Review (Randi): MEANT TO BE

Title: Meant to Be
Author: Lauren Morrill
Publisher: Delacorte Books for Young Readers
Publication Date: November 13th, 2012 
Page Count: 304
Genre: contemporary romance
Audience: young adult
Source: library 
Rating: 4.5 I'd take this book for fish and chips and a stroll in Hyde Park

Goodreads Summary: 
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.

My thoughts:  Let me say really quick that I love this cover. I probably would've picked up the book regardless even if it didn't feature my favorite genre. And, I ADORED this book. Julia is a very well-drawn character and I really liked following her around London. Morrill’s writing totally brings London to life in this book; I could recognize some of the places she took us – Hyde Park, Piccadilly Circus. It was great (though it made me a little “homesick” for the UK!). The pop culture and literary references are right up my alley. I love when authors do that! This was more than the cute romance contemporary I was expecting. It was hilarious. Jason, class clown, and Julia’s buddy, is endearing, annoying, sweet, and frustrating all at once. (And he’s a ginger – don’t ask me why, but I have a thing for gingers!) Julia learns a lot about herself and her own expectations in this book, and I loved seeing her figure things out. The book takes place over a week, but things never felt rushed (other than the fact that I couldn’t put the book down).

There’s no instalove, though there is Mark, Julia’s MTB – meant to be – who turns out to be a real jerk. Morrill does a great job of creating real and believable characters, particularly Julia, Jason, and Mark. I would have liked a little more depth on some of the other secondary characters, but it didn’t ruin for me. Part of the point is that Julia’s a teensy bit self-centered (aren’t we all?), so it made sense. Plus she doesn’t have any friends on this trip with her. It would have also been nice to get a little more depth out of Jason’s background/history (if you read it, you’ll know what I mean) since that seemed like it would be a bigger part of the book and then wrapped up a bit too neatly at the end. However, the book’s vivid setting, wonderful main character (who has hilarious inner monologues as well as dialogue with Jason), and sweet slowburn romance make up for it. A new favorite that I’m going to need a copy of since, silly me, I got a copy from the library. I should’ve known better! Highly recommended if you like books about travel or if you’re a fan of YA contemporary romance like I am.

FTC Disclaimer: All reviews are solely the opinions of Becky and/or Randi. We are not paid in any way for our reviews, and all opinions are 100% honest.