Name: Meant to Be
Author: Lauren Morrill
Publisher: Delacorte Books for Young Readers
Release Date: November 13, 2012 (US)
Pages: 304, Hardcover
Source: Online Library
Rating: 5 Teacups
Meant to be or not meant to be . . . that is the question.
It's one thing to fall head over heels into a puddle of hazelnut coffee, and quite another to fall for the—gasp—wrong guy. Straight-A junior Julia may be accident prone, but she's queen of following rules and being prepared. That's why she keeps a pencil sharpener in her purse and a pocket Shakespeare in her, well, pocket. And that's also why she's chosen Mark Bixford, her childhood crush, as her MTB ("meant to be").
But this spring break, Julia's rules are about to get defenestrated (SAT word: to be thrown from a window) when she's partnered with her personal nemesis, class-clown Jason, on a school trip to London. After one wild party, Julia starts receiving romantic texts . . . from an unknown number! Jason promises to help discover the identity of her mysterious new suitor if she agrees to break a few rules along the way. And thus begins a wild goose chase through London, leading Julia closer and closer to the biggest surprise of all: true love.
Because sometimes the things you least expect are the most meant to be.
Jen's Review
I was first
attracted to this book because of it's gorgeous cover. But what's between the
exterior shell is even more beautiful. Inside these pages contains a delightful
story about a girl finding her MTB (meant to be) in London with a
not-so-perfect immature boy. Meant to Be by
Lauren Morrill fortunately reminds me of Anna
and the French Kiss, which, if you know me, you know that it's my
favorite contemporary romance ever. Meant to Be isn't far behind and I will
definitely recommend this to anyone who also loves Anna.
One of the many
things I love about Meant to Be is the
main character Julia, as well as her school trip buddy, Jason. Julia is a
smart, nerdy, hilarious girl that I was
laughing out loud with from page one. Her personality resonates off the pages
and she is easily lovable. Her voice is snarky and clever, and I couldn't get
enough of it, it seems. Jason is really quite similar to Julia; he also has
that same smart-ass personality that I love. He's also aggravating, but in a
good way. The way he and Julia banter back in forth is comical and entertaining
to read about. While the characters in Meant to
Be are absolutely amusing and witty, they aren't the only thing that I
adore in the story.
The setting and plot
in Meant to Be also have to be the major
contributing factors for my undying love for this book! The story is set in
London, which is a place I absolutely
love reading about, causing my enjoyment levels to rise exponentially. Every
day of their field trip is adventurous and exciting. All of the different
scenarios in London pretty much just makes me jealous of their wonderful
experiences, which is a good thing. And the plot! The plot is very well crafted
and that twist in the end! It's quite obvious who Julia is going to end up with
from the start, but there's still that twist that I totally was not expecting.
To conclude, I
sincerely adore Meant to Be because of
it's witty characters, excellent choice in setting, exciting plot, and overall
cuteness factor. The entire feeling of happiness is sure to engulf the reader
after they have turned the last page. I couldn't have asked for a better debut
novel from Lauren Morrill, and will surely be reading her future works. Highly
recommended, this one!
5 Teacups for Meant to Be!
Posts
I feel as if I've read too many spoiler-y reviews of this and won't enjoy it because I know all about the plot twist that you enjoyed so much. I sampled a few chapters of this and wasn't drawn in by the dialogue, but maybe I should give it another try when I'm in the mood for some rom com. Lovely review, Jen! :)
ReplyDeleteI SO want to read this! I think the setting is a large reason why I want to cause I love to live vicariously through the characters. I'm glad you loved this, I'm definitely getting a copy!
ReplyDeleteI also just loved this book! The characters were so cute and I also couldn't get enough of them =)So glad you enjoyed this!
ReplyDeleteI did like Julia but just couldn't stand Jason at the beginning! I am glad this reminded you of Anna but unfortunately it didn't for me. I just didn't like the whole injection of a mystery in a contemporary book.. I prefer my contemporaries to be twist free. While I did enjoy this book overall, I personally wouldn't compare it to Anna.
ReplyDeletegreat review!
Juhina @ Maji Bookshelf
Ah this book was so damn cute!!!! I didn't expect to adre it so freaking much! It completely won me over:)) Glad you loved it too :)
ReplyDeleteI loved this one too, Jen. Jason was such a clown and the best sort of guy to make Julia finally loosen up! Wonderful review! :)
ReplyDeleteThis sounds awful but I haven't read any reviews of this book recently. though I haven't been around the blogosphere much now-a-days! :( Anyways, this sounds like a perfect book especially set in London!I can always relate then... :P And sad to say I haven't read Anna and the French Kiss which is even worse! :( But lovely review Jen! :)
ReplyDeleteI'm really glad that you loved this! I'm listening to it off and on as an audio book. I'm not very far into it (and I only listen to it while I'm running) but I'm liking it so far.
ReplyDeleteI'm so glad you liked this! And I feel terrible now for not having read this, even though I have a gorgeous copy! Julia sounds like a fun MC!
ReplyDeleteI loved this one, as well! I thought it was so sweet, but also well-written. I loved Julia, and enjoyed watching her learn to be less uptight. And the setting. Ahhh. It was SO well fleshed out, that I really felt like I was there. :)
ReplyDeleteMolli | Once Upon a Prologue
This must be one miracle of a book :) Everyone adores it! Also, I really adore your review. Not too long, not too short and you still covered all the important details. I seriously need to pick this book up, especially with spring and summer around the corner - I crave a good love story ;)
ReplyDeleteI really need to grab a copy of this book! It sounds like a fun, cute read & the setting, characters and well crafted plot are all really appealing.
ReplyDeleteIf this is like Anna, I'm definitely eager to get hold of it. A fabulous review Jen! :-)
I should probably know better than to fall for the smart-ass types, but I just can't resist. ;) I already really like the sound of Julia and Jason! Plus the fact that you don't think it's too far behind Anna and the French Kiss has me really excited. I ordered a copy of this a while back but haven't had a chance to get started on it yet. Hopefully I'll be able to soon. Awesome review as always!
ReplyDeleteWow, now I HAVE to read this book! Everything sounds perfect.. the romance, the witty characters and the gorgeous cover. Thanks for the great review, Jen :)
ReplyDeleteThe cover was my favorite part of this-Jason was just too annoying to me! I do not remember high school boys being that bad.
ReplyDeleteI was totally drawn to this by the cover too and when I read what's inside? *cue heart racing spine tingly feelings* Julia and Jason's banter was hilarious and man, their chemistry was just THERE, right? I too loved their London trip! I was so jealous, I wished I could have went! lol. I totally agree with everything you said about Meant to Be! This book was just amazeballs, light, fun and totally cute. We definitely need more books like this!! Amazing review all the way Jen!!
ReplyDeleteAaiiiiee, YES this sounds so charming!! I am SUCH a sucker for books set in London (really Europe, in general, is good) so I just know I would love that aspect as much as you did. I am not always the biggest fan of cute contemporary romances, but if they are done well (and I trust that this one is, based off your review) and I am in the right mood, they can be an instant pick-me-up and feel good read. And actually, this would be the perfect summer read, I think, so I'll have to try to get it in this summer hopefully! Thanks for this review, Jen!!
ReplyDeleteThis sounds like such a cute, fun read! I can't wait to read about Julia and Jason's hilarious banters and I'm excited to find out what the twist is! Great review Jen!
ReplyDeleteAwesome review, sweetie :D I have this one, but I'm still not sure if I would like it.. You say it's a fun and sweet read, and I do believe that, but I just peeked near the end again, and I'm not happy with the romance thing/triangle at all :( so won't be reading this right away. But eitherway. I'm really glad you loved it :D
ReplyDeleteThank you for commenting on my blog. <3
Love, Carina @ Carina's Books
This is indeed one of the most sensational books to read.. Anyone who is out to order books onine, do not forget to add 'MEANT TO BE' in the list..
ReplyDelete