How Not to Court Your Human Captive

Falling for Demons, Book 1

By: A. K. Caggiano

Narrated by: Roxelana Waters, Rusty Mewha

Six human women—betrayed by their own, only to be rescued by the very demons they were taught to fear—find themselves trapped in a harrowing, magical city.

But the cautionary tales were wrong, and they’re quick to learn demons don’t inspire terror but temptation....

When a human’s fury meets a demon’s fire, hatred isn’t the only thing to ignite.

Stolen from her prison cell and sold to slavers, Ember’s anger is all she has left to survive the nightmarish Achreos Barrens and its demonic inhabitants. Never mind her tenderly healed wounds and cozy cottage confines, she’s still being treated like a criminal. Her warden is a hardened soldier so hateful of humans that Ember stands no chance at exoneration. Sure, there may be moments when her demon jailor’s domestic ineptitude is endearing and his presence feels startlingly like security, but neither will stop her from provoking him and his disgusting tail.

Squadron leader Severath has failed at his sole duty to protect his home. Burdened with guarding a killer and coping with the loss of an eye and horn, he’s rewarded only with the human’s ire. Judgment should be simple since she’s pleaded guilty, but her unbridled hostility feels like a façade. He should be fighting to reclaim his position on the guard and his solitary life rather than verbally sparring with such a menace, but he never thought his home could be so lively or that he might enjoy having a minuscule murderess torment him at every turn.

Ember and Severath soon discover the border between animosity and affection is as thin as the veil between the human and demon worlds. Confined in close quarters, the two are forced to share their truths and confront their aversions to intimacy. But falling for a demon is dangerous, especially with Ember’s pending trial and Severath’s uncertain career. Will they land safely in the arms of their fledgling love or spiral into shared loathing?

Falling for Demons is a fantasy monster romance series set in a cozy and spicy shared world by authors Laura Winter and A.K. Caggiano. Each book can be listened to as a standalone novel but is interconnected, following six human women and their budding romances with the demons they once feared as they settle into a monstrously magical world.

©2025 A. K. Caggiano (P)2025 Dreamscape Media

Unique and Fun Read (well listen)!

I really enjoyed the story. It was short but lovely! Definitely a good fall read.

Just a lovely read.

The story was charming, fun, well-written, and cozy without being remotely boring. I'm excited to read more from this author.

Short & Sweet

This was a sweet love story. It was pretty straightforward, no twists or suspense, just a creative, well-written steamy love story.

Cream puff monster romance deserves brighter cover

This was a super low angst, sweet romantasy between a physically damaged demon (one eye, one horn) and a mistreated human (abuse backstory very indirectly discussed sex attack). It was lovely, however I was hoping for more punch to the story. Between the ordinary narration and the courteous town of demons, I was left hankering for some grumpy-sunshine fireworks, or a growly demon voice, or magical hijinks. Alas, this was the gentlest, most domestic beauty and the beast-lite tale. Lots of baking bread and plying house. Yawn. When the naughty nooky eventually happened, I’d kinda dozed off and I was like, she grabbed him where? But, as I listened, the nooky was also on the tame end for this genre.

It’s a short enough story that I suspect I would have enjoyed it more with different narrators. Mason Lloyd or Troy Duran, for instance, give great growly marshmallow monster voices. Duet narration would have helped too as both narrators didn’t sell me on voicing the opposite gender.

Disappointing spice quantity

Such a fun story and I would have loved to see it develop further! I’m so disappointed by the minimal spice after the slowwwww burn :(