I don’t usually read books out of sequence, but Mead Mishaps #3 is an exception.
That is to say, I haven’t read either of its two prequel titles, That Time I Got Drunk and Saved a Demon, or That Time I Got Drunk and Yeeted a Love Potion at a Werewolf.
Truly insane titles… but one that caught my attention enough to purchase, so, clearly, they work! Well, that and the gorgeous cover art.
Should I Read Mead Mishaps #3?
My husband found this trusty little paperback at the second hand bookstore and thought it looked fun—easily worth a punt for small change.
Shortly after, we took our respective finds to a nearby cafe and set to reading. He found the opening to be humourous enough, but months passed before he turned the final page. It became the popcorn fiction he read between loftier literature (Piranesi) and franchise commitments (new ATLA novels).
This isn’t to say he disliked the book—he would have simply DNF’d it were that the case—but it was never a priority.
I, however, binged Mead Mishaps #3 in a single weekend.
To be fair, my binge occurred during the peak of the 2026 European heatwave; there was little else to do besides sweat, breathe, and read, but it’s still been a very long time since I achieved a whole book in 48 hours!
Having finished it, I can say that there are areas in this book which I cannot consider well-written… so I understand why my husband was reading it between other books… but on the other hand… I can’t remember a time in my adult life where a book made me laugh and guffaw as much as this one did.
If the aim of fiction is to entertain, then this one gets 5*. I was thoroughly entertained, cover-to-cover.
Cherry is a compelling heroine who I want to see succeed.
Dante is an attractive wealthy demon with a penchant for polite address.
Their initial setup is morally ambiguous but laughable, if not forgivable—like many romcom action movies.
Overall, this book is pretty easy to recommend! Assuming the reader enjoys spicy fiction, that is. There are some very raunchy scenes in this bodice ripper, but it’s important for readers with a high moral bar to note that explicit consent between characters isn’t always given before activities begin.
Spoilery Review Time
Bathing, Biting, and Consent
Speaking of raunchy scenes that don’t feature consent, let’s talk about the bath scene!
Possessed by the ‘dragon slut venom’, as Cherry cheerfully terms the pair’s outrageous horniness for each other, Dante interrupts Cherry’s moment of self-love to wordlessly pleasure her.
Admittedly, I found this scene very funny. There’s ample description of Cherry struggling to tell Dante to leave her alone while she bathes, whilst also desiring him, leaving her to say nothing as he approaches her. Finally, when Cherry does regain control over her libido and tells him to stop, he does—which is a recurring theme in this book.
Dante often initiates without warning, but he always listens to a command to stop.
The one point where consent is more shady is during the biting scene, where Dante claims Cherry as his mate. He tells her that she needs to say, but he doesn’t tell her what she’s saying yes to, leaving her to assume she’s saying yes to him taking her home.
Unfortunately for Cherry, Dante has the great excuse that her drugging him with Ayahuasca led to this situation, and he can’t be held totally accountable for the results.
I personally enjoyed these silly shenanigans. I delight in the outrageous fantasies painted in this book, but I feel that for some readers, it’s going to give the ick—and that’s OK!
Group Call on the Mirror
The dragons’ mirror-phones were another highlight for me.
One of the funniest things about Kimberly Lemming’s writing in this book is how the plot and narration often have a modern twist. The frequent swearing, the open-minded approach to taboo topics, and the mirror phone.
The mirror-phone is just one piece of fantasy-tech that Dante has stashed in his horde, but it had far more potential for shenanigans than pseudo-magic-Google Earth and faux-pokedex-Book of Beasts.
Having side characters crop up in the background to offer their unsolicited opinions was used to stuff even more jokes into already tightly written scenes.
Alexis and Rebekah
Having never read the two prequels, I can’t be sure if either of these characters appeared previously in the series, but I get that feeling that Alexis the chatty blade did, and Rebekah the questionable cat might have.
Prequel baggage aside, I greatly enjoyed the presence of both characters, even if their accompanying plots felt… random.
Kinky Spice
The bath scene was some hot stuff, but Lemming somehow manages to escalate the heat through the Maze and Throne scenes.
Brother Bear Moment
Some of the plot elements seem to come out of nowhere and quickly disappear back into the ether of this book.
One such moment reminds me of the end of Brother Bear, where the main character (as a bear) add his print to his tribe’s wall painting as a show of acceptance.
I was surprised to find a similar moment in this book. It was relatively sweet, and I guess it signified Cherry’s commitment to the relationship, but I couldn’t help but just find it odd.
The Three Water Relics
There’s a long(ish) section at the front of the book that brings the readers attention to Dante’s trident, which Cherry regularly uses as a conduit for her magic.
In this section, during a chat with the Shadow dragon, Dante and Shadow Dragon agree that they’ll combine forces to raid the lost hoard and get (even more) filthy rich.
I was surprised when the book ended with no further nods to this, even when Cherry brandished the trident outside of Dante’s hoard, surely risking losing it!
There’s not even a final line from Dante to Cherry like, “Ready to take on an underwater adventure?” And it seems like Lemming is done with the Mead Mishaps series, so overall, I’m just a little confused about why this scene made it to the final draft of the book.
It was a bit of a distraction.
Odd Ending
Ending with Gideon meant the story got to finish the main plot, but I honestly wouldn’t have minded if Gideon had never returned.
The brief macho fight between the dragons was just okay, and I didn’t need reminding so soon after the zombie attack that Cherry would risk herself for Dante.
Personally, this scene felt a bit rushed and quite tacked on, but I’m at least glad that we got a happy ending.
Conclusion
It’s a 4/5 from me! It was an immensely fun romp, but I can’t imagine I’ll be pondering the mysteries and genius of this book for years to come.
Coming up next on the blog are more fantasy titles, including Piranesi, City of Echoes, and, for fans of the romantasy genre, Under the Oak Tree Volume 3.
Check out more of my reviews on 18+ fiction and romance.
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