Lovestruck, or, Greek mythology but more fun

Lovestruck

by Kate Watson

Pages: 300

Publisher: Flux

Publication Date: April 2nd, 2019

Cover Comments: I love the font and arrow motifs on this cover, plus the purple & sky is so pretty!

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Synopsis: Sixteen-year-old cupid-in-training Kali is in an Olympus-sized mountain of trouble. Rule number one in arrow-toting matchmaking: don't stick yourself. But accidents happen, and Kali instantly falls hard for her indie rock, bass-playing target, Benicio.

The God of Love is going to kill her. Even if he is her dad.

Being the daughter of Eros isn't all it's cracked up to be. For one thing, a girl can get jaded when her parents have the most beautiful and fatalistic love story in history. For another, immortality royally sucks when the Oracle condemns you to eternity in the wrong profession. Do the Gods care that Kali wants to ditch the love stuff and be a muse?

Nope.

To reclaim her heart and her destiny, Kali is left with no choice but to defy the Gods, tempt the Fates, date the mortal love-of-her-life, and hope she doesn't lose her best friend, Hector, in the process.

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Review

Finally, a book to help fill the void that Percy Jackson left in my Greek-mythology-lovin’ heart. Lovestruck by Kate Watson is a fun read with great characters and an interesting plot and world to explore. Our main character, Kalixtra, (Kali for short) is in training to be an Erote, an Olympian match-maker who strikes her intended targets with an arrow to speed up their love story. She used to enjoy her job and take matching very seriously, before the Thunderclap. One of the things that kept me engrossed in Lovestruck is the fact that we don’t find out what changed Kali’s attitude toward love and fate until later on in the novel.

Much of the novel is set in Olympus, where Kali interacts with her own demi-god friends, as well as full-fledged gods, like Apollo, Artemis, and Aphrodite. I loved reading more about Greek mythology, as well as Watson’s own spins and interpretations on the original stories. Kali’s friends aren’t two-dimensional support characters – they’re all fleshed out with their own backstories and unique struggles.

As you’ll know from the main description, the story really begins when Kali accidentally sticks herself with an arrow, thus falls in love instantly with Ben (Benicio), a mortal. Kali’s feelings on this event are mixed throughout the novel, as she struggles with feeling powerless against the Fates and feeling love towards Ben as she gets to know him better. I liked Ben, but like Kali, found myself annoyed by his insecurity. Hector, on the other hand, is a big ole dreamboat. Seeing Kali torn between Ben and Hector was realistic and heartbreaking.

The plot takes several turns throughout Lovestruck, involving Deya, Cosmo, and Teresa Kali’s best friends; Artemis, the goddess fated never to love; and Kali’s own mission to take back her fate and her heart. I was never bored and was often surprised at the twists and turns that occurred.

One thing I struggled with in Lovestruck was its end. After everything Kali goes through to reverse her match and take back her fate, the ending comes across like a deux ex machina, and so simple it seems a bit unbelievable. However, I still enjoyed where things ended up. I would dive back into the world Kate Watson has created in a heartbeat, and there’s potential for so many great stories following Kali or her other friends in Olympus. I highly recommend Lovestruck for fans of Percy Jackson, Greek mythology in general, and anyone who enjoys a fun, twisty story.

☆☆☆☆

*Thanks to Netgalley for the chance to read Into the Hollow before its publication date.