Dear Cupid

Cupid's Corner #1

by Laurie LeClair

Opposites attract but don’t get along. Can a dusty box of old love letters change everything?

Sensible librarian Gemma Valentine helps close her family’s antique store and enjoy Cupid’s Corners’ Valentine’s Day festival celebrating romance and weddings—even if she doesn’t believe in love. But when she’s tricked into briefly reviving the town paper’s Dear Cupid advice column, with her best friend’s too handsome brother as part of the deal, she’s miffed. Why does he have to disturb her nice, tidy life?

Architect and hometown football hero Sean McCleary’s promotion hinges on renovating Gemma’s building into a sleek, trendy retail space fast. He’s willing to do anything to finish this project even provide a man’s perspective for the lovelorn column. Why not? Gemma might be annoying, but she’s funny and adorable and he enjoys their spirited banter. Soon Sean sees Gemma in a new light and wonders if he can convince her to give him a chance.

Can two Cupid columnists take their own advice on falling in love?

Genres: Romance, Contemporary, Holiday, Contemporary Romance

240 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 28, 2019

About the author

Bestselling author Laurie LeClair writes romantic comedies, contemporary romance, romantic suspense, and women’s fiction. Laurie has a not-so-secret love for characters who make her laugh, cry, and who linger in her mind long after the story ends. Laurie’s habit of daydreaming has gotten her into a few scrapes and launched her to take up her dream of writing. Finally, she can put all those stories in her head to rest as she brings them to life on the page.

Laurie loves to write, read, bake, travel, and discover new adventures. She considers herself a New Texan (New England born and raised and now living in Texas). She lives in Central Texas with her husband, Jim. Laurie loves to hear from her readers.

You can contact her at
http://www.laurieleclair.com
http://www.twitter.com/LeClairbooks http://www.facebook.com/laurieleclair.75

Check out Laurie’s website contests and sign up for her newsletter to get insider information and to be automatically entered in her newsletter giveaways at http://www.laurieleclair.com


Books by Laurie LeClair:

Once Upon A Romance Series (romantic comedy)
If The Shoe Fits - Book 1
Waking Sleeping Beauty - Book 2
Taming McGruff - Book 3
The Reluctant Beauty - Book 4
Awakened By A Kiss - Book 5
Tangled At First Sight - Book 6
Finding Mr. Just Right - Book 7
Making A Splash - Book 8

The Heart Romance Series(contemporary romance/smalltown romance)
Secrets Of The Heart - Book 1
Crimes Of The Heart - Book 2
Lies Of The Heart - Book 3


The Bounty Hunter Series (romantic suspense)
Murphy’s Law - Book 1
Riley’s Rules - Book 2

Wanted: Fairy Godmother (romantic comedy)

The Sweet Spot Series (romantic comedy)
The Dating Dilemma - Book 1

Runaway Wife (romance, women's fiction)

The Long Journey Home (romance, women’s fiction)

Sweet Summertime (romance, women's fiction, second chances, reunions)

The Heart Remembers (holiday romance, contemporary romance)

Reviews

[Phylis Carpenter · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gemma comes home to help her family. She finds that since Sean's Dad retired and sold his accounting business her Grandparents have not trusted anyone else to do their books. They are having to borrow money from their savings and possibly their retirement funds. Gemma does everything by a plan and charts and things. She likes to have everything neat and laid out for her.

Her Grandparents nor her parents are planners, they like to do things spur of the moment. While Sean and Gemma were going through some boxes in the store they find some cardboard boxes with letters addressed to Dear Cupid. Not sure how long they have been on the shelves her Grandmother decides with Valentine's Day coming up, Gemma and Sean can answer some of them offering advice.

Really enjoyed the book and think you will too.

[Danielle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Major Plot spoilers ahead. Read at your own risk

4.5 stars

This was an utterly sweet and adorable Valentine’s read. It was so precious. What I adored about this romance was how it was shown Sean and Gemma falling in love with each other. It was a focus on the emotional not the physical side of their relationship. They got to know each other and got to really understand each other for first time even though they knew each other for 20 years since he was her best friend’s brother. Then once they started to understand one another then started to fall for one another. Happiness just radiated off of them every time they spent together. It was so lovely and enjoyable that it didn’t even bother they didn’t kiss until the last page because it was about the journey of them finding themselves, each other, and love. I loved that so much.

There was just so much going for this story that I absolutely adored. I loved the whole Valentine’s vibe. For one Gemma’s last name was Valentine so there was a lot of expectations about that name, but Gemma’s family also embraced the Valentine holiday aside for Gemma. There were legends and fairytales about her grandparents and parents surrounding love and Valentine’s and such. Then there was the whole town called Cupid’s Corner, which again basked in the Valentine’s holiday with their own love festival that they would have every year. The whole town just exuded romance. Lastly there was the whole Dear Cupid letters that emerged that Gemma and Sean decided to find out who Cupid was while taking on the persona of Cupid for the town paper as they gave off love advice for those who sent those letters but by providing the male and female perspective.

I loved the family aspect. It was very clear that they loved and supported each other very much. They just had a great bond and relationship. Grandma was a freaking a hoot especially when she tried to nudge Gemma to do a couple of things in a subtle and direct way. The relationship with Gemma and her grandmother was utterly adorable and sweet. I loved seeing them interact and support each other. It was clear they shared a very special bond with one another. Grandma was just a little piece of work.

I loved the fact that this was a best friend’s brother’s romance. Gemma had a crush on Sean all her life, but while he was the extroverted sports type, she was the introverted bookish type and figured nothing would happen between them. So, she was a little standoffish with him in her teens and as adults until they set about to work together to transition her grandmother and grandfather from loosing their business to regular life. But there always seemed to be something between them even though nothing happened. In fact when they reunited there seemed be sparks yet it was tentative between them too because of all the built up history between them because they had that in the past. So, that added another layer to the story.

I loved the fact that they were opposites. There truly were two sides of the same coin, which made them compliment each other beautifully. Where one was weak, the other was stronger and vice versa. It was nice to see that balance between them, but was also great to see each of them learning from one another and appreciating the differences in one another. The things that they learned about each other they could apply to their own lives in order to be happy, healthier people. For example, Sean taught Gemma to take a leap of faith and take risks because they risk might be worth it in the end. It was a good lesson for both of them and made for a stronger love between them.

There were some really romantic parts. They quite a few dates together even if they weren’t labeled as such. They just loved spending time together. They were very happy to be in each other’s company. They yearned for it more and more as the story progressed. I loved the bicycle scene. They had great moments at the cafe as they worked together as well as got to know one another. It was sweet, lovely and really romantic. It put a smile on my face whenever they had these little dates.

There was the whole secret admirer plot line. It wasn’t really a mystery who it was, but it showed that the person that was sending Gemma these presents truly knew who she was as a person. They gave her such meaningful and thoughtful gifts. It made me swoon. It warmed my heart. It just put a really nice cherry on top of the whole story. It just added a lot to the story that I already adored.

Overall, this was great read. It was a lot more romantic than I thought it was going to be. I loved that this was story based on falling in love with a person from top to bottom not about exploring physical attraction first then falling in love after that. It was a pretty tame romance, but that didn’t matter because everything else just worked really, really well. I loved the process and the journey it took for Gemma and Sean to get from the beginning of the story to the end in their romances. They both had great individual transformations as well as they realized what they wanted and needed in their lives to make themselves truly happy. It was adorable. Pair with the Valentine’s holiday, it just worked really, really well. I loved it. I can myself reading this again during Valentine’s Day as well as other days in the year. It was just really, really great.

[Marsha Keeper Bookshelf · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reviewed at Keeper Bookshelf

Dear Cupid begins the Cupid’s Corner series with a delightful opposites do attract romance full of laugh out loud moments, a few teary-eyed ones as well, and one charming couple who may have to redefine their version of what love is before admitting to falling so hard for someone they never saw coming. Now, I will admit that I’m coming to this series late, but since I did have an ARC of the next story in the series I decided to do a bit of binge reading this past weekend – and I’m so glad that I went back to the beginning of what I’m certain will prove to be one of my favorite small towns (admittedly I do have several of those favorites but what’s one more, right?) for Cupid’s Corner is full of quirky, lively, fun residents and I can’t wait to meet more of them.

Sean and Gemma have known each other for years, after all, she is his sister’s best friend. Yet life and careers took them from their hometown – and now life is about to bring them together again, older, maybe wiser, and definitely the exact opposite of each other. One ‘plan out every moment’ and one ‘spur of the moment’ people are about to collide with enjoyable, loving results – well, with a little help from a matchmaking grandmother and perhaps just a touch of Cupid’s magic.

Dusty letters to a newspaper’s Dear Cupid column will bring this couple together as first reluctant working partners on the revived advice column bringing a male’s view of romantic situations into play. Sean is the first to fall but Gemma isn’t far behind – it’s her logical, plan, plan, and plan some more mind that needs to catch up. Watching them work together, slowly fall for each other, and sizzle their way to a happy ending was such a fun experience. I liked Dear Cupid so much and was immediately glad that I was binge reading since Picture Perfect Bride was on my Kindle and I wouldn’t have to wait. If you love a romance with a best friend’s brother, opposites attract, or even a friends to lovers style trope – then you’ll want to fall in love with Cupid’s Corner and some really good romances going on in that town.

I own a Kindle edition of Dear Cupid.

[Eileen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I could not put down Gemma and Sean’s love story in Dear Cupid by Laurie LeClair, book one in her Cupid’s Corner series. This is a wonderful, emotional, and heartwarming story, featuring a magical town. Gemma Valentine has taken a leave from her librarian job to sadly help with the closing of her family’s antique store as well as enjoy Cupid’s Corners’ Valentine’s Day festivities. Although seeing love all around her, Gemma doesn’t believe in love. Architect Sean McCleary, the big brother of Gemma’s best friend, is in Cupid’s Corner to create a plan to renovate the Valentine’s building into a trendy retail space; which would hopefully provide him with a promotion. Visiting the antique store Sean and Gemma are tricked into reviving the town paper’s Dear Cupid’s advice Cupid, working together on answers to the questions posed by the lovelorn. Working with Sean disrupts Gemma’s neat and tidy life while Sean realizes how funny and adorable Gemma is. Sean decides he enjoys spending time with Gemma, providing a male’s perspective for their column, and wonders if he can convince her to give him, and them, a chance. Maybe it’s the magic of the town, the antique store, or a matchmaking grandmother that will give these two a chance at love.

Ms. LeClair wrote a wonderful, sweet, and heartwarming story that is definitely not to be missed. She provided a tale rich with sexual chemistry, amusing banter, and endearing characters giving Gemma and Sean a chance to take their own advice on falling love. I highly recommend Dear Cupid to other readers.

I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book.

[Shelagh · Rating 4 out of 5]

The gorgeous cover of Dear Cupid drew me to read this story and I was not disappointed. It’s sweet, warm and just perfect for Valentine’s Day. This story is a lovely mash-up of three romance tropes: best friend’s brother, friends to lovers and opposites attract.
Set in quaint small town Cupid’s Corner, this story brings together by-the-rules librarian Gemma Valentine and live-in-the moment architect Sean McCleary, her best friend’s brother. Coerced into answering questions on love and relationships for the town newspaper’s Dear Cupid column, these two find they have more in common than they first imagined. It was fun watching Sean tempt Gemma to take a risk now and then and a little heart wrenching watching Gemma discover that she is far more attached to her grandparents’ antique store Valentines On Vine than she thought she was.
This story is just delightful. I loved some of the answers Sean and Gemma came up with in response to Dear Cupid letters. I loved how those letters made them question their own feelings, but most of all I loved watching these two fall in love themselves. Perfect Valentine’s Day reading!

[Laura D · Rating 4 out of 5]

Gemma is the best friend of Sean's younger sister. After they grew up he moved away from their hometown of Cupid's Corner to become an architect. Gemma stayed and is now the town librarian. Her grandparents are about to sell their antique shop and retire. Sean's firm is handling the redevelopment of the property so he is back in town. When they are tricked into reviving the "Dear Cupid" advice column all bets are off. No longer is she the annoying young girl that hung out with his sister. He has grown from the boy Gemma crushed on into a handsome and successful man. Can all the time they spend together working on giving helpful advice make them see each other in a new light? Maybe her best friend's brother is no longer off limits? This is a fun read about friends to lovers and how opposites attract to make a whole. Great read!

[Cindy Caron · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed this sweet, clean romance. Between BFF's brother and meddling grandparents, this young couple didn't stand a chance! Cupid certainly hit his arrow straight through their hearts.
Since a young age, Gemma has always had a crush on her best friends brother, and even though they haven't seen each other in quite some time, when they join forces, for different reasons, but the same end results, it's no surprise that Gemma's long-buried crush comes barreling back full force.
When Sean took on his "make it or break it" deal of the century back in his home town, he never would have been able to imagine how the tables would turn.
Has Cupid struck out where it comes to Sean or has he really hit him right where it counts.
A beautiful, well paced and well written story, where the characters are quirky and the plot "just right".

[Sandi Ramirez · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh this has to be one of my favorite Valentine romances I have read. It touches the heart in so many ways and it had me picturing this amazing little town of Cupid Corners and I want more from this town please. In this book we get to know so much about this town and so many of the founding families. But the main focus is on Gemma and Sean. These 2 grew up together and then both left town. Situations have brought them back to the town and it is so much fun to watch these two batter back and forth. This book was like watching life in action and i think that is what made it one of my favorite books to read this year so far.

[Agata · Rating 5 out of 5]

I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book from BookBub and I read it on Google books.
It’s sweet, warm and just perfect for Valentine’s Day.
Gemma Valentine has taken a leave from her librarian job to sadly help with the closing of her family’s antique store as well as enjoy Cupid’s Corners’ Valentine’s Day festivities. Although seeing love all around her, Gemma doesn’t believe in love.
This story is just delightful. I loved some of the answers Sean and Gemma came up with in response to Dear Cupid letters. I loved how those letters made them question their own feelings, but most of all I loved watching these two fall in love themselves. Perfect Valentine’s Day reading!

[Michelle · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book was so boring and I couldn't get into any of the characters or the storyline. Gemma and Sean have no chemistry at all and are complete opposites (which is mentioned every other sentence in the story). Gemma is a cold person who has no real personality; I see no reason at all why Sean fell for her. Sean is an ambitious smart businessman who we're supposed to believe within a week decides to give up everything he's spent years working for in order to be with a woman who's mean and cold to him.....I don't get it. I was just thrilled when the book ended.

[BookSnuggle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dear Cupid is book number one in the Cupid’s Corner series by Laurie LeClair. This is Gemma Valentine and Sean McCleary’s story.

A very sweet and perfect romance story for Valentine’s Day. Gemma and Sean are sweet characters that end up spending time together working on a Valentine project orchestrated by Gram, Gemma’s grandmother. Gemma’s Gram was a mess. It was a fun and sweet read watching Gemma and Sean fall in love.

I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book.

[Rachel Kennedy · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great read, the story of Gemma and Sean. He is her best friends older brother, who she always liked and now is being forced to spend more time with. She wants to look out for her home town and he just wants to get his promotion at work, so will they have a chance of getting together?

I received an ARC of this book in exchange for a voluntary and honest review.

[Diana (DomesticGoddess) · Rating 1 out of 5]

“We’re too different.” As she made each point her heart sank a little bit more. The chasm between them widened with the cold, hard truth.
“Yep, in all the important ways. It doesn’t matter in this case, does it? It’s not like we’re dating or anything. It’s just a project.”

Sappy and poorly written enough that it's painful. DNF at 18%

[Debbie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Laurie LeClair's Dear Cupid is perfect for Valentine's. With a gorgeous cover and sweet, fun romance, Dear Cupid has me ready for all the red, pink, and hearts of Valentine's Day. I enjoyed reading Gemma and Sean's story. I can't help but want to visit Cupid's Corner for more romance.

[Sue Lamm · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dear Cupid

I really enjoyed this book, especially being well written without cursing or explicit sex. The characters came to life with both smiles and tears and had a perfect happy ending.

[Deepa · Rating 2 out of 5]

A very ordinary and bland book. The advice column was not particularly interesting/humorous.
The lead characters all very nice people. Attracted to each other. Not acting on it. Read about halfway through and dropped it as there was nothing particularly engaging to keep me going.

[Denise Stout · Rating 5 out of 5]

The perfect romance for Valentine's Day with a little "Cupid" magic thrown in for good measure.

[Donnajo · Rating 5 out of 5]

I voluntarily read a advanced reader's copy of this book for a honest opinion.

A sweet story Dear Cupid by Laurie LeClair. The perfect romance to get you in the Valentine mood.

[Louise Bird · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a truly amazing book! Wonderful, heartfelt romance. I had the pleasure of reading an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

[Debra M · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved everything about this book from the cover of Gemma and Sean on it to the storyline with them reuniting after all these years.I can't wait for book 2 in the series.

[Drea · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cute.

[Aaron Schuschu · Rating 3 out of 5]

Took too long on this one because all the shipping was triggering personally and what was with the whole barely even dating and now you’re proposing? The hell? But yeah, the characters were good. And I guess the couple were long time family friends. But you know what I mean?

[Carolyn Penney · Rating 1 out of 5]

Trite, even for romance

Not well written or edited, the story is endlessly recycled, and there is no chemistry between any of the characters.

[Jennifer Artiles · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gemma and Sean

This was a very sweet Valentine's story of two people with preconceived notions who have to be willing to compromise to be truly happy. Highly recommended.

[Angel Graham · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good read, but...

It felt like it was too fast paced. I felt likely was running to catch up to the story, which got confusing at times.

[Linda Yarber · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was good. Very light.

[Lynne · Rating 2 out of 5]

Too sappy

[Bookworm · Rating 5 out of 5]

An elegantly gratifying story of discovering love in a person whom they've known for a very long time—but it required time and reason to realise!

[Katie · Rating 4 out of 5]

A really sweet love story. Cute Valentine's season read.