What do you think?
Rate this book
A Date with a Demon #1
The Teddy Bear's Prize
Mia is unlucky in love and after a third disastrous date with a guy who is great on paper, she’s left with a three foot tall teddy bear. It isn’t all bad. The bear is good company while she’s stuck working from home, though she can’t shake the feeling she’s being watched.
Tobias is a powerful arch demon, he should be playing in the dreams of mortals and feeding off of their emotions, not bound to a teddy bear. Not to mention, Mia can’t see him for what he truly is, no matter how hard he tries to catch her attentions.
When Mia’s energy is enough to help Tobias break the spell binding him to the stuffed animal, they have a new problem. The botched summoning ritual has left him stranded in the mortal realm until he can find a way back to his own world.
As their attraction grows, Tobias questions if his ranking position in the demon realm is all it’s cracked up to be, or if he’d rather make a new life here with Mia.
The Teddy Bear’s Prize is a low-stakes, high-steam standalone paranormal romance novella under 27k with a guaranteed happily ever after.
Tobias is a powerful arch demon, he should be playing in the dreams of mortals and feeding off of their emotions, not bound to a teddy bear. Not to mention, Mia can’t see him for what he truly is, no matter how hard he tries to catch her attentions.
When Mia’s energy is enough to help Tobias break the spell binding him to the stuffed animal, they have a new problem. The botched summoning ritual has left him stranded in the mortal realm until he can find a way back to his own world.
As their attraction grows, Tobias questions if his ranking position in the demon realm is all it’s cracked up to be, or if he’d rather make a new life here with Mia.
The Teddy Bear’s Prize is a low-stakes, high-steam standalone paranormal romance novella under 27k with a guaranteed happily ever after.
174 pages, Kindle Edition
Published November 28, 2024
93 people are currently reading
313 people want to read
About the author
Kenzie James
7 books27 followersKenzie James is a she/her spicy SFF romance author. When she’s not writing about snarky aliens, cinnamon roll demons, or golden retriever vampires, she’s playing Warframe or creating yet another druid in Baldur’s Gate 3. Kenzie currently lives in Texas with her two cats, Wesley and Xander along with her trusty MacBook, Astarion.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 40 reviews
February 5, 2025
⭐️⭐️.5, 🌶️🌶️
It’s a novella at 110 pages. Started out good but by the end it kind of fizzled and was disappointing. Some of the plot points got murky which I found annoying. There’s an HEA.
It’s a novella at 110 pages. Started out good but by the end it kind of fizzled and was disappointing. Some of the plot points got murky which I found annoying. There’s an HEA.
June 3, 2025
Just some spicy... and a demon... twice as nice!
February 4, 2025
sweet and adorable paranormal romance Novella
One of the things I love about novellas is the ability to get right to the point. This is a very sweet book. Mia, our main character, is kind of lonely and on a slew of terrible dates.
Tobias is a demon who doesn't quite understand how he managed to get to this world. The book is so incredibly sweet, showing signs of normalcy and dating as they get to know each other, the fear of heartbreak for when he eventually has to go away again, and wonderful, magnificent steam.
Loved this so much!
One of the things I love about novellas is the ability to get right to the point. This is a very sweet book. Mia, our main character, is kind of lonely and on a slew of terrible dates.
Tobias is a demon who doesn't quite understand how he managed to get to this world. The book is so incredibly sweet, showing signs of normalcy and dating as they get to know each other, the fear of heartbreak for when he eventually has to go away again, and wonderful, magnificent steam.
Loved this so much!
April 23, 2025
Kindle Owned Book
120ish Pages
Novella
Paranormal Romance
DeamonxHuman
I'm being generous with the stars here but cos it was quite a cute feel good little novella. a Deamkn has been trapped jn a bear and is won at a carnival by his soulmate who sets him free but they knky have a week before he will be dragged back to hell.
120ish Pages
Novella
Paranormal Romance
DeamonxHuman
I'm being generous with the stars here but cos it was quite a cute feel good little novella. a Deamkn has been trapped jn a bear and is won at a carnival by his soulmate who sets him free but they knky have a week before he will be dragged back to hell.
December 27, 2024
⭐️⭐️⭐️.5
Spice level: 🔥🔥
Format: KU
Genre: PNR
POV: 1st person Dual
What you’ll find:
✅Novella
✅Monster romance - Demon
✅Demon stuck in a teddy bear
Pretty good novella. I personally wanted more smut, less plot 🤷♀️ still, Mia and Tobias were cute 🥰
Spice level: 🔥🔥
Format: KU
Genre: PNR
POV: 1st person Dual
What you’ll find:
✅Novella
✅Monster romance - Demon
✅Demon stuck in a teddy bear
Pretty good novella. I personally wanted more smut, less plot 🤷♀️ still, Mia and Tobias were cute 🥰
January 31, 2025
Personally I wasn’t a huge fan, It had a certain charm which is why I finished it but I wasn’t as enthralled as usual when I’m reading something I enjoy. I just found it to be rather boring a lot of the time.
It started off kind of cute and campy but lost its glow rather quickly for me.
It started off kind of cute and campy but lost its glow rather quickly for me.
April 13, 2025
Spice 3
Tropes:
Demon x Human
Shadow Powers
He washes her hair
Protective MMC
Witch craft
FMC in Stem
Light Dub-Con voyeurism
Primal Play
Dub-con Fantasy
Recommend to: someone looking for a quick, lite Demon & human romance with almost cozy plot.
Needed a to get out of a DNF rut. This was just what I needed. Its short (maybe 114p), spicy and ends with a HEA. Went into this only knowing that this was a Demon x human romance.
It was easy to like Mia. It was even easier to like Tobias because who doesn't love a incubus with shadow powers. The Spice in this book is fun. We get a little bit of shadow play, voyeurism and primal play.
The plot is a tale as old as time. Demon meets girl, girl meets demon, Girl introduces demon to Walmart and Chinese food, Demon and girl fall in love. That's it. Almost want to say cozy ? We get a Friendsgiving scene for crying out load. The idea of an incubus at a human Friendsgiving is almost comical. I loved it. Would love to know what his thoughts were on cranberry sauce. haha.
Tropes:
Demon x Human
Shadow Powers
He washes her hair
Protective MMC
Witch craft
FMC in Stem
Light Dub-Con voyeurism
Primal Play
Dub-con Fantasy
Recommend to: someone looking for a quick, lite Demon & human romance with almost cozy plot.
Needed a to get out of a DNF rut. This was just what I needed. Its short (maybe 114p), spicy and ends with a HEA. Went into this only knowing that this was a Demon x human romance.
It was easy to like Mia. It was even easier to like Tobias because who doesn't love a incubus with shadow powers. The Spice in this book is fun. We get a little bit of shadow play, voyeurism and primal play.
The plot is a tale as old as time. Demon meets girl, girl meets demon, Girl introduces demon to Walmart and Chinese food, Demon and girl fall in love. That's it. Almost want to say cozy ? We get a Friendsgiving scene for crying out load. The idea of an incubus at a human Friendsgiving is almost comical. I loved it. Would love to know what his thoughts were on cranberry sauce. haha.
November 19, 2025
This book has an incredibly unique premise. Imagine winning an innocent stuffed animal at a carnival, only to discover a seriously hot demon is trapped inside. How freaking cool is that?!
We follow Mia after a date ghosts her, leaving her embarrassed, and Tobias, the demon tethered to the bear who desperately wants to escape and be with Mia. Their story is so intense. Tobias is 100% the shadow daddy we all love, and their chemistry sizzles on the page. I adored every second of their dynamic! My only wish is that the second half felt less rushed. A little more time with their conclusion would have been perfect.
Still, I thoroughly enjoyed this spicy paranormal romance and I am so ready for the next book!
We follow Mia after a date ghosts her, leaving her embarrassed, and Tobias, the demon tethered to the bear who desperately wants to escape and be with Mia. Their story is so intense. Tobias is 100% the shadow daddy we all love, and their chemistry sizzles on the page. I adored every second of their dynamic! My only wish is that the second half felt less rushed. A little more time with their conclusion would have been perfect.
Still, I thoroughly enjoyed this spicy paranormal romance and I am so ready for the next book!
January 21, 2025
3.5 Stars
I did really enjoy this book. there was this one little thing that stuck out to me and my mind wouldn't let it go LOL. after Tobias gets sucked away from Mia she's able to summon him back, and he seems happy/ surprised to see her and he just agrees to stay with her (obviously because Tobias loves her) I guess for me I'm like well. where did he go? was he trying to get back to her? it's never really addressed as to what happened. He's just back. Other than that, I really enjoyed it. they're super cute together and I love how Tobias seems to fall first and hard for Mia.
I did really enjoy this book. there was this one little thing that stuck out to me and my mind wouldn't let it go LOL. after Tobias gets sucked away from Mia she's able to summon him back, and he seems happy/ surprised to see her and he just agrees to stay with her (obviously because Tobias loves her) I guess for me I'm like well. where did he go? was he trying to get back to her? it's never really addressed as to what happened. He's just back. Other than that, I really enjoyed it. they're super cute together and I love how Tobias seems to fall first and hard for Mia.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 8, 2025
Setting aside the fact that Tobias is a demon, he is one of the sweetest MMC I’ve read in a very long time. Protective of Mia (which almost gets him in trouble a few times), this incubus does want to make all of her dreams and wishes come true before he’s called back to the demon realm. And I mean ALL. But will their short time together be enough? Or who will be left holding a broken heart? A funny and witty short story with a unique paranormal twist on the love at first sight trope.
March 3, 2025
Cute and short.
Overall, this is a cute short story. The concept is interesting, and I like the characters. However, occasionally, I would read a paragraph and feel like I missed something, so I would reread it. However, I didn't actual miss anything, it was simply missing something to make the paragraph/scene complete. I don't know if it's an editing issue or what.
I would still recommend this, though, for a quick read with low stakes and an interesting concept.
Overall, this is a cute short story. The concept is interesting, and I like the characters. However, occasionally, I would read a paragraph and feel like I missed something, so I would reread it. However, I didn't actual miss anything, it was simply missing something to make the paragraph/scene complete. I don't know if it's an editing issue or what.
I would still recommend this, though, for a quick read with low stakes and an interesting concept.
May 29, 2025
2.5 stars
The first half of this book was fun. A demon being trapped in a carnival bear prize is hilarious. The yearning was also great. However, I feel like once he escaped, our FMC was WAYYYYY more chill than anyone should be. Plus, being sent back and then summoned again / rescued felt VERY quick. Yes, this is a novella, I get that, but I feel like this could have used a few more pages than other points. Over all still a fun read. The spice was nice. 2.5 peppers.
The first half of this book was fun. A demon being trapped in a carnival bear prize is hilarious. The yearning was also great. However, I feel like once he escaped, our FMC was WAYYYYY more chill than anyone should be. Plus, being sent back and then summoned again / rescued felt VERY quick. Yes, this is a novella, I get that, but I feel like this could have used a few more pages than other points. Over all still a fun read. The spice was nice. 2.5 peppers.
June 1, 2025
**2.5⭐️ Underwhelming, to Say the Least**
I’m still not entirely sure how I feel about this book.
As a mood reader and busy bee, it’s become rare for me to finish something in one sitting, so I’ll give it credit for being fast-paced. That said, "fast" doesn’t always mean "memorable" and I forgot about the story almost as quickly as I finished the last page.
The biggest issue? It just didn’t deliver. The premise had potential, but the execution fell flat. I kept waiting for *something* to happen, more tension, more horror, more depth, but it never quite got there. The writing itself was fine, even pleasant at times, but without much of a story, it lost its appeal.
I’m still not entirely sure how I feel about this book.
As a mood reader and busy bee, it’s become rare for me to finish something in one sitting, so I’ll give it credit for being fast-paced. That said, "fast" doesn’t always mean "memorable" and I forgot about the story almost as quickly as I finished the last page.
The biggest issue? It just didn’t deliver. The premise had potential, but the execution fell flat. I kept waiting for *something* to happen, more tension, more horror, more depth, but it never quite got there. The writing itself was fine, even pleasant at times, but without much of a story, it lost its appeal.
February 15, 2025
Awesome
This story is fantastic. It's by far the most creative demon romance that I've personally read yet. The story is well written and detailed just right. The characters are interesting and endearing. It's consistently intriguing and full of passion as well as surprises. A awesome read for fans of Supernatural Romance, Occult Fiction, Monster Erotica and Demon Romance.
This story is fantastic. It's by far the most creative demon romance that I've personally read yet. The story is well written and detailed just right. The characters are interesting and endearing. It's consistently intriguing and full of passion as well as surprises. A awesome read for fans of Supernatural Romance, Occult Fiction, Monster Erotica and Demon Romance.
March 4, 2025
Interesting
Interesting premise,bland execution. Not terrible,but thankfully it was short because it was so tepid. Trapped demon just....lives with some lady,and falls in love. It seemed cruel to give it two stars just because it was boring,as there aren't significant problems with the book, it's just dull,so rating it amediocre three star read.
Interesting premise,bland execution. Not terrible,but thankfully it was short because it was so tepid. Trapped demon just....lives with some lady,and falls in love. It seemed cruel to give it two stars just because it was boring,as there aren't significant problems with the book, it's just dull,so rating it amediocre three star read.
August 27, 2025
I like that the evil sexy demon also has strict values about consent and a woman’s right to be horny. The Instagram reel that advertised this book to me did lead me to believe he was a bear for way more of the book, and I did sign up to know how deep that particular rabbit hole would go. But it was just some guy in skinny jeans and converse.
December 31, 2024
This was such a cute, fun little read! The characters are pretty well fleshed out for such a short story, which was impressive. I look forward to reading more by this author, I think she has great potential. Knocking off a star as there were a few typos and they were somewhat distracting.
June 27, 2025
adorable
I was looking for that pallet cleanser between a few heavy books. This was just perfect!!! I read through it in a day and smiled the whole time. I have already downloaded the second book because this was just so much fun to read.
I was looking for that pallet cleanser between a few heavy books. This was just perfect!!! I read through it in a day and smiled the whole time. I have already downloaded the second book because this was just so much fun to read.
October 9, 2025
the spooky Teddy trope
Makes me wanna check my teddy bears for a hidden friend. The story was a quick and sweet read. I’ve been on a Kenzie James kick and just devouring all their work.
Makes me wanna check my teddy bears for a hidden friend. The story was a quick and sweet read. I’ve been on a Kenzie James kick and just devouring all their work.
December 17, 2025
A sweet holiday treat
Mia and Tobias are a beautiful pair of sweethearts just waiting to run into each other.
The world is cozy and wonderfully imagined yet the story is packed into an impressively tight reading journey.
A welcome take on finding a demon at the fair
Mia and Tobias are a beautiful pair of sweethearts just waiting to run into each other.
The world is cozy and wonderfully imagined yet the story is packed into an impressively tight reading journey.
A welcome take on finding a demon at the fair
January 29, 2025
I need the last chapter expanded a bit and it would be 5 stars 🌟
January 30, 2025
A fun demon book. I like that Mia is talking with the teddy bear before she findes out it's more than a stuffed animal. Tobias is a wonderful demon and I would love to have one of my own like him😉
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 2, 2025
Truly atrocious if I DNF a novella.
February 7, 2025
Cute quick story about a teddy bear possessed by a demon. Just your typical read really😅😅
February 27, 2025
I was not expecting to like this book, but the HEA really was a good way to end it 🖤
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 16, 2025
Mental 🤣 nice easy read though!
March 20, 2025
very good.
Probably my favorite novella that I have ever read. I’m glad I gave it a chance. I will definitely be reading the rest of the series.
Probably my favorite novella that I have ever read. I’m glad I gave it a chance. I will definitely be reading the rest of the series.
April 11, 2025
this was actually a cute, fun and easy read. it was only 122 pages but the story didn't feel rushed either.
April 11, 2025
I thought it would be a little bit more intense but I enjoyed the wholesome vibes of it 🫶🏻
Displaying 1 - 30 of 40 reviews