Cupid Inc.

Michele Bardsley's Cupid Inc. is one I brought back from RWA. It's a quick, if not completely satisfying, read: 2.5 out of 5.

It's not easy to fall in love . . . especially in Sin City. Nobody knows this better than Greek deities Psyche and Eros, who keep a wonderful eye on the mortals in Las Vegas. With a little divine intervention from Aphrodite and the rest of the gods and goddesses, Psyche and Eros set out to fulfill the sexual desires of their clients, hoping to turn lust into love . . .

Wrong office. Right man. A clerical error sends an adventurous woman to the incorrect address, but the accountant she surprises decides this is one appointment he wants to keep in "The Accountant and the Virgin."

In "The Stars in Her Eyes," a wedding planner wins a date with her favorite movie star--and gets a lot more than his autograph.

In "One Mile Up . . . a Little to the Left," two journalists researching a story about a luxury airliner give "flying the friendly skies" a whole new meaning.

In "The Spy Who Rubbed Me," a former jewel thief and a lonely waitress team up for an ecstasy-filled adventure that gets their adrenaline racing and their pulses racing.

Each of the stories is framed with short segments about Psyche, Eros, and Aphrodite. I think this just ended up being a little too "cute" for me. Or maybe I've just read a few too many Greek mythology reworkings. If this isn't the case for you, you'll probably like Cupid Inc. more than I did. I just kept wanting to get back to the other stories.

The four main stories focus on couples who take advantage of the dating service. The novellas are fast paced, quick to read, but they aren't particularly memorable. The short length of each story might be partly to blame--it's hard to develop characters in the space they're given. For fun and light reading, though, you may want to give it a try. The stories are plenty steamy.

My favorite story in the book is "The Stars in Her Eyes." The chemistry between the characters is great, and I enjoyed reading the story. I liked it enough that I'd definitely try Bardsley again if I liked the blurb.