Meant to Be

In Meant to Be, Julia is convinced that the smart and dreamy Mark Bixford is her Meant To Be (MTB), her perfect match and the boy she's destined to end up with. Unfortunately, things don't work out quite as planned for the plan-obsessed Julia, who learns that people are often not what they seem, or what you want them to be, and that, ultimately, love isn't something that you can schedule.

I wasn't Julia's biggest fan at first, but I think that might have been because I could see parallels between my younger self and this opinionated, grumpy, misguided girl. Like Julia, I found myself judging others a bit too quickly, and sometimes to harshly. Since I was so judgmental, I was grumpy and dissatisfied with my peers. Aaaaand of course I assumed my crush and I would somehow find a way into each others arms (despite his girlfriend, who he is now married to!) and he would be absolutely wonderful and charming. It didn't take long for my illusions to shatter, just like Julia's... and I can't help but recognize the Julia in both of my younger sisters, in my girlfriends, etc. Julia isn't all that likable through most of the book, but, to me, she was just going through that mean teenage girl phase that most girls go through at some point in their adolescence.

The concept of MTB isn't limited to just teenage girls; women of all ages, shapes, and sizes have the potential to fall into the MTB, true love, trap. I love that Julia realizes that love and relationships are more complicated on both her own terms and in reference to her mother and father's relationship, which she used as her benchmark of a good, MTB relationship.

Julia's relationship with her mother was, for me, one of the highlights of the novel. I really appreciated their bond and the open communication between the two, which aides in Julia's become more aware of the world around her and herself. Their conversations never felt forced or false and I loved the warmth of their dialogue.

To properly enjoy Meant to Be, there's a certain amount of suspended disbelief on the part of the reader. The situation Julia and Jason find themselves in did not feel real at all, which I sometimes found a bit distracting, but it served its purpose.

Meant to Be is mostly cute and the ending is more than a little predictable, but there's a heartfelt message beneath the fluffy plot and I have to give Morrill props for that. ( )

A Cute Story ( )

The good:

This is a quick, fluffy read. It was definitely engaging and kept me turning the pages.

I thought it was great that I didn’t like Jason at first and then fell for him as the story went on – just like Julia did.

The story is set in London and what’s not to love about that? Definitely added to the romanticism of the story and made things more interesting.

I did like some things about Julia’s character – she isn’t too concerned with her looks but she is concerned with her grades. She doesn’t let peer pressure get to her.

The bad:

Julia. Even when she’s breaking rules and supposedly having fun, she’s not. She was a bit too Type A for me to connect with her and like her. She didn’t seem like someone Jason would fall for. And the fact that she’s been obsessed with a guy for years and he doesn’t even know she exists? Eye roll.

And so, I didn’t buy into their “romance.” Their whole relationship felt like the formation of a friendship, not a romance. I don’t think their personalities meshed together at all. I could see them as friends, but not boyfriend/girlfriend. ( )

In Lauren Morrill’s début young adult contemporary romance MEANT TO BE, we meet a studious young woman embarking on a class trip to London who is about to have everything she ever believed in turned on its head. When Julia Lichtenstein is paired up with class-clown Jason Lippincott as “buddies” she finds her carefully controlled life falling to pieces – but an unexpected romance may be just what the doctor ordered to put it all back together again.

What I Loved

Jason and Julia: These two characters really balanced each other. Julia was a girl after my own heart; nothing made her happier than having every part of her life organized and making sure she kept her perfect 4.0 grade point average. She had a sarcastic edge to her thoughts that I really enjoyed and was a champion swimmer, which was refreshing since it isn’t something I’ve come across a lot with YA heroines. Two things I adored were her love of books (the feel, the smell, the post-it notes everywhere) and the way she looked at herself. She was happy in her own skin and appreciated how well her body performed in the water. Great self-image.

Jason, meanwhile, lived up to his title of “class clown,” a total extrovert determined to live life to its fullest and have fun doing so – and, come hell or high water, he was taking Julia along for the ride. He also had brains, which led to some wonderfully humorous exchanges with Julia and made him the perfect guy to challenge her since he knew every button of hers to push. Experiencing London through the eyes of these two was a trip all its own.

The Twist: Obviously I’m not going to give away the big surprise, but I loved the way this story played out. After reading the synopsis, I expected things to go a certain way but was happily surprised to find out I was wrong – not about who Julia ended up with but how she got there. It’s amazing how one key piece of information can change everything. Sweet.

The Setting: London, England – my second favorite city in the world right behind NYC. Every landmark mentioned I’ve been to (other than the underground skate park, which sounded SOOO cool) so it was like reliving happy memories. And with a side trip to Shakespeare’s birthplace, Stratford-upon-Avon? Like Julia, I was in heaven.


What I Liked

The Humor: From the cute chapter headings (“Less Bath, More Robe”) to the snarkiness of Julia’s thoughts (“Mrs. Tennison may be a psychotic mess, but she has beautiful penmanship.” Chapter 2), this book had me rolling with laughter. Julia’s airport encounter with supermodels and her fear of geese were positively inspired. Humor is everywhere, but it never overwhelms the story; it highlights it.

The Concept: It may be an old idea, but it’s certainly not tired here. A girl who plans everything – even love – finds out some of the best things that can happen to you come out of the blue. There is a great message at the heart of this story – don’t sit back on the sidelines waiting for the life and love that is “meant to be”; if you get out there and live, then great things will follow. After all, love may not be exactly where you expect it to be!

The Author’s Style: This story has a rapid-fire feel to it. The way the pacing and sentence structure are used to shoot the situations off the page make the story fly and give it plenty of energy. A very fun read.

What Made Me Hesitate

Jason’s antics: Sometimes Jason went a tad too far. Specifically, the first time we meet him on the plane he is making comments that in reality would probably get him noticed (and not in a good way) by flight attendants and any air marshal on board. Instead he gets warm cookies (I’d probably kill him, and end up hauled off the flight in handcuffs). I wasn’t fond of his nickname for Julia, either – “Book Licker.” It didn’t flow and was annoying. Most of the time, however, Jason WAS funny in a class-clown manner which helped off-set the points his character was a bit off track.

What Were They Thinking?!?

The Cover: This is pretty much the WORST cover for a young adult romance I’ve seen. The couple appear to be in their 30′s (at least) and the whole concept doesn’t really reach out and grab your attention. The only thing they got right is Big Ben in the background. Who at the publishing company approved this? They should have gone for an actual photo of teens – a girl laughing up at a smiling, gorgeous young man while a slightly more “boy-next-door” young man looks on from the side, all against the backdrop of Big Ben. Seriously, this cover must go.

Conclusion

With a fun concept, entertaining couple at the center, and plenty of humor throughout, Lauren Morrill’s début novel MEANT TO BE is a YA contemporary romance that will have you laughing out loud. It is a light and energetic story that reminds us love could be anywhere, even right under our noses – if it’s MEANT TO BE. ( )

First I will have to be forthcoming and admit that I will probably love any book where the setting takes place in London.

I loved Jason and all his shenanigans. Julia was a stickler for most things so, he was a good contrast. I enjoyed the running around trying not to get caught but hoping to meet the guy who's texting her. This book had laugh out load moments for me. I really enjoyed it and can't express how awesome I think it is. This is an adventure romance crush with a twist at the end that I didn't see coming. Meant To Be tells the tale that what you might believe is MTB might be something or someone else altogether.

I recommend this book to lovers of Contemporary, Romance, Stephanie Perkins and all things London. ( )