Cursed with Benefits

by Roxie Ray

House-sitting a creepy mansion was supposed to be easy—until Nadia accidentally wakes up a grumpy vampire lord who’s now magically bound to her.

Step Get him to stop calling people “peasants.”
Step Convince him that biting is NOT an acceptable form of communication.
Step Absolutely, under no circumstances, fall for him. (Oops.)

✨ Perfect for readers who
– Grumpy/sunshine chaos
– Forced proximity that sizzles
– Cozy rom-coms with a bite

Genres: Vampires, Paranormal Romance, Paranormal, Romance, Fantasy, Contemporary Romance, Vampire Romance

329 pages, Kindle Edition

Published February 25, 2026

About the author

Roxie Ray is a group of writer friends who love to write Sci Fi Alien Romance and Paranormal Romance. They love to talk, read and write this lovely genre. They hope you love their books and strive to make sure you have a steamy, wonderful experience!

Reviews

[Michelle Baker · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book wasn’t good for me. The FMC was vapid and kind of pathetic - and I don’t like that. The mmc was frustrating - and what sort of vampire that has been starved for a thousand years is good with not eating straight off - it was weird.

DNF, not a good one.

[V · Rating 4 out of 5]

What happens when a human woman accidentally wakes up a 400 year old vampire? Sooo many funny things. Very sweet and emotional story. Had me laughing so much through the story. Love Christian and can relate to some of his ways.

[Jesseswhisperingpages Duffy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have read almost all books written by Roxie Ray and this one was definitely near the top! I loved the internal dialogue, under-the-breath mumbling, and occasional impulsive statements by the FMC. The banter between the FCM and MMC was epic, and the way they understood what each other needed was so sweet.

I liked the way the book blended old school vampire themes (such as the classic haunted mansion) with modern technology. I found myself laughing out loud many times reading the conversations between MMC and Alexa!

Overall, I loved the cozy yet spicy combo this book demonstrated. I would rate it a 2.5 for spicy and 4.5 on the cozy, sweet vibes scale. Even with the spicy, sweet, and cozy vibes, the plot didnt get lost. I liked the plots twists. This book was 5 stars for me!

I recieved an advanced copy of this book on booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review

[Dankinia · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'd recommend this if you are looking for a book about vampire that has been sleeping for centuries and the house sitter that wakes him up working together to break a curse.

Overall, I rate it 3⭐out of 5 which means I found it to be a good book that I enjoyed and would recommend. While I know I won't feel compelled to re-read it in the future, I liked it enough to read more books by this author in the future.

What worked for me:
• Cristian making sure Nadia was more than ok with everything they do together

What didn't work for me:
• There were some inconsistencies that pulled me out of the story

Finished Reading
02/13/2026

[Vicky · Rating 5 out of 5]

What’s not to love about this cute story of a human teacher who accidentally wakes a centuries old vampire while house sitting. I loved the dynamic between the MC’s. The banter between them was just perfect and as always Roxy gave us all the feels and perfect mental health reps that are not always done correctly. If you looking for your next vampire paranormal romance with a broody MMC and an over the top don’t take no shit FMC, then Cursed with Benefits is the perfect book for you.

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

[madison · Rating 2 out of 5]

the main female character talked like ai. a very cheugy ai. if i had to hear “love that for me” or “not today satan” again i was going to end it all.

very bad writing but other than that love vampires damn

[Diana R. Johnston · Rating 5 out of 5]

loved!

I love a paranormal book without tons of gore and secrecy! She gets to keep her bestie and her hottie which is a win win!! It’s super cute and fun to read

[Kelly · Rating 5 out of 5]

What was supposed to be a summer of self-care and re-learning to love herself turned into something a teeeeeeny bit different for Nadia. Different as in the house she's house-sitting for is possibly haunted, the vampire she accidentally awakened is smokin' hot, and the local vampires are SUPER invested in getting her new vampire housemate to join them.

They will literally go to any lengths to get him. Including, but not limited to, betrayal, vague promises, invading his dreams, an over the top masquerade ball, and just being general jerks.

To say that Cristian isn't into their whole court thing might be understating it. The guy has already dealt with being bound by them once, he's not about to let them get their metaphorical fangs in him to drain him dry now that he's escaped.

In fact, he just wants his freedom. But since he's magically bound to Nadia, he's kind of stuck. Except...being bound to her starts feeling less like a prison every day. He admires her kindness. He appreciates her bubbly spirit. He feels maybe a little less lonely when she's around.

So when the vampires targeting him put her in their sights, he does what any powerful vampire lord would do...well, maybe that's not right. He does what he thinks he needs to do to keep Nadia safe. Even it if might not end well for him.

A spooky house, some serious affirmations, more than a few steamy kisses (not to mention a bite or two), a vampire who found something worth fighting for, and a lady who realizes she doesn't need to face the world on her own. You know, as long as it's the right person she's facing it with. *thumbs up*

-Kelly @ Reading the Paranormal

[Anna gardone · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cristian and Nadia

This book has it all, humor, hot vampire romance, adorable characters, creative story line, and a happily ever after with no cliffhanger. I loved it.

[Jennifer · Rating 1 out of 5]

I love the idea. this however felt like ai. the characters weren't interacting with what each other was saying. it's like all the components are there but they were mixed together wrong. I know this writer is a pen name for several people. so the book quality varies widely. but this is the second one that felt almost like ai. i wasn't able to finish.

[Alex · Rating 4 out of 5]

I would rate this book 3.5 stars but have rounded up because its important to support indie authors and because the adhd rep really mattered for me and was represented really well. I would assume the author may be ND as characters in their other book (Swipe Right on Fate) are also very ND but not stated directly. However having read SROF and now this its clear to me that the author may have some issues with pace, which really impacted my enjoyment of this book. The characters themselves are what kept my reading, and I absolutely loved the first 50%, but alot of things became very repetitive. There was constant low stakes (pun not intended) visits to the villians lair in which almost nothing happened, no proper conflict or risk of being caught. This repetition and pacing issue meant that I never really bought into the serious risks the characters were facing.
However, the characters, the rep, the dialogue for most of the book, was really excellent. Roxie Ray does supernatural characters and romance really well, I just think prehaps their fluency of pace and and plot could do with abit more polishing and refinement. Im hopeful its just these 2 books, and want to keep trying as there's elements of their work I absolutely love and really hits the spot!
I'd recommend the book but would caution that if you're quite keyed into the above issues you may find the latter half of this book and others abit challenging or frustrating.

[Kieraanne · Rating 2 out of 5]

Hmm...so many things to say I'm not sure where to start. A cozy vampire romance. Emphasis on the cozy. As in, they barely even leave the house. I was definitely about twenty years older than the target audience for this book. The FMC and other "adults" used so many slang terms it felt like my eleven year old wrote it. (She gets all of her words from youtubers and uses so many euphemisms that you have to really concentrate to understand what she's even talking about.)

Cristian: First of all, he is starving but doesn't feed for days just because it would be rude? Doesn't ask for anything because he doesn't want to appear weak maybe? Also; he wakes up naked. Okay, fine. Doesn't ask for clothes. Doesn't occur to FMC to find him clothes for two days. Doesn't take him shopping for more than that. When they finally do go shopping there is a shopping montage of trying things on. Really? Then very clearly states what they end up buying; two pants, a pair of slacks, three henleys and a button up shirt. Later he has boots and a coat. Where did these come from? Is FMC just paying for all of this on a teachers salary? He has a suit later (computer guy measured him) did they order this online? Did they go somewhere? Who paid for it?

We hear repeatedly how Cristian is so big and bad and powerful, but he does literally nothing to back this up the entire book. They need to get the girl back? He just walks into the bad guys lair, says hi, and gets her. "I've slaughtered armies..."okay, sure, but we don't even see him throw a punch for the entire book. "Morally grey" my eye.

Inconsistencies; Cristian decides to bring a dagger with him when he goes to visit the bad guys. Where did he get a dagger? Did he randomly find one in the house? Does he mean a kitchen knife (which would have been funny, but should be specified)? Later FMC last minute grabs a dagger off the coffee table to bring just in case. Are there daggers just laying all over this house? Where are these coming from? Then the rule about if a gun appears in act 1, it will be shot in act 3. The dagger is never used! What was the point of that? Was it supposed to be the same one brother vamp stabbed bad guy with? That one was specified as silver. Was the other one also silver?

Absolutely no relationship build up to suddenly loving each other. Okay. Also, they decide to do it for the first time on the night that they have guests? Rude. They then proceed to have absolutely no further conversations really and end up in bed all the time. But the sex scenes were this weird combination of open and closed door that just ended up being confusing. Plus, what was that epilogue? I can understand the need some authors seem to have to cram in one more ellicit scene that is totally unnecessary to the plot, but this seemed more like she wrote the same scene in three different ways and then just decided to shove all of them into the end. Three different times there are some detailed calisthetics some kind of pseudo proposal and a fade to black, only for a gap in the page as if time has passed and then another scene of slightly different details (continuing the last scene?), a differently worded not-proposal and a fade to black. At this point I'm like; what is even happening right now?

Lore: The author never establishes the vampire lore for this world. I read the entire thing and I'm still not entirely sure vampires aren't just an accepted part of society. The FMC didn't seem that surprised to find a vampire, her friend didn't seem suprised or taken aback...so does EVERYONE know there are vampires? How do you kill them? Is garlic a thing? Does the dagger/stake have to be silver? ash? something else? can you cut off their heads? Does sunlight hurt the other vampires, just not MMC? Do they usually have to sleep during the day?

Magic: what are the rules with magic and what is with the computer guy? They rescue him, there is like zero interaction, he just kind of exists in the background. Then he comes out with some lame, undeveloped "I can track magic frequencies and have written a computer code to mess with them" thing. How? Is the computer "plugged in" to the magic? Very weird to have him just burst into the background of the big climax and just be typing away yelling "just a minute!" over and over before suddenly fixing everything. How? Who is this guy? No real background for him at all.

Then after they "rescue" (I use that term very loosely, they literally just walked over there and picked her up) the friend it's so dangerous that she and computer guy need to stay at the house. But there is no de-briefing, no talk about vampires, what happened, she's not shown being scared or anything. The two MC's just go upstairs to get their freak on, and ignore their houseguests. Lena isn't even really shown hanging out at the house. She just goes to work the next day (off screen) and FMC mentions how she didn't want to miss any shifts. It's so dangerous she can't go home, but she can just go to work?

ALSO: FMC: "I love you, I just wanted to wait to tell you until it mattered..." MMC: "It matters. I love you too. I always have." dies(ish). I ALWAYS have? Always? Since when? The last two weeks? Always? Since yesterday? okay.

In conclusion: lame.

[jamlul · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cute and fun, I liked their banter a lot :)

[Tami Barker · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ohmagosh! So much fun! I simply loved Nadia and Christian. And as soon as I thought I figured out what direction one of the male characters was going in, they swerved. New directions for everyone! Fun, tension, suspense, romance, and surprises, everything I could ask for.

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

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun, easy afternoon read. The book doesn't take itself too seriously, its more about the concept and the humor. So it was good for what it was.

[Tabitha Ellul · Rating 2 out of 5]

I loved this at first. Something cute, funny, interesting. Then the middle..... i don't want to say mean things but the book turned and i found things were just kind of dumb....

[Michelle Ferrel]

I just could not get into this. The FMC is so unlikable. And come on, you woke up a vampire who has been in slumber for hundreds of years and you didn't think he'd be a little hungry? She starved the poor guy for days and then got upset when he finally indulged on the delivery driver. (Just a small amount. Driver walked away just fine) The literal VAMPIRE was desperate to eat. The first 30% is so frustrating to read; solely because the MMC is starving while the FMC just writes her annoying post it notes and boundary rules.

[Emily Wall · Rating 2 out of 5]

Dnf at 60% it just was draggin on and repetitive.

[Carol Johnson · Rating 2 out of 5]

DEF- And it is very rare that I do not finish a book - I usually have to read to the end just to know how it finishes. I was determined to do this at around 30% through, but by the time I hit 42% I was DONE.

I loved the concept of a modern woman waking up a 16th century vampire and the turmoil this caused. If it had lived up to its concept it would definitely have earned five stars.

Unfortunately it didn’t. The writing was good and there was some humour in the book, but I couldn’t cope with finishing it - it just felt like pulling teeth. Part of it was the daily affirmations and some were awesome like the ‘eat breakfast like a regular functioning adult’ or words to that effect. Others, just nope.

I have ADHD and could recognise some of the issues that the female protagonist experienced and I did like how Christian saw her self worth, even when she didn’t. However, all the repeating of the crappy daily affirmations seriously annoyed me. I don’t know if this is more of an American thing than a British, but it was seriously annoying - so although I wanted to see it through to the end, I just couldn’t.

It got two stars because it did have promise and there were some bits I enjoyed … but there was so much more the author could achieve

[Tessa Meert · Rating 2 out of 5]

4/5 for the idea
1/5 for execution

I normally like this author, but this book felt rushed yet too long at the same time. I blame the inconsistencies and ill thought out plot. It had potential but didn't deliver.

[Dawn Barber · Rating 1 out of 5]

I tried, but something’s off with the story and I can’t seem to find the energy to finish this book.

[Shawna Z · Rating 3 out of 5]

🌶️ I am torn on this one… ultimately I enjoyed it, but inconsistencies continually bothered me. Shoes would be off and then on again, people who were sitting were then said to have been standing, etc. It suffers for lack of an editor or beta proofreader to help catch these little things that kick observant readers out of the story when we should be fully immersed in the world built for the characters to inhabit.

The Alexa joke got old fast. Cristian is constantly convinced there’s a tiny person trapped in the unit, but Mr. West, at the very start told Nadia the house’s alarm system comes on automatically at night… Cristian leaves the house multiple times in the middle of the night and we never hear him having a trouble with figuring out an alarm system? But then it’s mentioned only twice as a system you have to bypass… first by West and then once by Nadia who is thinking how safer she feels having an alarm automatically setting itself.

Cristian speaks in proper English (except when he tries slang in a joke so unfunny it gets repeated later in an even dumber way), however, there are a few times when he uses contractions… since he goes right back to proper again immediately after each incident I can only guess it’s another error that was not corrected before the book officially published. The fact he apparently does not recognize the word juicy and its definition seemed an off choice and stretching too far for another joke at Cristian’s expense.

There is no need to guess what Mr. West’s secret is… so it’s revelation is a dud.

We have a contrived set of steps for Nadia to stumble upon/through to awaken Cristian. It’s a bit Indiana Jones, but that’s fine, and even the bond between our leads makes sense… it’s the end when Ezra starts muttering about frequencies and hijacking them and reverse engineering that the plot goes way out to woo woo land in terms of plausibility. Nadia and Cristian’s near-instantaneous recovery with a keystroke is sillier than anything.

It’s a shame, because the leads, for all their flaws, are likable characters that you want to succeed and gain a HEA. Our villains, Ambrosia (what a dumb name for someone supposed to be intelligent enough to help run a syndicate) and Hammond are not the least bit scary, and I’m surprised at her refusal to listen when someone tells her no. She’s annoying, not threatening. I can’t believe no one ever made a protest sign reading “no means no” and staked her through the heart with it eons ago.

Why Lena, an RN, would have an IV setup and a bag of saline handy in her bag at the house is questionable, but I guess I’m alright with it, even if that’s not the sort of supplies a hospital is going to let her bring home with her.

I’m sure I could nitpick further, but I’m sure you get the point. Still, despite the flaws I’d give this a three and a half stars simply because it does have its charms.

[Niki N Evans · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book it was super cute. so you have a main female character who struggles a lot with finding her place because she has ADHD and it makes it really hard for her to put herself first to be okay with taking up space to realize she doesn't have to have permission for that she realized she's allowed to be loud without permission. you have a grumpy vampire main male character who was in stasis for 400 years. one day the main female character ends up accidentally waking up the main male character, this created a literal Bond a bond they were trying to figure out how to break. over the course of the book not only does the main female character learn how to heal and to not push herself and her feelings and how she is to the back burner but she brings light to the vampire, he brings love and care and accepting her for who she is. throughout this book they have some trials and some things to get past like her inner feelings and his 400-year Gap in knowing anything about technology and basic things that happen during of the current lifetime but together they figure it out and it's really cute also I forgot to mention they are up against a group of vampires that want him on their side even though he fights tooth and nail against it. they end up proving to each other that they would do anything for each other no matter what. if you want something cute it's a moments of space although I wouldn't call them overly detailed they're not dark they're just loving and spicy and sweet and then I would highly recommend this book.

[Mia Cavaco · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this story from beginning to end. It struck that perfect balance between sharp humor, genuine emotion, and slow-building romantic tension that keeps you completely invested. Nadia is such a compelling lead. She is messy in the most endearing way, self-aware but still figuring things out, and watching her step into her own strength made the romance feel earned rather than easy.

The dynamic between her and Christian is exactly what I want in paranormal romance. He carries that centuries-old intensity and restraint, but underneath it is a depth that makes every charged moment land even harder. The chemistry builds at a satisfying pace, with plenty of anticipation before the payoff. When it finally clicks, it feels both swoony and grounded.

Beyond the romance, the supernatural elements add real stakes without overpowering the tone. There is danger, tension, and a few twists that keep things moving, but the heart of the story is always the characters. I especially appreciated how themes of self-worth and personal growth were woven into the chaos.

This was an engaging, addictive read that I happily devoured last weekend. I finished with a huge smile and immediately wanted more. Five out of five stars from me, and I absolutely recommend it to anyone who loves witty, steamy paranormal romance with heart.

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

[Heather · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really wanted to like this one, and tried my best but there were just too many problems for me.

The authors want the reader to believe that the FMC finds a man in a coffin at a house she is staying in, automatically assumes he is a vampire, and is somehow, if not okay, then accepting of it. And yet they never clarify why the FMC is so accepting.

The authors also want us to believe that the MMC is an ancient vampire who was living in the 1600s when he was sealed away. Yet his interactions with the FMC aren’t consistent to that fact. There are times when he is baffled by the modern world, but other times when he seems right at home without question.

There are also a lot of inconsistencies. The FMC has food delivered to the house, but she has to take the MMC shopping at the mall for clothing. The MMC is shocked by the FMC showing her midriff, but has no problem walking around nude the first 24 hours of their acquaintance. And on and on and on.

The authors just didn’t commit to the story they were telling and it made it so error-filled and awkward to read that I just couldn’t enjoy it.

I did appreciate the writing style, and was impressed with their decision to make their FMC a person with mental health issues. If only they had dedicated themselves to the continuity of the story in the same way….

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

[Fizzle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Love and a few loose ends

It was a well written book that was also fun fast read that had surprisingly good insight and quotable moments. Sayings Like " You're not too much. They just weren't enough for you".
The only reason it didn't rate five stars from me is that there were parts that didn't feel fully thought out so that they were never explained. So there were loose ends that bothered me.
Are there other entities residing in the house? Like what was the point of the Ouija board bit ? The part I really struggled with was the Court, the laptop and tech support. It was confusing. How many Court members were there? At one point it seemed like there were dozens of members and with Christian's brother one of them that was why he couldn't fight them. In the last quarter of the book, the part " binding to the court" I reread part three times before I gave up as it just didn't make sense to me. At one point it seemed like there were dozens of members so who Were all the people hanging out in the creepy house? Just visiting or food sources? I reread 3 times the part about the binding before I gave up because it did not make sense that there were only 3 vampires other than Christian. The other reason it didn't get five stars was that the book never addressed how they planned to continue as a couple? Will they adopt kids? Will she continue as a human or become a vamp? Loose ends but still a very enjoyable book.

[Genevieve · Rating 4 out of 5]

The previous Roxie Ray stand alone books I’ve read are like Sandra Bullock RomComs. Cursed with Benefits is more like theater in the round, wherein all the action happens on a small stage with very little in the way of scene changes. (although they do eventually leave the house ;-)

Nadia is my kind of spicy, only with better fashion sense, or maybe the fashion sense I would have if I had more money and cooler thrift stores. "If this was ever made into a true crime podcast, I hoped the theme music fucking slapped." (Nadia while exploring the mansion)

Nadia and Cristian have the other kind of spicy, the (not third grade science) chemistry kind.

Christian is a grump, but who wouldn't be after a couple hundred years in a coffin?

This tale is full of cool consent and cozy co-regulation, witty banter and healthy boundaries, a twist I am kicking myself in the heine for not predicting, a prediction I was semi-correct about but in a happy to be wrong way, a believable (in-universe) climax and...

Roxie Ray bringing it once more with feeling.

I read this in two sittings, but only because I was so tired I literally couldn't focus on the letters on the page anymore the first night. In other words - read it, read it, read it!.

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

[De Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was absolutely amazing to read. In Roxie Ray fashion it had the perfect combination of banter and tension and romance. It was a great story. I was hooked from the first page and couldn’t put it down until I was finished. I read it straight through. I had to know where this story was going. The intensity present between Nadia and Cristian was obvious from their first meeting and the connection only grew. Their interactions were sassy and funny, sweet and hot. Nadia is one seriously hilarious FMC. And Cristian is seriously…well serious. But for Nadia he changes. Cristian wasn’t used to feeling as deeply or intensely as he did when it came to Nadia. And that made he afraid. Nadia was determined to keep the new life she found in this place. The way things develop takes a path that is wholly unique to this story and this author. Roxie Ray has a manner of writing that feels realistic and keeps you invested in the story. This book takes you on an emotional journey culminating in such a way that leaves you feeling satisfied after you’re not so sure what’s going to become of people. The ending is precisely what these two characters needed. The dedication and devotion, and proclamations, were utterly delicious. I will never regret reading a Roxie Ray book.

[Mina Sanders · Rating 4 out of 5]

This hot and sweet paranormal romance follows Nadia Yates, a neuro spicy third grade teacher that is in between jobs and in active therapy. Wanting her summer to act as a healing journey, she nonetheless takes on a sidegig as a housesitter to pay the bills. While exploring the massive house, along with her moral support wine, she accidentially awakens Christian, a vampire put into stasis in 1650. A magical bond between them immediately snaps into place, and needless to say, the summer suddenly becomes complicated. And sometimes hillarious.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book, and the ease and respect with which Roxie Ray effortlessly ties in neurodiverse struggles. They fit into the narrative seamlessly, and adds to the characters rather the distract from them. In this case it made the story better, and Nadia relatable. The books has laughs, love and spice, and some decently dastardly villains, plus a champion best friend with wit and courage. As for Christian, this well spoken vampire hero just has to be experienced. The last few chapters were definitely page turners, and the ending so, so satisfying. 7.5 out of 10. Would recommend, and read again 👌.

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

[Kim Howes · Rating 4 out of 5]

So this was a 3.5 star read for me. Some parts did genuinely make me laugh, the side characters were fun and the premise was good.

I found the author repeated whole sentences or chunks of dialogue within pages of each other. Like two different takes of the same scene but they didn't delete one? And by the end every character has the same personality which is a quippy FML kind of attitude. As the story went on it reminded me of what we do in the shadows a little too much.

I didn't really understand the world building for this story. No one was surprised there was a vampire. Not her friend. Not her therapist. Everyone was just fine with it straight off the bat. I would've liked a bit more understanding of their place in this world. There were also holes in the magic the vampires use. How was tech boy able to hack it? I understand it was frequencies but no more explanation was given. How did the vampy CCTV work? We just don't know.

Overall, cosy easy read with some confusing world building but enjoyable. I feel like some more editing would have really improved this for the reader (to removed repeated phrases and point out where more info is needed). I would read another by this author but won't re read this one.