Booksology We’ve met many different versions of the devil in recent books and tv shows, from Tom Ellis’s rascally Lucifer in the urban fantasy show of the same name, to the wrathful demon prince in Kerri Maniscalco’s Kingdom of the Wicked series. Now, with the release of Charlotte Ingham’s fantasy rom-com debut, A Match Made in Hell, we have a new devilish character to fall in love with – and he might just be the most delightful – dare I say, adorable – yet.
At twenty-one, Willow was supposed to be turning into a responsible adult, not proving her mother right when she called her a failure. Now, thanks to a drunken mishap with fatal consequences, she’s landed in a dimension named Asphodel that looks suspiciously like hell. Willow always knew she wasn’t any good – her mother told her as much – but she’s adamant that there’s been a mistake. Determined to redeem herself and get back to the land of the living, she makes a deal with Asphodel’s ruler, King Sathanas.
The deal is simple: complete seven tasks, each one designed to tempt her with one of the seven deadly sins, and Willow will be allowed to return to her human existence. But when Sath is sin itself, temptation becomes increasingly difficult to resist. Each sinful trial brings the two closer together, forcing Willow to confront the flawed, damaged parts of herself, as well as the problematic relationships she had on earth. And the more time she spends in Asphodel, the more she begins to question where, and with who, she truly belongs.
With the fantasy-comedy afterlife mashup of The Good Place and the seductive romance of Sarah Hawley’s Glimmer Falls series, A Match Made in Hell is the kind of quick and entertaining book that you can easily read in a few sittings. Told entirely through Willow’s perspective, it delves into the emotional trauma she experienced in life – Willow has mummy issues aplenty, and she’s also a victim of gaslighting and grief – but the story as a whole skews towards a lighter, more frivolous tone, with a healthy dose of banter between the central characters.
As readers will realise after just a few chapters, the backdrop of Asphodel isn’t your typical hellscape. Sath isn’t nearly as evil as he wants his subjects to believe he is either, which is a refreshing change from the angsty, morally bankrupt love interests we see so often in romantasy. The teasing dynamic between Willow and Sath is a particular highlight, even if the book’s swift pace might leave readers wanting when it comes to depth. Willow has some hefty emotional baggage to unpack and it’s all dealt with on a surface level. The seven tasks the two embark on could have been drawn out a little longer to really up the stakes. Yet the riotous end is thrilling and tense enough to wrap everything up with a blood red bow – something Sath himself would appreciate.
Combining fun supernatural trials with a headstrong protagonist and a tender strangers-to-lovers romance that’s the very definition of a slow burn, A Match Made in Hell is a debut that hits the New Adult fantasy rom-com spot. And if Charlotte Ingham fancies writing a spin-off centred on Willow’s sunshiney, Enid Sinclair-esque sidekick Harper, I’ll be first in line to read it.
★★★★
A Match Made In Hell is published by Hot Key Books on 11 September 2025
