Teddy Bear: A Dark Age Gap Romance Novella

by Jenny Oswald

139 pages, Kindle Edition

Published September 22, 2026

Reviews

[Spicy_Horror_Guy]

I received this as an ARC from the author. All thoughts are my own. Thank you again to the author , Jenny Oswald for the opportunity to read this book !!

Never in my life have I wanted two people to be together who very much SHOULD NOT, and I repeat, SHOULD NOT, be together more than Lizzie and Danny. Seriously, these two should not work for a slew of reasons, but yeah, I also wanted them to be together so freaking badly, and I am not at all sure what that says about me.

I signed up to read this because I have a big weakness for age-gap dark romance, and this book scratched that particular itch for me so freaking perfectly. This book is very much a deep character study in daddy issues while also exploring obsessive “love” and an incredibly manipulative relationship, and I loved every word of it.

I really enjoyed being in Lizzie’s head, even though her thoughts are dark and very twisted at times. There are moments where she is clearly being taken advantage of, and I just wanted to freaking shake her, but at the same time, I really loved just how flawed and unhinged she is as a character. You very much get the reasons she is the way she is in these small, gradual doses. She is a mess and damaged in so many ways, and I found myself completely invested in watching her navigate everything happening around her, from her family drama to her over-complicated relationship with Danny, a man she desperately wants but very much shouldn’t.

Then there is Danny, who is on his own special level of twisted and dark. I should absolutely hate him as a character and honestly despise so much of what he does throughout the book, but I can't help but be enamored by him. When I say he is beyond manipulative, I do not say this lightly. So much of what he does to Lizzie throughout the story is messed up in every possible way, and yet I couldn't look away for a second.

I also really liked jumping back and forth between Lizzie when she was slightly younger and the present day. It really showed how everything went so, so wrong and helped explain how she got into the situation she is in now.

In no way, shape, or form is this a love story in the usual sense. It is dark and incredibly messed up. Various scenes border on consensual non-consent, so definitely know that going in. In fact, make sure to read the trigger warnings in general for this.

There was also a twist that I called, but getting confirmation of it was still so freaking rewarding. Finally, the book ended very much not where I thought it was going to, which I absolutely loved. I am not sure how to begin unpacking that ending, though.

So, if you are looking for something dark that is drowning in daddy issues, obsession, and just interesting and really messed-up characters, this is it!!

[Elina]

"The game is months old, and I've learned to play it quite well, not better than him, but just enough to be a worthy and valuable opponent. The worst part is that in the end I don't know who of the two of us wins and who loses."

This is a story about abuse, trauma, exploitation, obsession, and the dangerously thin line between pleasure and pain. About how something can be hated and desired at the same time. About how the mind can create games that feel like salvation one moment and hell the next.

At the center of it all is a girl who has been broken by the people who were supposed to love and protect her. A girl who has become lost inside her own thoughts, carrying wounds far too deep for anyone to simply “fix.”

And then there is her psychiatrist.
A man who wants to save her. A man who would seemingly do anything to reach her, to pull her back from the darkness.
But perhaps the most disturbing part is that, in trying to save her, he becomes part of that darkness.

He takes her somewhere twisted, dangerous, and deeply intimate — a world of psychological games where control, trust, fear, pleasure, and pain become impossible to separate.

And somehow, that darkness is written beautifully.There is something almost lyrical about the way this novella handles such brutal themes. The writing doesn't soften the ugliness; instead, it gives it an eerie kind of beauty. It makes the descent feel both horrifying and strangely seductive.

I found myself constantly questioning what was real, what was manipulation, what was a coping mechanism, and what was simply two damaged people trying to find some kind of release in each other.

Teddy Bear is dark. It is uncomfortable. It is provocative.And it is absolutely not for everyone.But if you enjoy psychological stories that challenge your perception of right and wrong, stories filled with morally grey characters, trauma, obsession, mind games, and a disturbing kind of intimacy…
This one will get inside your head.

And maybe that's exactly where Teddy Bear wants to leave you.

[NadezhdaGGCS]

Teddy Bear by Jenny Oswald is a profound, suffocating, and incredibly dark psychological romance that chills you to the bone.
The story heavily relies on an intensely toxic and twisted age-gap dynamic. The male lead, Danny, is the absolute epitome of a morally grey character. He isn't just Lizzie's psychiatrist; he is also her father's best friend. He uses his power over his vulnerable patient in deeply disturbing ways. His "therapy" methods which include controlled erotic hypnosis, giving commands in a sterile room with a two-way mirror, and completely breaking her will are intense, frightening, and highly manipulative. He becomes both a ruthless puppeteer and her only salvation, the ultimate controller she desperately needs to silence her inner demons.
But what truly broke my heart and brought me to tears was the foundation of all this darkness: Lizzie's relationship with her father. The author masterfully depicts the roots of her trauma. The way a little girl learned that she must patiently endure physical pain to earn a crumb of love and a reward (a plush teddy bear), and how her father's subsequent emotional withdrawal and mental illness completely destroyed her world, is written with devastating emotional weight. It is a brilliant psychological background that perfectly explains every facet of her self-destruction and her desperate, masochistic pull toward Danny.
A solid 4 stars. It is an emotionally draining, unapologetically raw story about a broken psyche, finding comfort in pain, and severe codependency. A must-read for anyone who loves true psychological dark romance and complex, distorted relationships without any vanilla illusions.

​A huge thank you to the author for providing this ARC! All thoughts and opinions are my own. 🥰🥰🥰

[Screams & Reviews 💋🖤]

This book made me feel sad for the FMC Lizzie but also I felt like I was going crazy cause of how she was feeling. This book not only drag you through the mud but the. Slap some sense to you as well . I have never felt that from a book before. My heart was broken for everything that she was going through but I think it was more the way the author wrote the story with so much passion! Passion that came through the pages and I just wanted more. More of the FMC , more of what she was going thro, more of the MMC Danny and more of his story! I am not sure I will look at a teddy bear again and not remember this book. Nothing bad but the lost this girl had and the emotional damage all wrapped around a “ teddy bear”
Maybe I felt more for the FMC lizzie cause I myself had a father that would tell me “ do this and I will give you this” I think as parents we all say this once in our life. “ be good at the doctors and I will buy you a toy” ect
But you do stop and think what happens to a kid’s mind when you say that. This book put it all into perspective for you.

The MMC is obsessed with Lizzie and more just wants her as his “play toy” but also have his own life too. Not only have Lizzie been through it all but watching her parents battle their addiction, and mental illness. really put a toll on her. So when someone opened their arms she came running! This book really drove on mental illness and what could happen when everything start to spiral out of control. Gosh, I hope there’s a book two! Cause I will be run so fast to get it.

Must read! New great author that I found and can’t wait to see what else she has on the table and brings.

5⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
-Screams and Reviews 💋🔥🖤📚

[DirtyLittle$mut✨]

Teddy Bear 🧸 🎀- Jenny Oswald

This dark age-gap romance had me feeling absolutely dragged in every direction emotionally😫🫠. We follow our FMC Lizzie, a young dancer who reaches far and wide and practically begs for the smallest amount of love and attention from her father that she never receives😔💔. Watching him lose himself to alcoholism and bipolar disorder, things just seem to escalate😬. Lizzie finds herself deeply scarred emotionally and mentally from her childhood, driving her to the brinks of insanity and instability😱. Finding her help through Danny, her therapist and her father’s best friend who is twice her age, completely giving him all of her control and submission😳. Danny is obsessed with his new “toy” and provides private sessions with deep hypnosis😵‍💫 treatments with “special” rewarding🫣. When Lizzie starts to go off the deep end and begins to truly open her eyes, some things are just not quite as they seemed.🫨

Will Lizzie ever find herself in a happy state of mind again, or at peace?🤔🙁

This read dragged me along emotionally and mentally as I was reading😩. It was truly insane witnessing the trauma this woman goes through over and over again just in different ways😕😣. It made me truly feel for Lizzie and just want the same peace for her that she envied😓. With some crazy eye openers to the truth it made it worth the read! 🤗

Releasing September 22nd!🧸🖤

Star Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Spice Rating:🌶️

[Emma (CorruptedChapters_)]

Teddy Bear - Jenny Oswald🧸🖤
(ARC review - no spoilers)

Teddy Bear is a heartbreaking, devastating and beautiful dark novella that is written in a poetic way.
The author handles pain, trauma, abuse, intimacy and obsession in a way that makes you question what is real (for our FMC) and what is not. The lines between the hypnosis and an “ordinary” day is blurred along the twist and turns that makes me question my own sanity🖤

This book for me is more heartbreaking than dark, but that of course is subjective and with that in mind, always check out the trigger warnings.
This novella is going to leave you with a heavy heart no matter what and it was a very good story. I’m honored that I got to read it and Lizzie’s story will always be with me.
I can’t relate to the abuse and trauma that she has endured but I can relate to the pain and the feeling that you are never good enough to your own father.
Some of the thoughts and feelings of Lizzie in this novella was like reading about myself and that struck me hard.

So hard that I now, do not have more f*cks to give regarding my own father. It took me 40 years and this very well written story to finally see that this is enough.
I can’t change him and I can’t be the only one trying to have a relationship with him.
It takes two to tango…
Sorry for the personal rant right in my review here but also thank you Jenny, for letting me read Teddy Bear🖤

Releasing September 22

[Mathilde Gomes]

Teddy Bear deixou-me com muitos mixed feelings. Uma das coisas que mais senti durante a leitura foi a quantidade de detalhes e pormenores, que em alguns momentos, achei que era demais, mas ao mesmo tempo, acho que essa mesma característica acaba por nos transportar diretamente para a cabeça da Lizzie e é como se estivéssemos ali com ela, a ver o mundo através da sua perceção.

Estamos dentro da cabeça de uma personagem carregada de traumas, criada num ambiente onde o amor nunca lhe foi apresentado de uma forma saudável. O pai, bipolar e incapaz de perceber verdadeiramente o que era ser pai ou amar alguém, acaba por deixar marcas que se refletem na forma como Lizzie pensa, sente e narra aquilo que lhe acontece.

E depois temos Danny. O médico. O melhor amigo do pai. A pessoa responsável pelo tratamento dela.

A hipnose torna tudo ainda mais intenso, porque aquilo que Lizzie experiencia durante o trance mistura-se constantemente com aquilo que está realmente a acontecer. Por vezes, estamos dentro daquilo que o cérebro dela cria e, quase sem percebermos, somos trazidos de volta à realidade.

Trauma, manipulação, bipolaridade, culpa, obsessão… Até que ponto tudo isto, quando se mistura, ainda pode ser chamado de amor?

E houve uma frase nas notas da autora que ficou comigo:
“…they only had the dark they sank into together. But sometimes, rock bottom is the only place we can finally find our own reflection.”

[RissaReadsBooks91]

This book has been an absolute psychological ride. Lizzie was a girl in a very dysfunctional family. Her father was abusive to her mother and her. Her mother would take meds to sleep to just escape. She eventually became promiscuous to escape. Her whole childhood was dark, dysfunctional, and depressing. Her father set her room on fire because she came in late (as an adult) and in turn set the whole house on fire. And he only got a year in a mental facility because of his best friend, a psychologist who specialized in hypnosis. Danny, not only treated Lizzie, but also her father. But in her sessions, he would hypnotize her and then have 🌶️ time with her. She ends up falling head over heels in love with him but he’s engaged and still having “sessions” with her. Eventually, he informs her of her parents accident and she is now his ward, which ok a bit crazy!!! I won’t go into the ending because OMG did it have me sitting up, shocked!!!! Like how could that possibly happen. Jenny really outdid herself with this book and it was the best one that I have read of hers so far. I think I may need a day to process after this read. I appreciate the opportunity to read this early from Jenny and I cannot wait to see what she comes up with next!!!!!

[Lissa Readz]

ARC Review

This is written entirely from the POV of the FMC who is suffering from mental health which makes the writing style a little chaotic and sometimes hard to get through.

Writing style aside, this story is both dark and twisted. The obsession on both sides of the relationship is both scary and heartbreaking. The question of whether or not their relationship could exist outside of the patient/doctor dynamic made for an interesting read. It was clear that Lizzie would willingly, eagerly, be Danny's but you have to wonder how much of that was real vs a reflection of her desperate need to be loved. Was Danny unable or unwilling to accept her devotion outside of the controlled environment he created? It leaves you questioning if it was his depravity or her fragile mental state or both that kept them confined to the twisted dynamic. I would have like some more insight into Danny’s mind. I think it would have enhanced the story for the reader have a better understanding of what made him do what he did from his POV.

I did appreciate the amount of detail that was put into describing the scenes where the FMC was hypnotized, which made it easy to picture it all.

Overall, it was a good story and provided an interesting look into the inside of a damaged mind.

[Daena]

ARC Review -

Teddy Bear left me thinking about my own emotional fragility and how sometimes, in needing to find reason or meaning in painful events, we put the blame on ourselves. Sometimes, that’s easier than dealing with the simplicity that life is really unfair and bad things just happen.

This book is a deep dive into the emotional boundaries our minds can handle and what we would allow if, for even a small amount of time, we could see beauty and be free from our inner turmoil. Can we find healing and power when you hand over the power to someone else?

I loved how the FMC was written with vulnerability, desperation, and incredible strength. She carries childhood scars of growing up with one parent’s mental health struggles and the other’s complicity. While also dealing with her own instabilities, she’s lost in a complicated and toxic relationship.

For much of this book, I was questioning what was real and what wasn’t. The writing naturally flows, and I became completely immersed in the story. It was dark, twisted, and beautiful. And it left the line blurred between power and healing, and manipulation and toxicity.

Make sure to read the trigger warnings.

5+ Stars - Fantastic read!

• reality vs fantasy
• obsession and age gap
• childhood trauma
• mental health struggles
• toxic doctor/patient relationship
• emotional manipulation
• sexual manipulation while hypnotized
• powerful symbolism
• beautiful and haunting imagery

[Suzanne Bruijn]

Thank you so much for the arc opportunity!

This book was a real rollercoaster mentally!

Lizzy is a girl who does things to get the love of her father as a child. When her father gets metal issues it goes wrong. He starts abuse his wife and daughter. He even sets the house on fire with Lizzy in it.

Danny is the best friend of Lizzy her father and also a well-known psychologist, who specialized in hypnosis. He treats her father and her as well.
Lizzy falls in love with Danny. He puts her under hypnosis and then does very spicy things with her.

This story is really dark, psychologically messed up, uncomfortable and for sure not anyone would like this. I liked that I sometimes didn’t know what was real or what was not. It is so beautifully written and flowing.

I devoured the book and loved all the characters in this great but very psychologically story. I appreciated the chance to read it early. I can’t wait what story Jenny is writing next!

[Jennifer Hash]

This was at once a great story and a very deep dive into the fractured brain of a woman with much trauma. It felt a lot like the perspective from the time period when women would be institutionalized for "being crazy" when they were simply reacting to horrible things that befell them in life.

Lizzie seems to experience her life in fragments. Sometimes she is fully aware of what is happening to her and around her, other times reality feels at a distance due to psychotic drugs (She gets institutionalized) dissociation, hypnosis and a seriously unscrupled psychiatrist with unethical treatment methods to help Lizzie attain breaking through her barriers.

This seriously could have been part of the Wellard Asylum series and I am still processing what I just finished. I can say I would recommend this story. Well done, Jenny!

[Chris]

ARC REVIEW -

Check your TWs! Teddy Bear is a dark age gap psychological romance novella. It’s dark, very taboo. It’s not cute romance so if you’re expecting that this is not it! The story follows Lizzie, the FMC. Her past is heartbreaking with trauma and then she gets pulled into a web of lies - that yes, as the reader you’re in it with her. You think you know what’s going on, but it’s not til the end that you confirm details. Poor Lizzie is her abusive father’s best friend’s patient. Yup. He is a hypnotist and when hypnotizing her, has his way with her which ensues an obsessive toxic cycle that Lizzie can’t get out of. He won’t let her go and she can’t let him go - he’s engaged to someone else’s btw. I won’t spoil the end - but omgggg.

[Allison King]

This was definitely a different book. It was dark & twisted & left you questioning what you thought you knew each time you turned the page.

Lizzie hasn’t had an easy life by any means, but when her dads health takes a drastic turn, so does her life. Soon she becomes obsessed with her dad’s best friend - who just happens to be her doctor that put her in the psych hospital that he runs. But he’s even more obsessed with her….

This book makes you pay attention, because when you thought things were changing, were getting better, it’s another question that you need to ask yourself. Nothing is as it seems, nothing lasts forever, and obsession can ruin even the best of intentions.


I received this book as an Advanced Reader Copy and I am writing this review voluntarily

[Kimberly S45]

I am mesmerized by the lyrical words pressed upon the darkness of this story.

Terrific job exposing the trauma and humanity of Lizzie’s painful experiences. The Teddy Bear resembling innocence given and taken.

This story will make you think and possibly alter your reality, but know perception may not be what it seems.

Doctor Danny the psychiatrist may not be what we are lead to believe along with Lizzie’s parents either.

There are definitely triggers to watch out for, but I highly recommend reading this for the sheer experience of being pulled into the darkness and being brought back out.

Thank you Jenny Oswald definitely kept me on my toes and turning the page to find out how it all ends🫶🏻

[Tiffany]

This novella was dark, twisted, and definitely not your typical romance.

We follow Lizzie’s story as she battles her own mental health struggles alongside a family member, while her psychologist becomes determined to keep her in his life..... NO matter how far he has to go.

The doctor/patient dynamic, age gap, obsessive love, and morally gray MMC made this such a heavy, dark and twisted read.

If you like your reads to have the vibes of mentally dark, obsessive, possessive, and a little unhinged, Teddy Bear is definitely one to add to your TBR. 🧸🖤

Thank you for the opportunity to ARC read Teddy Bear!

📝 Happy Writing!

[Sarah Reapz]

What in the absolute twisted mind bender did I just read.

This was an interesting read for sure, the doctor/patient dynamic was nicely done. The hypnotized aspect to remove barriers and become an obedient doll.
His obsession, his darkness, willing to do anything for her.

Felt so bad for Lizzy and her upbringing, what a horrible way to live and no wonder she craved what she did.
Felt kind of personal on that front understanding her mentality of love, having a price to gain something.

I really enjoyed the story and it kept me hooked the whole time even though I'm questioning everything afterwards.

[Sarah Louise]

This was harrowing, gripping and completely turned my mind inside out 🤯
Full of psychological disturbance that keeps you turning the pages to find out more.

Cleverly written and from the FMC (Lizzie’s) POV, it takes you on her fragile and emotional journey from her traumatised childhood to manipulation and use by Psychiatrist and Hypnosis expert Danny, her father’s best friend. His dark obsession and possessive nature towards her was scary but intriguing. I felt very sorry for her throughout, she didn’t deserve the hand she was dealt.

Really enjoyed reading this novella and loved the plot twist!

[Candee]

This book is dark and twisted and can be triggering for some read with caution. I loved how dark and twisted this book was. There are parts where I definitely felt I was on an acid trip when she was describing her environment. But our fmc is in a mental hospital and trying to better herself and fighting alot of demons which was very relatable to some degree. This book has spice and the spice is amazing and beautifully placed in the story. Such a good and short book as well.

[Emin3mzHoe69]

Wonderfully Dark and Different in the best ways. I truly enjoyed 'Teddy Bear' - It was intriguing, emotional and in some bits raw.

I was fascinated by the story and how it was told by the FMC 'Lizzie's' perspective.

The Author's writing has a natural flow which is visible throughout this book. I definitely recommend 'Teddy Bear' 🖤
Check your trigger warnings before reading.

[Adri (books.with.adri)]

A little twisted and dark! Even tho this is a novella, we got a lot going on and I love it. I love how Jenny gave us so much in such a short book. This made it so easy to read because it had me hooked right from the start.

If you like dark, age gap, a bit twisted then this novella is for you!

[Bre Rottenstein]

I absolutely loved getting to read this book as an advanced reader copy.
It literally opens with suspense and questions that will live you going “WHAT”.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Kim Rahr]

This was definitely dark and twisted. It was unique and kept me hooked from the very start. If you like dark romance with a mindf*ck this one is for you!

[MandalorianAvenger]

What a psychologically fücked up novella. This story is twist and dark, nicely done Jenny.

[Billie Saunders]

Such a psychological thriller! You don’t know what is and isn’t real or which person is more in need of mental help.

[Brittney Savage]

This was DARK and made me super uncomfortable, but yet I couldn't put it down.

When the psychiatrist is supposed to help you, but then becomes part of the darkness....

[Dashunchik]

A book with a unique writing style. The prose is beautiful, though there are so many sensory descriptions that they slightly overshadow the plot itself. The author's premise is truly intriguing, and I really enjoyed the ending.

Thank you! 💕

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Alison]

This book will leave you wondering which way is up and which way is down. Once again the writing by Jenny has a beautifully intense sentiment to it. The way that she uses words is magical! The storyline is one where you feel just as mad as the FMC, not knowing what is reality and what isn't....

[Georgia]

🧸Teddy Bear 🧸
@authorjennyoswald

🖤Novella
🖤Dark Romance
🖤Age Gap
🖤Father's best friend
🖤Morally Grey
🖤Mindf*ck
🖤Obsessive
🖤Mental Health

Jenny wastes exactly no time getting right to the heart of the story and giving us a clear idea of who the characters are. I really enjoy the individual character development as well as the relationship between the characters. This fast paced dark romance had me turning page after page until the very very end. And the incredible plot twist was definitely a welcome surprise.

🧸"Sometimes pain was just pain, suffering just suffering, inflicted senselessly, aimlessly, without any reason or greater point to justify it and make it worth enduring."

🧸"Sometimes, rock bottom is the only place we can finally find our own reflection."

I recommend this book to readers who enjoy obessive dark romance with psychological and mental health elements.

Thank you to @authorjennyoswald for the advanced read of this dark obsessive romance!

✨️As always with any content, please check your triggers prior to consuming.

#teddybear #jennyoswald #darkromance #novella #psychological

[Madison]

I genuinely have no words. This story has left me perplexed.
On one hand this was quite well written. And you could tell the distinction between reality and not but there were blurred lines where you weren’t quite sure, which I found impressive.
On the OTHER hand. This gave me the creepy crawlies. like I understand the good that hypnotherapy can do but the idea of someone altering your perception of something freaks me the F out.
I’d rather stay in reality even though it sucks most of the time.