Demon with Benefits (Book #3 of the Hell Bent Series) by Aurora Ascher 🔥🌶️😘

Rating 10000/5🤩:
This book will give you trust issues because you are about to be out here expecting to be flirted with by demons and seduced with snarky one-liners. I KNEW MEPH WOULD BE MY FAVORITE UGHHHHH!

Spice 5/5🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️:
Okay. Listen. I went into this book already loving the prior two installments. If you think you are just gonna get a little spicy demon action, you are sooo wrong. What to expect: A soul throttling, body melting, claws and all masterpiece.

I already can’t wait for the next but if I haven’t made myself clear enough:
Aurora Ascher has basically reinvented monster romance with wit, depth, and a demon who somehow manages to be hot, terrifying, eventually emotionally complex, and still has the audacity to be a menace. And let’s not ignore our FMC!!! Give it up for Iris. 😭 SHE IS NOT HERE TO BE SAVED! She’s sarcastic, stubborn, and smart as hell.

💥 Tropes that I LOVEDDDD:
• Forced proximity (Hell Edition)
• Grumpy demon x snarky human
• Touch her and die

If you like your romance demonic, your dialogue razor sharp, and your spice scale obliterated, Demon with Benefits is your next obsession. IT RELEASES JULY 29th, 2025!💞💞💞💞💞

Warning: may cause you to fall in love with fictional monsters and seriously reconsider your stance on summoning circles.

I truly think the beginning of this book was fun. Especially with Meph and Iris’ dynamic. However, I did fell lost about what happened in book two. I had read book 1 but not 2 and before reading this, I truly thought it would be okay to read it on its own but there was so much background I was missing. Even when it was mentioned in this book, I still felt like a missed context, and it even made me not like Lily’s character that much. I want to say I needed that book 2 context. When I got to part of the plot with Meph’s demon side and his past, I also lost motivation a little, I suspect it’s because I wanted more action when it came to them being in hell. I just felt disconnected from that part of the plot. As for Iris and Meph, I really liked their individual characters and I had fun reading the ending when they finally get together, their dynamic and banter was fun and entertaining.

This is the third book in the Hell Bent series, which is a romance series, each book follows different main POVs surrounding a group of demon brothers who escaped from hell. This book our main POVs are Mephistopheles and Iris. Meph is the jokester tatted up one of the group. While Iris is actually Lily’s sister from the previous book 📖 Iris and Meph have a very complicated relationship from the last book, enemies to friends maybe. The main trope for this book is friends with benefits, which is actually one of my least favorite tropes. I really enjoyed the growth that you see within both of this characters through out the book. The storyline for these books are great and really keeps you hooked on the plot throughout them all. Iris and Meph end up being rather cute together 🖤 I would say the spice level is 4.5/5. I’m rather excited for the next book in this series. I would look up triggers/ warnings before reading.

Thank you to NetGalley and @KensingtonBooks for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed Demon with Benefits! Aurora Ascher delivers a spicy enemies-to-lovers story with a twist of Beauty and the Beast that kept me hooked. Meph, the jokester demon brother with a devilish grin, is exactly the kind of flawed, complicated hero I love. He hides his pain behind humor, but Iris, the fierce blue haired witch, might just be the one who can break through his walls.

Iris is dealing with her own demons (literally and figuratively), and her sharp temper and guarded heart made her a refreshing heroine. Their chemistry? Hot, messy, and so believable. The way they push and pull, trying to keep their distance but clearly drawn to each other, was really well done.

The darker themes and emotional wounds add depth to what could’ve been just another paranormal romance. There’s violence and intense moments that aren’t for everyone, but I appreciated how they made the stakes feel real. The story balances the sexy scenes with emotional growth, which I always appreciate.

My only small critique is that at times the pacing felt a bit uneven—some parts dragged while others zipped by too fast. But overall, the emotional payoff was worth it, and I’m curious to see where the series goes from here.

If you enjoy enemies to lovers with a dark paranormal twist, heroes with a tortured side and plenty of charm, witches, demons, and monsters with complicated pasts and a mix of spice, heart, and some seriously intense moments then you will love Demon with Benefits!

4.25 Stars!

#NetGalley, #DemonWithBenefits, #HellBent, #AuroraAscher, #KensingtonBooks

Despite their mutual disregard (putting it nicely!), Iris and Meph get to know each other intimately. And we get to know them better, their hurts and sorrows. Meph smiles and keeps others away. Iris scowls and keeps others away. A perfect couple! And the mystery of Meph never changing to his demon form is solved!

I love this book just as much as I have the rest of the series. It was witty and spicy. Funny and perfect. I can't wait for the remainder! Thank you so much for the opportunity to read this arc!

I could not put it down. It was amazing like all the rest of the series. I’m very excited to see where the story goes. Every time we get more of a backstory for one of the boys it’s always so heartbreaking. Perfection as usual

It was fun & spicy enemies to lovers! Paranormal romance read highly recommend! Meth was absolutely a fab character I need the next book like now!??

Romance isn't my unusual genre, but I like witty banter and fun characters, and the title of the book sounded interesting. Overall, I think was a pretty decent read. I liked the characters and the dialogue was well done. I don't know that I'll keep reading the series, but that's more because I'm not a romance guy.

Oh it’s so good to be back in this world again and I’ve been looking forward to Meph’s story since we met him!

Can I just say the tension and chemistry between Meph and Iris is PALPABLE. 🥵 Dear lord, I love them.

For me, seeing Iris change over the course of the book was so powerful. It’s amazing how the right relationship can bring out a completely change you.

This was such a good time, I absolutely devoured it!!

Thank you so much for the early copy!

Aurora Ascher delivers a spicy, chaotic, and surprisingly heartfelt paranormal romance in Demon with Benefits. Fans of paranormal romance will feel right at home with Meph and Iris’s sizzling chemistry and emotional journey. This was a devilishly good time with blazing chemistry, witty banter, and emotional payoff. The deluxe edition adds collectible charm, but the story itself is the main draw. If you’re into spicy paranormal romance with heart and humor, Demon with Benefits is a satisfying fourth-star read. I’ll gladly follow Meph, Iris, and the crew on their next adventure!

Thank you NetGalley for sharing this wonderful book with me.
3.5-4/5 stars 🌟

Witty banter, sarcasm and the good old “insult banter” await you inside this book! Picking right back off where we were left at the end of the last book, the story starts off quickly and builds up fast.

I thoroughly enjoyed the book, however, I found some use of profanity was a little much for my liking. I felt nearly every other word was profanity of some kind. While I swear like a sailor myself, everything in moderation is always good. Aside from this I cannot wait to see where the next book takes us all!

Meph and Iris HAVE CHEMISTRY! I really loved the grumpy sunshine trope that was kind of happening here but Iris was the grumpy one and Meph sunshine with the most traumatic past. This novel tied up plot lines from previous books, but also gave you new characters to follow. I really enjoyed the character development for Iris and Meph but they both had to learn to accept parts of themselves that they had walled off in order to be able to control their powers. I adored Faust, the Hellhound, and all of the other characters. It was interesting to have chapters from other characters POVs throughout the book that tied an old and new plot lines that were outside of the couple.

This is such a fun series! Meph is one of my favorite MMC's. I'm a sucker for a tattooed goofball and I love that Iris doesn't just fall at his feet like he expects. The tension between the two is off the charts. The humor in this book is well balanced but the book still packs an emotional punch.

As far as the writing, the author does a great job of writing in 3rd person and giving us the POV of multiple characters without it being confusing or out of place. I'm normally a dual first person POV reader but I don't even notice the difference.

Okay, this was so much fun. Think snarky demon, stubborn witch, forced proximity, and tons of banter. It’s spicy, chaotic, and somehow still really sweet underneath all the steam and sarcasm. I loved that Meph and Iris have such great chemistry. Their bickering had me grinning constantly. The whole found-family vibe with the demon crew added so much warmth to the story, and the pacing made it super bingeable. I also really liked how it balanced humor with emotional depth.
Some of the dialogue felt maybe a little too modern or quirky at times, like it tried a bit hard to be funny. But it didn’t take away from the story, and honestly, the vibe still worked overall.

If you're into paranormal romance that doesn’t take itself too seriously but still brings the heat and heart, this one's a solid pick. Perfect for fans of steamy chaos, enemies-to-lovers, and demon boys with secret soft sides.

This was not my favorite of the series. I really wanted to enjoy it more, but I was struggling to see the stand out quality for this book. It seems like it heavily relied on the fact that it was already in an established series, even though it states it can also be red as a standalone. It also felt like the spicy scenes that took place were just there for shock value. I really enjoyed the previous two installments, so I hope the fourth goes back more to its roots.

Thank you, NetGalley for this copy in exchange for my honest opinion

Meph my little sugar pie Babycakes. Goofball Meph is your classic golden retriever f boy who’s really hiding all his pain and hurt behind a smile. And iris is a grade a B witch who hasn’t come into her powers yet. These two hate each other but also love to hate each other. Their flirting and banter is the best. I could listen to them bicker all day. The journey these two go on together both physically and emotionally is so good. I loved these babies so much. This series is a blast.

Just when you think a series can't get any better, *BAM* it does. The tension between Meph and Iris is INSANE and I loved every page of it. This book was so good, I just can't get enough of this series, and I definitely can't recommend it enough! It has everything you could want in a spicy PNR. Run, don't walk, and add this book/series to your TBR!!

Love love loved of course! I adore a good friends with benefits situationship & DWB didn’t disappoint. Iris & meph had some HOT chemistry 🥵

Aurora has done it again! I’m fully obsessed with this series—she just keeps delivering. Her mix of comedy and spice? Chef’s kiss. I could not put this one down. “Demon with Benefits” was everything I wanted: angsty, steamy, and full of that “we’re not catching feelings... right?” energy. Iris and Meph are messy in the best way, and the “everyone knows but them” dynamic had me grinning the whole time. Their chemistry? 🔥🔥🔥 Aurora Ascher is killing it, and if you’re into paranormal/supernatural spice, I highly recommend diving in. Five-star summer continues strong!