How I Became a Succubus's Pet

by Noelle Upton

Daniel, a college junior who somehow found his way in a History of the Occult class, is trying to keep his scholarship. With a degree he may not even want hanging in the balance, he decides to go all-out for this extra credit paper. But conducting a ritual from an old, forgotten textbook isn't one of his brightest ideas.

Not when it ends up being real.

After summoning a succubus and accidentally binding his soul to hers, Daniel is dragged to Hell where he waits for his demon to find a solution. He works in her shop, meets new friends, and builds a new life for himself while Feronia's allure grows by the day. One that asks him to submit.

Genres: Paranormal, Fantasy, Romance

218 pages, Kindle Edition

Published October 27, 2025

About the author

Noelle Upton is an indie author and lover of fantasy, romance, and dark tales. When she's not writing or reading, Noelle enjoys dancing, chatting with friends over good food, and laughing with her husband. Her two series, Twin Blades and A Light in the Dark, are ongoing.

Reviews

[Weekend Reader_ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Oh poor sweet anxious Daniel. Nothing, and I mean nothing is going his way, his love life, friends, school, or work all just on the edge of calapse. In a last stitch effort to avoid failing his class, he does what any sane young adult would do, summon a demon for extra credit. Unfortunately or fortunately for him, Feronia, a very attractive but impatient succubus, enters the circle. From there, these two have to figure out how to manage their pesky soul tie.

Their HEA is hard won. They work on how to stomach each other as different species, communicate, and ultimately be partners. They are on opposite sides of the spectrum. Feronia is direct and assured, while Daniel is passive and needs lots of reassurance (his backstory plays a huge role). Here's where kink, emotional exploration, and communication helped them to navigate their relationship. Now, one of the things I had to really be mindful about was initially, I felt Feronia was providing a lot of emotional labor, but after sitting with this, I realized
1. it's part of their dynamic and
2. I wouldn't have felt the same if the roles were reversed.


l think as Daniel navigated his new normal and started to unravel from being on his own, he was confronted with a lot of pent-up/repressed feelings. So, in the care of his Domme, he was able to work through it. So I will say keep an open mind. I think Upton does a lot of character work through kink (communication, boundaries, setting expectations, emotional and sexual exploration, gendered roles) and also works through loneliness, friendship, community, and partnership.

Format: E-Arc
Romance tag: open door
CN: grief, anxiety (maybe depression), panic attacks on page, food, and financial insecurity,

[MissBecka Gee · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was cute.
I enjoyed how the situationship came together and the self discovery both characters get along the way.
The spice is spicing, but the world building was my favourite part.
I do wish there was a little bit more out in the world of Hell, but only because the author made it so enticing I just wanted to learn more about this place.
All in all this was fun and I would totally recommend it.
Much love to Noelle Upton for my ebook.

[thevelvetthorn · Rating 4 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️⭐️ 4/5. ARC REVIEW
Cute, spicy, and demonically domestic

This novella had such a fun premise! A college student accidentally summons a succubus for extra credit? Immediate chaos, yes please. The tone is playful, the Hell setting is creative, and there are definitely some steamy moments to enjoy. I appreciated the lighthearted take on what could have been a much darker concept. .

That said, the pacing felt a little uneven for me. Time jumps and scene transitions happened very quickly.I wanted more buildup, more depth, and more tension between the characters. There were also some repetitive reactions that pulled me out of the story at times (his lips sure did tremble a lot 😅).

Still, if you’re looking for a spicy little escape with a morally gray succubus, Hell’s housekeeping duties, and a cinnamon-roll of a mortal who finds himself very much in over his head this is a fun, easy read.

[Carly Miller · Rating 5 out of 5]

ARC Review

How I Became A Succubuss Pet
Author: Noelle Upton
Release Date: October 27, 2025
Spice: 🌶️🌶️🌶️ (subjective 😈)
Genre: Paranormal Romance

This was a fun read. The MMC is 21 and he has been written perfectly - you just want to smack him for being a brat! The evolution of the relationship between the FMC & MMC is well done - not immediate but not a slow slow burn. Character & scene description is great - no question what the characters look like - including secondary characters.

- Occult / Demons
- HEA
- Dom/Sub
- Black MMC
- Kinks & Self Discovery

I have no triggers so please check your trigger warnings on the authors website.

#bookstagram #booktok #readersofinstagram #reviews #bookish #bookrec #books #bookaddict #read ##indyauthor #arcreview #Paranormalromance

[Nero · Rating 5 out of 5]

The best way to describe this book is "it feels like a warm hug on a cold autumn day".

This was a very cozy read in which Daniel accidentally summons a demon who whisks him away to Hell.

I love the steady presence Feronia is for Daniel and how she helps him accept those parts of himself society would deem weird or weak.

A "Daniel Tantrum" is now my new favorite term.

[Ashley Matics · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely lovely book. These two were wonderful. I really enjoyed their power dynamic, and it felt authentic.

[Katie Flournoy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Author Noelle Upton has written a paranormal romance drenched in debauchery, softness, warm and delicate prose, and acceptance through encouragement of self exploration.

Full of major character growth, safety in submission, and tender moments that made me ugly cry, How I Became A Succubus's Pet is a captivatingly beautiful read. I loved seeing characters Feronia and Daniel navigate their adoration, balance their new dynamics, and Daniel's freedom to be wholly himself.

Who knew Hell could be so cozy?

I received this as an ARC, adored it, plan to purchase a physical copy (and read it again), and so look forward to reading more by Upton!

[Heather · Rating 5 out of 5]

Born from a short story included in an anthology, her ARC team all begged Noelle for a full length story about Daniel and Feronia - and boy did she deliver! *swoon*

Daniel's accidental summoning of a p!ssed off demon results in a fantastic enemies-to-lovers story. Feronia drags Daniel down to Hell with her, and suddenly everything Daniel thought he knew is turned upside down. Hell isn't .. well... hellish. Feronia has a shop she works in every day and a garden she tends to. There isn't any endless screaming or torture. What is going on?

Daniel and Feronia butt heads and hate each other at first, but when Daniel realizes Hell is vastly different than he imagined, he opens his mind and tries to fit in. Feronia watches Daniel's efforts, and gives him the space to explore his desires - despite rolling her eyes at his Daniel Tantrums.

This is a high spice erotic paranormal story that explores female dominance, subby bois, and the chance to have a funny and swoon-worthy HEA for this unexpected pairing. Daniel's youth (college-aged) versus Feronia's immortal life come together and allow them to really blossom with one another. It was so great to see Daniel's growth and how he really came into his own person while being with Feronia. And his introduction to human customs showed Feronia what things are important to Daniel.

Noelle has given us yet another fun, fast paced, and spicy story that I can't recommend enough. If you haven't yet picked up HIBASP, this is your sign to do so.

Thank you to Noelle for the chance to beta and ARC read this story. My opinions are my own.

[Joss Ross · Rating 5 out of 5]

where is start 🔥🚩 frist off i need to buy more items other than a pin that say " I ❤️ men who whimper" this book 🤌🤌

now onto Daniel and Feronia 🙇‍♂️⭕️🪽🌿

did I just summon a demon for this extra class marks .....👀
does this succubus make me feel safe and seen while being my brat true self?.....✔️
Do love her....💯

Useless human boy......well, meddling idiotic brother really 🙄
does my pet need me..yes I see him
is my heart,life, and soul My Daniel's (🥹🙌💅) forever 🚩❤️‍🔥

I love how Noelle uses the reverse powerplay on this couple! it was a friat for me and of one of her novels now not to be a last by any means. The dual POV was beautifully written and executed in the book, and the characters' views and emotions showed through the writing of Noelle.
If you like the not your typically open door romance, this is it!

[Tima · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.25 stars. This story is dual POV, well written, and a steamy, contemporary fantasy romance between Daniel, the male submissive college student lead, and Feronia, the female dominant succubus lead whom he accidentally summons and binds himself to whilst attempting an extra credit project for school. I enjoyed Feronia’s patience and her willingness to acknowledge when she made mistakes due to lack of cultural knowledge. I enjoyed the way she incorporated Daniel in her life whilst she looked for a solution to the binding, and the very clear boundary she placed around refusing to take advantage of his error. I laughed at Daniel’s absolute lack of cultural awareness. I enjoyed seeing him relax into the person that he wanted to be but couldn’t in his original life. I enjoyed the acceptance that Feronia and her compatriots provided. I enjoyed the spicy intimate scenes with an interpersonal dynamic I prefer. I enjoyed Daniel’s genuine submission tempered by his natural bratty inclinations and I enjoyed that Feronia enjoyed the brattiness (that I don’t personally). I enjoyed the integrated secondary characters and happy ending.

I received a complimentary copy from the author and this is my voluntary honest review.

[Jojo Ritchie · Rating 3 out of 5]

There was a lot of potential for this book. I was so excited to read this ARC because I found the premise really promising and fun. Despite how short this book was, it felt so slow, even though the plot progressed relatively fast. I admit I didn’t realize that this would be a low-stakes cozy kind of plot until I began reading, but where it lacked in an eventful plot, it could have compensated with character building. I feel like the set up of the characters wasn’t strong enough to really have a proper character development. That said, it was fun at times. I think having a male protagonist exploring his soft and feminine side was the best aspect of this book and made it unique to other romance books. I think the FMC had potential to be really cool, but she just felt so flat and uninteresting. I did grow to enjoy the romance towards the end and found it really cute, but the lack of strong character motivations and plot direction made the book as a whole hard get excited about reading. I wouldn’t not recommend this book; if you’re looking for a lighthearted demon romance with low stakes and a cozy vibe, this might be for you.

[Daphne · Rating 5 out of 5]

The sheer excitement I felt when I got the ARC acceptance email for this one - and it did not disappoint! The idea of a succubus domme was enough to hook me and, as expected, I fell in love with Feronia pretty much when she first appeared. I want to be in Daniel's place, lol. But personal preferences aside, I also thought the plot was really cool and creative because how do you manage to accidentally summon a demon and bind your soul to her?

I think this was my first time reading femme dom / male sub and I liked the reversal of typical gender roles. Both these characters are so well-written, with their own strenghts and weaknesses, and I love how their dynamic unfolds at just the right pacing throughout the book. Despite their initial struggles, they slowly grow to compliment eachother in healthy ways.

In addition, I appreciated the healthy BDSM dynamics with safe words, consent and boundaries discussed, as this is something we don't often see in dark romance. I was surprised by how sweet and tender things got in this book, this was not what I expected from the blurb and cover, but it felt just right. There was a good dose of humor as well, and the ending was just beautiful.

[Brittany Shelton · Rating 5 out of 5]

I got this as an ARC and it was honestly so cute. I wasn't expecting it to be quite such a fluffy romance, but it was adorable. Daniel is a college student that's struggling his way through life and figuring out who he is. Being late to class sign ups led him to have to take some questionable courses. During a project on participating in rituals for his Occult Studies class, Daniel does a demon summoning thinking the whole thing is fake when low and behold a demon appears. He doesn't know Latin so he doesn't realize that not only did he summon a demon, but he bound his soul to hers. They both wind up quite pissed off about the exchange and she whisks him away to hell with her until they can find a way to sever the bond.

This book had such loving conversations both inner and between characters on embracing softness despite being told your whole life you should be a strong man. Daniel is finally able to find himself with Feronia's guidance and truly be who he was meant to be. This was a very cute, low stakes romance with lots of spice.

[GoldenEyeOfHorus · Rating 2 out of 5]

DNF @ 48%.

This was a cozy romance, which I wasn't expecting given the nature of the story (ritual links human to succubus, she takes him to Hell). I'm personally not into cozy romances.

The FMC felt flat and pretty boring. There wasn't really any personality other than being persnickety, giving, and serious. I couldn't see anything that explained them having feelings for each other.

The MMC was sweet but very immature. He's a junior in college but acted more like a 14 year old. There had been mention of him being a brat to the FMC's domme, but he was a brat even outside of the bedroom. At one point, the FMC came home from a night on the town with a demon guy and the MMC was jealous and had a whole conversation in his head about wanting to destroy her entire house...swipe things off the counters, destroy her precious blooms in her garden. What?! That sounds like a middle schooler tantrum.

This one just wasn't for me.

[Leslie Gutierrez · Rating 4 out of 5]

Daniel is a struggling college student who is just trying to get extra credit in a class that he didn’t even want to take.
Feronia is a succubus from Hell that was just minding her own business.
When he performs a ritual that accidentally binds his soul to hers, he’s reluctantly dragged down to hell.
What starts out as an inconvenient accident, eventually turns into a deep and beautiful bond.
I like the unconventional roles that they each play in the relationship. How she’s more dominant, and he’s literally her pretty boy pet. I also like how the subject of consent was approached by the author. It was not one sided and they went really in depth with what was ok and what wasn’t.
I think one of my favorite things was how he had to explain human dating to her. It was so cute.
This story is not what I expected, I really enjoyed it.

[Tamaryn · Rating 4 out of 5]

How I Became a Succubus’s Pet by Noelle Upton is a dark, sizzling story. Upton blends erotic fantasy with sharp insight, pairing a human protagonist and a commanding succubus in a tale about power, surrender, and desire.

The writing is fast-paced and unapologetically explicit, but it also carries emotional depth and commentary on toxic masculinity. Though short, it’s captivating, bold, and leaves you wanting more.

Perfect for readers who love monster romance, high heat, and heroines who own their dominance.

I was privileged enough to receive an advanced reader copy and am leaving this review because I want to.

[Izzy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had the opportunity to receive an ARC COPY my first ever! Whoop Whoop, I really enjoyed this read. Spoilers ahead! You've been warned. I loved the BDSM aspect of the book with a female domme. Enjoyed Daniel coming to into himself with the clothing provided. I do wish we got more of the Daniel in the human world prior to summoning Feronia, but it didn't break it for me. I also wished we got the couple in the human world and met Daniel's family. From a newsletter, I believe there will be a second book, but it wasn't made clearing from the book ending. Booking probably could have used some more background story, but other than that, thank you for all the SPICE 🥰🔥

[Sheba Hector · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well damnnnnnn

Thank you to the author for this arc!!!!

We are following Daniel as he summons a demon (succubus) and they are bonded. As they went for a solution. Daniel works in her shop and their relationship develop.

Smutty as fuckk. They were really fucking in this. I love seeing a dominant woman. I love to see Daniel’s development. He started off very unsure and insecure about his life. After meeting Feronia, he found his purpose. In some way I wished I could see them explore the human world. But I like the book’s journey. I want more people to read this book.

[Rukayya · Rating 3 out of 5]

was selected as an arc reader for this book and i rated it 3.5 stars this was a very fast burn with femdom and d/s vibes. Our mmc Daniel accidentally summons a demon the shocking thing was it was a woman which i think made the story really unique and basically she takes him back to hell because they’re now tethered together. Feronia our fmc is a succubus/demon she’s a baddie and doesn’t take Daniel’s brattiness and gives him what he needs and also protects him i wish this book was longer but otherwise was super cute.

[steph · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was very excited for the premise of this book. I really liked the power dynamic between the two MCs because I always love an FMC d*m. However, I feel like the details of the story and the intimate scenes were lacking and I am unsure if that was purposeful. It seemed like we would get deep into a scene and then it would rush to be over. Overall, it was a great cozy low stakes low angst read, it was just missing a little depth.

[Elle · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 rounded up to 4. I initially read the short story version of this, and was excited when Upton decided to continue the story. It's more cozy cute Hell vs. the fiery depths, but I appreciated Feronia and Daniel's dedication to one another. Conflict is resolved fairly quickly, making it an easygoing read - something I'm not that used to! I would have been interested in more about their shop and how Daniel interacted in society as Feronia's mate.

[Rebecca Horist · Rating 5 out of 5]

Disclaimer: I was gifted this ARC to review honestly


Wowza. For those that like some strong spicy content this is for you.
Wanting some extra credit and summoning a demon who would rather do anything than be bound together. But as they get to know eachother… find out by reading

This was so sassy and I loved every second of this book

[Bookish Lotus · Rating 4 out of 5]

Absolutely loved this.
It’s very much a cozy slice of life story with minimal drama. The main plot is aspects of life for Daniel and Feronia as their relationship progresses. I loved the Domme/sub aspect. It felt so secure and loving without being degrading. I can’t wait to see what’s in store for the other characters in this universe.

[Lisa Kimbrell · Rating 4 out of 5]

ARC review:

Such a different spin on dom/sub than is normally found in books. A strong female dom succubus and an eager sub human…..a match made in Hell. Also my first introduction to a 🍆 cage….definitely goggled that…..🤯

[Mattie Riley · Rating 4 out of 5]

This one was equal parts funny, sexy, and I absolutely loved it! I love the mistress/pet dynamic, I feel like I don't read those very often and it was super well done! Was such a great short read, I'm so glad I got the opportunity😍

[Axel · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was absolutely adorable to read! when I first got it I wasn't sure what to expect but boy did I fall in love with the two main characters. It had my heart fluttering multiple times, I was both wanting to finish it to see them get married all while never wanting to leave the universe.

[erinlecountluvr · Rating 5 out of 5]

😈beta read for this one😈

Also reading the arc now and will come back when I finish the RR

[Tabitha · Rating 5 out of 5]

Soft femdom + cozy plot, what’s not to like?

[Kaci Rehkemper · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was different from any paranormal romance that I have read before and I really enjoyed it! I would consider this very spicy while still being slower burn. It was interesting seeing the characters almost reverse roles of what you typically see in most romances. BDSM does play a big factor in the story. Noelle Upton does a good job of making sure that consent is a factor for the main characters along with safe words, which I believe is important. I absolutely love the amount of sass Daniel has. Thank you Noelle for allowing me to be an Arc reader!

[Niki · Rating 5 out of 5]

I went into this book expecting way more spice—given the title and the nature of the demon involved—but what I got instead was a surprisingly deep and well-crafted story. It follows a bratty young man learning to embrace submission, and a dominant succubus demon who knows exactly what she wants. I was completely hooked by the evolving dynamic between Daniel and Feronia, their sub/dom relationship was compelling, nuanced, and emotionally satisfying.
Also, I’m always a sucker for a well-written submissive male character, so this one absolutely hit the mark.
Thank you to the author for the ARC opportunity!