The Succubus's Prize

A Deal With a Demon #4

by Katee Robert

Belladonna doesn’t know if a person can die from guilt, but she’s giving it her best shot. All her life, she’s done what she needed to in order to survive, but in recent years, the cost only seems to skyrocket…until someone innocent gets hurt. That’s why she made her deal with the demon. To right the wrong she committed.

But when she’s auctioned off to Rusalka, a powerful and devious succubus, it’s nothing like she expected. She’s…taken care of. And if she’s put to work and expected to fulfill every part of her bargain, Belladonna is only too happy to let someone else shoulder the responsibility and make decisions for her.

Too bad Rusalka isn’t in the market for a servant. She wants a full partner. If Belladonna can’t release her guilt and step into that role… Things may be over even before they begin.

Genres: Romance, Fantasy, Monster Romance, Paranormal, LGBT, Smut, Lesbian

171 pages, Kindle Edition

First published April 17, 2024

About the author

Katee Robert is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of spicy romance. Entertainment Weekly calls her writing “unspeakably hot.” Her books have sold over two million copies. She lives in the Pacific Northwest with her husband, children, a cat who thinks he’s a dog, and two Great Danes who think they’re lap dogs.

Sign up for my newsletter to get access to exclusive bonus content!

https://dashboard.mailerlite.com/form...

Reviews

[Jacque · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed aspects of this book (katee robert!! sexy times! cool gender shit! gay people! monsters!!) but tbh the religious...deprograming? aspect felt kinda preachy for me, i guess in a way that i didn’t vibe with. having done my own sort of religious deconstruction, all of my discontent is related to not really vibing with the one heroine's journey. so i get that this is a me thing!! this will absolutely vibe with other people and imo i bet it was v cathartic to write

it just felt...idk like we had to wallow in the misery that was her previous life for so long, like it was all abut her past trauma. She just spent so much of this very short book being like "oh but i don't deserve this/good things, i wanna fly & be free but i just can't *le sigh*" in a way that felt...idk not quite void of agency, but it just seemed like she spent so much time batting aimlessly/sadly at her mental cages. Maybe if we'd been more in her head & could see her trying/fighting? or maybe just engaging with the process of healing more? idk. It was hard to be in her head just thinking all of this terrible shit about herself and reflecting on the abhorrent treatment by her family, and rather than being mad or resentful or desperate to feel good, there was a sense of resignation? And I guess it rubbed up against my own experience/feelings bc I kept feeling like “ok then what babes??? What are you gonna do about??? Shit or get off the pot!” (Again this is a me thing— the more I think the more I’m realizing I needed more pages/story/nuance to appreciate these characters & enjoy her journey)

i feel like also the vibes were kinda disparate (super sexy demon deal with NB succubus queen who has a tail?? but then also intense religious alt right trauma) and in order to delve into the cult stuff in a way I personally found more meaningful/compelling, i think she wouldve needed more pages.

anyways still kinda enjoyed but will likely never read again, and its the first in the series i've felt that way about. which is too bad bc its the sapphic one!!! dammit katee why are your sapphic books always so emo & trauma-y, pls give me a str8 up horny sapphic

[em (christian harper’s version) ♡ ︎ · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5

“little one” ..?

and don’t even get me started on the typos

[Erica · Rating 4 out of 5]

no because what do you mean i don’t have my own hot succubus to help me heal from my religious trauma via orgasms 😭

[Savannah Cieslak · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was definitely my favorite so far in the series! I really liked how Katee Robert delved in the complexities of religion and how when it is taken into the extreme how harmful it can be, both intentionally and also unintentionally. I definitely think both FMC’s were perfect for each other. Rusalka was a great love interest and also a phenomenal leader of her territory. She truly cared about her people and worked so hard to make there lives as great as possible. Belladonna was also a great character and watching her learn that love doesn’t have to be transactional and shouldn’t cause you harm was a beautiful arc to see. I can’t wait to read the rest of the books in this series!

Spice: 🌶️🌶️🌶️.5

[Lydia ☽︎ · Rating 2 out of 5]

Unfortunately, this was another instalment in the series that was just no where near as good as the first book.

I really wanted to love this (I mean a sapphic monster romance? Gimme) but the romance just fell so flat for me and I didn’t connect to any of the characters.

I’m still looking forward to the final book though! Hopefully the series will end on a high note.

[Shelby · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 stars rounded up bc I love Katee.
I read the raw version on patreon, so this review is not for the final published work.
This had potential but the relationship developed way too fast in my opinion. This is a girl with apparently massive religious trauma and guilt (which is really never explained, we are just told she has it) and you’re gonna tell me she’s perfectly fine being ate out in a play scene with 4 people when she’s been in this realm for like a day?? Be so for real.

I think this particular couple would have benefited from more time together. Katee said herself she generally writes sapphic relations softer, but this was too soft for what needed to be acheived.

[Mel · Rating 2 out of 5]

I’m so disappointed in this one. Completely milquetoast with zero chemistry and smut that is somehow boring even though it’s a literal orgy? H O W

I can see what Robert was trying to do here but it just felt completely flat and felt like there was zero point or plot at all.

[Mando Rose · Rating 4 out of 5]

March??? wtf man

Update: time to IMPATIENTLY wait another year

[Poppy || Monster Lover · Rating 5 out of 5]

I knew this was gonna be my fave book in this series very early on because the portrayal of religious trauma was just beautiful. The toxic dynamic that exists between people in a religion and out of it. The way the shame keeps a vice grip on you even when you’re trying to put it behind you. The hurt that comes from being queer in a religion that doesn’t accept that part of you. I sobbed a lot.
Belladonna was an awesome MC; complex, often flailing, selfless, and open to new ideas. Rusalka was dreamy AF. She was a safe place to land, but still imperfect. Belladonna pulled them out of some of their overworking and self-sacrificing ways. Their relationship had a natural feeling progression and I’m so relieved there was actually an epilogue in this book.

Spice: 5/5

Triggers: religious trauma, discussion of emotional abuse of child, mention of parent hitting child, homophobia (off page), cancer

[Julotlinde · Rating 1 out of 5]

I'm sorry, but this was just not great. I was quite excited for this book, a monster queer book?! Yes please! But the religious trauma was just not my cup of tea. It also felt like this book was too short to really delve into it. It felt short and rushed. I do like these short books, but you can’t put something like this into it and not properly address it, in my opinion. The main characters were also not my favourite, they were just a bit boring. Just kinda sad as I was excited for this one. I hope the last one will be fucking great

[Rachel Kelly · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really liked the first book in this series, and it has just been a steady decline ever since. 🤷🏻‍♀️

[Alina Syrotiuk · Rating 3 out of 5]

Четверта книга в серії і вона мене не вразила, але в той самий час піднімається важлива тема впливу релігії на життя людини.

Сюжет розочинається стандартно як і в кожній книзі, демон-торговець Азазель знайшов дівчина на ім‘я Беладонна. Вона готова підписати контракт і прожити 7 сім років в потойбічному світі та дозволити монстру себе спокусити. В замін Азазель має допомогти її молодшій сестрі одужати від раку, та забезпечити її майбутнє фінансово.

Беладонна - красива дівчина з великими психологічними травмами. Вона з дитинства чула від батьків тільки те що вона грішна, і що їй потрібно більше молитись, що від неї немає ніякої користі а лиш шкода. Цей релігійний культ дуже сильно травмував її. Тому що навіть коли вона відреклась від віри та пішла з церкви, вона не могла жити повноціне життя.

Русалка - це суккуб, як я зрозуміла це монстр який виглядає майже як людина(якщо не враховувати, що замість ніг в них копита, і пальці у вигляді кігтів). Вони володіють можливістю - відчувати і бачити мрії та бажання людей. Також можуть керувати сном людини, та живляться їх емоціями.

Відміність цієї книги від решти, те що Азазель сам попросив Русалку, щоб вона обрала Беладонну. Бо він дуже переживав за її психологічний стан, а суккуби можуть легко відчутти зміни в цьому плані. І ось коли вже пройшов аукціон та контракт був підписаний, Беладонна відправилась у володіння суккубів.
І далі сюжет був на одному місця майже до кінця книги. Беладонна намагалася пожертвувати собою заради цього народу, була психологічно подавлена і спустошена. В свою чергу Русалка намагалась їй допомогти.
Сцени 🔞 тут є, навіть присутні оргії🙃🤭
Я перечитувала по кілька разів, щоб зрозуміти що відбувається і як це можливо😅 Одже суккуби(створіння з плоті та вогню) та ініккуби(створіння з плоті та тіней) немають яскраво вираженої статі, в більшості випадків вони всі мають жіночі форми але можуть за допомогою своїх сил створювати собі додаткові частини тіла чи міняти форму🙃👌🏻

Мені не вистачило подробиць за цей світ суккубів та інуккубів. Хотілось більше подробиць та опису їх земель. Це було не погано, але як на мене мало описано 3/5⭐️
Великим плюсиком в цій книзі була сцена з Азазелем та його парою Євою😍 я незнаю як дочекатись їх книги🤭

[Sophia Slade · Rating 4 out of 5]

i love this entire series. there really has not been a miss so far (though my favorite remains THE DEMON’S BARGAIN) and this installment was no exception! i loved the exploration of queer and sexual shame through the lens of an ex-evangelical. if anyone is looking for a sweet and spicy sapphic romantasy, i highly recommend this book! my only critique is that it felt a little truncated and would have liked more interaction (steamy and otherwise) between belladona and the court)—but really that is just because i wanted more! super excited for the last book in this saga.

[Gwen Carl!! · Rating 4 out of 5]

Did I want to read just a silly little book about a girl who gets sold to a sex demon? Yes. But did I also enjoy all the backstory and details of Belladonna's religious trauma and seeing her become more comfortable being her true self? Yes absolutely. The whole sex demon part was still enjoyable though made everything a bit more interesting.

[Katie · Rating 3 out of 5]

While I typically love Katee Robert's books (and I did still like this one!), I think this installment of the Deal With a Demon series would have benefited from being a full novel rather than a novella. Belladonna, the human main character, brings so much baggage that should have been explored in greater depth and given more time to breathe. Some of the previous books in this series have struck the balance between the steamy scenes and the characters' interpersonal/relationship growth, but this one was lacking a bit on the second part. The first part, as always, was phenomenal. Katee Robert writes sex like nobody's business.

[Mary · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love this series, but this one felt rushed. There was no real backstory to the protagonist, and AGAIN, Katee overloads her sentences with pronouns. I'm all for the proper pronouns, but NO ONE uses 6 versions in one sentence. That's just obnoxious. Anyway, there is no real backstory with the FMC other than "religious trauma", no world building for the succubus, and no real angst or drama.

[April (whataprilreads) · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.8✨

This PAINSSSSS ME, but I have to be real here. This was the most mid of the entire series so far. And my disappointment feels overwhelming because I was so ready for a very sapphic, very hot time. Which in a lot of ways it was, but I think this lacked in a lot of other ways. I did not feel especially connected to the secondary characters. And a lot of this felt rushed because we spent SO much time with Belladonna reprogramming her religious trauma. Which, valid. I love the queerness of this series and the normalcy of pronouns outside the binary but sometimes it felt clumsy? And the typos, I almost always look past them because I am a typo-queen but I think it just added to the feeling that this was really rushed/slapped together in a way that doesn’t make it stand up like the other books of the series so far.

All that being said, I’m still eating these all the way up. I have the physical copies for a reason. I will be RIPPING through Azazel and Eve when I get my hands on it. Did I love the Succubus’s Prize? No. But do I love this series as a whole? Fuck yeah.

—

✍🏽 Follow me on Goodreads for more reviews like this!
📚 Instagram: @whataprilreads
🐝 Keep tabs on me here, so you know when I start a new project! https://linktr.ee/whataprilreads

[Amanda Borbe · Rating 4 out of 5]

For all my girlies with religious trauma

[Kat]

Dnf @30%. The second and third dark Olympus books were just SO good that I cannot stop picking up more Katee Robert books even though I haven’t really enjoyed any others since :/

[Aster]

haters just don't like sapphic books because this was good

save me she/they succubus save me

[Heather · Rating 4 out of 5]

Can the Demon Realm be real?

Steamy and sweet! Healing and self discovery. Finding love where you least expect it.

Belladonna makes a bargain with Azazel to live in the demon realm and be with one territory leader for 7 years. To help her sister, and get away from her family, she doesn’t hesitate to make the deals.

Azazel asks Rusalka to choose Belladonna. She does and so begins the journey of healing, falling in love, spice and purpose.

[Michelle (Bamamele.reads) · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75 stars

Short, sweet, spicy, and chock full of religious trauma.

[Lolla · Rating 1 out of 5]

“Are you normally this dramatic?” “Always.”

[Yanessa]

The least enjoyable of the series- honestly I was dozing throughout a lot of it.

[Sierraaa · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5/5

not a bad read, and i found Belladonna and Rusalka to be very cute together! just not my cup of tea when it comes to the epilogue 😅

[Caily · Rating 2 out of 5]

the dragons bride is one of my fav monster romances ever but
meh i didn’t enjoy this one
idk if there was a reason for this like it was rushed out or something but there were so many typos and weird run on sentences and things that just straight up didn’t make sense, and i found that super distracting from the story

also i’m aware that these are novella length so the story can’t be fully fleshed out but i feel like if you know it’s a novella maybe you shouldn’t tackle something like religious trauma in such a short amount of time
it just felt like belladonna’s trauma was the entire plot but i didn’t really understand the solution like she still felt shame after a majority of her experiences
to me it would have made for sense if after she finally had truly enjoyable sexual experience she equated that with some kind of religious experience idk

i also could just simply not picture what rusalka looked like and i tried very hard lol
also the other side characters seemed so irrelevant
i love how katee robert is inclusive with gender and identity in all her books its one of my favorite things about them but i found the side characters so insignificant in their contribution to the story and their descriptions were all over the place so i just couldn’t grasp the use of names or pronouns and ended up loosing my place when they were all mentioned in the same scene

also hated that rusalka called belladonna “little one” 🤢

i’m really looking forward to azazel’s book still so i hope it delivers!

[Katie · Rating 1 out of 5]

I started reading this thinking it would be a quick and easy read and I couldn’t have been more wrong. For 170 pages, this is DIFFICULT. I basically hate read it!!

Katee, please get an editor!! Or a better one! The writing is so flat and one dimensional I ended up searching some terms that pissed me off. “Quite” shows up 24 times. “I don’t know” shows up 44 times, IN A 170 PAGE NOVELLA.

If you don’t want to take the time to describe the characters feelings, why even bother?

[kerrigan · Rating 2 out of 5]

The only thing keeping me going in this series is the inevitable ending of it and that each novella’s less than 200 pages can be finished in half a day max.

This one was just too much for me, the religious deprogramming and the increasingly forced use of uncommon pronouns like ze/zir and ne/nir for non-central characters is drawing too far from the actual story to be enjoyable. Let’s focus, please.

[Martha Tuohey · Rating 3 out of 5]

Everything about this book was just lacklustre

[Abby Rogish Bodin · Rating 2 out of 5]

“I can’t expect them to get over their decades worth of religious trauma in a matter of weeks!”
*continues to get mad when said trauma comes out*