That Time I Got Drunk and Saved a Demon

That Time I Got Drunk and Saved a Demon by Kimberly Lemming was self-published by Lemming in 2021 and acquired by Orbit Books in 2023. 

The novel is the first in the Mead Mishaps series, which involves a drunken mishap where an ordinary human accidentally saves a demon, starting her down a path to save the world from a dark sorceress who masquerades as a goddess. This fantasy romance (romantasy) title received rave reviews as an escapist romp through a magical world, and reviews have noted that the relationship dynamics of the romance are not for everyone. Kimberly Lemming got her start as a self-published author in 2021 when she quit her job to write full time as a way to step back and destress. With the release of That Time I Got Drunk and Saved a Demon to Amazon’s Kindle Unlimited program, Lemming gained a massive and devoted following of readers who loved her sex-positive, adventurous stories of regular people going on quests and falling in love. 

This guide follows the 2023 first Orbit e-book edition of That Time I Got Drunk and Saved a Demon.

Content Warning: The source material and this guide include sexual content and substance use.

Language Note: This study guide retains the novel’s use of terms like “claiming” and “mate” to reflect how relationships are framed in the fantasy world of the text, particularly between demons and humans. These terms draw on territorial language common in fantasy romance works, where non-human characters often express connection through dominance, instinct, or magical bonds. While these expressions can appear intense or unconventional, they are consistent with genre conventions and are used in the text to emphasize themes of fated love and magical bonding.

Plot Summary

That Time I Got Drunk and Saved a Demon is set in a magical fantasy world where humans exist alongside demons of varying species, such as dragons, werewolves, and orcs. The story opens as protagonist Cinnamon Hotpepper, a spice farmer, attends a party in her village to celebrate that one of their citizens was chosen by the goddess Myva to fight back a demon invasion. Centuries ago, Myva trapped the demons behind a magical gate, and every 15 years, four champions are chosen by the goddess to defeat any of the creatures who escape. Cinnamon is happy that she wasn’t chosen as a champion. After losing her sister while pretending to be on a quest years ago, Cinnamon wants only to enjoy quiet days with her family.

Cinnamon drinks in excess at the celebration but leaves when an explosion goes off from the direction of her family’s farm. On her way home, she finds a wounded man buried under tree branches. After helping him, she realizes he’s a demon and runs for her life, dashing through her family’s cinnamon fields. When the demon catches up to her, Cinnamon smacks him with her namesake plant, which stuns him into stillness. The next morning, Cinnamon’s father insists Cinnamon go to Myva’s temple to ask for protection. Before she can leave, the demon shows up at her house, now behaving civilly.

The demon’s name is Fallon, and he reveals that what the humans know of Myva is a lie. Rather than a goddess, Myva is a lich, or undead sorceress. She’s tricked humankind into guarding the phylacteries protecting her magic and soul so the demons can’t take revenge on her for imprisoning and murdering them. Fallon doesn’t know why, but the cinnamon plant broke the control Myva had over him, and he recruits Cinnamon to help him destroy Myva’s phylacteries to free the rest of his brethren. In return, Fallon promises to claim Cinnamon’s village so her family will be safe, and while Cinnamon has no desire to go on a quest, she agrees because she wants to protect her family.

After destroying the first phylactery in the temple near Cinnamon’s village, Cinnamon and Fallon travel to the city of Wandermere. On the way, they bond over Cinnamon’s culinary skill, and Fallon teases her with tales of dangerous beasts that live in the forest. When they encounter one such beast that uses an image of Cinnamon’s sister to lure Cinnamon into its trap, Cinnamon reveals her past, and Fallon comforts her in a way she finds unexpectedly gentle for a demon. They encounter a group of bandits, one of whom Fallon kills, which sparks a debate about when it is acceptable to harm others and when Fallon needs to reign in his demon nature.

In Wandermere, demons are enslaved by humans, and an innkeeper offers Cinnamon a collar for Fallon so he can move about the city. As Fallon and Cinnamon argue about the collar’s role in their mission, the innkeeper Usha, overhears them and realizes that she’s been wrong about demons. She supported enslaving them because she believed they were mindless creatures, but now that she knows the truth, she wants to help free the city’s demons, and then the other demons. On their way to destroy the phylactery at Wandermere’s temple, Cinnamon adds two more demons to their group, and after defeating the mages, the freed demons all volunteer to help Cinnamon on her quest, giving her an army of demons.

Cinnamon is injured in the fight, and this, combined with Fallon’s anger about the enslavement of demons, makes him transform into his dragon form and attack the city. Cinnamon calms him, and they spend the night in a nearby townhome, where Fallon and Cinnamon are intimate, with Cinnamon climaxing multiple times. She promises to be his. The next day, Usha procures a ship, and the group of humans and demons sails for the location of the next phylactery. On the way, they are attacked by a dragon that has the third phylactery tied in his hair. With help from Fallon, Cinnamon breaks the phylactery and uses cinnamon to break Myva’s hold on the dragon. Exhausted, Fallon, the other dragon, and Cinnamon crash-land on an island, where Cinnamon cares for the unconscious dragons.

When Fallon wakes, he claims Cinnamon as his mate and makes love to her, bringing her to a cliff overlooking a waterfall so the sound of the water will cover their noises. Later, the crew arrives at the island, and with the new dragon—one of the oldest and strongest—pulling the ship, the group arrives at the location of the last phylactery in a few days. There, they find the heroes chosen by Myva, who try to stop Cinnamon’s group. As Cinnamon, Usha, and the demons battle, the heroes realize the truth about the goddess, and together, they destroy the phylactery and end Myva. One of the champions doesn’t believe Myva was evil and attacks Cinnamon. Fallon kills him, and Cinnamon forces Fallon not to kill the others.

Unable to handle Cinnamon being in danger, Fallon grabs her, lulls her to sleep, and brings her back to the island where they crash-landed. Fallon wants to keep Cinnamon there forever so she’ll be safe, but Cinnamon refuses, instead proposing he make her a protective shield. Fallon agrees, and he and Cinnamon make love passionately. Three months later, they return to Cinnamon’s village, where her family welcomes Fallon with open arms.