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Startup Hell
A hilarious contemporary fantasy about a junior sales witch stuck in corporate hell, who has to evade devilish pacts and her kickass, world-saving, demon-slaying mum to save a (surprisingly hot) demon, and work out how to hit her quarterly target.
Morgan Blackwater's mother is a kickass, world-saving, demon-slaying Shadow Council wizard. As for Morgan? Morgan's a junior salesperson at a tech startup that can't even decide what its product is. But with magic dyslexia and a disinclination to kick ass, Morgan is doing her best carving out a niche for herself in the mundane world.
Leaving work late one night, she discovers her boss dead from the effort of summoning a demon to trade his soul in order to make his quarterly target. The disturbingly-attractive demon, Lucareoth (Luke for short), is trapped here until he finds someone to sell their soul. While trying to sneak Luke out of the building, Morgan runs into her infamous mother. Apparently, someone has been summoning demons and she's here to get to the bottom of it.
Trying to protect Luke from her mother, Morgan gets sucked into the Infernal Plane and discovers hell really is a corporate nightmare. She only gets back home with a promise to deliver a human soul of her own. While her coworkers are really annoying, she's not willing to sacrifice their souls. The company's tech bro CEO, though, is another story.
With Caitlin Rozakis's signature wit, STARTUP HELL is a contemporary fantasy that exposes the demonic nature of the corporate world.
Morgan Blackwater's mother is a kickass, world-saving, demon-slaying Shadow Council wizard. As for Morgan? Morgan's a junior salesperson at a tech startup that can't even decide what its product is. But with magic dyslexia and a disinclination to kick ass, Morgan is doing her best carving out a niche for herself in the mundane world.
Leaving work late one night, she discovers her boss dead from the effort of summoning a demon to trade his soul in order to make his quarterly target. The disturbingly-attractive demon, Lucareoth (Luke for short), is trapped here until he finds someone to sell their soul. While trying to sneak Luke out of the building, Morgan runs into her infamous mother. Apparently, someone has been summoning demons and she's here to get to the bottom of it.
Trying to protect Luke from her mother, Morgan gets sucked into the Infernal Plane and discovers hell really is a corporate nightmare. She only gets back home with a promise to deliver a human soul of her own. While her coworkers are really annoying, she's not willing to sacrifice their souls. The company's tech bro CEO, though, is another story.
With Caitlin Rozakis's signature wit, STARTUP HELL is a contemporary fantasy that exposes the demonic nature of the corporate world.
432 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 19, 2026
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Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
"Whatever the demonic equivalent of Slack is can cross the planar boundaries?" She'd cursed being tethered to her phone by late-night messages often enough.
"Nothing is slack, it's extremely tense," he said. "My boss is not happy".
Caitlin Rozakis' Startup Hell follows Morgan as she navigates the worst of two worlds - a marketing job for a tech startup and a forced deal with a demon overlord, using only her wits in a magical world with a thin line between venture capitalists and vampires.
Morgan finds unexpected camaraderie, with the demon Lucareoth, an Infernal Plane version of a sales executive, as they support each other in stressful jobs, not to mention trying to prevent a new 'disruption' that might as well be labeled dystopian. Rozakis' by now trademark humour (see Dreadful and The Grimoire Grammar School Parent Teacher Association) is deftly woven into the quickly pivoting startup world, the danger beyond death of the magical world and the budding romance. The weird 'alpha male' behaviour of the tech bros might seem exaggerated, if one isn't familiar with tech/ tech adjacent companies, and the prevalence of imposter syndrome in these work environments. The character sketches definitely add to the whole story, though the end is a bit too contrived.
On the whole, recommended as a fun rom-com, with witty hints of the real world. Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers Titan Books for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
🌟🌟🌟1/2🌟
[3/4 star for the premise and the whole book; 3/4 star for the character sketches and growth; 1/2 star for the story arc; 3/4 star for the writing; 3/4 star for the world-building - 3 1/2 stars in total, rounded up to 4 stars.]
"Nothing is slack, it's extremely tense," he said. "My boss is not happy".
Caitlin Rozakis' Startup Hell follows Morgan as she navigates the worst of two worlds - a marketing job for a tech startup and a forced deal with a demon overlord, using only her wits in a magical world with a thin line between venture capitalists and vampires.
Morgan finds unexpected camaraderie, with the demon Lucareoth, an Infernal Plane version of a sales executive, as they support each other in stressful jobs, not to mention trying to prevent a new 'disruption' that might as well be labeled dystopian. Rozakis' by now trademark humour (see Dreadful and The Grimoire Grammar School Parent Teacher Association) is deftly woven into the quickly pivoting startup world, the danger beyond death of the magical world and the budding romance. The weird 'alpha male' behaviour of the tech bros might seem exaggerated, if one isn't familiar with tech/ tech adjacent companies, and the prevalence of imposter syndrome in these work environments. The character sketches definitely add to the whole story, though the end is a bit too contrived.
On the whole, recommended as a fun rom-com, with witty hints of the real world. Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers Titan Books for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
🌟🌟🌟1/2🌟
[3/4 star for the premise and the whole book; 3/4 star for the character sketches and growth; 1/2 star for the story arc; 3/4 star for the writing; 3/4 star for the world-building - 3 1/2 stars in total, rounded up to 4 stars.]
May 22, 2026
Oh my gosh, I do not have words for how much I adored STARTUP HELL! Rozakis knocked it out of the park again! This was such a delightfully cozy, fun little adventure, full of accidental hijinks and the absolute HELL that is a tech startup, complete with annoying LinkedInBros™️ and a whole lotta coffee. I loved the romantic subplot, loved the side characters, and LOVED the humor. Also, Rix the hellhound is best boy and I would absolutely let him drool acid on me if it meant I got those big puppy cuddles. 🐶
Thank you to the publisher for the gifted copy! All thoughts are honest and my own.
✨ Representation: Morgan's roommate Gisele is a Puerto Rican trans woman (who is a DELIGHT, and is fully loved and supported by the characters, with no on-page transphobia)
✨ Content warnings for: minor violence, death, brief mentions of vomit, alcohol intoxication
Thank you to the publisher for the gifted copy! All thoughts are honest and my own.
✨ Representation: Morgan's roommate Gisele is a Puerto Rican trans woman (who is a DELIGHT, and is fully loved and supported by the characters, with no on-page transphobia)
✨ Content warnings for: minor violence, death, brief mentions of vomit, alcohol intoxication
May 23, 2026
This review was originally posted on Books of My Heart
Review copy was received from Publisher. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
3.5 hearts
Surprisingly the job description for a demon and a junior employee at a start up firm have a lot in common. They both try to make cold calls and talk people out of something they might not want give up for the promise of something better. They both have demanding bosses and quotas to meet. And they both tend to consume your life and make it really hard to find romance.
Startup Hell was pretty funny and I had a good time throughout the entire story. Morgan feels like a disappointment to her parents. They are huge in the magical community, her mother literally kicks butt for a living. Morgan however has no magical talent but trouble found her the night she walked into her bosses office only to find him dead and a demon stuck in this dimension with no soul to take back. Lucareoth probably isn't the best at being a demon. He likes getting the meeting with a new client/victim but hates the part where he needs to close the deal. Still only complete rookies end up stuck on this side, he needs to get back before someone notices. In their hurry to help one another out everything goes wrong and Morgan too falls in debt to the dark side and needs to deliver a soul or she will be trapped in hell too.
The concept for Startup Hell was really fun to play around with. I thought some of it got a bit beyond silly as the company Morgan worked for literally tried to morph into whatever they thought the next big thing would be. I loved how Morgan was so naive and just wanted to be a part of something really ground breaking only to find out that her boss was pretty much a frat boy fraud. Some people might deserve to go to hell.
Overall I liked the growth Morgan went through and how she kind figured out who she was or wanted to be by the end of the book. Lucareoth, was nice and sweet and definitely too good to go back to hell. I loved his magic allowed him to sense what others want and why he was drawn to Morgan's mind. Who knew that the demon of the story might just end up being a hero.
Narration:
Performance: ★★★★
Character Separation: ★★★★
Diction: ★★★★
Pacing/Flow: ★★★★
Sound Effects: none
Megan Tusing is a confident narrator and should be with over two-hundred titles to her name. I think she captured the fun of the story. All of the voices in the book were distinct, Lucareoth's narration added to his likability and helped to make him relatable. I was able to listen at my usual 1.5x speed.
Listen to a clip: HERE
Review copy was received from Publisher. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
3.5 hearts
Surprisingly the job description for a demon and a junior employee at a start up firm have a lot in common. They both try to make cold calls and talk people out of something they might not want give up for the promise of something better. They both have demanding bosses and quotas to meet. And they both tend to consume your life and make it really hard to find romance.
Startup Hell was pretty funny and I had a good time throughout the entire story. Morgan feels like a disappointment to her parents. They are huge in the magical community, her mother literally kicks butt for a living. Morgan however has no magical talent but trouble found her the night she walked into her bosses office only to find him dead and a demon stuck in this dimension with no soul to take back. Lucareoth probably isn't the best at being a demon. He likes getting the meeting with a new client/victim but hates the part where he needs to close the deal. Still only complete rookies end up stuck on this side, he needs to get back before someone notices. In their hurry to help one another out everything goes wrong and Morgan too falls in debt to the dark side and needs to deliver a soul or she will be trapped in hell too.
The concept for Startup Hell was really fun to play around with. I thought some of it got a bit beyond silly as the company Morgan worked for literally tried to morph into whatever they thought the next big thing would be. I loved how Morgan was so naive and just wanted to be a part of something really ground breaking only to find out that her boss was pretty much a frat boy fraud. Some people might deserve to go to hell.
Overall I liked the growth Morgan went through and how she kind figured out who she was or wanted to be by the end of the book. Lucareoth, was nice and sweet and definitely too good to go back to hell. I loved his magic allowed him to sense what others want and why he was drawn to Morgan's mind. Who knew that the demon of the story might just end up being a hero.
Narration:
Performance: ★★★★
Character Separation: ★★★★
Diction: ★★★★
Pacing/Flow: ★★★★
Sound Effects: none
Megan Tusing is a confident narrator and should be with over two-hundred titles to her name. I think she captured the fun of the story. All of the voices in the book were distinct, Lucareoth's narration added to his likability and helped to make him relatable. I was able to listen at my usual 1.5x speed.
Listen to a clip: HERE
Review of advance copy received from Edelweiss+
I LOVED The Grimoire Grammar School Parent Teacher Association and I recommend it to customers all the time. So, I was excited to read the author's next book. There was a lot to like here, but in the end, I just felt like this story was too much. I got really tired of the actual startup talk. A lot of it was fairly incomprehensible to me and it got old after a while. I did enjoy the general story and some of the characters. But by 2/3 of the way through, I was ready to be done.
May 12, 2026
I really wanted to love this because the premise is honestly fantastic. Corporate startup culture mixed with demons, magic, soul contracts, and literal hell? That should have been an easy hit for me. And to be fair, there are parts that really worked. I liked the back-and-forth between the human world and infernal world, Morgan and Luke were genuinely cute together, and some of the humor absolutely landed.
The problem for me was that the fantasy plot kept getting buried under an avalanche of startup office culture. There is so much corporate jargon, sales talk, meetings, office politics, Slack-message energy, and coworkers sitting around doing painfully realistic desk job things that it started to feel less like escapist fantasy and more like I was clocked into work.
At first the satire was funny because yes, startup culture is absurd enough to compare to hell. But after a while it became repetitive and weirdly dry. The actual demon/world-building/action stuff would finally get interesting, and then we’d immediately be back in another office conversation about targets, branding, or corporate nonsense.
I think this might hit harder for readers who haven’t spent years trapped in office culture because the satire would probably feel fresher. But as someone who has survived way too many “this could’ve been an email” meetings, parts of this book felt like being forced to attend one after hours.
Still, I did enjoy the concept, the romance was cute, and I think there’s a really fun story buried in here. I just wish the balance had leaned more toward fantasy chaos and less toward startup buzzwords.
The problem for me was that the fantasy plot kept getting buried under an avalanche of startup office culture. There is so much corporate jargon, sales talk, meetings, office politics, Slack-message energy, and coworkers sitting around doing painfully realistic desk job things that it started to feel less like escapist fantasy and more like I was clocked into work.
At first the satire was funny because yes, startup culture is absurd enough to compare to hell. But after a while it became repetitive and weirdly dry. The actual demon/world-building/action stuff would finally get interesting, and then we’d immediately be back in another office conversation about targets, branding, or corporate nonsense.
I think this might hit harder for readers who haven’t spent years trapped in office culture because the satire would probably feel fresher. But as someone who has survived way too many “this could’ve been an email” meetings, parts of this book felt like being forced to attend one after hours.
Still, I did enjoy the concept, the romance was cute, and I think there’s a really fun story buried in here. I just wish the balance had leaned more toward fantasy chaos and less toward startup buzzwords.
May 20, 2026
This was such a fun and funny cozy urban fantasy. I was giggling through the whole book! The main characters, Morgan and Luke, are so easy to love. As someone who works a corporate job, this book was extra enjoyable.
Read
December 16, 2025A big thank you to the editor and publisher for an ARC of the book!
STARTUP HELL explores the hellish nature of the corporate world, quite literally, through slapstick humour and entertaining absurdity while illuminating moral ambiguity and the way desire might result in detrimental consequences but also wholesome, and sometimes chaotic, connections. Rozakis brings us on a journey of navigating a first job and finding faith in ourselves, especially when facing conflicts we aren't well-equipped to handle.
STARTUP HELL explores the hellish nature of the corporate world, quite literally, through slapstick humour and entertaining absurdity while illuminating moral ambiguity and the way desire might result in detrimental consequences but also wholesome, and sometimes chaotic, connections. Rozakis brings us on a journey of navigating a first job and finding faith in ourselves, especially when facing conflicts we aren't well-equipped to handle.
May 25, 2026
One of my anticipated new releases for this year. In Startup Hell, magicless Morgan is overworked and underappreciated in her sales job in a tech startup—but anything is better than the condescension she grew up with in her mother's magical community. When a senior executive's forbidden ritual goes horribly wrong, Morgan is stuck with stranded demon Lucareoth, trying to find a way to return him to the demonic plane before they're both fired.
Startup Hell is a light comedy which leans more towards romance than Rozakis' previous works. Rozakis' signature flourish has always been adding in the little logistical details that help ground the story, and here, it's Morgan's terrible job cold-calling potential customers to sell them Zabloom's HR software. Of course, until the CEO pivots the company to a wellness focus on a whim... The awfulness of Morgan's job and array of coworkers is genuinely scarier than any of the actual demons that appear onpage. Still, as a cynical young person, I think Morgan's economic situation should realistically be worse—she got her job straight out of college after only five months of applying, and she can easily afford a whole apartment in New York with only one roommate. Very nineties romcom.
I found Startup Hell's romance arc more effective than the usual, probably because it doesn't feature the usual urban fantasy brooding sexual harassment man. Most of the comedy is based in the fact that demon Lucareoth's job is actually grimly similar to Morgan's, from the work calls to the increasing monthly quotas. He's not some ineffable immortal being, he's just some guy in a terrible job who's worried about getting fired after making a mistake at work. Of course, getting fired is a little more literal on the demon plane... Luke has a faintly pathetic air that makes him immensely endearing. I want to put him in a jar with a leaf. Meanwhile, the rest of the cast is fairly solid for a romance-focused novel. The Token Trans Roommate is effectively just there to be supportive, but Rozakis does an excellent job of slowly unfolding the backstories of Morgan's coworkers, who are more sympathetic than they first appear. However, by far my favorite character is Morgan's chaotic mother. Despite being middle-aged, her mother is from a very different genre of urban fantasy, leather jacket and all. She tends to crash through Morgan's plot while entangled in the latest world-altering catastrophe. Very trying as a mother for a perfectly ordinary twenty-something, but fun as a character.
Light, readable, and charmingly specific. Rozakis has an excellent touch for writing cozy-adjacent fantasy with real tension and stakes, and I'm excited to see what she writes next.
Startup Hell is a light comedy which leans more towards romance than Rozakis' previous works. Rozakis' signature flourish has always been adding in the little logistical details that help ground the story, and here, it's Morgan's terrible job cold-calling potential customers to sell them Zabloom's HR software. Of course, until the CEO pivots the company to a wellness focus on a whim... The awfulness of Morgan's job and array of coworkers is genuinely scarier than any of the actual demons that appear onpage. Still, as a cynical young person, I think Morgan's economic situation should realistically be worse—she got her job straight out of college after only five months of applying, and she can easily afford a whole apartment in New York with only one roommate. Very nineties romcom.
I found Startup Hell's romance arc more effective than the usual, probably because it doesn't feature the usual urban fantasy brooding sexual harassment man. Most of the comedy is based in the fact that demon Lucareoth's job is actually grimly similar to Morgan's, from the work calls to the increasing monthly quotas. He's not some ineffable immortal being, he's just some guy in a terrible job who's worried about getting fired after making a mistake at work. Of course, getting fired is a little more literal on the demon plane... Luke has a faintly pathetic air that makes him immensely endearing. I want to put him in a jar with a leaf. Meanwhile, the rest of the cast is fairly solid for a romance-focused novel. The Token Trans Roommate is effectively just there to be supportive, but Rozakis does an excellent job of slowly unfolding the backstories of Morgan's coworkers, who are more sympathetic than they first appear. However, by far my favorite character is Morgan's chaotic mother. Despite being middle-aged, her mother is from a very different genre of urban fantasy, leather jacket and all. She tends to crash through Morgan's plot while entangled in the latest world-altering catastrophe. Very trying as a mother for a perfectly ordinary twenty-something, but fun as a character.
Light, readable, and charmingly specific. Rozakis has an excellent touch for writing cozy-adjacent fantasy with real tension and stakes, and I'm excited to see what she writes next.
May 3, 2026
Thank you to NetGalley and Titan book for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
I went into “Startup Hell” by Caitlin Rosakis curious, but ultimately had to DNF it. Unfortunately, I requested it and was approved right as I started to read “Dreadful” by Rosakis, which I ultimately DNF’d.
The writing itself isn’t the issue—it’s the world it lives in. The novel is so drenched in startup culture (which was promised in the blurb, so it shouldn’t have been surprising- that’s on me). Words like, “quotas”, “SQL,” “multipliers,” “investors,” abounded, and office politics were a main feature to the narrative. Unfortunately, I felt completely disconnected from it. I think that lifestyle may, in fact, be my version of hell… well, that and extended goodbyes.
Reading it felt like sitting in on a conversation not meant for me. It’s the same feeling someone outside education might have if I wrote a novel packed with education-related acronyms (IEPs, 504, PLCs, DOE, FAST, and ELLs) without much context - or used sections of the narrative to explain them, which would have been better spent focusing on creating emotional tension between Morgan and Luke. That aspect could have been much stronger.
For people in that space, I can see how the characters, especially Morgan and Luke, might feel relatable or even painfully real. But for me, none of it landed.
The world building was solid, it just wasn’t a world I had any interest in spending time in.
I went into “Startup Hell” by Caitlin Rosakis curious, but ultimately had to DNF it. Unfortunately, I requested it and was approved right as I started to read “Dreadful” by Rosakis, which I ultimately DNF’d.
The writing itself isn’t the issue—it’s the world it lives in. The novel is so drenched in startup culture (which was promised in the blurb, so it shouldn’t have been surprising- that’s on me). Words like, “quotas”, “SQL,” “multipliers,” “investors,” abounded, and office politics were a main feature to the narrative. Unfortunately, I felt completely disconnected from it. I think that lifestyle may, in fact, be my version of hell… well, that and extended goodbyes.
Reading it felt like sitting in on a conversation not meant for me. It’s the same feeling someone outside education might have if I wrote a novel packed with education-related acronyms (IEPs, 504, PLCs, DOE, FAST, and ELLs) without much context - or used sections of the narrative to explain them, which would have been better spent focusing on creating emotional tension between Morgan and Luke. That aspect could have been much stronger.
For people in that space, I can see how the characters, especially Morgan and Luke, might feel relatable or even painfully real. But for me, none of it landed.
The world building was solid, it just wasn’t a world I had any interest in spending time in.
May 24, 2026
A sales witch with magic dyslexia, a demon-slaying mother she's trying to avoid, and a surprisingly sweet demon she's trying to smuggle out of her office building before anyone notices her boss is dead on the floor. The premise alone is on fire!
This is tongue-in-cheek and clever and commits fully to its own absurdity, which is exactly the right call for a story about how corporate culture and ambition are quite at home among demons. The idea that demons are genuinely shocked by humanity's capacity for cruelty is such a fun concept and the corporate hell parallels land with a lot of wit and charm.
Morgan's complicated relationship with her larger-than-life mother is another strong point and added some real emotional texture underneath all the humor. I really love the growth between Morgan and her mother. It was my favorite part. Luke is a sweet, charming cinnamon roll of a demon and I loved him. The trans rep from a side character is joyful and handled with real warmth.
The audiobook is very well done and captures the fun of the story perfectly. Seriously, this narrator kicked butt.
My one complaint is that it runs a little long for what it is. There were stretches where I felt like I too was stuck at a job I couldn't leave, which is funny in concept but less fun in practice. A tighter edit would have served it well, in my opinion.
Still a really cute and enjoyable read!
Thank you to Tantor Audio for the complimentary copy. This review is voluntary and all opinions are my own.
This is tongue-in-cheek and clever and commits fully to its own absurdity, which is exactly the right call for a story about how corporate culture and ambition are quite at home among demons. The idea that demons are genuinely shocked by humanity's capacity for cruelty is such a fun concept and the corporate hell parallels land with a lot of wit and charm.
Morgan's complicated relationship with her larger-than-life mother is another strong point and added some real emotional texture underneath all the humor. I really love the growth between Morgan and her mother. It was my favorite part. Luke is a sweet, charming cinnamon roll of a demon and I loved him. The trans rep from a side character is joyful and handled with real warmth.
The audiobook is very well done and captures the fun of the story perfectly. Seriously, this narrator kicked butt.
My one complaint is that it runs a little long for what it is. There were stretches where I felt like I too was stuck at a job I couldn't leave, which is funny in concept but less fun in practice. A tighter edit would have served it well, in my opinion.
Still a really cute and enjoyable read!
Thank you to Tantor Audio for the complimentary copy. This review is voluntary and all opinions are my own.
May 14, 2026
Thank you Titan for my free ARC of Startup Hell by Caitlin Rozakis — out May 19!
» READ IF YOU «
😈 suspect your CEO might be making deals with devils
🖤 love a cinnamon roll demon who is adorably bad at his job
👩💼 ever felt like you weren’t making your parents proud
» SYNOPSIS «
Morgan’s mom is a legendary demon slayer, but Morgan herself is a junior salesperson at a tech startup that has no idea what it’s doing. When her boss croaks in the office and leaves behind a trapped demon, Morgan finds herself in hot water. Okay, so she’s in charge of marketing (yay), but now she’s got to damn two souls to save her own?!
» REVIEW «
First of all, the characters themselves are adorable. I’ve been that “wtf am I doing” junior associate at a tech startup before, and can confirm everything Morgan went through is not really that far-fetched. Plus, Luke? Adorable. A demon whose whole job is to get humans to sell their souls, but he is just a cinnamon roll who wants to do things to make people smile. What a duo.
Startup Hell is a seriously fun little fantasy romp, but Caitlin Rozakis also truly nails the specific misery of early “big girl career” life. The people-pleasing. The second-guessing. The what-do-we-even-make-here and how do I sell it and where’s the corporate slide deck template when you need it. Morgan's quest for confidence hums underneath the chaos and demonic absurdity, and it definitely made me feel more than I expected.
Corporate hellscape vs literal hellscape—is there really even a difference? A diabolically fun read.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
» READ IF YOU «
😈 suspect your CEO might be making deals with devils
🖤 love a cinnamon roll demon who is adorably bad at his job
👩💼 ever felt like you weren’t making your parents proud
» SYNOPSIS «
Morgan’s mom is a legendary demon slayer, but Morgan herself is a junior salesperson at a tech startup that has no idea what it’s doing. When her boss croaks in the office and leaves behind a trapped demon, Morgan finds herself in hot water. Okay, so she’s in charge of marketing (yay), but now she’s got to damn two souls to save her own?!
» REVIEW «
First of all, the characters themselves are adorable. I’ve been that “wtf am I doing” junior associate at a tech startup before, and can confirm everything Morgan went through is not really that far-fetched. Plus, Luke? Adorable. A demon whose whole job is to get humans to sell their souls, but he is just a cinnamon roll who wants to do things to make people smile. What a duo.
Startup Hell is a seriously fun little fantasy romp, but Caitlin Rozakis also truly nails the specific misery of early “big girl career” life. The people-pleasing. The second-guessing. The what-do-we-even-make-here and how do I sell it and where’s the corporate slide deck template when you need it. Morgan's quest for confidence hums underneath the chaos and demonic absurdity, and it definitely made me feel more than I expected.
Corporate hellscape vs literal hellscape—is there really even a difference? A diabolically fun read.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
May 20, 2026
This one was far more cosy paranormal work place romance than I was expecting from the blurb.
When Morgan discovers her boss Tim has died after summoneing a demon in the office, she has no idea that this could cause disasters bigger than anyone could ever imagine.
Lucareoth was an absolute cinnamon roll, and it was a great contrast that a literal demon would turn out to be the most humane of all throughout most of the story, but for me the overall story needed more.
I found a lot of the office politics dull and I just didnt like many characters apart from Luke and Giselle. I didn't necessarily dislike Morgan, but I did get fed up of her constantly belittling herself for not being 'enough' and felt like the characters never really went through much growth throughout the story.
The narration was decent enough but the story just didn't keep me hooked and I found myself drifting at points as I struggled to keep interest.
If you enjoy a office dynamics, cosy romance and adorable demons I think you'll enjoy this book.
This is a review of the audiobook.
When Morgan discovers her boss Tim has died after summoneing a demon in the office, she has no idea that this could cause disasters bigger than anyone could ever imagine.
Lucareoth was an absolute cinnamon roll, and it was a great contrast that a literal demon would turn out to be the most humane of all throughout most of the story, but for me the overall story needed more.
I found a lot of the office politics dull and I just didnt like many characters apart from Luke and Giselle. I didn't necessarily dislike Morgan, but I did get fed up of her constantly belittling herself for not being 'enough' and felt like the characters never really went through much growth throughout the story.
The narration was decent enough but the story just didn't keep me hooked and I found myself drifting at points as I struggled to keep interest.
If you enjoy a office dynamics, cosy romance and adorable demons I think you'll enjoy this book.
This is a review of the audiobook.
May 19, 2026
Morgan works at a startup company. She is a total failure. Her family has magic, while she flunked out of magic school. Her mum is a total kickass huntress, and well Morgan is just trying to make rent.
And then her boss summons a demon and Morgan needs to fix this fast. First not let the mundane know, and second get rid of this demon.
Luke the demon is hot, and Morgan is obviously bad at magic. They must work together to fix the situation as it gets worse and worse.
Morgan was, well she was rather unhappy at times. And Luke, oh this demon was the sweetest! Demons have quotas too to fill, not his fault.
I did not know how, but it actually works out well in the end. Not to worry. I really had no idea how they would save the day.
The narration was good, and the narrator did a good job with different voices
And then her boss summons a demon and Morgan needs to fix this fast. First not let the mundane know, and second get rid of this demon.
Luke the demon is hot, and Morgan is obviously bad at magic. They must work together to fix the situation as it gets worse and worse.
Morgan was, well she was rather unhappy at times. And Luke, oh this demon was the sweetest! Demons have quotas too to fill, not his fault.
I did not know how, but it actually works out well in the end. Not to worry. I really had no idea how they would save the day.
The narration was good, and the narrator did a good job with different voices
May 24, 2026
4 ⭐️ First off thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for this audioARC of the book. This is the first book I've read by this author and I enjoyed it. It was fun and had witches and demons and hellhound puppies. I loved the characters and the storyline. There's deals(for souls), tech startup lingo, witches, demons, some romance, high stakes, comedic relief, other supernatural beings, and more. Yeah I would recommend this for a light, fun, fantasy read. I look forward to reading more from this author.
May 23, 2026
3.75⭐️ review to come
Did Not Finish
May 8, 2026DNFd
* no chemistry
* Slow pacing
* Not funny
* Lots of marketing jargon
Arc from NetGalley
* no chemistry
* Slow pacing
* Not funny
* Lots of marketing jargon
Arc from NetGalley
Want to Read
July 27, 2025Hell Yeah!
...to a literal corporate hell AND new Caitlin Rozakis book!
...to a literal corporate hell AND new Caitlin Rozakis book!
Read
April 28, 2026Start up Hell was a fun concept. Morgan works at a tech startup with all that entails; tech bros, constant ‘pivoting’ of the product, irritating colleagues, a job she doesn’t even really like and the disappointment of her mother. And then add in the demon she accidentally gets stuck with who works for a demon overlord in what is essentially a sales job, trying to get people to sell their souls (And he’s terrible at it) and you’ve got the recipe for something entertaining.
Lucearoth ‘Luke’ and Morgan have far more in common that they expected and they find themselves supporting and helping one another easily. The friendships grows naturally with the romance having a sweeter, heartfelt undertone. Challengers are thrown their way until things start escalating rapidly into something that’ll have real world consequences. I wasn’t expecting the stakes to get so high but I was here for it. Morgan is relatable and human about everything, she gets tempted to take the easy way out, has a lot on the line but the book sticks to its cosier more heartfelt themes and resolutions.
Its set in the same world as Rozakis’s Grimoire Grammar School where the magical world lives adjacent to the mundane. I love the blend of normal human life with the secret magical world and how Morgan fits (or doesn’t) into it all and discovering how different magical people work and have adapted.
It has a slower build up but it was fun and witty - Rozakis’s signature humour is easily my favourite part of the book. The characters were entertaining and though the tech start up bros were a little exaggerated, it worked well to bring that tech world to life. A fun rom com with a cool set up and a magical world I really like. Morgan was a highlight in that her character arc was more about quieter contentment than big splashy dreams and goals which made for a nice change.
However, after absolutely loving Grimoire Grammar School (easy five star!) I had high hopes for this one, unfortunately I think it was just too romance based for me and whilst I liked the startup / tech driven story it didn’t hold the same sparkle and interest as Grimoire did for me. It took a while to build up story and I much preferred the wider cast and internal struggles of explored in Grimoire. It dragged on a little/ I’d had sufficient of the start up issues after a while so I wish it had been a bit more condensed. Still enjoyable and great for the right audience
Lucearoth ‘Luke’ and Morgan have far more in common that they expected and they find themselves supporting and helping one another easily. The friendships grows naturally with the romance having a sweeter, heartfelt undertone. Challengers are thrown their way until things start escalating rapidly into something that’ll have real world consequences. I wasn’t expecting the stakes to get so high but I was here for it. Morgan is relatable and human about everything, she gets tempted to take the easy way out, has a lot on the line but the book sticks to its cosier more heartfelt themes and resolutions.
Its set in the same world as Rozakis’s Grimoire Grammar School where the magical world lives adjacent to the mundane. I love the blend of normal human life with the secret magical world and how Morgan fits (or doesn’t) into it all and discovering how different magical people work and have adapted.
It has a slower build up but it was fun and witty - Rozakis’s signature humour is easily my favourite part of the book. The characters were entertaining and though the tech start up bros were a little exaggerated, it worked well to bring that tech world to life. A fun rom com with a cool set up and a magical world I really like. Morgan was a highlight in that her character arc was more about quieter contentment than big splashy dreams and goals which made for a nice change.
However, after absolutely loving Grimoire Grammar School (easy five star!) I had high hopes for this one, unfortunately I think it was just too romance based for me and whilst I liked the startup / tech driven story it didn’t hold the same sparkle and interest as Grimoire did for me. It took a while to build up story and I much preferred the wider cast and internal struggles of explored in Grimoire. It dragged on a little/ I’d had sufficient of the start up issues after a while so I wish it had been a bit more condensed. Still enjoyable and great for the right audience
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
#StartupHell by Caitlin Rozakis was genuinely one of the funniest fantasy books I’ve listened to in a while. Huge thank you to #NetGalley and the author for the opportunity to ARC listen to this one ~ I’m eternally indebted… pun very much intended.
If burnouts, impossible quotas, coworkers you tolerate at best, and CEOs who are just “passionate about being passionate” sound familiar ~ and you’ve ever felt like your soul was slowly being crushed by spreadsheets, endless emails, and the mediocre caffeine barely keeping you semi-sane ~ then congratulations, this audiobook might just be the therapeutic read you need.
Morgan is the kind of FMC who feels oh so painfully real ~ stuck working at a startup that’s actively draining her soul while also dealing with the crushing feeling of never being “good enough” for her parents… who, by the way, are magically gifted, making the mundane life she’s chosen seem even worse. While she’s busy being the office pushover, her boss Tim is in the backroom, desperate for better quarterly earnings, so he decides to literally summon a demon… and immediately dies. Now enter Luke: a demon in a charcoal suit with slightly undone buttons, tiny goat-like horns, scales, and the energy of an exhausted salesman trying not to get fired by Hell’s corporate management. He’s somehow pulling off both intimidation and being weirdly adorable. Bonus points to Luke for somehow planning a hypothetical murder to protect Morgan, cute.
The humor in this book absolutely worked for me. Between Morgan’s overthinking, Luke innocently saying horrifying things like “No one told me humans were so fragile,” and the fact that demons basically operate like overworked sales reps with quotas and deadlines, I quickly became obsessed. Their dynamic had me giggling and kicking my feet all at once, especially when Luke keeps accidentally revealing Morgan’s desires, and she realizes her poker face means absolutely nothing around him.
While this is all going down, Morgan’s mundane private life begins unraveling as her mother, Fiona, a powerful magic hunter, decides now is the best time to reach out. Fiona gives off both terrifying and the crazy NYC bird lady vibes, but instead of pigeons, it's a crow. Giselle, Morgan’s best friend/roommate, is quite literally the embodiment of a no-nonsense ice cream connoisseur who keeps you grounded through thick and thin.
Underneath all the chaos and comedy, the story fully explores the struggles of burnout, feeling behind in life, parental disappointment, and the exhausting pressure to constantly want more.
If burnouts, impossible quotas, coworkers you tolerate at best, and CEOs who are just “passionate about being passionate” sound familiar ~ and you’ve ever felt like your soul was slowly being crushed by spreadsheets, endless emails, and the mediocre caffeine barely keeping you semi-sane ~ then congratulations, this audiobook might just be the therapeutic read you need.
Morgan is the kind of FMC who feels oh so painfully real ~ stuck working at a startup that’s actively draining her soul while also dealing with the crushing feeling of never being “good enough” for her parents… who, by the way, are magically gifted, making the mundane life she’s chosen seem even worse. While she’s busy being the office pushover, her boss Tim is in the backroom, desperate for better quarterly earnings, so he decides to literally summon a demon… and immediately dies. Now enter Luke: a demon in a charcoal suit with slightly undone buttons, tiny goat-like horns, scales, and the energy of an exhausted salesman trying not to get fired by Hell’s corporate management. He’s somehow pulling off both intimidation and being weirdly adorable. Bonus points to Luke for somehow planning a hypothetical murder to protect Morgan, cute.
The humor in this book absolutely worked for me. Between Morgan’s overthinking, Luke innocently saying horrifying things like “No one told me humans were so fragile,” and the fact that demons basically operate like overworked sales reps with quotas and deadlines, I quickly became obsessed. Their dynamic had me giggling and kicking my feet all at once, especially when Luke keeps accidentally revealing Morgan’s desires, and she realizes her poker face means absolutely nothing around him.
While this is all going down, Morgan’s mundane private life begins unraveling as her mother, Fiona, a powerful magic hunter, decides now is the best time to reach out. Fiona gives off both terrifying and the crazy NYC bird lady vibes, but instead of pigeons, it's a crow. Giselle, Morgan’s best friend/roommate, is quite literally the embodiment of a no-nonsense ice cream connoisseur who keeps you grounded through thick and thin.
Underneath all the chaos and comedy, the story fully explores the struggles of burnout, feeling behind in life, parental disappointment, and the exhausting pressure to constantly want more.
May 21, 2026
Morgan works as a marketing assistant at a tech startup in New York, mostly making cold calls to potential clients. It pays the bills, just about. She feels like a failure, especially with her parents who are from the magical side of the world, while she has no magical bone in her body. But when her boss suddenly dies in the middle of summoning a demon to sell his soul to, she knows what to do with the poor demon, Lucareoth or Luke for short, stuck on the mortal plane. For one, she needs to keep him away from her mother, who is a demon hunter.
Things go sideways from the start though. Before she knows it, she owes her soul to Luke's scary demon boss unless they deliver him two prime souls. She has to put her scruples aside and start luring in potential victims who are willing to sacrifice their souls for success. That would be the CEO of the startup, Brad, who wants to be a unicorn. The business kind.
Well. This was a small disappointment, to be honest. The world was interesting with its mix of mundane and magical, the latter hidden, and Morgan straddling both worlds without belonging to either, was in a unique place. Luke as a reluctant soul collector was endearing. There were a lot of side characters and most of them had a reason to be there. Parallels between mundane and demon world were amusing. The story had good bones.
Problem was, you had to wade through endless pages of boring and unnecessary to dig out the story. Maybe if I was a marketing person I would've enjoyed the jargon and the toxic work place environment. Then again, I had a notion it might've triggered anxiety attacks. There was certainly lot of it, constantly coming in the way of the story. I ended up skimming some of it to get to the good parts. The ending was good and conclusive and doesn't build to a series.
I received a free copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Things go sideways from the start though. Before she knows it, she owes her soul to Luke's scary demon boss unless they deliver him two prime souls. She has to put her scruples aside and start luring in potential victims who are willing to sacrifice their souls for success. That would be the CEO of the startup, Brad, who wants to be a unicorn. The business kind.
Well. This was a small disappointment, to be honest. The world was interesting with its mix of mundane and magical, the latter hidden, and Morgan straddling both worlds without belonging to either, was in a unique place. Luke as a reluctant soul collector was endearing. There were a lot of side characters and most of them had a reason to be there. Parallels between mundane and demon world were amusing. The story had good bones.
Problem was, you had to wade through endless pages of boring and unnecessary to dig out the story. Maybe if I was a marketing person I would've enjoyed the jargon and the toxic work place environment. Then again, I had a notion it might've triggered anxiety attacks. There was certainly lot of it, constantly coming in the way of the story. I ended up skimming some of it to get to the good parts. The ending was good and conclusive and doesn't build to a series.
I received a free copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
May 11, 2026
Thank you Tantor Audio and Titan books for the ALC/ARC!
I switched between the audio and digital copies of this book, and I think reading them in either format is equally enjoyable! I listed to the audio around 2.5-3x speed, which is on the faster side for me so it DOES have a slower narration. But I really enjoyed the narrator and think it was a well done audiobook!
Overall, this was fun--your mom is a demon slayer, you're trying to make a career for yourself on your own in corporate America, and happen to stumble upon a demon who's now trapped unless you can help him get back to his own realm. If you work in corporate America, especially sales or middle management, it's going to make you laugh because of how true things are. I mean, selling your soul to reach quarterly targets or land a big client? We've all met the person who'd be willing to do that. And, honestly, they suck.
While this was a fun and fast read, I liked it but didn't LOVE it. There were a LOT of pop culture references and other location/place call outs that didn't really seem necessary and are just going to date the book in a few years. Did we NEED to know it was Starbucks? Saying the coffee chain with the burnt coffee would have been good enough. It kept jarring me out of the story because of how random/frequent it was, and I didn't really love it. I also thought the side story of her mother tracking a demon could have either been cut entirely, or expanded upon. For most of the story, she's just chatting with her mom via phone about the demon as a way to create urgency for getting Lucareoth home. It wasn't really necessary, I think there was a better option here.
Overall if you're looking for something fun and fast to read, this was a good pick! I don't think I'll read it again, but I enjoyed it while I read it.
I switched between the audio and digital copies of this book, and I think reading them in either format is equally enjoyable! I listed to the audio around 2.5-3x speed, which is on the faster side for me so it DOES have a slower narration. But I really enjoyed the narrator and think it was a well done audiobook!
Overall, this was fun--your mom is a demon slayer, you're trying to make a career for yourself on your own in corporate America, and happen to stumble upon a demon who's now trapped unless you can help him get back to his own realm. If you work in corporate America, especially sales or middle management, it's going to make you laugh because of how true things are. I mean, selling your soul to reach quarterly targets or land a big client? We've all met the person who'd be willing to do that. And, honestly, they suck.
While this was a fun and fast read, I liked it but didn't LOVE it. There were a LOT of pop culture references and other location/place call outs that didn't really seem necessary and are just going to date the book in a few years. Did we NEED to know it was Starbucks? Saying the coffee chain with the burnt coffee would have been good enough. It kept jarring me out of the story because of how random/frequent it was, and I didn't really love it. I also thought the side story of her mother tracking a demon could have either been cut entirely, or expanded upon. For most of the story, she's just chatting with her mom via phone about the demon as a way to create urgency for getting Lucareoth home. It wasn't really necessary, I think there was a better option here.
Overall if you're looking for something fun and fast to read, this was a good pick! I don't think I'll read it again, but I enjoyed it while I read it.
May 8, 2026
3.5 ⭐️
Firstly Thankyou to Titan books for this ARC!
“No ethical consumption under capitalism.”
But is taking the souls of people who deserve it really that different?
*Startup Hell* was such a unique concept — part contemporary fantasy, part corporate satire, part rom-com chaos.
Morgan is a junior salesperson at a struggling tech startup when a workplace accident involving demon summoning leaves Lucareoth (Luke for human) trapped on the mortal plane. The only way to get him home? Meet a soul quota. Naturally.
Meanwhile, Morgan’s trying to survive corporate life, hide a literal demon from her badass demon-hunter mother and the Shadow Council, and maybe fall for him a little along the way.
The strongest part of this book was definitely its humour. The comparisons between corporate culture and demon bureaucracy were genuinely clever, impossible quotas, terrible bosses, soul-crushing work environments… honestly the line between startup and hell gets very blurry.
That said, this book is *very* corporate heavy. A lot of the dialogue, structure, and conflict revolves around startup culture and sales environments, which personally just wasn’t fully my thing. I can absolutely see this being a hit for readers who work in corporate and enjoy fantasy with a modern, satirical edge though.
Overall: a fun, quirky urban fantasy with a cheeky romance and a really original premise — just not quite the perfect fit for me.
Firstly Thankyou to Titan books for this ARC!
“No ethical consumption under capitalism.”
But is taking the souls of people who deserve it really that different?
*Startup Hell* was such a unique concept — part contemporary fantasy, part corporate satire, part rom-com chaos.
Morgan is a junior salesperson at a struggling tech startup when a workplace accident involving demon summoning leaves Lucareoth (Luke for human) trapped on the mortal plane. The only way to get him home? Meet a soul quota. Naturally.
Meanwhile, Morgan’s trying to survive corporate life, hide a literal demon from her badass demon-hunter mother and the Shadow Council, and maybe fall for him a little along the way.
The strongest part of this book was definitely its humour. The comparisons between corporate culture and demon bureaucracy were genuinely clever, impossible quotas, terrible bosses, soul-crushing work environments… honestly the line between startup and hell gets very blurry.
That said, this book is *very* corporate heavy. A lot of the dialogue, structure, and conflict revolves around startup culture and sales environments, which personally just wasn’t fully my thing. I can absolutely see this being a hit for readers who work in corporate and enjoy fantasy with a modern, satirical edge though.
Overall: a fun, quirky urban fantasy with a cheeky romance and a really original premise — just not quite the perfect fit for me.
May 25, 2026
Morgan has a badass demon-slaying mom. Since Morgan has magic dyslexia she feels like a failure and she can never live up to what her parents want her to be. Morgan lives a mundane life working as a junior sales person at a startup that can't decide what it wants to be. One night after working late Morgan stumbles across a dead employee that had a heart attack while summoning a demon. Morgan decides to help get the demon, Luke, out of there. But once outside she stumbles across her mom, trying to again get Luke out of the situation, Morgan finds herself in hell. Now not only does Luke have to collect a soul to meet his quota but so does Morgan. Luke and Morgan find they have a lot to bond over with similarities in their work and they decide to help each other.
This was a fun paranormal romcom. It was humorous and witty. Luke is such a loveable demon! It was cute how freaked out he got with not knowing how everyday things worked like hugging. Morgan is relatable and all the side characters really add to the story. I loved how the author made selling souls the same as being a corporate salesperson. Sometimes those jobs really do feel like you're in hell! The romance between Luke and Morgan was so sweet.
Thanks to NetGalley and publisher for the review copy.
This was a fun paranormal romcom. It was humorous and witty. Luke is such a loveable demon! It was cute how freaked out he got with not knowing how everyday things worked like hugging. Morgan is relatable and all the side characters really add to the story. I loved how the author made selling souls the same as being a corporate salesperson. Sometimes those jobs really do feel like you're in hell! The romance between Luke and Morgan was so sweet.
Thanks to NetGalley and publisher for the review copy.
May 5, 2026
Okay this was my first book by this author and wow I was pulled in immediately. Like I know you’re not supposed to judge by the cover but I did and I was right because I ended up loving it.It’s about Morgan who’s basically the black sheep of her super powerful magical family. Her mom is this legendary demon slaying wizard and meanwhile Morgan is just trying to survive her very normal corporate job. Then one night she finds her boss dead after trying to summon a demon to hit a sales target and now she’s stuck dealing with that demon who is annoyingly attractive. While trying to keep him hidden her mom shows up to investigate, things spiral, and Morgan ends up literally in hell making a deal she does not want to keep.The whole thing is such a fun mix of fantasy and corporate satire. Like it’s genuinely funny but also painfully relatable if you’ve ever had a terrible job. Morgan was super easy to love lol and I loved the dynamic with the demon.I just had a really good time reading this. It’s clever, a little unhinged, and just a really fun take on demons and corporate life. Definitely makes me want to check out more from this author.
May 17, 2026
When life gives you demons...pretend they're an intern?
The last thing Morgan wanted to do after an extra long day working her sales job at a start up was to deal with a demon. However, upon checking in on her boss, she finds him dead, slumped on his desk, and a circle of salt containing a massive purple demon -- horns, scales, the whole 9 yards. Great.
Coming from a family of monster hunters, Morgan knows she couldn't make a deal with him (Lucareoth) and risk her immortal soul, but when his circle is breached and he is free, he doesn't do anything threatening. He doesn't even leave the circle. What the hell?
Turns out, he's behind on his soul quota and can't go back empty handed, and Morgan doesn't know how to banish him back anyway! Her family might be magical, but she doesn't have the talent for it! Sooooooooo, they're stuck with each other for now.
Luke assimilates into sales office life while trying to assist Morgan with finding him a way home, and also securing him a soul that will not make her shiver thinking of their fate, and soooo much silly and crazy business happens! In office, and out!
They have to team up to scheme up a solution and not die in the process!
This was such a joy and a treat to listen to! I love the tension and the little moments of sweetness amidst the chaos! And the narrator kicked ass too!
I will never not read any of Caitlin's books!!
The last thing Morgan wanted to do after an extra long day working her sales job at a start up was to deal with a demon. However, upon checking in on her boss, she finds him dead, slumped on his desk, and a circle of salt containing a massive purple demon -- horns, scales, the whole 9 yards. Great.
Coming from a family of monster hunters, Morgan knows she couldn't make a deal with him (Lucareoth) and risk her immortal soul, but when his circle is breached and he is free, he doesn't do anything threatening. He doesn't even leave the circle. What the hell?
Turns out, he's behind on his soul quota and can't go back empty handed, and Morgan doesn't know how to banish him back anyway! Her family might be magical, but she doesn't have the talent for it! Sooooooooo, they're stuck with each other for now.
Luke assimilates into sales office life while trying to assist Morgan with finding him a way home, and also securing him a soul that will not make her shiver thinking of their fate, and soooo much silly and crazy business happens! In office, and out!
They have to team up to scheme up a solution and not die in the process!
This was such a joy and a treat to listen to! I love the tension and the little moments of sweetness amidst the chaos! And the narrator kicked ass too!
I will never not read any of Caitlin's books!!
Read
March 29, 2026It’s not easy growing up in the shadow of a demon-slaying Mother, but Morgan has done her best to make her way in the mundane world without magic. Things change fast when she inherits custody of a demon summoned by her boss. Before she knows it, Morgan’s up to her ears in supernatural anarchy as she’s thrown headfirst into the ruthless market for human souls.
'Startup Hell' was my first time reading Caitlin Rozakis, and I really enjoyed her talent for balancing slapstick scenes with bone-dry humour. It works brilliantly in this book where chaotic fantasy is seamlessly woven into the mundanity of corporate life.
As far as demonic entities go, Luke was an absolute delight. I didn’t have “Cinnamon roll demon” on my bingo card for this year, but he filled the story with so much heart. Similarly, I found that Morgan’s search for self-identity and confidence brought a grounding relatability her journey, which I really enjoyed.
As someone from outside the corporate world, the heavy focus on the minutiae of marketing in a startup sometimes slowed the pace for me. It was however balanced by a vibrant, entertaining cast of otherworldly characters, who infused so much fun and energy into the story.
If you are burnt out on corporate life and are looking for a fun, fantasy escape, 'Startup Hell' might just be the antidote you’re seeking. It’s out in Australia on 19 May 2026.
Thank you to Simon & Schuster Australia for gifting me an ARC for review.
'Startup Hell' was my first time reading Caitlin Rozakis, and I really enjoyed her talent for balancing slapstick scenes with bone-dry humour. It works brilliantly in this book where chaotic fantasy is seamlessly woven into the mundanity of corporate life.
As far as demonic entities go, Luke was an absolute delight. I didn’t have “Cinnamon roll demon” on my bingo card for this year, but he filled the story with so much heart. Similarly, I found that Morgan’s search for self-identity and confidence brought a grounding relatability her journey, which I really enjoyed.
As someone from outside the corporate world, the heavy focus on the minutiae of marketing in a startup sometimes slowed the pace for me. It was however balanced by a vibrant, entertaining cast of otherworldly characters, who infused so much fun and energy into the story.
If you are burnt out on corporate life and are looking for a fun, fantasy escape, 'Startup Hell' might just be the antidote you’re seeking. It’s out in Australia on 19 May 2026.
Thank you to Simon & Schuster Australia for gifting me an ARC for review.
May 14, 2026
This book is a fun and humours take on demons deals and office politics in the tech industry. I think to fully enjoy this book you need to have worked a 9 to 5 office job before or at least understand to 9-5 corporate environment. If you’ve held a job like that, then this book is so much funnier.
I loved the humour of the FMC. I could really relate to her. She took a soul sucking corporate job because she had to, not because she wanted to (bills, rent, student loans iykyk). This book explores what you want to do in life versus what you have to do. It’s also about finding your true passions and adding little bits of it into your day-to-day life to make yourself happier.
I would recommend this book to anybody who’s looking for a cosy urban fantasy. If you enjoy audiobooks over physical reads, the narrator is amazing. I think that the narrator makes this book experience even better.
I loved the humour of the FMC. I could really relate to her. She took a soul sucking corporate job because she had to, not because she wanted to (bills, rent, student loans iykyk). This book explores what you want to do in life versus what you have to do. It’s also about finding your true passions and adding little bits of it into your day-to-day life to make yourself happier.
I would recommend this book to anybody who’s looking for a cosy urban fantasy. If you enjoy audiobooks over physical reads, the narrator is amazing. I think that the narrator makes this book experience even better.
May 17, 2026
ARC review
First off Thank you netgalley for the opportunity to listen to this early copy of Startup hell.
The story starts a little slower while introducing the world and characters, but once it picks up, the plot becomes slightly more engaging. I enjoyed the creative concept and the mix of corporate chaos with fantasy elements. The narrator also did a solid job bringing the characters and humor to life, making it easy to stay immersed in the story, I do think I might have dnf’d if it wasn’t audio bringing it to life. There were definitely some cute moments between lucareoth and Morgan, which is my favorite parts of the story as well as her relationships with her friends that show how important they are to her.
First off Thank you netgalley for the opportunity to listen to this early copy of Startup hell.
The story starts a little slower while introducing the world and characters, but once it picks up, the plot becomes slightly more engaging. I enjoyed the creative concept and the mix of corporate chaos with fantasy elements. The narrator also did a solid job bringing the characters and humor to life, making it easy to stay immersed in the story, I do think I might have dnf’d if it wasn’t audio bringing it to life. There were definitely some cute moments between lucareoth and Morgan, which is my favorite parts of the story as well as her relationships with her friends that show how important they are to her.
May 23, 2026
When Morgan's boss dies while summoning a demon, she is left trying to help him get back to his plane, and keep him secret from humans, and especially her mom, a demon hunter.
Luc turns out to be a kind demon, he doesn't want to hurt people, and he's really bad at his job of getting humans to sell their souls to demons. Morgan is also really bad at her job at a tech start up. They find themselves becoming close, and helping each other out, which leads to bigger issues, such as Morgan owing her soul to the demons.
Trying to be good people and save each other, Morgan and Luc end up trying to stop a war between planes.
I love the narrator, Megan Tusing. She is so good at the different voices, the emotions and tone of voice. This was a very good audiobook!
Luc turns out to be a kind demon, he doesn't want to hurt people, and he's really bad at his job of getting humans to sell their souls to demons. Morgan is also really bad at her job at a tech start up. They find themselves becoming close, and helping each other out, which leads to bigger issues, such as Morgan owing her soul to the demons.
Trying to be good people and save each other, Morgan and Luc end up trying to stop a war between planes.
I love the narrator, Megan Tusing. She is so good at the different voices, the emotions and tone of voice. This was a very good audiobook!
May 23, 2026
Surface-level, it's basically a satire of startup culture and a satire of urban fantasy, but unlike a lot of books like that it has very good bones (characterization, plotting, pacing) that make it a lot of fun. Had an absolute blast reading it.
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