Slime Sweets and Dungeon Treats: A Cozy LitRPG

by Pandora Pierce

Forget about fighting monsters. Be a Slime Friend instead!

When Hazel wakes up in a dungeon full of monsters, she’s told to choose a weapon and start fighting. Instead, she picks a grilled cheese, because who needs weapons when you’ve got food?

The system rewards her ridiculous decision with a brand-new class: Culinary Mage. Instead of grinding monsters, Hazel’s winning over slimes with homemade treats and discovering that a good meal can do far more than fill an empty stomach.

With her new food-based skills, Hazel opens a cozy little cafe in the middle of the dungeon. Before long, all kinds of monsters are flocking to her door for treats, slimes are evolving before her eyes, and even other adventurers begin wondering if there’s more to life than fighting their way to the next floor.

But in a dungeon built for battle, can Hazel really change the rules with nothing but delicious food, stubborn optimism, and a pack of hungry slimes?

Featuring found family, whimsical magic, and a sprinkle of romance, Slime Sweets and Dungeon Treats is a cozy LitRPG about building a home in the unlikeliest of places.

Genres: Fantasy, Litrpg, Cozy Fantasy, Cozy, Romance, Audiobook, Magic

303 pages, Kindle Edition

Published June 16, 2026

About the author

Pandora Pierce writes cozy fantasy where the monsters are charming, the magic is whimsical, and the adventures are delightfully low-stakes. She has a weakness for slimes, red pandas, and other adorable creatures that inevitably sneak into her stories.

When she’s not writing, she streams as a VTuber, connecting with readers, writers, and gamers in a space as cozy and lighthearted as her books.

Reviews

[Calista Wielgos · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book! It was so cozy and adorable. I loved Hazel and her passion for slimes. If I was a slime, I would definitely be a tea slime like Matcha. This book showed that if you follow your passions, the road less traveled by can be so much more rewarding than following what everyone else does. You can also find your own family along the way!

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Stardust Booklover · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book hits the nail when it comes to making you feel cozy and inside a fantastical and welcoming game. It reminded me of the feeling I got the first time I played Genshin Impact. Swayed by descriptions but also very entertained by the main character's thoughts. Overall, in some parts I felt like I wanted more of the world but it definitely deliveres as a litrpg. Very wholesome read.

[Jesse · Rating 4 out of 5]

She has written two other cozy fantasy series but this is her first foray into LitRPG. I had a lovely time with Hazel and her slime friends.

Our adventure begins with Hazel on the tutorial level of a dungeon forced to choose a weapon. She has no memory of her life before but little details remained. She knows she doesn't want to choose a weapon, really liked food, and knew how to make it. What happens next is a level of hijinks DMs have nightmares about.

Hazel refuses to fight or hurt monsters. She will find a way to soothe the savage soul with a good meal. Instead of trauma bonding in combat, she forges bonds of friendship by finding the right recipes. When it works, the world is rocked and people around her are inspired. Hazel's refusal to fit into a mold that doesn't suit her causes ripples in the world around her no one could have predicted.

The underlying message of knowing yourself, kindness, growth, change, and acceptance is a beautiful thing. If you have a younger reader who is looking to get into the genre, this would be a great place to start. Pierce's other two cozy fantasies are romances and we do get a bit of that by the end but it's one piece of a much bigger story. The whole is about choosing who you want to be and how it can shape your life and the world around you. In a time like this, we need that kind of hopecore message, especially in our young readers.

In a world blood, battles, and brutality, we need more Hazels. I'm fairly cynical so I have to be in the mood for something this level of sweet and hopecore but fortunately this found me at the right time to appreciate it. It's marked as Book 1 so I'll be watching for the next book. There's quite a few characters I know we should expect more from. 4/5

[Jessica Gleason · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book had me hooked from the moment I learned about the neverending magical grilled cheese. I've read some popular cozy fantasy before and have been bored to tears. This book was the exact opposite. It's fun. It's cozy. There's nonsense and shenanigans. I adored it and would definitely read more.

[Belinda Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was completely, utterly obsessed with this book from the very first page 😭💛
This wasn’t just a story—it felt like a warm hug wrapped in sugar, magic, and the absolute cutest slimes ever 🫶✨

From the moment Hazel woke up in a dungeon and chose a grilled cheese over a weapon (iconic behavior honestly 🧀😂), I knew this was going to be something special. Instead of fighting monsters, she built something softer, kinder… and so much more powerful 💫

She became a Culinary Mage—and instead of battles, she created a cozy café in the dungeon, winning over slimes and even people with her food 🥹🍰
And I just… I never wanted it to end.

Hazel was such a refreshing main character 💛
She didn’t try to be a hero in the traditional sense. She just wanted to cook, to care, to make things better—and somehow that made her the strongest kind of person 🥺✨

Even with her fragmented memories and being thrown into chaos, she held onto her kindness.
She chose connection over conflict. Food over fighting. And I loved her for that 😭🍲

And the SLIMES 😭💖
I could write an entire essay about them.

They were adorable. Silly. Magical. Loyal.
Each one felt like a tiny bundle of joy, and watching them grow, evolve, and bond with Hazel made my heart so full 🥹✨

If you love magical companions or “found pets” in stories—this book will absolutely own your soul 🫶

The found family in this book?? PERFECTION 🥰
Hazel didn’t just build a café—she built a home.

Through food and kindness, she brought people together. She inspired them. Helped them become better versions of themselves. And watching that ripple effect unfold through multiple POVs made everything feel so alive and meaningful 💫

There was also a soft sprinkle of romance 💕
Nothing overwhelming—just enough to make you smile and feel things without taking away from the cozy core of the story 🥹✨

This book made me feel safe.
It made me happy.
It made me want to curl up with snacks, a blanket, and never leave this world 🧁📖💛

And the fact that it kept me hooked while being so gentle and cozy? That’s honestly magic.

✨ Perfect for fans of:
🧁 Cozy fantasy & wholesome vibes
🍲 Food magic / cooking saves the day
🐾 Adorable magical companions (SLIMES!!!)
🫶 Found family that heals your heart
🌸 Soft, low-stakes but meaningful stories
💫 LitRPG with a unique, non-combat twist
💕 Light romance (just a sprinkle!)
🏡 Building a home in unexpected places

By the time I finished, I was already craving more 😭💛
More Hazel. More slimes. More cozy dungeon café moments.

This was easily one of my favorite reads of the year, and I will be adding a physical copy to my shelf the second it’s out 🧁✨

Thank you so much to Pandora Pierce and BookSirens for the ARC opportunity 💌✨
I’m officially obsessed and cannot wait for the next book in this series 😭💛

[Sadie E · Rating 2 out of 5]

Slimes? Opening a bakery in a dungeon? Cosy LitRPG? A baker-turned-Culinary Mage solving problems with food and friendship? This is, on paper, engineered in a lab to appeal to me.

But... I know I’m in the minority here... this really didn’t click for me.

This has everything I love in a cosy fantasy. But it just feels like a bunch of tropes stacked on top of each other wearing a trench coat and insisting it’s a personality.

It’s very clearly aiming for that Legends & Lattes brand of low-stakes comfort fantasy, but it misses the mark in almost every way that matters. It’s cute and inoffensive, but it's also weirdly lifeless and busy and boring at the same time.

It leans so hard into “comfort” that it loops back around into feeling completely soulless. There's no heart or spark and no reason to care about anything or anyone happening on the page.

There’s just too much going on and absolutely none of it's explored with any depth. Memory loss! Dungeon lore! RPG mechanics! Slime companions! Café progression! It just skims the surface of everything like it’s afraid of commitment.

And the tension. Oh my god, the tension. The problem with a lot of cosy fantasy is that there’s no real conflict, and fine, I’m not asking for grimdark despair or a surprise murder spree, but something has to happen. The most dramatic moment in this book is literally: “Dammit, the cookies were burning!”

I wish I was exaggerating.

After the cookies burn, one of the slimes gets a little scared which resolves in the next sentence. And it's treated like a big deal.

It’s all so saccharine that it borders on parody. There are no consequences or lingering emotions, just a constant reset to “everything is fine 🥰” like the narrative's afraid of making anyone even mildly uncomfortable.

The pacing's nonexistent and the plot just meanders. Scenes happen, then other scenes happen. Occasionally something that looks like a plot thread appears and then quietly dissolves into the background like it never existed.

If you’re going to have low stakes and a meandering plot, that’s absolutely fine. I have no problem with that. But if that's the case, then your characters need to carry the story.

They do not.

We have: Character who is nice and not afraid of slimes. Character who is nice and follows Character 1 around with undying support. Character who is evil (just kidding! they’re nice) and is scared of slimes. That’s it. That’s the cast. That’s the emotional range.

I love found family. I live for found family. But it actually helps when the found family members have distinct personalities, or conflict, or, dare I say, flaws? Give me a character who annoys me. Give me a character who makes me suspicious. Here, I seriously couldn't pick a single character out of a lineup of one. They’re just… there. Existing pleasantly.

It's aggressively formulaic. And I like formulaic! My life revolves around generic cop shows and medical shows where every episode's a copy-paste of the one before it. Formulaic can be comforting, but every chapter feels like the author ticking off a checklist:

“Okay… slimes did something cute… check!
Hazel made a snack… check!
Minor ‘conflict’ resolved instantly… check!”

Rinse and repeat for 300+ pages.

Which raises another question: how is this over 300 pages? This should have been a novella. This should have been a cute, tightly written little snack of a story. Instead it drags on like an anime filler arc.

The writing style does it absolutely no favours. It feels very amateur, like early-draft fanfiction that skipped the editing phase. There are constant ellipses, awkward phrasing, and a lot of telling instead of showing. The exposition is especially painful.

There’s so much clunky infodumping that completely kills any sense of immersion. The protagonist is new and confused, which should be a perfect setup for organic, atmospheric worldbuilding. Instead everything is spelled out with the subtlety of a loading screen tip.

"I'm a satyr, half-man, half-goat, and I'm here to welcome you to the Dungeon of Eternal Embers."

Come on, really?

And then, just in case you missed it: the satyr stepped toward me... the satyr's eyes widened... the satyr shook his head... the satyr sighed...

Now, this is just a theory, but I think (and I could be wrong) this dude might be a satyr 🤔

The prose itself is pretty rough."It leaned into my hand as its eyes changed to adorable greater than less than signs, making a squee noise like it was the happiest little jellybean ever."

I understand what this is trying to do. I do. But there has to be a less painful way to write that sentence?

And then the internal logic just gives up entirely:

"Ugh, that's awful. It tastes like cardboard."
"What's cardboard?"
"It's... How do I know a word but not know what it means?"

Okay, interesting, memory issues. I wonder what we'll do with that?

Then:

"Maybe it was like a magical induction cooktop..."

Oh. So that’s where we’re drawing the line. You can’t conceptualise cardboard but you can reference an induction hob? Sure. Why not. Nothing matters.

Even the food aspect, which is arguably the main draw, gets repetitive fast. It turns into a loop of “new slime + new dessert” with zero escalation or variation.

And yet! there are tiny glimpses of something better buried in here. The idea of resolving conflict through cooking and friendship is genuinely fun, and I LOVED the moment where Hazel picks a grilled cheese as her starting weapon:

"I choose this sandwich."
"What? …That’s my lunch." 😂

That’s the book I wanted. I wanted that energy and charm.

But those moments are few and far between, and they’re not enough to carry everything else.
At the end of the day, this reads like a first draft that needed serious editing and a clearer vision. The concept is strong. The execution is… not.

[Nathalie Mariaud · Rating 4 out of 5]

⭐️ ARC REVIEW ⭐️

Hazel wakes up in a dungeon facing a talking satyre named Dave, who explains that she must choose a weapon and a class to survive the 100 floors standing between her and freedom.

Pretty standard RPG stuff... except Hazel has absolutely no interest in fighting. Why would she attack the adorable bouncing slime that just appeared? So instead of choosing a sword, she pick Dave's sandwich and accidentally becomes the world's first Culinary Mage.

Rather than defeating monsters, Hazel wins them over with food, friendship, and a healthy dose of creativity. As she progresses through the dungeon, she befriends slimes, bends the rules, under the attention of the Dungeon Core itself. Bored after centuries of repetition, the Core starts creating new skills, new rules, and even a café for her,  where monsters and adventurers can safely gather.

As a role-player myself and someone who loves thinking outside the box, I had a great time with this book. Watching Sweet Potato (the Dungeon Core)  challenge expectations, and create new ways for Hazel to move forward was very satisfying.

I especially loved the message that not everyone is meant to be a fighter, and that there are different paths to success than simply hitting things harder.

The story is well written, the final reveal made a lot of sense to me, and I really enjoyed seeing the ripple effects of Hazel's choices throughout the dungeon. 

I recommand this book if you want a fun, smooth but also smart read.

✨ LitRPG
🍞 Culinary mage
💚 Monster friendships
🎲 Thinking outside the box
🏰 Dungeon adventure
🌶️ No spice

⭐️ 4,5/5



⭐️ CHRONIQUE ARC ⭐️

Hazel se réveille dans un donjon face à Dave, un satyre parlant qui lui explique les règles : choisir une arme, une classe et gravir 100 étages pour retrouver sa liberté.

Un scénario de RPG assez classique... sauf qu'Hazel n'a absolument aucune envie de se battre. Hors de question d'attaquer le petit slime rebondissant et adorable qui vient d'apparaître ! Alors au lieu de choisir une arme, elle choisit Dave le sandwich et devient la toute première Mage Culinaire.

Plutôt que de vaincre les monstres, Hazel les apprivoise grâce à la nourriture, à sa gentillesse et à son imagination. En progressant dans le donjon, elle se lie d'amitié avec des slimes, contourne les règles établies et attire l'attention du Cœur du Donjon. Lassé de voir les mêmes schémas se répéter depuis des siècles, celui-ci commence à créer de nouvelles compétences, de nouvelles règles et même un café pour elle, où aventuriers et monstres peuvent se retrouver en sécurité.

En tant que joueuse de jeux de rôle et grande adepte des solutions alternatives, j'ai apprécié cette lecture. Voir Sweet Potato, le Cœur du Donjon, évoluer, remettre en question les règles et aider Hazel à trouver sa propre voie était particulièrement satisfaisant.

J'ai beaucoup aimé le message du roman : tout le monde n'est pas fait pour être un combattant, et il existe d'autres façons d'avancer que de résoudre les problèmes par la force.

L'histoire est bien construite, la révélation finale m'a semblé très cohérente, et observer l'impact des choix d'Hazel sur tout le donjon était intéressant et drôle.

Un livre que je vous recommande si vous voulez un livre fun mais avec du sens.

✨ LitRPG
🍞 Mage culinaire
💚 Amitiés avec les monstres
🎲 Hors des sentiers battus
🏰 Aventure dans un donjon
🌶️ Pas de spice

⭐️ 4,5/5

[Veros · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thanks to BookSirens and the author for the ARC, I leave my review voluntarily.

This cozy little tale charmed me with its quirky beginning where, instead of choosing a weapon, she chooses a sandwich and the dungeon system makes a whole new class for her: Culinary Mage! It’s unheard of and she has to figure it out by trial and error. How is she going to level up by cooking? Where is she going to get her ingredients from? And why does it taste like cardboard? Luckily she has help from her slime friends that she most definitely will not be killing. In fact, you better not lay a finger on those squishy blobs! Hazel endeared herself to me right away with her no-fighting rule and creative-solutions mindset.

One thing this book did really well is create a warm atmosphere. Between all the adorable monster companions, and the day to day moments of figuring out how her character class worked, it really did feel like playing a cozy cooking / farm simulation game. Unfortunately, there is such thing as too sweet and comfortable. It took me a while to get through the first half because there wasn’t enough conflict, nothing to really grip me. I’m not a big fan of ‘trials’ or ‘competition’ plot lines and while this story technically didn’t have trials, it did have quests and I had a breakthrough while reading this! A big reason I haven’t gotten along really well with LitRPGs thus far is for the same reason, the repetitiveness of that linear plot progression. Quest (or Trial). Level Up. Repeat. How about if I don't? It wasn’t until around the second half of the book where the story broke out of that pattern that it became way more interesting.

The introduction of a couple of new POV characters suddenly made me perk up and pay more attention. One of them is a mysterious romantic interest that I won’t say much about because it’s a spoiler but he was awkward in a charming sort of way. If, like me, you’re a fan of the ‘fish out of water’ trope, you might like this character as well. There is also a woman who is one of Hazel’s dungeon delving friends who gets a small ‘sidequest’, if you will, that I thought was also awesome. In the later half of the book, the focus turned away from leveling up, towards a dungeon community supporting each other to face their fears and follow their dreams and I loved it.

Throughout all the cooking adventures, there’s been a mystery floating in the back of Hazel (and the reader)'s minds. Why are we even in the dungeon in the first place? While we’re slowly getting distracted by tasty treats and adorable creatures, there’s something much bigger looming in the background that we can no longer ignore at the end. The answer to that mystery was entirely unexpected yet satisfying; the pieces all connected beautifully. If it wasn’t for that ending I don’t think I’d want to read more in that world but, as it is, I’ll keep an eye out for a future book 2.

[Rose-Katherine · Rating 4 out of 5]

'Being surrounded by beautiful strawberries was way better than debating violence.' 

This book sounded delicious, fun and cosy, and it fully delivered on those expectations!!

I adored all the characters, and enjoyed the variety of personalities and motivations. Everyone was quirky and fun in their own way, and the character interactions were believable. Despite it being a light, fun book, it felt like the characters experienced genuine struggles that led to natural growth through the story.

'This was how cooking should be. Happy and warm, surrounded by people you cared about. Or slimes.' 

The pacing felt slow enough to be soothing and cosy, but with enough happening at any given time to stop it from dragging. Conflicts and problems were dealt with believably, and resolved well, often with teamwork which was heartwarming. The ending felt satisfying and bright, and paved the way for a sequel without any cliffhangers.

The beautiful, picturesque descriptions were what made this a definite 4 star read, for me. I'm going to read more by this author because I adore her writing style: her delectable, vivid imagery never tips over into superfluous flowery language, which many books do. The world building was so seamless that opening my Kindle felt like just stepping inside the story - I could see jiggling happy slimes and majestic tree monsters all around me.

'What works for one person shouldn’t have to be what everyone else does. Every soul deserves a chance to feel accomplished in their own way..' 

It felt like the book might have benefitted from slightly tighter editing, as some sentences felt a little clunky, or needed a break in the middle. This only slightly took away from my reading experience, though. And, honestly, reading it was such a delight from start to finish that I would have given more stars if not for this.

This was my very first experience of LitRPG, and I am a fan! I'm autistic, and I think the clear, specific 'quests' and 'rewards' system is just very pleasingly precise for my brain.

'Once you find the thing that brings you joy, the rest of your life just gets better.' 

Reading 'Slime Sweets' was like sliding into a warm, scented bubble bath with a squishy bath pillow, and rustic, flickering lanterns hanging all around you. I highly recommend this to anyone who enjoys wonderful, fun characters, beautiful fantasy imagery, and books that make you feel genuinely happy.

[Brittany · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was such an interesting take on the litRPG genre. If you liked Dungeon Crawler Carl and Delicious in Dungeon, but felt they were too crude or violent, this may be for you! It takes the dungeon crawling element but makes it cozy! People wake up in a dungeon with no memories and are told to choose a class.. They will need to battle their way to floor 100 - and many people are successful! In this dungeon, you cannot die - you just lose any progress towards your next level. The goal is to level up by fighting monsters - however our main character Hazel does not want to fight so for her weapon she chooses.....a grilled cheese sandwich? This gives her an all new class of culinary mage. Hazel levels up by "defeating" the monsters with her good cooking/baking, befriending many along the way, and decides instead of fighting her way to level 100, she'll open a cafe for all adventurers who want good food. She meets other adventurers, makes friends of both the monster and human variety, and continues to level up her unique class.

I thought this was a super fun read! I loved how Hazel made friends with her baking - I feel like I'd be her, wanting to bake my way through the dungeon instead of fighting. The slimes were super cute monster companions and I love how the story focused on just a few of them so we got to know them as characters. I was a pretty big fan of some of the side characters as well - including Fiona and Dave, who were well fleshed out supportive of Hazel.

I did find there were a ton of inconsistencies - things like Hazel mentioning a character to another character, even though they hadn't met. I also noticed that Hazel would think things, and the dungeon would immediately give her quests or access to those things, even though as far as I know it could only see her and not read her mind. A lot of things felt really easy, like any time something difficult got in Hazel's way it was solved in an instant, and everything was handed to her on a silver platter. I also felt that Hazel and Fiona were way too lax about Cole - they didn't know him and were suspicious of him, but brushed it off. In reality he'd be a red flag! So things like those bothered me and that's why I feel this book is 4/5 stars. It was an incredibly quick and fun read though, and I will definitely be coming back for the next book(s) in the series!

[MaryGrace · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars - It was okay, nice read, will probably remember stuff for the next little while.

🌶 1 chili pepper: Romance with some sexual tension, maybe some kissing and hand holding, but no sex.

PROS:

- Super cozy world and concept

- A FMC that is constantly questioning the status quo

- Changing up the "that's the way we've always done it" game

- Found family

- Loveable characters

CONS:

- Not as attention keeping as I would like

- The explanation of the dungeon's purpose seemed to be expeditious

BASIC TAKEAWAY:

Hazel wakes to find herself in a dungeon and told to choose the tool for her destiny. This was a cute adventure to read with adorable slimes and their individual personalities. I enjoyed the characters introduced in the market and honestly, would have liked to seen more of them. The small romance that popped up was sweet, though with the explanation of the dungeon's purpose, I'm not sure how sustainable it will be. I appreciated Hazel's constant questioning of how things were run and why couldn't they be changed for the betterment of those running the dungeon. It was a fun read.

FORMAT

Ebook - ARC

Did you think about the book when not reading?

= No, not really

How severe was the angst?

= Low, When it happened, I was mildly uncomfortable, but able to stomach it.

Re-readability?

= Meh, I probably could

If part of a series, would you continue?

= Maybe

What is the “story point”

= I think the point is to question the status quo if it is not providing the best for all.

Did I care about the characters?

= Yes

Did it have a compelling plot?

= Not especially

Was the dialogue believable?

= Yes

Were the events believable?

= 4 out of 5 yes

Did any quotes strike me?

= Ch 39, pg 259: "I wasn't so lucky, but other things hack into your life and make you miss living it, like sickness, ego, selfishness, anger, jealousy. All are mere setbacks, boy, not jail cells. Don't wait until it's too late. Break free and run fast toward what makes you happy." - Jean-Claude

Who would you recommend this book to?

= I would recommend this book to those looking for a gentle stroll through a dungeon without the fear of people dying.

[Bree Lavine · Rating 5 out of 5]

I don’t do many arc reads, but after reading Pandora’s other cozy fantasy novels towards the end of last year, I jumped at the opportunity to read this early! It will now have a home on my Kindle forever!

This is my first LITRPG novel, and I think a perfect one to start with due to its cozy fantasy and dash of romance. This book is a perfect way to explore a new form of writing with a genre I love. It took me a minute to get used to the different style, but once I did, I fell in love with the details of the leveling up and role systems. It also blended into the story in a way that brought both an interesting twist and a sweet romance.

I found Hazel to be such a ray of sunshine, and I like the fact that she actually considers the perspective of others. She realizes how this system is built against her but finds ways to make the most of it.

I also think that the surrounding characters like Fiona, Marvin, and of course the SLIMES! Round out the story beautifully, and knowing there are more books to come, they bring paths that I want to travel. Especially Fiona and Brennie, who are sort of hinted at in this book.

Once the romance started to pick up, I thought it’d be odd given that it started kind of like a computer system and Hazel being a human, but after the world was explained a little more, it made more sense. (I will leave it there for the sake of avoiding spoilers)

There were moments where I had mixed feelings about Cole, and I do think the romance developed a little too quickly by the end. That being said, I found them a great pair that works well together.
This was a lovely fantasy, with a sweet romance and amazing descriptions of tasty food, adorable slimes, and endearing characters.

If you're like me, then you will LOVE this book, and I highly recommend you check out Pandora’s other cozy fantasy books available on Kindle Unlimited, Legends & Librarians, and Myths & Manuscripts.

[Le Cy · Rating 3 out of 5]

What a warm, sweet, and cozy read! Honestly, that alone sums up this book perfectly. It was such an easy read, and for being my first ever LitRPG, I would say I had a lot of fun with this!

We follow Hazel, a bubbly and passionate baker who, instead of fighting her way through the dungeon like she's supposedly meant to, decides against violence and chooses to bake her way through instead. Along the way, she befriends slimes, unlocks new culinary skills, and opens up a cozy little café.

This book was exactly what it was marketed as: a wholesome, cozy LitRPG with low stakes, adorable slimes, and a cast of characters forming unlikely bonds. Unfortunately, though, it fell a little short for me when it came to the characters themselves.

While I personally don't have a lot of experience with cozy fantasy as a genre, I imagine that when you remove tension and high stakes from the plot, the main thing carrying the story should be the characters. Sadly, the cast here felt a little too one-dimensional for my liking. Each of the characters had not much other personality aside from their defining traits, and I felt like we didn't really get the chance to dive deep into any of the characters within these 300 pages. There didn’t seem to be much nuance to them, and while that simplicity certainly made the book easy to read, it also became somewhat stale after several chapters of predictability.

That said, I do have to give the book credit for being incredibly easy to breeze through. And I’ll admit that the romance that develops later on was genuinely adorable and definitely added to the overall charm of the story. It really did warm my heart.

All in all, this was still a decent read. Definitely recommend picking this up if you enjoy cozy fantasy with low stakes and adorable slimes. It was just ultimately not quite for me.

Thank you Pandora Pierce for providing this book for review consideration via BookSirens. All opinions are my own.

[Allie Green · Rating 5 out of 5]

The following is a review of an advance reader copy. All opinions are my own.

This book was absolutely delightful from beginning to end.

Cozy, immersive, and impossibly charming, Slime Sweets And Dungeon Treats felt like settling into a chair within a warm bakery tucked somewhere deep inside a perilous dungeon. The LitRPG elements were easy to follow, the pacing of the plot was excellent, and the story struck a wonderful balance between adventure, humor, and heart.

One of my favorite things about this book was how effortlessly it pulled me into its world. I started reading one evening, fully intending to stop after a few chapters, and somehow looked up to discover it was 6 in the morning. Time completely disappeared while I was reading, which is undoubtedly one of the clearest indicators of an engrossing story.

The dungeon setting reminded me of the anime Delicious in Dungeon with its focus on food, exploration, and interesting creatures. Slime Sweets And Dungeon Treats very much has its own personality and distinguished itself from similar tales with its unique plot and lovable characters. The protagonists love and aptitude for baking and the way that passion impacted the plot was especially adorable and added so much charm to the story.

The character development was surprisingly strong for such a cozy, low-stakes adventure. I grew attached to the cast quickly, loved the creature companions, and genuinely enjoyed the twists sprinkled throughout the story. The ending was satisfying, heartwarming, and exactly the kind of happily-ever-after I was hoping for as I read.

If you’re looking for a cozy LitRPG filled with baking, cute creatures, dungeon exploration, lovable characters, and a story that feels like a warm hug, this one is well worth picking up.

I’ll absolutely be reading this again.

Thank you so much to the author and to BookSirens for the free ARC copy.

[Lilith's_Library_ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Slime Sweets and Dungeon Treats: A Cozy LitRPG is exactly what it promises on the tin—but also slightly more chaotic in the best possible way.
This is a cosy LitRPG with a whimsical core, but what really made it stand out for me was how it leans into absurdity without losing its grounding. One moment you’re dealing with dungeon mechanics and progression systems, and the next you’re thinking about sweets, slimes, and a strangely comforting sense of building something out of the strange and dangerous. It’s light, but not empty.
There’s a really fun contrast at play here between the “cozy life” vibe and the fact that, at its core, it is still a dungeon setting. That blend works surprisingly well. It gives the story a playful energy, like it’s constantly winking at you while still quietly reminding you that this world can bite back if it wants to.
The progression elements are satisfying without becoming overwhelming. I liked that it doesn’t drown you in stats or systems—it keeps things readable and focused on the experience rather than turning into a spreadsheet. That said, I did occasionally want a bit more clarity or depth in how some mechanics evolved, especially as things started expanding.
What really carried this for me was the tone. It’s warm, slightly chaotic, and has that “found family in a weird dungeon situation” energy that makes it easy to keep reading. Even when not much is happening on a plot-heavy level, the vibe itself is engaging enough to hold attention.
If I had a critique, it’s that the stakes stay fairly soft throughout. It fits the cosy direction, but there were moments where I found myself wanting just a little more tension or consequence to balance out the comfort.

[Sarah Metcalf · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hazel wakes up and is told that she is in a dungeon until she can level and leave. She is offered a choice of weapons on a table, but Dave (the training satyr) has left his grilled cheese sandwich on the table. Hazel doesn't like fighting, so she grabs Dave's lunch as her weapon choice. Since it was on the table and the system core has been bored, he allows the grilled cheese to become her weapon and now the system is in a little bit of chaos as it adds a new class of adventurer for Hazel, a Culinary Mage, and has to come up with quests and rewards on the fly. The system may also have a tiny crush on Hazel adding in another small complication.
Hazel is such a likeable character. She doesn't like the idea of fighting to level up and starts off by doing things her way. She gathers friends like a magnet, both human and "monster". She's always happy and never gives up. She can't remember her past life, but baking is a muscle memory for her. The Dungeon Core/Cole is a great addition as well. He keeps evolving and seeing things from a new perspective as Hazel makes her way through the dungeon. I love the Slimes and they are such a cute and adorable addition to this story! But I think that the Daves really take the cake in this book. So rule driven and bothered by the change, but in the end they have a completely different outlook.
This was my first foray in LitRPG and it was a good introduction. I love cozy fantasy so this low stakes cozy world was right up my alley. It really was just like walking through a video game. I loved the world building and the focus on the food. I'll never not love focusing on food! I loved the way the quests were integrated into the book and the way that that everything was explained at the end.

[Beq Krauter · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received an advance review copy of Slime Sweets and Dungeon Treats, my very first ARC, and all opinions are my own.

I absolutely adored Slime Sweets and Dungeon Treats. This is one of those rare books that feels like being wrapped in a warm blanket fresh from the dryer while someone hands you a pastry still wearing a little crown of steam. ✨

Hazel is such a joy to follow. Her kindness never feels sugary or overdone. Instead, it ripples outward like pebbles dropped into a pond, quietly changing everything around her. Watching her interact with her slime companions was pure delight. Every slime had so much personality that I found myself grinning at the page like a delighted goblin in a bakery window.

What I loved most was that this is not just a cozy story about sweets and friendship, though it serves both in generous helpings. Beneath the frosting and dungeon dust, there is a beautiful story about building something better. Hazel does not simply arrive in a new world. She transforms it, one small act of care, courage, and cinnamon-scented stubbornness at a time.

The world itself feels rich and magical, like wandering through a lantern-lit market where every corner hides a new treasure. And yet the real magic is in the tenderness threaded through every page.

If you love cozy fantasy, found family, charming non-human companions, and stories that leave your heart glowing like a tiny tavern window on a rainy night, you need this book in your life. A complete delight from beginning to end. 🌙🍰🫧

[ech0reads · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Thank you to the author for kindly giving me an ARC.

This was such a lovely and fun cozy read. Hazel, upon being thrown into the starting level of a dungeon, decides her weapon of choice is going to be a half-eaten grilled cheese sandwich because she refuses to do harm. I loved her from the start. Aside from not wanting to harm the monsters in the dungeon, Hazel is the only one who questions the whole system. After bribing a cute slime with food, she proves that the monsters can be friendly, if they're shown kindness first. Hazel was incredibly brave to choose non-violence and to actively question what the rules of the dungeon are. Time and time again she goes against the grain, carving her own path through the dungeons, and setting up a cafe with her friendly slimes.

I also really loved Hazel's dynamic with sweet potato. It only takes one person to break the rules and go against what is usually done to cause other people to start questioning the system too. It becomes clear with the people Hazel meets that not everyone fits into the classes that already exist, not everyone excels at fighting, or even wants to fight.

The slimes and monsters that Hazel met along the way were all so incredibly adorable. I loved Matcha Tea the most, he was so cute. Also little strawberry.

I really liked the system of gaining skill points and levelling up was done. It was so authentic to how an rpg would be and it added to the cozy vibe.

[M Lowe · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a fun read! A cosy dungeon setting with adorable monsters and lots of baked goods created in a safe-space Cafe was the perfect place to lose myself for a few hours.

It had a 'finding your place' feel that I loved. That and found family are my favourite tropes and both were used in this story so it ticked major plot boxes for me.

Hazel as FMC was great. I really appreciated her wide stubborn streak and how she applied it to helping other characters become happier by finding the courage to make the choices that would help get them there. She was never malicious, seeing good in everyone, and slowly spreading her 'unusual' world view. That kind of feel good attitude makes reading an absolute pleasure for me.

The team she assembled around herself brought humour, genuine caring and authentic D and D style personalities. I particularly enjoyed the seamstress and blacksmith for the sheer honesty of their natures and blatant pleasure in unexpected change.

This is the first of this genre I've read so I have no idea if the twist at the end is representative of how other LitRPG's play out. I was initially uncomfortable with it but after some consideration can see how it makes sense in a world of levelling up by learning new skills and winning challenges.

I really did enjoy this story, finding myself happily immersed in the shenanigans on page and sharing Hazel's joy in each positive change enacted. I'm so glad this is the first in a new series by this author.

[Laura R · Rating 5 out of 5]

I would like to thank the author for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review.

When Hazel wakes up in a dungeon full of monsters and told to pick a weapon, she never could have realized that by choosing a sandwich would change literally everything. Because instead of rejecting this, the dungeon system creates a whole new class for her: Culinary Mage. As Hazel begins to go around, changing everyone’s views on the food here – and making friends with monsters along the way – the dungeon can’t help but become absolutely fascinated with the girl changing everything. Can Hazel really take on the dungeon with nothing but her cooking skills? Or was this little experiment doomed from the very beginning?

This was absolutely adorable and I loved every single second of it! Hazel was absolutely adorable and a complete ray of sunshine from beginning to end, and I loved the way that she went about cooking her way through her levels. There was a lot to take in as she discovered the world she found herself in, and I enjoyed the twists that we discovered. I loved the idea that the dungeon is absolutely fascinated by this girl and completely falls for her, and I was really hoping for spicy spice!!!! THAT BEING SAID, I liked the romance here and loved the way that the two of them came together. I am seriously looking forward to any sequels and literally everything else written by this author, because this was honestly a cozy story basically set in Maple Story but she’s a chef. And I loved it from beginning to end.

[Mollified.Moments · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hazel wakes up in a dungeon, gets told to pick a weapon and chooses a grilled cheese sandwich because she refuses to fight anything. The system rewards her chaotic decision with the class of Culinary Mage. She opens a cozy café in the middle of a dungeon, wins over slimes and fellow players with homemade treats and slowly builds the most wholesome found family you’ve ever seen.

I binged this in a day. A single day.

If you love DCC, The Wandering Inn, or similar LitRPGs but wish they had zero tension and maximum cozy vibes… this is your book. Sweet, fluffy, warm. The food magic, the cooking, the café, the gardening, the living trees, the side characters, the monsters. I adored every bit of it. Not one thing I didn’t like.

I always ask authors these days whether AI was used anywhere in their book before I start reading. The author was a total sweetheart about it… none, zero, here’s my cover artist too. And that cover art is absolutely freaking adorable. There’s also merchandise and yes I will be buying some.

Worth knowing going in: there’s a slight spiritual element that shows up later in the story. Usually my thing, but it comes in so gently that it genuinely didn’t bother me.

The romance is sweet. The found family is everything. Hazel is stubborn and kind and brave in the quietest most wholesome way and I loved her completely.

This one is a gem. Go read it. My physical copy cannot get here fast enough because this one is absolutely earning a spot on my shelf.

Thank you to Pandora Pierce and Book Sirens for the ARC. All opinions are my own.

[Shakella "The Singing Bibliophile" Gordon · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was so stinking cute! I have been obsessed with Dungeon Crawler Carl, so this was a welcome surprise. The cover does not reveal the story's premise beyond the slime cuties.

Hazel wakes up in a dungeon full of monsters that she must defeat in order to leave. She refuses to choose a weapon and instead opts for a grilled cheese sandwich. From here, this cozy, sentient world opens into a space of whimsy, emotion, and mild adventure. Because Hazel refuses to fall in line with what is considered the normal or expected path, the dungeon has to make changes on the fly, disrupting the entire system. She has now caught the attention of a very important person and has stressed one so completely that they have decided to take an extended vacation.

Yes, you get the common gaming lingo and the pop-up menus that come with gaming; however, this story has Cole, and Cole has a secret. Telling Hazel this secret could make or break the entire construct.

I love Pandora's writing. I was first introduced to her with Legends and Librians and absolutely fell in love. Her ability to create such detailed worlds and well-fleshed-out characters is a treat to those who crack the spines of her work.
This is honestly the sweetest, coziest story I have read in some time. I am so grateful for the opportunity to read and review this novel.

Thank you to Booksirens and Pandora Pierce for the opportunity to read this ARC and share my honest reading experience.

[Caroline (CozyBookTraveller) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Slime Sweets and Dungeon Treats is a hidden gem of a cozy fantasy. Because this book is both very cute and very cozy. Set in a RPG dungeon, after the main character Hazel refuses to hurt the dungeon creatures and instead chooses grilled cheese as her weapon, her journey in the dungeon turns into a cozy adventure with cooking and baking at its very heart. Because why choose violence, when you can choose delicious food?

I adore cute creatures, and as my 55 hours in Slime Rancher testifies to, slimes are no exception. And this book is filled with the most adorable slimes. They are the most cuddly little babies, and now I really want one as my real life companion. Combine them with culinary magic and found family vibes, and this book was like made for me. This is one of those books where I wonder why no-one has told me about it before I accidentally stumbled upon it myself. But I’m very happy that I did. Because this quick read was filled with the joy of enjoying things in life, not to mention wholesome and heartwarming interactions and relationships between the characters - human, slimes and everyone in-between. Fair warning though, you will get hungry while reading. Especially for grilled cheese

This was my first read in the LitRPG genre, and I’m looking forward to reading more about the slimes (and the humans of course).

[James Lehman · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was great from page one. I am a very big fan of Isekai stories and this one was one of the best this year. Without spoiling anything significant, the story starts with the main protagonist, a woman, by the name of Hazel. I have not read a lot of this genre that started with a character like this and at first I was unsure if I would enjoy it as much. The author does amazing job of setting up the look of this character and exactly what is going on in her mind. And boy does she have a lot going on in there! As Hazel stumbles through this new world she has been brought to, she makes decisions, that honestly, I have never really read before. I found myself completely enthralled by the world that Pandora Pierce had made for us. And I really hope that I am able to read the next installment of this book soon. Additionally, the author has two other series that I have every intention on going and reading. If you like Isekai, or even if you just like slimes, this is the series for you! And all the food sounds tempting as well, even the grilled cheese!

This book was given to me for free to review. My review is voluntary and my own thoughts. I did not receive compensation for this.

[K · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thanks to BookSirens for the ARC.

Off the bat, I'm obsessed with the premise of this book. RPGlit where the protagonist uses cooking instead of fighting? As a self-proclaimed kitchen witch who's already tried to make a D&D cleric whose entire thing is buffing through food, I cannot express how much I adored the concept of a culinary mage.

I thought the beginning of the novel was genuinely hilarious, and I love the slime characters so much. The way Hazel 'solves' battles is a delight to read, and the way the dungeon adapts to her is delightful.

It's almost a perfect cosy book.

My issue... Hazel's approach is to be nonviolent and save all the living things. Great, I love it. And then she calls a chicken she rescued from being eaten "Nugget", uses chicken bouillon to make soup, and laughs about eating chicken skewers. I don't get how someone can judge someone else for trying to eat a chicken, save it, and then happily go and see chickens as an ingredient or foodstuff later. I know that books don't often align with veganism and I understand that, living in a non-vegan world, this is inevitable, but this kind of cognitive dissonance reeeeaally irks me.

[Moonburst · Rating 5 out of 5]

When Hazel wakes up in a dungeon and is told to select her weapon, she selects a grilled cheese sandwich. Now, instead of fighting the monsters in the dungeon, she’s cooking her way as a culinary mage and befriending slimes. Unfortunately her unorthodox approach to the dungeon has long-reaching effects and chaos ensues.

Hazel is sweet but unwilling to stray from her personal morals and goals. As she strives to cook and improve the lives of both the monsters and adventurers around her, you can’t help but cheer for her. Other characters are nuanced with their own hopes and dreams, and Hazel’s determination to find another way to the end of the dungeon changes those around her. The changes to the dungeon and the characters are extremely well written and interesting to discover.

Slime Sweets and Dungeon Treats is an absolute delight of cozy LitRPG full of humor and heart. A great option for fans of Delicious in Dungeon and the I Ran Away to Evil series.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Atlas · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was my first time reading a LitRPG and I must say, I had a GREAT TIME with it. This was so fun and heartwarming. The whole book gave Delicious in Dungeon vibes and I loved it.

I feel like this at it's core was trying to convey that what works for some won't always work for all and that happiness is more important than the monotony of the grind. Also that even after years of the same thing, that sometimes change is necessary to make sure that everyone is thriving.

This book was sweet. The relationships, the characters, and even the monsters. I really enjoyed all of it. Hazel is a very passionate and warm character who isn't afraid to push the boundaries to make sure that she and everyone around her are thriving. I feel like we need more characters like that in general.

My only hang ups with this book are that there were a few moments that felt a bit all over the place and I have a few questions that I felt like were left unanswered. Even with those hang ups, I really really enjoyed this and could not recommend it more if you're into LitRPG's and cozy fantasy.

[Michael Wray · Rating 5 out of 5]

Disclaimer: I received an advance reader copy of this book for free, but my thoughts/rating remain my own.

If you want to know if you'll like this story, ask yourself if you like:
- Pacifist MC
- LitRPG (but not too crunchy)
- Cozy
- Befriending monsters
- Subverting the Dungeon Master's plans
- CHAOS!

If you said yes to most or all of those, you should check out Slime Sweets and Dungeon Treats. The main character's antics are entertaining and her dedication to finding peace and happiness in an environment designed to push people through conflict is just a delight. She's a cinnamon roll MC in such a fun way and every time she does something that leads to "Wait, you can't do that. She can't do that, can she?" vibes from other characters it is hilarious. Even when Unexpected Consequences occur, the pluck and grit our gal Hazel displays is satisfying and encouraging. I think I'd like to be a bit more like Hazel in my real life.

[Delphia Von Heeder · Rating 5 out of 5]

Slime Sweets and Dungeon Treats is Book 1 in the Slime Sweets Series, A Cozy Lit R P G by Pandora Pierce. I know this book was going to be light hearted and full of humor when Hazel woke up in a Dungeon and chose a grilled cheese sandwich as her weapon of choice. Hazel became a Culinary Mage! From the baby slime, Jellybean, to the adventures she met, I found this fantasy to be so enjoyable. Hazel turns this Dungeon up side down meeting every challenge with food….who else would use food to battle a fire breathing chicken? The dungeon's name is Dungeon of Eternal Embers. The author has written wonderful characters full of whimsical battles and a dash of romance. The author masterfully takes the story and does a big twist and surprise that I did not see coming! I can't wait to read book 2 and see where the next adventure takes me. I received an arc for free and am leaving my review voluntarily.

[Kayla Lowder]

I was able to be an ARC reader for this story and what a sweet treat it was, so to speak. If you're looking for a cozy story in the style of a dungeon crawler this is exactly the story for you.

The main character Hazel is refreshingly optimistic and positive in a way that doesn't seem delusional or over the top. The cast of characters we meet that are malleable (quite literally in some instances in the case of the slimes) to her ways of doing things that are fundamentally at odds with the dungeon itself are charming and likeable.

There is a bit of an unexpected twist that adds a layer of entertainment you might not have been anticipating to the story as a whole and it ends in a manner that leaves everything open to more, which I would love to see. The adventures of Hazel, her friends and the dungeon was enjoyable, cozy and brightened my day each time I read it. I recommend this story to anyone who is looking for something happy and hopeful to read in the style of that genre.