Spicy romance novels with cartoon covers are something I normally pass on. But with a name like That Time I Got Drunk and Saved a Demon, how could I not be curious? I decided this was the perfect opportunity to go out of my comfort zone, and I dove into the first installment of Kimberly Lemming's Mead Mishaps series.
Genre: Adult Romantasy
Category: Candy Book
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Rating: 4/5 Stars
Plot: 4/5 stars
Characters: 3.5/5 stars
World: 4/5
Pairing: Seafood boil + blackberry mead
Cinnamon wants nothing more than to continue living her life in peace; spending her days running the spice farm with her family and her nights getting wine drunk and eating cheese with her best friend, Brie. But when she saves a demon named Fallon during a drunken walk home one night, those dreams are thrown out the window. Fallon is setting out to kill the witch who is enslaving his people, and he's determined to take Cinnamon along for the ride. She's not exactly thrilled about it, but she's enjoying the views––especially when he keeps burning his shirt off.
PLOT
Cinnamon's story begins at a village-wide party to celebrate one of their own being chosen by the goddess to defend their land against demons. She's glad to not be chosen and plans to drink and dance the night away. But then she meets Fallon, and everything changes.
Lemming wastes no time getting to the action, and everything in between is fun and engaging. The writing could have been much stronger; it needed another good round of editing. There were quite a few typos and unbelievable aspects. That said, from the opening paragraph, I was swept into a tide of easygoing fun by the descriptions, plot, and Cinnamon's hilarious narration.
CHARACTERS
Cinnamon’s love of food is one of her most relatable and endearing qualities, aside from her bravery and compassion. She is lighthearted and sarcastic, but that disguises deep wounds. I won't spoil anything for you—let's just say she experienced firsthand the danger of seeking adventure outside her quaint village. Haunted by past tragedy and afraid of being summoned by the goddess to fight demons, she makes herself small and scratches the itch for adventure with fantasy novels.
Who wouldn't want to go off on a grand adventure with a bunch of hot heroes also chosen by the goddess? Me, bitches. No, thank you.
[...]
The thought of an epic adventure sounded great when it was in the books––but that's where I wanted it to stay. In real life, those actions had terrible consequences.
But that doesn't mean she lets people walk over her—or over others, for that matter. When Cinnamon sees an injustice, or when someone messes with her, she's not afraid to call them out or chuck apples at their heads.
Fallon, on the other hand, isn't afraid to do real damage to people. This causes him to butt heads with Cinnamon, but eventually she can't deny that she likes it when he's willing to F someone up for her (can we blame her?).
Fallon is HOT and loves to tease her. Their banter and flirting is cute, and Cinnamon's inner dialogue and distress over Fallon's attractiveness is hilarious.
I can't finish this section without mentioning how cute Cinnamon's relationships to her family and the friends she makes along the way are. I am especially interested in her mom and hope we get more of her story in the future.
WORLD
Lemming's world is cute as hell. The contrast between old world fantasy settings and modern slang, delicacies, and issues is really interesting. The history, lore, and dynamic between humans and demons was fun to get lost in as I followed Cinnamon and her friends across land and ocean. I especially enjoyed the battles, as well as how the monsters are humane and the humans monstrous.
If you haven't already guessed, the events in this world are a metaphor for racism and touches on slavery, religious corruption, and cultural brainwashing. But Lemming does a good job of getting the point across while keeping things lighthearted and fun.
FINAL VERDICT
That Time I Got Drunk and Saved a Demon is, without a doubt, a guilty pleasure read. Cinnamon's story may not be for everyone. It’s no literary masterpiece—there are issues in the editing—but it is a unique work of art. Despite its flaws, I still had a lot of fun with this story. You might enjoy it if you're looking for:
BIPOC MCs and diverse casts
First person POVs
Monster romance
Detailed spicy scenes
Quirky characters
Touch-her-and-you-die
Male falls in love first
Evil mages
Dragons
Fun battle sequences
Piracy
Sarcasm
Thanks for checking out another Coffee, Book, and Candle review! If you're interested in this story, you can read it for free on Kindle Unlimited. If you've read this book or want to chat about it, hit me up on bookstagram or Twitter so we can geek out!