Local loner and hopeless romantic Iris Clarke is single, again, on Valentine’s Day. During the annual Cupid speech before the grand lover’s day, Jaya comes across Iris’s file. Unable to look away from those beautiful brown eyes, Jaya chooses Iris for her imminent mission.
When the winged woman shows up at Iris’s house and tells her she is going to find her a partner for the day, Iris can’t believe it. With some tweaks to their official agreement, the two find themselves wandering the city to complete Iris’s list of dream dates, so that she can get the opportunity to finally experience the romance she always dreamed of.
But what will happen if the feelings between the two of them become a little too real, and their agreement is only supposed to last one day?
Short and sweet! I’m always a sucker for cupid-themed books, and making it sapphic? Perfection 😍 The audiobook narration brought it all to life! I loved the narration.
3.5 ⭐️ This was such a sweet lil romance with an autistic ace-spec trans FMC and a plus size sexy confident Cupid. Iris was sweet as pie and deserved much better friends than the ones she had. Jaya was genuinely kind and caring toward her and it was precious to see her open up. Iris was such a great partner as well, able to help Jaya find some sense of self and keep checking for consent. It was a lovely palette cleanser.
Spice: 4/5
Triggers: description of animal mutilation (fish), mention of cheating (not related to the main characters, but a background character), public sex, unprotected sex (not to be taken as an example), rejection sensitivity, frequent mention and description of food, ableism, brief mentions of acephobia and transphobia.
I liked this! It was a cute and simple love story with a cute little romance bucket list. Iris was so sweet and it was lovely to see two newbies explore intimacy with each other (and also trans woman love <3), as well as the look into the Cupid's culture. I would have loved more expansion on their life after meeting, but what was there was nice :)
Received an eARC in exchange for a honest and voluntary review! Thanks Robin!
I really enjoyed this holiday novella about Iris, a virgin, autistic, trans woman on the ace spectrum who is looking for love but has never been able to find someone who wants to date her until she gets a surprise visit from Jaya, a plus size cupid who has also never made the time for love and has been sent to help fulfill Iris's Valentine's day wish.
Steamy, with two diverse characters exploring love together for the first time. This was a bit of an insta-love situation but it didn't feel rushed and I thought there was a lot of great conversations about desire, consent and sexuality. Listening was fun and the story just felt like a big hug, a perfect Valentine's read and I'm looking forward to reading more from new to me author, Robin Jo Margaret in the future!
Iris is set to spend Valentine’s Day alone and unhappy. But when her wish to experience romance is answered by her own personal Cupid, she surprises Jaya by asking to romance her for the day instead of a stranger.
This is a short and sweet romance with a unique premise. I enjoyed how confident both Iris and Jaya were and how communicative they were with each other at every step of their romance. Some great rep!
Once again, I love another book by Robin Jo Margaret. I swear their writing keeps getting better with each book they write and I’m loving every second of reading it !!
This one I especially love. Iris is an autistic White trans woman and Jaya is a plus sized Black cis woman, and the chemistry is *mwah*
I love Iris making sure that Jaya is comfortable with anything she asks of her, and in return, Jaya makes sure Iris is comfortable when they try something new!
This was so sweet and so cute and exactly what I was hoping forrrrrr!!!!
If you want something short & sweet to read that feels like a perfect mix of escapism and realism, this is the novella for you! The plot is really simple and was super easy to fall into; Iris is a girl who has never been in romantic love and is feeling extra lonely on Valentine’s Day (when all of her friends are busy with their partners). Feeling rejected, she makes an offhanded wish that she could know what romantic love and a relationship feels like. Enter Jaya, who is a newly independent Cupid who gets to choose her own charge for the first time this V day- she comes across Iris and feels drawn to her and her wish for love, and shows up in the real world to spend the entire day with Iris. They do some cute date things and both get to explore their own sexuality with another person for the first time.
The way that this felt both magical and real to me was a really interesting combo while reading, giving both fantasy and contemporary vibes. It was fun to learn about Jaya’s role as a Cupid, the magical realm she comes from, and her using little bits of her magic to enhance her and Iris’ time together. Jaya’s ethereal and goddess-like qualities made her so magnetic and charming as a main character/love interest, and I enjoyed being in a different mindset while reading her chapters. Jaya is also fat, and the way both she and Iris love and worship her body was soOoOoOoOo cute and magical TO MEEEE.
In Iris’ world, I connected deeply to almost all of the struggles that she was going through and how they intersected with her singleness. She finds it hard to cope with all of her friends being in relationships and how they always seem to place romantic love higher than platonic love, ending in Iris being de-prioritized in some really vulnerable contexts. Iris is asexual and even when she gets to be with Jaya and has an amazing time doing sexual things with another person for the first time, there’s still a constant stream of consciousness that can’t let go of how odd/strange/intense/overwhelming things feel. I think this creates a VERY realistic sense of anxiety and even dissociation that some people have towards sex and relationships. Iris also deals with wondering whether people truly accept and like her as an autistic and trans woman- I know the constant questioning of whether someone is only tolerating your identities rather than being genuinely happy to spend time with you and all your special interests, extreme fluctuating energy levels, and gender anxiety < / 3
This is definitely not the most in-depth fantasy romance, but it’s not meant to be. It’s cozy and short-lived, with a happy-for-now ending and plenty of warm-fuzzy vibes to make you appreciate all the different kinds of love we have surrounding us in the world <3333
*this review was written based off an ARC provided by the author*
What a cute story! Lots of rep in this short story! Jaya is a Cupid and she picks Iris to help romantically on Valentine’s Day. Iris requests Jaya to spend the day with her instead of trying to find someone to get to know. They are so cute and sweet together. I need to read more from this author!
This was so fun and horny! FF paranormal romance, cupid comes to help out on valentines day and they both catch feelings. Appreciated the acespec vibes and loved the writing!
This book’s cover is gorgeous, but the story is not what I was expecting. It’s written in a middle grade style, but with some awkward smut scenes scattered throughout. The only way I can describe it is rambly.
Blessed by the Cupid Distribution System is a standalone novella by author Robin Jo Margaret. Here's what you can expect from Iris and Jaya:
💘 FF paranormal romance 💘 Third person dual point of view 💘 Guaranteed happily ever after 💘 Trans main character 💘 Plus sized representation 💘 Acespec representation 💘 Cozy and spicy 💘 Autism representation
As always, ensure you review the content and trigger warnings to decide if this book is right for you. Note that this list of warnings and triggers may be incomplete. Please take care of yourself while reading.
As promised, this was the perfect cozy and spicy read. Robin Jo Margaret really has a knack for incorporating those vibes into xyr stories, and I always look forward to reading them. Combined with the diverse representation and fresh takes on romance and relationships that we don't often get to see, this short read was easily one of my favourites in February. I loved watching these strong main characters spend such a lovely, romantic day together checking things off of Iris's list of dream dates. Mixed with the spice (I thought the public sex scenes were done very well and they were spicy!) this was such a lovely read. It's relatively low angst, although I hate how Iris's "friends" made her feel about herself. The representation was done well, and I appreciated how things were left at the end of the book. Too often, books try and force a conventional happily ever after but I really liked how Iris and Jaya came to an agreement that worked for them and their lives. Another amazing read by Robin Jo Margaret, and it's perfect for Valentine's Day!
Thanks to Robin Jo Margaret for giving me an ARC in exchange for an honest review!
This book was so cozy and spicy!
I think this book will be relatable to many in the queer community. For trans and queer people, finding someone trustworthy to explore and have safe experiences with can be challenging.
Their date was everyone's dream date. Who wouldn't want to go to a cat café, visit a library, and binge-watch your favorite series? 😂
Jaya's character really resonated with me. The feeling of being unable to have a relationship because you must spend 100 years working hard and being enslaved by the system before you can actually have a life is spot on.
4.5/5 ⭐️
Totally recommended for a short and steamy comfort read!
"Can I take care of you? You've been such a good girl for me all day, I want to give back."
Another beautiful story from Robin Jo Margaret. I finished this so much faster than I expected because I didn't want to stop reading. It's such a wholesome and lighthearted but yet hot story of two people falling in love.
The rep is great and the consent and acceptance between the two main characters is lovely. The issue of the two main characters having time for each other and how their lives were going to work out together was so real. Just because you find someone you want to start a relationship with it doesn't mean everything is just going to magically fit together and work out. I related a lot of Iris and this story made me feel really seen. I hope we get to see more of them again in future books.
Burn: 🔥🔥🔥🔥 🥵Spice: 🌶️🌶️🌶️ 🌈Review: This was so cute!!! The whole book was adorably sweet, it was really nice to see two people come together from two different worlds (literally) to find comfortable and romance within eachother. The way they communicated so thoroughly with eachother and clear consent between the two was refreshing to see. There was so much respect towards eachother and I loved seeing Jaya bring Iris out of her shell. I just loved them together.
Things I loved: Sapphic love story Autistic, Ace-spec, Trans FMC (Iris) BIPOC and Plus size FMC (Jaya)
This was nice but a bit boring in some parts :/ took me a while to read when it’s such a short novella but I’m really not a fan of the writing style. The spice was good tho 😬
3.25 stars – Cupid’s arrow hits soft, sweet, but a tiny bit short 🎯
Okay, first things first: Blessed by the Cupid Distribution System is adorable. I read it during Trans Rights Readathon, and it was honestly the perfect cutesy pick-me-up. If you’re in the mood for queer joy, affirming softness, and a touch of flirty magic? You’re in the right place.
The story follows Iris, a trans woman who’s autistic, ace-spec, and still waiting for someone to look at her like she’s worth falling in love with. And then—poof!—enter Jaya, a confident, sexy, plus-size Cupid who was maybe supposed to be doing a job but ends up doing… a lot more than that.
Iris is a virgin and deeply inexperienced when it comes to dating, so what unfolds is a kind of love letter to all the beautiful, messy, overwhelming "firsts" that come with exploring intimacy, especially when you’ve spent a long time feeling overlooked. Their connection is sweet and soft, with a tender kind of longing that made me genuinely happy. Jaya and Iris spark, and watching them tiptoe into something real was such a warm experience.
But—and here’s where I get a little critical, with love—it’s short. Like, under-100-pages short. And I felt it. Iris’s perspective has so much richness that I wanted more time to linger in. More inner life. More room for her story to breathe. Her autism, her ace-spec identity, her transness—all of it is handled with care, but I couldn’t help wishing the story had a little more space to go deeper. I wanted to see her world before Jaya, her longing a little sharper, her joy a little fuller. Same for Jaya, who is confident and charming, but also clearly lonely in her own right (like all Cupids apparently are). I would’ve loved to spend more time with her past the job-title-magic and see what her heart really needed.
Still, what the novella does do is give us a soft queer romance that celebrates bodies, neurodivergence, and love without pressure or shame. That’s no small thing. And it never tries to be anything other than what it is—a sweet, flirty, bucket-list-style love story with a little bit of winged magic and a whole lot of heart.
So yes, I’d happily recommend this for anyone who wants a queer Cupid romance that feels like a soft hug and a hopeful sigh. I just wish it had been a little longer, a little deeper, and given Iris all the space she deserves to bloom.
I loved this so much. It was such a sweet little treat of a read. Super quick, but so much fun. Iris is such a sweetheart and deserves all the good things (like better friends for one). The rep in this is amazing. We have one FMC who is trans, autistic, and ace-spec, and the other who is Black and plus-size. I absolutely loved the patience Jaya had for Iris and her needs, and not just that, they are part of the reason Jaya likes her so much, not despite them. I went into this expecting to enjoy myself, but I am so pleasantly surprised by how much I fell in love with this sweet little novella. And Iris' special interest is Doctor Who? If I hadn't been sold before, you got me now. Definitely check this out if you want a quick, sweet, and rather spicy read with plenty of great rep.
Blessed by the Cupid Distribution System by Robin Jo Margaret
❤️ Human x Cupid ❤️ Paranormal Age Gap (24 & 101) ❤️ Trans FMC ❤️ Plus Size FMC ❤️ Ace Rep ❤️ First Times ❤️ FF Novella 🔥 Mild Exhibitionism, Mild Dirty Talk & Praise
CW (from author): includes description of animal mutilation (fish), mention of cheating (not related to the main characters, but a background character), explicit sexual content, public sex, unprotected sex (not to be taken as an example), rejection sensitivity, frequent mention and description of food, ableism, brief mentions of acephobia and transphobia.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
If you're looking for a fast paced sapphic romance this is PERFECT! Cupid x human romance where they don't expect to fall in love. When I say 3 🌶️ that's because this is a novella, so there wasn't A LOT of spice but anymore would've been too much in my opinion! I loved the story, I loved the anxiety representation along with the bravery that one of the FMC develops in the short story. There was something in this story that a lot of books lack, and that's COMMUNICATION!!! I see so many books that the entire problem is they just don't talk things out. But with this book? Nope! These women know to speak up for themselves to set boundaries and I LOVED IT!!!! Would definitely recommend to anyone looking for a quick read with some spice!
I was BLESSED by this boo, really truly. RJM just has a perfect way of writing characters that bring me so much joy. Seeing Autism represented in a romance always brings me so much happiness, especially in queer stories. I also loved seeing the FMC’s being tall. Even though I’m a short homie, I love when women are tall and show varying body types outside the “traditional.” Also we love Acespec rep for our baby girl Iris.
This was super cute! I wish it was longer because the concept of having a cupid take you out on Valentine's dates is just so wholesome, and I would have loved a bit of a slower burn. The representation in this was excellent. Iris talked about being ace-spec in a way which made sense (though by her definition it didn't make sense) and her neurodivergence was mentioned but given care & attention by Jaya.
I feel like Jaya and Iris were cute! Even though I wish we dealt into more of the Cupid world and each others lives including the romance, I thought this was a pretty good Valentine's Day queer romance. The smut was good and had good build up as well. It would've been great as a longer novel instead of a novella to really go deeper into their relationship and different perspectives though.
This was a super cute and quick read. I read it in one take and I really liked it. It's mostly a stack of dates with only fluff and no angst. The only sadness is the eventual end of the day when they must say goodbye. But for a quick read, I really enjoyed it. And I love the trans and plus sized representation it's amazing and I love Jaya and Iris!!