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A Practical Guide to Dating a Demon
Not yet published
Expected 3 Feb 26A student finds herself accidentally betrothed to a demon—and investigating his connection to the magical irregularities plaguing her city—in this cozy, whimsical YA romantasy.
As a scholarship student at the magical Lyceum, Naomi would rather focus on deciphering ancient scrolls than dating. Especially since the only boys asking her out are less interested in a night in Naomi’s company than an introduction to her influential aunt.
So Naomi devises an excuse to turn down her persistent suitors: She claims to be betrothed to a demon.
Her story works perfectly. Until she arrives home one night and finds the demon Daziel lounging in her rooms, insisting he’s her betrothed. Naomi knows he’s lying—after all, the betrothal was never real—but the gorgeous and infuriating demon is surprisingly resistant to her banishing spells. And with his penchant for baking and home décor, it’s not so bad having him around.
Besides, she has bigger worries—like the ancient scroll she’s trying to translate, and the way the city’s magic has become suddenly unstable. But the more Naomi learns about the scroll, and the more she gets to know Daziel, the more it seems like she might be at the center of something bigger than she could have imagined.
As a scholarship student at the magical Lyceum, Naomi would rather focus on deciphering ancient scrolls than dating. Especially since the only boys asking her out are less interested in a night in Naomi’s company than an introduction to her influential aunt.
So Naomi devises an excuse to turn down her persistent suitors: She claims to be betrothed to a demon.
Her story works perfectly. Until she arrives home one night and finds the demon Daziel lounging in her rooms, insisting he’s her betrothed. Naomi knows he’s lying—after all, the betrothal was never real—but the gorgeous and infuriating demon is surprisingly resistant to her banishing spells. And with his penchant for baking and home décor, it’s not so bad having him around.
Besides, she has bigger worries—like the ancient scroll she’s trying to translate, and the way the city’s magic has become suddenly unstable. But the more Naomi learns about the scroll, and the more she gets to know Daziel, the more it seems like she might be at the center of something bigger than she could have imagined.
352 pages, Paperback
Expected publication February 3, 2026
6 people are currently reading
7165 people want to read
About the author
Hannah Reynolds
8 books266 followersHi everyone! I'm Hannah Reynolds, the author of A PRACTICAL GUIDE TO DATING A DEMON, a cozy romantasy out Spring 2026. I'm also the author of the GOLDEN DOORS series, three contemporary romances filled with family secrets and history set on the New England island of Nantucket.
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Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews
January 21, 2025
Hi! I'm Hannah, the author of A PRACTICAL GUIDE TO DATING A DEMON. I wanted to give you a behind-the-scenes peek at the book and a little more insight on what it's about!
😈 A demon romance
📜 Ancient scrolls
🏛️ An academy for spell writing
🌬️ Magic winds
🌺 A stunning river city
I grew up reading cozy fantasy novels like HOWL'S MOVING CASTLE and DEALING WITH DRAGONS; Robin McKinley and Sharon Shinn. These were whimsical, romantic stories with strong heroines who made their own way in the world, saved the day, and also happened to fall in love. Reading them felt like coming home. I wanted to write a book infused with the same sense of joy as these childhood favorites, filled with humor, charm, and romance.
I love books about princesses and girls with special magic, but here I wanted to write about an ordinary girl from an ordinary village. What Naomi does have is drive and determination. That's what brings her from her home on the high plains to a sprawling riverine city on the other side of the country, to attend the fabled Lyceum, which teaches spellwriting at it's five different schools. Accepted into the School of Humanities, Naomi dreams of deciphering newly discovered ancient scrolls written in a forgotten tongue.
The only person Naomi knows in the river city is her slightly estranged aunt, a politician on the grand council. Students at the School of Government will do anything to meet a council member, including asking Naomi out over and over. Which is why she starts telling everyone she's betrothed to a demon. A great excuse, until she returns to her dorm one day and finds a handsome, mischievous demon with onyx black eyes and knife-sharp talons waiting for her.
A demon insisting they're betrothed and following her to classes, the pub, and her aunt's house isn't even the strangest thing in the city of Talum: the magic is off. The winds are strong and growing stronger, storms break at any moment, rain sings minor melodies, and all the birds have left the city. At first, Naomi is too busy with her friends, studies, and her annoying demon betrothed to care, but soon the winds start to demand her attention…
The city of Talum is modeled off of Provencal France, which was an absolute delight to research: thick sandstone buildings to protect against the strong winds; there are grand Belle Époque plazas and winding streets packed with bookshops and cafes. Golden light, cypress trees, lavender hedges, bright bougainvillea tumbling over stone walls. The time period is inspired by the turn of the (last!) century, with carriages both horse driven and powered by magic — but here women attend university, wear trousers, and hold positions of power. Jewish mythology, from ideas about demons to beasts of legend, are woven into the tale.
Writing A PRACTICAL GUIDE TO DATING A DEMON was pure fun. The demon is vain and arrogant and adventurous, and, when push comes to shove, loyal and brave. Naomi is practical and a little grumpy and ambitious and, secretly, a romantic. I'm a romance author above all else, and I hope this love story, set in a windswept city rich in magic, brings you as much happiness as crafting it brought me.
😈 A demon romance
📜 Ancient scrolls
🏛️ An academy for spell writing
🌬️ Magic winds
🌺 A stunning river city
I grew up reading cozy fantasy novels like HOWL'S MOVING CASTLE and DEALING WITH DRAGONS; Robin McKinley and Sharon Shinn. These were whimsical, romantic stories with strong heroines who made their own way in the world, saved the day, and also happened to fall in love. Reading them felt like coming home. I wanted to write a book infused with the same sense of joy as these childhood favorites, filled with humor, charm, and romance.
I love books about princesses and girls with special magic, but here I wanted to write about an ordinary girl from an ordinary village. What Naomi does have is drive and determination. That's what brings her from her home on the high plains to a sprawling riverine city on the other side of the country, to attend the fabled Lyceum, which teaches spellwriting at it's five different schools. Accepted into the School of Humanities, Naomi dreams of deciphering newly discovered ancient scrolls written in a forgotten tongue.
The only person Naomi knows in the river city is her slightly estranged aunt, a politician on the grand council. Students at the School of Government will do anything to meet a council member, including asking Naomi out over and over. Which is why she starts telling everyone she's betrothed to a demon. A great excuse, until she returns to her dorm one day and finds a handsome, mischievous demon with onyx black eyes and knife-sharp talons waiting for her.
A demon insisting they're betrothed and following her to classes, the pub, and her aunt's house isn't even the strangest thing in the city of Talum: the magic is off. The winds are strong and growing stronger, storms break at any moment, rain sings minor melodies, and all the birds have left the city. At first, Naomi is too busy with her friends, studies, and her annoying demon betrothed to care, but soon the winds start to demand her attention…
The city of Talum is modeled off of Provencal France, which was an absolute delight to research: thick sandstone buildings to protect against the strong winds; there are grand Belle Époque plazas and winding streets packed with bookshops and cafes. Golden light, cypress trees, lavender hedges, bright bougainvillea tumbling over stone walls. The time period is inspired by the turn of the (last!) century, with carriages both horse driven and powered by magic — but here women attend university, wear trousers, and hold positions of power. Jewish mythology, from ideas about demons to beasts of legend, are woven into the tale.
Writing A PRACTICAL GUIDE TO DATING A DEMON was pure fun. The demon is vain and arrogant and adventurous, and, when push comes to shove, loyal and brave. Naomi is practical and a little grumpy and ambitious and, secretly, a romantic. I'm a romance author above all else, and I hope this love story, set in a windswept city rich in magic, brings you as much happiness as crafting it brought me.
Want to read
November 9, 2025pre-read notes:
Got the ARC! ✨ I’m sorry you had me at ‘if you like howl’s moving castle’. I simply HAD to have this 🤭😩
Got the ARC! ✨ I’m sorry you had me at ‘if you like howl’s moving castle’. I simply HAD to have this 🤭😩
Want to read
May 19, 2025"A cozy romantasy in which a magic academy student deters unwanted suitors by telling them she's betrothed to a demon—only to return home and find a demon waiting for her, insisting she honor the engagement, and the city's increasingly unpredictable magic means she might have bigger problems"
November 17, 2025
First off, thank you so much for the ARC! It was much appreciated, and I'm so thankful for the opportunity.
This book was such a fun read, and one that made me have plenty of little squeals and squirms while these two cutie pies navigated their feelings & also the secrets they were both keeping.
I'm making it a spoiler because I will be discussing the ending, and the twists, yes plural, as our lovely MMC was holding a lot of secrets. First and foremost, his name. While I think it's cute that to him he is Daziel to Naomi, that isn't his name. So once Naomi found that out and she continued to call him Daz, I found that a tad off putting.
Next, I thought this book was a standalone - it was not. This book is book 1 of hopefully only a duology? However I saw no indication of that anywhere, in the marketing or anywhere else. So for this giant cliffhanger of Daz being the crown prince of the not demons (I forget the other name I'm sorry!) and him having to leave was upsetting.
Now, the annoying bits aside, I want to discuss the bits I loved:
The found family, friendship, and world building!! I never felt like I was being given too much information regarding this world, everything was seamless and while there was some aspects of the Shayd's (I remembered!) magic I didn't get, I felt that made sense since Naomi didn't know either. However, the passive racism towards the Shayds was sad to see, but poignant. It demonstrated that no matter if it's fantasy, or real life, hate comes from what you don't know.
As the story progressed I found there were bits that would happen, and then not mentioned again, an example being Dez's upset over his ring being touched in the beginning, and then the story pivoting back to it when it became relavent. To me, it showed that the author truly thought out the story, and didn't leave anything to be filler.
The puzzle piece aspect of discovering the clues "Ziz" and more, I'm not a puzzle type of person, but I felt excited to discover the pieces too!! It was spellbinding.
To say that my only qualm was the lack of realization of it not being a standalone & Daz's secrets, I enjoyed this book heavily and WILL be reading book 2!
This book was such a fun read, and one that made me have plenty of little squeals and squirms while these two cutie pies navigated their feelings & also the secrets they were both keeping.
I'm making it a spoiler because I will be discussing the ending, and the twists, yes plural, as our lovely MMC was holding a lot of secrets. First and foremost, his name. While I think it's cute that to him he is Daziel to Naomi, that isn't his name. So once Naomi found that out and she continued to call him Daz, I found that a tad off putting.
Next, I thought this book was a standalone - it was not. This book is book 1 of hopefully only a duology? However I saw no indication of that anywhere, in the marketing or anywhere else. So for this giant cliffhanger of Daz being the crown prince of the not demons (I forget the other name I'm sorry!) and him having to leave was upsetting.
Now, the annoying bits aside, I want to discuss the bits I loved:
The found family, friendship, and world building!! I never felt like I was being given too much information regarding this world, everything was seamless and while there was some aspects of the Shayd's (I remembered!) magic I didn't get, I felt that made sense since Naomi didn't know either. However, the passive racism towards the Shayds was sad to see, but poignant. It demonstrated that no matter if it's fantasy, or real life, hate comes from what you don't know.
As the story progressed I found there were bits that would happen, and then not mentioned again, an example being Dez's upset over his ring being touched in the beginning, and then the story pivoting back to it when it became relavent. To me, it showed that the author truly thought out the story, and didn't leave anything to be filler.
The puzzle piece aspect of discovering the clues "Ziz" and more, I'm not a puzzle type of person, but I felt excited to discover the pieces too!! It was spellbinding.
To say that my only qualm was the lack of realization of it not being a standalone & Daz's secrets, I enjoyed this book heavily and WILL be reading book 2!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 25, 2025
⭐⭐⭐⭐ | 4 stars
The story follows Naomi, a student who finds herself accidentally bethrothed to a demon after she invokes his name as an excuse to avoid going on dates with her classmates. When he shows up, they begin investigating his connection to the magical irregularities plaguing her city.
This story is whimsical and romantic. I really enjoyed how the relationship between Noami and Daziel developed, and the innocence of it. Naomi's character growth is fantastic throughout the story, and I loved seeing how that impacted her relationship with her peers, too. I also really enjoyed how the worlds of academia and court politics interacted with eachother.
The worldbuilding was not as fleshed out as I typically hope for, but it didn't detract from the story for me. I'm not sure if this is the start of a series, but I really hope it is as the ending lacked resolution for me and I'd love to learn more about the world and magic system.
Overall, this was a super sweet and cozy YA romantasy and I will definitely read more of this story and this author's works!
Thank you so much to Penguin Teen and G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers for the advance copy in exchange for my honest review!
The story follows Naomi, a student who finds herself accidentally bethrothed to a demon after she invokes his name as an excuse to avoid going on dates with her classmates. When he shows up, they begin investigating his connection to the magical irregularities plaguing her city.
This story is whimsical and romantic. I really enjoyed how the relationship between Noami and Daziel developed, and the innocence of it. Naomi's character growth is fantastic throughout the story, and I loved seeing how that impacted her relationship with her peers, too. I also really enjoyed how the worlds of academia and court politics interacted with eachother.
The worldbuilding was not as fleshed out as I typically hope for, but it didn't detract from the story for me. I'm not sure if this is the start of a series, but I really hope it is as the ending lacked resolution for me and I'd love to learn more about the world and magic system.
Overall, this was a super sweet and cozy YA romantasy and I will definitely read more of this story and this author's works!
Thank you so much to Penguin Teen and G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers for the advance copy in exchange for my honest review!
September 28, 2025
such a fun one :)
October 20, 2025
Review: A Practical Guide to Dating a Demon by Hannah Reynolds
Publisher: Penguin Teen
Format: ARC courtesy of the publisher
If you’ve ever wished your fake dating excuse could conjure an actual demon who bakes, redecorates, and helps you investigate magical corruption… well, welcome to Talum.
Hannah Reynolds delivers a whimsical, cozy romantasy that leans into charm rather than chaos. Naomi, a studious scholarship student at a magical academy, is both book-smart and emotionally guarded, which makes her the perfect match for Daziel, a demon with charisma, a knack for domestic bliss, and more to his story than he lets on. Their dynamic is classic opposites-attract with an academic fantasy twist, and it works.
The narrative keeps things light and witty while also threading through bigger themes: belonging, ambition, and the fear of not being enough. Naomi’s gradual growth, especially in how she relates to both peers and power, is a highlight. The romantic tension is sweet and slow-building, grounded in mutual respect and a shared sense of curiosity, rather than just banter or drama.
The magical mystery plot adds stakes without ever tipping the story out of its comfortingly cozy tone. While the world-building is serviceable (more vibes than systems), it’s the kind of warm, inviting fantasy landscape you want to linger in: bustling markets, enchanted libraries, and yes, those adorable-sounding bakeries.
If there’s a drawback, it’s the lack of firm resolution. Several threads are left loosely tied by the end, which may frustrate readers expecting a self-contained plot. Here’s hoping it signals a sequel rather than a structural gap.
A Practical Guide to Dating a Demon is a gentle, page-turning delight—perfect for readers who want their fantasy soft, their romance slow-burn, and their demons lightly sarcastic and secretly softhearted.
Recommended for: Fans of Sorcery of Thorns, A Marvellous Light, or The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches looking for a YA take with romantic fluff and magical intrigue.
Not recommended for: Readers craving intense action, elaborate world-building, or steamy romance. This one is more tea and spells than daggers and declarations.
Rating: 4 stars
Publisher: Penguin Teen
Format: ARC courtesy of the publisher
If you’ve ever wished your fake dating excuse could conjure an actual demon who bakes, redecorates, and helps you investigate magical corruption… well, welcome to Talum.
Hannah Reynolds delivers a whimsical, cozy romantasy that leans into charm rather than chaos. Naomi, a studious scholarship student at a magical academy, is both book-smart and emotionally guarded, which makes her the perfect match for Daziel, a demon with charisma, a knack for domestic bliss, and more to his story than he lets on. Their dynamic is classic opposites-attract with an academic fantasy twist, and it works.
The narrative keeps things light and witty while also threading through bigger themes: belonging, ambition, and the fear of not being enough. Naomi’s gradual growth, especially in how she relates to both peers and power, is a highlight. The romantic tension is sweet and slow-building, grounded in mutual respect and a shared sense of curiosity, rather than just banter or drama.
The magical mystery plot adds stakes without ever tipping the story out of its comfortingly cozy tone. While the world-building is serviceable (more vibes than systems), it’s the kind of warm, inviting fantasy landscape you want to linger in: bustling markets, enchanted libraries, and yes, those adorable-sounding bakeries.
If there’s a drawback, it’s the lack of firm resolution. Several threads are left loosely tied by the end, which may frustrate readers expecting a self-contained plot. Here’s hoping it signals a sequel rather than a structural gap.
A Practical Guide to Dating a Demon is a gentle, page-turning delight—perfect for readers who want their fantasy soft, their romance slow-burn, and their demons lightly sarcastic and secretly softhearted.
Recommended for: Fans of Sorcery of Thorns, A Marvellous Light, or The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches looking for a YA take with romantic fluff and magical intrigue.
Not recommended for: Readers craving intense action, elaborate world-building, or steamy romance. This one is more tea and spells than daggers and declarations.
Rating: 4 stars
November 6, 2025
How can you not be romantic about completing the group project together?! All jokes aside, this is a delightful new work from Hannah Reynolds that blends her love of ambitious, charming characters, research quests, and Jewish mythology in a new fantastical environment—the city of Talum, where Naomi is a scholarship student at the university-like Lyceum. Naomi loves cryptography and is from a backwater of the kingdom, but she has a politician aunt that all the other students wish to meet. Knowing this, Naomi invents a demon fiancée—demons are a part of the kingdom, existing in ambiguous detente with humans—and is shocked when he materializes. Daziel is equal parts charming and underfoot, and the journey that he and Naomi go on together towards respect and love is lovingly rendered. At the same time, the natural elements that sustain the kingdom are failing and the secret to restoring them lie in a series of fragmented scrolls written in a lost language. Naomi, her classmates, and Daziel work together (racing against time, of course) to decipher the scroll whilst navigating environmental upheaval, political machinations, and falling in love (of course of course). Secrets abound and are revealed, class and species differences crop up in mostly believable fashion, and our heroes' next chapter is set up neatly in the denouement. But seriously, this is a book about the egalitarian division of labor in a group project, and the sweet, sweet taste of completion.
August 18, 2025
If you love whimsical, cozy fantasies with immersive world-building and swoon-worthy romance, You need to add A PRACTICAL GUIDE TO DATING A DEMON to the top of your TBR list!! From page one, I was rooting for Naomi — an ambitious, intelligent, and slightly snarky heroine who finds herself in over her head when she accidentally summons a demon and finds herself betrothed to him. Daziel was charming and mischievous, the perfect foil to Naomi, and I couldn't help but laugh some of his antics. Still, Hannah Reynolds takes time and care to craft a genuine romance between two characters who see and understand one another. I also enjoyed watching them work together to translate ancient scrolls and determine why Talum's magic has suddenly become unstable.
I finished the book finding myself wishing I could visit the city of Talum. The bakeries with all the delicious treats! The cozy pubs and bookshops! It's so easy to escape into the pages of A PRACTICAL GUIDE TO DATING A DEMON and feel like you've been whisked away into another world. I'm ready to enroll in magic school now please!
Pick this up for unforgettable characters, a stunning fantasy world, and a plot that will keep you turning pages!
I finished the book finding myself wishing I could visit the city of Talum. The bakeries with all the delicious treats! The cozy pubs and bookshops! It's so easy to escape into the pages of A PRACTICAL GUIDE TO DATING A DEMON and feel like you've been whisked away into another world. I'm ready to enroll in magic school now please!
Pick this up for unforgettable characters, a stunning fantasy world, and a plot that will keep you turning pages!
November 12, 2025
I enjoyed the story's premise. Which was why I picked it. Naomi conjured a fake betrothal with a demon to ward off boys who wanted to use her for her connection to her aunt. She mistakenly used a random demon's name, and soon after he showed up. Right from the beginning Naomi and Daziel were a great couple. I will point out what I didn't like first—the time period. I had no clue what year it was. Did I miss it? How did it take a week to get home? Yet the demon can disappear with a snap of his fingers?! Another meh moment was all the spell dialogue which was a big part of the book. Why were the students trying to figure out old scrolls when huge natural disasters were happening at the same time? Okay now to the good parts. I loved the two main characters. Both were wonderful. I found Daziel to be humorous, kind, and giving. I loved how Naomi grew as a person and as a good friend. Together they were perfect for each other. The slow-burning kiss was perfection. Supportive characters added to the lovely story. Overall, it was a good romance. I'm hoping there will be a sequel because the ending was not to my liking. At all. Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for my ARC.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 13, 2025
📖 Bookish Thoughts
This was such a pleasant surprise! I went in expecting a fun demon dating romcom, but it turned out to be quite the Romantasy. The magical academy was set in a river city, and now I want to go visit the city of Talum. I was also pleasantly surprised by the immersive the world building and magic system. I really enjoyed the author’s writing style.
The reveal about Daziel genuinely surprised me. He wasn’t the soft himbo demon I thought he was at first, and I liked him even more for it. And his devotion to Naomi was so adorable even when she was being extra grumpy! Naomi was maybe a little too grumpy for my liking.
Overall this was an easy 4.75 for me, and I’m absolutely waiting for the audiobook so I can reread it.
🖤 What to Expect
• Cozy romantasy
• Magical academy
• Demon betrothal
• Sunshine X grumpy
• Magical winds
• Spell writing
⸻
⭐ Final Score: 4.75 stars
📅 Pub Date: February 3, 2026
📝 Thank you to Penguin Teen and NetGalley for the advanced copy. All thoughts are my own.
This was such a pleasant surprise! I went in expecting a fun demon dating romcom, but it turned out to be quite the Romantasy. The magical academy was set in a river city, and now I want to go visit the city of Talum. I was also pleasantly surprised by the immersive the world building and magic system. I really enjoyed the author’s writing style.
The reveal about Daziel genuinely surprised me. He wasn’t the soft himbo demon I thought he was at first, and I liked him even more for it. And his devotion to Naomi was so adorable even when she was being extra grumpy! Naomi was maybe a little too grumpy for my liking.
Overall this was an easy 4.75 for me, and I’m absolutely waiting for the audiobook so I can reread it.
🖤 What to Expect
• Cozy romantasy
• Magical academy
• Demon betrothal
• Sunshine X grumpy
• Magical winds
• Spell writing
⸻
⭐ Final Score: 4.75 stars
📅 Pub Date: February 3, 2026
📝 Thank you to Penguin Teen and NetGalley for the advanced copy. All thoughts are my own.
November 20, 2025
Hannah Reynolds has crafted this magical story with an intelligent FMC who accidentally (but on purpose?) gets herself betrothed to a demon. On top of wonderful world building, the author builds the characters, their relationships, and the plot with such ease.
Admittedly, I was a little hesitant about Naomi at first - she's a little too dismissive of Daziel - but as the story progresses her work ethic, kindness, insecurities, and loneliness reveal themselves. The author really brought the characters to life with great detail and complexity.
The academia background paired with the mysterious environmental changes was brilliant. Wrap politics - allies, treaties, power, money, etc - around that and this was complex enough to be real without being tiresome.
I truly loved this book and can't for more!
Thank you Penguin Young Readers Group for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.
Admittedly, I was a little hesitant about Naomi at first - she's a little too dismissive of Daziel - but as the story progresses her work ethic, kindness, insecurities, and loneliness reveal themselves. The author really brought the characters to life with great detail and complexity.
The academia background paired with the mysterious environmental changes was brilliant. Wrap politics - allies, treaties, power, money, etc - around that and this was complex enough to be real without being tiresome.
I truly loved this book and can't for more!
Thank you Penguin Young Readers Group for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.
November 16, 2025
#APracticalGuidetoDatingaDemon #NetGalley
Naomi and Daziel's romantasy draws upon Jewish culture and mythology, a much absent part of this genre. She's a student who conjures up a fake boyfriend. In an effort of misdirection, her actions come to fruition with Daziel's appearance.
There are moments of levity and action in this book. Still, would like to see how her core group develops, those in the dorms and those working alongside her with the scrolls. There's descriptions of these characters but feel more one on one interaction would have given the reader more an investment. The cover art too is a little creepy, though like the FMC's attire.
This ARC was provided by the publisher, Penguin Young Readers Group | G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers, via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Naomi and Daziel's romantasy draws upon Jewish culture and mythology, a much absent part of this genre. She's a student who conjures up a fake boyfriend. In an effort of misdirection, her actions come to fruition with Daziel's appearance.
There are moments of levity and action in this book. Still, would like to see how her core group develops, those in the dorms and those working alongside her with the scrolls. There's descriptions of these characters but feel more one on one interaction would have given the reader more an investment. The cover art too is a little creepy, though like the FMC's attire.
This ARC was provided by the publisher, Penguin Young Readers Group | G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers, via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
November 17, 2025
Naomi is a student who needs to maintain her grades to keep her scholarship. Boys keep asking her out because she has an influential aunt and they want to meet her. Naomi pretends to be engaged to demon and it works until she names the demon. He then materializes and insists that their betrothal is real. She knows she made it up but has to go along with it or be outed as a liar. She is dedicated to working on solving the translation on an ancient scroll that may hold the key to fixing the wonky magic in her world.
Naomi and Daziel grow closer as the events evolve until the truth comes calling. Can they overcome this? This is an engaging YA romantasy. Since it is YA there is no spice to speak of but it doesn’t hurt the developing romance between the characters. I recommend this book to anyone looking for a cozy romance. I received a free digital advance reader copy for review.
Naomi and Daziel grow closer as the events evolve until the truth comes calling. Can they overcome this? This is an engaging YA romantasy. Since it is YA there is no spice to speak of but it doesn’t hurt the developing romance between the characters. I recommend this book to anyone looking for a cozy romance. I received a free digital advance reader copy for review.
November 17, 2025
This book was really enjoyable to read. It was wild to me how much plot happens close to the end of the book, yet you still feel satisfied that it wasn't rushed too much. I also like that the ending feels like it's not necessarily tied up in a bow. There's a lot for the reader to think about at the end and not in a sad or unfulfilling way. Would definitely read again. Also, would rec for someone who enjoys exploring languages.
November 2, 2025
This is a fun YA romance and is giving cute Inuyasha vibes. I believe there are lots of Jewish or Greek references but I don’t have enough prior knowledge to say for sure. The names and terminology can be challenging to get past for younger readers. I would recommend this to high schoolers and above.
November 12, 2025
So I loved this. I loved everything about it. I loved that it's just a cozy romance fantasy. My favorite bit though, is that it is heavily Jewish based. I didn't know that's a thing that I have been looking for in my fantasy novels but I have found I really enjoy it and could see more of it and be perfectly happy.
September 26, 2025
Review to come but there better be a sequel to this!!
November 11, 2025
ARC provided by NetGalley. A YA romance featuring a cute demon, an ambitious girl, in-depth world-building and magic cast through spell writing. Loved it.
November 17, 2025
I absolutely loved this book but what was up with that ending?
Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews