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 lighthearted and easy to read, although I did notice some plot holes that needed working on. The characters and the world could’ve been developed more. Other than that, it was a very fun read and I enjoyed it

Thank you to NetGalley and to the author Lauren Palphreyman to give me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

Beforehand, I was a bit sceptical. I read the premise and there it said: "Because Lila's true love match is Cupid. The original bad boy of love". I was just a bit annoyed with it, especially the second sentence. It sounded so cliché and a bit childish.
Furthermore, I think the author had a nice idea. If I keep in mind that this would be a YA novel, then the writing, story, and ending were fine. Sometimes they were a bit predictable, but alright. The thing that bothers me about this book is the ending. The ending would have been better if she just kept it with the Match and not with the other insinuations. I would recommend the author to make this book a stand-alone and to not make it into a series.
Then I would like to end my review with my favorite quote from the book, I thought it was funny: "They have already told me about Cupid. Maybe they are looking for the Easter Bunny too."
I give the book 3 stars.

This book had a really nice cover, an interesting premise, and a nice blurb. However, once I started reading it I immediately disliked it. I tried to read it, I really did, but I had to DNF it halfway through chapter five. One of the biggest issues in reading this book, aside from the writing being weak and characters feeling flat, was that the formatting on the ebook ARC I got was terrible. The writing really did feel like Wattpad writing and I was not a fan of it.

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!

Lila is “matched” to the one person she can never be with; Cupid. There are laws forbidding those who create mortal love matches. Lila’s match with Cupid is the catalyst to events that could lead to the end of the known world. This match also sets events in motion within Lila’s own personal life, and she’ll have to face what love truly means while navigating this new mythological world.

I found this book enjoyable and fun. There are not enough Young Adult Greek mythology books out there. This book captured the drama of Greek tragedy and romance. I’m a sucker for romance and mythology so this book was destined to be on my shelf. The mythology was good, staying true to the roots of the myths, while still bringing a new perspective that was fun. People who know their myths, as well as newcomers, will enjoy the contemporary qualities set to classic stories. Hopefully, it will also pave the way for more Young Adult mythological retellings.

I found the concept of a Matching Agency intriguing considering the way online dating affects how we enter relationships. It seemed to combine compatibility concepts as well as the element that only love seems to both contain and need. The disciplined agency, and the wanton gods of love in classical mythology made for a wonderful contrast that shows how many facets love has.

I felt that there were some underdeveloped parts of this book, which I found to take away from the book, however, I didn’t know that this was to be a trilogy. That changes some of my thoughts about the underdeveloped aspects. It being a part of a trilogy means that there is going to be more growth in the world, the plot, and the characters. To not spoil the book, or to cast judgment when there are more books to offer development in areas I noticed, I will wait to see how the next books develop.

Overall, this book is a whimsical while also brutal take on classical Greek myths that I believe is needed in the Young Adult genre. I look forward to the sequel and seeing these new characters and all the challenges they have yet to face.

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.

Cupid’s match follows Lila Black in LA who has been receiving mail from a dating agency called Cupid’s Match Services, she already has a boyfriend called James. She has been matched with Cupid himself - an actual paranormal being, the God of Love.
She then finds out Cupid is starting the same high school as her so there’s no avoiding him.

I like Lila as a character she seems to have a good set of morals. My heart went out to her what she’s been through loosing her mother & her having to care for her father.
Cupid was sexy, mysterious and mischievous. I loved the way he protected and cared about Lila. The way he was physically described meant I could picture him as a totally handsome guy.

Good descriptions of the scenery and surroundings. Like the way the author mixed Lila’s feelings of anger and desire. The romance wasn’t insta-love despite being matched together the tension built up slowly.

High school romances always seem to get me out of a reading slump, but with the mythology twist this was unlike anything I’ve read before and I thoroughly enjoyed it.

Thank you to netgalley for sending me this book in exchange for an honest review.

I first read Lauren’s Book when I was on Wattpad, a few years ago and I fell irrevocably in love with all the characters.

You’ll never see anything like this anywhere, it’s diverse and unique to the point where you find yourself in a reading slump afterwards, wanting to read more stuff that’s somewhat similar but you just can’t because it can’t be found—it doesn’t exists! Lolol

The main characters had explosive chemistry and the heroine had such a charming personality. Firstly and strong!

Lauren creates a mythical world that in unmatched, not many can achieve such a glorious YA book making 50million readers fall in love, including me.

Can’t wait to get this in print.

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.