Review: Meant to Be by Lauren Morrill

Meant to Be by Lauren Morrill

Release Date: November 13^th, 2012

Number of Pages: 304

Publisher: Delacorte Books for Young Readers

Source: NetGalley

GR – Amazon – BD – Chapters

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.

I think there are perfect times to read certain books, and I have to say that Meant To Be came to the perfect time. This contemporary was perfect in so many ways. I mean, how can you not finish this book with a stupid grin on your face. That’s why I say I read this book at the perfect time, because I really need this cute cheesy romance. It may contain a few cliché, but it didn’t stop me from simply loving this book. This is the kind of book that you don’t care how predictable it can be, it was a pleasure for me to get into this novel.

The characters are cliché, but not in a really bad way. We have Julia, the book-smart good girl who believes in true love and meeting the “one”. Of course, on her trip to London, she gets stuck with the bad boy, the one guy she could never fall for, right? I liked Jason, though I can’t really explain why. Maybe it was the bad boy attitude, maybe it was the way he acted with Julia that made me swoon.

I can’t really say what my favorite part of the book was. There were so may things that just kept me reading, from the cute story, the loveable characters, the cheesy aspect, it was just a little ray of sunshine after the holidays. The chemistry between Julia and Jason kept me smiling; a chemistry that kept making sparks between those two.

Overall, it simply was the kind of romance that will make you smile from beginning to end, with those awkward moment between the characters that will make you laugh. I simply loved this book, and it is one that I will read again when I have gloomy days. I loved it, and I cannot wait to read more from Lauren Morrill.

About the Author

(from NetGalley)

Lauren Elizabeth Morrill is many things, including, but not limited to, a writer, an educator, a badass roller derby skater, a former band nerd, an aggressive driver, and a die-hard Mac person. She also watches a lot of TV, eats a lot of junk food, and drinks a lot of Coke. It's a wonder her brain and teeth haven't rotted out of her head.

Her first novel, Meant to Be, sold in a two-book deal to Wendy Loggia at Delacorte for Paper Lantern Lit.

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