redhairedashreads's review against another edition

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5.0

 
5 stars - I loved it!

This book was just what I needed right now. This was a delightful fantasy adventure that was hilarious and steamy. Spice trader Cinnamon’s quiet life is turned upside down when she accidently rescues a demon who isn’t the mindless beast that her supposed goddess preaches they are. Now she is on an adventure with him to stop the supposed goddess and rescue the demon race from her spell.

Like I said, this was a delightful and hilarious adventure. From the very beginning I was amused by Cinnamon and Fallon’s story. Cinnamon is a woman who doesn’t want to be an adventurer but has no problem kicking ass when forced to. I really loved how snarky she was and how she didn’t automatically give in to Fallon, but also didn’t deny that she felt something. She just admitted that she needed time, which is reasonable. Also, drunk Cinnamon was hilarious and I couldn’t stop laughing at the cheese queen. 

Fallon was an intense character. He is a demon who can shift into a dragon, which is cool. I loved how honest he was from the beginning about wanting Cinnamon and how territorial he got over her. Fallon and Cinnamon’s relationship started a bit slow with Cinnamon not trusting Fallon but once that passed and things got serious it got quite steamy. I really enjoyed their relationship, especially the banter between these two. It was just so much fun and a great blend of adventure, humor, and romance. It was just what I needed right now and I can’t wait to read more of this series. 

Overall, this was a wonderful surprise. I can’t wait to read the next book and see Brie the cheesemaker fall in love. I also love how on the nose the names of these characters all are. Lemming really has done a wonderful job creating a fantastic world with fun characters that I can’t wait to read more about. 

TW: alcohol consumption; death of a sibling mentioned; attempted mugging; assault; violence; death; slavery; 

*ARC provided by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.*

 

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booksalacarte's review against another edition

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adventurous funny lighthearted medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

2.0

That time I got drunk and saved a demon- 2⭐️ 3🌶️

Fantasy 
Unwilling-hero FMC
POC 
Allies to lovers
Mystical creatures
Secret history
He falls first


I was so excited to get the ARC for this book. One that I had seen rave reviews for all over tiktok. Unfortunately the story didn’t quite live up to the hype. The idea of following a strong, black, anti-hero, who winds up being roped into a quest to save the day is a fun one, I just didn’t know if I was supposed to read it as a satire or not. The medieval vibes with modern duologue and slang didn’t fit as nicely as I had hoped. I cringed at the literal Hamilton lyrics quote.

I found so much of the sincere moments were cut by random jokes or the FMC almost breaking the 4th wall with breaking down Fantasy or romance novels and comparing her quest to them. I wanted to take it as tongue in cheek, but it happened so often that it wasn’t silly. It was annoying.

I really loved the realistic moments, like a mom calling her kids by the wrong names, the changing of minds about captivity and slavery… But the pacing inconsistencies took away from the potency of the statements. While I liked the sentiments of having the heavy topics present, they seemed so out of place in this rom-com fantasy

The world building was barely there and what was there was so slap-dash that much of it was sidelined bad dialogue and rushed plot.

The open door spice scenes were meh. I just didn’t enjoy the two main characters because they were inconsistent. Things were cheesy and surface level. 

 I wanted to like this. But I just didn’t.

Thank you NetGalley and Orbit Books for an Advanced eRrader Copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

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likeagilmoregirl's review against another edition

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adventurous funny lighthearted relaxing medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.5

I can’t even begin to describe how much fun this book was to read! 
A sassy main character? Check.
Powerful and scary, yet lovable and silly demons? Check.
Hilariously unserious narration? Check.
Epic adventure? Check.
Incredibly spicy scenes that you may or may not be embarrassed to admit you read? Check.

In a world where humans live in fear of demons, one girl discovers the key to unleashing them from the chains of a false god and restoring harmony. Reluctantly, she embarks on an epic quest, with a very grumpy demon at her side, to destroy the false god, finding new friends and a spicy romance along the way. 

This adorable, fast-paced, enemies to lovers, cozy romantasy story delivers exactly what it promises. It is adventurous, sometimes heartwarming, and always entertaining without ever taking itself too seriously. The characters are funny and lovable and the world building is simplistic but well thought out.

I enjoyed this book a lot and I cannot wait to read the rest of the series. Overall, I give this book a 4.5 out of 5 stars. 


*Infinite thanks to Netgalley, Orbit Books, and Kimberly Lemming for providing me with the e-book version of this book for review.*

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thebibutterfly's review against another edition

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adventurous funny lighthearted relaxing fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.75

This story had me laughing from beginning to end. It was completely ridiculous, but fully self-aware of it, and I loved that. The mix of modern language (including a lot of cursing), absurdity, and high fae creatures was entirely too much fun. The narrator for the audio book was incredible and gave Cin such flair. 

It’s not a literary masterpiece, but I really enjoyed this. The irony laced into the story was beautifully done, even if the prose was a little underdeveloped. I was a little caught off-guard when the sweet, absurd tone shifted to graphic violence and explicit smut. The adventure itself was overly simplified and quite convenient. 

Overall though, it’s a fluffy, smutty, absurd story that I will definitely re-read!

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twistykris's review against another edition

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adventurous funny lighthearted fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

This was a delightful, cute, funny fated-mates monster/ demon romance that I really enjoyed. I liked Cinnamon as an independent, Black main character. Her humor and ability to fend for herself was refreshing, along with her strong desire to just be home with a cat and her spice farm. And Fallon was a great example of a villain who would burn the world for his love. At one point, Cin is so embarrassed about something she asks Fallon to end her life quickly and he says, "My love, I'd sooner kill everyone on this ship to save you the embarrassment."
👏 IF HE COULD, HE WOULD 👏

The banter and spice is VERY good- Fallon is protective and "possessive" in a sweet, commanding way. It's very enjoyable to see him break down with his desire for Cin and to see her warm up to him and admit how she loves being wanted by him in that possessive way.

The use of modern-day language (in a world where plumbing is a mind-blowing concept in Cinnamon's experience) and references and phrases (not exactly referencing the Hamilton musical itself, but as a reader you go "OH that's a Hamilton reference") threw me off a little bit, along with Cin's uses of "sweet [insert spice]" when she was excited or turned on. It just kinda took me out of the immersion. However, considering the 2nd book in the series has the term "yeeted" I suppose I shouldn't have been too surprised. And maybe it's just me, but I also felt like there were things she said out loud that I feel like could have been more impactful as inner thoughts.

And I don't know if this is self-published (I have a paperback version of the old cover), but there are a few misspellings and capitalized words sprinkled throughout- including a misspelling of a character's name, and the fact "Ma" is capitalized and "pa" isn't.

A fun spicy-monster-romance beach read that doesn't take itself too seriously. Looking forward to reading That Time I got Drunk and Yeeted A Love Potion At A Werewolf!

Content Warnings Listed:
"PLEASE BE AWARE: This book contains light BDSM, dub con (dubious consent), violence, mentions of sexual violence (no rape or sexual assault occur. It is mentioned in conversation.), and sexually explicit content that could trigger certain audiences."

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uniquely_bookly's review against another edition

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adventurous funny lighthearted medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0


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d0505's review against another edition

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adventurous funny lighthearted
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0


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erebus53's review against another edition

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adventurous dark funny lighthearted fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

Read this a part of book club, and full disclosure, I don't normally read romance with explicit sex or low-key BDSM feel. This book comes with content warnings, but anything that happens is explicitly consensual, so that's all good.

The whole story unfolds like a fan-fiction style rendering of someone's role-playing campaign. I feel like scribbled in the corner of the character notes for the protagonist reads: Cinnamon likes to get drunk, and when inebriated will get cravings for cheese.

It's an entertaining book about a girl who just wants a quiet life, who quests to destroy 4 artefacts of power to bring down an evil nasty, while collecting about her a team of hot and capable companions.. one of whom wants to seduce her into a life-bond, so they can boff happily ever after.

Entertaining.. but not world moving.

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kelleykamanda's review against another edition

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I know this is a beloved book series and it will be loved by others. Sadly I did not enjoy it. 

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amanda_mh's review against another edition

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adventurous lighthearted medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Omg! I loved this my first monster romance and it was sooo fun my heart is here for cinnamon and fallon 🥰🐉

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