Return to Sender

by L. Lestrange

Juniper Graves thought the worst thing she’d face on Valentine’s Day

was her bank account.
Then she bought a couples’ kit that literally talked back.

When her brand-new set of sex toys comes to life loud, opinionated, and way too invested in her love life Juniper and her boyfriend Eli are dragged into a whirlwind of vibrating chaos, unexpected confidence, and accidental domination.
Now every kiss comes with commentary, every position gets a performance review, and every drawer in the bedroom becomes prime real estate.

They’re messy.
They’re mouthy.
They’re completely unhinged.

And somehow… they might be the best thing to ever happen to their relationship.

84 pages, Kindle Edition

Published January 13, 2026

About the author

L. Lestrange writes splatterpunk horror and dark fantasy that twist childhood stories into blood-soaked nightmares.

When she’s not writing, she’s managing chaos, crafting Kindle inserts, or taking editorial notes from her fat cat, Norman better known as The Editor in Chonk.

Reviews

[Schmitziee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a fun read. This is a novella, so I read it all in little over an hour. Definitely different than what I normally read but this was actually really funny. The banter between the main characters and the talking toys was hilarious. Two broke collage kids that want to spice things up with some "soft" BSDM really get the surprise of their life when the toys come to life and not only coach them but give them reviews after. truly hilarious and the authors mind is a work of art!

[Aubry · Rating 4 out of 5]

✨ARC REVIEW✨

This was quite the unique short story about the quest to spice up a relationship that apparently required a field trip to a sex toy store. I went in expecting the usual tropes and instead got hit with a plot about a mysterious "return to sender" package filled with—and I cannot stress this enough—sentient sex toys.

I would have happily signed up for another couple hundred pages of this specific brand of weirdness.

[ChanaReadsHorror · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was one of my favorite tropes of sentient object romance and was pure fun. This book was spicy and faced paced in all the right ways. I loved the idea of a couple in this getting the objects and the banter between them all made for a super fun read.


I was given an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

[FeliciaoftheTwistedPlot · Rating 5 out of 5]

First ARC and first sentient object read! Such a fun concept! Spicy and funny. Love that the toys to help spice up their love life had their own personalities!

[Natalie Vazquez Rosa · Rating 3 out of 5]

A fun and unique novella with a creative premise. I enjoyed it. it was entertaining for what it was, and I appreciated the originality.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[karyn davies curbishley · Rating 4 out of 5]

A story about a couple adding a little extra to their relationship with spicy additions, loved it and read in one sitting could not put it down once the toys made an appearance although totally not what i expected a fab ‘spicy’ read.
I received an ARC and give my review honestly.

[Books & Me · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is such a fun read!!

Now I wonder what my toys would say about me..... this was such a fun time and now I have to read the rest of her books

[Tanya Chapman · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love how involved with the characters I got, in such a short period of time. My critique is this, I want more! Pluggo is my favorite character. Thanks for the laughs!

[alexz · Rating 4 out of 5]

Two years into their relationship, Juniper and Eli are feeling like their sex life is a little, well, bland. For Valentine’s Day they decide to spice things up but perhaps get a little more than they bargained for when their box of sex toys and bondage tools starts providing feedback on technique…

This definitely felt different than other sentient object romances I’ve read because it featured a relationship between two human characters. Juniper and Eli’s interactions felt genuine and authentic to the experience of exploring something new in a relationship. The characters were cute, sweet and funny. The humour throughout the story was definitely a big plus.

Once their sentient friends got involved it continued to be sweet and fun and silly. Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed this novella. I only wish it wasn’t quite so short and the ending felt a little abrupt. I think the story would have benefitted from an additional scene between our lovers and their new companions.

If you already like sentient object romance, this one is a fun spin on the concept. If you’re thinking about trying out the genre, this might be a good spot to ease yourself in.

Thank you L. Lestrange for providing this book for review consideration via BookSirens. All opinions are my own.

[Puppets & Paperbacks · Rating 4 out of 5]

ARC read this

This is a spicy sentient object romance. Make sure you know what that means before reading.

Before I go forward with the review I have a suspicion that the author uses AI for their covers. I know this author would actually do really well in SOR community if they switched to human made covers. We’d even accept their stick figure drawings. Seriously!

Now the book!

The objects that are sentient are a BDSM kit, and boy, do they have banter with each other. It’s quite hilarious and funny and I love them.

The story follows two college kids who are very much on a budget and want to spend their money wisely on something that will allow them to explore BDSM. They know their bedroom life is missing something and are curious to see what they can learn

They get a really great deal on an unused returned box from the adult store. Turns out the seven items inside are alive.

Like, they weren’t cursed nothing. They’re just alive and really it seems their job is to give performance reviews and assist you in exploration. Honestly, I feel like we could all use this

This is a well written story and I hope the author write more sentient object romances

[Mickey · Rating 5 out of 5]

The moment I saw the words 'sentient object' in the description, I knew I had to read this novella. I didn’t even care what else the back of the book said—Return to Sender was an instant yes for me! It did not let me down. I laughed through all 60 pages. In the first half, we meet a sweet couple who want to spice things up in the bedroom. They visit an adult store for ideas and courage, and after spending their last few dollars, they’re convinced to try a mystery box instead. The box had been returned, and my first reaction was, 'Ick! Who would agree to that?' But I got over it, and I’m so glad I did. The boyfriend is shy in the bedroom, especially next to his confident girlfriend, who’s ready for anything. Things get even wilder when the sentient adult toys come to life and start coaching and scoring them. The result is pure comedy. This book was a perfect, light read between heavier books and reminded me why I love this genre. Great job, L. LeStrange—I’ll be reading more!

[Deana P Clay · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a wild ride! I was intrigued when I was given a copy to read before release. Sentient sex toys?! What fun! I found there was more to the story. I loved the freedom our FMC had in asking for what she wanted and the receptiveness of her partner.

If you are looking for a fun, sexy romp with the underlying theme of communication and support in a loving relationship, L. Lestrange delivered.

[Emily · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a quirky little story about a couple… expanding their horizons. Not sure what to make of it, but it was good nonetheless! If you have a few minutes to spare, I definitely recommend it.

I received an advance review copy, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Kimberly Brooke · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received this book as an arc. This has no effect on my review what so ever.

OMG!! This book was hysterical. Great one liners. Perfect amount of pages or it would've been too much.

Definitely a book everyone needs to read!

[Magpiebookreviews · Rating 4 out of 5]

I went into this thinking oh another short and sexy book and while it is that i was not expecting it to be so funny! I was laughing so hard I gave myself hiccups

[Jillian NORTON · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a funny and quirky little book. Was not what I initially expected and I found myself pleasantly surprised. Definitely worth a read!

[Christine ARGYROPOULOU · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was so different in the best way. I had so much fun reading it. It was sexy and funny at the same time. Talking playthings😅 amazing.
It was a really fun novella with a lot of potential. I would read gladly about a 300 pages book about this couple and their new family😅🤭
Also i found it really real that the couple was together for a long time and in the beginning of the book it showed that sometimes you have to change your routine and spice things up a bit 😍🥰

[Alicia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love this book! It was spicy & fun but also soo sweet!