Guardian Demon

Guardian Demon is the fourth book in Aurora Ascher's Hell Bent series, published by Kensington in September 2025. Raum is the quiet one, a demon who rarely smiles and has felt numb since Heaven erased his memory as punishment for crimes he cannot recall. His only relief comes from a penchant for theft and an unusual connection with animals — he shifts into a crow, and he likes shiny things.

Sunshine is a loyal servant of Heaven fighting to regain her rank and redeem herself for a shameful past. Tasked with retrieving a grimoire from Hell, she binds Raum into her service with an unbreakable contract: he must help her navigate the underworld, or lose everything he holds dear. The blackmail and the forced proximity that follow turn an ancient rivalry between demons and angels into something neither of them planned, and when hints of Raum's past finally surface they reveal a web of deception and betrayal that changes everything.

Ascher blends spicy demon romance, cozy fantasy and rom-com, and reviewers single out the grumpy/sunshine dynamic, the found-family warmth of the wider Hell Bent cast, and a slow burn that runs hot once it catches. The setup takes its time before the story accelerates, and both leads carry redemption arcs through to the end. Written for adult readers of paranormal romance and romantasy, and for fans of Hannah Nicole Maehrer, Brynne Weaver, Jenna Levine and Kimberly Lemming.