Greek gods meets modern love, what could be better?

Many thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the advanced copy of the book.

Review in progress and to come.

I received a free copy of this book via NetGalley and am voluntarily leaving a review

I received a copy of this story from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

DNF: 23%

I love all ancient mythology and the characters. I was hoping this would be the start of a great series that breathes new life into some of my favorites.

Unfortunately, I couldn't keep reading.

First, everything moves quickly even though nothing really happens. Second, it seems to strive for campy but comes across as ridiculous and absurd. Third, the point of view switches within a chapter and that's just lazy storytelling. And how are we supposed to believe that Cupid hooks up with a mortal within mere hours of being on Earth?! It wasn't even good.

Nothing in me cared for this portrayal of the characters. The tension between Cupid and Pan is forced and awkward. Oh, and should we talk about the consent issues created by Cupid's "charisma"?

This just isn't worth my time.

💘Whimsical plot, fun characters👍

4.5🌟 stars
Fast pace, humor and an appropriately warm and fuzzy romantic HEA made this a quick, fun read. Yes, there's a lot of innuendo and some steamy shenanigans, but those, for me, were secondary to the best threads:

- the close bond between Cupid and his long-lost friend Pan;
- Cupid's adjustment to everyday modern life (including video games, learning to drive and the ubiquitous cell phone); and
- Cupid's bittersweet love story: a punishment for his bad behavior on Mount Olympus.

I particularly adored the children who lit up the story with their innocence, trust and affectionate adoption of Cupid into their home and hearts.

I thought the author did a very nice job of mixing the Greek god part of the story with the human drama. I mean, it's a prime example of the age-old tendency for Greek gods to manipulate humans for their own amusement or petty feuds. In this case, Cupid has done wrong to Cerberus and a group of gods conspire to make him suffer. They don't expect him to get some enjoyment from the exercise, but Pan guides Cupid, aka Q, through the delights of modern living and loving. And commiserate when Cupid learns the pain of unrequited love.

By the end, I was really feeling for Pan and Cupid in a way that traditional Greek myth tales never move me. Greenberg makes them come alive as living, breathing, flawed but lovable characters. I definitely would like to read more from her pen about their adventures.

Thanks to the publishers and NetGalley for sharing a complimentary advance copy of the book; this is my voluntary and honest opinion.

This was a cute book starring Cupid and Pan and how Cupid finds a way to deal with his punishment after starting trouble on Mount Olympus and being sent to Earth. Overall a very cute book, although there should be something flagging it LGBTQ considering some scenes between Pan and Cupid that were a little questionable/steamy. Looks like it will be part of a series, so it appears that while Cupid did complete his task, his punishment may not be over yet.

Just one note: I read a lot of review talking about Greek mythology: Cupid, Eros, Anteros are amongst the most complex character of the Classic mythology and, as far as I remember, Cupid is the Latin version of Eros.
That said I had fun and enjoyed the humour and the plot. It's a light romance and it kept me hooked and entertained.
Recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this arc, all opinions are mine

Thank you to Independent Book Publishers Association (IBPA), Members' Titles and NetGalley for the ARC of this novel. This was a cute romp with Cupid being sent to Earth as punishment for being overly mischievous. He now has a mission to find the right love for a Worthy deemed by his mother with assistance from Pan. I enjoyed the shifting perspectives to see how Aphrodite and Pan and Cupid are all feeling with this new normal and adjustment to Earth. I saw there are three more in this series and I may seek them out to see how this ends since I do enjoy the story of Cupid and Psyche. The author has a great grasp on Greek mythology and really kept the personalities close to the traditional while allowing for growth. 4 stars.

This book had a very promising premise in Greek mythology and I was quite excited to start reading it. It opened with a family tree explaining the relations between significant gods and goddesses and in the first few chapters alone there was a lot of name-dropping which got me excited.

Unfortunately most of the book was just a romance novel with a slight inspiration of mythology included, like a theme night at a bar where it’s very light-touch. The story was quite crass and had very cringey overt descriptions of sexual encounters using language that wasn’t very sexy or mature. I did a double-take and had to check that the book wasn’t written by a man and secondly that this wasn’t intended for a young adult audience.

I think if this was just general romance/soft erotica genre then it would be all well and good and I appreciate that this book has been well-received by majority of readers. I however picked this up on the basis of it being “sci-fi/fantasy” which I suppose it 100% is, but didn’t expect it to be more like a young adult novel rather than one for adults ie dealing with some more serious themes and being a bit more subtle with the romance / erotica element.

In the end I couldn’t finish the book even though I really tried to. If anyone is wanting to read this because of other Greek mythology novels such as Circe then you will be very disappointed. But if you are a romance fanatic into easygoing in-your-face reads then go ahead you will love it.

Reviewed as part of NetGalley ARC.

Wow! I really enjoyed this one. It was a really lighthearted read- definitely not War and Peace but it reminded me that I was allowed to actually like reading. Around 75% in I was losing interest but by the end, I was back to never wanting it to finish. Definitely interested in the sequel.

Honestly, this felt like it was written by a teenage boy. Everything focused on the male genitalia and the quest to get laid (and it didn't matter where or by whom). While there were some redeeming qualities, like the main character finally coming to the realization that love is more than just sexual compatibility, it wasn't enough to offset the unrelenting focus on what was going on between his legs.

Thank you to Beth C. Greenberg, Isotopia Publishing, and NetGalley for the advance review copy.

This book was fabulous. I loved it. The story was so good and I loved every moment of this romance. This is a must read!
I just reviewed First Quiver by Beth C. Greenberg. #FirstQuiver #NetGalley
[NetGalley URL]

Absolutely adorable take on Cupid and Greek mythological. Pan and Cupid have great chemistry and are both such lovable characters. The story is a cute quick read with spicy scenes mixed in. Would definitely read the next one in the series!

This book was exactly what I needed; lighthearted, hilarious, a little spicy, and also a little heartbreaking. I mean we have a romance where Cupid has been kicked out of Mount Olympus (turns out making Hera and Zeus mad is a bad idea) and his punishment is.. well cruel. He is doomed to fall in love with a women then help her find the perfect man for her. Just heartbreaking.

Along the way we get to see Cupid finally be reunited with his best friend and adjust to life in the mortal realm. This leads to so many funny scenes, especially as Cupid adjusts to his mortal body. I wasn’t too sure about his character in the beginning, mostly because adjusting to his body means that our boy is constantly horny, but he ultimately won me over.

I read this in one sitting and definitely recommend it to anybody who wants a good, fast paced read. Thank you to NetGalley and the author for an eARC of this book. This is my honest review.

Cupid gets a well deserved lesson in the affairs of 5he heart. A conspiracy of his fellow gods provides a chuckle worth a belly laugh. The ending is endearing and well presented.

First Quiver by Beth C. Greenberg

Cupid, better known as Q the 3375 year old virgin of Mount Olympus, found himself banished and send to
earth to get some of his own medicine after sending his arrow to the wrong rump.

The story takes you on a journey alongside Q, where he needs to learn the ways of humans, from driving
wearing of clothes, the food, and especially falling in love
Q is irresistible to all woman, and looses his virginity on the 1st day on earth.

Q quickly discovers what the consequences are when it comes to his arrows and falling in love, when he
falls head over heals for someone, but soon discovers that her feelings are not the same towards him.
He realizes that he should try and find her true love, and by doing that he should also let her go.

This story is a modern take on Greek mythology. The author supplies enough info (and a list of characters) to allow anyone to enjoy the story. Definitely a Fun and fresh read

I was excited for this book based on the premise. Unfortunately I didn’t love it as much as I had hoped and felt the writing wasn’t quite to a standard I was hoping.
The story itself was fun but the book wasn’t as much of an enjoyable read as I would expect.

The gods are punishing Cupid by making him go down to Earth and to try out the arrows of love for himself. Falling in love hurts quite a bit if your feelings aren't reciprocated. Cupid meets Mia, falls in love with her, falls a little bit love with her kids too. but his fate is to find Mia her true love. Pan

What I liked: It's about time, I think Cupid deserves to suffer a bit after all the damage he's done. The world of the gods is interesting and detailed, and it's fun to follow Cupid as he learns about all the things in the human world that he wasn't aware of. Did you know Aphrodite worries if she's raised Cupid to be a mama's boy, and that Hephaestus is a messy eater? Pan and Cupid have some conflicted feelings about each other as well. Mia's family feels real.

This is nicely written and well edited. The book contains various explicit scenes of uncommitted sex, and while I understand that's what a lot of Greek gods were like, sometimes I felt that a little less description would have sufficed. I lost interest in the book somewhere in the middle and read a ton of other things before finishing this. When I returned to reading it I enjoyed the rest a lot more than the beginning when Cupid is concerned about getting Mia her true love. It's not that I'm opposed to sex in books but the not-sex was more fun than the sex.

The best line: "This is my friend Pan. Pan, say hi to Jonah."
"Pan, like pancakes?" the boy asked, his eyes opening wide.

What I didn't like as much: As it's only the first part of a series about Cupid and his troubles didn't get sorted yet, it doesn't feel like there's any real resolution here.

The heat level: Both Pan and Cupid like to fancy themselves irresistible to all, although their sex appeal is dependent on the whims of their divine overseers.

I read a digital review copy from Netgalley, and I'm leaving a voluntary honest review.

A really cute and fun debut, I loved it. I love that the characters are from mythology, but it has a more modern twist, the characters are so likeable, it’s just a great read.

Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for a free copy for an honest opinion

First Quiver
By Beth Greenberg
🌟🌟🌟🌟
Pub Date 26 jan 2021
Such a great read I loved Cupid character he was funny romantic in ways. The writing style in this book is easy to understand and easy to connect with the characters. The cover so beautiful I was hooked from page one such a perfect love comedy i can wait to read more in this series this is book one in a series you enjoy with so many twist as well you enjoy x

love this book so much! A totally unique and fun story. I love that the characters are from classic mythology, with Cupid and Pan as the central figures. That’s where the similarities to mythology end though, because this plot isn’t anywhere in standard mythology books.
This is the debut novel of Beth C. Greenberg, and the first in a four book series. I can’t wait to get the next one. I think this author’s writing is fantastic. From the first page I was hooked, and the words on the page morphed into a movie playing in my head.

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and the author for the free digital copy for review purposes