What if you knew the exact date you’d be meeting your soulmate? I would be waiting so impatiently for the day to come. Yes that’s what happened to Edie. June 24th is approaching fast and she’s waited for this day since her grandma Gloria told her.
A wonderful whirlwind of a story, that will keep you page turning, making you need to know more! You’ll finish in one sitting, and you’ll be so happy with THAT ENDING.
My heart is whole, and I know this story will stay with me for a long while! LOVED!

I was drawn to Hannah Orenstein's book Meant to Be Mine by the intriguing description. Gloria, the main character Edie's grandmother, has a gift of predicting the day someone is to meet their soul mate. She has predicted for the whole family and matched many friends as well. She is a legend. It sounded so fun. Unfortunately, I was underwhelmed by the story. I kept reading, but I just couldn't bring myself to care about any of the characters. I knew pretty early on who she would end up with and was annoyed when the story kept dragging on with nothing really happening but Edie questioning her grandmother's prediction and not wanting to disappoint Gloria by giving up on it. I also had no interest in her job in fashion, but that's just me. I'm sure there are many who will enjoy this book, but I'm going to give it a 2.5 rounded up to 3 stars. I think the idea was good but wasn't executed as well as it could have been. This is my first Hannah Orenstein book, and I may try another in the future just to see if my feelings change about her writing.

My sincere thanks to Atria Books and Net Galley for giving me the opportunity to read this book and give my unbiased opinion of it.

My first Hannah Orenstein was a success! I was curious about the storyline in MEANT TO BE -- the idea of fate and its place in our love lives. This story was sweet, realistic, and had touches of serendipity and fate. Evie, the main character, is fated to meet her soulmate on a certain day after her grandmother gives a prophecy (and her prophecies always come true). So, when Evie meets Theo, she is convinced he's her soulmate even as glaring red flags present themselves.

Orenstein's writing is engaging and pays homage to pre-COVID New York City, which is so comforting. Evie's story begs the question: is love fate or a choice or somewhere in between? Evie, believing that her soulmate will materialize on the fated day, seems closed off to ever making it work with men she loved, but didn't meet at the right time. When she does meet her "soulmate," she forces it to work in ways that felt naive and unnatural. But, I think that's the point of the book. We're supposed to wonder if we can love someone just because we're supposed to and we're supposed to wonder if we'd let a loved one go for a fated, but albeit arbitrary reason.

Recommend this one!

Friends, it’s beach read season and MEANT TO BE MINE is such a great way to kick things off! For decades Grandma Gloria has had visions of when fate will intervene in her family’s lives, has confidently proclaimed the specific date each child, grandchild, niece, and nephew would meet their One True Love.

Edie has been waiting for her day since she was 16 and now it’s here. At an airport bound for her twin sister’s surprise proposal, she takes notice of every man around her, waiting for her Moment, that second when eyes meet hers from across the room and sparks fly. So when she happens to be seated next to a gorgeous guy she knows this is IT. Though she and Theo quickly become smitten with each other, Edie can’t seem to shake a tiny voice in the back of her mind: Gloria couldn’t possibly be wrong about this…right?

There’s so, so much I loved about this one, from the super quick pace (this could easily be a one-sitting read) to the fantastic Jewish rep! Seriously, GOOD LUCK reading all the pages upon pages of food without turning into a drooling mess (ask me how I know 😬). Jewish customs - I honestly can’t think of another book that actually detailed the mourning process and funereal/burial customs - peppered this novel and you get so much more than a token Hanukkah shoutout like so many other books tend to go for.

Going back to the food for a second (really y’all, you don’t want to miss those meals!) Hannah includes her own grandmother’s matzo ball soup recipe! Though what Granny doesn’t lay claim to the best recipe I ask you!!! Ours is absolutely a holiday staple in my family 🤤

There were a few things I wasn’t too fond of: because this is set in our present day COVID’s a thing and I’m just not ready to read about that in my romcoms yet. ALSO, at one point there’s some badmouthing about people who quote The Office (☝🏻 number one: how dare you).

If Hanukkah-themed drag queen burlesque shows have you seeing stars, if you love fashion and politics, if you believe love can defy fate, if you just want an escapist romance, look no further!!

CW: death/loss, a sibling was killed in a school shooting prior to the novel.

I fell in love with the blurb as soon as I read it. What a concept that your grandmother would tell you the day that you'd meet your match! I suppose it would have also caused me some anxiety, but also potentially be so romantic!

June 24,2022 is the day that Edie is at the airport, traveling to witness her twin sister's surprise engagement. Certainly a bit more on edge, looking at all of the faces in the airport, Edie awaits meeting her perfect match. Relief comes on the plane, when a handsome stranger sits beside her. The sparks begin fly with Edie and Theo, a musician, who engages her in some flirty conversation. Despite the match being predicted by Edie's grandmother, Gloria, there are some underlying concerns that make her think that things aren't quite right.

This was such a sweet story and I loved that it was a light and quick read. 4.5 out of 5 stars.

Thank you Atria Books and NetGalley for this e-arc for review.

Good read but could’ve used different tactics to attract the readers attention. Overall it was alright.

Imagine being able to know the date that you will meet the love of your life, your soulmate, the one you are destined to spend the rest of your life with. But what happens if you meet someone on that date and it isn’t insta love, love at first sight or you’re just not feeling the vibes. Let me introduce you to Edie because this is her story.

Meant to be Mine was a quick read with a unique premise and a main character determined to follow the predictions of Grandma Gloria, she’s been right every time in the past so this should be the case also. This had more of a Womens Fiction feel verse a Rom/Com. Relationships played centre, whether between grandmother/granddaughter, or twin sisters. Edie's journey was a little slow at times and not as witty as I anticipated.

There was a nice ending, though I would have enjoyed spending more time during the last 1/4 of the story.

Meant to be Mine released in the 7th of June and available for purchase now. My thanks to Atria Books for an advanced copy in the exchange for a honest review

This is a delightful contemporary romance with great Jewish representation. Main character Edie has grown up believing in her grandmother Gloria's special powers to predict the day every family member will meet the One. Gloria is an interesting character, the kind of grandma everyone wishes they had with her fabulous fashion sense, warmth, and yummy matzo ball soup recipe. Edie thinks she's found the One on the predicted date, but is he really?

I loved how the book played with the idea of fate and choice. The secondary characters were a nice addition, especially the twin sister Rae. The ending felt rushed, but I will let it slide this time since I enjoyed the rest of the book. I also want to make sure to mention the Jewish representation - it felt really honest and was so relatable (even if it became a non - factor towards the end). Edie just happened to be Jewish, it didn't completely define her, and she was a well developed character I was rooting for.

I've read all of Hannah Orenstein's books and really enjoyed all of them. I encourage you to pick this one up. Thank you to Atria Books for the eARC!

3.25 stars

The author came up with a unique idea for the story. After a stressful week, it managed to be the light and easy read I was hoping for although it was a bit lackluster in regards to the development of the romance. But there was enough here to enjoy about the writing so I'll gladly check out other books written by Hannah Orenstein.

Edie Meyer is a stylist in NYC. Her grandmother, Gloria, has quite the talent as she can predict what date a family member will meet their love match. For years, Edie has known June 24, 2022 is the day Gloria said she will meet her soulmate. Well, the day is here and Edie is on an airplane. A handsome man is sitting right beside her. My oh my, what will happen next?

Love, fate, destiny, and soulmates are interesting subjects and are all explored in this book. I'm not saying it's a deep, philosophical read but you can't help but contemplate what you would do in Edie's situation. And speaking of the lead character, Edie was off-putting at times although overall she is a likeable character. I don't know if it was immaturity or a self-involved thing but she had a tendency to have some unrealistic expectations. I felt sorry for the guest she brought to the family dinner and really cringed at some of her thoughts during that scene.

Even when you have an inkling of how things are going to play out in a romance novel, it is still important to have a well-written ending. It was like the last few chapters were an afterthought and just tacked on. I like the direction the author went in but it was not properly developed with regards to the non-Edie character.

As a chick-lit or regular fiction book, it's a decent read. It just doesn't get high marks as a romance though.

3.5 stars
I had high hopes for this book since I loved Head Over Heels, but this one didn't quite live up to that one for me.
The premise of the book was really exciting to me, Edie's grandmother Gloria has the "power" to predict the exact day people in their family will meet their soulmates. It's tried and true with her children, cousins, nieces, and nephews over the years. This book starts on the day Edie is supposed to meet her soulmate. That day she meets Theo and falls for him.
This book kind of flip flops between Edie and Theo's time together, getting ready for Edie's twin sister Rae and her soulmate Max's wedding, Edie's job, and Edie spending time with her family. The family dynamic is fantastic. This family is so close and has so many traditions and it really was just such a cozy part of the book. I also enjoyed the wedding planning parts. We get more characters like the wedding party and I really loved both Rae and Max and their dynamic together. Learning about Edie's job was also fun. She has a styling business and she basically dresses her clients.
The part I didn't totally enjoy was the parts with Theo. I liked Theo, but Edie spent her whole time worried about her compatibility with Theo since she was 100% convinced that they were destined to be together forever. She was constantly comparing him to her ex-long term boyfriend Jonah and I spent the whole book hoping she would dump Theo and just get back with him. I honestly didn't really like Edie that much in general. There were a few thoughts that just constantly repeated themselves in her head that got tedious. I didn't like her train of thought sometimes like one of her cousins told her she asked to not have her soulmate date revealed because she didn't want that pressure and Edie basically told her that was wrong which kind of made me want to knock some sense into her and tell her it's not her choice to even remark about.
I enjoyed the ending even though it was a little bit predictable and appreciated Edie's growth and acceptance of what ended up happening.
Definitely one to pick up if you are looking for a quick romance with great Jewish rep!

I love the concept of this love story. A family member predicting the day you meet your match, with a over half a dozen “satisfied customers,” how can you ignore it? I hurt for Edie writing off Jonah to peruse her “prophesied soulmate,” especially since everything points to a happily ever after for them. However, it does give hope that there are multiple great matches for everyone, it leaves you hopeful.

Meant to Be Mine was a sweet, quick read. The premise immediately drew me in and I ended up reading the whole book in one sitting.

Edie’s grandmother Gloria has a gift - she can tell the day you will meet your soulmate. Edie’s day approaches and when she ends up sitting next to a handsome musician on the plane to her sister’s proposal, she knows he must be the one! But maybe fate isn’t all it’s cracked up to be and over the course of the book Edie must decide if she could fall in love with Theo or if the one is still out there.

While I enjoyed the romances in Meant to Be Mine, the relationships between Edie and her family/friends was my favorite part of this book. I loved Gloria and I’m glad we got to see Edie’s relationship with her twin sister as well. My only real complaint was how much time was spent missing Jonah when there was no reconciliation/dramatic moment aside from a random meeting.

Thank you to Atria and NetGalley for an advanced copy. I will definitely check out more of this author’s work in the future.

I struggled with how to rate this one. On the one hand, I enjoyed the book. On the other hand, I found it to be a little slower than it could have been and the characters were kind of boring and flat. It was a different take on the love story and fate. Overall, it was enjoyable, just not amazing.

Edie Meyer’s Grandma accurately predicts the day every single member of her family will meet their soulmate. Edie’s day is June 24, 2022. When she meets a handsome musician on that date, she knows that they are meant to be together. As time goes on, the complications of life seem to get in the way of what she believes fate predicted for her. She may have met her perfect guy, but the timing may not be perfect for their lives. Edie is forced to decide if she picks love or destiny.

Thank you Netgalley for my advanced reader copy!

💗 Book Review 💗

Meant To Be Mine
Author: Hannah Orenstein
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Read if you love:
💕 Romantic Comedies
💕 New York
💕 Books with Strong Familial Ties
💕 Jewish Representation

This book pulled my heart strings and I was hooked from the very beginning. I felt so warm and fuzzy just from reading the note from the author at the start of the book. I was literally in tears just from reading about the love in her family.

Then, once I started reading the actual story, forget it… I fell in love. What made this book so special for me was that I felt immersed in Edie’s world from the first few lines and enjoyed every minute I spent in New York with her. I loved getting to know her and her family, getting to know the way she thinks, and watching her grow as a person.

I’m so happy I was given the opportunity to read this. Thank you, @hannahorens for writing this gorgeous book. And a special thanks to @atriabooks for the ARC I received via @netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

This book is a beautiful story about love, family and friendship. It was such a well written book and it kept me engaged the entire time!

10/10 amazing, her best book yet. The characters were so rich and engaging, and the way in which Orenstein writes flows so well. I would recommend this book to anyone who loves romance books that are not just romance!! It's about love, but also family and friendship and it's because of that that the novel feels fully developed.

Pub date: 6/7/22
Genre: romcom
In one sentence: Edie knows the day she'll meet her soulmate - but when she meets him, she starts to wonder if a prophecy really means happily ever after.

This was a fun quick read romcom! Edie reminded me of some of my friends, and I enjoyed following her adventures. As a stylist, she finds her creative match in musician Theo, and these two have lots of fun together. Edie's relationship with her family was another highlight - I loved her interactions with her sister, mother, and grandmother. There's also great Jewish representation in this book - there's not enough of it in contemporary literature overall! And NYC readers will love the descriptions of Brooklyn.

If you want a light read filled with whimsy, love, and a little bit of magic, this is a great choice!

Thank you to Atria Books for providing a NetGalley ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Meant To Be is women's fiction mixed with romance and magical realism.

The narrator is 29 year old Edie (1st person POV). She is Jewish and lives in New York City.

The book has an interesting premise. Edie's grandmother can predict the exact day that you will meet the love of your life. And Edie has lived her life accordingly.

I love books that include fate. So I was very intrigued by this premise.

I loved everything about Edie's grandmother and how close she was to her family (and twin sister). I also really enjoyed the Jewish aspect, especially the food.

The book took some very interesting turns. And the ending was top notch. I definitely enjoyed this book and would recommend it.

Edie Meyers' grandmother has the ability to predict when Edie will meet the love of her life. So on that date, she boards a plane to Maine and ends up sitting next to a handsome guitar player. Is he the one?

I really enjoyed the bit of magic, or fate I guess you would call it that was written into the story, I feel like fate played her hand in my own love story and wedding as well! The addition of fate in this delightful Rom-Com was a bit different than the other Rom -Coms I have been reading lately so it was a pleasant read.

As a Jewish person, I really enjoyed the Jewish representation the author included in the story, from the food, which is important to any family gathering, to the traditions of the playing Mahjong. While I did enjoy all of Edie's family and friends, it was her grandmother ( or Bubbie as a lot of Jewish families call their grandmothers ) who stole my heart and shined so much in the book.

Orenstein also wrote great descriptions of Brooklyn, a place I love to visit, the descriptions made me miss it and instantly want to go back. The ending..., that is where my complaint comes in, it seemed a bit rushed, but it didn't hinder my enjoyment of the book at all.

Meant to Be Mine is a quick and light read that any fan of Rom-Coms will enjoy.

Do you believe there is someone out there you are fated to be with for the rest of your life? Well Edie sure did and her grandmother had perfected when everyone in her family will meet their soulmate for decades. So when Edie meets a sexy rockstar on the day her grandmother predicted to be her day, she knew it was fate. But as time went on she began to question the very thing she’s based her entire life around… This book was cute and flirty, a perfect quick read for the beach or pool this summer!

Thank you so much to @netgalley and @atriabooks for this advanced copy!