Demon with Benefits swept me straight into the Hell Bent world of demon brothers and curses, and it didn’t let go. Meph—tattooed, playful, and carrying secrets—instantly clashed with Iris, a blue‑haired witch who’s all edge and scars, and their enemies‑to‑lovers chemistry was scorching and emotionally raw. Their journey through trauma, healing, and fierce attraction kept me turning pages—heavy on tension, dark backstory, and a satisfying HEA worth every moment.

Demon with Benefits by Aurora Ascher completely blew me away. Book three in the Hell Bent series brings the heat, the humor, and the heart and somehow makes you fall even harder for a demon with emotional baggage and a witch who’s just as wrecked (and powerful) as him.

From the very first scene, the chemistry between Meph and Iris is electric. These two have been circling each other since book one, and watching them crash together in all their emotionally stunted, trauma-loaded glory? Utterly satisfying. They are chaos and softness wrapped in sarcasm and smolder.

⚠️ TW: Panic attacks (on-page), mentions of past slavery, torture, loss of parents, kidnapping, gore, and blood

Tropes:
❤️‍🔥Hate to Love
🤌🏼Friends with Benefits
👹Monster Romance
🧙‍♀️ Witches
😮‍💨“Touch her and die” energy
👀Banter that could cut glass

And speaking of tension, THE SPICE. Aurora does not hold back. The open-door scenes are 🔥, but what truly sets them apart is the emotional undertone behind them. It’s not just physical, it’s healing, it's hesitant, it's messy in the most realistic way. I loved watching Meph and Iris grow from guarded strangers to something fiercely vulnerable.

Now, let’s talk about the audiobook because it deserves its own spotlight. The narrator absolutely crushed this. The narrator’s performance brought so much nuance to Meph and Iris; his sarcasm, his moments of panic and softness, her strength and sharp edges, all of it. You feel the push and pull, the pain beneath the humor, the burning attraction simmering under every line. It elevated the entire experience. I genuinely had to pause a few times just to take it all in. If you’re an audiobook lover, this one is a must.

Aurora’s worldbuilding continues to amaze me. The paranormal universe she’s created is rich, vibrant, and full of unforgettable side characters, especially the brotherhood, who add both comic relief and emotional depth. And while the plot moves fast, it never loses sight of the characters’ internal journeys. You feel the weight of their pasts, the fear of their future, and the bravery it takes to love in spite of it all.

This series keeps getting better and better, and Demon with Benefits might be Aurora’s strongest yet. Meph is officially my favorite demon disaster, and Iris is the perfect match for his chaos. I laughed, I swooned, I may have yelled into a pillow once or twice. Huge thank you to Hambright for the eARC, NetGalley for the audiobook, and Aurora for letting me dive into this absolute gem. I’m counting down the days until the next one.

This series is a delight. This story follows Meph and Iris. Meph is covered head to toe in tattoos and takes nothing seriously while Iris is a grumpy witch who has a serious issue with demons. While this story focuses on a different couple, these stories are all so intertwined (which i enjoyed) that I would not advise reading them seperately. With that being said, Meph and Irish spend time together due to their siblings being together and their chemistry is off the charts!
They have great banter and fun spice but i found the first half of the book to have less substance than the previous books. With that being said, things ramp up in the second half and while i wont spoil the story it is interesting.
I am looking forward to the next story.

ARC Review: Demon With Benefits by Aurora Ascher
⭐️⭐️⭐️✨ (3.75/5 stars)
Audio Book Narrator (4/5 stars)

A sizzling blend of paranormal romance, humor, and emotional growth with a narrator who keeps the tension and heat coming.

Demon With Benefits is the third book in Aurora Ascher’s Hell Bent series, and it delivers exactly what you'd expect from a spicy demon romance Rom Com—with a few surprises along the way. At its core, it’s a fast-paced, trope-filled paranormal romp with a solid emotional undercurrent.

The story follows Meph, a jokster and emotionally repressed demon who ends up falling for Iris, a witch with her own problems. Their chemistry crackles from the start, and the "enemies to lovers” dynamic provides plenty of entertaining banter and steamy tension.

What worked really well:

The world-building is imaginative and fun and the book keeps a fast pace. The Hellish bureaucracy and demon realm politics add flavor without overwhelming the romance.

Iris is a stubborn heroine, but one with heart and grit. Her emotional journey, especially around her self-compassion and forgiveness, is relatable and adds depth to an otherwise sexy, supernatural setup.

Meph’s development—going from an emotionally traumatised artist hiding behind his humor to emotionally vulnerable—was gradual and satisfying.

What held it back for me:

Some of the dialogue leaned into the cheesy side (even for a demon romance), and the intermittent irish accent from Iris was awkward.

While the romance was enjoyable, it didn’t always feel as earned emotionally as it could have, especially given the intense bond the plot revolves around.

That said, Demon With Benefits is undeniably fun and a pleasure to read. If you're into sexy demon chaos, enemies to lovers, and a dash of emotional healing, this one's worth the read. Just be prepared for some over-the-top moments —then sit back and enjoy the ride.

This series is a lot of fun, each couple has had a unique flavor but this one was right up my alley. I am weak for a tattooed, pierced, sexually dominant man

I’ve listened to a lot of audiobooks this year and I’ve found that the narrator can really make or break it, no matter how good the book is. I had such a good time listening to Kristin Leigh narrate Demons With Benefits. The emotion fit the plot, and I never had to question who was speaking or what emotion was being elicited through both the dialogue and the inner monologue.

As for the story itself, this is the first book in the series I’ve read, and it was a damn good time; a good mix of spice and emotion and plot. Even without reading the first two books in the series, there was enough information provided that I was never really lost in what was happening, or why. Meph was such a complex character, and throughout the whole book I just wanted to give him a hug. Iris started off acting cold and detached and I loved seeing her confront her inner demons.

I will definitely be going back and reading the rest of this series.

Thank you NetGalley and RBmedia for the ALC

This series is just so much fun. I have listened to the previous audiobooks in the Hell Bent series and this one may be my favorite so far. I loved the enemies to lovers between Iris and Meph. Their banter is hilarious, sharp and snarky, and seeing their walls come down to letting each other in, yet still keep the snarky banter is so well done. Kirsten Leigh does an amazing job narrating and brings the world to life, and you can just hear Iris rolling her eyes in annoyance. I can’t wait for the next one in the series

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Thank you to NetGalley for the ALC of Demon with Benefits by Aurora Ascher, narrated by Kirsten Leigh!

This has been my favorite installment in the Hell Bent series so far! The enemies-to-frenemies-to-lovers dynamic between Iris and Meph is executed to perfection—equal parts banter, tension, and emotional depth. Meph’s jokester persona and Iris’s fiery, no-nonsense attitude spark off each other in all the right (and occasionally explosive) ways. And when the spice hits? It hits. 🔥

I loved watching both characters peel back their emotional armor—Meph’s deflective humor and Iris’s prickly walls—to reveal something unexpectedly tender underneath all the snark and demonic chaos. Their chemistry is scorching, but what really sold it for me was the vulnerability threaded through all the heat.

Kirsten Leigh’s narration adds a lot of charm and sass, perfectly capturing Iris’s sharp wit and emotional evolution. I did wish for dual narration—hearing Meph’s voice directly would’ve deepened the connection—but Leigh still delivered an engaging and emotionally resonant performance.

If you’re into magical mayhem, demon brothers, cursed hearts, and spicy slow burns, this one’s for you. Fans of Kimberly Lemming and Brynne Weaver will definitely find themselves right at home in this laugh-out-loud and heart-clenchy paranormal romp.

This book was as entertaining as the previous two. I enjoyed that it followed two misunderstood characters. Iris and Meph were misunderstood in different ways. Meph was regarded as the easygoing, lighthearted one. While Iris was regarded as the serious, mean one. They both used their facades as defense mechanisms. I liked that they were able to lower their defenses to each other.

The audiobook was high quality and easy to listen to. I enjoyed this narrator’s performance once again. Meph was the character that stood out to me from the very first book, so it was nice to have a whole book of him! A goofball with hidden depths, as evidenced in the depiction of his voice. I love these books in audio form. I highly recommend giving a listen!

Thank you NetGalley for the ALC. I absolutely love this series and this one did not disappoint. Following the witchy sister and her relationship. They start of not liking each other but come to the friends with benefits arrangement cause they discover they’re both amazing in bed. He catches feelings and she cuts him loose, but when he goes missing she feels like something isn’t right and can’t rest knowing how the left things off. I could binge this series over and over.

NetGalley Arc-Audio production of Demon with Benefits narrated by Kristen Leigh.

I appreciate Kristen’s voice on this series. She slightly changes her voice for the male voices, and I wish it was a bit more different so it was easier to keep up with who is speaking. Her voice is very soothing and the pacing is great.

I loved this audiobook of Demon with Benefits. It was another great addition to the series, lots of smut and fun demons. I got exactly what I expected from the series.

The enemies-to-lovers dynamic of Mephistopheles and Iris is slow, but I really enjoyed their angst, funny banter and endearing moments. The narration of the audiobook was great and overall a quick listen. Thank you so much!