consider being a better roommate.

A deal is struck, and the two start pretending to be in a relationship where they each have agendas of their own. Only Owen has a secret―dating his mortal enemy, even if it’s fake, is the most fun he’s ever had.

Charming and fun, My Roommate from Hell is a rom com with a magical twist. Think just one bed, but that bed is in hell, surrounded by fire and brimstone.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Wednesday Books for the eARC of this deeply unique and fiery romance! I was immediately drawn to the cover and the clear divide between the two main characters. When I read the synopsis, I noticed that our protagonist was named Owen; which just happens to be my nephew’s name. I kept getting more and more excited, and when I saw that the overarching trope was ‘fake dating’, I knew this was going to be the book for me. It absolutely did not disappoint! I fell head over heels for both Owen and Zarmenus, and I could not get enough of the Will They, Won’t They from the very first chapter. Not to mention the way that the author was able to create a reality in which Hell is real and devils were (mostly) welcome on earth.

We start with Owen, who is going to college without the presence of his best friend. Feeling totally out of sorts, he hopes he will be able to make friends easily and pursue his dreams at the same time. He is surprised, however, by a living situation he did not expect. When he walks into his dorm room, he is met with the Prince of Hell himself. Owen is wary of Zarmenus but decides to give him a chance, and it goes about was well as you might expect– at least at first. Zarmenus is totally unused to not only normal human life, but also to taking care of himself in any way. From rubbish around the room to a ghoul in the bathroom… it’s a living nightmare. Owen almost gives up, but then a twist of fate brings the two into a mutual agreement to act as boyfriends; one that changes not only their lives, but the world at large.

What I loved about this book more than anything is how tight and genuine the narrative is. With a fake dating romance, there is usually a lot of miscommunication and hurt feelings, and that gets really grating to read. However, the author here has taken that miscommunication and given the characters the ability to talk and work out their problems before the situation escalates to an unbelievable level. Of course, I was also smitten by the flourishing relationship between Owen and Zarmenus, the long distance friendship between Owen and Ashley, and the view of a college life I never allowed myself to have. This was such a cozy, lighthearted, and meaningful read. I very much recommend that YA romance lovers take in this novel and lose themselves in the heat of the moment.

5/5 stars

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The Rebel’s Guide to Pride by Matthew Hubbard – Review

When the mayor of a small Alabama town starts targeting Pride events, bad boy Zeke begins hosting a series of “Pride Speakeasies” in this joyful queer coming-of-age!

There’s nothing Zeke Chapman wants more than to tarnish the perfect reputation his father is so obsessed with. He quit the baseball team, started fighting at school, and nearly flunked junior year. Newly out as gay, Zeke isn’t sure where his queer identity fits in with his bad-boy persona. His father has always told him to stay quiet and not attract attention, but his friends are pushing him to be just as out and proud as they are. Most days, Zeke isn’t sure how to be a “good gay” or what that even means.

When his best friend, Sawyer, begs him to help the QSA plan Pride Day, he obliges—mostly to piss his dad off. But then the mayor announces an ordinance that cancels all LGBTQ+ celebrations. Angered by the injustice—and his father’s support of it—Zeke decides to put his rebellious ways to good use and plans a series of underground “Pride Speakeasies”.

As the speakeasies grow, and the community comes together to declare him “King of Pride”, Zeke finally feels like he’s doing something that matters. But friendship drama, a mysterious cyber-crush, and rising tension with his rival and ex Cohen “Coco” Fisher threaten to undermine his newfound pride. When his final party ends in near-disaster, Zeke must ask himself what he’s really trying to do. After all, there’s a reason that the first pride was a riot.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Delacorte Press for the early copy of Hubbard’s sophomore novel! I had the opportunity to read and review his debut as well (which I loved) and I can confidently say that this author has yet another success on his hands. With plenty of hope to share in a tumultuous time— both in between the pages and outside of the novel itself— The Rebel’s Guide to Pride is a rallying cry to all of us who are saddened and scared by the current state of the world. It teaches us how to be brave and bold and exist outside of the box that ‘powerful’ people, our own families, or even we ourselves try to shove us in.

We follow Zeke (formerly Anthony) Chapman as he navigates his way through his parents’ messy divorce. Losing his father means gaining the ability to be himself for the first time… and it feels daunting. How can he be a ‘good gay’ when he has kept his true self in a shoebox for most of his young life? He tries to follow in the footsteps of his best friend, Sawyer, who has been out and proud for years. What he learns, however, is that pride is something you must instill within yourself.

A wrench is thrown in the gears of this process as the mayor of Zeke’s small Alabama town starts the ‘Family First’ initiative that will, at least outwardly, silence the thriving LGBTQ+ community of Beggs. Zeke has two choices— lay down and be shoved back into the strange shape he became trying to fit in, or to raise his voice and inspire the gays and allies around him to do the same. When he chooses the latter, he not only finds the courage to become more than the Zasshole he was, but also falls into and explores relationships that threaten to change his life forever.

As a pansexual woman who came out later in life, I both relate to and envy Zeke. I know what it’s like to be stuffed into a category that does not fit me, and how an outwardly disapproving father can absolutely tear you down and leave you in a state of perpetual imposter syndrome. I also wish I had been able to be myself at a young age with the support system I have now. Like Zeke, I have my mom, my friends, and the beautiful likeminded people of my community. Even so, we are in a state of emergency with our current administration. So the love that I feel is quickly being overrun by hate, but it’s works like Hubbard’s that gives me hope for the future. I will hold on to Zeke’s story as a light in the dark.

5/5 stars