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Fools and Demons #1
By Mistake
Andrus is a man in despair. His family, once illustrious and powerful, was destroyed forever when his great grandfather betrayed everyone and killed a beloved royal prince. Now the last of his bloodline, Andrus is mere days away from losing what little he has left, and his only options are living on the streets or surrendering himself to a man he despises.
Oresti is a man of secrets and lies, his days spent as a city investigator dealing with the worst people in the kingdom, his nights fulfilling his duties as a royal prince and solving unsavory problems for his father. Currently he is charged with determining whether the recent death of a powerful duke was truly natural, and if not, who is responsible for his death—and why they killed him.
Desperate to escape the horrid fate awaiting him, Andrus attempts the very magic he's forbidden from using—but instead of the harmless helper he meant to summon, he instead calls forth one of the most dangerous demons in existence, setting off a chain of events that will drag mysteries old and new into the light, and save or destroy a kingdom.
Oresti is a man of secrets and lies, his days spent as a city investigator dealing with the worst people in the kingdom, his nights fulfilling his duties as a royal prince and solving unsavory problems for his father. Currently he is charged with determining whether the recent death of a powerful duke was truly natural, and if not, who is responsible for his death—and why they killed him.
Desperate to escape the horrid fate awaiting him, Andrus attempts the very magic he's forbidden from using—but instead of the harmless helper he meant to summon, he instead calls forth one of the most dangerous demons in existence, setting off a chain of events that will drag mysteries old and new into the light, and save or destroy a kingdom.
367 pages, Kindle Edition
Published September 17, 2025
39 people are currently reading
206 people want to read
About the author
Megan Derr
284 books2,948 followersMegan is a long time resident of queer romance and keeps herself busy reading and writing it. She is often accused of fluff and nonsense. When she’s not involved in writing, she likes to cook, harass her wife and cats, or watch movies. She loves to hear from readers and can be found all over the internet.
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meganderr.com
patreon.com/meganderr
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facebook.com/meganaprilderr
meganaderr@gmail.com
@meganaderr
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Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews
October 19, 2025
3.5
Entertaining study in bratty banter and friendly bickering, so I didn't mind much that plausibility is taking the backseat. Sometimes it felt like a puffed up short story where the balance between playful interaction and the story line about abuse by a dangerous villain destabilized in favor of the former but it was nice to watch.
Unfortunately recently it rubs me the wrong way if the author decides to go with insta-love especially if she doesn't deliver a reason. I'm okay with Andrus who had a secret crush for a long time but I don't get Oresti. It looked a lot more like a helper syndrome than falling in love and the way how Shimari was suddenly added to their relationship didn't exactly help to believe in threesomes and regarding threesomes: why do we only get the view of 2 of them?
Entertaining study in bratty banter and friendly bickering, so I didn't mind much that plausibility is taking the backseat. Sometimes it felt like a puffed up short story where the balance between playful interaction and the story line about abuse by a dangerous villain destabilized in favor of the former but it was nice to watch.
Unfortunately recently it rubs me the wrong way if the author decides to go with insta-love especially if she doesn't deliver a reason. I'm okay with Andrus who had a secret crush for a long time but I don't get Oresti. It looked a lot more like a helper syndrome than falling in love and the way how Shimari was suddenly added to their relationship didn't exactly help to believe in threesomes and regarding threesomes: why do we only get the view of 2 of them?
dnf
September 27, 2025DNF @ 80%
This is not a rage-DNF. At another time I'm sure I'd like to finish this, no problem. But my subscription time is running out, I'm exhausted in general, and just not feeling it right now. And I doubt I'm interested enough to pick it up much later.
So far I'd score this around 2.5 stars, maybe a bit more. It is way too long. I have not read the original short story, but I think I'd probably like it much more.
I don't care about the villain here and the investigation isn't interesting. The demon has god-like powers, there is really no danger in here, everything can be done with a flick of a wrist. There is some potential in the relationship, but even that doesn't really shine.
This is MMM, which is fine, preferred actually considering the plot and the blurb. But I'm not a fan of throuple stories with 2 PoVs. Either give me a clear single PoV story or give me all of them. I don't like the third being "a stranger".
Overall there was way too little of tension and detail on the romantic and sexual feelings. Andrus has been secrectly pining for Oresti from distance, who falls into instalove once he finally actually sees Andrus. And both just immediately accept the demon in the mix.
I am missing the finale ofc, but I don't really see how anything in there could "save" this meh book, with some random good bits.
This is not a rage-DNF. At another time I'm sure I'd like to finish this, no problem. But my subscription time is running out, I'm exhausted in general, and just not feeling it right now. And I doubt I'm interested enough to pick it up much later.
So far I'd score this around 2.5 stars, maybe a bit more. It is way too long. I have not read the original short story, but I think I'd probably like it much more.
I don't care about the villain here and the investigation isn't interesting. The demon has god-like powers, there is really no danger in here, everything can be done with a flick of a wrist. There is some potential in the relationship, but even that doesn't really shine.
This is MMM, which is fine, preferred actually considering the plot and the blurb. But I'm not a fan of throuple stories with 2 PoVs. Either give me a clear single PoV story or give me all of them. I don't like the third being "a stranger".
Overall there was way too little of tension and detail on the romantic and sexual feelings. Andrus has been secrectly pining for Oresti from distance, who falls into instalove once he finally actually sees Andrus. And both just immediately accept the demon in the mix.
I am missing the finale ofc, but I don't really see how anything in there could "save" this meh book, with some random good bits.
Want to read
September 3, 2025The OG MM author. 🤌
December 21, 2025
I really wanted to like this book, but unfortunately I couldn’t get past the complete lack of logic in almost everything that happens. Andrus has lived a very miserable life, with no one to help him or even want to associate with him, all because of a crime one of his relatives allegedly committed long ago. The premise was interesting, but the problem with the story is that everything is solved too easily, too conveniently.
As readers, we are never left feeling anxious or worried about the main character’s safety. Orestis falls in love with Andrus completely out of nowhere. From the very moment they meet, he wants to care for him, protect him, and so on. There are several moments where we are forced to suspend disbelief because… really? No one notices Orestis is the prince while he's playing at being a detective? Really? Andrus accidentally summons one of the most powerful demons in existence, despite having no prior magical training or experience? Really? And the demon is supposedly all-powerful and super evil, but of course he just happens to have been friends with Andrus’s uncle. You see the pattern—everything is far too convenient.
The main characters are too good, too perfect.
The MMM also came completely out of nowhere. There was no build up, it just happened.
As readers, we are never left feeling anxious or worried about the main character’s safety. Orestis falls in love with Andrus completely out of nowhere. From the very moment they meet, he wants to care for him, protect him, and so on. There are several moments where we are forced to suspend disbelief because… really? No one notices Orestis is the prince while he's playing at being a detective? Really? Andrus accidentally summons one of the most powerful demons in existence, despite having no prior magical training or experience? Really? And the demon is supposedly all-powerful and super evil, but of course he just happens to have been friends with Andrus’s uncle. You see the pattern—everything is far too convenient.
The main characters are too good, too perfect.
The MMM also came completely out of nowhere. There was no build up, it just happened.
September 28, 2025
I really do like the expansion of the original story, but it was very black and white and easy. I lacked depth. The big bad character was only there on the fringes and there were continuation errors in the story.
Also the drama was overly dramatic. Of course *everyone* was evil and nasty to the Bothwell family over generations. Of course no one noticed the big bad character doing evil things over generations.
Felt like tighter editing was needed. Also very obvious this was written chapter by chapter for Patreon. Not necessarily a bad thing, but editing needed.
Also the drama was overly dramatic. Of course *everyone* was evil and nasty to the Bothwell family over generations. Of course no one noticed the big bad character doing evil things over generations.
Felt like tighter editing was needed. Also very obvious this was written chapter by chapter for Patreon. Not necessarily a bad thing, but editing needed.
September 21, 2025
Andrus is a man in despair. His family, once illustrious and powerful, was destroyed forever when his great grandfather betrayed everyone and killed a beloved royal prince. Now the last of his bloodline, Andrus is mere days away from losing what little he has left, and his only options are living on the streets or surrendering himself to a man he despises.
Oresti is a man of secrets and lies, his days spent as a city investigator dealing with the worst people in the kingdom, his nights fulfilling his duties as a royal prince and solving unsavory problems for his father. Currently he is charged with determining whether the recent death of a powerful duke was truly natural, and if not, who is responsible for his death—and why they killed him.
Desperate to escape the horrid fate awaiting him, Andrus attempts the very magic he's forbidden from using—but instead of the harmless helper he meant to summon, he instead calls forth one of the most dangerous demons in existence, setting off a chain of events that will drag mysteries old and new into the light, and save or destroy a kingdom.
SOME SPOILERS IN THE REVIEW
Review:
Dear Megan Derr,
Overall I am a big fan of your work and I did enjoy this story, but I have had questions too. First of all as I often do I found your characters very likable. Andrus' situation at the beginning of the story made me sympathize with him a lot, but also I felt respect for him not just pity, how he tried so hard to survive and was not afraid to work any small job he could find.
I was glad Oresti wanted to help him. I found the chemistry between them really sweet, despite initial antagonism from Andrus and even that was not really antagonism, but his pride. In short I liked their connection a lot. I liked Orestes family a lot and appreciated their strong bond between the siblings and actually believed that they would accept Andrus so fast. It just made sense considering for how long Oresti was resisting the possibility of any relationship at all and that Andrus was just very likable.
My main problems with the relationship development were two. First the addition of the third person - NO, not because the relationship became the triad per se, but because I could not see what both Andrus and Oresti saw in the third person. I mean I could see the attraction, I just did not see why and I could even see that after the third person was added they were lovely together ( and hot too), but not why the third person was added in the first place.
I also thought that in the last quarter or so Andrus became a little too much of damsel in distress. Two of them were doing stuff and Andrus was resting? I get that he helped in the final battle so to speak, but I felt that relationship dynamic became a little not equal, that the two were mostly protecting Andrus.
Smaller issue was that I was so excited that the story may have had a mystery element and thought that Oresti would be investigating who killed several people, but alas that went nowhere. The bad person who did one bad thing apparently did many other bad things and that was made clear really quickly within the story.
Grade: B-
Oresti is a man of secrets and lies, his days spent as a city investigator dealing with the worst people in the kingdom, his nights fulfilling his duties as a royal prince and solving unsavory problems for his father. Currently he is charged with determining whether the recent death of a powerful duke was truly natural, and if not, who is responsible for his death—and why they killed him.
Desperate to escape the horrid fate awaiting him, Andrus attempts the very magic he's forbidden from using—but instead of the harmless helper he meant to summon, he instead calls forth one of the most dangerous demons in existence, setting off a chain of events that will drag mysteries old and new into the light, and save or destroy a kingdom.
SOME SPOILERS IN THE REVIEW
Review:
Dear Megan Derr,
Overall I am a big fan of your work and I did enjoy this story, but I have had questions too. First of all as I often do I found your characters very likable. Andrus' situation at the beginning of the story made me sympathize with him a lot, but also I felt respect for him not just pity, how he tried so hard to survive and was not afraid to work any small job he could find.
I was glad Oresti wanted to help him. I found the chemistry between them really sweet, despite initial antagonism from Andrus and even that was not really antagonism, but his pride. In short I liked their connection a lot. I liked Orestes family a lot and appreciated their strong bond between the siblings and actually believed that they would accept Andrus so fast. It just made sense considering for how long Oresti was resisting the possibility of any relationship at all and that Andrus was just very likable.
My main problems with the relationship development were two. First the addition of the third person - NO, not because the relationship became the triad per se, but because I could not see what both Andrus and Oresti saw in the third person. I mean I could see the attraction, I just did not see why and I could even see that after the third person was added they were lovely together ( and hot too), but not why the third person was added in the first place.
I also thought that in the last quarter or so Andrus became a little too much of damsel in distress. Two of them were doing stuff and Andrus was resting? I get that he helped in the final battle so to speak, but I felt that relationship dynamic became a little not equal, that the two were mostly protecting Andrus.
Smaller issue was that I was so excited that the story may have had a mystery element and thought that Oresti would be investigating who killed several people, but alas that went nowhere. The bad person who did one bad thing apparently did many other bad things and that was made clear really quickly within the story.
Grade: B-
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 9, 2025
2⭐️
I have a fondness for this author as she has written a couple of my fave books - How to Marry a Prince and High Kings Golden Tongue. But her recent forays have not been as great for me as those. This book has a protagonist whose only claim to fame is to accidentally summon a very powerful demon and have great reserves of power. That's it. Most of the work of solving the mystery in this book and dealing with intrigue and doing any sort of magic is done by the other 2 protagonists. Andrus is just a sort of just there. The three of them getting together (Prince, Noble and Demon) just happens. There is no build up, no conflict within themselves and no declaration of love per se. I was underwhelmed by the story to be honest. I am hoping the other books in this authors catalogue hold my interest better because I am not giving up. And I hope that the author writes a book that isn't poly for a change as the last couple of them have been.
I have a fondness for this author as she has written a couple of my fave books - How to Marry a Prince and High Kings Golden Tongue. But her recent forays have not been as great for me as those. This book has a protagonist whose only claim to fame is to accidentally summon a very powerful demon and have great reserves of power. That's it. Most of the work of solving the mystery in this book and dealing with intrigue and doing any sort of magic is done by the other 2 protagonists. Andrus is just a sort of just there. The three of them getting together (Prince, Noble and Demon) just happens. There is no build up, no conflict within themselves and no declaration of love per se. I was underwhelmed by the story to be honest. I am hoping the other books in this authors catalogue hold my interest better because I am not giving up. And I hope that the author writes a book that isn't poly for a change as the last couple of them have been.
October 18, 2025
This story is gorgeous ❤️
I love this book. It's so good, and the characters are so funny. I think I highlighted half the book. Oresti cracks me up. He made me burst out laughing a lot. He's so dang sweet and generous and sincere. Andrus is also funny and equally a sweetheart even though he can be prickly and has teeth. He's had to develop them just to survive. He's such a nonchalant badass. And Shimari is so powerful and sexy and mischievous. I love them.
I do think that rotten Lord Farthing should have gotten more of a comeuppance.
I hope this is going to be available in audiobook. I would love to "re-read" by listening to it.
I could not put this book down. I can't wait for Kressen to find out what it's like to be with decent humans. I'm already in love with the side characters from By Mistake. I'm so excited that there's going to be more!
I love this book. It's so good, and the characters are so funny. I think I highlighted half the book. Oresti cracks me up. He made me burst out laughing a lot. He's so dang sweet and generous and sincere. Andrus is also funny and equally a sweetheart even though he can be prickly and has teeth. He's had to develop them just to survive. He's such a nonchalant badass. And Shimari is so powerful and sexy and mischievous. I love them.
I do think that rotten Lord Farthing should have gotten more of a comeuppance.
I hope this is going to be available in audiobook. I would love to "re-read" by listening to it.
I could not put this book down. I can't wait for Kressen to find out what it's like to be with decent humans. I'm already in love with the side characters from By Mistake. I'm so excited that there's going to be more!
January 5, 2026
This starts out slow, but when it gets going it doesn't stop, and I enjoy that.
As usual, I wish there'd been better editing. An edit pass to eliminate the many, many repetitions of Andrus's terrible life experiences and circlings of the drain of unworthyness would've been grand. It also needed a better line edit, to fix failures to paragraph, repetitions, a missing word or two, all that stuff.
Nevertheless, I'm glad I read it. This author's good at worldbuilding and the characters were entertaining. She didn't sugar-coat how tedious investigating is. And I liked that magic is complex.
As usual, I wish there'd been better editing. An edit pass to eliminate the many, many repetitions of Andrus's terrible life experiences and circlings of the drain of unworthyness would've been grand. It also needed a better line edit, to fix failures to paragraph, repetitions, a missing word or two, all that stuff.
Nevertheless, I'm glad I read it. This author's good at worldbuilding and the characters were entertaining. She didn't sugar-coat how tedious investigating is. And I liked that magic is complex.
September 18, 2025
delightful, sweet, and fluffy. a little Gothic with the previous generations of tragic lovers, hidden rooms, and demons. there are flaws but they're all classic Megan Derr minor things (a couple of typos, relationship that is maybe too low conflict, etc) but at this point if you're reading her books you should be down with those things
the demons in this world seem extremely fun, love this whole setup and the characters we've been introduced to so far, and this looks like another MMM series. can't wait for the next one!
the demons in this world seem extremely fun, love this whole setup and the characters we've been introduced to so far, and this looks like another MMM series. can't wait for the next one!
September 27, 2025
This had so many things I love about Megan Derrs work.
The badly treated and suffering Andrus. The spoiled but amazingly down to earth Royalty aka Oresti. And finally the Demon that is really a pussy cat, pun intended lol.
But where I felt let down was again the intro of a threesome. I really wish Shimari could of been paired with someone else, even another Demon. There were plenty of candidates.
So while I enjoyed this overall I also felt slight disappointment.
The badly treated and suffering Andrus. The spoiled but amazingly down to earth Royalty aka Oresti. And finally the Demon that is really a pussy cat, pun intended lol.
But where I felt let down was again the intro of a threesome. I really wish Shimari could of been paired with someone else, even another Demon. There were plenty of candidates.
So while I enjoyed this overall I also felt slight disappointment.
October 11, 2025
Terrific expansion of an earlier, much shorter story. That earlier version was excellent in its own right, an excellent example of the author’s ability to tell a remarkably rich story, with just enough world-building, without a ton of words/pages. This expansion takes the original and runs with it. Lots of depth and richness. Much more opportunity to get to know the characters. Enjoyed it so much.
October 6, 2025
Awwww, I wasn't sure really what to expect from this book (I find the blurbs for Derr's stories to be a bit vague sometimes) but I love the author so I jumped right in.
I was so happy when Andrus found his men because the buttercup needed some help desperately. The poor thing. He deserves the over-protectiveness and all the food in the world!
I was so happy when Andrus found his men because the buttercup needed some help desperately. The poor thing. He deserves the over-protectiveness and all the food in the world!
January 18, 2026
Demons and Lovers
I don't recall ever reading the story this is based on, so it was all new to me. I enjoyed it. It begins from Andrus' POV (not first person) and gradually expands to include a full cast of characters. I do not know if there are other books coming, but there is mention of 2 other missing demons and I like the world, so I hope there are.
I don't recall ever reading the story this is based on, so it was all new to me. I enjoyed it. It begins from Andrus' POV (not first person) and gradually expands to include a full cast of characters. I do not know if there are other books coming, but there is mention of 2 other missing demons and I like the world, so I hope there are.
September 27, 2025
The initial setup and themes were interesting but then everything was resolved far too easily and in ridiculous ways. The MMM romance could have worked well but there was no real buildup or relationship development.
September 20, 2025
3.5 might have been 4 if I expected it to be mmm from the start. Should have guessed from the blurb but did not.
October 2, 2025
October 2025
Kindle edition
I did like this one. Gave me Royal inquisitor vibes with an added Diablo type to join them. It was a fun one. Looking forward to the next one. Warnings were made, blood was spilt. Nice intro to a new series.
Kindle edition
I did like this one. Gave me Royal inquisitor vibes with an added Diablo type to join them. It was a fun one. Looking forward to the next one. Warnings were made, blood was spilt. Nice intro to a new series.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 2, 2025
cats are demons, I think it's accurate 😄
October 11, 2025
I didn't have a all-male throuple on my bingo card when I picked up that book about a poor guy summoning the most dangerous demon.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 1, 2025
bratty brat banter 3 way spice fluff.
Want to read
December 6, 2025i loved loved loved the original short story so i'm hoping this is as good if not better!!!
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