Book Review | Arrows by Melissa Gorzelancyzk

The son of Cupid and a toxic relationship; How bad could it be?

About Arrows

Karma Clark just can’t leave her boyfriend, Danny. No matter what he says or does to her, she can’t seem to stay angry at him for long. She loves him. If people understood love, they’d understand why she stays with Danny. But her situation was caused by Aaryn.

Aaryn, the son of Cupid, was supposed to shoot both Karma and Danny with his arrows. But after shooting Karma, he finds the other arrow to be fake. It’s an utter disaster. But he comes home after his mission, pretending like everything went alright.

A year later, Aaryn is given the chance to set things right with Karma and Danny. All he has to do is make him propose to her. But it’s a difficult task to do when he finds himself falling in love with her.

Arrows Review

This is an important story about physical, emotional and verbal abuse in toxic relationships that I think everyone should read. It puts out a great message that it’s possible for those in such relationships to be able to get out of it. Not only that, but it’s helpful for friends and family to spot the signs in these kinds of relationships.

Aaryn and Karma are such loveable characters.

Aaryn has the body of a Greek god (duh!) and is such a swoony love interest. His naivety about Earth comes across as charming and he’s such a kind-hearted person, it’s obvious how everyone fell for him.

Karma, on the other hand, has gone through so much, I wish I could just give her a hug. While there were times when I wanted to smack some sense into her, her willingness to stay with Danny for so long just proves how intense the effect of the arrow lasts on an individual. And it just further proves how strong she was to break out of her relationship.

Plus, I wanted to jump into the book and bring Nell in for a cuddle before I beat her father up.

Don't let the Greek mythology aspect scare you away.

As someone who's not the biggest fan of Greek mythology in books, this was an interesting take on the subject.

The terminology presented in the book is highly digestible, even for those who aren’t into Greek mythology. Every concept is simply explained to the reader, without it being too technical. Furthermore, while it’s one of the main plot points of the book, the scenes that happen on Mount Olympus don’t happen too often.

If you loved The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller, you’ll enjoy Arrows. Or if you're just looking for the next romance book to read, you should give Arrows a try.

★★★★☆ (4/5)

About Melissa Gorzelanczyk

Melissa Gorzelanczyk is a writer influenced by her belief in pleasure, creativity, nature, ritual, and self-love. She holds an MFA in Writing from Vermont College of Fine Arts. Her debut novel, Arrows, was published by Penguin Random House. She lives with her husband near a meadow she adores in Green Bay, Wisconsin.