Sweet Surrender

Sweet Demons #2

by Viano Oniomoh

Saint needs a deal with a demon to protect him from a stalker. Knight thinks a deal with the very human whose dreams he’s been visiting sounds pretty much perfect.

It’s a match seemingly made in heaven. Except, the longer Knight spends in the mortal realm with Saint, the more he wants to stay, and the longer Saint spends with Knight, the more he finds the courage to reach for all the things he believed he didn’t deserve.

When Saint’s past comes knocking, will their newly found bond be strong enough to keep them together?

Genres: Romance, Fantasy, Queer, M M Romance, Paranormal, Monster Romance, Demons

220 pages, Unknown Binding

First published May 30, 2024

About the author

Viano Oniomoh is a passionate reader and writer, who was born and raised in Nigeria. She spends fifty percent of her time writing, forty percent reading, and the other ten listening to BTS. She may or may not use magic to get everything else in her life done. She also has no idea how to write about herself in the third person.

Find more about her at vianooniomoh.com

You can also connect with her on social media:

Viano Oniomoh on Facebook
@vianoniomoh on Twitter
and @vianoniomoh on Instagram.

Reviews

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

This book was amazing and dealt with religious trauma so well. I related so much to the deconstruction and shame that Saint was dealing with while trying to live an authentic life. Saint was the sweetest softboi and needed the unconditional acceptance that Knight gave him, just like Knight needed his. They both had to work through trauma from their past and their personal experiences made it easier for them to accept it. They were couple goals for sure, and Knight was a consent king.
I can’t wait for Pink’s book and PLEASE tell me Teresa is getting a book too.

Spice: 5/5

Triggers: Stalking and harassment; animal death; animal abuse; brief mentions/references to child emotional abuse; mentions, discussions, and depictions of murder; mentions, discussions, and references to slavery and imprisonment (as a past event); alcohol consumption; brief drug use (marijuana); references to magical drug use; religious imagery; religious trauma; PTSD; blood drinking; mentions, references, and depictions of a religious cult; violence; gore; brief threat of corporal punishment; (blink and you’ll miss it) dominance/submission; and explicit sex scenes, which include (but are not limited to) condomless sex, primal play, dubious consent and/or consensual non-consent.

[Mathilde Paulsen · Rating 5 out of 5]

10/10. 15/10. This book deals with some heavy themes, such as religious trauma and stalking, so read up on the trigger warnings before reading this. I loved the first book Oniomoh wrote about a person contacting a demon for help, so it was no surprise that I loved the second one as well. Sweet, spicy, heartwarming, heartbreaking, everything! I'm going to read my way through Oniomoh's publications now.

[Robin · Rating 4 out of 5]

I just love this series. Hella steamy, the sweetest most adoring demons, and fantastic rep 👌💜

[Shelby | Spicy.booknook · Rating 5 out of 5]

I can’t believe this is such a short story. It’s packed with so many amazing things! There’s an adorable love story between a human and the demon he summons of course, but you have some heavy topics too: religious trauma, trying to maintain a queer community in a place where it’s still very much illegal, acceptance, stalking and on the spicier side a healthy dose of primal play.
Little bunny 🥵

Great story with two lovable MCs. You could read this one as a standalone, but the series is great so I do highly suggest reading the first one too.

Paranormal MM
Demon / Human
Size Difference
Protective MC
Found Damily
Primal Play
Virgin MC
Spice: 🔥🔥🔥🔥

[Kazen · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars, rounded up

I am looking for unapologetically queer stories for Pride and this totally fits the bill. Saint has done a lot of deprogramming - he lives in Nigeria, where "queer acts" or being visibly trans are illegal, and grew up in a restrictive religious community to boot. Still, he only feels comfortable as a bi man in his dreams... where he meets Knight, a sexy demon that chases him through the woods for some sexy primal play. When Saint realizes he's being stalked he summons Knight into the mortal realm to protect him, and things go from there.

The book is firmly in the liberation camp of romance, as Saint and Knight bend the world around them so they can live happily in it. Knight's demon abilities a lot with this - he can magic up dinner or transport Saint and himself over long distances in the blink of an eye.

The romance itself is very sweet, and I love the way Knight and Saint fit together as people. I also love that the book takes place in Nigeria - here's to romance set in Africa! At the same time, I wanted more from the rest of this book - more about some of the side characters (especially Pink), more from the worldbuilding (are there limits to Knight's magic?), and more of the queer joy (like another scene with Teresa).

I seem to be hit and miss with Oniomoh - some of her books I put down a few pages in because I'm not clicking with it - but I'm very, very glad that I finally found one that works for me. Looking forward to finding more.

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Content notes are extensive and listed in the front matter. They include: stalking, animal abuse and death, mentions of past emotional abuse, religious trauma, mentions and depictions of a religious cult, violence, and primal play

[chichi · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars

My Nigerian sister Viano Oniomoh has yet to fail me. Like book one in this series, she does a great job of mixing darker themes (here, it's religious trauma and indoctrination), a somewhat intense plot, lots of spicy scenes, and ultimately the cutest, sweetest romance. Even though her work leans into erotica, there are still enough other (well written!!) elements to round the story out. Even her exploration of the dimension where Knight and other demons are from and the peek she provides into that environment...it feels so full and like a series that she could write in forever. I'm not a primal play girlie but I liked the way the dynamic was explored here. I loved the way Knight and Saint showed up for each other at a time where they were both searching for community. Also, of course I appreciate her inclusion of Nigerian characters/Nigeria as a setting, especially because it feels lived-in and familiar to me and my own experiences.

Even though I liked the plot, there were some elements that were a bit rushed. Great for making the page count shorter and the pacing faster, not great for really rounding out the story. Overall though, I WILL be reading everything this author has written🙂‍↕️ She just gets me yall idk..
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Viano Oniomoh is 3 for 3, definitely earning fave author status in my book. The balance between themes of religious trauma and searching for community with great steamy scences? Chef's kiss. Full RTC when I'm done giggling and kicking my feet

[LaTosha Webber · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 This was such a ridiculously sweet story I almost couldn't stand it. Like Knight and Saint were legit too cute for words. The subplot was a good catalyst for the relationship in the real world, but felt a little underdeveloped. It isn’t something that made the story less enjoyable, or that I even needed details on, necessarily. But it just felt a little obvious that it didn’t really matter to the author. I also think it would have been good to recap a little of the nature of what happened between Knight and Malachi since I didn’t remember it from book 1. Again it isn’t important to the story but it would have been nice to have the refresher or the basic information for a new reader, since the books are same world but standalone. As always though I really enjoyed Oniomoh’s writing style, especially when it comes to the smexy time. It’s just so raw, realistic, and detailed. You feel so close to the action, so to speak. This was an amazing start to my Pride Month reads.

[Ale the feral reader · Rating 5 out of 5]

5⭐️
4🌶️

Tags: M/M erotic paranormal romance, fat Black bi MMC x pansexual demon, dual POVs, a rescue (DELICIOUS), all POC cast, lots of queer rep, primal play, takes place in Nigeria, standalone in series, biting, ørgasm control, dom/sub, magical saliva (put to good use lolololol)

Triggers: stalking, animal unalivings, threats, religious trauma, queerphobia, harr@ssment, m*rder, PTSD, religious cult, violence

The Thot’s Plot (a segment of me summarizing the plot while high (also I literally forget the plot of a book as soon as I finish it (also I’m listening to Coffee by Chappell Roan & low key crying (It’s one of my fave songs ever, you should listen to it if you wanna get in your bag)))):
So we have our MMC - Saint who has been SPOOKED (rightfully so, I’d be scared shitless if I were in his position) by stalkers and threats from his ex-cult (who happen to be religious af… I’m not saying the Bible is at fault but I’m also not saying it’s not not at fault). My boy just wants to live his gay ass life in PEACE. My poor baby only found happiness and relief (both emotionally and sexually) through sexy dreams where he was chased by a hot demon in a forest and then got railed up against a tree. Sounds like a very relaxing dream I’d like to have. I’m not asking a sexy demon to enter my dreams and throw me around like a potato sack but I’m also not not asking a sexy demon to enter my dreams and throw me around like a potato sack. Anyway, little does my bb boy know that the demon of his dreams is real af. Said demon is a mister Knight/Cunning j chilling in Hell and unhappy af except when he gets to rail in dreamland.
This is where I’d put spoilers but I’m not doing that. I’m just gonna say that Saint finds himself in need of protection and it’s a job only a demon can do. Also, there’s like a ton of f*cking in the book. A great bonus! Oh Jesus a one direction song just came on so I’m emo now and that’s all I got bye. I had to skip and True Blue by boygenius came on so I’m done.

The Thot’s Thoughts:
Wooo doggies that was a scrumptious book. It had so much I love: lots of smut, a protective love interest, diversity, cults, and Hell. A girl can’t ask for much more tbh. Also, the book was only like 220 pages which is the perfect length for my attention deficient brain ( I don’t think I spelled that right). The book was able to be fun, sexy, romantic, deep, and meaningful while not being messy. Also, I could really feel that buildup of the relationship between Saint and Knight. Also like starting and ending a book with s3x is a great idea, authors take notes!!! I had a big hard relate to religious trauma and was appreciative of the terms like “deprogramming” and “rewiring” for that journey from departing a strict religion.
Just super good all around. My Eddie is hitting me so hard rn that I can’t write more but JUST READ IT. IT’S SO CUTE AND GOOD AND SEXY. UGHHHH Viano Oniomoh, you just gained a devoted fan🫡💜

[Andrea ☾ [is inconsistently consistant] · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 ⭐️ RTC!

[Margherita · Rating 5 out of 5]

I hope this series becomes 20 books long. I never want it to end.

[TeeReads · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 stars

This series is gold. This is only the second book by Viano Oniomoh that I have read, but I am sensing a trend. I absolutely loved this. This story had a little more softness than Sweet Vengeance, but it was still the same amount of badassery. Both our MCs are wonderful characters with so much depth. I seriously just ate up this book. Knight is a bit of a golden reteiver demon, and it was pretty adorable to see. That hangover breakfast scene was too much. This story hits hard but has so many moments of sweetness amongst it all. This touches on some rather real and serious topics (homophobia, religious trauma, cults, etc.), and Viano handles each subject with so much care and respect. This is also a queer romance set in Nigeria where it is illegal to "perform homosexual acts" in public or publicly appear transgender, so that added an extra layer to what the MCs had to deal with. I found myself able to easily relate to Saint and Knight in one way or another, which made it so easy to feel immersed in the story. This story hooked me from the beginning and didn't let go. Viano Oniomoh is quickly becoming a must-read author for me since the only two books of hers I have read have been easy 5 star reads for me. I highly HIGHLY recommend checking this one out. Run. Don't walk.

[Emma · Rating 4 out of 5]

4*

More good vibes (googles how to summon demon)

[Louisette Makiessi · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not as great as the first book in the series but I enjoyed it still

[Elly · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars

[Natalie O · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mm is really not my thing, BUT!

I can't resist a good love story with some thrill, and action. I think knight was a sweetheart and so was Rabbit. A book worth reading.

[Nicole · Rating 5 out of 5]

https://app.thestorygraph.com/reviews...

[Lennese Hepburn · Rating 5 out of 5]

5⭐️

[Raven (the.readingraven) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I don't want this series to end! Like the first in this series, it deals with some tough subjects. For this one, it deals with religious trauma and stalking/harassment but Viano has a way of writing about these issues while also allowing our characters to heal and work through their problems. There were a few things I think this story kind of brushed past, some reminders from book 1 would have been awesome but it's ok that they weren't there.

Now on to the nitty gritty, the spice was spicin'! Open doors are the best doors and thank goodness for Viano! I felt Saint and Knight were the perfect couple, the chemistry was there for me! It was also so cute seeing Knight trying to understand the new world around him since he had never been in the human realm before. I also love that we have fat representation!

[Chinelo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Book 2 for the win

I enjoyed this book better than than book one. I felt this one was better edited. This is still as entertaining and enjoyable as book 1. I think readers would like this instalment.

[Emilie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really wanted to like this as much as I liked the first one. It just fell a bit flat for me. I kept waiting for more, for it to go deeper and it just never did.

[Colleen (colleenreads40) · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5/5 ⭐

Sweet Surrender is the second book in Viano Onimoh's Sweet Demons series. It's a MM paranormal romance and can be read as a complete standalone. It's told from a third person dual point of view and has a guaranteed happily ever after. You can expect a demon and human pairing, some sensual visits to the dreamscape, plus sized representation, and some additional vengeance.

As always, ensure you review the content and trigger warnings to decide if this book is right for you. Note that this list of warnings may be complete. Please take care of yourself while reading. Stalking and harassment; animal death; animal abuse; brief mentions/references to child emotional abuse; mentions, discussions, and depictions of murder; mentions, discussions, and references to slavery and imprisonment (as a past event); alcohol consumption; brief drug use (marijuana); references to magical drug use; religious imagery; religious trauma; PTSD; blood drinking; mentions, references, and depictions of a religious cult; violence; gore; brief threat of corporal punishment; dominance/submission; and explicit sex scenes, which include (but are not limited to) condomless sex, primal play, dubious consent and/or consensual non-consent.

“As long as I’m here, you know I’ve got you, right? I won’t let anything, or anyone, hurt you. Whether it pertains to your stalker or not. Deal or no deal. Do you understand?”

Well, this was absolutely adorable. This checks all the boxes. It has a bit of a suspense plot as we slowly learn who Saint's stalker is, it has lots of romance, it has a demon that's new to the mortal realm, and it has some smoking spice (if you're a fan of primal play, you'll love what Saint and Knight get up to in the dreamscape). This book was quite different than Sweet Vengeance, and it stands alone quite well. There is a lovely little cameo from Joy and Malachi at the end though, which I adored. In terms of demons, Knight is so different to Malachi because it's his first time in the mortal realm. It was so sweet watching him learn. And him and Saint were just the cutest together, I loved them so much. The joy Saint felt as he was finally able to express himself was just so special. These two have a bit more of a rocky road to a happily ever after, but if you're a fan of people getting what's coming to them, then you'll love the protection and revenge aspect of this book. The push and pull between the two characters was perfect, and it was sweet watching them realize they wanted to stay together even after the initial contract was finished up. A lovely read, a very cool setting, and some diverse representation with Kindle-melting spice.

You’re so fucking good to me. Taking me so well. Being so fucking perfect. My perfect little rabbit.

[llamallamacallurmama · Rating 5 out of 5]

**Most of my reviews contain detailed Content Notes (including CW/TW) sections, which may include spoilers and general tags. I have tried to mark them appropriately, but please use caution.**

5/5

Ebook

* Summary: Afraid and alone, Saint summons the demon from his erotic dreams to protect him - introducing Knight into a new (human) world full of pleasure, joy and risk.

* Stats: Fantasy (CR AU), M/M, open door with particular kink, part of a series but stands alone fine.

* Notes: I really enjoyed this one - it does jump right into the story in a somewhat jarring way, but this feels fleshed out and complete. I love the way Oniomoh writes her setting and characters, and really enjoyed how the MMCs in this one interact with their communities and each other - the sexual scenes were a lot of fun too.

OTT and Spoilery Content Notes:
CNC/Chase kink, anal sex, magical bondage, fat mmc, mutual dream sex, bisexual/pansexual mmc, a severed animal head/threat, mmc on the run/in hiding, child abuse (mentioned, possibly by MMC? But I think it’s meant to be by the child’s parent), demon mmc, drug use (fantasy drug, side characters/in the past), mmc is being stalked, creative anatomy, mmc with a tail, wings, horns and forked tongue, religious trauma (implied), closeted mmc, a very good dog who gets badly hurt by the bad guys but is healed, homophobia (referred to, including illegalised homosexuality), mmc wears make up and nail varnish, caretaking, alcohol, highly consenty, marijuana use (side characters), masturbation, romance reading mmc, blood, restraint with hands during sex, rimming, anal play, praise, cum play, telepathy sex, light power play, magical sex, nmc has killed someone, family estrangement, dual virgin mmcs, mmc is drugged, kidnapping, restraint with rope (not kink)

[Raven · Rating 5 out of 5]

OH MGOd Viano is definitely an auto read author for me because wtf , not only is her writing so good and easy to fly through, the way she writes relationship dynamics is just *chef’s kiss* beautiful.
This is the second book in the Sweet Demons series by her and normally I’m not like a huge series person because a lot of the time the second book in a series end up being so disappointing for me but this was not the case for this series (I might even say that this was way better than the first book🤷🏾‍♀️)
This book is about Saint and Knight ( knight being the demon and saint the human) and omg their relationship was just breathtaking , how similar yet so different how they just completed each other in ways that they themselves didn’t even know they did and ughhhhh Knight the king of Consent always making sure that they were enthusiastically on the same page and not even hesitating to back off once there is even a sliver of doubt 🥹
Like i literally don’t want to say anything else because I want no need people to read this series especially this book and feel all the feels that I felt.
100000% recommend it

[Ashlyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’m a mood reader and I wasn’t 100% in the mood for this book BUT Viano Oniomoh seems to be an exception.

I literally know nothing about the Nigerian culture but with her books I get a peak into the culture and it’s always a hit for me. I’m learning and falling in love with her characters.

How she makes me fall in love in under 200 pages is beyond comprehension. Knight and Saint were made for each other! Knight is literally all about consent and giving Saint what he needs, and sometimes what Saint needs is give up all control and let Knight chase him down for fun. As an added bonus Knight has a telepathic link set up between the two of them to check in on Saint while they play!! I loved it sooo much!

Knight is so kind and protective of Saint and he’s a switch…. Like what more could you ask for in your demon boyfriend. Did I mention Knight loves romance novels and movies 🥰

The cult and religious belief when it came to LGBTQ+ was done soo well but I expect nothing less from this author.

[Summer · Rating 5 out of 5]

This series is just perfection. I loved the first book and this one was just as amazing. This story is about Saint, a bisexual man living in Nigeria. After escaping a toxic community and his family he just wants to live life and be left alone. He often times has dreams of a sexy demon who chases him in the forest and gives him pleasure he's never experienced in real life. When Saint fears for his own safety he decides to try and summon the gorgeous demon from his dreams. The flow of this story was so great and the building relationship was so sweet. Saint was such an endearing character. That only made it more heart breaking to read about the way others treated him. This book had a great balance of adventure, steamy scenes, character growth, relationship building, and a very satisfying ending. I really enjoyed how the culture was weaved throughout the story. I recommend this book to readers who enjoy sweet and spicy monster romance, a consent conscious demon, all black characters, plus size MMC, revenge, a lovable dog, primal play, virgin x 2, and found family.

[Maria · Rating 4 out of 5]

Softer than the previous book in the series, it was a joy to be back in this little slice of queer, fat, Nigeria with demons. Saint the human with religious trauma and Knight the demon are a great fit, with lots of chemistry, and just enough trauma to keep things interesting. Demon summoning romances are always hit or miss, but so far Viano has two hits for me.

One of the things that I really appreciate about both books in the series is the exploration of how wanting bad things to happen to the people who hurt you doesn't make you the same as them. It's counter to most popular wisdom, and after the year we've had, I find it both accurate and refreshing. Wanting to stop hurting and for the people who hurt you repeatedly to hurt doesn't make you a bad person. Sometimes that's the only way to make them stop hurting others.

Also, there is a cute dog.

[Kristin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sweet Surrender hits all of the points I look for in a good romance: a solid plot, high steam, lovable characters, and a dash of danger. (I will also add that the dog lives, for those readers who need to know such things.)

I loved the parallels the author drew between Saint, a human who escaped from a cult, and Knight, a demon driven by the need for community. There’s also plot thread about finding queer community in an anti-queer environment.

Sweet Surrender was just such a lovely book. Admittedly, there is blood and violence in the book, but also the characters experience such joy and validation that you can’t help coming out of the book feeling happier.

[Tracey · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.25 stars

Saint and Knight are such a sweet couple. Knight is a huge marshmallow underneath his demon exterior. Saint had a backbone under his trauma and really came into his own once Knight was protecting him from his past. I liked their dynamic a lot, especially that they were vers. That kept the sex scenes from feeling repetitive. The conflict wasn't as engaging as the one for book one of the series, but I was satisfied with its conclusion.

This author is just so good. I have been loving every one of her books. I hope there is a book three for Pink's story. Her story arc was resolved off the page so I'm very curious how she was exactly saved.

[Bayleigh Saulmon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Am I attempting to heal my fundamentalist religious upbringing and resulting trauma by reading this book? Why, yes, yes I am.

Sweet Surrender explores queer relationships through the lens of righteous vengeance, a refusal to deny oneself what they deserve, a damnation of those who damn others, and a reclamation of love and destiny amid a reimagining of community and the creation of a home within yourself and those you love in ways that foster endless compassion, joyous celebration, and wicked delights.

Who needs therapy when you have this book?

“He could feel himself flickering between the Veil and Hell and the moral realm. Saint’s hold on him never wavered.”

[Diamond · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sweet, just as the name suggests

I was looking forward to this ever since I saw the book cover and it’s incredibly wholesome. It’s not as intense and steamy as Joy & Klaus’ book but there is no comparison. It’s a series but each book can be read as a standalone and that’s what makes them good.
Saint is a sweetheart and Knight is SUCH A SIMP, which I love for both of them!!

Read this book without expectations and watch it exceed the ones you didn’t know you had. I’m looking forward to the next book (s) already!