Overall Score:  4.5 Stars. Cupid Romance Lovejoy is, as you can imagine, THE Cupid, the one who shoots his little arrows and people fall in love. Ophelia Gold relates  Cupid’s story for us in his own words. It’s not the story of a cute little cherub, but a gorgeous man like creature, the God of Love. However, Cupid has a little secret. He hates his life. Why? Because there is no love in the life of the God of Love. How can he fix this? Like a lot of people – even minor gods, he takes his problem to God Almighty. But God doesn’t fix the problems of humanity in quite the way he fixes Cupid’s. He grants Cupid a week to satisfy his hunger for love, $10,000 to spend in the pursuit, and everything else he needs right there in a serviceable New York apartment. Well, nearly everything he needs. He doesn’t have the one thing that humans have to help them along. There are no arrows of love for Cupid. He is totally reliant on his own wits. As the story unfolds, we follow Cupid’s journey of discovery about Love, Himself, and what it means to be human – for a week. Ms Gold has me believing she has the ear of Cupid. We see him first as a whiney, whingey, complaining minor god, not happy with his lot despite his amazing home on Cloud Nine and having everything he needs at his fingertips. However, once he lands on Earth and is faced with the prospect of finding a love interest for himself, we watch him grow and learn, through trial and error, until he finally understands. But what does he understand? Does he find that romantic love he yearns for? Or will he be destined to live for all eternity alone, while bringing so much love and joy to humans? Cupid Romance Lovejoy is more than just a romance story – it’s a look into the human psyche of love, lust and romance. Well worth the read. (Phoebe Wilby)

Overall Score: 4.5 Stars. This book had an interesting take on the legend of Cupid. With some tongue in cheek allusions to references to the myths, this story takes us on an unexpected trajectory into Cupid’s origin and his issues. It’s a unique take that Cupid, whilst able to make people fall in love, can’t find love for himself. The modern style and humorous tone made this a lighthearted fun read. The characters are easily relatable and the modern setting made the setting interesting in juxtaposition to what might have been expected. Cupid/Cooper Clayden are easy to root for, though his inner thoughts and approaches come off as very adolescent every now and again; perhaps normal considering his lack of direct experience. The secondary protagonist of Cynthia is a delight; as well as multi-dimensional Jeremoth “Jerry” and even God has a few surprises. The scenes fly by, sometimes a little too quickly. The end especially felt rushed, and cut off in order to set up a sequel. The dialogue flowed though, apart from the stronger protagonists who had clear voices, the rest kind of blended together. As a whole the pacing of the story is good, with some clear stakes: Cupid has 1 week to learn all he needs about love. This is a unique read with humor and wit. (Sophie Jupillat Posey)

Overall Score:  4.5 Stars. Cupid Romance Lovejoy by Ophelia Gold is a lovely and unique twist on what happens when the person who grants lust and love to every human on Earth has spent their entire existence yearning for the same thing and being denied it. Cupid is a man who craves a partner, someone to share his endless existence with. I loved Ophelia’s take on how envious and jealous Cupid is from granting humans the one thing he wants more than anything. Cupid’s character development is a wonderful journey that you’re taken on as a reader. I really appreciated how when Cupid was given time to find the thing he wanted, he found platonic friendship along the way. As well as his friendship with Death being the catalyst for improving Cupid’s existence. The pacing of the book is swift and well thought out, and as a reader you’re swept alongside Cupid with his search for love. How the characters speak is realistic, convincing and passionate as they evolve throughout the story. Even though the characters of the story are Cupid, Death and God, Ophelia does a fantastic job of humanising them, of showing that they make mistakes and the consequences of them, of showing that they can evolve and grow in their wants, needs and actions. The final chapters actually left me wanting more to the story and to see what would be next for Cupid and his journey. (Rebecca Wade)

Overall Score: 4.5 Stars. This story of romance and taking the time to breathe and find yourself is a humorous and entertaining look at love in many forms, with some surprisingly poignant moments. The characters of the story are extremely well-realised, with distinctive voices and characteristics that make them clear to the reader. I especially enjoyed the idea of ‘Death’ (Jeremoth) as an old artist and hoarder of classical art and literature, and his particularly poignant reasoning the choices he makes make the emotional heart of the novel for me. Minor and major characters all have distinctive voices and what feels like real lives behind the writing. While I don’t always agree with Cupid’s choices and reasoning, they are well realised and feel reasonable in his circumstances. The scenes come together effectively to further the overall plot, and the story has an excellent and well realised through line. The book’s exploration of love in different forms, and its hopeful ending, is very satisfying.  The dialogue is a highlight of the novel. Believable interactions between characters highlight the often humorous nature of dating and seeking love, while more emotionally charged scenes are made effective by the use of character voice. The book is mostly extremely well-paced, the exposition at the beginning is suitably swift to not lose readers’ interest before getting into the heart of the story. Some sections do begin to meander and don’t necessarily serve the overall plot, but overall the pacing is very good. An enjoyable read with excellent moments of both humour and poignancy, I felt like I really knew Cupid, Jeremoth and Cynthia by the end. (Ralph Booth)

Overall Score: 4.5 Stars. The novel's premise shines through its clever exploration of immortal beings grappling with human emotions, particularly through the protagonist's journey from jaded love-dealer to vulnerable mortal. The supporting cast is wonderfully developed, especially Death, who readers will adore. The pacing maintains a fast rhythm through Cupid's week-long adventure in New York City, though the final scene feels somewhat hurried, leaving some promising plot threads and character arcs unexplored. The dialogue crackles with humour and authenticity, especially in the interactions between immortal beings trying to understand human nature. The novel excels in its portrayal of relatable human experiences despite its fantastical premise, grounding Cupid's fish-out of-water story in genuine emotional stakes. His friendship with Cynthia serves as a compelling anchor for his character development, making the ultimate resolution feel somewhat unsatisfying given their chemistry and potential. While the character of Passion failed to leave a lasting impression on me, the overall narrative successfully balances whimsy with deeper reflections on love, immortality, and the value of personal experience. The abrupt ending coupled with fantastic character development does leave readers wanting more, particularly regarding how Cupid's brief taste of mortality affects his eternal role as love's arrow-slinger. Despite these minor critique's the novel offers a fresh and  entertaining take on divine intervention in matters of the heart. (Kirsty McKay)

Overall Score: 4.5 Stars. Cupid Romance Lovejoy is an enjoyable read for anyone looking for a fresh take on romance, with a charming, relatable lead in a most unlikely character. Cupid may not understand love at first, but his journey toward finding it is as heart warming as it is entertaining. (Bronwyn McKay)