michellesantiago's review against another edition
4.0
Alice was the daughter of Belinda Amorous, the bestselling romance novelist dubbed as the Queen of Romance, who has been dealing with her mother's bipolar disorder for years. With her mother admitted in a mental hospital and her having to keep it a secret from the public, life has been pretty hard for the 16-year-old. Her mother's next book long overdue and her publisher was threatening to take back her mom's advance and royalty payments, Alice needed to write her mom's next book book pronto. When a strange guy claiming to be the real-life Cupid shows up demanding she write his story, he may be the answer to her prayers despite her disbelief that he's a mythological god.
Although Mad Love deals a serious topic (bipolar disorder) I thought it a quick, enjoyable read. It puts a different spin on the Cupid/Psyche mythology that I really liked and it's a nice mix of romance and real-life issues. I thought the characters were okay in the beginning but as the story went on you grow to sort of care for them, especially Alice and Errol. Alice, in particular, was dealing with a lot of stuff that you just want to hug her. The other secondary characters were okay too and provided some comedic relief--I especially liked Mrs. Bobot, Reverend Ruttles and Archibald, the tenants in Alice's apartments. They were the sort of people I would want to take care of me.
The pacing of the book was steady--there was no real surprises or plot twists. I was actually waiting for some big secret reveal or a twist in Alice and Errol's relationship but there was none. In the end, I am glad the author left their relationship the way she did as it made it all the more special. Love is one of the themes in the book and I liked that it didn't just deal with romantic love but more with familial, friendship and neighborly love. Mad Love is one of those books that I enjoyed and liked overall but it left me wanting more--more character development maybe? More emotion? I know I'm not making any sense but I just didn't feel as involved in the story or feel that deeper emotion for Alice or Errol and what they were going through. But for the most part, I thought Mad Love is a quick, easy standalone read with a feel-good message.
3.75 out of 5 stars
Although Mad Love deals a serious topic (bipolar disorder) I thought it a quick, enjoyable read. It puts a different spin on the Cupid/Psyche mythology that I really liked and it's a nice mix of romance and real-life issues. I thought the characters were okay in the beginning but as the story went on you grow to sort of care for them, especially Alice and Errol. Alice, in particular, was dealing with a lot of stuff that you just want to hug her. The other secondary characters were okay too and provided some comedic relief--I especially liked Mrs. Bobot, Reverend Ruttles and Archibald, the tenants in Alice's apartments. They were the sort of people I would want to take care of me.
The pacing of the book was steady--there was no real surprises or plot twists. I was actually waiting for some big secret reveal or a twist in Alice and Errol's relationship but there was none. In the end, I am glad the author left their relationship the way she did as it made it all the more special. Love is one of the themes in the book and I liked that it didn't just deal with romantic love but more with familial, friendship and neighborly love. Mad Love is one of those books that I enjoyed and liked overall but it left me wanting more--more character development maybe? More emotion? I know I'm not making any sense but I just didn't feel as involved in the story or feel that deeper emotion for Alice or Errol and what they were going through. But for the most part, I thought Mad Love is a quick, easy standalone read with a feel-good message.
3.75 out of 5 stars
jmoose09's review against another edition
5.0
Wow wow and wow!!! Never expected this novel to take me to the place it did. Review coming soon!
lumos_libros's review against another edition
4.0
I am an official fan of Selfors. She always write stories that have a magical element in them, but sets them with modern characters and/or settings. What's that genre called? Magical realism I think, well she is good at it.
Alice Amorous is the daughter of the Queen of the Romance, Belinda Amorous. She writes what people would call "trashy" romance novels, but she has a knack for it and has loads of fans. Her mom is successful, but there has always been something that has been odd about her. They find out what she has a bi-polar disorder. She is sent to a place so she can recover, while Alice has to keep things in order while she's gone. The problem is that it has to be kept a secret. The publishing house, her fans, and the public in general cannot know about it. Only a few trusted people know what is really going on. As the summer progresses Alice is having a hard time keeping up with the lies, and the ground falls from under her when her mom's publishing company threatens to withold the royalties and take back her advance if she doesn't write a book pronto. How can Alice tell her mom that? She can't, she has to get better and there is no way she can write a book now. In comes Errol, a dark strange weird guy that claims he is cupid and that Alice is destined to write his "real" story. She tries to steer clear of him, but this guy is persistent. Then there is this other guy she's been crushing on who she dubs, the Skateboard guy. Can she deal with a lunatic, a possible romance, and trying to salvage her mom's career and reputation?
Even though Alice has the brunt of all the responsibility, she has great adults that surround her. Then there is the annoying, but complicated Realm. She plays an odd, but important role in the story. She kind of forces Alice to come to terms with the truth. It was kind of funny, and sweet to see the interaction between Tony (skateboard guy) and Alice. I wish we could have seen more scenes between them, but it was understandable that we didn't because Alice had A LOT going on.
I was so excited to read this book, and the magic that was interwoven in it was so good. What bothered me some was Errol, though interesting he always came off to me as a little creepy and depressing. That aside though I thought it was a great story of how magic can be real, and that everybody has that special (I hate using that word but I think it fits here) something.
Alice Amorous is the daughter of the Queen of the Romance, Belinda Amorous. She writes what people would call "trashy" romance novels, but she has a knack for it and has loads of fans. Her mom is successful, but there has always been something that has been odd about her. They find out what she has a bi-polar disorder. She is sent to a place so she can recover, while Alice has to keep things in order while she's gone. The problem is that it has to be kept a secret. The publishing house, her fans, and the public in general cannot know about it. Only a few trusted people know what is really going on. As the summer progresses Alice is having a hard time keeping up with the lies, and the ground falls from under her when her mom's publishing company threatens to withold the royalties and take back her advance if she doesn't write a book pronto. How can Alice tell her mom that? She can't, she has to get better and there is no way she can write a book now. In comes Errol, a dark strange weird guy that claims he is cupid and that Alice is destined to write his "real" story. She tries to steer clear of him, but this guy is persistent. Then there is this other guy she's been crushing on who she dubs, the Skateboard guy. Can she deal with a lunatic, a possible romance, and trying to salvage her mom's career and reputation?
Even though Alice has the brunt of all the responsibility, she has great adults that surround her. Then there is the annoying, but complicated Realm. She plays an odd, but important role in the story. She kind of forces Alice to come to terms with the truth. It was kind of funny, and sweet to see the interaction between Tony (skateboard guy) and Alice. I wish we could have seen more scenes between them, but it was understandable that we didn't because Alice had A LOT going on.
I was so excited to read this book, and the magic that was interwoven in it was so good. What bothered me some was Errol, though interesting he always came off to me as a little creepy and depressing. That aside though I thought it was a great story of how magic can be real, and that everybody has that special (I hate using that word but I think it fits here) something.
randomly_kait's review against another edition
4.0
Awww! Mad Love was a really good book. It had a Happy/Sad ending though, depending on how you look at it.
swextylyx's review
funny
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
lovelyjanelle13's review against another edition
5.0
I really loved this book all the way through but I especially love the ending. Her mother was right; Cupid and Psyche is a tragic love story but a love story none the less.
book_nut's review against another edition
3.0
A good blend of myth, magic and romance. Perfect summer read.