This book was a light, quick, and enjoyable read that was entertaining at the time, but did not leave a lasting impression on me as a reader.
Cupid’s Match is a modern representation of Greek mythology with Cupid embodied as a matchmaking service that matches people together that were meant to fall in love. What fuels the plot of the whole book is that Cupid is matched with a human which is a big no no in their world.
I feel like character development in Cupid’s Match was simply okay. I feel like the characters were a bit one-dimensional as the only characters that seem to have any character development or growth are Cupid and Lila and their growth only revolves around their relationship. The rest of the side characters were as hollow as cardboard, as we were given slight cues of who they are as a person, and the rest of the book, the character fails to stray from the “guidelines” set in our first interaction with the character.
I feel like the relationship in this book as cute, it was a bit instalovey, but I liked how the relationship developed throughout the book and it wasn’t like the first 50 pages she fell in love with him. I think this is one of the better developed relationships I have read in books, because though it wasn’t perfect and was cheesy at times, I could see the attraction between the two.
I really enjoyed the world that was set in the book and it was very different from the interpretations of Greek mythology that I am used to. After the creation of Percy Jackson I feel like it was hard to get a creative and fresh take on Greek mythology, but I believe the author did a good job in setting up this world and making it easy but interesting for the reader to understand.
Overall, I believe this book deserved 3 stars, because though it was a light and enjoyable read, there was nothing about it that particularly stood out to me.

at first i was a bit iffy about it being a wattpad story but the story was so well done. the plot for this book was so unique i really enjoyed it.

the title Cupid's Match was pretty self explanatory but what it doesn't tell you is that Cupid's cannot be matched and apparently that's A Very Big Deal. The book follows Lila, a normal teenager that finds out she's been matched with Cupid! Ensue the drama!

this book was such a page turner, i had to keep reading to see what would happen next. it was so exhilarating! all the characters were so great. i loved Cupid SO much, he was so funny.

def recommend this book if you love Cupid and (semi) mythological stories.

This was such a fun and light read! Cupid himself has been love matched, but it turns out that's forbidden.

The story kept me hooked and I finished it in 2 days. The Greek mythology in this book is fast and loose, but it's a fun interpretation.

Although I have a few lingering questions, I still really enjoyed this fun story.

Slightly Spoilery Questions:
(How did the forbidden match get set in motion? Why was Cal angry like ALL the time? Why did Lila like Charlie so much? Why/how did Cupid have a mansion in the middle of a nowhere town he had just moved to?)

This was a really great story. I was immediately engaged in this book and I could not put it down! My only issue was that the ending was not at all good. I was really disappointed by it.

I have never heard of this author before and I am always open to new ones! Thank you netgalley for introducing me to this book!

**Disclaimer: I was given a free e-book of this book in exchange for an honest review from NetGalley.**

Title Cupid’s Match

Author Lauren Palphreyman

Release Date October 1, 2019

Description from Amazon

Lila Black doesn’t believe in matchmaking, let alone soul mates. So then why is she constantly being hassled by the Cupids Matchmaking Service? But this gilded, cherub-bedecked dating agency isn’t exactly what it seems . . . and it’s about to turn Lila’s entire world upside down.

It turns out that Cupids Matchmaking is the real deal. As in, it’s run by actual cupids―who don’t look at all like they do in the paintings―and they have a serious problem with Lila’s “match.” Because this guy shouldn’t be in the system. He shouldn’t have a match. And while he’s irresistibly hot, he’s also incredibly dangerous. Because Lila’s true love match is Cupid. The original bad boy of love. And he wants her.

Now Lila’s once-normal teenaged world has exploded into a mythological nightmare overrun by crime-lord sirens, wrathful cupid hit men, magic arrows that cause no end of trouble, and a mischievous, not-so-angelic love god she can’t seem to stop herself from falling for . . .

Initial Thoughts

I normally don’t read books with modern times as the setting (I prefer fantasy settings), but when I saw that this book had over 50 million reads on Wattpad, I had to apply on NetGalley. The premise sounded like a cute story and I do like mythology.

Some Things I Liked

Mythology – I loved the different myths and creatures that are characters in this story. I thought the modernizations were a little cheesy at times, but overall, I enjoyed the use of these characters.
Banter between characters – I thought the dialogue was witty and fun and I really enjoyed it.
Series value – I can easily see this book developing into more

One Thing I Wasn’t Crazy About

Brand name dropping was unrealistic – I am not a fan of brand name dropping in fictional works and it seemed completely crazy that high school kids were driving crazy expensive cars and live in mansions.

Series Value

I really liked all of the characters used in this book and I think there were tons of openings for more stories. Examples include, the Minotaur and Crystal’s backstory in Whitechapel, Cupid and Cal’s father (I think I know who that would be, but I can easily see another book about him), a spin-off about Cal, I could go on and on. There is so much potential here and I would definitely read more.

Final Thoughts

I thought this was a cute story. The story was a little rushed near the end, but overall, I enjoyed it. I liked the concepts and the characters. Some parts were a little over the top, but in general, I think it’s a nice story and I would continue reading the series (if it becomes a series).

⭐⭐⭐⭐

Recommendations for Further Reading

Flawed by Becky Bird – if you enjoyed the setting, and banter between the characters, definitely check out this new release from Becky Bird.
The Prince by Jillian Dodd – if you liked the over-the-top elements of this book, give this series by Jillian Dodd a try. There are no fantasy elements, but it’s still an equally fun series.
The Charlotte Holmes Series by Brittany Cavallaro – if you enjoyed the nods to other fictional works and the setting in Cupid’s Match, give this series a try. (I consider Sherlock to be mythological in his own way 😉)

This book was really good. I love mythology and enjoyed reading the incorporation of Cupid’s myth in modern day times. The story starts off with a girl who receives letters from a dating service and finds out that she has been matched with the god of Love himself, Cupid. She finds herself in the middle of battle between a group called the arrows who will stop at nothing to see her away from Cupid. This book had a lot of plot twists and kept me hooked the entire time. I loved the character dynamics and hope to read more soon soon

I'm usually not a YA reader bc I like some steam with my books BUT I love this book. It's funny, cute, action packed and I'm an absolute sucker for Greek and Roman mythology so yeah. Long story short read this book even if you're not a fan of YA books.

3.5/5

Very enjoyable, though I could really tell it was a Wattpad story before it turned into a book.

I liked Lila and Cupid together, but for some reason, I also felt like it was too good to be true. I'm not the biggest fan of Insta-love and that's exactly what this book is about. The premise was good, but the execution lacked a little. Like I said, I can really tell it was a Wattpad story before.

I can't say I completely agreed with the entire mythological aspect of this book, but then again, I'm a really big mythology nerd and I happen to know the myths that were used in this book. It wasn't all that accurate, but it's not overly disturbing.

It was a fun read overall and I definitely recommend if you're looking for a light, summery read about Cupid and insta-love.

Thanks to NetGalley, I received ”Cupid’s Match” in an kindle book format to give my honest opinion on it!
I won't be giving spoilers just because I want everyone to enjoy this book just as much as I did.
Cupid’s Match is a Wattpad original and I had the pleasure to read it before Lauren was published! But I wanted to re-read this ”Wattpad Classic” and see if it still remained one of my favorites now that it's being published.

First off, the synopsis!
”When seventeen-year-old Lila Black goes to the LA based Cupids Matchmaking Service it is to tell them to stop spamming her. Instead she finds out that cupids are real, she has been identified as the ‘match’ of the banished, dangerous (and irresistibly attractive) Cupid himself, and that due to an administrative error he will be arriving at her high school tomorrow.
The organization assigns one of their Matchmaking Agents, Cal, to hide her from him, but despite his efforts she finds herself increasingly drawn to her match. And though Cupid may be reckless and arrogant, he doesn’t seem nearly as dangerous as people have been telling her.
She soon discovers that the Matchmaking Service will go to deadly lengths to make sure the match doesn’t take place, that Cupid may have a secret agenda, and that she must fight her growing feelings for him; because if the two get together, Lila may not survive the consequences.
When the inevitable happens Lila finds herself caught alongside Cupid and Cal, in a fight for her life, on one side of an Ancient battle over Love itself.”

Going into this book not so blindly, I knew what I was getting myself into. Believe it or not, I think rereading this book rekindled my love for it.
I use to be such a Cal girl for the longest time and had a love/hate relationship with Cupid. BUT, I can now say I'm a Cupid girl!
For sure, like from another review I saw just recently, Cal and Cupid are the new Damon and Stefen from the Vampire Diaries.
And I HATED The Vampire Diaries books. (the show was actually better.)

I DO however hated the whole high school scene. I find books that take place in High School to be rather annoying, but I can't put that as a con for reading this book.
A con I would have to say, is I wished Lauren took a little more time on this book. It was fast paced and I found myself lost sometimes. Other than that, this was a great second AND edited reread. I still can’t find much to tell you what’s bad about this book. I just loved it that much, in fact, I think the characters are even making me say love a little more than usual. I love (well there it is again!) supporting my fellow Wattpad authors, and Lauren did such a great job getting to this point and I'm extremely happy for her.

Cupid's Match hits bookshelves this October 1st, 2019. I highly recommend this read to anyone who enjoys romance and mythology. Congrats on your new published book Lauren Palphreyman! And have a great time reading this one folks!

Solely based on its blurb, this book could’ve been great. And while “Cupid’s Match” wasn’t horrible per se, it wasn’t good either.

Part of my problem with this book was the writing. It felt juvenile and fanfic-y, and overall, it just wasn’t what I’d expect from a published author.
My other issue were the characters. I wasn’t a big fan of any of them, but I strongly disliked Cupid. I found him to be especially unlikable. And not in a good way where the character acts like a "badboy“ but is secretly quite nice. Just unlikable.

Overall: interesting idea, but flawed execution.

I really really enjoyed this book. It was quick, interesting, and well written. It had all the feel good feelings and some good fantasy and mythology as well! it was the perfect book to read when needing something easy and entertaining. I loved the characters and definitely hope to see more of them! if you liked the sweet evil series by Wendy Higgins you may love this one too!

4.5. Wow there are a lot of passionate opinions about this book. I thought it was a great YA read, especially considering it came from Wattpad, and I really enjoyed the fresh take on love, cupid, and other figures from myth. Essentially, Cupid is a real being, and is the original of a "dating" service that sends cupids everywhere to make matches happen. But there's a rule. NO CUPID CAN EVER BE MATCHED. And of course, our protagonist, Lila, is Cupid's match. There's action, a potential for Lila caught between Cupid and his brother (which I'm really hoping leads to a second book, possibly even a third if we get Crystal and the Minotaur's story), steamy romance (although tame enough to be considered YA still), and a climactic end scene that neatly wraps up the story. I really enjoyed this for what it was, and would definitely read more by this author.

Once a week I scroll through Netgalley to see what titles they're offering and then I allow myself to request one title. (Unless I still have books from Netgalley to review, of course.) And after scrolling past this title for a few times, I noticed that it kept on drawing my attention. So, last week I requested this book and a few days later I already got the e-mail telling me that I got it!

And this morning, when I started reading, it felt like love at first sight. I read half of the book in one go, then took a short break and then read the rest. That was partly possible because it's very nicely written. The English is easy, but never become childish, and flows nicely and the writing style really fits the characters.

But, it's mostly because the plot is just very amusing and well done. The main characters, Lila, Cal and Cupid, are very nicely written. They're flawed, have personalities and Palphreyman really takes the time to build their relationships, to connect them, to click their personalities. I would have loved to see a little more of Cal, but I guess that him being slightly reserved is a big part of his personality. With Cupid it was sort of love at first sight, especially because he has this little bad boy vibe, without actually being one.

And then there's the plot. The plot has a lovely pace. We enter the story straight into the action and just like Lila we discover bit by bit what's really going on and what's really happening. Every new piece of information gets the time to sink in, but Palphreyman keeps adding new twists and turns and has a nice mix of emotional and calm scenes and more action driven ones.

In the finale there's more mythology thrown into the mix. For me that could have come earlier, especially because it's very well done, and I would have loved to see way more of all those well known creatures and monsters and anti-heroes. But, there will be more books, so maybe those will satisfy that need! I can't wait to read them!

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

The synopsis of this book sounded promising and the story line had a lot of potential, but the execution left me disappointed.
If I had to describe this book in one single word, I would use 'rushed'. From the romance, to the plot, to the world building, to the conclusion, everything simply felt hurried.

The world building was weak. I was constantly filled with questions and confusion as to how the world of cupids worked. By the end of the story, I still had many questions left unanswered. Perhaps there will be a sequel that will fill in all of these gaps, but I think the first book should have wrapped itself up nicer on its own.
The ending as a whole was too abrupt. They were in the middle of a battle and then Lila suddenly blacks out as she makes an attack, and when she wakes up, everything is fixed. And then the book is just over. Again, perhaps leaving the reader hanging was intentional if there is a sequel coming out and the author wants us to be left with questions and curiosity to continue reading the series.

The romance between Lila and her boyfriend at the beginning of the story felt weird. She seemed to be in love with him, but within a couple of days of meeting Cupid, she never wants to see him again. It made sense to end their relationship based on the recent events, but ending their long-term friendship seemed unnecessary and unrealistic to me.

Cupid's character honestly felt a bit inconsistent to me. When we were first introduced to him near the beginning of the novel, I was certainly intrigued. He was hilarious, mysterious, and very attractive. He reminded me of the typical "bad boy" love interest from paranormal YA fiction, which I liked. I was so sure that I was going to fall in love with him and I began to, with dialogue like this:
“You didn’t sleep much?” he asks as he swaps in another mug and presses the button again. When I shake my head, he nods knowingly. “Too busy thinking about me, I’d guess,” he says. “I don’t blame you, I am pretty dreamy.”
Unfortunately, it didn't last all that long. His lines quickly became painfully cheesy and he somehow often felt like an entirely different character.
He looks at me intensely. “I’d battle a Roman legion to get to dance with you.”
Cupid and Lila definitely has some chemistry when they first met, but after that their relationship felt extremely rushed and unbelievable. I think that a few more scenes between the two of them could have added a lot to the story.

There was also a love triangle sort of thing in the book that felt really random to me. Lila suddenly seemed to have feelings for somebody other than Cupid, and it just didn't make sense, in my opinion.

However, all these things aside, the book was somewhat enjoyable. It was entertaining, even if confusing and rushed at times. The mythology aspect was interesting and there was some fun banter between characters. I think the premise was really cool, but it could have used another round of revisions for a stronger story.
If you're looking for a really well developed paranormal story, this probably isn't the one of you. If you simply want a a quick and entertaining story involving mythology and cupids, you might want to give this one a try.

When high schooler Lila starts receiving letters from a matchmaking service that she never signed up for she goes to the service headquarters and finds out she’s been matched with Cupid himself. Cupid’s Match definitely sounded fun to read from the synopsis and a little different from all that is out there in the YA world but, overall the execution was lacking. There were parts in the story that where great and then there were parts that felt choppy. The story has so much potential but the characters did not develop and there is so many questions left unanswered at the end, so I guess it’s a good thing there are more books to come in the series. I give this book 3 stars.
I was provided with an electronic ARC by the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for honest review.

Thanks to Netgalley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I really like mythology, so I had to read this book. It is very original and the characters are great.
I was slightly disappointed by the ending for several reasons:
- We only then saw Medusa, Pandora etc. but I feel like they could've done more for the story.
- Suddenly everyone can get a second match, which wasn't before, but it isn't really explained how and why. I mean, I think it's because of Venus being gone, but I would've liked to hear more about that.
- We don't know who Lila's going to end up with.

Favorite line:
''What is a fairytale without a monster to defeat?''

Overal I really enjoyed reading this book, but it's a 3-star for me.

Thank you net galley for the advance reader copy of this novel. This was a contemporary romance with elements of greek/roma N mythology. I enjoyed this book overall and can see the appeal to percy Jackson fans. I did find the storyline a bit difficult to follow and felt there were points of dialog or plot reveal moments that were missing. The ending felt a bit rushed and open ended for Lila and Cal. Overall a decent read.

I was lucky enough to be able to read an ERAC of this story from Netgalley. What a really unique and interesting novel.

Cupid’s around the world are running a lovematching service and helping humans find their true love. But what would happen if a Cupid was matched with a human-especially when it is THE Cupid?

Well if you would like to know, read this story. I love how the author incorporated many other myths into this as well as all the twists and turns the characters took.

My only slight disappointment of this book is that a bit more details and side stories could really help it flow a bit more smoothly.

So this book was amazing! The characters were great and can I just say that Cupid is that one hot guy in high school that everyone wants to date because is just a little mysterious. Cliche I know but it totally worked in this book and you don't even mind it. The way the myths were represented and how they all meshed together was definitely unique and I loved reading this book. I love how this isn't your typical girl meets bad boy and falls in love. This story while there is romance, it has way more action/fantasy/ adventure than romance is truly different from a lot of mythological retelling books that I have ever read (and I've read alot of them).