Name: Liv Gliese Johnsen's review of Cupid's Match by Lauren Palphreyman
Item: Cupid's Match
Rating: 2
Author: Liv Gliese Johnsen

Lauren Palphreyman

Cupid isn't a myth. He's Lila Black's perfect match. In a world where everyone has their perfect match, seventeen-year-old Lila Black is sick of Cupid's Matchmaking Service spamming her. But her world is turned inside out when she learns not only that cupids exist, but that she's been matched with the infamous god of love, Cupid. The only catch? She can't actually fall for Cupid; if she does, all of mythical hell will break loose, and it won't be pretty . . . As arrows fly and feelings become stronger, can Cupid and Lila resist each other's magnetic pull? And will Lila find herself part of a deadly supernatural war that could cost her life, and her heart?

Cupid's Match

Liv Gliese Johnsen

He's mythologically hot, a little bit wicked, and almost 100% immortal. And he'll hit you right in the heart . . . "Miss Black, we have a big problem.” 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 . . . Adored by 50 million readers on Wattpad, Lauren Palphreyman's smash-hit book is now in print for the first time.

Megan Lowe

3.5 stars.

I really liked the concept of this book, it’s something novel and new.
Unfortunately the writing lets it down. What it really needs is a good edit. There’s a TON of passive writing here, which usually doesn’t bother me, but this comes across as unsophisticated and a little bit immature. If it was tightened up it would vastly improve this novel. 
Story wise I also think it’s a little simple, but I’m not entirely sure of the market. For a true YA audience it would be okay.
I liked Lila, and i loved Cupid, but I did want their relationship to be a bit more heightened. I really enjoyed the banter between him and Cal but again there needs to be more.
While I appreciate what the author is doing with all the cupids having C names, it does tend to get confusing, as do normal characters with names starting with the same letter ie. James and Jordan or whatever the other dude’s name was. Sorry, I’m terrible with names.
This is a solid novel, with some tightening and a good edit it could be something great, but it’s not there yet. Sorry.

[THIS REVIEW WAS BASED ON AN EXCERPT PROVIDED BY BOOKISHFIRST]

The writing style is detailed but too the point, lacking the wordiness of most novels I've read. Lila Black establishes herself as a point of interest straight away, what with the fact that she was receiving, or being spammed to be more accurate, with letters from a mysterious match making agency. I was intrigued by this, and wanted to know more. So far it seems to live up to it's premise, of Cupid finding his match in Lila, but the sense of danger and tension that the synopsis suggested hasn't quite kicked in yet, despite the authors attempts to do so. It ends on a cliffhanger though, but whether or not it signals the start of more action and real stakes, is unknown. I think I could really enjoy reading this novel, but only if the premise is handled well, which it seems to be doing an average job of at best.

Stephanie

it was sooo cute! perfect for a light paranormal read with a bunch of romantic scenes!

Alicia Haws

*Special thanks to NetGalley, Wattpad Books, and Lauren Palphreyman for providing an advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.*

4 STARS

I highly enjoyed this book! I was immediately hooked, and it held me hostage from my family for a few hours until I finished it. I loved that it started off as a YA Romance but quickly turns into more of a fantasy adventure. It also incorporated mythology which was fun.

The premise was great! We start off with Lila, a seventeen-year-old girl being hounded with emails and letters from the Cupid Matchmaking Corporation. Lila being so young, and already having a boyfriend wants them to stop bothering her, so she hunts down their office to confront them and tell them to take her off their lists. When she gets there, she meets Cal, the management agent and lets her know that they are real cupids and that she was matched with THE Cupid. They don't tell humans about themselves, but it is a rare exception because she could be in danger. Cupid is a banned ex-employee of the company and trouble. The most important thing he tells her though, is that cupids cannot be matched (a big no-no in the rules) and Cupid happens to know that he was matched and has enrolled himself in Lila's High School to try and find her. Lila isn't too worried about Cupid, because she has a boyfriend, James, and doesn't really believe in soulmates and matches. On the first day of her senior year, not only does Cupid show up, but so does Cal to watch and help her out. Pretty soon, she is roped into an adventure that she did not expect.

The writing flowed very nicely for me, and you are immediately thrown into the story. I was never bored and I always appreciate that in a book. I will say, however, especially as we got closer to the end, I felt like things switched from fast-paced to rushed. Everything fell into place a little too easily and felt a bit too perfect. I also had a little bit of a hard time with the character of Cupid. He started off as this 'bad boy' vibe and somewhere in the middle of the book becomes a completely different character. He just felt off, like the author didn't want to put in more time to develop his character. 

The story as a whole, even though I enjoyed it, was also just very predictable for me, which is sad because I loved the premise. If there is going to be a follow-up novel I am definitely interested in picking it up. I'd love to see if the author fills in gaps that were missing, or develops some of the characters more.

Overall I thought it was a good read, and would recommend to others.

Southern Today Gone Tomorrow

Written by Lauren Palphreyman, Cupid’s Match follows Lila Black as she learns that she is Cupid’s (the Cupid’s) match. Which is to say, he is her true love. And, because Cupid has been a very bad boy and because he isn’t supposed to have a match, she is now in mortal peril.

This novel is definitely a YA novel, the main character is 17, and the writing comes off on that YA level. If you don’t like to read YA, I don’t recommend reading this story.

The plot was interesting, and I believe will be a trilogy, and the main three characters had a lot of depth, but I didn’t know how to take the supporting characters. We really don’t get a whole lot of time with her boyfriend, and the best friend sends a lot of mixed signals.

The concept is really, really interesting, and I read it all the way through to find out the ending. I definitely want to read the other books, it just wouldn’t be an interesting story if you are not into YA urban fantasy with Greek gods and myths.

I was given a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Cupid isn't a myth. He's Lila Black's perfect match. In a world where everyone has their perfect match, seventeen-year-old Lila Black is sick of Cupid's Matchmaking Service spamming her. But her world is turned inside out when she learns not only that cupids exist, but that she's been matched with the infamous god of love, Cupid. The only catch? She can't actually fall for Cupid; if she does, it will summon the goddess Venus, and it won't be pretty . . . As arrows fly and feelings become stronger, can Cupid and Lila resist each other's magnetic pull? And will Lila find herself part of a deadly supernatural war that could cost her life, and her heart?

Amy Buckle

I love romance, so this book immediately sounded like one I would enjoy. Cupid’s Match follows the story of Lila Black who finds herself coupled up with OG cherub, bad boy Cupid in this supernatural teen romance. Not at all believing that... read the full review here: https://www.amybucklesbookshelf.co.uk...

I hold nothing against Wattpad. I have found many a good book on that site, but this however was not one of those good books. 
It had potential. Are you out of the roof, it had potential! The plot was pretty good and the creativity in those  Sims  - blew me away. But the characteristics? No. No thank you. I was so frustrated by the main character and all her stupid questions. I have no idea how she didn't understand anything, but it seemed like it just went round in a ring. Everything would be clear and explained MULTIPLE times and she would go "What is going on?". It was as if Lauren knew everything, of course she wrote it, but she really had everything set in stone, but then Lila completely missed the memo.
I think my conclusion must be that I read it and I saw tons of potential, it just didn't do anything for me, since, you know, I didn't feel the characters. Oh, and I thought it went to fast. The book would not loose anything if Lauren had made it longer and then really gone into details instead of this speed. And maybe with an ending where we got all sorted out instead off "woke up in hospital, two boys relieved she survived and then boom, done". What happened to all the others? What about all the myths?

Liv Gliese Johnsen &
Cupid's Match by Lauren Palphreyman

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