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The Cupid Column
Mabel Dupree believes in love, just not for herself.
Mabel's an expert in all things romance. She grew up on rom-coms and fairytales and has spent years putting her skills to use as the anonymous writer for her school's dating advice column and matchmaking service The Cupid Column . Mabel knows all the best love stories by heart which is also why she's vowed to never pursue her own. Lesbian romances always end in tragedy.
When Mabel's identity is exposed to the school, the column starts to fail. Who wants to take dating advice from someone who's never been in love? In a desperate attempt to save the column, Mabel lies and pretends to be in a relationship. She's grown up on rom-coms. She knows where fake dating leads. But that means she also knows exactly how to stop that from happening.
Mabel's an expert in all things romance. She grew up on rom-coms and fairytales and has spent years putting her skills to use as the anonymous writer for her school's dating advice column and matchmaking service The Cupid Column . Mabel knows all the best love stories by heart which is also why she's vowed to never pursue her own. Lesbian romances always end in tragedy.
When Mabel's identity is exposed to the school, the column starts to fail. Who wants to take dating advice from someone who's never been in love? In a desperate attempt to save the column, Mabel lies and pretends to be in a relationship. She's grown up on rom-coms. She knows where fake dating leads. But that means she also knows exactly how to stop that from happening.
265 pages, Kindle Edition
Published July 12, 2022
3 people are currently reading
292 people want to read
About the author
Alex Nonymous
26 books560 followersAlex published 18 books in 18 months in their early 20s as part of a personal writing challenge which is apparently not a great longevity idea but they're slowly trying to get back into writing.
He uses any pronouns so its incredibly easy to talk about Alex behind her back (just please stop adding me to 'women writers' lists oh my god) and they're still trying to figure out how to present themself as a professional a full year into publishing.
If you want to join their email list for updates on book release dates, early reader copies, and to vote on genre polls to control the next book they write, email them at alexnonymouswrites@gmail.com to let her know!
Alex also writes books for queer teenagers and recognizes that a lot of the people who need those kinds of stories the most can't safely be purchasing them, shoot them an email for free discrete ecopies of anything he's written!
He uses any pronouns so its incredibly easy to talk about Alex behind her back (just please stop adding me to 'women writers' lists oh my god) and they're still trying to figure out how to present themself as a professional a full year into publishing.
If you want to join their email list for updates on book release dates, early reader copies, and to vote on genre polls to control the next book they write, email them at alexnonymouswrites@gmail.com to let her know!
Alex also writes books for queer teenagers and recognizes that a lot of the people who need those kinds of stories the most can't safely be purchasing them, shoot them an email for free discrete ecopies of anything he's written!
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Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews
July 11, 2022
ITS OUT ITS OUT ITS OUT ITS OUT ITS OUT
You guysssssssssssssssssssssssss as someone who's now more removed from this one I think it's really good? I always think the most recent thing I wrote is simultaneously the best and worse thing I've ever put out there but for someone who was super paranoid about writing a rom-com i think this one's really good
You guysssssssssssssssssssssssss as someone who's now more removed from this one I think it's really good? I always think the most recent thing I wrote is simultaneously the best and worse thing I've ever put out there but for someone who was super paranoid about writing a rom-com i think this one's really good
July 23, 2023
Thank you, as always, to Alex for giving me the pleasure and privilege of reading an early copy!! I'm eternally grateful!
I don't know how Alex nails it every single time with every single book, but they do 😭
The Cupid Column delivers with a great storyline and diverse characters. The storyline isn't anything unique, especially because it's intended to be a rom-com and references so many of the classic rom-com movies. So it's pretty much the same formula we're familiar with, but it achieves it in a more modern, adolescent perspective.
I loved the characters as well and Alex writes them unique and with different facets to each of them. She also provides us with great diversity — we have lesbian, aromantic, asexual, bisexual, and trans (I use this one as its umbrella term because two of the characters' identity aren't actually stated, I think?) representation as well as the use of neopronouns.
We're also reminded that the LGBT and coming-out experiences are different for everyone and also a lifelong journey we take. We might tweak our labels a bit over time with self-reflection but that doesn't make any of our identities any less valid. So it was nice to see some of the characters contemplate and have discussions on it.
I really like how the story progressed and it felt really realistic. It isn't all rainbows and sunshine and then, boom, the main character and love interest get together, despite any original conflicts or misunderstandings and arguments. In the movies, even the characters who just can't seem to ever get along or come to agreement on things somehow magically end up together, even if they're complete opposites who seem like they would never work out together. The Cupid Column and Mabel and Audrey show that love and romance aren't perfect, that it can be messy and difficult and no one specific way for it to be, regardless of the tropes and formulas used in rom-coms.
The different perspectives and narrative styles were a delight for me to read. Books and stories with mixed/social media formats are absolutely my guilty pleasure and I love how it also helps the reader get a glimpse of Mabel and Audrey back in 9th grade. It really helps to flesh out the story more and give some of the characters, situations, and dialogues a bit more context.
tldr: alex owns my sapphic lil heart with all these storylines and characters, and i somehow almost always end up writing or thinking up an entire introspective essay on how i felt about all of them instead of an actual, normal review
I don't know how Alex nails it every single time with every single book, but they do 😭
The Cupid Column delivers with a great storyline and diverse characters. The storyline isn't anything unique, especially because it's intended to be a rom-com and references so many of the classic rom-com movies. So it's pretty much the same formula we're familiar with, but it achieves it in a more modern, adolescent perspective.
I loved the characters as well and Alex writes them unique and with different facets to each of them. She also provides us with great diversity — we have lesbian, aromantic, asexual, bisexual, and trans (I use this one as its umbrella term because two of the characters' identity aren't actually stated, I think?) representation as well as the use of neopronouns.
We're also reminded that the LGBT and coming-out experiences are different for everyone and also a lifelong journey we take. We might tweak our labels a bit over time with self-reflection but that doesn't make any of our identities any less valid. So it was nice to see some of the characters contemplate and have discussions on it.
I really like how the story progressed and it felt really realistic. It isn't all rainbows and sunshine and then, boom, the main character and love interest get together, despite any original conflicts or misunderstandings and arguments. In the movies, even the characters who just can't seem to ever get along or come to agreement on things somehow magically end up together, even if they're complete opposites who seem like they would never work out together. The Cupid Column and Mabel and Audrey show that love and romance aren't perfect, that it can be messy and difficult and no one specific way for it to be, regardless of the tropes and formulas used in rom-coms.
The different perspectives and narrative styles were a delight for me to read. Books and stories with mixed/social media formats are absolutely my guilty pleasure and I love how it also helps the reader get a glimpse of Mabel and Audrey back in 9th grade. It really helps to flesh out the story more and give some of the characters, situations, and dialogues a bit more context.
tldr: alex owns my sapphic lil heart with all these storylines and characters, and i somehow almost always end up writing or thinking up an entire introspective essay on how i felt about all of them instead of an actual, normal review
July 22, 2022
yet another great book by Alex!! I thoroughly enjoyed this :))
June 29, 2022
I have the biggest grin on my face!!! Oh my god this was so cute!! Please end it where you did because it was perfect
December 13, 2022
I don't know how I went from wanting to strangle Audrey to her being my favourite character, but it somehow happened
As an aroace person who also uses neopronouns it means so much to me to see two characters who are also like that, so thank you for that :)
Once again, I'm here to call my favourite character autistic, Mabel is like, one of the most autistic characters I have ever seen
As an aroace person who also uses neopronouns it means so much to me to see two characters who are also like that, so thank you for that :)
Once again, I'm here to call my favourite character autistic, Mabel is like, one of the most autistic characters I have ever seen
April 27, 2023
this book is so cute omg?? i love cute little cheesey sapphic rom coms!! mabel and audrey 4ever <3
i love fake dating slowburns miscommunication tropes. two oblivious scared girls who are head over heels for each other! i love to see it!
i was singing lalala and smiling and kicking my feet while also screaming guys get it together just admit your feelings!! the entire time. i love their love story it was raw and didn't seem forced at all, even if it was "fake."
i love both of the main characters equally and alex really brought them both to life!!
i also love the side characters and how it wasn't just about a love story, it also had other topics revolving gender and sexuality discussed and i find that really important!!
thank you for the amazing representation in this book with lesbian, bisexual, aroace, and the use of neopronouns in these characters!!
once i got to the middle of the story i couldn't put it down! once again, amazing story!
i'm so glad i found this authors books on tiktok and chose to read this first!!
i love fake dating slowburns miscommunication tropes. two oblivious scared girls who are head over heels for each other! i love to see it!
i was singing lalala and smiling and kicking my feet while also screaming guys get it together just admit your feelings!! the entire time. i love their love story it was raw and didn't seem forced at all, even if it was "fake."
i love both of the main characters equally and alex really brought them both to life!!
i also love the side characters and how it wasn't just about a love story, it also had other topics revolving gender and sexuality discussed and i find that really important!!
thank you for the amazing representation in this book with lesbian, bisexual, aroace, and the use of neopronouns in these characters!!
once i got to the middle of the story i couldn't put it down! once again, amazing story!
i'm so glad i found this authors books on tiktok and chose to read this first!!
July 8, 2022
4.5/5
Thanks to the author Alex Nonymous for providing me with an early reader copy of this book.
I like the chapters being called scenes and the movie script-like parts, which were pretty unique and fun. I also like that Mabel and Aubrey acknowledge the fact that even after the fake dating and then actually falling for each other, there is still a lot they actually don't know about each other, then take it rather slowly. I think this is missing in many fake-dating books so it was nice to see. Additionally, incorporating a lot of important discussions and topics without slowing down the tempo or taking much from the romcomness of the book was very well done in my opinion.
Overall a very fun and enjoyable read. I would definitely recommend it !!
I would prefer the ending to be the last (third) one, I think that ending felt the most complete and well wrapped up.
Thanks to the author Alex Nonymous for providing me with an early reader copy of this book.
I like the chapters being called scenes and the movie script-like parts, which were pretty unique and fun. I also like that Mabel and Aubrey acknowledge the fact that even after the fake dating and then actually falling for each other, there is still a lot they actually don't know about each other, then take it rather slowly. I think this is missing in many fake-dating books so it was nice to see. Additionally, incorporating a lot of important discussions and topics without slowing down the tempo or taking much from the romcomness of the book was very well done in my opinion.
Overall a very fun and enjoyable read. I would definitely recommend it !!
I would prefer the ending to be the last (third) one, I think that ending felt the most complete and well wrapped up.
August 23, 2022
This book is just so adorable!
I loved the contrast between Audrey and Mabel's characters.
The uniqueness of this book is something else. Flicking between the main story and the different scenes kept you engaged throughout while also providing a different perspective of the storyline.
I'm not normally a rom-com fan but I have to admit I enjoyed this one.
Definitely recommend giving it a read!!
I loved the contrast between Audrey and Mabel's characters.
The uniqueness of this book is something else. Flicking between the main story and the different scenes kept you engaged throughout while also providing a different perspective of the storyline.
I'm not normally a rom-com fan but I have to admit I enjoyed this one.
Definitely recommend giving it a read!!
December 6, 2023
This was such a fantastic read! The story and the characters were wonderful, but the best part for me hands-down was the character Sana. Not only was she just an amazing person, but I loved the inclusion of an aroace character. As someone who is aro myself, seeing that representation meant a lot to me as it’s just not seen very much in books, at least not in books that I’ve been able to find.
Read
February 24, 2025This book was great! I read it in a single day because I was hooked. I enjoyed the meta screenplay elements and the realism of human romantic relationships. I love romcoms, especially sapphic ones, and they tend to fit the tropes and stereotypes, so reading one that incorporates some of the stereotypes along with meta-acknowledging the stereotypes, as well as grounding the whole story in the reality of relationships was a breath of fresh air. The only issue I have with this book was the half dozen or so grammatical/spelling errors, such as 'hand over the reigns' instead of 'reins'. I bought the amazon kindle edition, so perhaps that version is not fully up to date, but they bothered me slightly like a stray thread on a beautiful sweater.
4.9/5 rounds up to 5 stars.
4.9/5 rounds up to 5 stars.
January 31, 2026
I wasn't expecting this book to be THIS good. I absolutely loved the concept and was sucked into the story immediately. The only thing I didn't like was the amount of teenage drama, so I guess this YA book was a bit too YA for 29-year-old me. But that's just my personal preference, not a critique on the story itself.
The characters felt interesting, real and original. The plot was nice. The writing style was easy to read and felt very unique and refreshing. There was a nice depth to everything from the characters to the story itself. This is just a really good book with great queer rep. Would definitely recommend it, even to people who aren't usually a big fan of romance-centered stories (like me). I did not cringe at the romance once, I think, which says a lot! So, yeah, read it :)
The characters felt interesting, real and original. The plot was nice. The writing style was easy to read and felt very unique and refreshing. There was a nice depth to everything from the characters to the story itself. This is just a really good book with great queer rep. Would definitely recommend it, even to people who aren't usually a big fan of romance-centered stories (like me). I did not cringe at the romance once, I think, which says a lot! So, yeah, read it :)
December 18, 2022
That was such a good read! I mean I was biased before I started the book because romcoms always have my heart. But what a book!
This is the stuff I would have loved to read years ago when I was figuring it all out, when there was pressure to come out and find a label to satisfy others more than me and then feeling stuck in that role. Those were all very realistic representation of queer experienceS and as always the author writes complex characters beautifully!
Also gold star for the use of neo-pronouns, that felt so good to read thank you author!
This is the stuff I would have loved to read years ago when I was figuring it all out, when there was pressure to come out and find a label to satisfy others more than me and then feeling stuck in that role. Those were all very realistic representation of queer experienceS and as always the author writes complex characters beautifully!
Also gold star for the use of neo-pronouns, that felt so good to read thank you author!
December 7, 2022
We don't see a lot of romcoms that include a sapphic couple so it's nice to be able to see that here. I feel like this type of narration is pretty unique to this book which I found interesting because it really gave off vibes of an actual romcom movie. Once again I love the characterisation of the characters and the use of the fake dating trope! Overall very light-hearted and sweet. It was a really nice read.
April 25, 2024
This was such a fun read omg! I thought the main character, Mabel, was super interesting and relatable (to me, anyway) and the romance was amazing (as always)! Alex Nonymous truly never missed, especially when it comes to writing complex, flawed and relatable characters. Not normally a fan of the fake dating trope but Alex executed it perfectly and uniquely and it’s in my top 10 books! I couldn’t out this down for much more than five minutes, I 100% recommend!
June 6, 2023
extremely cute book! the main characters are, in my opinion, extremely accurate representations of queer teenagers, and the book manages to balance that realism with romcom fluffiness very well! I really felt for both mabel and audrey the entire way through. also as someone who lives a few hours away from toronto, it was really cool ready a book that takes place in a town so similar to mine!
August 23, 2023
A 4 star read from me only because rom-coms aren't my favorite genre and as a result it took me a while to get into this book. However, once I got to the bulk of the plot I couldn't put the book down. I laughed at the funny bits, teared up at all the cheesy/romantic bits, and all before the sun came up. (A common occurrence when reading one of Alex's books)
April 16, 2024
Another Great book!
The Cupid column is the second amazing book I read by Alex Nonymous and it’s even better then the last one I read! I find the use of camera directions for describing scenes difficult to understand sometimes but also really interesting. This is another ten out of ten book from them and I can’t wait to read more from them
The Cupid column is the second amazing book I read by Alex Nonymous and it’s even better then the last one I read! I find the use of camera directions for describing scenes difficult to understand sometimes but also really interesting. This is another ten out of ten book from them and I can’t wait to read more from them
June 23, 2023
i absolutely loved this book. 11/10 definitely recommend.
March 15, 2024
The Tim Hortons in this alone deserves 5 stars but the love the sappiness the way they get together??????? Chefs kiss
One of my favourites <33
One of my favourites <33
June 30, 2024
I read this on Valentine's day which felt very appropriate! It's a bit cheesy but in a good way. Definitely recommend!
July 4, 2024
The book itself was great and I love the style it’s written in :) I’m not super big on romance but I’m not giving less stars for the genre of book
November 18, 2024
I have read this book several times, and I love it! I like how it alternates between reading more like a traditional novel and reading as a screenplay. All of the tropes (main ones are fake dating and enemies to lovers) are really well done, plus ✨lesbians✨. An issue I notice a lot in romance books is that the main characters/love interests are kind of infallible, but that wasn't an issue here. The main characters are flawed, but still very likable, and they feel like real people. Even on my at least fourth re-read (I've lost track), I was smiling and happy stimming! It feels like a classic, cheesy rom com while also being unique and original. The relationship feels healthy, which is always a plus. Also, Lots of great representation! Lesbian, bi, and aroace characters, and a character who uses neopronouns (Mabel also reads as and feels like she was written to be autistic, but it's never mentioned in the book). The Cupid Column is definitely one of my favorite books (I actually made my Goodreads account so that I could review it), and I'm excited to read more of Alex's work!
February 1, 2023
Alex you're killing me here with these absolutely fantastic books.
Sana is my ride or die,And as a aroace,I felt that rep(obviously not the same for everyone)
I love the whole cliches that happened and also didn't happen,if that makes sense
and the fake-dating to real dating trope is like my all time fav
And Mable answering the column with answers that kinda tied into her dating like,I saw what were you were doing there,And i love it
The characters were so well put together,Sana and Lu are my favs
Sorry if this review seems so out of order,I just loved this too much
Sana is my ride or die,And as a aroace,I felt that rep(obviously not the same for everyone)
I love the whole cliches that happened and also didn't happen,if that makes sense
and the fake-dating to real dating trope is like my all time fav
And Mable answering the column with answers that kinda tied into her dating like,I saw what were you were doing there,And i love it
The characters were so well put together,Sana and Lu are my favs
Sorry if this review seems so out of order,I just loved this too much
January 12, 2024
this book fueled my sapphic heart. it was cute, it was funny, it was sad. it had everything I could've wanted in a sapphic fake dating romcom story <3.
Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews