Lovely Surprise on the Second Day of LOVE Month!

“Despina the Anti-Cupid” by Monique Rardin Richardson

Posted on February 2, 2024by Reader Views

Monique Rardin Richardson

)ISBN: 979-8218236809

Reviewed by Tammy Ruggles for Reader Views (2024)

“Despina the Anti-Cupid” by Monique Rardin Richardson, is an endearing, entertaining fantasy romance novel starring mythological figures, including Despina, Eros, and Psyche. It’s a love story that will tug at your heartstrings and offers an intriguing what-if scenario involving the mythical and the mortal. The story centers around an assertive Cupid named Despina, who wants nothing to do with her family’s business or even with love in general. But things change for her when she visits Earth and finds out what it’s like to feel love. It’s the 1940s and she falls for a man going off to war.

These heady feelings have her warring with her designated role as Cupid, to the point that she resorts to thievery. She takes something from Eros, and it’s dangerous, but she’ll do anything to be with the earthly man she has fallen in love with. When she goes back to Earth, he’s nowhere to be found. This incenses her to the point that she unleashes her pain and sorrow in the form of a curse, which affects two humans who don’t deserve it. These powerful emotions are dangerous, but she will stop at nothing to find the man who has stolen her heart. The one thing that is trying to come between them is a spell, which is in constant motion.

Richardson really stirs the imagination and heart with this novel. What sets it apart from most romances are the characters, whose names may be familiar, but now they are center-stage in a romantic drama that will keep you invested and longing for a happy ending. This author knows how to play with strong emotions…jealousy is just one of them…and the plot is relatable and human even though it involves mythical gods and goddesses. It has you thinking of mythology in a whole new way and brings these figures to life. Here is a tiny excerpt to show you Despina’s determined character:

…So, I’m still on my own. I’ll figure it out because, as you know, I won’t give up until I get what I yearn for.

The ending is completely satisfying, and by the time you’re finished, you’ll wonder what other mythological gods and goddesses the author could write about next. For an emotional, romantic journey where myth and mortality collide, “Despina the Anti-Cupid” by Monique Rardin Richardson, is a must-read.

Reader Views