ARC Review: A Practical Guide to Dating a Demon by Hannah Reynolds
“A Practical Guide to Dating a Demon” by Hannah Reynolds
Publishing Date: February 3, 2026
Genre: YA, Fantasy, Romance, Fiction, Romantasy
Page Length: 352 pages (paperback edition)
Synopsis:
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.
Review:
A Practical Guide to Dating a Demon is YA Romantasy that takes readers on an adventure through magical spells, ancient scrolls, and mythical beasts. The main character Naomi, a brilliant student who ends up in a forced proximity trope, and betrothed to the mysterious demon, Daziel. What lies ahead for them is a quest to solve a mystery that holds the key to put the world back in order.
This novel wastes no time jumping straight into the world it’s set in. I wish there had been more time for world-building in the beginning rather than explaining aspects later into the story. It was a bit hard to grasp at first, but once I got into the plot, it was easy to follow. The novel as a whole is very fast-paced, but it does skip over some plot points and includes many sub-plots. I think it could have been a longer book to explore some of the ideas in the story, or perhaps some of the storylines could have been removed.
The characters are fun and lively, especially the connection between Naomi and Daziel, who engage in witty banter throughout the story. They grow to work together for a common goal but also learn to be more open about each other (the humans and demons in this novel have a tense relationship). I definitely wanted more from their romance and felt by the end it left on a cliffhanger (or was open-ended). But the novel includes some cute scenes between the two, and the romance overall is on the sweeter side.
The fantasy elements in this novel were fun to read even, when the magical system went over my head a couple of times. I think this novel could have been more concise, but I still think it is an enjoyable read. I recommend this to readers who are looking for a light-hearted Romantasy to add to their TBR.
Final Verdict:
*3.5 books*
FTC Disclaimer: I received this book from the publisher in exchange for a fair and honest review.
Sometimes I like that sense of just being dropped into a world without too much explanation. I’m reading Nnedi Okorafor’s Binti right now and was just marvelling at how she manages that so (seemingly) effortlessly…but I think it’s one of those things that only looks easy and actually takes great skill.
It does take skill. I think if the book was longer it could explain the magic system and world more, because the layout the author had was very intriguing. Maybe it should have been more of a cozy fantasy?