I had a blast reading Lovestruck. The novel is full of humor, and our protagonist, Kali, gets into so many messes as she tries to figure out her life, leading to a fun and entertaining read. I do have two complaints though. I had a difficult time remembering who was who at first, and didn’t get fully immersed into the story until the 40 percent mark. Despite this, I had a wonderful time with the latter 60 percent, and would recommend the book! I’m interested to read more of Kate Wash in the future!

Full review to come on publication date.

Summary: In the world of Greek gods, a cupid accidentally shoots herself with a love arrow and falls in love with a mortal boy.



I really liked the premise of this story - 'retelling' of Greek mythology is one of my favorite things to read. The overall storyline and characters are fun and lighthearted.

The world building goes a bit too quickly - the first 30% of the book I was very confused about where we were and who was all there. You're thrown into the world like you know the character names and how their society functions. Even by the end, there were Greek names being thrown around that I just kind of skipped over since I couldn't remember who it was.

The writing style is also a little more juvenile than I was expecting. I would categorize this more like middle grade through YA. The sentences are short, the conversations aren't that deep...I almost stopped reading because I thought it would be too boring.

But I kept reading and I was suddenly invested in what happened. There's a prophecy (of course) and I was curious how it would end. The writing didn't change necessarily but maybe I just got used to it.

There's a satisfying ending, emotions run high, and a "twist".

Overall, a good 3.5 stars. Thank you to the publisher for this advanced copy!

As a side note to the publisher, there are some technical issues with the mobi that I hope will be fixed by the time publication hits. Doubled or skipped pages and the image of the arrow was stretched almost every time it was used.

I loved the idea of this book. I loved the originality and the characters were great . I think if I'd of picked this up at a different time of my life maybe I'd enjoy it more but I can definitely see how this book is going to be a favourite for many but just wasn't for me at this time. The cover is gorgeous though and the idea behind this book is wonderful , I may pick this up again at another time to reread. I'd definitely be interested in trying more books from the author as I loved the writing style.

If you liked Greek mythology and Cupid and love, then please check this out! It was so fun and so funny and reminded me a lot of crystal Cestari’s YA series.

Greek Mythology + Cupids + YA = You've got me intrigued.

But then I read the book. And I was massively disappointed.

Kali, the daughter of Eros is a cupid in training. She keeps making mistakes in hitting her targets with arrows. At the very first scene, she hits a Brazilian man who likes on night stands with an arrow that matches him with a 15 year old girl from North Dakota who is there for a vacation. Then she accidentally hits herself with an arrow and falls in love with a human called Ben.

It was the secondary characters and their stories that engaged me about the story. And there were many of them. A lot of Greek gods made appearance and they had their own romances going on. Being a Greek mythology fan, all the glimpses into this world were my favorite parts of the book.

My qualm with the book is that I just could not stand the female protagonist Kali. She's a whiny, woe-is-me brat. Her self-pitying rants were just too much for me. She's a rebel in a way, calling the whole system she's a part of fatalistic. But she's written in a very juvenile manner, that does nothing to endear the readers to her. In fact, I saw a couple of reviews calling the writing juvenile. And I think that's the perfect adjective to describe the book. There's a part where Kali bullies a girl who she considers her romance rival to the extent where that girl pees her pants. And Kali is ecstatic about it. As if I needed more reasons to dislike her. I also did not like Ben and his romance with Kali. They were the least likeable characters out of the lot. I found myself wishing for more scenes of the secondary characters and Kali to just disappear.

I genuinely wanted to like the story. This could have been an amazing dark comedy about the idea of love in Greek Mythology. That's what I was hoping for it to be. There were parts where I felt like it was almost leading to that, with Kali's commentary. But it was limited to being a juvenile take on the world. There was definite potential.

Would I recommend it? If you like Greek Mythologies then you might like it. Read for the secondary plot lines.

Not for me. I disliked Kali from the start and never changed my mind about her. Also this was just way to juvenile for me. I know it was billed as YA, but it's definitely on the younger side. The plot and characters were predictable and simplistic. Maybe this would appeal to a younger reader.

When I saw this book on netgalley I couldn't help but request it because it seemed like a very 'me' type book. It's got Greek gods, it's YA, and it's romance. Also, it seemed really fun with things taking place in the modern world. And, here's the thing, I did enjoy this book, but I also couldn't help but feel like something was missing.

This book takes place in a world where the Greek gods still exist, living in a sort of hidden dimension away from humans but still doing their assigned jobs in the human world. Also, the gods have continued to have their ranks grow as generations of new gods and goddesses are born and assigned to go into different roles after attending a sort of god training school. Kali is the youngest daughter of Eros and Psyche and is a young love goddess (matchmaker) in training, but she really wants to be a Muse and inspire humans in the arts. She's not a great cupid and keeps messing up her matches, much to everyone's despair (especially her parents). She has a little bit of a crush on a high school boy who happens to be a in a rock band, but she really messes up when she accidentally pricks herself with her own arrow making herself fall instantly in love with him. She goes to live on Earth to be near him and try to figure out a way to break the magic love spell. She's accompanied by a few other gods and goddesses in the mortal world and hijinks ensue.

One of my friends took one look at the blurb and said told me what he thought was going to happen and I have to say he was spot on. One of the major parts of the story here--who is Kali going to end up with--is extremely predictable. Yes, it's a fun book but I also knew a lot of how it would go because it's how so many of these stories go. There weren't many surprises. Even most of the side plots were easy to see unfolding in a certain pattern. And you know, that's perfectly fine as long as something else elevates the story--great prose, stand out characters, awesome setting, etc. But everything about this felt incredibly average. The characters were good but I feel like I've seen all of them before in other stories--they're not so much characters as caricatures at this point. I was hoping for something a little more original--especially with such a fun premise.

I was torn on how modern the gods were. On the one hand, I don't expect gods to remain as they were thousands of years ago, especially all the kids from the new generation of gods. Of course they're going to be modern. But they also didn't feel very god-like? They felt too much like normal kids. I would have liked them to feel a bit more of other-worldliness. Gods are not humans and although they may mimic humans sometimes, they're capacious when it comes to humanity. I wish I would have felt some of that. Otherwise they're just magic/super-powered humans.

One of the things that I did really love about the book is that it's not just about who Kali ends up with. The book is about Kali learning to love herself and decide what she wants her future to be. I always think that's a worthy theme to explore, especially in YA fiction, especially for things like this that feel they skew to the younger side of YA.

Overall, I still had fun reading this because I didn't really take it that seriously, it's a quick and light read, so if that's what you want then maybe check this out. But if you're looking for something a bit more elevated or original I don't know if this will be a great fit for you. 3 stars.

NOTE: Review will be published on 3/9/19, link provided to post.

A 26 year old beach rat with long rat and a string of one night stands is looking for love.fate only will decide what happens to his love life not loves arrow.The girl he may be destined for is on vacation from North Dakota and is only 15 years old.

LOVESTRUCK was such a light, fun read. It's what I call a "bubblegum" read. It's sweet and easy to get through. It's a shame it won't be released until April, because it would be the PERFECT Valentine's read!

Kali is a cupid in training, practicing how to make the perfect matches for mortals, when she accidentally sticks herself with an arrow and falls in love with a mortal boy.

The concept itself was so fun! I liked Artemis's character in the book. I also really liked how the story resolved in the end.

While all of the Greek mythology references & made-up slang were funny at first, I felt they were overused and made me roll my eyes at times.

Also, I did not really like Kali, the main character. She was whiny and selfish and didn't have enough redeeming qualities to make me care about her.

Overall, it was fun to read once, but I probably won't ever read it again.

I received an ARC of this book through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Overall, this book was somewhat entertaining, albeit pretty forgettable. I did not connect with any of the characters at all, and I found Kali, the main character, pretty unlikeable. None of the other characters stood out in any way at all, either. As a result, I did not care in any way for the romance in this novel. I found both Kali and Ben irritable and their relationship extremely predictable. I think the overall predictability of the plot wouldn’t have been a huge problem if the characters had been more likeable, at least to me.
Another issue I’ve had with this book was the Greek mythology aspect: I would not recommend this to people who are not familiar with Greek mythology at all. A lot of names and locations are thrown at you, and while some are very briefly explained, overall the book assumes the reader to already have some prior knowledge. I was drawn to this book because of the Greek mythology aspect - I found the idea of following the story of a cupid-in-training very interesting. Personally, I think this had a lot of great potential, but it did not entirely satisfy me.
The writing was quick and easy, but I think that also added a level of shallowness to the story, because most of the time I was confused about what was really going on, and I had a hard time envisioning the scenes I was reading about.
I think, overall, if you’re looking for a fast, easy read this is an enjoyable book. But I think this would be better suited for a younger audience.

Greek gods in the modern age, doing their job.
This is story is about growing up, discovering true love and building friendships, all through the eyes of a teenager inmortal training to become a match-maker. The Olympus serves as a background for all that Kali, Deya, Cosmo and Hector have to experience before finding their happy endings.
Thanks Netgally and the publisher for my ARC of this book.

This was so good. It took a bit to grab me, but when it did I couldn’t put it down until I finished it. I loved the mythology intertwined with the modern world, the “mortie” side characters, and the romance.

Seriously, an adorable quirky book! If you like Greek Mythology (Which I love) then this is the book for you as it puts a nice spin on it and shows a true sense of family throughout the Gods.
The daughter of Eros, Kali accidentally strikes herself with one of her cupid arrow winds up falling in love with a mortal who should was actually supposed to match with another mortal.

The whole book was just adorable with a cute story. Its a fun read!

A very rounded up four stars. I really enjoyed this fun romp around Olympus.
Kali, the young daughter of Eros, and a matchmaker in training accidentally stabs herself with her own arrow and falls head over heels for a mortal boy. This book is a coming-of-age tale full of twists and turns, and a lot of growing maturity. (And as a bonus, Artemis, who is one of my favourite members of the Greek pantheon, gets to be happy).

Yes hello I'm always a sucker for books featuring ancient gods in a modern scenario. And this was no exception. I expected a light, fun read and that was exactly what the book turned out to be. The story was light and fluffy, easy to read and so much fun. I snorted and laughed a lot while reading. Seriously, this was so fun from start to finish. For one, there is the hilariously dramatic story. Sorry, I don't know how to put dramatic and hilarious in one word. If there is a word for this, please let me know. Because that word would describe the book in its entirety perfectly!

The characters were not really deep. I would have wished for more background information for most of them. But then there were a lot of people there and the book is not that long. It was sufficient for the story though. There is Kali, the protagonist, who is kind of a special snowflake in my opinion. She is one of those characters who are different from the other people. Or feel different, because she isn't that much different, actually. Kali is the daughter of Eros and Psyche and is training to be a cupid. She accidentally pricks herself with an arrow and falling head over heels for Ben, a boy she is supposed to match with his best friend. Of course, drama only starts there. Kali finds a way how she could undo the spell, but it will be difficult. Luckily, she gets help from her best friend, Deya. She is a daughter of Aphrodite and in the same school year as Kali.She is always there when Kali needs her, even doing unpleasant things for her if need be. She is very loyal and always trying to prove her worth.The two of them are supervised by the goddess Artemis who gets sucked into the drama of love as well, especially when her brother Apollo starts to sabotage everything.I found Ben to be rather annoying. He is one of the characters with a backstory, even if we only meet his family very shortly and they aren't important to the story. But to be honest? I'm not sure about his character. He was just so childish(?) at some points and overly jealous and just acting weird. I liked Hector way more, even though he, too, was acting kind of weird from time to time. Well, they're all teenagers, and remembering myself during that age... I was probably the same way. Urghs. I did not like the love triangle drama much, but I was relieved that it was only a light triangle? I don't know how to explain this, but there were signs of it, but it was not really explored. Luckily.

The story was interesting as well. As I said earlier, I love ancient gods in modern settings. And everyone in this story was so quirky and loveable and fun? I loved it! There was a lot of stuff happening, especially feelings and drama and complications thanks to it. It was well explained how and why the gods interact with the mortal world and what their purpose is. The writing style really fit the character of the book, it was light and fun, modern and easy.

Overall, I enjoyed this a lot and basically flew through the book. It was such a great mix of romance, fun and weird gods.

This book had some really good things. I love reading different takes on Greek Gods and this was a fun one. The world building was good. I also liked the idea of her pushing against fate because what teenage hasn’t had that feeling. I loved Kal’s parents...Cupid and Pysce. I really liked Artemis, Hector and even Apollo
I struggled a little bit with the main character, she was not completely likeable until the second half however what I did like about her was that she was relatable in a really messy way.

This book was a light, fun and interesting take on the Greek Gods and teenagers

Wow this book's premise-- Percy Jackson meets Romance when Kali,a cupid in training, cuts herself with her own arrow and falls in love with a mortal boy-- just told me I would be lovestruck . . . and I was with all the side character. Can't say the same for the main character Kali or her love interest Ben.

I want to start with what I loved and circle back to that though.

The side characters had their own romantic interest, made their own mistakes, and had flaws and arcs that kept me reading to see what would happen to THEM. They each jumped off the page with strong personalities and they alone would have made me rate the book four stars.

Unfortunately Kali and the love interests holding the main plot together was never possible to enjoy.
This "forced" match between her and Ben is toxic from the moment Kali cuts herself with an arrow. She is there to match Ben with a mortal love interest after all, and is about to do so when she love-strikes herself. The heartbreak she has created in Ben's supposed-to-be-match makes you feel guilty for turning the pages to read what happens next. To complete Kali's character arc, this was necessary and understandable, but it didn't make it enjoyable. I would have still continued reading the book (I really loved those side characters) and rated the book four stars.

What made me ultimately decide to drop the book's rating to three stars was the message behind how to react to a catty, romantic rival. Note I use the term romantic rival and not the word bully. Kali and the others humiliate a girl so bad she pees herself, and Kali calls the event the "best day of her life". This rival interest was never violent to Kali, or does anything as low as this event stoops. (We've all seen Stranger Things. We have a good rating system for what deserves to end in bully-peeing-his/her pants). In fact, this romantic rival is not that different from Kali herself, using magic to attract an unattached boy to her. In the end, the whole scene and the message behind it disappointed me to the point I did put the book down and considered walking away. I picked it back up for the side characters.

In short, read for the side characters. They have the real "romance" going on behind the scenes. Not to mention the glimpse of Hade's granddaughter's life in the underworld was a fun side adventure.

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.