I liked the description of this book but it ended up being a series of short stories instead of one long book. Because of this, the first story in the book was super rushed and it fell flat.

Make no mistake, I’m rating the first 30% of the book because I didn’t actually complete this and I don’t usually rate unfinished books, but this is a strange one where I have strange feelings about the bit that I did read so you’re just going to have to take it for what it is.

And I didn’t hate what I did read; I just realized it wasn’t really for me and opted not to spend more time on it.

You have a chef-turned-investigator after a traumatizing event. You have an ex-something that you have feelings for, but you two went your separate ways and now you have to work together on an important case. Said ex-something is not 100% human. You live in a society where goblins, vampires, and the likes are known of and have even made their way into living amongst humans, although this doesn’t come without discrimination, racism, and the struggles you would assume would exist in such a society. Because of this, there is a whole new and interesting branch in the law to keep things under control and people make sure supernatural creatures aren’t breaking the new laws that exist to keep the peace between all the species—such as eating humans, using their blood to make concerts Super Edgy, or being generally suspicious. Keith is a food inspector (bet you didn’t actually see that one coming) and these are his adventures in navigating the supernatural world, which he has his problems with as he goes.

This all sounds super great when I put it like that. The summary is why I requested it in the first place. It sounded unique and fun and interesting. I requested, got accepted, said “hell yeah” and started reading immediately.

So what went wrong? Nothing really. Technically. I suppose.

The prose is… well, it’s not bad but it’s not super immersive either. More often than not, it runs a bit on the dry side and this is difficult to get through when the author also likes big paragraphs. I would get distracted and either fade off or zone out mid-paragraph because the writing wasn’t holding my attention. Like I said, that’s not to say that it was bad writing because I can at least look at this objectively and say that it was a matter of personal preference, but it’s a bit hard to get through.

But most of my problem was that it has the tone of an author that’s going to stray down the smut path. You know, that overly mature ‘adult life’ tone that addresses a casual relationship with terms like ‘fuck’ and such, and you get this super vague impression that you’re about to witness something you would see on a can-barely-see-anything-happening-because-it’s-so-dark cable channel detective show because it’s so “avant-garde”? That one.

And whadda’ya know: I went face first into a smut scene that came from left field and felt a piece of me wither and die. Like I used to be a grape and now I’m a raisin. This, objectively, is not a big deal, I guess. There’s a reason those shows exist and why these scenes sell for most people. Some people would probably like it or be able to gloss past it easier than I could, but it’s not for me. At all. It <i>immediately</i> ruined the book for me, to the point where despite my vast interest in the world Kimberling built, I didn’t want to continue.

Thing is, this wasn’t <i>bad</i>—it just wasn’t for me personally. It’s not my tastes as I typically don’t read detective books of any variety (not even the food inspector type) and it’s also not something that I enjoyed stepping out of my general comfort zone for like I thought I would because of its unique take, but that doesn’t mean someone else won’t absolutely love it because it’s everything they ever wanted.

The world is intriguing, the characters are amusing, the society Kimberling created is incredibly fascinating and original, and there were plenty of times that I was amused by witty dialogue or clever monologue. Had it not been for something I’m genuinely uncomfortable with reading, I probably would have continued just to see where things went/if it picked up.

As it is, I’m actually upset and sad to give up on it, but I told myself not to force myself to read things I’m not comfortable with anymore just out of obligation.

If you want to read about a society with supernatural creatures navigated with an amusing narrator and don’t mind large paragraphs, a ‘gritty’ tone that reads a bit like a detective cliché, and smut, go for it. This book might be great for you. It just wasn’t really for me.

As always, the good stuff comes first: I LOVED this book. When I got the book, I had no idea I was delving into an existing universe of extra-humans and one food inspector. I had no problems finding my way, the book explains things very well and in a lovely way.
Essentially it's a love story, between an extra-human and a human with very special abilities - a profound sense of right and wrong, personal strength, stubbornness and disregard of "proper protocol" if the situation requires it. It's also a story of an "underdog" who is more capable of changing the status quo than most people would think - which I like very much!
I started to read yesterday evening and just now finished it, relishing every page and wanting to read more about Keith and Gunther.
The book, or as I should say, the collection of stories, which is made up of one novella and a bunch of short stories, is written and edited really well. The writing draws the reader into the story, the characters have depth and gain your sympathies, the world building is nicely done - all in all I need more stories from this world.

Now to the not so good (I can't say it's really bad, it just needs a warning / heads up): nowhere on the cover or in the blurb did it mention that a) explicit, detailed sex scenes were coming, b) a fair amount of expletives is strewn throughout the book and c) the first story deals with human cannibalism in somewhat gory description.
I didn't mind all these things, as I'm an adult and can deal, but from the cover and description alone this book would have appealed to my teenager self and I'm fairly certain a lot of other young people would think so too. I don't think this book is entirely appropriate for an underage audience, at least not without a warning of some kind.

The shared world of Irregulars is the kind of well-realized world authors can play around with and have lots of fun. I enjoyed the original Irregulars anthology where every conceivable mythological creature is real and there are special agents doing magical investigations. I had hoped for more stories about NIAD and all the humans and extra-humans like Rake and Archer, Deven and Silas, and Half-dead Henry and Jason.

Nicole Kimberling happily granted my wish with a short story collection about former chef and food inspector Special Agent Keith Curry and his boyfriend, trans-goblin and NIAD strike force member, Gunther Heartman. I like the slice-of-life feel of the interrelated short story format because I can read about several different cases while keeping up to date with Keith and Gunther’s relationship without having to deal with too many details.

Keith describes himself as average but he’s pretty damn good at his job. He goes above and beyond and gets into a lot of trouble. He has no magic but he gets by with tenacity, quick thinking and a bit of luck. Gunther is a snow goblin who was magically transformed into human form in-utero. He is blue-eyed, dark haired, really good looking and very loyal to Keith. He is close to his mom and dad and his gazillion cousins in the Heartman clan. And despite his ferocious goblin lineage, he is an “all-around sweetheart”. I love them both!

Cherries Worth Getting: made me glad I am a vegetarian. Former chef Keith Curry and trans-goblin Gunther Heartman investigate contraband food items while trying in vain to keep it professional between the two of them. Nicole Kimberling sets up a world where extra-humans exists side by side with regular people and the Secrecy Act is in place. Extra-humans being vampires, goblins, fae folks and other mythical creatures from all over the world. Foodies might get an extra kick with the gourmet part.

Cookie Jamboree: I keep hearing about this Cookie Jamboree Gunther was so gung-ho about. Nice to know that the perfect Gunther Heartman has a dorky side. Cookie cutter collection?! Really?!

The Little Golden Book of Goblin Stories: Because goblin moms are the best! Expect to feel teary-eyed.

Magically Delicious: Keith deals with potty mouth leprechauns and missing pixies while Gunther is hospitalized. He gets three wishes but what would he wish for? Needless to say, this case involves defying death in creative ways. This story’s a win.

The Most Important Meal of the Day: The apocalypse has arrived. Keith makes breakfast for a lazy-ass wizard as the world falls apart. Equal parts urgent and laid-back. My favorite of the collection.

Bring Out Your Best: Contaminated blood investigation takes Keith and Gunther from vampire bars and deadly entertainment sports arenas to air force bases where Keith talks to a jet plane. Also, unsubtle hints from Gunther but Keith thinks he might not be good enough to be a Heartman. For crying out loud, just do it, Keith!!! That ending tho ( ˘⌣˘)♡(˘⌣˘ )

This is such a fun read! Definitely recommended!

P.S.

I’m not into the genre but man, those goblins love their metal. Keith likes it too, so a metal love song for you both.

I received a copy of Grilled Cheese and Goblins: Adventures of a Supernatural Food Inspector from Blind Eye Books via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Rating:

Cherries Worth Getting - 3.5 stars
Cookie Jamboree - 4 Stars
The Little Golden Book of Goblin Stories - 4.5 Stars
Magically Delicious - 4 Stars
The Most Important Meal of the Day - 4.5 Stars
Bring Out Your Best - 4 Stars

Overall: 4 Stars - minor quibbles but I loved it to bits

Soundtrack: Entrails of You
Artist: Suffocation
Album: Suffocation

Review Tagline: You'll have trouble not falling in love with Special Agent Curry and his bite sized stories.

My Thoughts: Grilled Cheese and Goblins: Adventures of a Supernatural Food Inspector is a novel made up of collected stories that revolve around Special Agent Keith Curry. Once a chef, now Keith is an agent of the NATO Irregular Affairs Division where he specialises in food inspectors and investigations.

Grilled Cheese and Goblins is an incredibly fresh look at urban fantasy. Not only is the book a m/m romance, but it blends fantastical elements with food health and safety administration.

I mean, what? Who would even think to mix the two? Better yet, why would you?!

I'll tell you what, Kimberling has merged the two to create such a nuanced and different world! With investigations ranging from searching for human protein, illegal magical inclusions to food, contaminated blood supplements, and world saving blintzes, Grilled Cheese and Goblins is such a unique urban fantasy.

Not only is the concept of the stories engaging but so are the characters. The main character Keith is in some ways a tough character. Do not get me wrong, I loved Keith but he plays things close to his chest. There's a sarcastic nonchalance that comes through the romance of the story and in ways he interacts with people. The best representation of this, is his relationship with his cat. If you read the novel, keep your eye out for the cute moment where Keith absolutely refuses to acknowledge that he adopted a cat.

Gunther the other main protagonist, a trans-human snow goblin, and romantic lead of the story, is a wonderful counter to Keith's distance. While reading you get the feeling that Gunther wants and he wants hard. Later, he loves and loves hard. I also adored how close Gunther was to his family! The cute (but horrifying) pictures of baby snow goblins plus how close he was to his parents, were really endearing.

Throughout the book it was so great seeing the romance transition from the beginning of the novel to the end. As the book is a collection of short stories, we are treated to snippets and moments from the years the pair are together. I'm not usually the biggest fan of compiled stories or anthologies but I really enjoyed Grilled Cheese and Goblins. The time jumps were really great; I enjoyed seeing Keith and Gunther experience the holidays, moving in together, and other milestones they passed over the years. I also really loved seeing the emotional growth of Keith as he came to terms with a few things about himself and the larger world he lives in.

I won't ruin anything but the last story of the novel, 'Bring Out Your Best,' was such an entertaining and sweet way to finish of the book. Seeing the moment where Keith takes a huge emotional step had me closing the book with a sappy smile.

Best Bits:

*I loved how bite sized the stories were. Puns, that I offer no apologies for, aside the stories were so easy to read. I would find myself devouring story after story as the larger world pulled me in.

*The world building is so vivid! The depth and detail that Kimberling has put into this book is staggering. I loved seeing all the other realms and the different characters who inhabited them.

*Bring your son to work day. So funny! Incredibly strange out of context but seriously, read the book and find out. One hint though: leprechauns.

*'The Little Golden Book of Goblin Stories' - this small story was just so sweet <3 I honestly finished the story with such a huge smile.

Recommendations: If you're interested in reading something different, then Grilled Cheese and Goblins is for you. Not only does the book present a really unique premise but the romance of the story is sweet and entertaining.

If you think you need a little magical health and safety in your life, Grilled Cheese and Goblins is it!

Title: Grilled Cheese and Goblins: Adventures of a Supernatural Food Inspector!

Publisher: Blind Eye Books

Author: Nicole Kimberling

Pages: 317pp

Price: $15.95 (Paperback)

The Hook: Keith Curry is a food inspector with the NIAD. Never heard of them? Good. Because unless you are an extra-human entity -- fae, goblin, vampire, witch, whatever -- you are not supposed to know a darn thing about NATO's Irregular Affairs Division. It is the NIAD's sworn duty to protect those non-human beings who secretly reside on Earth, and to keep the general public from finding out and flying into a full-blown panic.

And Keith loves his job. He understands that many people even within the NIAD consider his department a bit of a joke -- but it's not. Imagine what would happen if the guaranteed blood supply for all the vampires living in the United States turned bad, or was poisoned, or the production facility had to be shut down due to contamination? Or, what would happen if a diner that has been designated fae-safe turns out to have an iron problem? What if some of those magical supplements necessary to keep goblins alive on Earth suddenly started to appear in mundane supermarkets? What would happen to ordinary people who accidentally ate goblin food?

The Analysis: Grilled Cheese and Goblins chronicles some of Keith's more memorable adventures, both alone and with his boyfriend-turned-fiance, Gunther Heartman. For example, trying to figure out what a heavy metal band has to do with an underground cannibalism ring and a missing vampire. Or, digging into attacks on NIAD agents and discovering links to a mass pixie kidnapping. Or starting out on a case involving tainted blood packs and uncovering something much bigger and much nastier that leads to a secret military base in Colorado and sentient space planes.

(Gunther, by the way, is a goblin who was given human form in utero. He looks like a super model, adores his parents, eats cigarettes, chugs kerosene, and serves as a member of the NIAD's elite strike force. He's a sexy badass with a sword who likes to cuddle.)

Kimberling's world-building is wide-ranging and imaginative. She draws on every possible myth, fairy tale, or folk tale for inspiration -- but her monsters are never typical, and they are never just monsters. The vampires of this world are more definitely not sexy, and Keith meets at least one who is deathly afraid of humans. And, while goblins traditionally lead a human hunt on the solstice, they are also devoted family members and wonderful singers (really).

The characters are also well-rounded, with hidden depths that come out over the course of the book. Gunther is not just handsome and brave. He is also fiercely loyal to Keith and proud of Keith's work in the NIAD; he does not take it well when anyone speaks ill of his boyfriend. Keith himself comes across as average: middling attractive with a seemingly boring job. But personal tragedy drove him to the NIAD and he knows the importance of his work; and while he starts out thinking of extra-humans as monsters, his attitude evolves over time until he comes to see them as people, too -- different people, but still people with their own needs, thoughts, and cultures.

The Verdict: Grilled Cheese and Goblins is the first collection of the Keith Curry stories: "Cherries Worth Getting," "Cookie Jamboree," "The Little Golden Book of Goblin Stories," "Magically Delicious," "The Most Important Meal of the Day," and "Bring Out Your Best." Most of these have been published elsewhere, but the novella "Bring Out Your Best" is new to this anthology.

And it is a fun collection. There's action, mystery, magic, and even a bit of hanky panky. This is just the thing to beat back the blahs on a rainy afternoon.

Recommended to fans of Astrid Amara, Devon Monk, Helen Harper's The Lazy Girl's Guide to Magic, The Ledberg Runestone by Patrick Donovan, and Jake Bible's Black Box Inc. series.