I'm With Cupid [Paperback]

Diane Stingley (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 1, 2005

She asked for it, she got it....

Anna Munson is constantly pestering the powers-that-be for true love and, quite frankly, Cupid's had it up to here. In fact, he's so fed up that he sends her an arrow of true love even though she hasn't proven herself worthy. Worse, he does it while she's on her first date with Nick Wells -- and Nick is barely worthy of true like. Cupid's rash behavior could cost him his wings if discovered by his higher-ups. But hopefully Nick and Anna will ruin their relationship before that happens. They are human, after all.

He just got caught in the crossfire.

Anna has never felt this kind of love before. To her own surprise (and Cupid's despair) it changes her. Completely. And Nick starts feeling kind of weird. He was just looking for some regular sex and a few laughs, but all this unconditional love and acceptance is throwing him off his game. Watching closely, Cupid knows exactly what's going on...and he doesn't like it. Not one bit. A little kernel has started to grow inside Nick's heart, and it could turn into something wonderful. But do Nick and Anna stand a chance with an ornery Cupid rooting against them?

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

After a promising debut, Dress You Up in My Love, Stingley succumbs to the sophomore slump with this claustrophobic romantic comedy. Narrated by Cupid ("What I hate most about my job is listening to you people whine and complain that you can't find true love"), the novel follows the romance between co-workers Anna Munson and Nick Wells. On their first date, Cupid breaks the rules and prematurely shoots an arrow of true love into Anna's heart, thus transforming her into a self-sacrificing dishrag. Because he'll get in big trouble if their love lasts, Cupid must make Anna fall out of love. What follows is the book of Job as chick lit. Nick helps Cupid out by being a cad: he loses his job, moves in with Anna to save money, cheats on her, starts rapidly balding and fails to look for new work. But like most tangles with the gods, this tale has lessons. Nick, who once callously mistreated a character referred to only as "the not-particularly-promising girl," must learn to respect women and accept Anna's love. Anna must learn to stop constantly analyzing their relationship. Even Cupid comes away with surprising information about the transformative power of human love. Cupid's wisecracks, the piercing commentary on romantic anxiety and the happy ending will please some, but the book suffers from a sluggish pace and a paucity of fun.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist

In an unusual move, Cupid serves as narrator. Not the usual chubby infant, however, but rather a poor schmuck spirit, whose job it is to handle romance here on Planet Thirty-Seven. He has definitely got an opinion on how we operate, and isn't shy about expressing it. To that end, he tells the story of coworkers Nick and Anna. Nick is a love-'em-and-leave-'em ladies' man, about as deep as a puddle. Anna is a good woman who secretly longs for true love but believes there's only one chance for it. Nick and Anna go out for dinner, but he starts using his standard lines, and she is so worried about saying the wrong thing, they end up stymied. Cupid, burned out and ill-tempered, fires one of his true-love arrows at Anna. From then on, Anna is deeply in love with Nick, but he can't change his ways, causing him, Anna, and Cupid a lot of grief. Stingley's out-of-the-ordinary romance is funny and fun to read. Maria Hatton
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 304 pages
• Publisher: Pocket Books; Original edition (February 1, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0743464923
• ISBN-13: 978-0743464925
• Product Dimensions: 7.9 x 5.5 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,533,783 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars I'm with Cupid... until the end, September 17, 2007

By 

Amanda Hamm "author of Dear Jane Letters (and... (NC) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: I'm With Cupid (Paperback)

I love the premise of this book. A cynical Cupid narrates a love story as though it's just business as usual. I thought this was a very creative idea and made the book nicely complex. It put a harsh spotlight on the games people play and the masks they wear while searching for a relationship and also demonstrated some of the awful things they do to themselves and the people around them while knowing already that they shouldn't. Most of this was treated lightly and was comical on the surface, but with something darker lurking.

I felt that the ending fell apart a little bit though. The last few chapters we lose the story we've been following and focus instead on Cupid talking to other "spirits" and instead of just hinting at love lessons, the book starts hitting us over the head with them.

Overall, I'd say that I did enjoy this book, but there are many others that I've enjoyed more.

3.0 out of 5 stars Cupid's narrative, June 10, 2011

By 

Book Lover from GA (Georgia, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: I'm With Cupid (Paperback)

We always picture cupid as a grinning cherubic baby with an arrow. I'm all for love, but having someone who's a baby decide your true love is a frightening concept for me. Thank goodness, the Cupid narrating this story is not a diaper wearing baby. Instead he's a grumpy messenger of love who's made a huge mistake.

Anna and Nick are not meant to be each others true loves. Cupid, in a moment of pique shoots Anna with an arrow. What should have been a short relationship turns into a quagmire for Cupid. So how does he get himself out of this mess?

Anna was very likable. Nick on the other hand was a an all out horn dog. The changes each character goes through after the arrow strike, is interesting. I liked the message of the book, however I wish the ending was more concise. New elements were added at the end that I don't think were necessary.

1 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Chick lit meets the Roman Gods, January 25, 2005

By 

Harriet Klausner - See all my reviews
(#1 Hall OF FAME REVIEWER)    (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: I'm With Cupid (Paperback)

Cynical Cupid believes he has the "worst job in the entire universe" as he deals with romance on Planet Thirty-seven, known by the whining inferior natives as Earth. His current assignment is to bring together Anna Munson and Nick Wells, who work in the same firm, but both avoid office romances. After hearing his laugh at a joke involving an imitation of a difficult client, Anna and Nick feel an attraction.

Perhaps it is Cupid's frustration over not obtaining the transfer to Planet Forty-three or just dealing with billions leading to some form of on the job stress, but on their first date, Cupid breaks the romance SOPs. He shoots a true love arrow into Anna's heart before the pair can become better acquainted with one another. Anna goes from self assured to floor mat as she would do anything including destroying her life for Nick. Cupid quickly realizes that after millennium of matchmaking he has made a big error that he must correct or at least cover-up because his employers will punish him for this rule breaking. He must make Anna not love her man; this should prove easy as Nick is a rat who uses abuses and surely loses sweet Anna if Cupid has his way.

Chick lit meets the Roman Gods in an amusing offbeat tale. The story line is fun to follow when Cupid is active, but loses some of its zaniness when nasty Nick is the center as he is just a selfish dude (ask the "the not-particularly-promising girl" about him). Still fans will enjoy this fine fantasy romance filled with a lead couple learning what a relationship really is.

Harriet Klausner