Special thanks to Literary Media Tours and the author for providing me a digital ARC in exchange for an honest review!

TL;DR: Temping Is Hell was a wild paranormal fantasy romcom romp! 🤣 It was definitely a bit bonkers but I mean that in a good way because it was so entertaining and I had a great time reading it! Kate, with her completely unfiltered chaos brain, and Thomas, the billionaire who needs to get his act together, were such an unlikely pairing, but I loved how her chaotic good energy grounded him. The ‘sold-my-soul-to-a-demon’ plot kept me completely engaged and it was fun learning about what happens when you do something like that—it’s not good, that’s for sure! I enjoyed the friendships, the banter, the sarcasm, and the chaos. Overall, this was a fun and humorous read that I would recommend if you’re looking for a paranormal romcom, especially for the spooky season~!

I wasn’t sure what we were going to get when I started this, but I’ve enjoyed Yardley’s books a lot, so I trusted the process and I wasn’t disappointed! Temping Is Hell was much more sarcastic/humorous than I expected, but it only added to the entire “over-the-top” romp vibes and made the story that much more fun to read. The glimpse we get into this alternate universe where demons (and demon hunters) existed was interesting and I was so intrigued to see what other paranormal entities existed. I liked that lore was a mix of Western and non-Western and that we got to learn about Japanese demon hunters too! 👺 It was also fun learning about how hell functions, the different types of demons, and how deals with demon overlords worked. I wanted to know more about the scope of the paranormal in this world, but I’m hoping that’s explored more as the series continues. Also, I didn’t expect to empathise with certain demons but the Basement Boys, particularly Slim, and their obsession with HoHos was so incredibly endearing! 🤭

The story follows the perspectives of our FMC, Kate, and our MMC, Thomas, and I liked both of them a lot. Of the two, however, Kate was definitely my favourite. She’s a chaos monster and hot mess, but I loved her take no bull attitude and how she has no filter whatsoever, lol. It doesn’t matter if you’re the CEO of the company or if you’re just some rando on the street—Kate will tell you what she thinks whether you want to know or not! 🤣 There was potential for that to be disastrous but Yardley balances it well with deeper insight into her character. Behind her boisterous unfiltered personality, is a woman who has always been the disappointment in the family and who wants so badly to make her parents proud and find success. She can’t help but fight for the underdog, even if it that calls big trouble to her door or puts her in harm’s way. She’s a bit of a social justice warrior and hates supporting the corporate bros, but she’s in a really tight spot and has moved back into her childhood home to live with toxic parents. She has a great heart, even if at times she’s too trusting and forgiving (ngl, she has the worst instincts of who to trust), and thankfully, she does have great emotional support from her bestie, Prue.

Side note: I absolutely loathed her parents. I know that’s a strong feeling but wow, the way they spoke to her? The way they treated her? The way they were gaslighted her like it was their freaking job? No ma’am. I felt bad for Kate cos it’s clear she loved her family, but they couldn’t be more open about how disappointed and unsupportive they are of her. I will never understand people who demean, belittle, and condescend to others as a way to “motivate them to do better”. For serious, the gaslighting was unreal.

In contrast, Thomas is The Corporate Billionaire Bro™️ who’s got the money, looks, and charm to get what he wants. His backstory was tragic and I did feel for the guy, but he was also pretty hot/cold and at times it gave me whiplash. 🤭 The more we learn about him though, the more we see that he has an equally good heart that might’ve gotten buried beneath the pain of his past, the loss he endured, and the deal that quite literally has his life on the line. I was initially a bit confused reading his perspective because we learn about his situation in drips, and it took a while to get the full story. I wish that it had been laid out more clearly from the beginning, as I think it would’ve made the flow work better. This wasn’t a deal breaker though and I’m ready to see him kick some demon ass and save his soul!

Their romance was very instalust, no matter how much both tried to deny or ignore the fact that there was a clear sexual attraction. Their banter was fun and I loved how smitten Thomas was with Kate’s forthright attitude and how he loved pushing her buttons to have that attitude be directed at him! 🤣 I almost wish that their romance was a slower burn because so much happened between them (both good and bad), but I get why Yardley did what she did. I think we’re going to be in for a whole lot of pining as the series continues and I can’t wait for that angst, haha.

Overall, this was a really fun time and I’m so keen to see what happens next! I hope we get to learn more about Yagi (I feel like the waters run very deep with that onimyoji) and Prue as well, and I hope that they end up playing bigger roles in this story cos I want more of them. If you’re looking for a chaotic and hilarious paranormal romance romp, don’t hesitate to pick this up!

Have you read Temping Is Hell or is it on your TBR?

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