I happened across Kimberly Lemming’s “That Time I Got Drunk and Yeeted a Love Potion at a Werewolf” purely by accident while cruising through the Libby app on my phone, a service available via my membership to my local library. Now, I have the urge to find and read the rest of the series, because I don’t think I have ever laughed so hard through a love story.
If you’re a fan of Dungeons and Dragons-esque fantasy, spicy romance between star-crossed lovers, and male love interests that are all about respecting their ladies — I found the pot of gold; come and get it!
Lemming delivers on the wild ride that the book’s title suggests, with interest. The first thing that jumped out at me was that this is a high-fantasy romance with dragons, werewolves, and magic, and our heroine is a woman of color. I can genuinely say that I had yet to find that particular combination in a novel; certainly not in a story that is brimming with comedy from the get-go.
Our heroine, Brie, is a businesswoman and purveyor of fine cheese in the village of Boohail, which has recently had an influx of non-human residents. This occurred in “That Time I Got Drunk And Saved A Demon”, the first book in the Mead Mishaps series, but the novels also stand by themselves with little confusion. Brie’s clever and firm on her boundaries, while still being realistic about her own character flaws.
Felix is a werewolf, and a pirate. He’s delightfully charming, but most of his character flaws are easily waved off as part of his being-under-the-influence-of-a-love-potion plot line. This is a totally fluffy (or fuzzy, if you count that he sprouts fur and fangs) story, and it is okay to just enjoy the sweet, fictional, golden-retriever boyfriend as he is. The world of the Mead Mishaps stories is vibrant, with the right blend of modern dialogue and ren-faire era living. Magic runs wild, and Boohail could easily be set in some alternate universe version of Louisiana. Lemming’s imagery and ability to play on sensory aspects makes for a fictional world that it is a joy to slip into. While the tale is practically guaranteed to have a happy ending simply by the nature of its existence, how we get there is anything but formulaic. Brie is horrified by the fact that there was a magical-roofie incident to begin with, and positively distraught that the victim doesn’t seem to care. Felix is confident that even without the love potion, he would be head over heels for Brie, and he’s adamant about proving it to her.
Add in a cult of incels, jokes worthy of outright belly laughs, and *ahem* some heavy duty monster-loving, and you’ve got a gem on your hands. The book also begins with a trigger warning page, for those that have experienced traumas that are mentioned, but not graphically detailed in the book. While it would probably never win any serious literary awards, Lemming’s story has won a spot in my top 10 favorite romance novels.