That Time We Got Drunk and Did a Podcast

Let’s end spooky season with a clink:  a neon-blue zombie cocktail meets a cozy Oktoberfest beer as we close our creature feature month and dig into two wildly different monster romances. First up, Zombie Moon by Lori Devoti drops us into "Brain Alley", Wisconsin, where a werewolf zombie-hunter and a mystery woman collide over brain bait and secrets. We unpack the moral gray zones, the alleyway action, and the sticky question of how zombies can roam for decades without going public. The romance lands as serviceable heat but the undead conspiracy hooks us — labs, ethics and a whiff of cover-ups that beg for a sequel that never came.

Then the energy flips from grit to gleeful with That Time I Got Drunk And Saved A Demon by Kimberly Lemming. Cinnamon, a fierce spice farmer with hidden-pocket skirts and a soft spot for snacks, teams up with a cursed demon to smash chalices and break a witch’s hold. It’s fantasy romance that sparkles — cheese-queen shenanigans, mead-fueled mishaps, and a map-rich world that embraces fae, shifters and orcs. We talk spice levels (jalapeño-to-habanero thanks to language and playful kink), the “mate” trope as a love-it-or-hate-it trigger, and why humor might be the best antidote to curses and cravings alike.

Along the way we savor food as intimacy — crawfish boils, nacho buckets and experimental kitchen dates — and trade a practical relationship takeaway:  play to each other’s strengths. When one partner can solve a problem faster or safer, let them. It’s not surrender, it’s strategy. We also tease what’s next:  a full-on hockey romance month featuring Stay by Elle Kennedy and Sarina Bowen and One Shot by A.C. Wonderland, with anonymous texting, second chances, campus PR drama, and captain-on-a-mission stakes ready to skate onto the page.

If you’re into monster romance, laugh-out-loud banter and a little spice with your world-building, this one’s for you. Hit follow, share the show with a fellow bookish biddie, and leave a quick review to help more romance readers find us. Which creature romance should we read next?

Meghan's Book & Cocktail:  Zombie Moon by Lori Devoti with Bacardi Ready-to-Serve Zombie

Nicole's Book & Cocktail:  That Time I Got Drunk & Saved a Demon by Kimberly Lemming with Leinenkugel's Oktoberfest Beer

Transcript

Nicole:

I'm Nicole Danielle. 

Meghan:

And I'm Meghan Leigh. And this is Romance on the Rocks, where two bookish biddies imbibe and talk about the romance novels that they have been reading. And we are on our very last creature feature novel.

Nicole:

Yeah. For the month of October, we decided to do werewolves, shifters, witches, vampires, demons, sasquatches…

Meghan:

Mothmen, zombies…Like, come on. 

Nicole:

Yeah.

Meghan:

I had a swamp monster. 

Nicole:

Yes. You did. 

Meghan:

I mean, I didn't have him. Someone else had him.

Nicole:

What do you have for your…oh wait…I got ahead of myself. What are you drinking this evening, Meghan?

Meghan:

Well, I am reading this time around a book called Zombie Moon, and I really wanted to make a zombie cocktail. However, that's a tiki cocktail. That thing is like 12 or 15 ingredients. It is insane. And I am not buying five different kinds of rum and Frenette and I no, not happening. I was lucky enough to run into this. Hopefully, you can show a picture of this. This is so blue. This reminds me of when I had the blue curacao drink during one of our underwater episodes. 

Nicole:

Yes. 

Meghan:

This is very, very blue, but it is pre-bottled by Bacardi - the rum folk. So, I didn't have to go buy all the different rums. This is just a giant bottle that is labeled “Zombie”. I have not had a sip yet. I am assuming it's going to be very sweet. So, I also have a uh a seltzer water sitting here that I can cut it with if it's too much for me. Now we shall sip. Oh, yeah, that's very sweet. Not bad though. Definitely tiki. Some like pineapple hints and stuff. 

Nicole:

Well, it looks delightful. It's pretty. It's vibrant. 

Meghan:

Yeah. Yeah, vibrant. That is the perfect way to say it. It is vibrant. So, I matched my zombie book to my zombie drink.

And for you, my dear, what are you drinking? 

Nicole:

Oh, Meghan, similar challenge. I was determined to have a demon-themed cocktail. I saw a lot of great recipes online. And one in particular was really catching me because it was a mix of bourbon and red wine. And I was like, oh, that's different and unique, but I could see it. That would sound yummy. And then I looked at my liquor cabinet and I was like, I ain't got no wine. I ain't got no more bourbon. So, I was like, what do we have right now? And it is totally not on theme per the creature feature-ness, but it is for the season. And it's a little bit of home from Wisconsin with Leinenkugel’s Oktoberfest beer. And I know technically Oktoberfest happens in September and it's October. But you know what? Screw it. 

Meghan:

No, I that works. It's on theme. 

Nicole:

All right. I can't wait to hear about your…is it vampires and zombies and zombies and werewolves?

Meghan:

Just zombies and werewolves strictly.

So, zombie moon. And my book has an open-shirted, what would you call him? He's kind of got swooped back, shoulder length hair, and he is carrying an enormous gun. And there's a fire burning in front of him and some eyes glowing behind him. And it is a Harlequin. It's a Harlequin nocturne. Zombie Moon was written by Lori Devotti in 2010, and our leads are Caleb Locke and Samantha Wagner.

We find out on the very first page that Caleb is a werewolf. There's no surprises there. He is a zombie hunter. He turned to that endeavor after his entire family was taken out by the undead. The book zips kind of back and forth every few pages between his perspective and the perspective of Samantha. When we first opened the book, Caleb is hanging out in a deserted alley in a Wisconsin town, tossing chunks of brain onto the concrete as some sort of zombie bait. 

Samantha flits into the alley very quickly after Caleb has laid this trap. And actually, here's the line that introduces her presence. Quote, “The wind cut through the silver faux fur lined trench coat she'd bought at a secondhand shop two days earlier.” And I was like: “I like this girl. She seems neat.” You know I'm a sucker for a good thrift shop coat. 

Nicole:

Sure, but in the zombie apocalypse, people are still having to pay for shit. 

Meghan:

Well, this is what's interesting. You're calling it a zombie apocalypse. We're not there yet. Let's we'll get to that point. 

NIcole:

Right. Okay. 

Meghan:

Okay. Literally, the day I started reading this book, I had actually bought a very sweet vintage 1970s leather and fur-trimmed coat from the thrift. So that just that hit hard. And again, the book starts in Wisconsin with thrifted clothing. So, I felt like I was already winning. 

Anyway, the zombie throwdown commences when the brain bait is scouted out by some undead in the area. Caleb and Samantha are kind of tossed together in this alley, both trying to take out the walking corpses. In this melee, Samantha is injured and loses consciousness. And against his better judgment, Caleb scoops her up and whisks her away to his current secret hideaway. After Samantha wakes up, we start getting the sense of how their relationship is likely to unfold. 

Let's just say that Caleb fits nicely into the morally gray category of heroes. My opinion, he's a bit too forward, a little too forceful. He's reliant on violence, he doesn't feel the need to follow the law, etc. He has no qualms about stealing cars, he has no qualms about being excessively handsy and mouthy with Samantha. 

Samantha, in turn, is, of course, somehow turned on by his aggressive behavior. She also has her own morally gray side. We know that she's hiding a secret, but we're not quite sure what that secret is in the beginning of this book. We're also not sure how she found Caleb or why. We do find out, though, that she was specifically seeking him out. That's how she ended up in this alley. She was traveling from Tennessee to Wisconsin in order to intercept him. 

She claims she learned about him through like some niche internet groups. This was back in 2010, or that things are a little bit different now than they were then, but let's pretend it was like Discord or Reddit type of sleuthing - that's what made the most sense to me when I was reading it. Samantha's story - and she is sticking to it - is that her roommate/best friend, Allison, has been kidnapped by zombies. And Samantha needs Caleb's help to rescue her. 

Nicole:

I have questions. 

Meghan:

Uh-huh. Right, right. 

Let's just say Caleb had questions too. And rightly so. 

According to Samantha, Allison graduated from college and subsequently moved to Texas for a job as a lab technician. It was a really secretive company, and Allison had to sign a lot of non-disclosure forms. So, Samantha's not even really sure exactly what Allison was doing. But Allison had told Samantha that her work there would, quote, “change everything we know about life and death.” 

After working at this lab for several weeks, all of Allison's communication just stops. Samantha insists that Allison is being held captive by zombies. Caleb is skeptical because zombies don't kidnap people. They rip them to shreds and eat them. But Samantha has some interesting video clips and other supporting items that just maybe like evidence that backs her up. 

Caleb decides it's worth the risk to temporarily team up with her and investigate the supposed disappearance of Allison, since it coincides with his own mission to discover the ultimate source of the zombies that killed his family. So now they take off from Wisconsin, where he has been finding this horde of zombies, and they start traveling toward Texas, stealing cars along the way and ripping each other's clothes off all the while. 

Once they make it to Texas, it becomes pretty clear that Samantha's actual objective was to get Caleb out of Wisconsin. That is where the hotspot of zombie activity actually is, which I thought was kind of funny. Again, being a Wisconsin girl, one of the things he says early in the book is that he's been following this trail of zombies and he's getting to this bigger hotspot, which was five hours north of Chicago. And he talks about it being in Wisconsin and western Michigan. Yeah. So, we are the hotspot of zombie activity, apparently. 

Nicole:

Okay. 

Meghan:

So, she's pulling him out of the UP. This is her whole thing. Now that they're in Texas, we find out that there is a huge pack of werewolves in this part of Texas that have a lot of animosity for Caleb. His presence in the area is obviously problematic. This is also during the pack's yearly recruiting session. So, this is not a coincidence that he's been yanked down there. Caleb realizes Samantha has been hiding a pretty heavy secret, and all hell breaks loose. 

There's werewolf pack drama, there's zombie drama, there's relationship drama, all the dramas, mama. And I'm not going to tell you anymore. 

Nicole:

Oh, come on. No, no, that's what you got. But a few things and I have thoughts. 

Nicole:

Oh, yes. 

Meghan:

First, to your point about zombie apocalypse. We are so used to watching movies where it's a big event or a dystopian type of future where if the zombie thing has happened, it's happened. There's something going on. It's the last of us type of scenario. That did not seem to be what was going on here. 

According to what I could ascertain from the timeline, zombies have been around for at least 20 years. 

Yet it still seems to be like an underground murmuring that people don't really know that there are zombies. So, if you say to somebody that you saw a zombie or you think zombies exist, most people would think that you are crazy. 

So, I just didn't understand how you could have 20 years of zombies being around and people supposedly have had their whole families killed, and nobody notices that people have gone missing or their bills aren't being paid or their corpses are being left around. And we're leaving all of these dead zombie corpses in an alley, and what? Nobody's gonna find this heaping rot of mess and be like, what's this all about? And now there's an increasing population, specifically in Wisconsin and Michigan. And he says something about like, “oh, that zombie right there, you can tell that they're an older zombie. They've been around for years.” Years? This rotting corpse has been walking around for years and no one's noticed, but you were able to throw brain bait into the alley and it just appeared. Come on. Something's so weird here. 

Nicole:

Yeah. 

Meghan:

So, I just didn't understand how this wasn't a widely known phenomenon. That just seemed a bit far-fetched. But again, we are doing a fantasy version of the real world, so I'm probably overthinking it. 

Second, at 283 pages long, this book was still a very, very quick read. I read this in one day. And then afterward, I was trying to figure out why I enjoyed it. 

Nicole:

You enjoyed it? 

Meghan:

I did. Like I, well, okay, from the perspective of I wanted to keep reading. You know, sometimes I'm like, ugh, I have to finish this book. 

Nicole:

Yes. 

Meghan:

Yes. I didn't feel that way. I was just like, I wanted to finish this book. 

Nicole:

Okay. 

Meghan:

And so, I was trying to figure out why, because the main characters were not any more or less dynamic than any other bleh couple that I've seen. There just wasn't anything about them that made me really care all that much. I didn't care for their pushy or aggressive physical encounters. Backgrounds were pretty shallow. You knew he lost his family, but he never really talks about it. It's just mentioned a couple times like, well, he lost his whole family. Oh, okay, well, was he close to his sister? There was not much there. 

And what we got for her was just a couple mentions of how her father was kind of a harsh guy. But again, no background. The only thing we know is that she had a dad, and her best friend's name is Allison. So, I just felt like there was there just wasn't that much of them. And the writing was fine. Nothing excessively brilliant, nothing that made me upset. Overall, just a solid middle of the road, whatever. 

Nicole:

So, what drew you to the book? 

Meghan:

Right. So, I think what I was enjoying was trying to figure out the mystery of Allison and the zombies. I was more into that part of the story than anything else. I sincerely wanted to know where the author was going with that part of the storyline and get those puzzle pieces together. So, that is that is what I will say is to me, it was more the zombies and like that interaction than it was the romance. 

On that note, I will say some of that storyline had some fairly thought-provoking revelations. So, without going into too much detail, I do feel as though this book, even though written in 2010, if this was written now, it could have been referring to scientific debacles such as COVID and the potential connection to the Wuhan labs, or even the kinds of unsettling and evil experiments that happened during the Holocaust with Dr. Mengele. There were things like that that I was like, oh, I can draw some of these parallels, and that was very interesting. 

But in other ways, there were a lot of things about that storyline that at the end of the book, I was left very unsatisfied. I felt as though there were several loose ends that really could have benefited with some follow-up. There was enough material here and the way the author ended it, she could have followed it up with at least one or two more books with this particular werewolf pack and seeing them go further down the line with this zombie hunting and maybe followed a few different characters, right? I just felt like there was some unresolved stuff, and I looked to see if this was part of a series, and Lori Davotti has written several series. This was not one of them. This was just a standalone, there was no follow-up, and that that was kind of a bummer because I did feel as though there was stuff that could have uh benefited from more. 

Overall, I will say the romance love story, I would grade it a C, and the werewolf zombie story, I would give like a B or a B plus, even, with an A reserved for a follow-up novel that I have been writing in my head to resolve all the questions I have. 

Nicole:

Okay.

Meghan:

Yeah. 

Nicole:

And how would you rank it on the spiciness scale? 

Meghan:

Jalapeno. I mean, it wasn't too far out there.  Just a decently written monster story with a couple brief sexy scenes. 

I do have a couple quotes, so if I thought this was great, you would appreciate. “She wasn't at home. She was in Wisconsin. Cold, dreary Wisconsin.”

Nicole:

True that. 

Meghan:

Yeah.

Nicole:

Yeah. 

Meghan:

And then there are parts of the book where he talks about how she smells and she talks about how he smells. And that's in every book, there's always like, oh, he smelled of patchouli and rice wine, or but you know, whatever. There's always something. So, she says “he smelled good, like licorice.” And then for vice versa, it was “she smelled of worry and woods, flour and spice.” 

Nicole:

Right. 

Meghan:

Uh-huh. 

And then I had briefly mentioned the whole recruiting thing with the werewolves. Apparently, they have got a recruiting season where they try and get more werewolves into their pack. And if normal ladies like you and I wanted to become werewolves, we have to try and pay our fee to get into the club and then do our tryouts and interviews or whatever. 

But apparently, once we're made into werewolves, we're super-hot then. So, you just become super-hot. Quote. “Previously flabby female converts found themselves with 20-inch waists and 10-inch biceps while chowing down on processed potato chips and pounds of butter.” I'm like, uh, sign me up. I'll werewolf it if I can eat some potato chips and pounds of butter. Bring it. 

Nicole:

Yeah.

Meghan:

I'm in. I'm in. 

Nicole:

Yeah.

And um It's either that or I gotta be a bog witch. 

Meghan:

So, a bog-witch is also acceptable. And then I just a couple more little things. It was interesting to see how evil kind of hides among us, masquerading as our neighbor. This quote. “He was different than she had expected, with strawberry blonde hair and ruddy complexion. His eyes were brown and his features even. He was as normal looking as a hundred men she had passed in the mall and never looked at twice.” And I'm like, “yeah, if you want to talk about truly evil people hiding out there, that that is what you get.” We're reading all of these monster novels, and the monsters are the heroes in these novels. It is this unsuspecting, normal-looking dude that is the biggest problem. 

Nicole:

Yeah. 

Meghan:

And then a pet peeve of mine, and I don't remember if I brought this up before, but why do people say “he looked at her for a minute?” Or, “another minute dragged by?” “She held her breath for a minute.”  No, she didn't. No, he didn't. No, they didn't. They did not. A full minute? No. 

Nicole:

That'd be so painfully long. 

Meghan:

They paused for a moment.

 Nicole:

A moment. Sure, I'll take a moment. 

Meghan:

They took a breath. 

Nicole:

Yeah. 

Meghan:

She waited a beat. 

Why a minute? Why do we always say a minute? Guys, sit there and try and do that. Another minute dragged by. Just sit for one minute and stare at your partner without doing anything else. No, it is not a minute. Stop it. I don't…just stop it.

Nicole:

If we stopped the podcast recording for a full minute and left it in the recording, people would be like, when will it end? 

Meghan:

It’s painful.  It's so painful. And I do understand that that is, you know, people don't mean it like that. But for whatever reason, that is one of those things that as soon as I see it, I'm like, no, no.  It's not a minute. 

Nicole:

I'm on the same page with you. And I also get really nitpicky when people are like, a couple of things. To me, a couple literally means two, two things. But then they'll be like, four things later. And I'm like, no, you said a couple, goddammit. 

Meghan:

A few.  Several.  Anyway. I know that is so nitpicky.  And that is nothing against this particular author. I think in the last five, six books, I always highlight when they say something like that. And I keep forgetting to bring it up. Just that one thing that I'm like, like, guys, please, please, stop it. Stop it. Oh, anyway, okay. That is what I got. 

I got a jalapeno, and it was, it was fine. It was a fun read. I wish the zombie part had continued and given me more closure. I didn't necessarily need more of this specific couple. They were fine. I hope they live happily ever after and have werewolf babies. 

Nicole:

Okay. Yeah.

Meghan:

And you, Nicole, what do we got on your end? 

Nicole:

Well, I have “That Time I Got Drunk and Saved a Demon” by Kimberly Lemming, which I got from you actually, because when we were looking at my creature feature month lineup, I had four books of witches, and I'm like, that ain't gonna work. I gotta have more creatures.

Meghan:

Yeah, we need some more variety. And that book has been sitting in my pile also for quite a long time. So, somebody needed to read it. 

Nicole:

It still had a witch in it. 

Meghan:

But the witch isn't the main character, right? Okay, just get into it. Come on, tell me about it.

Nicole:

Anyway, I want to say thank you actually for giving me this book to read because it was a joy and a treat. 

It was published in 2021. It falls into the fantasy, romantasy, and faith smut realm. Are you ready for my hot take, Meghan?

Meghan:

Oh God. What is the definition of a hot take? Have we looked that up? What is that? Hot take definition. Hot take. Because I'm probably just making fun of it and I'm probably so wrong. Hot take: A piece of commentary typically produced quickly and in response to a recent event whose primary purpose is to attract attention. Well, I suppose let's go for it. You're attracting attention. Give it to me, Nicole. What is your quickly rendered controversial opinion?

Nicole:

My hot take. Is a hot demon and a spicy lady pair up to destroy a witch's horcruxes and end up not being able to keep their hands off each other. 

Meghan:

Controversial. 

Nicole:

Well, horcruxes and certain literature related to Horcruxes is quite controversial later. 

Meghan:

That is true. Well, yeah, we won't go there. 

Nicole:

No, we won't. But anywho, the main characters in this book are Cinnamon. And that is her name is Cinnamon. She is a spice farmer and tradeswoman, a no-nonsense kind of gal who refuses to put up with hooligans or shenanigans and longs for a simple life. She is fierce and fabulous, as we say. Then there is Fallon, a powerful demon who, when not under a witch's curse, is very nice and a considerate dude overall.

Meghan:

You've got Cinnamon, and I remember I had a book where the main character female was named Peaches. 

Nicole:

Oh yeah, Peaches. 

Meghan:

I feel like those two could be friends just based on the names, not necessarily on the personalities. So, Cinnamon and peaches seem like they could be, you know, hanging out.

Nicole:

Well, our story takes place in the fictitious world of, and I'm probably butchering the heck out of this, but I just can't tell based on the spelling. Mythaglin? 

Meghan:

Oh, okay. 

In this world, people go about their everyday lives, but every so often have to proffer up a couple of heroes from their village to send to their goddesses northern gates at the north end of the country, and that keeps demons out. So, these heroes defend off demons, basically. In this world, please note, demons include all manner of fae, such as shifters, werewolves, centaurs, orcs, etc. 

Meghan:

Okay, interesting. 

Nicole:

Cinnamon's little hamlet is celebrating the fact that their chosen hero, who is an annoying blonde that nobody liked, has just left for her mission. And so, they're having a party. 

Meghan:

Yay! 

Nicole:

They're like, bye, Felicia. Cinnamon gets pretty schnockered on some wine and on the way home, first fends off a potential rapper who is a guy from town that she knows, and she's like, nah, dude. And then ends up fighting off a demon that she accidentally saves in a small earthquake of sorts. It turns out the Cinnamon she grows on her farm can stop a demon from behaving badly, we'll say. This particular demon, Fallon, explains to Cinnamon and her family that the reason demons attack humans from time to time is because they're under a curse by a witch. And he asks to help him break the witch's curse to free all demons. She begrudgingly agrees and heads off on a mission to help destroy some goblets, which Tully was giving me horror crux vibes. Because these goblets or chalices, whatever we want to call them, will in turn destroy the evil witch. And that's where I'm gonna leave it because I don't want to spoil this book because it is definitely worth reading. 

Meghan:

Wow. 

Nicole:

I really can't say anything more without spoiling the book.

Meghan:

You did tell me, though, that you were laughing a lot, that this was a very funny book.

Nicole:

It was. Some interesting story points, and then I'll talk about things I loved and the one thing that challenged me in this book. When demons find their mate and make their mark on them, and I'm sure you're loving every minute of that.

Meghan:

Freaking hate the whole mate thing. I hate it so much. You all know that.  I don't know why I find that word so gross. I hate it. Okay, anyway, continue. 

Nicole:

So, when demons find their mate and make their mark on them, they enter a literal honeymoon phase that makes them want to bang each other constantly for several weeks. I thought that was interesting. It was interesting. 

Meghan:

There you go. 

Nicole:

I didn't say I loved it. I said it was interesting. 

Meghan:

Well, you know, some people like that sort of thing. 

Nicole:

Oh sure.

Things I did love about this book, Cinnamon had this fabulous skirt with immense hidden pockets, and she's got a load of bread and beef jerky and booze hidden in these pockets.

And I was like, I love this girl. 

Meghan:

I'm sorry, you're hiding booze and beef jerky. 

Nicole:

Yep. 

Meghan:

Okay, peaches can get out of the way. I'm gonna be friends with Cinnamon.

Nicole:

I would definitely want Cinnamon to be my friend. And she says to Falon, “I always keep extra snacks in here”. And I just thought that was road snacks in a skirt. What could be better? 

Meghan:

Girl, I love it. 

Nicole:

The humor in this book is another thing that I loved. There are lots of hilarious moments throughout the book, which I absolutely enjoyed. For example, at one point, Simon wakes up and finds herself in bed, Meghan, with a bunch of cheese. She asks Fallon, why is the bed covered in cheese? To which he responds, “You don't remember? Last night you demanded we all bring you cheese, and then stated that you were the cheese queen.”

Meghan:

This girl is great. 

Okay, just an aside, my husband calls himself the “cheese boy” because he is constantly making little cheese boards and he's buying all his fancy cheeses. And on our way from Eau Claire this weekend, we actually stopped at a specific cheese shop so we could pick up all these fancy goudas. So, I feel like, you know, if Cinnamon was real, she'd give me a run for a money. I mean, my cheese boy here might be looking for his cheese queen.

Nicole:

I will add to that, I'd say my husband, Bob, is also quite the cheese man. Anytime he goes up to Wisconsin, he's picking up a honey clover gouda from one of our favorite cheese places.

Meghan:

Yeah, that's where we stopped. That's where we just were and we just picked up the honey clover gouda. You gotta get the honey clover gouda. The cheese is phenomenal. It is funny that we're both talking about the same place. We have an entire state full of cheese and we both honed in on the same exact shop just to.

Nicole:

And then he also, of course, brings home to North Carolina uh Wisconsin cheese curds because you gotta have fresh curds, you know? 

Meghan:

You gotta.

Nicole:

Yeah. 

Meghan:

Also, my sister, who I got to hang out with earlier today, said that the last podcast she listened to when you talked about Bob, you did not say he was your husband, and she was a little bit disappointed. 

Nicole:

I'm so sorry. 

Meghan:

You just said Bob, and she uh explained to me that she was waiting and you did not say my husband.

Nicole:

My husband. Yeah, sorry. So sorry. 

Meghan:

There you go, Cait. She's fixing it. 

Nicole:

Uh the other thing I loved about this book was the world building. There's a fun little map inside the book, and everything is just really thought out in terms of like the land and people and creatures who live inside it. So very, very nice world building happening.

Meghan:

Now, Kimberly Lemming has written quite a few books in this world, right?

Nicole:

She has, and I'll get to that in a hot second. 

Meghan:

Okay, sorry, not trying to jump the gun. 

Nicole:

One challenge in this book, Meghan. There is quite a bit of use of my least favorite words, including the see you next Tuesday. And the “meow”. And I was… 

Meghan:  Everybody's got their own challenges.  That's what's so interesting, is like I get so grossed out by the word mate, and you can't handle uh, you know, a little kitten play.

Nicole:

I don't have a problem with the playing with the kitten. I don't like the word the kitten. So, there are some sequels that are part of the it's called the Mead Mishaps series. So, two that are directly related to the book. That I just talked about are “The Time I Got Drunk and Yeeted a Love Potion at a Werewolf.” This book features Cinnamon's best friend Brie, who is a cheese shop owner. 

Meghan:

I was gonna say she better be into cheeses with that name. 

Nicole:

Yes. Absolutely. And who doesn't want a best friend that's a cheese shop owner?

Meghan:

Seriously.

Nicole:

And then there is that time I got drunk and saved a human, which features Cinnamon's sister, and get ready for this name, Meghan, because it's fallen right in line with Peaches: Cherry, who is both missing and presumed dead for years. 

My final thoughts for this book. I would definitely read more from Kimberly Lemming and particularly from this series. I'm very much interested in reading the two books I just mentioned. So even with the icky words that I do not like at all, there was such good dialogue, plot, and humor. I was able to get past it.

Meghan:

I think that's that really says a lot for the writing and for the, like you said, the world building and the plot. When there's something that you're like, oh, I wouldn't normally really be into this, but you know, the world itself kind of has pulled me in.

Nicole:

Yeah. Yeah. 

Spice level. I honestly would probably only give this one a jalapeno based on the actual intimate scenes. But the language used in them, and then a slight hint of BDSM slides this into the habanero category. 

Meghan:

Nice. 

Nicole:

I still have yet to read a Carolina Reaper level book for the podcast. I think we'll get there at some point. But alas, it did not happen this month.

Meghan:

I'm I personally, that's not my level of spice that I enjoy.

Nicole:

Nor is it mine, but I want to say I did it.

Meghan:

That was kind of my whole thing, was just I'm okay not reading books at that level. However, I've at least been able to check that off my list, having had one of those for the podcast. So yeah, one of these days we need to get one for you.

Nicole:

So, Meghan, we're still doing food this year. What foods did you have in your book beside brains? 

Meghan:

Yeah. Brains. That's pretty much it. I mean, yeah. 

When the werewolves were having their recruiting thing, they were setting up to do a big celebration dinner, and they did talk about the fact that they were gonna be roasting a whole hog. But Samantha and Caleb weren't really part of that. 

My heroine Samantha is also a vegan. There was a point in time where Caleb acquiesced and did not eat burgers in front of her, and instead ate bean burritos while they were trapped in a car together, and all I could think of was, I don't know that you did her a favor by being polite and eating bean burritos so she wouldn’t be horrified at the burger. So that that's what I've got for food is a pork roast that they did not eat and bean burritos while stuck in a car traveling.

Nicole:

And not a single old-fashioned was had in the entire time they were in Wisconsin? What the fuck?

Meghan:

Well, they were not going to pubs in Wisconsin. He was rescuing her from Brain Alley, and then she was trying to get him back to Texas and lead him out of Wisconsin, which was the hot spot for the zombies. And then they ended in Texas. And I'm like, go back to freaking Wisconsin. What the hell are you doing? Anyway, how about you? Did you have food that your people actually ate and didn't stank up a car with? 

Nicole:

Food, glorious food, so much great food. 

Meghan:

I am appreciative of the fact that your book had so much cheese because when we put together our feast, we can now have the most amazing cheese board, thanks to your book.

Nicole:

Well, right. And just as a reminder for our listeners who are familiar with the podcast, and also for anyone new listening to the podcast, our plan in the holiday season this year is to do a little bit of a feast with uh book-inspired foods from our reads this year. So, in my book, so much food, glorious food, like I said, including a literal bucket of nachos, which Meghan and I am determined to have now in real life.

Meghan:

I would eat a bucket of nachos with you. I would split that. We could sit and just scarf that down. I'm not sure.

Nicole:

It needs to happen. It now needs to happen. Also, there was crawfish boil, crab boil, the wine, the cheeses, the mead. I was like, keep it coming. I'm here for it. The even the skirt snacks with the beef jerky and the and the loaf of bread.

Meghan:

I was like, okay, I'll eat that too. Girl, I should show up with a skirt snack outfit for this feast. Yes. That might be my challenge.

Nicole:

So, I'm dying to know where did your boobies land on the pages of your zombie werewolf book?

Meghan:

Uh, pretty early. I am page 14.

Nicole:

Oh, my yeah.

Meghan:

Yeah. “What he hadn't expected was an avenging angel dressed in a silver trench coat, tight-fitting black pants, and a breast-hugging shirt.”

Nicole:

Okay. 

Meghan:

That's when he first sees her enter the alley. 

Nicole:

Brain Alley.

Meghan:

Brain Alley.  That's what we're officially calling it. That's what I'm calling it. Yeah.

Nicole:

Okay.

Meghan:

Skull Crusher Alley. I mean, I don't know.  How about you? What do you got? Did I beatcha? 

Nicole
 You know what I find interesting, Meghan, is during the beginning of this podcast, I chronically was getting the boobie prize before you. Yes. And I feel like, as of late, I am getting hosed. My breast, my breasts don't either get mentioned at all in a book, which I find just wrong in any romance. There should be at least a slight mention of a hint of a curve of a boob or something. Uh, or I lose and get it way later than you. And that is yet again the case.

Meghan:

I do not understand how that's happening, though, because looking at the books that we are reading, it still looks as though you should be getting the boobie prize.

Nicole:

I don't know what's happening, man. I don't either. These did not land until page 79. 

Meghan:

Wow. And Meghan, I was like, it's not happening. And I almost missed this reference entirely. And I was like, wait, did I miss it? So, the quote is, “No less than three days into the journey, and I was tits out in the bayou with the man who threatened my home.”

Meghan:

That's a great line, though. 

Nicole:

It's a fun line. 

Meghan:

Yeah, I like that. 

Nicole:

Shit, did they already mention the boobs? There's no way it's taking this long. But yeah, no, I'm pretty sure it did. If I'm wrong, listeners, and you have read this book, please tell me.

Meghan:

I all I need to say though is if you are tits out in the bayou, you better be wearing some bug spray. That that is not a place to have like a lot of exposed skin. Just saying. 

Nicole:

Yeah.

One thing I forgot to mention uh out of my interesting story points too was apparently demons are really into women who are fierce and fabulous and don't put up with shit. They find it very hot. I totally forgot to mention that. I mean, that's the kind of woman I'm into. 

Meghan:

Well, same. 

Nicole:

At one point, Cinnamon straight up kills a gator while they're in the bayou, and this is what made me think of it. And Falon is like, oh my God, I want to marry you. And then later on, as they meet other demons uh along their journeys, all these guys are like, oh, is she yours? Because if she's not, I'll take her. 

Meghan:

How about romantic reminders, Nicole? 

Nicole:

Oh, yes. Uh, you know, that was a little bit of a struggle at first, but it finally came to me because of all the amazing food. Enjoy culinary adventures together. She really enjoys using her different herbs and spices that she's harvested from her spice farm and making all these different dishes for Fallon to try because he doesn't have much culinary experience in the world. And he really enjoys eating all the fabulous things she's making for him. And I thought that was a really great connection point and a really nice way to create intimacy was to have a little culinary adventure together. How about for you?

Meghan:

So, I'm calling mine play to your strengths in the relationship. And I can't really talk about where this comes in because that would be a spoiler. However, you and I have had this discussion before: I know how to change my windshield wipers. I know how to check my oil. I have replaced my alternator on my car all by myself. Like I can do these kinds of things, but my husband is better at those types of things. So even though I can do them, we're going to play to our strengths and he is going to do those things that he is better at, and it makes our relationship stronger because then I am going to do the things that I am better at. So, like maybe balancing the checkbook, whatever it happens to be, and it makes us stronger together as a pair. So, there's a scene in the book where there is something that Samantha could do. She 100% could get it done. She could do it herself. However, it is very clear that Caleb probably could do it more efficiently and that it would make their lives much easier. And so, he takes on that task, saving her that kind of stress. And so, I thought that was very, very sweet that just play to each other each other's strengths. Like it doesn't have to be, you know, yes, you're an independent woman or you're an independent man, you do it all yourself. Help each other out.

Nicole:

Teamwork. So, I love it. Team teamwork. 

Meghan:

Yeah. 

Nicole:

I would absolutely say that that's how it is with Bob, my husband, as well. 

Meghan:

Did that help Cait? 

Nicole:

And we've been doing couples therapy, uh, not because our relationship is at risk in case any of the listeners are concerned, but because we just decided after so many years of being together that we wanted to strengthen our relationship even further and communicate better. Because it's one thing for me to harp on communication, but not actually listen to my own advice. But uh, that's something that came up in the therapy session most recently. That our therapist complimented it on us, that we seem to really have it figured out in terms of like how we team up together and work it out as a team and play to each other's strengths. 

Meghan:

Exactly. 

Nicole:

Okay, so next month we are diving into hockey. We understand it is totally a huge trend on the romance front.

Meghan:

It is, and I'm kind of excited about it because when you and I were down in Milwaukee just a few weeks ago, we found out that the local romance bookshop actually rents out an entire section of the hockey rink for a couple games, and a bunch of romance ladies come and hang out and watch the hockey games. I think that is so fun. So, anyway, in in Milwaukee, um we've got the Admirals, the Admiral's hockey. I haven't been to an Admiral's game in so long, and that sounds like a lot of fun. I kind of want to go with the romance ladies and go hang out and watch an admiral's game.

Nicole:

I am uh a longtime Whalers hockey fan. Sadly, the Hartford Whalers are no longer in Hartford, Connecticut. They have become the Hurricanes, and they're now here in North Carolina. 

Meghan:

Oh, they followed you. 

Nicole:

Yeah. No, they were here before me.

Meghan:

But they knew you were coming. 

Nicole:

Right. So, I would love to see a hurricanes game at some point. I have some of my salon clients who regularly go to games and they fill me in on all the fun stuff, and I would definitely would like to check it out sometime. But in the meantime, I will just have to read hockey romance. And we have a couple of great ones in the queue on the TBR stack to be read. And I want to thank one of the authors, AC Wonderland, who wrote the book that I'll be reading for the podcast episode. She gave us two copies of her book, One Shot, as well as some really fabulous swag that related to her book for our adventures in Milwaukee to give to fellow romance readers and share the joy of hockey romance. And we put them in some blind dates with a book for people, and then we shared the swag with a bunch of our other blind dates with a book that we made for our bookish bitty brunch guests. So, thank you, AC Wonderland. And we do have an interview episode coming up with her for the month of November as well. But Meghan, first tell me about your book for hockey.

Meghan:

I just need to quick go back and just say it was very nice to talk to AC Wonderland. She was so sweet. And there were things where I was like, that's just like me, and you wrote that for me. And then there were other things that she would say, and I'm like, that's just like Nicole. You wrote that for Nicole. So, she was such a great blend of the two things that you and I like. So, I think everybody's going to love that interview coming up. So, stay tuned for that. 

But okay. So, the book I have is also a little special. This was gifted to us by a friend of the podcast who shall not be named. 

Nicole:

Yeah. Uh she who cannot be named. 

Meghan:

This book was gifted to us because…let me see if I can do this story without completely putting her on blast. She gifted this book to us because she had gotten some of them donated to her for an event and then found out that she could not really use these books for said event because this is a romance novel called Stay. It is written by Elle Kennedy and Sabrina Bowen. And because it is a romance novel and a little bit racy, but unfortunately, the event involved children. 

So, when these books were donated, she realized very quickly she could not use them for said event. She also was not able to redact. 

Nicole:

Yeah, there was not redacting enough that these could be displayed for the children's event. 

Meghan:

So anyway, we ended up being gifted a copy of this book because she did not know where to go with it and she thought this might be a good home. So, it is a good home. 

Nicole:

Yeah. 

Meghan:

So, we will be reading Stay by L Kennedy. I said Sabrina, it's Serena. So, Elle Kennedy and Serena Bowen. And thank you to friend of the pod, uh, she who shall not be named. 

“Haley Taylor Emery has a hunch that Sniper87, her favorite client at Fetch, the anonymous virtual assistant service that she runs with her ex-husband, is actually gorgeous hockey superstar Matt Erickson. It's against the rules to check his file, but she's pretty sure she spends every day texting her lifelong crush and catering to his every need. But still processing her recent divorce, Haley is perfectly content for this to be nothing but harmless online flirting until Sniper87 wants to meet her. Face to face. That hockey and long-term relationships are a toxic mix. He barely sees his kids, and dealing with his ex makes him feel worthless. The only person in his life who seems to understand is someone who won't show her pretty face. The mysterious H T E aka Hottie. Surely, though, it's nothing a pair of fourth row hockey seats can't fix. Super fan Haley can't resist the offer, and Matt can't resist Haley. But when the phone screens come down, can they get past their baggage long enough to build something real?”

Nicole:

Ooh. So, what I'm hearing is two divorcees looking for second chance at love.

Meghan:

And what do you have for your hockey book. Let's get to it.  Let's get some AC Wonderland. 

Nicole:

Yes. So, I have One Shot by AC Wonderland. Such a cute cover. “Lauren ‘Chip’ Ballinger, ‘Lore’, and her hockey star brother Nick were inseparable until a devastating tragedy changed everything. Laura loses not only herself but her love for hockey. Nine months later, Laura receives an amazing opportunity to join the marketing and PR program at West Michigan University, supporting their stellar hockey team, the Wyverns. Except she never applied. Despite her hesitancy to dive back into normal life, Laura decides to accept. Her eyes instantly lock with Lucas Donados, the new captain of the Wyverns, but Laura has zero interest in getting involved with anyone romantically ever. Lucas is dead set on bringing the team to the frozen four this year while also hoping to make an early impression on NHL Scouts. He can't lose sight of his one shot at his first season as captain. Despite their best efforts, Laura and Lucas find themselves constantly together. Sparks fly between them. Laura refuses to let her heart dictate her decisions while Lucas tries his best to push his feelings aside. But the universe has other plans for Lucas and Laura this hockey season. Does Lucas let the sparks between him and Laura turn into an ice melting flame? Can Laura keep her promise to herself to swear off love and avoid falling for the captain? Will Lucas bring the team to victory? Find out in one shot. So, hockey, you and me and some hockey.”

Meghan:

Alright.

Well, thank you folks for joining us today for Romance on the Rocks. Please like, subscribe, and follow. And if you are a hopelessly romantic, bookish biddie like us, think about giving us a review on Apple iTunes, Spotify, YouTube, wherever you catch your podcasts. And until next time, just know that your support means the world to us. Stay safe and know that you are loved.