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The Mythical Creatures Collection #1
Playing Cupid
For the past five years, seventeen-year-old Megan Cooper has built a wall around her heart with little room to experience true feelings. Her mother's passing has left her family fractured, driving a wedge between her and her father that has only gotten deeper with time. The only solution: graduate high school early and get out of Dodge.
With one final standing between her and the rest of her life, Megan is paired with a Home Economics partner who seems destined to dump all the work on her. Constantly bailing at the last minute, with more excuses than she can keep track of, Jay Michaels seems determined to ruin her plan.
That is, until she hits Cupid with her car. With his shooting arm is significantly injured, Megan has no choice but to take his place. As she races to find Cupid’s final three love matches in order to meet his quota by the start of the new year, she comes face to face with the very emotions she’s been pushing away for so long.
Caught between what her head is saying and what her heart longs for, Megan must face old wounds, find forgiveness, and track down the perfect match for the one boy with all the excuses.
With one final standing between her and the rest of her life, Megan is paired with a Home Economics partner who seems destined to dump all the work on her. Constantly bailing at the last minute, with more excuses than she can keep track of, Jay Michaels seems determined to ruin her plan.
That is, until she hits Cupid with her car. With his shooting arm is significantly injured, Megan has no choice but to take his place. As she races to find Cupid’s final three love matches in order to meet his quota by the start of the new year, she comes face to face with the very emotions she’s been pushing away for so long.
Caught between what her head is saying and what her heart longs for, Megan must face old wounds, find forgiveness, and track down the perfect match for the one boy with all the excuses.
263 pages, Kindle Edition
Published February 23, 2021
2 people are currently reading
292 people want to read
About the author
S.C. Alban
5 books31 followersA California native turned Pacific Northwest dweller, SC Alban thrives in the moody Fall vibes and endless rainstorms that are the perfect backdrop for her storytelling. When she’s not writing, she’s out hiking trails, kayaking on misty waters, or chillin’ at home crocheting cozy projects. Her trusty fur baby and dedicated familiar, Mateo, is always by her side making every adventure- whether outdoors or in the world of words- that much better.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 56 reviews
July 9, 2021
2.5 stars
This was a solid read! It was a fluffy pick-me-up, perfect for a bad day or you want something quick to read.
Playing Cupid follows Megan as she agrees to aid a cupid, Amadeo, with fulfilling his love match quota after accidentally running over him with her car. Of course, chaos ensues.
Grief, loss and love were themes prominent throughout the whole novel and I found them deftly handled. I felt Megan’s pain and loneliness through the pages and I rooted for her happiness.
I didn’t feel connected to the characters, unfortunately. Megan was slightly annoying and judgmental but she was so endearing, it was so hard not to root for her. Jay was kind of bland. This was possibly due to not enough page-time and we never get to know him as a person.
That being said, the romance felt rushed and insta-love. Megan and Jay hardly interacted with each other I would have preferred some more interaction between the two to see their dynamic.
Amadeo, on the other hand, was so much fun! He was sassy and incredibly understanding. I chuckled when he showed up on the pages.
In terms of the plot, it felt fairly coincidental. Everything just fell into place and arcs were easily resolved in a couple of pages. Except for the addition of cupid, this book didn’t really bring anything new to the table. It was fairly predictable but I had a fun time reading it regardless.
Thank you to The Parliament House and Netgalley for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
This was a solid read! It was a fluffy pick-me-up, perfect for a bad day or you want something quick to read.
Playing Cupid follows Megan as she agrees to aid a cupid, Amadeo, with fulfilling his love match quota after accidentally running over him with her car. Of course, chaos ensues.
Grief, loss and love were themes prominent throughout the whole novel and I found them deftly handled. I felt Megan’s pain and loneliness through the pages and I rooted for her happiness.
I didn’t feel connected to the characters, unfortunately. Megan was slightly annoying and judgmental but she was so endearing, it was so hard not to root for her. Jay was kind of bland. This was possibly due to not enough page-time and we never get to know him as a person.
That being said, the romance felt rushed and insta-love. Megan and Jay hardly interacted with each other I would have preferred some more interaction between the two to see their dynamic.
Amadeo, on the other hand, was so much fun! He was sassy and incredibly understanding. I chuckled when he showed up on the pages.
In terms of the plot, it felt fairly coincidental. Everything just fell into place and arcs were easily resolved in a couple of pages. Except for the addition of cupid, this book didn’t really bring anything new to the table. It was fairly predictable but I had a fun time reading it regardless.
Thank you to The Parliament House and Netgalley for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
February 8, 2021
The major reason I didn't enjoy this book is that it's completely different than the blurb and cover imply. I was expecting a fluffy rom-com, and although it has some of those elements I wouldn't describe it as that. Firstly, I think it should have been mentioned that this book is predominately a story about a teenager healing after her mother dies of cancer. I steer clear of books that mention terminal illness and parent health, I wouldn't have picked this up if I had known. I tried to move past this and give it a chance anyway but it just wasn't for me. I love the idea of a cupid requiring help, and I definitely think that was the strongest part of the book. However, the romance had absolutely no chemistry, and the main couple barely had any interaction. There just wasn't anything there? Not to mention it's a very 'I'm not like the other girls' book, and the main character isn't particularly likeable. I think to some audiences this would be a really fun read, and I can see this author has talent, but this book isn't something I enjoyed.
CW: Terminal Illness, Parent Death, Neglect, Forced Institutionalisation
Thank you to Netgalley and Parliament House Press for providing me with an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.
If you enjoy sci-fi and fantasy you should check out my Blog! You could also follow me on Twitter or Instagram.
CW: Terminal Illness, Parent Death, Neglect, Forced Institutionalisation
Thank you to Netgalley and Parliament House Press for providing me with an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.
If you enjoy sci-fi and fantasy you should check out my Blog! You could also follow me on Twitter or Instagram.
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October 20, 2020Thank you for adding PLAYING CUPID to your Goodreads list! I'm so excited for the release of this book in February, and can't wait to share Megan, Amadeo, and Jay with you all! But first...a little sneak peek of the opening chapter.....
PLAYING CUPID by SC Alban
Chapter One
One final, and I could finally blow out of this school. One simple passing grade, and goodbye Mountain Valley High. So long. Peace out. I shifted my weight while standing in line and tugged on the bottom of my cotton t-shirt, every nerve in my body a tight bundle as I waited to pull the name of the partner who would help me with my escape.
When I signed up for Home Economics last spring, I thought it’d be a no-brainer. After all, it was just an easy elective for the jocks to pass in order to keep up their G.P.A. Who knew students would be expected to do actual work?
I bit my lip, rehashing how horribly I did on the sewing midterm. My cheeks grew hot as I recalled sewing a skirt to my pant leg during the hemming demonstration. Thank God the semester was ending with cooking. I’d been mastering the culinary arts since I was twelve. And by mastering, I mean making my own dinner and leaving leftovers for Dad. If I had any chance at all of passing this class—any chance of graduating early—this final was the key. It was my exit ticket out of high school. I just hoped chance favored me with a good partner.
My foot tapped double-time on the linoleum as I stood behind Eleanor Davis. My stomach twisted. Not only did we all have to suffer Ms. O’Dowd’s romanticized, and unhealthy, obsession with the 1950s and be partnered up in boy-girl fashion, but the woman also chose to go in reverse alphabetical order. Instead of having one of the first picks, I was second to last. My fate lay in the hands of my classmates. And I really hated waiting.
I glanced back at Sasha Abbott as she picked her nails. Poor girl. At least I got a fighting chance—a slim one, but still, at least I got to pick a name. She’d be stuck with whoever was left.
Ms. O’Dowd held the golden colander high above her head, ensuring no one could peek inside. The gleam in her eye hinted that she was enjoying the process a little too much.
Why did it seem like teachers enjoyed torturing their students? Because that’s what this was. Torture. Why couldn’t she have just assigned our partners beforehand? Why all the fanfare? I crossed my arms over my middle and blew out a breath, looking out over the rest of the class as they waited in their kitchenettes with smiles and laughter. Apparently, I was the only one that thought this ridiculous ritual was archaic and, well, dumb. But I knew better than to question Ms. O’Dowd, and her ancient beliefs, again. Especially after our little... disagreement about male and female salary inequality during the budgeting unit. Nope. Not going there again. It wasn’t my job to catapult her into present day thinking. Not when her grade was the only thing standing between me and freedom. I could be stubborn, but I wasn’t stupid.
“Okay, ladies, let’s keep the line moving.” She shook the container as Ella Stratford reached in.
Ella rummaged around the colander longer than necessary, stretching her time in the spotlight out for what felt like at least a freaking hour. Just pick a name! Typical drama queen.
Finally, after a prompt from Ms. O’Dowd to hurry up, Ella yanked out a slip of paper, waving it in the air like a flag, and then read the name as if she was a contestant on a TV game show. Ugh. Ridiculous attention-seeking brat.
“Jesse Dawes.” She brought her hand to her heart and fluttered her eyelashes before writing his name on the board next to hers. The rest of the class hooted and hollered. Everyone knew Jesse had a massive crush on Ella, including Ella. She’d probably use it to her advantage, too. His cheeks flushed red when she joined him in kitchen four.
I shoved my hands deeper in my pockets to keep from fidgeting as the line shortened at a sloth’s pace. Three more and it would be my turn. Who hadn’t been picked yet? I scanned the available kitchenettes, my eyes darting like a falcon searching for prey. Kyle Peterson, Stuart Kwong, Hugo Herrera, Chris Barnes, and...
My heart stopped, the blood in my arteries freezing mid-pump as my gaze landed on the last kitchen without a partner.
Jay Michaels.
Holy hell. A stone sank in my gut. Great. Of all the potential partners. Not that there were many options, but why did the laziest one have to be one of mine?
“Chris Barnes.” Brandi Jackson belted out the name and pranced to the back of the room to join her new partner.
No, no, no, no, my brain repeated, panicked. Anyone but Jay. I can’t be stuck with him.
Two more girls ahead of me. My lungs froze as Stacey Dyer pulled Kyle and Eleanor was matched with Hugo. There were only two names left in the colander Ms. O’Dowd dangled above our heads. My breathing became heavy, my heart pounding as I approached the colander like the gallows. Please God help me.
Looking back at Sasha, I searched for any indication she was as nervous as I was. She continued to pick at her nails.
“Okay, Megan, your turn.” Ms. O’Dowd smiled.
I glanced around the classroom. All eyes were on me. Two names left and I definitely knew which one would be a better choice...and his initials were not J.M. I snuck a peek at Jay, who sat on a stool in his kitchen area flipping through his phone. Apparently, he was too busy to worry about who his partner would be. Typical. Jay was always too busy to give anyone other than his phone attention. My eyes darted back to Ms. O’Dowd.
“Let’s go, Ms. Cooper. I still need to explain the final project before class is dismissed.” She put her free hand on her hip. Oh, sure, now you’re in a hurry.
I swallowed hard. Inhaling deeply, I raised my hand and placed it into the colander. Stuart Kwong. Stuart Kwong. Please be Stuart Kwong. I willed the universe to guide my fingers in choosing the partner I wanted. Finding a paper, I removed it from the colander and held it tightly in my grasp.
“Well, Ms. Cooper...who’s the lucky gentleman?”
It was the moment of truth. I closed my eyes, opening them slowly as I lifted the slip to my line of sight. I opened my mouth to say the name, but nothing came out.
“Well...” Ms. O’Dowd’s voice rose an octave.
“It’s um...it’s...”
The class was silent. I released a long breath and looked at the floor.
“Jay Michaels,” I muttered, tossing the scrap of paper into the trash bin before writing his name on the board next to mine.
PLAYING CUPID by SC Alban
Chapter One
One final, and I could finally blow out of this school. One simple passing grade, and goodbye Mountain Valley High. So long. Peace out. I shifted my weight while standing in line and tugged on the bottom of my cotton t-shirt, every nerve in my body a tight bundle as I waited to pull the name of the partner who would help me with my escape.
When I signed up for Home Economics last spring, I thought it’d be a no-brainer. After all, it was just an easy elective for the jocks to pass in order to keep up their G.P.A. Who knew students would be expected to do actual work?
I bit my lip, rehashing how horribly I did on the sewing midterm. My cheeks grew hot as I recalled sewing a skirt to my pant leg during the hemming demonstration. Thank God the semester was ending with cooking. I’d been mastering the culinary arts since I was twelve. And by mastering, I mean making my own dinner and leaving leftovers for Dad. If I had any chance at all of passing this class—any chance of graduating early—this final was the key. It was my exit ticket out of high school. I just hoped chance favored me with a good partner.
My foot tapped double-time on the linoleum as I stood behind Eleanor Davis. My stomach twisted. Not only did we all have to suffer Ms. O’Dowd’s romanticized, and unhealthy, obsession with the 1950s and be partnered up in boy-girl fashion, but the woman also chose to go in reverse alphabetical order. Instead of having one of the first picks, I was second to last. My fate lay in the hands of my classmates. And I really hated waiting.
I glanced back at Sasha Abbott as she picked her nails. Poor girl. At least I got a fighting chance—a slim one, but still, at least I got to pick a name. She’d be stuck with whoever was left.
Ms. O’Dowd held the golden colander high above her head, ensuring no one could peek inside. The gleam in her eye hinted that she was enjoying the process a little too much.
Why did it seem like teachers enjoyed torturing their students? Because that’s what this was. Torture. Why couldn’t she have just assigned our partners beforehand? Why all the fanfare? I crossed my arms over my middle and blew out a breath, looking out over the rest of the class as they waited in their kitchenettes with smiles and laughter. Apparently, I was the only one that thought this ridiculous ritual was archaic and, well, dumb. But I knew better than to question Ms. O’Dowd, and her ancient beliefs, again. Especially after our little... disagreement about male and female salary inequality during the budgeting unit. Nope. Not going there again. It wasn’t my job to catapult her into present day thinking. Not when her grade was the only thing standing between me and freedom. I could be stubborn, but I wasn’t stupid.
“Okay, ladies, let’s keep the line moving.” She shook the container as Ella Stratford reached in.
Ella rummaged around the colander longer than necessary, stretching her time in the spotlight out for what felt like at least a freaking hour. Just pick a name! Typical drama queen.
Finally, after a prompt from Ms. O’Dowd to hurry up, Ella yanked out a slip of paper, waving it in the air like a flag, and then read the name as if she was a contestant on a TV game show. Ugh. Ridiculous attention-seeking brat.
“Jesse Dawes.” She brought her hand to her heart and fluttered her eyelashes before writing his name on the board next to hers. The rest of the class hooted and hollered. Everyone knew Jesse had a massive crush on Ella, including Ella. She’d probably use it to her advantage, too. His cheeks flushed red when she joined him in kitchen four.
I shoved my hands deeper in my pockets to keep from fidgeting as the line shortened at a sloth’s pace. Three more and it would be my turn. Who hadn’t been picked yet? I scanned the available kitchenettes, my eyes darting like a falcon searching for prey. Kyle Peterson, Stuart Kwong, Hugo Herrera, Chris Barnes, and...
My heart stopped, the blood in my arteries freezing mid-pump as my gaze landed on the last kitchen without a partner.
Jay Michaels.
Holy hell. A stone sank in my gut. Great. Of all the potential partners. Not that there were many options, but why did the laziest one have to be one of mine?
“Chris Barnes.” Brandi Jackson belted out the name and pranced to the back of the room to join her new partner.
No, no, no, no, my brain repeated, panicked. Anyone but Jay. I can’t be stuck with him.
Two more girls ahead of me. My lungs froze as Stacey Dyer pulled Kyle and Eleanor was matched with Hugo. There were only two names left in the colander Ms. O’Dowd dangled above our heads. My breathing became heavy, my heart pounding as I approached the colander like the gallows. Please God help me.
Looking back at Sasha, I searched for any indication she was as nervous as I was. She continued to pick at her nails.
“Okay, Megan, your turn.” Ms. O’Dowd smiled.
I glanced around the classroom. All eyes were on me. Two names left and I definitely knew which one would be a better choice...and his initials were not J.M. I snuck a peek at Jay, who sat on a stool in his kitchen area flipping through his phone. Apparently, he was too busy to worry about who his partner would be. Typical. Jay was always too busy to give anyone other than his phone attention. My eyes darted back to Ms. O’Dowd.
“Let’s go, Ms. Cooper. I still need to explain the final project before class is dismissed.” She put her free hand on her hip. Oh, sure, now you’re in a hurry.
I swallowed hard. Inhaling deeply, I raised my hand and placed it into the colander. Stuart Kwong. Stuart Kwong. Please be Stuart Kwong. I willed the universe to guide my fingers in choosing the partner I wanted. Finding a paper, I removed it from the colander and held it tightly in my grasp.
“Well, Ms. Cooper...who’s the lucky gentleman?”
It was the moment of truth. I closed my eyes, opening them slowly as I lifted the slip to my line of sight. I opened my mouth to say the name, but nothing came out.
“Well...” Ms. O’Dowd’s voice rose an octave.
“It’s um...it’s...”
The class was silent. I released a long breath and looked at the floor.
“Jay Michaels,” I muttered, tossing the scrap of paper into the trash bin before writing his name on the board next to mine.
April 11, 2021
Rating: 3.5 stars
This was a very enjoyable read for me.
The book was very predictable and has a very common storyline BUT I liked it nonetheless. It kept me fairly entertained and I had a good time. Despite being ordinary and predictable, the book was unique in its own way. It has a touch of fantasy in the form of real-life cupids! I love how cupids have been portrayed in this book and how the cupid in this book -Amadeo was.
We follow the perspective of seventeen-year-old Megan, who is graduating early to go to college, far away from the small town. She is still dealing with the loss of her mother, which is harder still because her father refuses to look at her because he cannot bear the stark resemblance. I must admit that parts of the book, especially where she deals with the grief - it was so graphic and heartfelt that it brought tears to my eyes.
Also, I must mention that this has a haters-to-lovers trope but in a very mild form. This trope, however, is not the main focus, which was really interesting. The book dealt more with mental health and dealing with loss, and finding yourself.
So, why did I give it 3.5 stars? That is because the book felt too much like a debut novel. I admit that it is a debut novel, but considering the themes and the hard topics that it discussed, I wish there was a little more maturity to the writing style and not to mention the fact that I wished it could be more unique. Barring this, it was a book worth reading and if you are looking for a quick and easy read - "Playing Cupid" might be it. I would like to read more from this author.
This was a very enjoyable read for me.
The book was very predictable and has a very common storyline BUT I liked it nonetheless. It kept me fairly entertained and I had a good time. Despite being ordinary and predictable, the book was unique in its own way. It has a touch of fantasy in the form of real-life cupids! I love how cupids have been portrayed in this book and how the cupid in this book -Amadeo was.
We follow the perspective of seventeen-year-old Megan, who is graduating early to go to college, far away from the small town. She is still dealing with the loss of her mother, which is harder still because her father refuses to look at her because he cannot bear the stark resemblance. I must admit that parts of the book, especially where she deals with the grief - it was so graphic and heartfelt that it brought tears to my eyes.
Also, I must mention that this has a haters-to-lovers trope but in a very mild form. This trope, however, is not the main focus, which was really interesting. The book dealt more with mental health and dealing with loss, and finding yourself.
So, why did I give it 3.5 stars? That is because the book felt too much like a debut novel. I admit that it is a debut novel, but considering the themes and the hard topics that it discussed, I wish there was a little more maturity to the writing style and not to mention the fact that I wished it could be more unique. Barring this, it was a book worth reading and if you are looking for a quick and easy read - "Playing Cupid" might be it. I would like to read more from this author.
February 20, 2021
Rating: 2.5 stars
Thank you to the publisher and netgalley for an earc to read in exchange for a review!
The cover for this book is one of my favorites from the year so far but sadly I didn’t entirely like the book.
The one thing I enjoyed about it was the retelling of Cupid. It was fun and unique! He also is quite sarcastic and definitely makes Megan’s life interesting. I really enjoyed the interactions they had together. Also, it ends with an epilogue explaining things that happened in the plot a bit more and I was not expecting that!
Since this is a book that includes Cupid I figured that the main character, Megan, would end up learning a thing or two about love. The thing is, the romance just wasn’t believable for me. Megan and the love interest didn’t have many interactions and I guess that’s why Cupid comes in. It also mostly happens well over 50% into the book and that makes for the ending to feel rushed.
Another thing I didn’t like was how quickly important topics were glossed over. Megan has issues with her dad ever since her mother died of cancer and when they don’t have many scenes together it’s hard to believe that they would make up so quickly. The love interest also deals with family issues and again, it was rushed through so it felt like what was the point in bringing it up besides for Megan and him to have a connection.
Overall, I liked the parts with Cupid but everything else was quickly glossed over and and the ending was too rushed for my taste. I do think others will like this one but sadly it wasn’t for me.
Thank you to the publisher and netgalley for an earc to read in exchange for a review!
The cover for this book is one of my favorites from the year so far but sadly I didn’t entirely like the book.
The one thing I enjoyed about it was the retelling of Cupid. It was fun and unique! He also is quite sarcastic and definitely makes Megan’s life interesting. I really enjoyed the interactions they had together. Also, it ends with an epilogue explaining things that happened in the plot a bit more and I was not expecting that!
Since this is a book that includes Cupid I figured that the main character, Megan, would end up learning a thing or two about love. The thing is, the romance just wasn’t believable for me. Megan and the love interest didn’t have many interactions and I guess that’s why Cupid comes in. It also mostly happens well over 50% into the book and that makes for the ending to feel rushed.
Another thing I didn’t like was how quickly important topics were glossed over. Megan has issues with her dad ever since her mother died of cancer and when they don’t have many scenes together it’s hard to believe that they would make up so quickly. The love interest also deals with family issues and again, it was rushed through so it felt like what was the point in bringing it up besides for Megan and him to have a connection.
Overall, I liked the parts with Cupid but everything else was quickly glossed over and and the ending was too rushed for my taste. I do think others will like this one but sadly it wasn’t for me.
January 9, 2021
I'm not sure why this book didn't work with me, but I just never connected to it. Some aspects of it I enjoyed, and other aspects I disliked. There's definitely potential here, but this book fell just a bit short.
What I Liked
-The way Cupids were portrayed in this! I love that we were given explanations on their lifestyle, and their government. It added an entirely new element, and it was completely different than anything else I've read.
-The writing. Parts of this were beautifully written, and I loved it!
-The length. I really feel like this was the best possible length. It was long enough for me to get invested, but not too long.
-The epilogue. I felt like it was a super fun way to end the story!
What I Disliked
-Our main character, Megan. I liked her for the first half, but she really irritated me in the second half. One of her decisions really irritated me, and I hated that there were no consequences for it.
-The main romance wasn't necessarily a dislike, but I didn't really care about it. Jay didn't stand out to me at all, he was a fairly bland character.
I can definitely see people loving this, but I just wasn't my type of book! I'll be keeping an eye on this author!
Thanks to S.C. Alban and and Netgalley for providing a free copy in exchange for an honest review!
What I Liked
-The way Cupids were portrayed in this! I love that we were given explanations on their lifestyle, and their government. It added an entirely new element, and it was completely different than anything else I've read.
-The writing. Parts of this were beautifully written, and I loved it!
-The length. I really feel like this was the best possible length. It was long enough for me to get invested, but not too long.
-The epilogue. I felt like it was a super fun way to end the story!
What I Disliked
-Our main character, Megan. I liked her for the first half, but she really irritated me in the second half. One of her decisions really irritated me, and I hated that there were no consequences for it.
-The main romance wasn't necessarily a dislike, but I didn't really care about it. Jay didn't stand out to me at all, he was a fairly bland character.
I can definitely see people loving this, but I just wasn't my type of book! I'll be keeping an eye on this author!
Thanks to S.C. Alban and and Netgalley for providing a free copy in exchange for an honest review!
August 3, 2024
2.5
so! this book.
i really liked the concept of cupid needing help setting people up. i thought that was a really fun idea and i liked amadeo, the main cupid megan works with. i also liked jay's character and getting to see megan interact with her fellow students. also, i think the cover is super cute.
where i start having problems is where i frequently have problems with ya books: you can tell that it was a grown adult writing it.
there's nothing wrong with this! if the book is good enough, it doesn't matter who is writing it. however, megan and jay didn't really feel like authentic teenagers to me.
i also had a problem with the worldbuilding. the information amadeo tells megan about his realm comes in large paragraphs of info-dumping, with much more detail than people would actually use while talking. it may have been more efficient to let this be revealed some other way.
another thought is that the way megan and her father's relationship was portrayed was very...odd. i understood how megan felt about her father, so it didn't really make much sense for everything to be resolved so quickly. also, this seemed like it was meant to be a big part of the book and he didn't get mentioned at all in the last quarter of the story.
one more problem: the pacing was off. the first half of the book was all school and introducing characters who don't appear for more than three pages. the second half is where all the action is, but it ends up coming out of left field because you've been built up to think this is going to be a book about megan's school life.
overall, i didn't love the book, but i didn't hate it either. if alban writes another book in this world, i would definitely consider reading it, but it wouldn't be a top priority.
so! this book.
i really liked the concept of cupid needing help setting people up. i thought that was a really fun idea and i liked amadeo, the main cupid megan works with. i also liked jay's character and getting to see megan interact with her fellow students. also, i think the cover is super cute.
where i start having problems is where i frequently have problems with ya books: you can tell that it was a grown adult writing it.
there's nothing wrong with this! if the book is good enough, it doesn't matter who is writing it. however, megan and jay didn't really feel like authentic teenagers to me.
i also had a problem with the worldbuilding. the information amadeo tells megan about his realm comes in large paragraphs of info-dumping, with much more detail than people would actually use while talking. it may have been more efficient to let this be revealed some other way.
another thought is that the way megan and her father's relationship was portrayed was very...odd. i understood how megan felt about her father, so it didn't really make much sense for everything to be resolved so quickly. also, this seemed like it was meant to be a big part of the book and he didn't get mentioned at all in the last quarter of the story.
one more problem: the pacing was off. the first half of the book was all school and introducing characters who don't appear for more than three pages. the second half is where all the action is, but it ends up coming out of left field because you've been built up to think this is going to be a book about megan's school life.
overall, i didn't love the book, but i didn't hate it either. if alban writes another book in this world, i would definitely consider reading it, but it wouldn't be a top priority.
February 22, 2021
What a fun read! There aren't too many books about Cupids so I was excited to get my hands on this book. The premise is cute, Megan accidentally hits a Cupid with her car and gets roped into helping him meet his quota by making three love matches by the end of the year. There are some funny scenes with Megan and Amadeo as well as some emotional parts and the whole thing wraps up with a happily ever after.
Megan suffered loss early when her mom died and then was left without support when her dad withdrew into himself and stopped having a relationship with her. I felt for Megan and it wasn't a surprise that she grew up jaded about love and kept everyone at arm's length. It was a bit difficult to like Megan at first because she's so abrasive, but luckily she has some growth and helping to make love matches opens her heart.
There was one part of the story that didn't make sense to me, why did Jay always have to leave abruptly? We got a bit of an explanation, but I didn't think it really made sense so I'm still wondering. Maybe we'll see Jay and Megan again in the next book?
I enjoyed reading this and I'm excited for the next book in the series. Maybe we'll see other creatures like a leprechaun, mermaid, tooth fairy, who knows?
I received a copy of this book from The Parliament House Press in exchange for an honest review.
Megan suffered loss early when her mom died and then was left without support when her dad withdrew into himself and stopped having a relationship with her. I felt for Megan and it wasn't a surprise that she grew up jaded about love and kept everyone at arm's length. It was a bit difficult to like Megan at first because she's so abrasive, but luckily she has some growth and helping to make love matches opens her heart.
There was one part of the story that didn't make sense to me, why did Jay always have to leave abruptly? We got a bit of an explanation, but I didn't think it really made sense so I'm still wondering. Maybe we'll see Jay and Megan again in the next book?
I enjoyed reading this and I'm excited for the next book in the series. Maybe we'll see other creatures like a leprechaun, mermaid, tooth fairy, who knows?
I received a copy of this book from The Parliament House Press in exchange for an honest review.
February 27, 2022
ARC was given by NetGalley and The Parliament House in exchange for an honest review.
Content/Trigger Warnings: Content/Trigger Warnings: Loss of a parent, grief, depression, talk of hospitalization, terminal illness (cancer), car accident, child neglect, forced institutionalization, brief mentions of attempted suicide
I had to sit with myself and collect my thoughts and feelings on this book. I’ll be honest, it took me a hot minute to get through this book and even really feel out how I felt about the book. There’s some really lovely elements and discussions happening, but ultimately, I think there were a lot of things I wasn’t expecting. Though, I am a sucker for a mythological story.
We follow seventeen-year old Megan, who’s closed off her heart from every finding love again. After her mother dies of cancer and her father descends into a six year mourning and depression, Megan decides to fast track her life. She’s fended for herself this long, why should she rely on anyone else when you’ll just get hurt? With the end of the school year rapidly approaching and her ticket to leave this small town just in sight, things are going well. Until she gets stuck with Jay Michaels for a final grade project and he keeps giving every excuse in the book. And if things couldn’t get any worse, on the night driving home, she hits Cupid just as he’s about to close out his quota for the year. Now Megan’s world is turned upside down and now she’s not too sure if she’ll ever be able to escape this town or the painful memories attached to it.
Whew, these characters were something else, let me tell you! I think this was the hardest part to decide my feelings on because everything else I knew what I liked and disliked, but these characters left me feeling conflicted. I will say Megan and her father felt very realistic for me. I think many readers will have a hard time connecting with them or caring about them, but I found it was really easy to feel invested in them. This might be due to my own history of having iron walls built around my heart and dealing with neglectful adults in my life. However, Megan was really judgmental at times or lacked understanding in certain parts. Jay on the other hand felt very under-developed to me. In fact, the way the books paints him for the reader is in a light of where we shouldn’t like him from the beginning. The only thing that had me invested in Jay’s character was the fact that it was very obvious he had a secret he wasn’t telling anyone. We only see more to Jay at the 75% mark in the book and even then it feels too late to really get a feeling for who he is as a character because up until this point Jay’s just painted in a bit of a negative light. As for Amadeo, our mischievous Cupid, I still have mixed feeling about him. There were times where I thought his personality was very fitting, but other times that felt like his attitude had no place being in a certain scene. Though out of all the characters, Amadeo has the strongest character development.
The thing I loved the most about this book was the world building. Not just the way Mountain Valley is built up with a lot of small town vibes, but also what we learn of the Cupid societal structure. The amount of details we learn about this world, the different levels and how each of these levels mirror places on Earth, and the way you can see how Amadeo fits among this society was really interesting. I was heavily invested in learning more details about the world and honestly, I think this alone could of been turned into it’s own book because it was such an interesting concept.
“Maybe the point is to remind us there are two sides to everything. It makes us more appreciative of the loving part, you know, knowing at any moment, it could all end.”
Most of all, I think the elements that really sealed my connection to this book were the hard topics of this book. We see a lot of themes of grief and how no person in the same with grief. More specifically with Megan’s father, how you can love someone so much that it breaks you, how nothing including you will ever be the same, and how difficult it is to emerge from that grief, that depression and right the wrongs that have taken place during that time of being a shell of who you once were. On the opposite spectrum, we see how Megan fortifies herself because she’s never been given the opportunity to grieve, to feel the full weight of the loss of her mother and instead had to grow up far too quickly than she should have because no one was looking out for her. I think the author did a really fantastic job at writing the grief in a realistic way that allows others to feel a connection to the characters.
I want to take a moment to address the other hard topic in this book. Though this is for the last 75% of the book and I think this will make a lot of readers turn away from this book, I still wanted to talk about it. There’s a whole discussion happening about mental health and the stigma that surrounds mental health, and not just mental health, but we see a small piece where it’s addressed of how there’s still a strong societal stigma surrounding those who end up institutionalized for mental health. And I wish, oh how I wish, this was addressed more openly, in literature and otherwise. How as a society we have the preconceived notion that we can never speak openly about this, that it’s something to be ashamed of, and how if someone does speak up about their experience they’re instantly labeled as someone to avoid, that they’re “unstable” or “crazy”, or they’re dangerous instead of treating them like human beings who are ill, who are facing challenges and hardships with their mental health, and how they chose to be brave to speak up of needing help and their experience.
The only issue I really had with this book was the insta-love between Megan and Jay. A lot of this book is focused on Megan healing from the loss of her mother and her assisting Amadeo hitting his final three targets for his quota. There was never any time fully dedicated to Megan and Jay establishing chemistry between one another, there wasn’t dedicated time to truly see Jay’s character until the last 75% of the book, and Megan and Jay had barely any interactions with one another, as well. We get small little pockets, but for the most part they barely have anything to do with one another and the fact that this relationship was an inst-love with all of that preestablished just didn’t work for me. Honestly, I think I would have loved seeing Megan fall in love with a Cupid over the relationship between her and Jay.
Overall, I really did enjoy reading this book, but I definitely want to caution that this isn’t the book it’s advertised or the way a lot of readers label it as a rom-com or a fluffy romance. Honestly, I removed the romance tag for this book because I see this more as a contemporary story with romantic elements, but it’s a strong contemporary read with hard hitting topics laced throughout the entirety of this book. If you’re someone who’s not turned off by books with heavy topics or enjoy books with mythological elements then I think you’ll enjoy reading this book.
The quotes above were taken from an ARC and are subject to change upon publication.
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January 21, 2021
3/5 stars.
Content warnings:
Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with an eARC in exchange for an honest review.
In Playing Cupid, our main character Megan keeps everyone at a distance and has lost her faith in love after having lost her mother and developed a strained relationship with her father. Her main goal is to graduate early and move on with her life, but getting caught up in helping a Cupid reach their yearly love quota throws a wrench in her plans. It's a cute story about love and loss, with Megan opening her eyes up to love and learning to deal with her grief about her mother's death without letting it hinder her relationships now. Her grief was palpable and really made me feel for her, and I was more invested in her dealing with that loss and reconciling with her dad, rather than what was going on in her romantic life.
I struggled to like her love interest, Jay. I've always had a dislike for love interests who are shown to be arrogant and lazy, and Jay is that for majority of the book. For example, He flakes on Megan multiple times, and calls her 'Meggo' when he knows she has a problem with it since her late mother used to call her that. While we learn more about him later in the book, and I warm up to him a little, I still don't think it entirely justifies his actions in blowing off Megan and letting her do all the work (as well as other classmates in the past?).
Amadeo was an interesting character, and I enjoyed reading about him and wish we could have gotten more about him in a way that was less expositional. Overall, it was a sweet read that I think readers who love fluffy romances will enjoy.
Content warnings:
Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with an eARC in exchange for an honest review.
In Playing Cupid, our main character Megan keeps everyone at a distance and has lost her faith in love after having lost her mother and developed a strained relationship with her father. Her main goal is to graduate early and move on with her life, but getting caught up in helping a Cupid reach their yearly love quota throws a wrench in her plans. It's a cute story about love and loss, with Megan opening her eyes up to love and learning to deal with her grief about her mother's death without letting it hinder her relationships now. Her grief was palpable and really made me feel for her, and I was more invested in her dealing with that loss and reconciling with her dad, rather than what was going on in her romantic life.
I struggled to like her love interest, Jay. I've always had a dislike for love interests who are shown to be arrogant and lazy, and Jay is that for majority of the book. For example, He flakes on Megan multiple times, and calls her 'Meggo' when he knows she has a problem with it since her late mother used to call her that. While we learn more about him later in the book, and I warm up to him a little, I still don't think it entirely justifies his actions in blowing off Megan and letting her do all the work (as well as other classmates in the past?).
Amadeo was an interesting character, and I enjoyed reading about him and wish we could have gotten more about him in a way that was less expositional. Overall, it was a sweet read that I think readers who love fluffy romances will enjoy.
January 25, 2021
This book had a ton of heart. And made me cry a lot.
Megan is our main character. After some personal tragedy, she has decided to build a wall around her heart. After hitting a Cupid named Amadeo (WITH HER CAR). This Cupid now needs help with making matches because while he may be injury-resistant, getting hit with a car injured his arm and hurt his archery skills.
Thus we get a buddy-film/novel situation and it was lovely! Amadeo was amazing! His humor, his inability to let Megan forget about hitting him, his dramatics. He was just great! The dynamic between the man with the career built on love and the girl who built a wall around her heart to keep love out was fun.
As much as I liked this book, I wouldn't have been opposed to some more characterization of "the boy she can't stand," Jay. I feel like Megan and Jay's relationship needed a little more something? I just wanted more of a friendship between the two of them, maybe more texts or phone calls.
However, overall this was a sweet (sometimes sad) novel about love and how it can both wreck and heal people. Amadeo was (obviously) the star of this novel, and the Cupid system that this book had is actually one of the best I've read. I'm interested to see what other Mythical Creatures the author takes on (as this is book one in a Mythical Creatures Collection and the author lays some groundwork in this novel for other mythical creatures' backgrounds). I wouldn't mind some characters from this book appearing in future novels, which could be really fun. (*cough*Amadeo cameo*cough*). The romance was mostly sweet (although it wasn't the best aspect of the novel), but this was still a nice Valentine's/Christmas novel. (The elements are more Valentine's but the time of year is more Christmas).
Special thanks to NetGalley & Independent Publishers Group / The Parliament House for the e-ARC. I really appreciate it!
Megan is our main character. After some personal tragedy, she has decided to build a wall around her heart. After hitting a Cupid named Amadeo (WITH HER CAR). This Cupid now needs help with making matches because while he may be injury-resistant, getting hit with a car injured his arm and hurt his archery skills.
Thus we get a buddy-film/novel situation and it was lovely! Amadeo was amazing! His humor, his inability to let Megan forget about hitting him, his dramatics. He was just great! The dynamic between the man with the career built on love and the girl who built a wall around her heart to keep love out was fun.
As much as I liked this book, I wouldn't have been opposed to some more characterization of "the boy she can't stand," Jay. I feel like Megan and Jay's relationship needed a little more something? I just wanted more of a friendship between the two of them, maybe more texts or phone calls.
However, overall this was a sweet (sometimes sad) novel about love and how it can both wreck and heal people. Amadeo was (obviously) the star of this novel, and the Cupid system that this book had is actually one of the best I've read. I'm interested to see what other Mythical Creatures the author takes on (as this is book one in a Mythical Creatures Collection and the author lays some groundwork in this novel for other mythical creatures' backgrounds). I wouldn't mind some characters from this book appearing in future novels, which could be really fun. (*cough*Amadeo cameo*cough*). The romance was mostly sweet (although it wasn't the best aspect of the novel), but this was still a nice Valentine's/Christmas novel. (The elements are more Valentine's but the time of year is more Christmas).
Special thanks to NetGalley & Independent Publishers Group / The Parliament House for the e-ARC. I really appreciate it!
February 21, 2021
Thanks to The Parliament Press for my arc.
I requested this book because the cover grabbed my attention & the premise intrigued me. It's not often you see Cupid as the fantasy being in a story. The cover, however, is very misleading because it is NOT a love story between Meg (the MC) and a Cupid.
Meg is 17, has no friends and is singularly focused on getting as far away as possible from her small hometown. Since her mum died from cancer 5 years earlier, she has shut herself off from everyone and her relationship with her dad is almost non-existent.
One day on her way home from school she runs over a Cupid and, as he's injured, he enlists her help to match up the last three people on his quota before the end of the year.
Amadeo, the cupid, is extremely camp, hundreds (if not thousands) of years old and has a wife and child back in the Cupid Realm who he wants to get back to.
The two clash constantly.
The story follows a very dense Meg as she tries to match people up and reluctantly open up to people, her dad and Jay Michaels (the school's Mr Perfect) especially. The book also deals heavily with grief.
I loved the twist at the end although I did expect it. But I felt like we could've done with more on Meg & Jay actually being a couple and knowing what was going to happen to them in the future.
CW: Death of a parent, cancer, mentally illness, forced institutionalisation, grief
I requested this book because the cover grabbed my attention & the premise intrigued me. It's not often you see Cupid as the fantasy being in a story. The cover, however, is very misleading because it is NOT a love story between Meg (the MC) and a Cupid.
Meg is 17, has no friends and is singularly focused on getting as far away as possible from her small hometown. Since her mum died from cancer 5 years earlier, she has shut herself off from everyone and her relationship with her dad is almost non-existent.
One day on her way home from school she runs over a Cupid and, as he's injured, he enlists her help to match up the last three people on his quota before the end of the year.
Amadeo, the cupid, is extremely camp, hundreds (if not thousands) of years old and has a wife and child back in the Cupid Realm who he wants to get back to.
The two clash constantly.
The story follows a very dense Meg as she tries to match people up and reluctantly open up to people, her dad and Jay Michaels (the school's Mr Perfect) especially. The book also deals heavily with grief.
I loved the twist at the end although I did expect it. But I felt like we could've done with more on Meg & Jay actually being a couple and knowing what was going to happen to them in the future.
CW: Death of a parent, cancer, mentally illness, forced institutionalisation, grief
February 6, 2022
This book started out promising, with 17 year old Megan hitting a cupid with her vehicle on a winter night. He is a short man in a deep pink suit with curly blond hair. He says since she injured him, she needs to help with his last 3 targets of the year. Then, you see the real plot is about a girl who's mom died, her father has neglected her since she was 11, and a boy in her class, Jay, who she thinks has it all, who has sad secrets of his own. So many triggers for me, I would never have picked this up. It is not a fun YA romantic fantasy. 2 1/2 stars.
January 8, 2021
I received an Arc and I just have to say...thank you! It was so enjoyable.
A whimsical, engaging tale with just the right amount of sarcasm. Megan is the perfect mix of teen angst and adulthood. The author beautifully captured and cultivated the hard choices involved in maturing both socially and emotionally. Love this book!
A whimsical, engaging tale with just the right amount of sarcasm. Megan is the perfect mix of teen angst and adulthood. The author beautifully captured and cultivated the hard choices involved in maturing both socially and emotionally. Love this book!
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January 6, 2021A charming and original take on Cupid. Our heroine injured Cupid in an accident and had to help him complete his assignments. It's touching and heartwarming. I like how the heroine is forced to deal with her emotions after closing off her heart for so long. Love how things get resolved. A perfect ending.
May 3, 2021
I really enjoyed this book!
I’m not usually into romance-y books but this ticked all the boxes and then some.
Yes, it was fluffy and a bit predictable but it was also funny and entertaining.
Definitely gave me the pick me up I needed!
I’m not usually into romance-y books but this ticked all the boxes and then some.
Yes, it was fluffy and a bit predictable but it was also funny and entertaining.
Definitely gave me the pick me up I needed!
January 18, 2022
This is a cute book! I liked the characters and really enjoyed the storyline.
February 17, 2021
Playing Cupid was AMAZING. I loved this story so much. In fact I’m still thinking about it weeks after I finished. I cried like a baby during some parts because it just hits you in all the feels. Perfect book for February.
This is a book about love in all different ways; losing love, misunderstanding love, choosing love, finding love. The MC had such a beautiful arc that it’s just *chefs kiss*. The only thing I wish was different was the ending. It all felt rushed and I needed more after the last arrow.
Be warned there are triggers in this book. It is not a fluff read. It talks about terminal illness, parent loss, neglect and mental illness.
Thanks to the publishing company for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.
This is a book about love in all different ways; losing love, misunderstanding love, choosing love, finding love. The MC had such a beautiful arc that it’s just *chefs kiss*. The only thing I wish was different was the ending. It all felt rushed and I needed more after the last arrow.
Be warned there are triggers in this book. It is not a fluff read. It talks about terminal illness, parent loss, neglect and mental illness.
Thanks to the publishing company for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.
January 18, 2021
My overall thoughts on this book are that it’s a cute, lighthearted romance read with a cool mythological twist. I would recommend it as a read, even if it wasn’t my favourite.
I’d like to start with the thing that, in my opinion, made the book for me: Amadeo. Amadeo’s character was without a doubt the best one. The humour, the depth, the personality? All brilliant! I also loved the effort that went into building another world, even if we didn’t actually go there in the story. The epilogue tied up Amadeo’s character so well and honestly, I’d be happy to read a book where he is the lead character.
I enjoyed the concept of the plot. It was simple, yet quite well developed, and I did want to see what happened next. I think the concept was really great but it did feel rushed and at times, jumpy.
This leads me to my biggest criticism: development. I would have liked to see the author dedicate more time to developing Jay and Megan’s relationship before the plot started as I felt, it wasn’t really believable. I knew that she thought he was annoying, but it felt like she was being dramatic and the whole theme of judging him too harshly felt very one dimensional. I didn’t feel like the book was set up that well, which made it hard for me to fully get into the book until the characters had interacted more.
On the topic of characters, I usually prefer authors including less characters and developing them well, rather than saturating the book with half developed side characters. However, where this book had a small number of characters, I didn't feel they were developed as well as they could have been which made them more boring than they could have been. Jay's character had a lot of potential, but his 'development' was used as a plot point and in my opinion, basic.
Similarly, I don’t love Megan’s character because her development is just basic. She’s closed off then she opens up, but I wish it was written in a more complex way. I feel as if there is a lot of ‘telling’ where I would have preferred ‘showing’. Also, while this is a minor point, I found the whole 'not like other girls' trope extremely annoying and only redeemable when Jay called her out (which he went back on anyway).
So, overall, I think this book had some untouched potential. I liked the idea of two young people connecting due to shared struggles, and the mythology aspect was great but it all felt very basic. Still, I'd be interested in reading more of the author's books. Thank you so much to NetGalley for providing me with an eARC. All views are my own :)
I’d like to start with the thing that, in my opinion, made the book for me: Amadeo. Amadeo’s character was without a doubt the best one. The humour, the depth, the personality? All brilliant! I also loved the effort that went into building another world, even if we didn’t actually go there in the story. The epilogue tied up Amadeo’s character so well and honestly, I’d be happy to read a book where he is the lead character.
I enjoyed the concept of the plot. It was simple, yet quite well developed, and I did want to see what happened next. I think the concept was really great but it did feel rushed and at times, jumpy.
This leads me to my biggest criticism: development. I would have liked to see the author dedicate more time to developing Jay and Megan’s relationship before the plot started as I felt, it wasn’t really believable. I knew that she thought he was annoying, but it felt like she was being dramatic and the whole theme of judging him too harshly felt very one dimensional. I didn’t feel like the book was set up that well, which made it hard for me to fully get into the book until the characters had interacted more.
On the topic of characters, I usually prefer authors including less characters and developing them well, rather than saturating the book with half developed side characters. However, where this book had a small number of characters, I didn't feel they were developed as well as they could have been which made them more boring than they could have been. Jay's character had a lot of potential, but his 'development' was used as a plot point and in my opinion, basic.
Similarly, I don’t love Megan’s character because her development is just basic. She’s closed off then she opens up, but I wish it was written in a more complex way. I feel as if there is a lot of ‘telling’ where I would have preferred ‘showing’. Also, while this is a minor point, I found the whole 'not like other girls' trope extremely annoying and only redeemable when Jay called her out (which he went back on anyway).
So, overall, I think this book had some untouched potential. I liked the idea of two young people connecting due to shared struggles, and the mythology aspect was great but it all felt very basic. Still, I'd be interested in reading more of the author's books. Thank you so much to NetGalley for providing me with an eARC. All views are my own :)
October 21, 2020
Gorgeous book! Loved it. Such a sweet and charming tale with an original twist, clean writing, and lovely characters. Perfect escapism.
March 1, 2021
ARC provided by Parliament House Press and SC Alban. All opinions are mine and freely given.
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03-01: 'Playing Cupid' by SC Alban is a modern young adult fantasy that plays light-heartedly with mythology, mixing it into a story of teen centric isolation.
After her mother's death a few years prior, Megan Cooper pretty much stopped connecting with others. With the loss leaving her father unreachable and seemingly disinterested in anything other than work. As he wallowed in his grief, she was left to survive the trauma on her own.
Resulting in the intense desire to graduate early and get out of the small town where everyone knows her history, Megan has just one final stopping her. Home Economics. Unfortunately, she gets teamed up with Jay Michaels.. the local golden boy who keeps disappearing on her and dumping all the work in her lap.
On her drive home, she accidentally hits Cupid with her car. When she discovers he's too injured to do his job, she gets stuck filling in for him.. but the clock is ticking. She only has until the start of the year to find his last three love matches and that means facing some of those emotions she keeps walled outside herself, face-to-face.
The story is actually a really cute concept, though I wasn't personally a fan of the Cupid character by design. The way the Cupid term was used, however.. was pretty creative. For me, while the story was fun, it felt a little thin at times.
Alban did a good job with the Cupid societal structure, which I found interesting and the process of love-matching was tongue-in-cheek. That being said, the Cupid character was well-suited to the style of the book and the story at hand.
Jay's secret is actually the thing that kept me interested. I wasn't particularly invested in Megan, though her situation is a tough one. She just didn't hook me. But I continued to read because I wanted to know what he was hiding. I had some idea, but I wanted the details.
The glimpses we get throughout the book of Jay are the most intriguing part of the story. Alban is excellent at just giving you a peek behind the mask for a moment and then burying.. what you almost see.. again in the next. In the end, I did still tear up a little.
If you just want a quick, easy read to kind of relax and enjoy the dynamics between the citizens of this small town.. this is the book for you. If you're looking for something with deep character or story development, maybe not.. but I did enjoy it.
PURCHASE LINKS: PARLIAMENT HOUSE PRESS | AMAZON | BARNES & NOBLE | GOOGLEPLAY BOOKS | INDIGO | KOBO
January 19, 2021
I would like to thank NetGalley and The Parliament House for providing me with the e-galley of this book in exchange for an honest review.
In Playing Cupid by SC Alban, Megan Cooper has lost faith in love after the death of her mother and lives miserably with her emotionally distant father. However, after hitting a cupid with her car, she is tasked with making love matches and hopefully, finding love for her own. I liked the plot of the book as well as its narration, however I feel that the book could have done better with more characters.
The plot is short and sweet; it is about Megan and how she learns to love and not just romantically. I liked the slow development of Megan and her father’s relationship, which highlights the difficulties that a father-daughter relationship can be inflicted with. In addition, Megan’s own love quest is something nice to read about because it has got awkwardness, mystery, and a long journey to friendship and love. Also, I liked to read about Megan’s quest to help her cupid friend find his love targets; their adventures brought some life to the story.
For a book that is short, the narration was well-paced. The story developed slowly, which allowed the easy development of the different relationships addressed in this book. As a first person narration, its steady speed allowed the reader to fully delve into Megan’s thoughts and feelings, therefore these were nicely spaced out. In this regard, the first narration is important to the story because it helps understand Megan’s problem with love. There are times the first narration feels boring because it is focused just on Megan, nevertheless, this focus shows the reader how the protagonist comes out of her shell.
There are times when a book I read has a good amount of characters, but not enough exploration of each of them. However, in this book, it is the complete opposite; there are very few characters. Although, they are well-developed, I feel that the story could have had more characters, which could have added more twists and turns to it. The plot seems to be dragged because there are not many people in it. Nonetheless, the focus on a handful of characters does help the narrator to zoom in on her journey to find love. If you are a fan of young adult romances, then Playing Cupid by SC Alban is the book for you.
In Playing Cupid by SC Alban, Megan Cooper has lost faith in love after the death of her mother and lives miserably with her emotionally distant father. However, after hitting a cupid with her car, she is tasked with making love matches and hopefully, finding love for her own. I liked the plot of the book as well as its narration, however I feel that the book could have done better with more characters.
The plot is short and sweet; it is about Megan and how she learns to love and not just romantically. I liked the slow development of Megan and her father’s relationship, which highlights the difficulties that a father-daughter relationship can be inflicted with. In addition, Megan’s own love quest is something nice to read about because it has got awkwardness, mystery, and a long journey to friendship and love. Also, I liked to read about Megan’s quest to help her cupid friend find his love targets; their adventures brought some life to the story.
For a book that is short, the narration was well-paced. The story developed slowly, which allowed the easy development of the different relationships addressed in this book. As a first person narration, its steady speed allowed the reader to fully delve into Megan’s thoughts and feelings, therefore these were nicely spaced out. In this regard, the first narration is important to the story because it helps understand Megan’s problem with love. There are times the first narration feels boring because it is focused just on Megan, nevertheless, this focus shows the reader how the protagonist comes out of her shell.
There are times when a book I read has a good amount of characters, but not enough exploration of each of them. However, in this book, it is the complete opposite; there are very few characters. Although, they are well-developed, I feel that the story could have had more characters, which could have added more twists and turns to it. The plot seems to be dragged because there are not many people in it. Nonetheless, the focus on a handful of characters does help the narrator to zoom in on her journey to find love. If you are a fan of young adult romances, then Playing Cupid by SC Alban is the book for you.
February 11, 2021
First, that cover is gorgeous! It’s so cute and pretty!
Playing Cupid was a good enough read. It had a lot of potential, but it just fell a little flat. I felt like the plot didn’t really start until about 40% of the way in. But overall it was a fun, quick read.
Megan. Oh, Megan. I found her annoying and frustrating, but I was also rooting for her to have a happy ending. She makes some questionable decisions and takes forever to come to the conclusions that we already know. I knew how the book was going to end, but at the same time I felt no attachment to Jay. He blew her off for the first part of the novel and then suddenly he’s everywhere in the second half.
Grief and loss were handled well, but I didn’t feel that we earned the resolutions that happened. Problems were solved quickly with no build up and pay off. If we had started working through those problems earlier I feel like the emotion behind them would’ve been much stronger.
I did love the ideas of the cupids and their world. The Emotional Realm seemed fun and I’m intrigued to see what other beings exist in this universe. Amadeo really made the book. I caught onto his plan pretty quickly, so it was funny seeing him being so sarcastic to Megan when she just. wouldn’t. get. it.
Overall, it is a quick holiday read that touches on serious topics like the death of a family member well. I just wish the cupid plot kicked in sooner and that we had worked up those emotional payoffs sooner.
Lastly, some random thoughts I had while reading:
This is the first book I’ve read that mentions TikTok
They have stools AND are allowed to use their phones in home ec?! (cue ‘back in my day’)
Amadeo keeps rejecting guys for Stacey, “oh she’s gay then.” Ohh. no.. you were just waiting on that other guy to show up….alright then.
Oh, that’s not Eros Eros, that’s just a Cupid named after Eros
He brushed a piece of hair behind her ear!
Thank you Parliament House and Netgalley for the review copy!
Playing Cupid was a good enough read. It had a lot of potential, but it just fell a little flat. I felt like the plot didn’t really start until about 40% of the way in. But overall it was a fun, quick read.
Megan. Oh, Megan. I found her annoying and frustrating, but I was also rooting for her to have a happy ending. She makes some questionable decisions and takes forever to come to the conclusions that we already know. I knew how the book was going to end, but at the same time I felt no attachment to Jay. He blew her off for the first part of the novel and then suddenly he’s everywhere in the second half.
Grief and loss were handled well, but I didn’t feel that we earned the resolutions that happened. Problems were solved quickly with no build up and pay off. If we had started working through those problems earlier I feel like the emotion behind them would’ve been much stronger.
I did love the ideas of the cupids and their world. The Emotional Realm seemed fun and I’m intrigued to see what other beings exist in this universe. Amadeo really made the book. I caught onto his plan pretty quickly, so it was funny seeing him being so sarcastic to Megan when she just. wouldn’t. get. it.
Overall, it is a quick holiday read that touches on serious topics like the death of a family member well. I just wish the cupid plot kicked in sooner and that we had worked up those emotional payoffs sooner.
Lastly, some random thoughts I had while reading:
This is the first book I’ve read that mentions TikTok
They have stools AND are allowed to use their phones in home ec?! (cue ‘back in my day’)
Amadeo keeps rejecting guys for Stacey, “oh she’s gay then.” Ohh. no.. you were just waiting on that other guy to show up….alright then.
Oh, that’s not Eros Eros, that’s just a Cupid named after Eros
He brushed a piece of hair behind her ear!
Thank you Parliament House and Netgalley for the review copy!
January 18, 2021
3/5 stars
I received an ARC of this in exchange for an honest review.
First of all, this cover is insanely gorgeous! That's what drew me to this book, and I really wanted to read it once I saw the MC and I shared our name.
Megan's mother died, leaving Megan alone with her father. Overwhelmed with grief, he becomes distant and leaves Megan to get through her grief and life alone. She's tired of their strained relationship and her high school where she has no friends. Her solution is to graduate early, but her grades in home ec are bad, and she needs to ace the final if she wants to graduate early. Unfortunately, she gets partnered with Jay, who is notorious for skipping out on projects. On top of that, she hits Cupid with her car, injuring him and leaving her to fulfill his role. Between the final and playing Cupid, Megan's life gets pretty crazy.
As much as I liked some aspects of this book, others fell flat for me. The prologue and many other parts of the book were beautifully written. I also liked the idea of cupids and their realm. However, Megan and Jay weren't that great. Megan did something towards the end of the book which was completely not okay and it was just glossed over. And even after we learn why Jay has been skipping work, I don't think that it was enough to justify his actions. I was expecting more of an enemies-to-lovers romance, but it was pretty much insta-love with Megan being mad at Jay while also admiring how attractive he was. They rarely interacted and their chemistry was almost non-existent until the end. I did like the ending and thought it wrapped things up nicely.
All in all, I liked some parts of this book while disliking several others. Maybe another reader who likes YA and insta-love would appreciate this more! The ending was satisfying and the book was pretty clean with only a few swear words.
I received an ARC of this in exchange for an honest review.
First of all, this cover is insanely gorgeous! That's what drew me to this book, and I really wanted to read it once I saw the MC and I shared our name.
Megan's mother died, leaving Megan alone with her father. Overwhelmed with grief, he becomes distant and leaves Megan to get through her grief and life alone. She's tired of their strained relationship and her high school where she has no friends. Her solution is to graduate early, but her grades in home ec are bad, and she needs to ace the final if she wants to graduate early. Unfortunately, she gets partnered with Jay, who is notorious for skipping out on projects. On top of that, she hits Cupid with her car, injuring him and leaving her to fulfill his role. Between the final and playing Cupid, Megan's life gets pretty crazy.
As much as I liked some aspects of this book, others fell flat for me. The prologue and many other parts of the book were beautifully written. I also liked the idea of cupids and their realm. However, Megan and Jay weren't that great. Megan did something towards the end of the book which was completely not okay and it was just glossed over. And even after we learn why Jay has been skipping work, I don't think that it was enough to justify his actions. I was expecting more of an enemies-to-lovers romance, but it was pretty much insta-love with Megan being mad at Jay while also admiring how attractive he was. They rarely interacted and their chemistry was almost non-existent until the end. I did like the ending and thought it wrapped things up nicely.
All in all, I liked some parts of this book while disliking several others. Maybe another reader who likes YA and insta-love would appreciate this more! The ending was satisfying and the book was pretty clean with only a few swear words.
February 19, 2021
Read my full review here: http://lifesanovelty.blogspot.com/202...
Opinions: In my opinion, Playing Cupid was a perfectly average book. The plot is enticing, but not invigorating. The themes are existent, but will not be appreciated by teen readers. The mythology is unique, but not enchanting. In short, Playing Cupid will be a fun read for some readers but nothing more. That said, fun it shall be! For the teenagers who can look past a few monotonous scenes and Mary Sue-like character development, Alban's passion and dedication to Megan's journey must be acknowledged. Even though I didn't particularly enjoy this one, I am still impressed with the obvious planning, researching, and imagination needed for Playing Cupid to exist! It's easy to say the book deserves the stars from another reader, it simply isn't my cup of tea.
My Favourite Thing: As I mentioned above, I sincerely appreciate the effort Alban put into Playing Cupid. It must be noted that although this isn't the first YA book with Cupid in it, it's the first one where Cupid gets hit by a car and it is certainly the first one where a human has to take their place! Personally, I wish Cupid had a larger role but finishing the book was no job when Megan took lead. The mythology and creativity is the main reason why Playing Cupid deserves three stars in my eyes!
My Least Favourite Thing: Also as I mentioned above, too much about Playing Cupid was flawless. Without spoiling anything, Megan grows as a person, Cupid's journey is completed, and complimenting the latter, the ending is rather predictable. This isn't to say reaching the climax wasn't exciting, but I personally would've preferred a bigger reveal.
Opinions: In my opinion, Playing Cupid was a perfectly average book. The plot is enticing, but not invigorating. The themes are existent, but will not be appreciated by teen readers. The mythology is unique, but not enchanting. In short, Playing Cupid will be a fun read for some readers but nothing more. That said, fun it shall be! For the teenagers who can look past a few monotonous scenes and Mary Sue-like character development, Alban's passion and dedication to Megan's journey must be acknowledged. Even though I didn't particularly enjoy this one, I am still impressed with the obvious planning, researching, and imagination needed for Playing Cupid to exist! It's easy to say the book deserves the stars from another reader, it simply isn't my cup of tea.
My Favourite Thing: As I mentioned above, I sincerely appreciate the effort Alban put into Playing Cupid. It must be noted that although this isn't the first YA book with Cupid in it, it's the first one where Cupid gets hit by a car and it is certainly the first one where a human has to take their place! Personally, I wish Cupid had a larger role but finishing the book was no job when Megan took lead. The mythology and creativity is the main reason why Playing Cupid deserves three stars in my eyes!
My Least Favourite Thing: Also as I mentioned above, too much about Playing Cupid was flawless. Without spoiling anything, Megan grows as a person, Cupid's journey is completed, and complimenting the latter, the ending is rather predictable. This isn't to say reaching the climax wasn't exciting, but I personally would've preferred a bigger reveal.
Did not finish
February 9, 2021Leído (o no) gracias a Netgalley :D English below!
DNF
La verdad es que la idea me parecía súper interesante y me encantaba el tema de una saga con criaturas mitológicas juntándose con mortales para llevar a cabo ciertas misiones.
Mis principales problemas con este libro: 1) los personajes y sus personalidades re cliché (el "no soy como el resto de la gente/como las otras chicas" de la protagonista, el macho que en realidad es un dulce cuando conocés ~su historia~, etc) 2) los personajes 1D (sentí que había demasiados monólogos internos para que le lectore pudiera conocer a la protagonista, y aún así todos los personajes parecían tener la misma voz) y, por esto mismo, 3) la pluma de la escritura (100% subjetivo, a alguien más le podría gustar).
Seguro que otras personas lo leen y les encanta. Solo que este libro no era para mí.
- - - - ✂ - - - -
DNF.
Honestly I found the plot really interesting and actually loved the idea of seeing a series of mythological creatures and people team up with humans to do certain missions.
My main problem with this book is 1) characters and their clichéd personalities (the "I'm not like everyone else" protagonist, the macho who's actually a sweetheart once you know his ~story~ 2) the 1D characters (I felt like there were too many inner monologues foe the reader to get to know the main character yet all characters had the same voice) and, because of this 3) the writing (100% subjective, someone else could love it).
I'm pretty sure other people will totally enjoy this! It just wasn't a story for me.
DNF
La verdad es que la idea me parecía súper interesante y me encantaba el tema de una saga con criaturas mitológicas juntándose con mortales para llevar a cabo ciertas misiones.
Mis principales problemas con este libro: 1) los personajes y sus personalidades re cliché (el "no soy como el resto de la gente/como las otras chicas" de la protagonista, el macho que en realidad es un dulce cuando conocés ~su historia~, etc) 2) los personajes 1D (sentí que había demasiados monólogos internos para que le lectore pudiera conocer a la protagonista, y aún así todos los personajes parecían tener la misma voz) y, por esto mismo, 3) la pluma de la escritura (100% subjetivo, a alguien más le podría gustar).
Seguro que otras personas lo leen y les encanta. Solo que este libro no era para mí.
- - - - ✂ - - - -
DNF.
Honestly I found the plot really interesting and actually loved the idea of seeing a series of mythological creatures and people team up with humans to do certain missions.
My main problem with this book is 1) characters and their clichéd personalities (the "I'm not like everyone else" protagonist, the macho who's actually a sweetheart once you know his ~story~ 2) the 1D characters (I felt like there were too many inner monologues foe the reader to get to know the main character yet all characters had the same voice) and, because of this 3) the writing (100% subjective, someone else could love it).
I'm pretty sure other people will totally enjoy this! It just wasn't a story for me.
January 15, 2021
It's true, I've given a book a five-star rating before, and to achieve a five-star rating, a book must meet my incredibly high standards. For me, putting a book on such a high pedestal comes as a rarity... 'Playing Cupid' is one of those rare, one in a million books that NEEDS to have the recognition it deserves. S.C. Alban has offered readers an utterly wonderful, heartbreaking, and dreamy world to enter into, and it's only the first book in the new series. This book is EVERYTHING and more that you want from a YA contemporary fantasy romance novel.
The characters are so raw and familiar that they feel like they could be real people. They have their setbacks and flaws, but Megan, her Dad and Jay in particular, grow, learn, grieve, feel and love in such an overwhelming beautiful way. I am not one that ever cries while reading a novel...but I sobbed like no tomorrow.
For me, the love and passion that I feel has gone into this book is nothing short of a masterpiece. I wouldn't be the slightest bit shocked to find that 'Playing Cupid' becomes one of the most popular books of 2021. If it didn't make me look utterly insane, I would scream my praises for this book into the void if it meant that more people would read it.
This book is set to release on the 23rd of February 2021, and I BEG you to get yourself a copy.
I have never been prouder to say that I received a copy of this book from S.C. Alban, The Parliament House Press, and NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.
The characters are so raw and familiar that they feel like they could be real people. They have their setbacks and flaws, but Megan, her Dad and Jay in particular, grow, learn, grieve, feel and love in such an overwhelming beautiful way. I am not one that ever cries while reading a novel...but I sobbed like no tomorrow.
For me, the love and passion that I feel has gone into this book is nothing short of a masterpiece. I wouldn't be the slightest bit shocked to find that 'Playing Cupid' becomes one of the most popular books of 2021. If it didn't make me look utterly insane, I would scream my praises for this book into the void if it meant that more people would read it.
This book is set to release on the 23rd of February 2021, and I BEG you to get yourself a copy.
I have never been prouder to say that I received a copy of this book from S.C. Alban, The Parliament House Press, and NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.
February 7, 2021
*An advanced reader ebook copy was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review*
I'll start with saying overall this was a really cute book, perfect for February and as with all books might be a better fit for some than others. I was firstly drawn to the cover of this and the concept is pretty unique. For me the biggest issue I had was the pacing of the book was way off. The first chapters introduced everything and then just focused on the mains school life for a while then it was sudden okay back to the whole cupid thing and action. There were some parts where suddenly the chapter starts and to me just a weird amount of time had passed and it wasn't really explained in to much detail what happened then. This book does deal with some family trauma and a lot of suddenly deeply sad moments. The emotion of the chapters seemed to switch quite suddenly a lot. In the beginning I think I liked the protagonist more at the start of the book but as it went on she kind of flat lined for me. (That may be more of a me thing reading younger high school age characters I'm finding more and more just isn't it for me.)
Thought it was an okay read. Was good for the Valentines season don't regret giving it a go. I'd be interested to see what other Mythical creatures will be featured in this series. Definitely will consider other books by this writer may not be top priority's though.
I'll start with saying overall this was a really cute book, perfect for February and as with all books might be a better fit for some than others. I was firstly drawn to the cover of this and the concept is pretty unique. For me the biggest issue I had was the pacing of the book was way off. The first chapters introduced everything and then just focused on the mains school life for a while then it was sudden okay back to the whole cupid thing and action. There were some parts where suddenly the chapter starts and to me just a weird amount of time had passed and it wasn't really explained in to much detail what happened then. This book does deal with some family trauma and a lot of suddenly deeply sad moments. The emotion of the chapters seemed to switch quite suddenly a lot. In the beginning I think I liked the protagonist more at the start of the book but as it went on she kind of flat lined for me. (That may be more of a me thing reading younger high school age characters I'm finding more and more just isn't it for me.)
Thought it was an okay read. Was good for the Valentines season don't regret giving it a go. I'd be interested to see what other Mythical creatures will be featured in this series. Definitely will consider other books by this writer may not be top priority's though.
April 7, 2022
Okay so I won't say too much about the book as my opinion from here is pretty simple- as shown by my review. Okay, so whenever I see a review that is good amidst a bunch of bad ones I usually think it's paid for, you know? But I will assure you up front it is not- honestly tho I think I know why so many people disliked it. This book seems like it was supposed to be a romance which is why so many people, who were all looking for romance books, disliked the novel- I on the other hand picked up this book at random while searching for a different book and immediately loved the fact that it was more of a fantasy book that featured recovering from a loved one's death and a whole new society filled with mythological creatures that only had a few pages with the actual love interest- this book caught my attention so well with Amadeo's snarky comments and Megan's point of view and everything else that came with this book- Loved it. The only thing that I didn't like was when Jay kept saying that Megan was different from everyone else because... well u know- pick me girl vibes when they were completely unnecessary and whatnot- anyways I fully recommend and hope that this book starts getting advertised as an action/fantasy book and one that can be read by 11-15-year-old because anyone older would probably get bored by its writing that is clearly geared toward a younger audience- anyhoo goodbye
Best wishes,
Happy reader
Best wishes,
Happy reader
Did not finish
February 4, 2021DNF @ 50%
it's a shame I didn't enjoy this book, I had really high hopes for it since it seemed like a fun and entertaining read. But I was left bored and skimming through the pages. The writing felt like run on sentences, where the characters would go on talking monologues without much back and forth in the conversation. It was fine at first since Amadeo had to explain how the cupid system worked, but it continued to be seen in many aspects of the book.
I was also hoping for more action by the halfway point, it seemed like the first mission was coming up and then not much was happening. For my taste it lacked things happening, as in we were reading about her day but not much was actually happening, it felt bland and never ending. By the time I got to the half way point I felt as if I had read 400 pages, when in reality it must've been around 200.
The characters were okay, seemingly normal teen characters, but there wasn't anything special that made me love them and stick to the reading. I didn't feel like I had to continue the book, nor did I feel any attachment to the characters, something that I hoped would've been achieved at the point of DNF..
I think the plot and concept were fantastic but what made me DNF in the first place was the pacing and the feeling of info dump dialogue. Definitely not for me, but could be for someone else!
it's a shame I didn't enjoy this book, I had really high hopes for it since it seemed like a fun and entertaining read. But I was left bored and skimming through the pages. The writing felt like run on sentences, where the characters would go on talking monologues without much back and forth in the conversation. It was fine at first since Amadeo had to explain how the cupid system worked, but it continued to be seen in many aspects of the book.
I was also hoping for more action by the halfway point, it seemed like the first mission was coming up and then not much was happening. For my taste it lacked things happening, as in we were reading about her day but not much was actually happening, it felt bland and never ending. By the time I got to the half way point I felt as if I had read 400 pages, when in reality it must've been around 200.
The characters were okay, seemingly normal teen characters, but there wasn't anything special that made me love them and stick to the reading. I didn't feel like I had to continue the book, nor did I feel any attachment to the characters, something that I hoped would've been achieved at the point of DNF..
I think the plot and concept were fantastic but what made me DNF in the first place was the pacing and the feeling of info dump dialogue. Definitely not for me, but could be for someone else!
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