February is a month asking for a bit of light-hearted romantic reading. I chose a few books that seemed to cover the romane genre from different angles: a legal romance (I am a big fan of Julie James), a sports romance (yes, hockey again, there's nothing wrong with that) and ...a bit of mythology. And surprisingly, the latter one proved to be the most fun.

The main character of Crazy Cupid Love, Eliza Herman, comes from a family of Erosians, descendants of Ancient Greek God of Love, who run a slightly old-fashioned matchmaking business. Eliza, however, is a bit of a black sheep in her family- she is clumsy and prone to accidentally enchanting senior citizens, and, worst of all, she does not really believe in love. When her father suddenly falls ill, she finds out her parents’ Cupid agency is in financial trouble. Eliza is keen to stand in, but she needs to get a temporary licence even to answer phones- Cupid business is heavily regulated by A.S.S. (Affection, Seduction and Shellfish department). In order to get that, she needs a mentor who would supervise her first enchantments. Enter Jack Sanders, her childhood BFF and lifelong crush, who has somehow turned into one of the sexiest men alive. The chemistry between the two main characters is amazing, and is one of the best features of this novel. Eliza’s first three cases go really well and she begins to feel she can make her parents proud. Then, things go pear-shaped and it is up to our heroes to help the hapless couples and save the world. I must admit, I did not see the twist and did not guess the villain until the very last moment, which made it even more enjoyable for me.
I loved the humour, the banter, Eliza’s incredible predicaments, the Nereid night and, of course, Ron deserves a special mention.

Thank you NetGalley and Sourcebooks Casablanca for the ARC provided in exchange for an honest opinion.

Image attribution: Antonio Campoy¡Cuidado! El amor está a la vuelta de la esquina. https://www.flickr.com/photos/viviendoenlaerapop/36595758046/

Have you ever wondered why your life is such a mess and going nowhere, while your friends seem to have got it all together, living in beautiful houses with their wonderful children and hot and sexy and caring husbands?

Meet Cat. A former stand-up comedian, she is funny, intelligent, efficient at work, reliable, and an amazingly loyal friend. And yet, at the age of thirty, she is still living in a shared flat with nightmare roomies, her love life is non-existent, and the highlight of her week is taking her best friend’s son to see Santa’s grotto in a shopping centre. One day, she is reading a newspaper over a stranger’s shoulder on the Tube and sees that her ex, who left for Australia five years ago) is going to have a gig in London. Cat suspects parts of his routine might be about her, so how can she not go? During the gig she sees Harvey, her ex’s brother. Are relationships with your exes’ siblings always off-bounds? What if he is the One? Cat needs to sort her life and understand why the most important people in her life seem to leave her and go away.

What I liked about the book is how realistic it felt at times. The setting and practicalities of life (the nightmares of looking for a room in shared accommodation somewhere you can barely afford, packing your life in a few boxes and discarding the rest), the relationships, the Tube (yes, snow is magical). I loved the way the description of a stand-up venue was so vivid and full of sounds, smells and visual details, while Cat’s office remained uncharted territory (her heart and mind were not there, despite Cat being good at her job). Kelly, Cat’s BFF, is given such a prominent place in this book, that we almost fall in love with this no-nonsense-voice-of-reason-and-eternal-support girl.

It was a fast and enjoyable read. Highly recommended for somebody who likes comedy, banter, family relationships and thinks London is a fantastic setting for a light-hearted romantic book.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for the ARC provided in exchange for an honest review.
Expected publication: February 26th 2019 by Bookouture