That Time I Got Drunk and Saved a Demon by Kimberly Lemming – Review

Published: January 2, 2024

Publisher: Orbit Books

Series: Mead Mishaps #1

Genre: Fantasy Romance

Pages: 288 (Paperback)

My Rating: 3 Stars

A copy of this book was provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Synopsis:
Spice trader Cinnamon’s quiet life is turned upside down when she ends up on a quest with a fiery demon in this irreverently quirky rom-com fantasy that is sweet, steamy, and funny as hell—perfect for fans of  Legends & Lattes  and  The Dragon’s Bride.

All she wanted to do was live her life in peace–maybe get a cat, expand the family spice farm. Really, anything that didn’t involve going on an adventure where an orc might rip her face off. But they say the Goddess has favorite, and if so, Cin is clearly not one of them…

After saving the demon Fallon in a wine-drunk stupor, all Fallon wants to do is kill an evil witch enslaving his people. And, who can blame him? But he’s dragging Cinnamon along for the ride. On the bright side, at least he keeps burning off his shirt.

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I, for one, totally love a fun fantasy romance (or romantasy as the kids are callin’ em these days) and this looked like it would fit the bill. Once I got past the cringe-y names I actually had a great time reading this. I mean, the main character’s family owns a spice farm and her name is Cinnamon… and each sibling has a spice related name like Chili. The dialogue is also fairly modern, which could be a little divisive but I personally didn’t mind it all that much after a few chapters – it sort of just faded into the background. 

The title of the book describes how the story starts – Cinnamon is returning home from a big celebration in town rather on the drunk side, and inadvertently saves a demon. The demons are feared enemies of the humans and reside in a cold land to the north, but Fallon the alarmingly large and handsome demon quickly dispels the misinformation. The demons are trapped and in the thrall of a lich, who the humans have been worshipping as a goddess and he needs Cin’s help to destroy the phylacteries in each of her temples. So the pair set off on a whirlwind quest to do just that.

This book has plenty of plot to go along with the romance, which ensures that while the book has some spice, it’s not just a smut-fest the entire time. Mind you, this is a light, fun story so the plot isn’t heavy and the worldbuilding isn’t really all that detailed. It’s pretty cheesy, but I enjoyed it for what it was and I think the synopsis and even the title pretty accurately represent what you’re in for with this story.

I’m undecided if I’ll continue on with the rest of the trilogy which will be releasing in February and March 2024, but I admit to being curious about them. They’ll be focusing on characters that have already been introduced, hence my curiosity. Overall, I thought That Time I Got Drunk and Saved a Demon was a cute, predictable romantasy though I think you should already be a romantasy fan if you’re thinking about picking it up. Don’t pick this up if you’re strictly into fantasy with few romantic elements and god forbid you’re a grimdark fan – you would only have yourself to blame for your disappointment!