Succubus: A Love Story

by Kate Fox

Her touch kills, his saves the dying.
Are they fated, or forbidden?

Tempest Dunlap loves romance novels, but she knows she’ll never have her own happily-ever-after. She is a sweatpants-wearing doula who homeschools her seven-year-old niece in suburban New Jersey. Unfortunately, she’s also a succubus: Every man she’s ever kissed has died. But Tempest is a good person who never intended to be a murderer, so she’s sworn off love forever.

Then she meets Joel Tav, a gorgeous, gentle doctor who makes celibacy feel impossible. Tempest knows she can’t touch him—or tell him his brother was the last man she dated and accidentally killed.

Meanwhile, a vigilante is hunting people with dark powers, and Tempest is next. Should she keep hiding in her safe, lonely life, or should she embrace the darkness she fears and risk the ultimate forbidden love?

Maybe Tempest will get her love story after all . . . or maybe she’ll become its villain.

Genres: Romance, Paranormal, Fantasy, Paranormal Romance

352 pages, Paperback

Expected publication October 20, 2026

About the author

Kate Fox lives in an old house in an old town in the universally admired state of New Jersey with her husband, daughters, and two absurdly fluffy cats. Her favorite trope is enemies-to-lovers, as long as they're really enemies, and she is always looking for magic in mundane places.

Reviews

[Anwita Verma (IHeartDeanWithersPlatonically) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Review of advance copy received from St. Martin's Press Group

😱❤️💀😡

Ended really well, good slow-burn (thought it wasn't going to be one at first but ended up being), and really recommend it to my fellow readers when the book comes out!

***SPOILERS FROM HERE AND DOWN***

I couldn't fit it all in the update so here it is (page numbers that were important to me and my feelings/comments):

21: Aww...so cute...but ew he's blonde!?
24: I'm hauling his shirt off his head, and his glasses come off with it, and I'm shoving him back onto the couch Damn that escalated quickly
26: If Jacks was a modern woman
28: Poor baby, Grub (suicidal since he was 7). But NOOO HE'S THE LOVABLE SIDE CHARACTER HE GONNA DIE
29: Girl is like the female version of the MMC from Haunting Adeline (but way less toxic and a much better person)
33: Of course Grub has eyeliner
42: ...imagine his hands on my shoulders, on my back, on my hips,kind and demanding on the same time.”
59: Maybe I didn’t kill Adam
Maybe I didn’t kill Adam
87: “Grub was right. He was so right.”
99: NOO WHY DO ALL THE BEST CHARACTERS ALWAYS DIE T-T…WHY GRUBS
99: I literally started crying in the exam room and my proctor was so concerned
100: HE DID NOT KILL HIMSELF HE’S BETTER THAN THATTTTT!!! HE WAS MURDERED
103: He killed Grub.
“I will kill you motherf[]cker,” I whisper
111: The demon hunter.
The familiar curls. The glasses catching the candlelight…He seems larger than I remember, even though I saw him so recently.
“Joel?” I whisper.
“Tempest,” he says. OF COURSE HE’S THE KILLER, THE MMC!!! Also, I mean, he had good motives and he made it even (Adam was Joel’s brother, and Tempest/the narrator/FMC killed Adam so I guess he made it even by killing Grub/Tempest’s brother, but TEMPEST DIDN’T KNOW!!! SHE DID IT BY ACCIDENT! IT’S A CURSE!)
121: Oh girl...yes, trauma dump to your sister that the man you were crushing on killed your brother and is trying to kill you but DRIVE FIRST
157: An actual enemies to lovers..?! WHERE! I WANT IT

After Grub died, I literally could not get my heart to read more. I needed a pause so I started reading a different book for the rest if that hour.

[Paula · Rating 4 out of 5]

⭐⭐⭐⭐

I picked up Succubus: a Love Story by Kate Fox on a whim expecting a light rom-com with a supernatural twist—and it completely won me over. By about 30% in I was hooked. This book is genuinely funny, clever about its tropes, and way more charming than I expected.

The premise is deliciously messy in the best way: a romance-novel-loving doula who homeschools her niece has sworn off relationships because she’s a succubus and every man she kisses eventually dies. It leans into the absurdity of that situation with a lot of humor and self-awareness, and the voice absolutely carries the story.

What I liked
• Genuinely funny narration—I laughed a lot while reading this.
• A 30-year-old protagonist with a real life (doula, homeschool aunt, chaotic love life).
• The book plays with romance tropes in a clever way, especially the enemies-to-lovers dynamic.
• Even though it’s about a succubus, it never felt like spice for spice’s sake. The humor and character work keep it grounded.
• The heroine reading romance novels to live vicariously was both relatable and hilarious.

I’m also someone who usually doesn’t love insta-love or heavy trope romance, and enemies-to-lovers can feel overdone to me—but here it was handled with enough humor and self-awareness that it actually worked.

What didn’t quite work for me
• Occasionally the formatting made it hard to tell when the protagonist was texting, chatting online, or in her internal monologue. It didn’t ruin the reading experience, but it did pull me out of the story a few times.


This isn’t my usual type of read, but it ended up being a really fun surprise. If you’re looking for a light, funny paranormal rom-com with tropey goodness and a lot of personality, this one is definitely worth picking up

[Ami Parker · Rating 2 out of 5]

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Publishing for this ARC of Succubus by Kate Fox.

I really liked the premise of this book and that it what enticed me to read it. A woman that is cursed to kill when she is intimate with someone and a man that is able to heal people. There is an insta love element, but it's not really in the way you would think. This is a true enemies to lovers that gets very messy.

The problem that I had with this book is that it didn't flow for me. I felt like there were events that just happened and plots that didn't make sense.

[BookishKB]

😈🖤 Succubus 🖤😈

📖 Bookish Thoughts

My full review will be shared closer to the publication date.

✨ What to Expect
• Paranormal Romance
• Succubus FMC
• Forbidden Romance
• Secret Identity
_ _ _ _

📅 Pub Date: October 20, 2026
Thank you to St. Martin's Griffin and NetGalley for the advanced copy.

[QuirkyTofurkey]

Ready to have the soul sucked out of me (but, like, happily).

[Margaret Wasielczyk · Rating 2 out of 5]

I received this from a Goodreads giveaway. I love a good paranormal romance, but that is not what this book is. The characters had absolutely no chemistry and the dialog was dreadful. The MFC was always talking in long stream-of-consciousness rants that really annoyed me. The premise of the novel was good, but the execution was lacking. I honestly cannot understand all of the high ratings that this book has received thus far.

[maria · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.9 stars ⭐️

Thank you NetGalley and St Martin’s Press for giving me an arc in exchange for my honest review!

Honestly, the plot is great in retrospect; it’s a quick, fun, light read with a solid core concept. My issue was with the execution. The prose felt like a chaotic stream of consciousness where the story moves way too fast, spending just a line or two on something before rushing to the next. Plus, there were too many random character drops without any real clarity. But my biggest headache was the fact that there was zero visual distinction between dialogue, texts, and regular narration.

[Jenn Massey Hesler]

Stopped at 55% - may come back to it? There was a lot going on but I also didn’t care about the characters. I’m bummed because I wanted to like it so maybe I’m just not in the right mood.

[Cozystephaniereads · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you to St. Martin's Press, NetGalley, and Kate Fox for the opportunity to read Succubus: A Love Story for free in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts are my own.

Succubus completely surprised me. I expected a paranormal romance, but what I got was an emotional, character-driven story about sacrifice, identity, and learning to embrace the parts of yourself you've feared your whole life.
Tempest has spent years believing she's cursed. Every man she's ever been intimate with has died. There was only one man she was ever able to be with more than once, but eventually he died, too. Determined to never let anyone else suffer because of her, she resigns herself to a lonely future. Then she unexpectedly meets his brother, Joel, and despite their immediate connection, she refuses to let herself get close enough to risk his life. Through an online community of people experiencing strange curses and supernatural abilities, she communicates with others like her and learns that someone known only as the Demon Hunter is hunting them down.
I absolutely adored Tempest. More than anything, she just wants a normal life. She wants to fall in love, have a family, and experience the future she's always dreamed about, but she's willing to sacrifice all of that if it means protecting the people around her. Instead of allowing herself to become bitter, she pours good back into the world. She's a doula, homeschools her niece, and constantly tries to balance out what she believes is darkness inside her with kindness toward others.
Watching her character evolve was easily my favorite part of the book. As she finally begins embracing her abilities, the physical transformation mirrors her emotional one. Her strength grows, the ailments she's suffered from begin to disappear, and she slowly becomes the person she was always meant to be, rather than the person fear forced her to become. But it isn't always good.
Joel was such a wonderful MMC. He's compassionate, patient, and clearly cares deeply for Tempest even when he doesn't understand everything she's hiding from him. I did find myself wishing for a few chapters from his perspective so I could experience his thoughts throughout the story.
One of my favorite aspects of the book was the online friendship that developed between Tempest and Grub. Their conversations added so much heart to the story, especially as the story unfolded.
The pacing stayed consistently fast, and once the story picked up, I never wanted to stop reading. I honestly don't have any real critiques. If anything, I just wanted more, especially more of Joel's perspective.
If you enjoy paranormal romance with unique supernatural lore, emotional character growth, forbidden love, and heroines who have to learn that their greatest weakness may actually be their greatest strength, I highly recommend this one.

[Nya · Rating 4 out of 5]

Recieved e-Arc through Netgalley

4.5 Stars

What can I say besides that this book sucked me in! The writing style is so unique, and oh-so funny. It's quick and terse sometimes, but then a beautifully detailed description comes along. It reads like a conversation. The premise of this type of magic appearing in our reality is a very hard concept to do right, but Kate Fox manages to jump right into it by acknowledging the silliness of situation just as easily as she can address the incredible sadness that comes with being a succubus, and forcing yourself to avoid connection, love, and lust and the other cons of denying your body something so natually human (and succubi) to want. I love Tempest, and, again, the unique writing style really makes you understand her as we follow that stream of conciousness tone. What I found so incredibly fun is that Tempest can "lie" or omit from the reader, but she always comes back to it. It's that little action that really humanizes her, and makes her seem real. Don't we all try and keep some thoughts to ourselves, even from ourselves sometimes? T feels so real I could touch her, and was just a genuinely good person.

I do think the romance was the tiniest bit insta lovey, but it reminded me of the magical realism genre. That unquestionablly normal type of love that appears suddenly and both the characters lean into it really fast. I wish we got to know Joel just a miniscule bit more, but I still didn't mind him. I think he's perfect to Tempest. I also thought it was so funny how neither of them seem to actually work throughout the book, but I guess we needed them to have a open schedule for their shenanigans. I don't think I have ever seen a doctor and a doula have such an easy-going schedule.

I also think that this book could benefit from a trigger warnings blurb, as it does touch on some sensitive topics.

The story itself was pretty well thought-out, but keep in mind that we don't get a big reveal of why this type of magic is out in the world. We know who it comes from, but there are no official names or titles for any information on it. The romance truly takes the center stage, and the magic system is a step back. We just have to trust Tempest and the character's she encounters to give us enough information to follow her story.

I was so sad to end this book! I wish the ending could have been a little longer to wrap myself in it, but the ending itself is just so hopefully cozy that I don't mind it either.

I can't wait to read what Kate Fox does next.

[Abby · Rating 5 out of 5]

I flew through this super engaging, wholly original, hilarious-but-deep debut romantasy by Kate Fox. Beautifully written with literary-fiction level scene renderings and realistic dialogue, Fox (aptly) sucks the reader in to the story of the succubus.

Tender but raw, filled with truths about the drudgery and complexity of human life wrapped in a supernatural tale, Succubus will manage to speak to fans of all genres. I particularly appreciated Fox's treatment of parenting through the eyes of a non-parent character, and her depiction of the background murmur of everyday frustrations that gets massively amplified in times of stress. I also loved that even the child character has her own arc and is treated with dignity and humanity by the author.

Feeling trapped -- by circumstance, by our human bodies, by forces both within and beyond our control -- is universally relatable but, naturally, speaks particularly to women. Fox's treatment of this theme is delicate, asking us to think about where we have agency when it seems we have none, to recognize when we need to summon our powers in a given moment, and when, without shame, we must to turn to others for help. A feminist buzz underlies and inverts the trope of "evil man-trapping seductress," as Fox empowers her female protagonist while still allowing her her full range of flaws, vulnerabilities, and feelings. It turns out those might just be her superpowers after all.

And of course, there's something about the pull between good and evil that's ever-present and eternal, but still feels closer to the surface than usual in our current black-and-white, all-or-nothing, with-me-or-against-me world. Kate Fox manages to bring out the beauty of the healthy but messy middle: the balance and peacefulness in the ordinary, the sustaining life force of the truly terrifying endeavor to love, and the power in laying down soul-sucking defences.

If all this makes this book sound unfunny, my apologies. I laughed out loud from beginning to end. The fact that Fox can wrap these heavy themes in a package that still feels so enjoyable is a wonderful thing.

Even though romantasy isn't my usual genre, I received the ARC of "Succubus" and am so glad I did. I am already looking forward to more from this author.

[Liz · Rating 4 out of 5]

⭐⭐⭐⭐

Thank you to Kate Fox and St. Martin's Press for the eARC.

I picked up Succubus: A Love Story expecting a fun paranormal rom-com, and honestly? It completely surprised me.

By about 30% in, I was hooked. This book is witty, quirky, heartfelt, and far more emotional than I expected. It manages to balance laugh-out-loud humor with some genuinely touching moments about loneliness, family, connection, and what it means to allow yourself to be loved.

Tempest was such a refreshing protagonist. A romance-loving succubus who has sworn off relationships because every man she kisses eventually dies? Sign me up immediately. Her voice absolutely carried this story. She felt real, flawed, funny, and incredibly easy to root for. I loved being inside her head and seeing the world through her perspective.

One of my favorite things about this book was how self-aware it was. It plays with romance tropes while also celebrating them, and as someone who loves romance novels, I found myself smiling constantly. The enemies-to-lovers dynamic was fun, the chemistry worked, and the romance felt sweet despite the chaos surrounding it.

What really stood out, though, was the writing. Kate Fox has a unique style that feels conversational and effortless while still delivering beautiful descriptions and emotional depth when it matters most. The humor landed for me repeatedly, but so did the quieter moments.

I also appreciated that the story wasn't solely focused on the romance. Tempest's relationship with her niece, her work as a doula, and her struggle to balance her supernatural nature with her desire for a normal life added so much heart to the story.

While I would have loved a little more exploration of the magic system and a slightly longer ending, neither took away from my enjoyment. This was a charming, funny, surprisingly emotional debut that left me eager to see what Kate Fox writes next.

If you're looking for a paranormal romance that's equal parts hilarious, heartfelt, and wonderfully weird, Succubus: A Love Story is absolutely worth picking up.

[Vikki · Rating 3 out of 5]

The premise of Succubus immediately grabbed my attention. A romance-loving succubus whose touch kills every man she kisses? Pair that with a doctor who dedicates his life to saving people, and it sounded like the perfect setup for an emotional, forbidden paranormal romance.

Unfortunately, the execution never quite lived up to that incredible concept.

I'm usually perfectly happy with insta-love when it's done well, but it didn't work for me here. The romance developed before I even felt the chemistry between Tempest and Joel leaving it no time to grow. Instead of becoming invested in their relationship, I found myself wishing for more tension, more longing, and more emotional development.

The world-building also felt underdeveloped. The supernatural elements were interesting, but I was left filling in many of the blanks myself. I wanted a richer understanding of how this world worked, its rules, and the people inhabiting it. There was so much potential that never felt fully realized.

I also struggled with the storytelling itself. Much of the narrative relied on characters explaining events rather than allowing readers to experience them firsthand, and certain information felt repetitive. Combined with the uneven pacing, it made the story surprisingly difficult to follow at times and prevented me from becoming fully immersed.

Even the dialogue felt a bit too brief for my taste. Conversations often moved so quickly that they lacked the emotional weight I was looking for, and that carried over into the romance. Despite the high stakes, the relationship never developed the spark or depth needed to make me truly root for the couple.

None of this changes how much I adore the premise. It's genuinely one of the most creative paranormal romance concepts I've come across in a while, and it's exactly what drew me to the book. I just wish the execution had matched the originality of the idea.

While Succubus ultimately wasn't the right fit for me, readers who enjoy fast-paced paranormal romance with lighter world-building may have a different experience.

[Justina R · Rating 4 out of 5]

Succubus by Kate Fox was a fresh twist on the usual paranormal romance. It uses the enemies-to-lovers trope in a way that feels meaningful, and the characters are some of the most realistic and interesting I've read in the genre.

Tempest Dunlap is a succubus struggling to hold onto her morals in a world where many people possess dark powers, (like the ability to make others depressed.) She's also a doula and a super cool aunt to Ella. Because of the morals thing, she spends so much of her life refusing to use her powers so she's become dangerously weakened.

Joel Tav is a doctor with the magic touch—literally. He and Tempest shouldn't want each other, but they can't ignore the paranormal connection between them.

One of my favorite parts of this book was the cast of characters. Everyone had a distinct voice, and their relationships felt layered and authentic. Tempest's relationship with her sister and niece was beautifully written. Flawed at times, but also touching and raw. I especially loved Ella. She was so well written that I felt like I definitely met that seven year old before.

The paranormal elements were another highlight. The demons, angels, and dark powers reminded me of some of the best seasons of the show Supernatural. That said, the pacing was a little slow at times, almost to the point where I wondered if the story was going to have an HEA. I also wish we'd gotten some chapters from Joel's point of view, since I was left with questions about his background and the lore surrounding him. I was also a little confused about why he and Tempest were able to touch each other.

Even with those minor issues, they didn't take away from the emotional impact of the story. The symbolism was beautiful. The characters were memorable and it feels like a genuinely new take on paranormal romance. This was a unique and very enjoyable read.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC. All opinions are my own.

[Em (findingfantasy) · Rating 4 out of 5]

😈 FMC fighting her dark nature
💞 Succubus x demon hunter
🖤 Hate sex with the enemy

Every man that Tempest has ever been with died shortly after - with one exception. When she happens to meet the charming brother of the only man to survive her, Tempest has to fight the way she’s drawn to him to spare him her lethal touch, and also try to hunt the demon hunter who’s picking off her Discord community of other cursed people.

This is a great fantasy romcom with a writing style that makes it incredibly easy to fly through. It’s set in a world exactly like ours, so there’s very little worldbuilding to worry about, just a bit of demonic lore which provided a fun and interesting premise. The stakes aren’t super high, the magic isn’t complex, and it’s a character-driven story.

We get lots of amusing side characters to really add to the humour of this book - especially Al, who was truly an absolute joy to read. With the premise, I didn’t expect there to be moments that really hit me in the feels, but there were! I felt for Tempest, even when she did terrible things, and I was satisfied with the endings for all of the characters. Some were quite predictable (in a good way) and some weren’t.

If you love the enemies-to-lovers trope and want to genuinely wonder how on earth the FMCs can get past their shared history, I think you’ll really like Succubus!

Trigger warnings (spoilers): The FMC perpetrates sexual assault on the demon hunter in an effort to weaken him after he kills an innocent. The MMC doesn’t seem to see it as sexual assault from what he says later - he implies he wanted to give into her - but everything is told from her perspective. This evolves into regular consensual hate sex.

Thank you so much to Berkley for the opportunity to read an advanced digital copy of this book via NetGalley!

[Cynthia · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’m very grateful to have received an ARC from the publishers via NetGalley for this book. I was hooked on the description, but had no idea what kind of ride this book would take me on! I will be pre-ordering a physical copy as soon as I finish writing this, no lie!

The story follows Tempest, a homeschool aunt/ doula who suffers from a curse giving her powers like that of a succubus. She swears off men, until she meets Joel Tav. He’s the perfect man— loves animals, cares for kids and is a doctor. But there is more to him than meets the eye!

You can absolutely tell how connected Kate Fox was to Tempest. The way that this character is written is very personal and human, and all of her thoughts and feelings are explained in such a deeply metaphorical way that you can actually visualize them. Her writing style is very poetic and elegant, and I hope other books she writes in the future are done the same.

The sheer magnitude of what these powers do to her and affect her throughout her life is very raw and honest. And the scenes where she dips into her powers are SO well done! It’s like a completely different person took over narrating. And the reactions from her family and from Joel are realistic and downright slimy at times, leaving you feeling disappointed. (Some are kinda funny though, or shocking! The scene at the doctor’s office comes to mind!)

I gotta say that the tropes were well done too! I love enemies to lovers, and this fit that really well. It was also laugh-out-loud funny at times. 😁 The resolution, however, left me with a huge smile on my face. It was a slow-clap ending for sure!

“I don’t need three days, I think at him. You’ll be dead by tomorrow night. And I won’t shave my armpits. No f****ng way.”

[Rachel I · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very enjoyable debut novel from Kate Fox!! As someone who is not a typical reader of fantasy/paranormal but loves romance, I thought this was a great blend of all of those genres. The writing was fast-paced, and I thought the concept of the story was great. I felt emotional highs and lows throughout the book, and the writing so closely reflected the mood of the scene that it felt like a very immersive reading experience. I found myself getting a little caught up in the demigod/demon/angel lingo and trying to understand the paranormal world of the associated characters, but I think this may have been reflective of some of my inexperience with the genre. I don't think that took away from my enjoyment of the story, but there were definitely times I found myself caring more about the romance and wanting to speed through some explanations of the powers/curses, etc.

Character-wise, I loved the meaning behind Tempest being a doula + succubus, and I thought the first-person perspective from her point of view was extremely well done. With the ups and downs of the character, it was conveyed how the world around her was changing in a subtle, yet meaningful way. I don't have that much to say about Joel; I think his character made sense despite the mixed feelings I had on some of his actions, but I believe that dichotomy was done skillfully by Fox. I really wanted to feel more connection to Grub's character, and I think it maybe happened more after information became clear to T in Florida. Al was a surprising character for me whom I did not expect to like when he was first introduced, but his quirkiness really grew on me.


Thanks Goodreads giveaways & St. Martin's for this ARC!

[Jessica’s Book Nook · Rating 3 out of 5]

3⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for providing me with this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Succubus: A Love Story ended up not being at all what I expected. It was cute, funny at times and extremely chaotic in its execution. I'm not sure that it was my exact cup of tea, but I'm hoping it finds its target audience.

Plot
The plot is actually super cute, and Tempest may be the sweetest succubus I have ever come across in a story. Tempest was born cursed. Every man she has ever kissed has died. She has no idea why she was born the way she is, but after years of researching her curse she comes to the conclusion that she is a succubus. She resolves to abstain from love, and so Tempest lives a lonely life while working hard to atone for the men she's accidentally killed over the years. With no one to guide her through this, she turns to the internet where she meets others who claim to be cursed like her.

Enter a handsome doctor, some insta-love, biological dad drama, a demon hunter, an adorable niece and an emo 16-year-old confident that will steal your heart.

The Writing
The writing style added a lot of disconnect for me as a reader. This may not be the case for you! Personally I found it to be quite chaotic, full of rambling and disjointed transitions both within and between scenes. The pacing felt fast, but not smooth.

There were some emotionally impactful scenes that snuck up on me toward the end! I do love a good amount of heartache with my love stories lol.

I may sit on this one for awhile before adding more to my review, but I will say there is a comedic charm to the chaos that I think many will enjoy.

[vlm · Rating 4 out of 5]

Succubus was such a fun surprise. It balances paranormal romance, humor, danger, and emotional depth in a way that made it incredibly easy to binge. Kate Fox takes the classic succubus concept and gives it a fresh, heartfelt spin with a heroine who is equal parts relatable, awkward, and genuinely lovable.

Tempest was my favorite part of the book. She’s a romance reader who has completely sworn off romance for very understandable reasons, and I loved how grounded she felt despite the supernatural premise. Her life as a doula and guardian to her niece added so much warmth to the story, and it made her fear of hurting people feel even more heartbreaking. Watching her try to resist her connection with Joel had me fully invested from the start.

Joel was also refreshing as a love interest. He’s kind, patient, and actually communicates, which made the romance feel sweet even when the stakes became darker and more dangerous. The chemistry between them was fantastic, and the tension worked so well because Tempest truly believed getting close to him could destroy everything.

The story also does a great job balancing cozy moments with real danger. The vigilante plot added suspense without taking away from the emotional core of the book, and I appreciated how the novel explored shame, loneliness, and self-acceptance beneath all the paranormal elements.

Funny, romantic, and surprisingly emotional, Succubus felt like the perfect mix of supernatural romance and cozy horror vibes. I’ll definitely be looking forward to more from Kate Fox.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the advance review copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

[PJ S · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thanks to Netgalley and St. Martin's for this ARC.

When I picked up this book, I was expecting more of a cozy romance, built around a little paranormal plot of "she takes and he gives." I was not expecting a full blown fantasy mystery. Suspense isn't quite the appropriate genre/ description, but it's not far off.

This story was darker than I was prepared for, but nevertheless told a great (metaphorical?) story about how our baggage creates loneliness, and our insecurities prevent us from being more truthful and experiencing life more fully.

Tempest is a succubus. She's learned to be alone after killing to many men accidentally. Then one day the guy doesn't die. At least until much later.
One day, purely by happenstance, she meets his brother and mutual attraction grows. It turns out he has the power to heal. Her power is dark, and consider by some to be "evil." His is light, "angelic." While they're figuring each other out, there's a demon hunter out there, trying to kill T and all "evil" people like her.

The story develops, as we watch her uncover the truth of the hunter's identity, finding her birth father and trying to get answers about where her power comes from, and trying to figure out how to stop this whole nightmare. Right up until the very end, I wasn't sure what kind of ending we'd get.

Succubus is a fun read. The story is engaging—a little mystical, a little romantic, and a little suspenseful. Sex is described up a few times, but this is a non-spice story. I'll be looking for more Kate Fox stories in the future.

[hannah_oac · Rating 4 out of 5]

🖤Succubus: A Love Story🖤
By Kate Fox

4 ⭐

“He is so mouthwatering, so horrible and beautiful, I want to tear something apart. Maybe him.”

~~

What a fun surprise! After stumbling upon the blurb of this hilarious paranormal tale of forbidden love, I couldn’t wait to give this new-to-me author a go. Kate’s writing style is unlike any I’ve read before. It’s artsy and playful, with oddly specific, highly relatable descriptions and comparisons that I couldn’t get enough of. Yet she also utilizes these short, choppy sentences that sort of mimic the way my own inner thoughts sound in my head. I found it all really entertaining.

The story itself was cheeky and a super clever concept. Packed with the most charmingly unique brand of humor, there were multiple instances where I couldn’t help but chuckle to myself. The pace was a smidge slow to start but once things picked up around Part II, I couldn’t put the book down.

Though the FMC is a succubus, the spicy scenes felt rather tame. Don’t get me wrong, there was some heat. And I think I can see a connection as to how those acts were more her “DP” as opposed to her most sincere desires, but I still felt this selfish need for more.

Overall, I enjoyed this one and I’m glad I took a chance on it! I'm eager to see what else Kate comes up with 🤗

~~

Big thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Griffin/St. Martin's Press for sharing an early copy. These are my honest thoughts ✨

[Kate Pantinas · Rating 4 out of 5]

When a book is titled “Succubus,” with a cute cartoon cover and the title is done with calligraphy with the “S” being sprouting the devil’s horns and tail, you go into the book thinking it will be a saucy, sassy, spicy tale.

It really, really isn’t. In fact, in many ways, it’s very sad. Joel and Tempest. Flirty friends to enemies to lovers. Sex with her kills her lovers but rejuvenates her. So she swears off sex. He is a type of angel sent to kill her kind. Unbeknownst to both of them until it’s almost too late. And the fact the last man she had, the last she killed, was his brother? And he is out to avenge his brother? Even when we get to the end, it barely feels like a HFN and it is very much not a HES.

I would almost not call this a romance. Urban Fantasy would be closer. The ending is just too - unsettled. Unless there’s a second book that gives us the HEA, this book would really skirt the rules for a “romance” novel. But it makes for an excellent Urban Fantasy. And in that case - I would get rid of the HFN and let the sad punch be what lands and sticks. It’s more authentic. The HFN felt cheap afterwards and what kept this from being a five star rating.

And honestly, I think that’s what bothers me the most. I kept being sold what this book was not. The cover gives me sassy, sexy romcom / paranormal romance vibes. This was listed in the Romance section of NetGalley. But neither of those things fit the story. Market this as an Urban Fantasy, and I’m ten toes down.

[Katie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you so much to NetGalley and the publisher for an e-ARC in exchange for my honest thoughts.

What a surprise! Though this was darker and more angsty than the cover and description led me to think it would be, I felt like it was strong fantasy romance.

I thought the writing was great, kind of a mix between the Harbinger series by Jennifer Armentrout but with Sally Thorne’s quirky, stream-of-consciousness tone. I was interested in the story within the first few chapters and was totally into it by about 30%. If you are looking for a fluffy love story, that is not this book. I was stressed as heck while reading it. My jaw dropped twice because of the plot twists. The author did not hold back, y’all. The romantic relationship is a piece of the story, but I felt like it was more about the tension of who Joel and Tempest are - angel versus demon - and how they deal with that reality.

If I had one suggestion before publication, it would be changing how text messages and digital communication are formatted. It was often difficult to differentiate them from Tempest’s internal thoughts or the general narration. Italics or another visual cue might make those moments clearer.

If you like fantasy romance and an altruistic succubus who resists her powers and longs to fall in love sounds interesting to you - you should definitely pick this up!

[Carrie McConn · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a cute, fun read! I did not expect this to be as charming as it was. A seemingly random workplace meet-up turns into a stormy paranormal relationship. For Tempest (doula) and Dr. Joel Tav (doctor), it's an instant connection. Too bad their paranormal selves are in conflict.
Girl power, secrets, homeschooling, higher calling to medical fields due to past experiences. Found family in an odd way, without giving away spoilers.
I have a pet peeve about workplace romances that ignore the workplace, after the meet-cute. Do these people have unlimited time off, now that they are in love? For two main characters who dedicated their lives to helping people, building up their medical practices, now all of the sudden they are constantly home, moping around?
The niece Ella's frequent bratty tantrums just got to me after awhile. It wasn't cute, and was unnecessary to the storyline. We get it. She's 7 and homeschooled.

I did have some annoyances regarding the text messages used throughout. I'm guessing since I had an eBook ARC that the final edition will remedy that. (It was hard to follow when the texts were not in a bold/italic/separate sentence, especially when the texter was thinking about the messages).
I received an ARC from NetGalley and am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Marie’s Book Barn Reviews · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book has all the yearning, and it has humor too, and I'm so here for it.

It was a dark and twisty journey, it was filled with magic but also in the present time, and it did feel like higher stakes and a darker love story I didn't completed exespect, all in a good way.

Tempest was such a wonderful main female character. I liked her personaliaty I liked that even though she has some darkness to her, she also has real emotions, and her hope for love was something else that I really liked from her.

Joel was also a great character, I really liked him as the MMC, he is the opposite of Tempest, he is kind and gental and I really liked that contrast with her, the chemistry he has with her was another great element and adding in the whole she could be his demise if she touches him adds in another element of like a forbidden romance but forbidden touch if you will and tentsion.

I liked the whole opposites attract thing they have together, and I think it really worked well. The stakes were high, the chemistry was explosive, and the characters were amazing, and I think them being paired together was perfect.

Highly recommend checking out this book and adding it to your TBR!

Thank you, NetGalley, St. Martin's Press, and Kate Fox for the early copy! It was a blast reading it.

[RawBookieDough · Rating 4 out of 5]

❤️Enemies to lovers
❤️🌶️
❤️1st person FMC POV
❤️Paranormal romance
❤️HEA

I have a bad habit of skimming the blurbs for a general idea and then being shocked when the book isn’t what I created in my head. For whatever reason I thought this would be light hearted and low stakes but instead got heart breaking and high stakes. Yiiikkesss I need to absorb the blurbs better!

Despite the cheery, pink cover this was actually a pretty solemn read with some humor mixed in for balance which I liked. There was a lot of super sad themes throughout that were necessary to the plot, just … prepare yourself for not a lighthearted romcom but something with much darker undertones painted in pink. I also expected something spicer since it was about a succubus, however the plot was much richer than I anticipated going in.

I felt like the internal monologue of our FmC was so relatable. The writing had sort of a rambling and chaotic style which brought the relatable feeling as I might think of things, but it was a little hard to read sometimes. There was also not much distinction between texts, dialogue or thinking which felt intentional but hard to track.

Thank you for the ARC from St. Martins press through NetGalley

[bigsissyreads · Rating 1 out of 5]

I’m so sorry, this was awful..

DNF at 24%, I thought I would be able to read until at least the end of part one but it’s no use.

It’s a debut novel and all my respect to the author but definitely not my type, I had a really painful time to try to get into it and eventually failed.

What I loved 🩷:
- I’m a sucker for paranormal romance and I wanted to love this book so bad
- the cover is BEAUTIFUL
- Whimsical atmosphere, hell yeah give me more
- the promise of the plot, very original and refreshing

What I didn’t love 💔:
- Insta love based on nothing, no emotional connection, nothing
- scenery descriptions were absent, it was really hard to picture her home, his, the neighborhood
- the dialogues were null, childish and 5-word sentences most of the time
- I genuinely didn’t understand much of her interactions with Grub, so frustrating
- there was too much conversations recounted instead of really happening on page
- overall writing was awful

Thank you NetGalley and Kate Fox for the ARC in exchange of an honest review.

[Erin · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm a sucker for any love story, and I enjoyed the supernatural elements of this one. Tempest is a succubus, carrying the curse of her father. Tempest's recognition of her powers and her determination to not let them bring harm to anyone makes her an easy-to-root for protagonist. Joel was a charming love interest, and their chemistry and attraction was palpable. I thought the book fell flat with the demon side of things and really fleshing out that universe. So much was glossed over or just accepted without question that I thought was not believable. Tempest shows up on her dad's doorstep, having never met him, says I'm your daughter, and he goes with it without question. Her siblings have different powers, but it's not explained why. Why does one person have one ability and another have another? I thought the entire plot could have been enriched with more explanation of how it all worked, rather than throwing out blanket statements that all the characters accepted as fact.

Thanks to NetGalley for the advanced copy of Succubus: A Love Story.

[SarahQ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you to St. Martin's Press/netgalley for the advanced reader's copy in exchange for my honest review.

Hilariously sweet, magical and mundane and bizarre, and so full of heart and soul (fitting.) I loved this so so so so much and it was nothing like I expected.

Succubus: A Love Story is written in a first person stream-of-consciousness style. There's so much humor in the narration, but also such poetry! Tempest is a touch-starved weird aunt, a little pervy, but that's only because anyone she is intimate with literally dies. I'd probably think about it often too if I met the most angelicly handsome man ever and had to be celibate for the sake of not committing manslaughter.

The Dunlap family dynamic was so refreshingly real life. All the characters felt like real people, even Al the pain demon (god bless him,) Dick Face (surprisingly,) and especially Ella. That was 100% an almost 8 year old, just channeling through the author.

TW: dubious(*) consent because, well, succubus suggestive magics, tbf it felt more like fated mates than SA, but just be warned.

[Sam Lue · Rating 4 out of 5]

4/5 Stars

Tempest Dunlap does not expect to ever find her happily-ever-after, in part due to her being a succubus, thus having killed every man she’s ever been with. She’s given up on love-only for Dr. Joel Tav to walk into the room. A man whose brother she unintentionally murdered. There is an immediate fire kindling between them, a fire that’s going to consume the pair.

Succubus is a paranormal contemporary book. The world building effortlessly sucks you in, aided by the rapid pace. I was able to get through this book in a day, which hasn’t happened in some time. Tempest Dunlap is an imperfect protagonist I couldn’t help but root for.

Tempest and Joel are magnets. The second they meet it’s a vortex of attraction and self-loathing. Their lives are bound in a convoluted manner, one that goes beyond their own natures. I enjoy how the author creates unflattering moments for the pair, it adds layers to them, which paints a sweeter ending.

A warm thanks to St. Martin’s Griffin, Kate Fox, and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!