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3.5 AVERAGE
3.5 AVERAGE
adventurous
lighthearted
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
*read for my book club*
longer review because i don’t want to forget my thoughts before my book club meets.
I went into this book very… skeptical… it’s marketed like a smut book and that’s what i thought for the first 1/3. which made it very concerning when it was about a romance between Cupid (i.e. thousands of years old) and a 16 year old girl in high school. like seriously why would she be in high school??
once i got through the first 1/3 it did actually get kind of interesting, but the pacing was so crazy. the really good part (the labyrinth) is like 5 pages and it should have been half the book in my opinion. and why did they have her have feelings for cupids brother also? i think the ending would have hit the same even without that.
I do like James, her boyfriend at the beginning of the book, because he’s treated like a female character in a lot of fantasy novels: there as a plot point for the main character, never spoken of again after he fulfilled his role.
All that’s to say, i will read the next book in the series… someone else needed to market and edit this book though bc what the fuck
longer review because i don’t want to forget my thoughts before my book club meets.
I went into this book very… skeptical… it’s marketed like a smut book and that’s what i thought for the first 1/3. which made it very concerning when it was about a romance between Cupid (i.e. thousands of years old) and a 16 year old girl in high school. like seriously why would she be in high school??
once i got through the first 1/3 it did actually get kind of interesting, but the pacing was so crazy. the really good part (the labyrinth) is like 5 pages and it should have been half the book in my opinion. and why did they have her have feelings for cupids brother also? i think the ending would have hit the same even without that.
I do like James, her boyfriend at the beginning of the book, because he’s treated like a female character in a lot of fantasy novels: there as a plot point for the main character, never spoken of again after he fulfilled his role.
All that’s to say, i will read the next book in the series… someone else needed to market and edit this book though bc what the fuck
This Wattpad book was one of the weirdest reading experiences I've ever had. And by that I mean this story has LOADS of potential – really good potential! The premise is pretty cool, actually, and on the whole it is well-plotted, nicely paced, and action-packed. The plot itself is interesting, and not what you'd expect from reading the excerpt. It's why I read it in the first place, because 1) I do love my mythology and modern retellings, and 2) the synopsis just grabbed me.
However. In the state it's currently in, I've got to call it what it is. Right away it was apparent that the story reads more like a mid-grade fanfiction. Until I learned that the main character, Lila, was 16, I honestly thought everyone was in their 20s. I believe this story would have been more successful if written in a more adult setting, with older characters, rather than teenagers in high school. This may be a personal preference, because when dealing with old, mythological characters I don't envision them wasting time with high school-like settings. The high school portions of the book are forced and extremely basic. They weren't needed.
In regards to the characters, like I said with the plot, there is a lot of potential in them. Cupid and Cal, the other main male character, need to be explored more. Cupid is one-dimensional, Cal is more developed but there's certain things about him that need a bit more. Lila, as the protagonist, needs more development. She's a little too passive, emotionless, expressionless. Frowns too much, rolls her eyes every other paragraph. All of the characters raise their eyebrows way too much. My biggest issue with the characters was that the whole story is about Cupid and Lila getting together as a matched couple, but for a long time Lila has more potential with Cal than with Cupid. The author did not give Cupid and Lila the development and bonding they needed to be the couple you root for. One moment Lila is uncomfortable around him (because she knows nothing about him) and the next moment she's fully attracted. With what we're given in the story, they have no reason to become a couple. Nothing is known about Lila's history, her personality, and she doesn't open up to Cupid or Cal, which would help make their connection more believable. And neither does Cupid. Everything is secretive, granted for a more or less good reason, but aside from him being smiley and flirty, if I were her I wouldn't be interested.
These critiques probably make it sound more like 2 stars, but honest to God guys, it really WAS entertaining (free too!). So much potential. It needs some serious editing, and luckily the author posted an update in which she is in the process of editing and working on publishing. This book needs some serious work, but the good thing is that the plot is great, it just needs a lot of polishing and sophistication.
PS. I don't want to spoil it, but this question is something I think a lot about when writing/reading these kinds of modern mythology tellings: Aphrodite/Venus IS involved, and this may be something the author addresses in her planned sequel, but can you REALLY have a goddess remain dead?
PSS. I'd like to reiterate that Cupid's backstory needs to be explored more, because one thing I thought of while reading was that since other mythological characters are present (Medusa, Minotaur, Icarus, etc) and so it can be assumed that their historical myths existed, I want to know what happened to Psyche, Cupid's historical lover and wife. In this book, it is assumed that Cupid has had no serious lover. I think that'd be a very poignant piece of background information.
However. In the state it's currently in, I've got to call it what it is. Right away it was apparent that the story reads more like a mid-grade fanfiction. Until I learned that the main character, Lila, was 16, I honestly thought everyone was in their 20s. I believe this story would have been more successful if written in a more adult setting, with older characters, rather than teenagers in high school. This may be a personal preference, because when dealing with old, mythological characters I don't envision them wasting time with high school-like settings. The high school portions of the book are forced and extremely basic. They weren't needed.
In regards to the characters, like I said with the plot, there is a lot of potential in them. Cupid and Cal, the other main male character, need to be explored more. Cupid is one-dimensional, Cal is more developed but there's certain things about him that need a bit more. Lila, as the protagonist, needs more development. She's a little too passive, emotionless, expressionless. Frowns too much, rolls her eyes every other paragraph. All of the characters raise their eyebrows way too much. My biggest issue with the characters was that the whole story is about Cupid and Lila getting together as a matched couple, but for a long time Lila has more potential with Cal than with Cupid. The author did not give Cupid and Lila the development and bonding they needed to be the couple you root for. One moment Lila is uncomfortable around him (because she knows nothing about him) and the next moment she's fully attracted. With what we're given in the story, they have no reason to become a couple. Nothing is known about Lila's history, her personality, and she doesn't open up to Cupid or Cal, which would help make their connection more believable. And neither does Cupid. Everything is secretive, granted for a more or less good reason, but aside from him being smiley and flirty, if I were her I wouldn't be interested.
These critiques probably make it sound more like 2 stars, but honest to God guys, it really WAS entertaining (free too!). So much potential. It needs some serious editing, and luckily the author posted an update in which she is in the process of editing and working on publishing. This book needs some serious work, but the good thing is that the plot is great, it just needs a lot of polishing and sophistication.
PS. I don't want to spoil it, but this question is something I think a lot about when writing/reading these kinds of modern mythology tellings: Aphrodite/Venus IS involved, and this may be something the author addresses in her planned sequel, but can you REALLY have a goddess remain dead?
PSS. I'd like to reiterate that Cupid's backstory needs to be explored more, because one thing I thought of while reading was that since other mythological characters are present (Medusa, Minotaur, Icarus, etc) and so it can be assumed that their historical myths existed, I want to know what happened to Psyche, Cupid's historical lover and wife. In this book, it is assumed that Cupid has had no serious lover. I think that'd be a very poignant piece of background information.
Amazing writing, amazing character and I too would fall in love with Cupid.
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Did I originally read this book when it was only on Wattpad?
Yes.
And I've come back years later out of sheer boredom :)
My opinions on the book are roughly the same.
-2.75/5
-Mediocre romance
-Fun universe
-Not as good as the one spinoff book about Charlie <3
I don't think I've reached boredom enough to read the other two but only time will tell.
Yes.
And I've come back years later out of sheer boredom :)
My opinions on the book are roughly the same.
-2.75/5
-Mediocre romance
-Fun universe
-Not as good as the one spinoff book about Charlie <3
I don't think I've reached boredom enough to read the other two but only time will tell.
adventurous
emotional
funny
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes