- Theme: A Greek Mythology high-school romance with a dark undertone of ruthless ancient beings.
- Nature of Review: I was provided with an ARC by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review- all opinions expressed are my own.
- Release Date: Cupid’s Match is being published by Wattpad Books, a new publishing company from the online writing website Wattpad, and is set to release October 1, 2019! I also have a review for another one of their upcoming books, The QB Badboy and Me here!
- Warnings: Violence, language, generally standard YA themes!
There is nothing more powerful or sadistic than love.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
Lila has been trying to have a stable life since her mother passed away, walking through life with her sweet boyfriend and childhood best friend by her side. The last thing she wants is to keep getting these creepy letters from Cupids Matchmaking Service, saying she has a potential match and needs to be seen by a cupid representative immediately. Except Lila didn’t ask for the Cupids services, and their unsolicited opinions are getting excessive.
Little does Lila know that Cupids are real- yes, the little guys that fly around shooting soulmates with arrows, except they are anything but harmless. And Lila has been matched with the most dangerous of them all, the original Cupid himself.
Don’t let the guise of a forbidden romance fool you- Cupid’s Match is filled with so much more. Enter a world where mythology hides in the shadows of our own, filled with vengeful Gods (and demi-gods), meddling Cupids, addictive sirens, murdering monsters, action-packed battle scenes, puzzling quests, tested friendships, and the hardest lesson of all- what is the cost of true love?
If soul mates are real and I’m matched with someone callus and cold and reckless, what does that say about my soul?
I always automatically start with what I loved about a book, and this will be no different! I’m a sucker for paranormal romance (is mythology considered ‘paranormal’?🤔), so I was along for the ride from the first page, even when I thought that was all this novel had to offer. Surprise surprise (no sarcasm intended), much like all the best novels, the story just got more and more complex as the plot developed, taking the romance label by the hand and almost losing it in all the side-themes.
The characters were all fairly developed, and definitely unique in both personality and voice. You didn’t love every character, and you didn’t always love the heroes, either. The reactions that the characters had to plot lines and dialogue were natural and realistic, and although this is a magical story, I never once excused any part of the story to it simply because it was magic, and “anything can happen”.
“How strange is it then,” he whispers into my ear, “that I, Cupid, should be the one to find you.”
The way this story added more and more myths as it went on was so entertaining! It added a dark side to the story bringing deadly beings to life in the real world. It was super creative in all the plot twists, and no one can say that this book wasn’t completely original and it kept you guessing at what happened next. There was hardly a dull moment, and the slow burn romance was nicely paced to allow these other elements to shine, although, I must go on to say…
There were some points that I disliked, and that kept it from a full five stars (for me, personally). I’ll start on the romance topic, since we are here already. I wished there was more. Plain and simple. I wanted more of a tension-filled romance with more attraction, more steam, and I thought the romance was kind of just there sometimes.
There is a slight love triangle, but I was also confused as to why that happened, since the other love-interest had no real reason (that was explained) to care so much about Lila, even going so far as to having an awful experience with love in the past that didn’t seem to affect his feelings at all. And, there was some eyerolling with the hero/happily ever after moments that I thought were ridiculous by the end of the story, since there is such a dark undertone most of the novel. The one thing I found was super realistic, though, was the relationship between Lila and her boyfriend, and how the tension of the cupids affected them and turned even more trouble into the romance plot.
“They shot me with two arrows, tried to make me a killer, and took my friend. I won’t betray you, Lila.”
Also, there were a few times I had a problem with Charlie’s character (Lila’s best friend). I loved the story arc she went through, and loved her as a side character, but I couldn’t help but find some things just so irrigating about her. Mainly, how when certain things happen, and she is more worried about a cupid she just met as opposed to her lifelong best friend, despite the circumstances. At times, her behavior was justified. Other times, not so much. 🤷🏻♀️
I know there is more than one book, as I added them to my library on Wattpad, but I wish there was less than a happily ever after ending. There were so many characters, so many twists and turns introduced, that the whole storyline could have been extended into multiple books. There could have been a bigger build up, more suspense, a more difficult ending. Also, the ending was so open that it felt unfinished- but that could be because I’m a selfish reader and want all the answers, especially if this turns out to be a stand alone.
“She had this wild, adventurous heart deep down, and she always used to talk about seeing the world. But she never did it…”
“I think you have a wild and reckless heart, Lila,” he says, finally. “Like your mom.”
Overall, Cupid’s Match was a perfect story to cozy up to and it was easy to go along for the ride. I was sucked in from the very beginning, and ended up being pleasantly surprised throughout nearly the entire story. I thought it could have been a but more of a mysterious, puzzling read with a satisfying ending, but I recommended this book none the less, just as a light read. Cupid’s Match brought all the mythological nightmares to the table, and created a world where love is not so easily earned. If you enjoy myths, paranormal romance, and the idea of fighting for true love, Cupid’s Match is for you.
*all quotes were taken from Cupid’s Match and are in no way my own, nor are they guaranteed to be the same in published drafts of the novel. They are used purely for personal use and peer-promotion and not for business use.
Bookish Bex 