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Okay, Cupid
From the bestselling author of I WISH YOU ALL THE BEST, the story of a cupid who thinks they know everything about love... until they fall in love themselves. As a cupid, Jude thinks they understand love a little bit more than the average human. It makes sense -- Jude's been studying love their whole teen life. And, yes, there have been some bumps in the road, and they're currently on probation for doing something that they absolutely, definitely shouldn't have done... but they're ready to prove they can make matches without ever getting involved. Only... Jude's next assignment isn't about setting up two adults. No, this time Jude has to go to high school, with kids their own age. And the assignment is a tough two best friends who are meant to be more than just best friends... but who aren't currently speaking to each other after a huge falling out. Jude thinks they've got this one all under control, and that they won't get involved whatsoever. Which proves that maybe Jude hasn't learned the first lesson of humans and love ... It’s complicated.
320 pages, Hardcover
First published January 2, 2024
About the author
Mason Deaver
12 books3,228 followersMason Deaver is a bestselling and award-winning author of young adult and adult romance novels. Their books have been awarded stars from Bookpage and Booklist, nominated for the Goodreads Choice Awards, and won the Pink News Best Young Adult Book Award.
Their first novel, I Wish You All the Best, named one of Cosmopolitan's 100 Best YA Books was made into a film directed by Tommy Dorfman. It premiered at the SXSW film festival in 2024 to rave reviews.
They currently live in San Francisco.
Their first novel, I Wish You All the Best, named one of Cosmopolitan's 100 Best YA Books was made into a film directed by Tommy Dorfman. It premiered at the SXSW film festival in 2024 to rave reviews.
They currently live in San Francisco.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 296 reviews
April 7, 2023
we have a synopsis and a cover!!! i hope everyone loves this book as much as i do!!!
you can pre-order the book here
you can pre-order the book here
December 18, 2023
Actual rating 4.5 stars.
Love Jude. Love Jude. Love Jude. Have I already told you that I love Jude? Love Huy. Love Huy. Love Huy. Have I already told you that I love Huy?
I’m a Mason Deaver Stan. I’d pick up anything they write without reading a blurb. So, of course, I was excited to read Okay, Cupid. And, of course, it didn’t disappoint. Okay, Cupid is another story to die for.
This book is Mason’s lightest so far. Jude and Huy are both uplifting, friendly, and adorable characters, and it feels like Mason decided to especially spotlight the positive side of being trans (Jude non-binary/agender, Huy trans-masc). There are hardly any struggles, and the atmosphere in the story is very trans/queer welcoming. This doesn’t mean there isn’t any conflict to solve. Jude is longing to be a human and has doubts and needs just like those of human teens. They want to belong and to be seen, and even though they’re not supposed to, they keep falling in love. And although Huy’s life as a trans-masc guy seems easy, he has conflicts, too.
Okay, Cupid is a very easy and vivid read. I started reading, and suddenly, I was already halfway through the book. The corners of my mouth pulled up in a smile so many times! And I loved the different ending. It felt so sweet! I highly recommend this book to all of you who love bright and comforting stories, especially if you’re trans yourself.
Thank you so much, Scholastic, for the ARC! I can’t wait for Mason’s next book!
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Love Jude. Love Jude. Love Jude. Have I already told you that I love Jude? Love Huy. Love Huy. Love Huy. Have I already told you that I love Huy?
I’m a Mason Deaver Stan. I’d pick up anything they write without reading a blurb. So, of course, I was excited to read Okay, Cupid. And, of course, it didn’t disappoint. Okay, Cupid is another story to die for.
This book is Mason’s lightest so far. Jude and Huy are both uplifting, friendly, and adorable characters, and it feels like Mason decided to especially spotlight the positive side of being trans (Jude non-binary/agender, Huy trans-masc). There are hardly any struggles, and the atmosphere in the story is very trans/queer welcoming. This doesn’t mean there isn’t any conflict to solve. Jude is longing to be a human and has doubts and needs just like those of human teens. They want to belong and to be seen, and even though they’re not supposed to, they keep falling in love. And although Huy’s life as a trans-masc guy seems easy, he has conflicts, too.
Okay, Cupid is a very easy and vivid read. I started reading, and suddenly, I was already halfway through the book. The corners of my mouth pulled up in a smile so many times! And I loved the different ending. It felt so sweet! I highly recommend this book to all of you who love bright and comforting stories, especially if you’re trans yourself.
Thank you so much, Scholastic, for the ARC! I can’t wait for Mason’s next book!
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January 15, 2024
This was my first book by Mason Deaver. It was a cute YA contemporary romance with a spin on cupid lore. I definitely will be checking out more of Mason's works in the future. 3.5 stars.
Okay, Cupid is a YA contemporary romance that follows non-binary character Jude who works as a cupid. Prior to the beginning of this novel, Jude had already gotten into trouble for falling in love with a human. This time around, they are determined to prove that they can handle their job without getting involved. Their next assignment places them at a high school where they are responsible for bringing back together two close friends who had a major fallout. Unfortunately, as Jude begins to get to know Huy things don't go exactly as planned.
What Worked: This was a lighthearted and fun contemporary romance that made me feel some serious emotions towards the end. Mason Deaver wove in some really interesting conversations about societal expectations, being queer, and just being a teenager. They made sure that Okay, Cupid was a queer/trans story filled with joy and love. While readers are introduced to Huy and some of the feelings he has about being the first trans student to do a number of things at school, nothing about this book felt like a struggle. It touches on important issues in regard to the queer/trans community without showcasing endless amounts of trauma. While I don't share the same identity as either one of the characters, it was nice to see such positive and happy representation. I also enjoyed the character development in Jude. They question their purpose in life in way that will be refreshing for a teen audience. It's about choosing one's own path instead of continuously trying to fulfill the role that others have set forth for you.
What Didn't Work: This book has some fantastical elements that were in particular interest to me. The whole idea of cupids that walk the Earth as humans was intriguing; however, we get very little information about this community and their background. I think that had Deaver explored this a little more, readers would have gotten a more well-developed perspective of the world itself. I also felt like this one was a little slow in the beginning. It took a while before I was hooked in and felt immersed in the world and the characters.
Overall, this was a solid YA book and I'm definitely looking forward to checking out more books from Mason Deaver in the future.
Okay, Cupid is a YA contemporary romance that follows non-binary character Jude who works as a cupid. Prior to the beginning of this novel, Jude had already gotten into trouble for falling in love with a human. This time around, they are determined to prove that they can handle their job without getting involved. Their next assignment places them at a high school where they are responsible for bringing back together two close friends who had a major fallout. Unfortunately, as Jude begins to get to know Huy things don't go exactly as planned.
What Worked: This was a lighthearted and fun contemporary romance that made me feel some serious emotions towards the end. Mason Deaver wove in some really interesting conversations about societal expectations, being queer, and just being a teenager. They made sure that Okay, Cupid was a queer/trans story filled with joy and love. While readers are introduced to Huy and some of the feelings he has about being the first trans student to do a number of things at school, nothing about this book felt like a struggle. It touches on important issues in regard to the queer/trans community without showcasing endless amounts of trauma. While I don't share the same identity as either one of the characters, it was nice to see such positive and happy representation. I also enjoyed the character development in Jude. They question their purpose in life in way that will be refreshing for a teen audience. It's about choosing one's own path instead of continuously trying to fulfill the role that others have set forth for you.
What Didn't Work: This book has some fantastical elements that were in particular interest to me. The whole idea of cupids that walk the Earth as humans was intriguing; however, we get very little information about this community and their background. I think that had Deaver explored this a little more, readers would have gotten a more well-developed perspective of the world itself. I also felt like this one was a little slow in the beginning. It took a while before I was hooked in and felt immersed in the world and the characters.
Overall, this was a solid YA book and I'm definitely looking forward to checking out more books from Mason Deaver in the future.
January 7, 2024
This was one of my most anticipated releases of the year, because I've enjoyed Mason Deaver's previous books, and I'm always SO here for a T4T (non-binary x trans guy, in this case) romance. Unfortunately, it was mostly just okay.
I wanted to love this so badly, but the book just didn't work for me for two reasons. One is personal preference: I found the writing to be very mediocre and not up to speed for an author with several books out. The humour and the characters' voices kind of grated on me, and they annoyed me, which is very much a personal issue, but one that made me enjoy the book a lot less.
The second reason is that I didn't think the book was fleshed out enough in any way. The concept of cupids was so interesting, and it was such a fun idea to add a supernatural element like that, but the story was really lacking in world building and background. I also didn't feel like the characters had enough depth, which explains why the romance didn't draw me in.
I wanted to love this so badly, but the book just didn't work for me for two reasons. One is personal preference: I found the writing to be very mediocre and not up to speed for an author with several books out. The humour and the characters' voices kind of grated on me, and they annoyed me, which is very much a personal issue, but one that made me enjoy the book a lot less.
The second reason is that I didn't think the book was fleshed out enough in any way. The concept of cupids was so interesting, and it was such a fun idea to add a supernatural element like that, but the story was really lacking in world building and background. I also didn't feel like the characters had enough depth, which explains why the romance didn't draw me in.
May 19, 2024
Rep: gay enby/agender MC, vietnamese trans LI, queer vietnamese and Black SCs
Awww I absolutely loved the idea of this! A Cupid, made to make humans fall in love, falling in love with a human boy.
But Cupids are not made to love humans and if you kiss one, there are serious consequences.
I’ve never read a t4t YA book and I love that there is one and it was so cute! I loved the way trans body’s were described in this and how confident Huy was in his body.
There was soooo much yearning and misunderstandings because of stupid assumptions, it was a mess. And I loved every minute of it. I love a good yearning, a slowburn and a messy YA romance. Teenagers are so dramatic, but it’s simply realistic!
I also found it kind of refreshing, but also unexpected to have zero discussions about sexuality in this. It’s never assumed that any of these characters are straight, but it’s also never talked about what labels they identify as. They’re just all assumed to maybe be in love, when it’s not known if they’re queer at all. Very interesting when queer isn’t considered the norm, but still very unexpected in a YA book!
For me the ending was a little rushed and awkward, because somehow after Jude worked weeks to make Alice and Huy fall in love they’re not concerned about Alice or her feelings at all in the end? And at the very end we know very little of what is actually happening.
I think the world of the Cupids, their lifestyle and rules would have needed to be a little more fleshed out to make the whole thing more understandable and add up. We know very little about Leah, Richard and the other Cupids, their relationship or world. What actually happens after a second kiss? What arête options for a future?
For me the possibility for Jude to find love in their world made the whole book make a little less sense for me.
Also a Cupid not realising when someone has feelings for another person seemed weird as well.
I think k we were robbed of the actual valentines dance and a conclusion for the lives of all the side characters too.
Awww I absolutely loved the idea of this! A Cupid, made to make humans fall in love, falling in love with a human boy.
But Cupids are not made to love humans and if you kiss one, there are serious consequences.
I’ve never read a t4t YA book and I love that there is one and it was so cute! I loved the way trans body’s were described in this and how confident Huy was in his body.
There was soooo much yearning and misunderstandings because of stupid assumptions, it was a mess. And I loved every minute of it. I love a good yearning, a slowburn and a messy YA romance. Teenagers are so dramatic, but it’s simply realistic!
I also found it kind of refreshing, but also unexpected to have zero discussions about sexuality in this. It’s never assumed that any of these characters are straight, but it’s also never talked about what labels they identify as. They’re just all assumed to maybe be in love, when it’s not known if they’re queer at all. Very interesting when queer isn’t considered the norm, but still very unexpected in a YA book!
For me the ending was a little rushed and awkward, because somehow after Jude worked weeks to make Alice and Huy fall in love they’re not concerned about Alice or her feelings at all in the end? And at the very end we know very little of what is actually happening.
I think the world of the Cupids, their lifestyle and rules would have needed to be a little more fleshed out to make the whole thing more understandable and add up. We know very little about Leah, Richard and the other Cupids, their relationship or world. What actually happens after a second kiss? What arête options for a future?
For me the possibility for Jude to find love in their world made the whole book make a little less sense for me.
Also a Cupid not realising when someone has feelings for another person seemed weird as well.
I think k we were robbed of the actual valentines dance and a conclusion for the lives of all the side characters too.
January 10, 2024
2.5 / 5
Okay, Cupid is one of those books that isn't particularly bad, it just lacks the depth to be really good.
There's a supernatural element that needed so much more explanation, much more information and lore for it to truly be interesting and for the MC's struggles to be touching...
Also, it's a make-a-life-changing-decision-for-people-you-met-two-months-ago kind of conflict... like... no. There should be much more!!!
These kids shouldn't be cupids to start with but where was that talk?
PS: agender rep, horray (even though that was also only briefly mentioned and didn't seem to come up in any part of Jude's daily life)!
I talk about books here: Instagram / TikTok / Linktree
Okay, Cupid is one of those books that isn't particularly bad, it just lacks the depth to be really good.
There's a supernatural element that needed so much more explanation, much more information and lore for it to truly be interesting and for the MC's struggles to be touching...
Also, it's a make-a-life-changing-decision-for-people-you-met-two-months-ago kind of conflict... like... no. There should be much more!!!
These kids shouldn't be cupids to start with but where was that talk?
PS: agender rep, horray (even though that was also only briefly mentioned and didn't seem to come up in any part of Jude's daily life)!
I talk about books here: Instagram / TikTok / Linktree
January 25, 2024
I totally devoured this in like 2 sittings like every other mason deaver book, but i can confidently say this is my least favorite. I thought it was adult for some reason so maybe thats why i was expecting something different. Ive just kind of grown out of ya set in high school. I didnt know the premise of the book before hand and when i found out i got really excited, but the world building/society just was not built up in a way id want it to. I liked it, but its nothing unlike anything ive read before. I really love mason deavers stories and characters, but these ones just didnt feel as developed or compelling as others. I would still recommend, I just dont think it was for me.
Edit: gotta live my truth. Upon stewing, I didnt like this one.
Edit: gotta live my truth. Upon stewing, I didnt like this one.
May 31, 2024
2024 reads: 144/250
jude, a cupid, has been studying (and helping speed along the process of) love their whole teen life. their most recent assignment is to spend a month in a human high school to reconnect two former best friends who haven’t spoken in a while. soon enough, jude realizes just how complicated human love can be.
as i’ve read and enjoyed mason deaver’s other books, i was excited to read this new one, especially because of its fantastical element of cupids. jude is in a bit of trouble because they’ve already fallen for a human, so this new mission has to go smoothly. however, as the mission goes on, jude realizes they might just have feelings for one of their marks, which could spell trouble. overall, this was a cute story, and i can’t wait for more from mason deaver.
jude, a cupid, has been studying (and helping speed along the process of) love their whole teen life. their most recent assignment is to spend a month in a human high school to reconnect two former best friends who haven’t spoken in a while. soon enough, jude realizes just how complicated human love can be.
as i’ve read and enjoyed mason deaver’s other books, i was excited to read this new one, especially because of its fantastical element of cupids. jude is in a bit of trouble because they’ve already fallen for a human, so this new mission has to go smoothly. however, as the mission goes on, jude realizes they might just have feelings for one of their marks, which could spell trouble. overall, this was a cute story, and i can’t wait for more from mason deaver.
January 12, 2024
a mason deaver sob hits SO different and i wouldn’t have it any other way. its the best way to be.
December 27, 2023
Extremely cute and surprisingly moving. Fun (and unexpectedly nuanced) concept, executed just right.
April 5, 2024
(2.5) *whispers* Why was this so... not good?? What happened? 😭
TW: sexual assault (unwanted kiss)
Jude is a Cupid, a magical creature who looks like a regular human but whose purpose is to help people fall in love. And that is all the world-building you get in the book. Literally that is it.
Jude is agender and uses they/them pronouns, and is a cute little kid. (It's weird being an adult and reading YA sometimes because you're just like. Aw. What an infant.) They also have great taste in food. If you like Asian food you are going to hardcore crave it while reading. They are assigned to work in a high school over a month long period to help two people reconnect and fall back in love.
The problem is that Jude keeps falling in "love" with their clients (?). And I put love in quotation marks because oh my god you are 16 and have known them for literally THREE DAYS??? I do believe it's possible to fall in love as a teenager and I fully get behind the "I love you" stage of a YA romance, which is usually at the end. Ya know. After they've known each other for awhile and have saved the world or something. NOT AFTER TWO ARM BRUSHES IN MATH CLASS.
This book was just not well-developed. I don't know what happened, but Mason Deaver has been a consistent 4 or 5 star author for me until now. I liked the characters (though I prefer them all as friends and not in romantic ways at all), some of the conflict with Huy and Alice, the setting, and Jude, so it gets a bit higher of a rating than I want to give it.
Eloise's review is also worth reading for a more succinct version of my thoughts.
Rep: agender main character who uses they/them pronouns, Vietnamese trans-masc side character, side character with two moms, Black side characters
Read for the Trans Rights Readathon 2024
TW: sexual assault (unwanted kiss)
Jude is a Cupid, a magical creature who looks like a regular human but whose purpose is to help people fall in love. And that is all the world-building you get in the book. Literally that is it.
Jude is agender and uses they/them pronouns, and is a cute little kid. (It's weird being an adult and reading YA sometimes because you're just like. Aw. What an infant.) They also have great taste in food. If you like Asian food you are going to hardcore crave it while reading. They are assigned to work in a high school over a month long period to help two people reconnect and fall back in love.
The problem is that Jude keeps falling in "love" with their clients (?). And I put love in quotation marks because oh my god you are 16 and have known them for literally THREE DAYS??? I do believe it's possible to fall in love as a teenager and I fully get behind the "I love you" stage of a YA romance, which is usually at the end. Ya know. After they've known each other for awhile and have saved the world or something. NOT AFTER TWO ARM BRUSHES IN MATH CLASS.
This book was just not well-developed. I don't know what happened, but Mason Deaver has been a consistent 4 or 5 star author for me until now. I liked the characters (though I prefer them all as friends and not in romantic ways at all), some of the conflict with Huy and Alice, the setting, and Jude, so it gets a bit higher of a rating than I want to give it.
Eloise's review is also worth reading for a more succinct version of my thoughts.
Rep: agender main character who uses they/them pronouns, Vietnamese trans-masc side character, side character with two moms, Black side characters
Read for the Trans Rights Readathon 2024
December 16, 2023
Mason Deaver’s latest book definitely isn’t something to miss! This light fantasy YA book follows Jude, a nonbinary Cupid, as they are sent to a mission to reunite a past couple that now hates each other. This book was an absolute blast! I already knew that I’d love this book (because Mason never fails I fear) but this is definitely a new comfort read. Full of queer and trans joy, this is definitely sometimes I’ll be picking up again soon.
I absolutely loved every character and their dynamics with each other. Huy, the love interest is just the sweetest, so much so that Jude falls for him quite quick. I’m often not a fan of the whole fast-burn romance but it definitely worked here. Especially since Cupids make people fall in love with each other way quicker than the main couple did.
Overall, definitely recommend for fans of t4t romance with light fantasy elements as well as lovable characters! This book hits shelves Jan 2024 and I can’t wait to get a hardcover copy.
I absolutely loved every character and their dynamics with each other. Huy, the love interest is just the sweetest, so much so that Jude falls for him quite quick. I’m often not a fan of the whole fast-burn romance but it definitely worked here. Especially since Cupids make people fall in love with each other way quicker than the main couple did.
Overall, definitely recommend for fans of t4t romance with light fantasy elements as well as lovable characters! This book hits shelves Jan 2024 and I can’t wait to get a hardcover copy.
July 14, 2023
Content warnings: misgendering (one challenged, one unchallenged).
Rep: Jude (MC) is white and non-binary. Huy (love interest) is Vietnamese and trans. Side cis POC characters, side cis queer characters - both white and POC.
Full review to come.
Rep: Jude (MC) is white and non-binary. Huy (love interest) is Vietnamese and trans. Side cis POC characters, side cis queer characters - both white and POC.
Full review to come.
Read
September 1, 2024Note to self: going with my gut here and pulling the plug at 9%. I’m not really sure why, but I just wasn’t vibing with the story.
January 3, 2024
3.5 stars- What I liked was the feeling of being transgender in America today, it’s not good but in the case of Jude in California, not the worst it could be. It’s the quintessential teenage high school romance where one player is a transgender non-binary non-human Cupid, who’s tasked with getting the other, a trans-masculine guy, to fall in love with the girl of their dreams. High school is messy and high school romance is messy as well. I liked the characters but not the plot. Cupid could have been replaced with a human as little to no explanation of Cupid’s world occurred. Thanks to Scholastic/PUSH and NetGalley for the ARC. I received an advance review copy and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
January 9, 2024
Cupid struck my heart!! I can’t help but be madly in love with Jude and Huy!!! And I’m happy to say that this is the FIRST Mason Deaver book that I’ve read where I’ve not bawwwwwwwwled my eyes out. Was there trauma? Absolutely! It’s a book about a trans Cupid who isn’t allowed to fall in love with humans. That is traumatic! Almost every little gayby falls in love easily, so that would be hard on them.
Okay, Cupid follows Jude as they are sent out on a mission to help two people find love. This isn’t based on the mythology of a cherubic baby in a diaper going around and shooting people with love arrows. Cupids are like matchmakers. They send people in the right direction… just without their knowledge.
Jude is tasked with reuniting friends Huy and Alice and helping them to fall in love. The only problem is that they obviously had a falling out over something that is keeping them apart. So they’ll need to become friends with both of them and do some digging. And that means getting to know them both.
When they find out Huy is also trans, they feel a kinship, having not had any trans friends before. That bonding quickly goes from friendship to feelings though… and they’re here for a mission that they can’t risk failing. Failure can mean a desk job, or worse, losing all of their memories and becoming human themself.
This was a much sweeter love story that I’m used to from the author. This gave me first love heartbeat flutters and a smile through a large portion of the book. I literally sat down and read it in a day. That’s how much I liked it.
Jude was relatable while trying to navigate teenage life as a trans kid. They love fashion and makeup and really just wanted to make friends and fall in love. I’d love to know how their life turned out after the end of the book, TBH.
Huy was amazing! He had obligations to his family and their restaurant, which he was an incredibly hard worker at, but also his dedication to school, soccer and weight lifting was kind of hot. He was a dreamy character. Plus, the making of a mix tape, while being very dated, seems to be coming back around and is so incredibly cute!!!!
I enjoyed this story a lot. I can see myself doing a reread in the future. It’s a great choice for a Valentine’s Day recommendation.
Okay, Cupid follows Jude as they are sent out on a mission to help two people find love. This isn’t based on the mythology of a cherubic baby in a diaper going around and shooting people with love arrows. Cupids are like matchmakers. They send people in the right direction… just without their knowledge.
Jude is tasked with reuniting friends Huy and Alice and helping them to fall in love. The only problem is that they obviously had a falling out over something that is keeping them apart. So they’ll need to become friends with both of them and do some digging. And that means getting to know them both.
When they find out Huy is also trans, they feel a kinship, having not had any trans friends before. That bonding quickly goes from friendship to feelings though… and they’re here for a mission that they can’t risk failing. Failure can mean a desk job, or worse, losing all of their memories and becoming human themself.
This was a much sweeter love story that I’m used to from the author. This gave me first love heartbeat flutters and a smile through a large portion of the book. I literally sat down and read it in a day. That’s how much I liked it.
Jude was relatable while trying to navigate teenage life as a trans kid. They love fashion and makeup and really just wanted to make friends and fall in love. I’d love to know how their life turned out after the end of the book, TBH.
Huy was amazing! He had obligations to his family and their restaurant, which he was an incredibly hard worker at, but also his dedication to school, soccer and weight lifting was kind of hot. He was a dreamy character. Plus, the making of a mix tape, while being very dated, seems to be coming back around and is so incredibly cute!!!!
I enjoyed this story a lot. I can see myself doing a reread in the future. It’s a great choice for a Valentine’s Day recommendation.
June 26, 2024
this was cute but the ending sucked and nothing was really explained
March 18, 2024
*insert big smile WhatsApp sticker*
July 2, 2024
4.5
This was so delightful! Loved the premise that there are al these real life cupids running around making everybody fall in love. Loved Huy and Jude so much. I mean, they are just angels! The whole story was just cuter than hell. Mason continues to write my favorite YA!
Big thanks to scholastic for an early review copy!
This was so delightful! Loved the premise that there are al these real life cupids running around making everybody fall in love. Loved Huy and Jude so much. I mean, they are just angels! The whole story was just cuter than hell. Mason continues to write my favorite YA!
Big thanks to scholastic for an early review copy!
January 19, 2024
3.5/5- i usually love all mason deaver books and don’t get me wrong i did enjoy this, but it felt like it was lacking in some areas. the concept of cupids is super cool but not explained very much? and i am still confused by the ending. but definitely a cute read otherwise!
July 6, 2024
Jedyna myśl w mojej głowie po skończeniu: AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA
January 5, 2024
thank you to Colored Pages and Scholastic for providing a copy in exchange for review
I really enjoyed this book! It feels like it truly fits into the subgenre of the romcom, the romance is a central focus but it’s also not the only focus of the story. The cupid elements were a little bit removed from everything else in my opinion, but they work to expose some of the heart of the story which was ultimately the best part. What works best about OKAY, CUPID is the genuine heart of it, the uncertainty, the quiet longing, and the joy of finding new friends. I’m not quite sure I can say this is my favourite Mason Deaver book (though it upsets what I might have thought was my favourite) and I would definitely recommend to anyone who likes romcoms or any of Deaver’s other books!
Even though I’ve been looking forward to this book since it was first announced, it also surprised me where I wasn’t really expecting it. It falls into a lot of classic not-quite-tropes of the romcom, but through a lens of queerness that makes it feel genuine and a little bit unique. I’ll admit, I’m growing out of the YA romance in a lot of senses, but I still had fun and felt like even if these characters were highschoolers, it didn’t feel locked up in that aspect. It’s a lot of not-quite-first love and realising that maybe the feelings were there long. It’s two trans people falling in love, and making a choice not just because of a crush or a relationship but because of the way love reveals something deeper and more expansive and more human.
The best part of this book for me was the friendships, and the way that romance spawns from friendship. A lot of Jude’s exploration is what it means to be human, and I think they arrive in this place wherein the love and occasional loss become that moment. Also as a side note, the way that Jude feels and talks about gender and identity felt really relatable to me personally and I loved to see this more nuanced take of being trans/nonbinary! As a whole, I think this book is fun and a great addition to romcoms while still being it’s own enjoyable thing; go check it out!
I really enjoyed this book! It feels like it truly fits into the subgenre of the romcom, the romance is a central focus but it’s also not the only focus of the story. The cupid elements were a little bit removed from everything else in my opinion, but they work to expose some of the heart of the story which was ultimately the best part. What works best about OKAY, CUPID is the genuine heart of it, the uncertainty, the quiet longing, and the joy of finding new friends. I’m not quite sure I can say this is my favourite Mason Deaver book (though it upsets what I might have thought was my favourite) and I would definitely recommend to anyone who likes romcoms or any of Deaver’s other books!
Even though I’ve been looking forward to this book since it was first announced, it also surprised me where I wasn’t really expecting it. It falls into a lot of classic not-quite-tropes of the romcom, but through a lens of queerness that makes it feel genuine and a little bit unique. I’ll admit, I’m growing out of the YA romance in a lot of senses, but I still had fun and felt like even if these characters were highschoolers, it didn’t feel locked up in that aspect. It’s a lot of not-quite-first love and realising that maybe the feelings were there long. It’s two trans people falling in love, and making a choice not just because of a crush or a relationship but because of the way love reveals something deeper and more expansive and more human.
The best part of this book for me was the friendships, and the way that romance spawns from friendship. A lot of Jude’s exploration is what it means to be human, and I think they arrive in this place wherein the love and occasional loss become that moment. Also as a side note, the way that Jude feels and talks about gender and identity felt really relatable to me personally and I loved to see this more nuanced take of being trans/nonbinary! As a whole, I think this book is fun and a great addition to romcoms while still being it’s own enjoyable thing; go check it out!
August 3, 2024
Updated review August 2024:
As a teen cupid on probation, Jude believes they understand love better than most, but their next assignment challenges that notion. Tasked with reconnecting two feuding best friends who are destined to be more, Jude quickly discovers that navigating teenage emotions is far more complicated than they anticipated.
I absolutely adore Mason Deaver and their writing. I am obsessed with all of their books, and Okay, Cupid had that dose of magical realism I LOVE in romance. Not only were there so many sweet and wholesome moments, but there were some sad, heart-wrenching ones… and there were some where I laughed out loud. The line about not popping a boner in the gym class still cracked me up.
Jude was such a relatable character. I loved how Jude was just figuring things out, learning about love and making mistakes along the way. My heart felt for them. I love Jude so so so much. Huy!! My angel!!! I love Huy being 100#% himself, so self-assured and confident. So vulnerable and sweet, endearingly so.
The strong friendships displayed in this book just made me smile. So many honest conversations between our characters. I will never be over them all.
That grand gesture at the end though??? And the actual ending made my heart leap.. because in this universe they still found each other. (Do you think Cal was their cupid helping along though??!!)
Max Meyers was BRILLIANT. This is their best narration yet (and seriously - every book I listen to by them is incredible).
Mason Deaver - ily and your writing. Thank you thank you thank for Jude and Huy. 💙
Original review February 2024:
Wellllll that was a heartbreaker of a book!! How was Jude so smart all of the time!? I wish I had annotated because I ended up taking tons of photos of pages that resonated with me.
Things I loved:
Mason Deaver’s writing. Their writing is so honest and earnest and it always brings me to tears.
Jude!!! My sweet love. Obsessed with them and everything they are. I wish they could do my makeup.
Huy!!! What a cutie pie love interest. He was so great and fun. I loved Huy’s personality and his quirks. I loved how unapologetically himself he was.
Alicia and Neve rounding out this sweet friendship circle.
Cal being a steady presence (definitely called him being in love with Jude though!!)
So many honest conversations in this book.
That ending crushed me and gave me hope.
I loved it I loved it.
Thank you Mason Deaver. Please write stories for me always. 🥹🥹🥹🥹
As a teen cupid on probation, Jude believes they understand love better than most, but their next assignment challenges that notion. Tasked with reconnecting two feuding best friends who are destined to be more, Jude quickly discovers that navigating teenage emotions is far more complicated than they anticipated.
I absolutely adore Mason Deaver and their writing. I am obsessed with all of their books, and Okay, Cupid had that dose of magical realism I LOVE in romance. Not only were there so many sweet and wholesome moments, but there were some sad, heart-wrenching ones… and there were some where I laughed out loud. The line about not popping a boner in the gym class still cracked me up.
Jude was such a relatable character. I loved how Jude was just figuring things out, learning about love and making mistakes along the way. My heart felt for them. I love Jude so so so much. Huy!! My angel!!! I love Huy being 100#% himself, so self-assured and confident. So vulnerable and sweet, endearingly so.
The strong friendships displayed in this book just made me smile. So many honest conversations between our characters. I will never be over them all.
That grand gesture at the end though??? And the actual ending made my heart leap.. because in this universe they still found each other. (Do you think Cal was their cupid helping along though??!!)
Max Meyers was BRILLIANT. This is their best narration yet (and seriously - every book I listen to by them is incredible).
Mason Deaver - ily and your writing. Thank you thank you thank for Jude and Huy. 💙
Original review February 2024:
Wellllll that was a heartbreaker of a book!! How was Jude so smart all of the time!? I wish I had annotated because I ended up taking tons of photos of pages that resonated with me.
Things I loved:
Mason Deaver’s writing. Their writing is so honest and earnest and it always brings me to tears.
Jude!!! My sweet love. Obsessed with them and everything they are. I wish they could do my makeup.
Huy!!! What a cutie pie love interest. He was so great and fun. I loved Huy’s personality and his quirks. I loved how unapologetically himself he was.
Alicia and Neve rounding out this sweet friendship circle.
Cal being a steady presence (definitely called him being in love with Jude though!!)
So many honest conversations in this book.
That ending crushed me and gave me hope.
I loved it I loved it.
Thank you Mason Deaver. Please write stories for me always. 🥹🥹🥹🥹
January 29, 2024
Ugh I'm so frustrated, I was so ready to love this one to bits and yet... too many shortcomings and things I just can't get over.
I'm dreading this but okay, I'm ready. Let's get down to business.
Jude is an agender Cupid (they/them) who is on probation because they fell in love with a boy and ended up kissing him - which, as you can imagine - is a pretty big nono in the Cupids community. But they took some more classes, paid their dues, and are now ready for their next assignment: bringing together trans boy Huy and his ex-best-friend-who-secretly-had-a-crush-on-him, Alice. They have one month to enroll in their high school, become their friend and figuring out how to make them talk to each other again and bring the spark back.
However, the more they get to know Huy, the more they are captivated by this beautiful, sweet, kind Vietnamese boy and they are dreading the moment the mission will be completed and they'll have to leave behind their new teenage, the boy they're falling for and their new best friends and forever forgotten.
I will say right off the bat one incredible positive thing about Mason Deaver's books: whether I love them with my whole heart (The feeling of falling in love) or I find them just okay (I wish you all the best), they're always so bingeable - you could easily read them in one sitting or in a couple of days because they flow so well and have an addictive sort of component to them that I can't quite explain but somehow works! Especially when they nail the audiobook narrator, which is the case with this one because my goodness Meyers Max was just incredible and totally deserves recognition.
HOWEVER. If you put aside for a moment the wonderfully done trans rep (and queer rep in general), the book is pretty average, eye-roll inducing and contains many YA tropes and elements I thought we would have left behind by now.
The first thing that annoyed me quite a bit is the same thing that made (or, better yet, was supposed to make) this book unique: the Cupids.
Mason Deaver decided to introduce a sort of magical/paranormal (??) element to the story by having Cupid characters but somehow forgot to give us any relevant information on them, no worldbuilding, no explanation as to why they exist or how they came to exist or even more generally how the whole Cupid business works.
All we know is that they're not human (and yet they live on Earth, do not have any specific magical powers/abilities and eat/sleep/walk like all human beings?!) and that they get assigned to couples to bring them together.
Uhm okay. Is that supposed to be sufficient?
- How about where do the assignment come from? What is the criteria for giving out these assignments? Is it believable that a teen Cupid gets assigned an adult couple? Mmm.
- Where do the Cupids come from? The only bit of information we're given about this is that Jude was taken by their family and they don't remember their parents. Does that mean you become a Cupid? Are you born a Cupid and can you be born from humans? Do those humans know or do Cupids make forget them all about their newborn child? Or, if the parents are also Cupids, then why are the newborn Cupids taken away from their parents?
- Where do they get the money from to live on Earth and pay rent? Are they angels and is there a bank in Heaven to which they can bill their expenses? Because Jude and Lia (their handler/fake sister/supervisor) live in an apartment in San Francisco and they're renting it from someone and they go to restaurants and eat food so there has to be money involved, right?
And so many many more questions that you can't but ask yourself and you get no answer to whatsoever throughout the novel and, I'm sorry, but that bothered me quite a bit because if you decide to not write just a contemporary novel but to add something different to it... well, then I want you to do it properly and in a way that can satisfy the suspension of disbelief and make it realistic and believable to me when I'm reading it.
The second thing that annoyed me to no end is something that is - very unfortunately - pretty common in young adult books but that I really was not expecting to find here is the cluelessness of the MC to their love interest's crush.
The synopsis reads (and I quote): "As a cupid, Jude thinks they understand love a little bit more than the average human. It makes sense -- Jude's been studying love their whole teen life.", which makes sense, right?
And YET Jude is completely blind to the fact that Huy pretty much obviously only has eyes for them and Alice is developing a crush for someone else and that , like hello? Were you not supposed to be an expert at all things love related?!
That plus the oh so lovely (I'm being sarcastic) YA trope that you're a teenager, you've known someone for less than a month and you already know for sure you're in love and you might be together forever and you're willing to give up everything and everyone you know for that person... Yup, that too.
The last thing that sealed the "this Mason Deaver book wasn't really *it* for me" deal was the ending.
What kind of ending was that. In a way, it was coherent with the very few rules about the Cupids world that had been explained (aka: ), but at the same time it opened the door to so many more questions related to this alternate reality of our world that the author created and with a deus ex machina sort of twist it further compromised the precarious believability left in the story. It felt like an easy, unsatisfying - and perhaps the only one possible? - way out.
For those who have read (and finished) the book or don't care about spoilers →
Also, I've been noticing that all the characters in Mason Deaver's books kinda feel like one and the same? Personality-wise.
Of course, if you only pick up one book you won't notice and you'll just enjoy while you're along for the ride, but if you are a hardcore reader that reads anything and everything their favorite author writes, you'll have a hard time telling apart a Jude Ritchie from a Ben De Backer, or a Huy from a Nathan. Yes, their personal stories are different and the way they live and portray their transness and gender identity (clothes, make up, nail polish and so on), but when you exclusively focus on the personality... can you honestly tell me who's who? I'm not quite so sure about that.
I know it seems like I'm destroying this book: I'm not. I had a good time, I listened to it whenever I could and I was involved in the story and the characters' lives and I was rooting for them and so on and so forth.
I'm just speaking like someone who deeply believes this author can do and accomplish so much and had great expectations from this book but ultimately ended up being disappointed as a result. This felt like not one but 10 steps back from what they had done in The feeling of falling in love and that's what I wanted to find in here and didn't.
I'll keep reading whatever Mason Deaver comes out next and I hope they'll keep on growing as an author and publish so many more great queer stories but this one undoubtedly is my least favorite book by them.
I'm dreading this but okay, I'm ready. Let's get down to business.
Jude is an agender Cupid (they/them) who is on probation because they fell in love with a boy and ended up kissing him - which, as you can imagine - is a pretty big nono in the Cupids community. But they took some more classes, paid their dues, and are now ready for their next assignment: bringing together trans boy Huy and his ex-best-friend-who-secretly-had-a-crush-on-him, Alice. They have one month to enroll in their high school, become their friend and figuring out how to make them talk to each other again and bring the spark back.
However, the more they get to know Huy, the more they are captivated by this beautiful, sweet, kind Vietnamese boy and they are dreading the moment the mission will be completed and they'll have to leave behind their new teenage, the boy they're falling for and their new best friends and forever forgotten.
I will say right off the bat one incredible positive thing about Mason Deaver's books: whether I love them with my whole heart (The feeling of falling in love) or I find them just okay (I wish you all the best), they're always so bingeable - you could easily read them in one sitting or in a couple of days because they flow so well and have an addictive sort of component to them that I can't quite explain but somehow works! Especially when they nail the audiobook narrator, which is the case with this one because my goodness Meyers Max was just incredible and totally deserves recognition.
HOWEVER. If you put aside for a moment the wonderfully done trans rep (and queer rep in general), the book is pretty average, eye-roll inducing and contains many YA tropes and elements I thought we would have left behind by now.
The first thing that annoyed me quite a bit is the same thing that made (or, better yet, was supposed to make) this book unique: the Cupids.
Mason Deaver decided to introduce a sort of magical/paranormal (??) element to the story by having Cupid characters but somehow forgot to give us any relevant information on them, no worldbuilding, no explanation as to why they exist or how they came to exist or even more generally how the whole Cupid business works.
All we know is that they're not human (and yet they live on Earth, do not have any specific magical powers/abilities and eat/sleep/walk like all human beings?!) and that they get assigned to couples to bring them together.
Uhm okay. Is that supposed to be sufficient?
- How about where do the assignment come from? What is the criteria for giving out these assignments? Is it believable that a teen Cupid gets assigned an adult couple? Mmm.
- Where do the Cupids come from? The only bit of information we're given about this is that Jude was taken by their family and they don't remember their parents. Does that mean you become a Cupid? Are you born a Cupid and can you be born from humans? Do those humans know or do Cupids make forget them all about their newborn child? Or, if the parents are also Cupids, then why are the newborn Cupids taken away from their parents?
- Where do they get the money from to live on Earth and pay rent? Are they angels and is there a bank in Heaven to which they can bill their expenses? Because Jude and Lia (their handler/fake sister/supervisor) live in an apartment in San Francisco and they're renting it from someone and they go to restaurants and eat food so there has to be money involved, right?
And so many many more questions that you can't but ask yourself and you get no answer to whatsoever throughout the novel and, I'm sorry, but that bothered me quite a bit because if you decide to not write just a contemporary novel but to add something different to it... well, then I want you to do it properly and in a way that can satisfy the suspension of disbelief and make it realistic and believable to me when I'm reading it.
The second thing that annoyed me to no end is something that is - very unfortunately - pretty common in young adult books but that I really was not expecting to find here is the cluelessness of the MC to their love interest's crush.
The synopsis reads (and I quote): "As a cupid, Jude thinks they understand love a little bit more than the average human. It makes sense -- Jude's been studying love their whole teen life.", which makes sense, right?
And YET Jude is completely blind to the fact that Huy pretty much obviously only has eyes for them and Alice is developing a crush for someone else and that , like hello? Were you not supposed to be an expert at all things love related?!
That plus the oh so lovely (I'm being sarcastic) YA trope that you're a teenager, you've known someone for less than a month and you already know for sure you're in love and you might be together forever and you're willing to give up everything and everyone you know for that person... Yup, that too.
The last thing that sealed the "this Mason Deaver book wasn't really *it* for me" deal was the ending.
What kind of ending was that. In a way, it was coherent with the very few rules about the Cupids world that had been explained (aka: ), but at the same time it opened the door to so many more questions related to this alternate reality of our world that the author created and with a deus ex machina sort of twist it further compromised the precarious believability left in the story. It felt like an easy, unsatisfying - and perhaps the only one possible? - way out.
For those who have read (and finished) the book or don't care about spoilers →
Also, I've been noticing that all the characters in Mason Deaver's books kinda feel like one and the same? Personality-wise.
Of course, if you only pick up one book you won't notice and you'll just enjoy while you're along for the ride, but if you are a hardcore reader that reads anything and everything their favorite author writes, you'll have a hard time telling apart a Jude Ritchie from a Ben De Backer, or a Huy from a Nathan. Yes, their personal stories are different and the way they live and portray their transness and gender identity (clothes, make up, nail polish and so on), but when you exclusively focus on the personality... can you honestly tell me who's who? I'm not quite so sure about that.
I know it seems like I'm destroying this book: I'm not. I had a good time, I listened to it whenever I could and I was involved in the story and the characters' lives and I was rooting for them and so on and so forth.
I'm just speaking like someone who deeply believes this author can do and accomplish so much and had great expectations from this book but ultimately ended up being disappointed as a result. This felt like not one but 10 steps back from what they had done in The feeling of falling in love and that's what I wanted to find in here and didn't.
I'll keep reading whatever Mason Deaver comes out next and I hope they'll keep on growing as an author and publish so many more great queer stories but this one undoubtedly is my least favorite book by them.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 23, 2024
Jude is a Cupid. Their entire existence is meant to help humans find love. Cupids are meant to go unnoticed, and once a job is done, it is onto the next. There are few rules for Cupids, but one is to NEVER fall in love with a human. The first time a cupid kisses a human, the human will completely forget the Cupid. The second time, the Cupid will lose their powers and end up human.
Jude has broken the rule once. Can they make sure to never break it again?
My thoughts:
I went into this book expecting a very different story than what I got. The base idea is cool, but the execution was incredibly messy. I’ve read two other books from this author, and I firmly believe that this is their weakest book to date.
Pros:
- A fun story
- Lots of queer representation
Cons:
- The concept of Cupids is not well explained. They exist all over the world, but they are secretive. They can’t fall in love with humans but it’s okay if a Cupid falls for another Cupid? I have so many questions about how the Cupid system works, but we get almost no answers.
- Jude is so boring. They have a very circular way of thinking, and I find it hard to believe this character is supposed to be in high school. I know high schoolers can be dumb (I was one not very long ago), but they aren’t this out of it.
- There are some character interactions that deeply confuse me. Jude meets another character who is trans, and Jude is surprised (and excited) that this person is trans. The other character takes this as a bad thing and gets really defensive? It’s a really weird interaction, and going off my own experience as a trans person, it didn’t make sense.
- Jude’s family sucks. They are far from supportive and seem to never listen to what Jude wants for themselves. Yet they are written as being good???
- With no spoilers, the ending sucks.
Jude has broken the rule once. Can they make sure to never break it again?
My thoughts:
I went into this book expecting a very different story than what I got. The base idea is cool, but the execution was incredibly messy. I’ve read two other books from this author, and I firmly believe that this is their weakest book to date.
Pros:
- A fun story
- Lots of queer representation
Cons:
- The concept of Cupids is not well explained. They exist all over the world, but they are secretive. They can’t fall in love with humans but it’s okay if a Cupid falls for another Cupid? I have so many questions about how the Cupid system works, but we get almost no answers.
- Jude is so boring. They have a very circular way of thinking, and I find it hard to believe this character is supposed to be in high school. I know high schoolers can be dumb (I was one not very long ago), but they aren’t this out of it.
- There are some character interactions that deeply confuse me. Jude meets another character who is trans, and Jude is surprised (and excited) that this person is trans. The other character takes this as a bad thing and gets really defensive? It’s a really weird interaction, and going off my own experience as a trans person, it didn’t make sense.
- Jude’s family sucks. They are far from supportive and seem to never listen to what Jude wants for themselves. Yet they are written as being good???
- With no spoilers, the ending sucks.
January 10, 2024
I had a great time reading this! While it may have been a quite predictable, it wasn’t a bad thing. I had a lot of fun, I love Mason Deavers writing style and it was just a cute romance with a little fun magical realism aspect.
January 4, 2024
Mason Deaver does it again! Honestly anything they write I know I’ll love and this was no different! This is definitely their lightest book and I absolutely adored! Everything from the characters to the setting was so vivid and fun!
Also Jude!!! Jude is one of my favorite main characters that I’ve read about in a minute! Even though they are a Cupid and their problems should not be so relatable, Mason delivers them in the most relatable way possible!
My only big complaint about this book is that I wish we would have gotten a little more of an explanation on how the Cupid magic works.
Also Jude!!! Jude is one of my favorite main characters that I’ve read about in a minute! Even though they are a Cupid and their problems should not be so relatable, Mason delivers them in the most relatable way possible!
My only big complaint about this book is that I wish we would have gotten a little more of an explanation on how the Cupid magic works.
December 6, 2023
Did I really like this book? Yes. Is it so laden with current pop culture references that it is more than likely going to age absolutely horribly because of how set in exactly right now it is? Also yes.
But it is really sweet, and I love reading about trans people, so it was a fun, quick, fairly predictable read.
But it is really sweet, and I love reading about trans people, so it was a fun, quick, fairly predictable read.
May 17, 2024
2.5* its been a while since i last read a book with such an annoying mc
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