When I read The Perfect Match in 2021, a few days after falling in love with Milena McKay’s debut, The Delicate Things We Make, the fact that these two books were so different blew my mind. TDTWM showcased the beautiful writing and delicious angst that have since become the author’s trademark. While just as well-written, The Perfect Match is hilarious, a comedy of hot cupids and foolish gods and goddesses. It’s no secret that I’m a huge fan of Milena McKay’s books, the angstier the better—I still can’t decide whether Reverence has replaced A Whisper of Solace as my favourite. Yet these Cupids stole my heart in a couple of hours and I’ve been hoping for four long years for a sequel. Okay, this might be a bit of an exaggeration since I got to read The Perfect Matchmaking way before its release (you’ll see my name among the editing team) but it’s not the same when you can’t share the joy and the love for a book with other readers, when you can’t delight in others’ enthusiastic reviews, when you can’t recommend it to your friends despite knowing they’ll adore it too. That time has come though and I’m so here for it.

The Perfect Matchmaking is Aphrodite’s book, Love herself fighting for the right to make her own choices. Even bad ones. When Zeus summons the whole Olympian family to the annual Cupid convention in Las Vegas, the goddess of Love in turn drags her former star Sabine Goddard out of retirement. Sabine and Abby are now married, still swooning on every occasion after three years, still so adorable that their very healthy sex life and the unabashed bragging aren’t even a tiny bit obnoxious. As she strives to reassert her freedom and independence, Aphrodite reluctantly falls for the silent, tweed-wearing goddess of Wisdom, Athena. Besides Sabine and Abby, her friend Erato also pushes her out of her comfort zone and into muscular arms and strong hands.

I wrote only one sentence while listening to Abby Craden narrating this story and basking in the delight that is this novella: “I love Erato”. I bet you will too. I loved a lot more than just the muse of erotic poetry, however. I enjoyed the enemies-to-lovers, opposites-attract back and forth between the two goddesses, Abby and Sabine’s sharp wit, their happiness too, all the spice, everything Apollo (thankfully no spice there), and yes, as stated earlier, everything Erato as well.

The humour that surprised me in the first Cupids & Goddesses book (and which I have since experienced many times IRL) is still here, but the underlying themes touch on more serious considerations. McKay finds the ideal balance between substance and lightheartedness, food for thoughts peeking from beneath layers of clever banter and endearingly silly puns. And in true McKay fashion, she drops hints here and there, teasing the next story. If you can’t wait, you might want to join her Patreon…

Video review: https://www.instagram.com/reel/DGBiTo...

I received a copy from the author and I am voluntarily leaving a review.

Read all my reviews on my website (and please get your books from the affiliation links!): Jude in the Stars