This started so strong, with a sarcastic and sassy MC, laugh out loud humour and an interesting take on the after life.

But...

About half way I lost interest. I did not connect to the main characters at all. Her attitude to her life before death seemed very childish, despite being a grown woman. And the romance was very lackluster but maybe it's because of the blurb that I was expecting way more sparks and for the temperature to be heated between them. The twist was obvious and I felt there were a few plot holes in the world building.

It was a quick read and I went through it in good time. I think I went in expecting it to be much hotter than it was. But the sarcasm was on point!

Willow has unceremoniously died at 21 after a night of drinking at the beach with her friends and wakes up in a type of purgatory, a realm called Asphodel. Clearly she’s not too pleased about this turn of events and desperately wants to return home and live; to have a second chance to live up to her mum’s expectations and be ‘good’. She makes a deal with the ruler of Asphodel, a mysterious man called Sath, to face a series of trials based on the 7 deadly sins to return home.

There was a lot to like about this book. I found the concept of Asphodel and the 7 deadly sins trials intriguing and that was what drew me to the book initially. I was also intrigued by Sath - who doesn’t love a mysterious, broody MMC with powers and an inexplicable yearning for the FMC. I enjoyed how Asphodel was set up and the way the residents carved out lives for themselves in an in-between realm. The presence of the demons raised the stakes and added another dimension to the story.

Unfortunately there were also some issues I had when reading this. I found the world building a bit weak, and I had a lot of unanswered questions about how things worked exactly with Asphodel, Elysium and Tartarus. Sath’s character was a bit underdeveloped as well - we have to be left in the dark about his motivations for the plot and the ending to work, but I think that meant that we didn’t get to know his character as much as I would have liked. This also impacted the romance which felt flat overall. They had some cute interactions as they progress through the trials but it did lack some depth.

I liked Willow’s character, and she does have some character development and growth through the story, though I would have liked to see her confront some of the emotionally manipulative / abusive relationships she had in life more.

Though I did have some reservations about the twist at the end re the trials (which I’ll keep to myself to avoid spoilers!), it was unexpected and I enjoyed that.

Overall, I liked this but I definitely had some issues for it which did impact my enjoyment of the book at times. I think it’s a good debut and the author shows a lot of promise - it just didn’t quite work for me at times.

*I received a review copy from the publisher - this is my honest opinion.

If you're looking for a fast, fun, and mostly unserious romance about a woman who has died and refuses to go to the afterlife quietly, this is it! I think if you are a serious reader looking for a deep thoughts romance, this might not be for you, but if you're up for a fun ride with a flawed main character, give this a try. a read. It's got a bit of a slower start, but the last quarter is an absolute blast!

3.5 ☆ realistically. I really enjoyed the premise and the vibes. The setting was unique and layered, and not just Hell which gave a lot more space to explore. The MMC was broody and secretive with that shadow daddy energy. The FMC felt a whiny at times but I also understood that in part although the further it went along she did start to annoy me. I understood her reasoning but she was very back and forth and ultimately I feel like she should have made her mind up sooner than she did. I really enjoyed the ending and didn't expect some out the outcomes we got. Overall and entertaining vibe and read. I'm glad I got to read this as an eARC, thanks to Netgalley.

Tropes
* First person
* Cinnamon roll MMC
* FMC with trauma
* Trials
* Fantasy romcom style

Review:
2.5⭐️ 1🌶️

I liked the premise of this book with the trials through each sin which reminded me a little of Hercules’ 7 labours 😂 but I did see the plot twist coming (not that it wasn’t still a great outcome)
The FMC came off as extremely selfish and abrasive to start but there is underlying emotional abuse and trauma which has affected her and I feel it takes a long time for the character to develop which did make it hard to like her in the first half of the book 🙈
The MMC is struggling with his position, I love how he shows his emotions and is really a big softy!

Overall this was a quick read which had an interesting plot and great character development if you can stick through it.

Thank you to NetGalley, the publishers & author for providing a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Quotes:
* Was that a chicken?
* Were his shoulders always that broad?
* Being dead doesn’t mean you have to stop living.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for giving me an e-arc to review.

Rating - 2.5 stars rounded up to a 3.

I wasn't sure what I was expected from this but I feel like I was disappointed. The plot seemed pretty basic and your average romance with a bit of a hellish twist. Willow is plunged into hell when she dies and is desperate to get back to living so the devil grants her the chance to have another chance of life again but only if she completes 7 trials which are based on the deadly sins. However, as she progresses through the trials, she find herself drawn more and more to the devil.

The only thing going for this was the chemistry between Willow and the Devil with a very steamy lust trial as well as a bit more spice toward the end of the book.

I felt that for some this book will be great, I just didn't think it was for me and felt like I knew what was going to happen the entire time.

3.5 Stars!

Where you die where do you go? With any luck it’ll be to Asphodel, with a hot devil who offers the opportunity to go back to earth.


This book follows the death and afterlife of Willow, who desperately wants to return to her life on earth after an unfortunate accidents end up with her in the land between heaven and hell. Willow has things she needs to do, people to please and a point to prove, that she’s not just a disappointment and can make good on her promise to her late mother. When the devil himself offers her the chance to forgo tasks in order to win her freedom how can she say no? But will she still be able to leave behind her new life, friends and possible love knowing their fate may be grim?

This did start out a little slow and was maybe a tad bit cliche, but I did end up enjoying the book overall. The overall idea for the book was really interesting and is definitely what made me keep reading. The last 25% of the book was definitely the most exciting, as is the case with most books, but i found myself really enjoying it at this point. The MMC is pretty much all you could ask for in a book boyfriend, sarcastic, flirty, handsome but I found myself wishing he was a little bit more morally grey, I mean, he is the devil🤷🏻‍♀️

Overall, it was a nice quick easy read and I feel many readers would really enjoy it!!

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher & the author for giving me early access to this read 🫶🏻

I did actually enjoy this quite a bit, but I predicted the entire plot insanely early on. That’s not to say the execution wasn’t good though, but there wasn’t really a single thing I didn’t see coming …

In short (without spoilers), Willow has died and entered Asphodel - a place that looks suspiciously like hell, and is led by a handsome, moody Devil. Willow is desperate to not be dead as she feels she has more life to live, so the Devil gives her the chance to go through 7 trials (based on the deadly sins) with a promise of returning to the living if she completes them all. However, with each trial, Willow finds herself drawn more and more to the Devil and the possibilities Asphodel has to offer.

The forbidden romance was done excellently, with the lust trial being a VERY intense chapter 😅 There is some spice towards the latter end of the book which I did also enjoy as i thought it was done well 🥰

All in all, super enjoyable and easy read, but unfortunately just a little bit too ‘simple’ to get any more stars from me

I am looking forward to reading more from this author 🌸

This book was neither here nor there.

I enjoyed the concept of hell (but do we think it’s a bit overdone these days? - and with the FMC Willow going through the sins, I wondered how original it was as I was thinking not). For the most part, the dynamic between the love interest was good - sometimes I found myself snickering or even falling for him! Other times, it was a bit stale.

Just my opinion and no hate intended at anyone. I’m sure this’ll find its readers and will be loved by most.

Hell is what you make it fantasy story

I’ve now read the book and listened to the audio version. Personally I preferred the audiobook. I don’t think I found the right voice in my head for Willow while reading the book. But the narrator in the audio version gave me that in spades.

I read the book first, and if I’m honest I struggled a little bit with the written version. I was thinking maybe this one isn’t for me. You are thrown into Willow’s entry into hell without much preamble. Why is she going through the trials? Are they really perilous? But eventually Willow finally makes a choice that matters. So the story has a nice rounding finish.

But then I listened to the book and really enjoyed the story. The narrator manage to bring Willow to life. She’s self centred and reckless, very fickle, has many inner and outer demons to slay, but when her inner voice chivvies her enough she’s got gumption. It only takes Hell to make her see that is true.

Thank you to Bonnier Books Uk, Bonnier UK Audio and NetGalley for the ARC and audio ARC.The views expressed are all mine, freely given.

A fantastic book, definitely worth a read! The characters were fun and I loved their dynamic, which mades or super easy to fly through this book. I'd definitely read more by Themis author in the future!

DNF

Nothing hurts my soul more than a gorgeous, drool-worthy cover wrapped around a book that reads like reheated leftovers. This cover? Chef’s kiss. This premise? I was READY. And then the actual story slapped me in the face with disappointment.

Let’s talk about Willow. My beloved main character. Except… no. From page one, she’s giving full Karen energy—“Can I speak to the manager of the afterlife?” vibes. Girl, you are dead. Sit down. Instead, she spends her time being impulsive, sarcastic, and eye-roll-inducing in the worst way. Authors keep thinking this “unapologetically bold FMC” thing is quirky and relatable. It’s not. It’s exhausting. Willow questioning the Devil himself like she’s got VIP access was peak delusion. Who are you!? What makes you special!? (Spoiler: nothing.)

The backstory reveal? Came too early, held zero depth. The mental health themes were clearly trying to land, but it all came off contrived and shallow. Yes, she’s sad about never being enough for her mom, but… that’s it? That’s the reason she’s here? That’s the grand tragic arc? Please.

And don’t even get me started on the Seven Deadly Sins trials. I was expecting tension, fire, drama. Instead, I got the literary equivalent of a PowerPoint presentation with stock clip art. Anticlimactic doesn’t even cover it.

Now romance. HA. The MMC has the sex appeal of a soggy paper bag—and the chemistry between them is about as sizzling as cold oatmeal. I kept waiting for the sparks, the tension, the swoon… instead, I got two mannequins standing awkwardly next to each other in the clearance aisle of Hell’s Walmart.

So yeah, I DNF’d at the halfway point because my patience is strong, but not “survive this book” strong.

If you love sarcastic heroines and tall, brooding love interests, maybe you’ll like this. But I also love those things, and I did not. So either I’m broken or this book is. (I’m going with the book.)

Final verdict: Gorgeous cover, tragic insides. Like buying a fancy cake and discovering it’s made of cardboard.

I didn’t love it but I also didn’t hate it.

Match Made in Hell follows Willow and her journey in to hell. Once there, she believes there’s been a colossal mistake. She shouldn’t be in hell because she shouldn’t even be dead, there’s too much to do. With this determination, she confronts whom she thinks is the Devil and demands to know a way out of her situation.

I don’t get why the book didn’t end there? Like, how was Willow not dragged off? We had just seen as readers how an awful thing had happened to a man who tried to run. So how could Willow get away with such a daring escapade, and why would the ‘Devil’ even care? Plot armour, I suppose. Moving on…

I thought the concept of Hell - or the between space, purgatory, whatever - was interesting. The setting was pretty cool. The lore I didn’t quite get. It’s like the author wanted Willow to be in Hell, but not Hell Hell because that’s two awful, but a sort of Hell that’s basically Heaven unless you look the wrong way at a demon. And then even at the end, with things resolved, it still wasn’t Heaven. But again, in many ways it felt like it could be, so what was the actual Heaven? Just not existing and being in peace? Who knows! Not me.

The plot was okay, I mainly enjoyed seeing Willow experience all of the sins and how this helped her reflect and grow. Although sometimes, it hardly felt she learned a lesson at all.

The romance was also fine, I’m not quite sure how they managed to make up in the end but this is a fiction book set in Hell that is not Hell so I suppose I can suspend my disbelief and let my confusion go.

Some entertaining chapters and some okay banter, I liked it when Willow made friends, and the plot wasn’t awful - just sometimes too predictable and too easily solved.

I enjoyed this once it got going. Around half way through the story really started to build. From the cover of the book I was expecting it to be spicy but it was a full slow burn (no pun intended)

The story was quite endearing, with a lot of self discovery and self forgiveness which I really liked. An enjoyable read and not what I expected. Release date 11/09/2025

DNF at 20%. I think the concept is a good one but unfortunately I just don’t like the narrating character. She’s complex, I’ll give her that, but I find her too chaotic and woe is me for my taste and she reads as very immature which might be why this is published as YA when she’s actually 21 years old. It seems like she has some toxic relationships but she also seems a little toxic, though it’s presented as a result of her grief. Anyway, I was find her too grating to continue but for anyone that’s not struggling with the same thing I think they could find this a good read.

I received a free copy of this book. All views are my own.

Unfortunately couldn't get on with the plot or writing, I couldn't really picture what was happening or connect with the characters. Not for me but I know others will enjoy it. Love the cover though!!

Ummmm well I'll start with the last 30% of the book was the best park.

The rest was just not my cup of tea and before anyone says, yes I have read rom coms and books with banter before. This just felt very flat.

I just hope others enjoy it more than me.

Thank you Netgalley and the publishers for the chance to read in exchange for an honest review

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I loved A Match Made in Hell! Willow’s sass and bravery make her impossible not to root for, and her slow-burn romance with King Sath is sizzling and full of tension. The mix of dark humor, clever world-building, and emotional depth makes this a fun, addictive read. It’s witty, steamy, and completely entertaining—definitely a must-read for fantasy romance fans!

A fantasy romcom set in hell sounded intriguing, and A Match Made In Hell has a lot to offer readers. The plot is zippy, the setting atmospheric and main characters Willow and Sath are mostly rootable. I found the Rom rather more convincing than the Com; the funny banter promised in the blurb fell a little flat for me.

Premise sounded interesting but I struggled to get past the first few chapters. Did not connect with the characters or the writing at all unfortunately.