This was amazing!

"Lovestruck" was about a teenager being truthful with not just herself but with everyone around her.

It took all of the myths and legends of Gods, not just Greek Gods but Norse and many other kinds, and turns them all on their heads. The gods were humanized in this story and were made relatable and equal. Artemis and Apollo acted like siblings. Huge, potential-world-destroying siblings but siblings none the less.

Kali was the quintessential teenager. She, despite being a god, was jealous and petty and ignored her friends to have more time with her boyfriend. But in the end, she was a god. She needed to decide whether to let her mortal boyfriend go or not.

In that aspect, the story was the same as so many others. It was about a girl loving two boys(yes there's a love triangle, but it's a good one) and deciding who she loved more.

In all the other aspects, it was awe inspiring. The characters, the background. The relationships between all the gods were amazing. Kate Watson did an amazing job creating a family feel between all of the gods that appeared in the book. Artemis acted like the Goddess of the Hunt and a disgruntled little sister that is way too overprotected. Apollo acted like the vengeful God of the Sun and like an idiotic big brother that loved his little sister way too much.

The different looks into the variations of the myths were so fascinating. Ms. Watson was in her element gathering all of the legends and injecting them into the story.

I loved it.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC. This book was written in such a way that you kind of needed a background on Greek mythology prior to reading it, which I didn’t have. I didn’t think the writer developed the protagonist well; I just couldn’t get attached to her. Not my favorite, but I’d try more books by this author.

I received the e-ARC through NetGalley for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Kali, 16 years old cupid and daughter of The God of Love Eros is really problematic. She couldn't match anyone with proper responsibility. One of the very few rules of the love god was to never struck yourself with an arrow. But Kali accidentally struck herself when she was about to match cute indie bass player Benicio with someone else. That's how a greek goddess fell in love with a mortal. But that's not the only thing here. The real problem is she can't reverse the spell and will have to spend eternal life with Ben which she doesn't want at one point.

What I disliked about this book was it was very slow at first few chapters. I had a hard time proceeding with it. Kali seemed selfish and immature to me. At few part of the story author couldn't describe properly. For that I had to go back a few lines and re read it. There were many things undescribed, missing too. And i also don't like how Kali kept wanting both Ben and her best friend Hector (who also struck himself with an arrow an fell for Kali) at a same time. Like she gets jealous when Hector's with someone else. But also gets jealous when Ben talks about other girl.

What I liked about the book is the Greek mythology that I learned. The world building seemed good which made me wanna know about Greek myth more. This book also teaches friendship. It was focusing on friendship too. The friendship between Deya-Kali-Hector-Terresa was amazing.

I would still recommend this book for YA contemporary and romance lovers to give it a try.

2 stars

Kali, a cupid in training has just made a terrible mistake. She has just broken the number one rule, don’t stick yourself. Now she is head over heels in love with indie rocker, Ben. Now Kali has to risk it all it fix her wrongs even if she has to tempt the fates and defy love.

The whole idea of cupid in training is one of my favorite tropes. I love the idea of working for Cupid, the love master himself. It's always such a cute story! And I won’t deny that this was also a cute story, but it was just not for me.

The main character Kali was so unlikeable. From the moment I was introduced to her, her attitude just put me off. It’s hard to connect to a story when you don’t like the characters especially the MC. The plot lines were okay but very predictable for a story like this. The one thing I liked the most was all the Greek Mythology. It’s always fun to get little modern tales about some of my favorite Greek Gods.

Personally, I don’t think I am the appropriate audience for this book. Everything seemed so juvenile to me. ( I get that it is YA, but this feels like it’s more of on the younger side of things ) With that said, I do recommend this to the younger generation as it does have a nice message at the end of it.

Written by Kate Watson, this novel follows Eros in training Kal as she mistakenly shoots the wrong people with love arrows. Only this time, she may have done it to herself.

I completely loved this book! This is a great fantasy young adult book that just hit all of those sweet spots. Well written and with compelling characters - I will take my own Hector, please - it was a joy to read.

Great for anyone who enjoys fantasy YA with sweet romance, or just anyone who enjoys a sweet romance.

This was an adorable tale of believing in Fate and a twist on Cupid! I really enjoyed it and read it within two days!

Will be posted on my Instagram and goodreads by February 14, 2019.

Growing up I was fascinated by anything and everything having to do with the gods. Lovestruck definitely gave me that outlet! Kali is a character you fall in love with from the very beginning. From her first mistake you are constantly left wondering what next?? The entirety of Lovestruck is phenomenal and is a must read for anyone.

At first the plot seemed good although it's nothing new. I really liked the cover and thought it would be a light enjoyable read. But. I was disappointed. It didn't work out for me. At all. It's all seemed one sided. The heroine was always whining about something. And childish which didn't even seem funny. So yeah. It could have been much better.

A new spin on “Cupid’s”.
I found this novel to be such a good page turner and I kept wanting more!

About: Kali, being the daughter of Eros the God of Love, is a cupid-in-training and should be the ideal matchmaker. But when she accidentally pricks herself with the arrow instead of her target, she falls in love with her target, Ben and vice versa. But dating a mortal is not as easy as it seems. What happens when Cupid falls in love with her own target is what this story is all about.

Characters: Kali is a stubborn character and a little selfish. I liked her cousin Deya more than her. Deya is a helpful sister and always has Kali's back. Teresa is a fierce and bold character. Hector is a sweet fluff and Ben's character was okay at first but then became irritating because I was shipping Kali with Hector all along.

Feelings: This book had such a different story. The idea of being cupids in training and the love story of a goddess with a mortal was a very new concept and I liked it. I would totally recommend that before reading this you should have a basic knowledge of all the different Greek Gods because I was getting a little confused with what each God symbolizes. Overall it was a great read.

Recommendation: Maybe. This book has a really interesting concept so if you're into Greek mythology it is worth reading.

This book had me hooked right from the get-go. One - I'm Greek and love reading anything relating to Greek mythology. Two - I love Kate Watson's books! Three - The synopsis sounded amazing! Lovestruck finds our central character Kali, who is a Greek goddess, training in to be a cupid. She ends up accidentally shooting herself with an arrow, which makes her fall in love with the broody Benicio, a musician.

Kali's friends are great and are willing to do anything to help a girl out of a tough situation. Kali is trying to regain control of her life instead of leaving it up to Fate, the three Greek sisters who write the fate of everyone. Kali is a very stubborn Goddess. The characters are all well written. Exactly what you come to expect from a Kate Watson book. They were well developed as was the plot line. I think a book like this could be difficult to pull off if not done right, but Kate Watson does it right. It had just the right amount of Greek mythology, it had an amazing group of support characters, there was a nice love story and lots of overbearing family members. It was exactly what I was looking for when I found this book on NetGalley and I found the book to be overall delightful!

“I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.”

Not to sound biased or anything, but books based on Greek mythology are almost always enjoyable, and this one definitely is.

Reading Lovestruck was pretty much like watching a Disney movie. A girl is doing something she isn't enjoying while aspiring to be something else but is too afraid to go against her parents' wishes and decides to live the life that was set out for her. Queue some love struggles, cute friends to lovers feels and lots of adventures. I truly liked reading this book and I would recommend it!

Kali has a lot of issue's every since she heard the "Thunderclap" she doesn't want to be a cupid so she tries everything she possibly can to get out of it (i.e match couples who are wrong for each other or with objects) until she accidentally sticks herself with her own arrow and "falls in love" with a mortie aka mortal.

i love the whole concept of this story i don't think i ever read a story about cupid(s)

all in all if you like Greek Mythology and you like to see how authors put there own spin on mythology then go and pick this book up

“Lovestruck” would be a good companion to early high school students learning about the pantheon and complicated family trees of ancient Greek lore. The story revolves around Kalixta, a bumbling, immortal teen girl who aspires to be a muse, but who is training to be a cupid. The story frames the gods’ matchmaking as a business, and the gods’ and goddesses’ interactions as eyeroll-worthy family drama. While it was a cute story, the plot was just a little bloated. The Fates, jealous gods, oracles and prophecies were layered over a comedy-of-errors-style high school story. There was a lot going on. This book would be a good addition to a school library.

Thank you netgalley for allowing me to read the ARC.

This book is for you if you enjoy “Riverdale”, or “The Vampire Diaries”. The writing style includes a lot of verbal sparring between the characters, complex relationships, and the author portrays the lifestyle of the Greek Gods with a high school vibe.

This book isn’t for you if you prefer a more descriptive and mature read, with complex character development and meaning.

Unfortunately this book wasn’t for me, however I am not sure that I’m the instead target audience.

For that reason I’m rating it lower than I might have, had I been the intended audience.

This e-arc was provided by netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I have a love/hate relationship when it comes to greek mythology retellings. This one was just okay for me.
While it had the foundation of a cute ya love story, I felt that there was too much going on sometimes, making it hard to follow. However, I happy how the book ended and would still recommend it.

A sweet story that had plenty of potential and promise. An interesting read I couldn't put down and I expect to see more great things from this author. I think I would enjoy reading more contemporary novels from this author.

I first heard about this book on Twitter and it sounded right up my alley. I love Greek mythology and some starcrossed lovers. I immediately added it to my wishlist, planning on buying it once it was out. Then I came across it on Netgalley and when I actually got accepted I couldn’t wait to read it. I think I finished it in about 3 or 4 hours. That’s how much I loved it!

Content warnings for this book include: mentioned alcoholism and abuse, trauma, love triangles

The Greek mythology nerd in me has never been happier about a book. I was giddy and happy while reading it but the last chapter and the epilogue felt a bit like they were from another book.

This book was technically a coming-of-age type of story so it makes sense that the ending is one typical for such a story. The book itself didn’t read like your typical coming-of-age story though so I was surprised that the ending was such a typical one. The book itself reads like a fun contemporary book about someone who has to try and manage her job, her faiths and her faults. When you get to the last chapter and the epilogue though, most of that seems forgotten in favor of a love story and that just disappointed me a little.

Having said that, I truly loved this book! The characters are great, I love the world this is set in and the humor is right up my alley.

First, the world. This book is set in our time but the Greek gods still watch over us. All of the Greek gods are there and they have multiplied. Everyone has their jobs in the ‘mortie’ (mortal) world, trying to help those in need. I love the way the godly world is described and you learn what their purpose is. You might need some knowledge of Greek mythology to fully understand it because they are explained very briefly. Some modern troubles are present in the godly world which makes it even more enjoyable.

Then the characters. The main character is a daughter of Eros and she is studying to become a matchmaker herself. She has two best friends, one being Aphrodites daughter, and thus her fathers sister, and one being Apollo’s son. The story is about Kalixta and told solely trough her but you still know what her friends are up to and what their storyline is, which I think is very well done. All of the characters learn things and become better people, but all in their own way and I just really liked they way that was done. All of the characters have their own distinct personalities and I loved most of them.

The writing style of this author was something I really enjoyed. She added some humor which made me giggle out loud several times, and the way she described things was just amazing. There is one scene were Elysium is described and I truly felt like I was there with all of the characters. I loved the interactions between the characters and how they really depended on a lot of factors, it made it so much more realistic and enjoyable. The author also offered some possible explanations for the way the godly world interacted with the mortie world and just how thing could work and that was just fascinating to me. I love reading other people’s takes on these things, especially when they’re different from mine.

In short: I loved almost everything about this book. I would definitely recommend this book and especially to people who love Greek mythology. The ending disappointed me a little but it wasn’t a bad ending at all, just not what I had expected from this book. One thing I learned while reading: I am not over my love for Greek mythology so if anyone has any recommendations on this subject, they’re more than welcome!

Lovestruck by Kate Watson is out on the 2nd of April 2019.

I posted this review on Goodreads and on my blog: queenofreadingbooks.wordpress.com

Finally, a book to help fill the void that Percy Jackson left in my Greek-mythology-lovin’ heart. Lovestruck by Kate Watson is a fun read with great characters and an interesting plot and world to explore. Our main character, Kalixtra, (Kali for short) is in training to be an Erote, an Olympian match-maker who strikes her intended targets with an arrow to speed up their love story. She used to enjoy her job and take matching very seriously, before the Thunderclap. One of the things that kept me engrossed in Lovestruck is the fact that we don’t find out what changed Kali’s attitude toward love and fate until later on in the novel.

Much of the novel is set in Olympus, where Kali interacts with her own demi-god friends, as well as full-fledged gods, like Apollo, Artemis, and Aphrodite. I loved reading more about Greek mythology, as well as Watson’s own spins and interpretations on the original stories. Kali’s friends aren’t two-dimensional support characters – they’re all fleshed out with their own backstories and unique struggles.

As you’ll know from the main description, the story really begins when Kali accidentally sticks herself with an arrow, thus falls in love instantly with Ben (Benicio), a mortal. Kali’s feelings on this event are mixed throughout the novel, as she struggles with feeling powerless against the Fates and feeling love towards Ben as she gets to know him better. I liked Ben, but like Kali, found myself annoyed by his insecurity. Hector, on the other hand, is a big ole dreamboat. Seeing Kali torn between Ben and Hector was realistic and heartbreaking.

The plot takes several turns throughout Lovestruck, involving Deya, Cosmo, and Teresa Kali’s best friends; Artemis, the goddess fated never to love; and Kali’s own mission to take back her fate and her heart. I was never bored and was often surprised at the twists and turns that occurred.

One thing I struggled with in Lovestruck was its end. After everything Kali goes through to reverse her match and take back her fate, the ending comes across like a deux ex machina, and so simple it seems a bit unbelievable. However, I still enjoyed where things ended up. I would dive back into the world Kate Watson has created in a heartbeat, and there’s potential for so many great stories following Kali or her other friends in Olympus. I highly recommend Lovestruck for fans of Percy Jackson, Greek mythology in general, and anyone who enjoys a fun, twisty story.

I have enjoyed Kate Watson’s previous books and was very excited for Lovestruck. While I enjoyed some of it, for the most part I think it’s a case of just not being the right book for me.

I thought the first half or so of the book was kind of messy. The world-building left a lot to be desired for me. It mostly consisted of throwing out random bits of information on different characters from Greek mythology – most of whom had absolutely nothing to do with the plot. I think it also relied on the assumption that the reader was already familiar with the subject, which I’m not super into. I know there are a lot of fans of Greek mythology out there, so I can see a different audience really appreciating it.

The characters were ok and sometimes humorous, which I enjoyed, but I never really fully connected to them. Another reason why this may not be the right book for me is that there was a lot of teenage, love-triangle angst. It was one of those situations where I just felt a little too old for what was going on. However, I did like how the love-triangle resolved. Just from reading the synopsis I felt like I knew exactly how it was going to play out, but once I got into the book I realized it might go down the less obvious path and I shipped it.

Overall, I thought Lovestruck was an ok read, but just not for me. I think a younger audience and fans of Greek mythology will appreciate it a lot more than I did.

Overall Rating (out of 5): 3 Stars