How would you live knowing the exact date you'd meet your soulmate? Edie has meticulously planned her entire life for this day, even breaking-up with her boyfriend six months prior to the date.

A chance meeting on her chosen day, with a man at an airport, sends her in a spiral thinking he's the one. Can it be that simple? This romance is the type of novel you finish in a day. Meant to Be Mine is a sweet romcom. This novel is the perfect book to throw in your tote for a pool or beach day this summer.

Thank you Atria Books for the advance reader copy.

Edie Meyer is ready for HER DAY to begin as it will be the day that she meets the love of her life. Her grandmother has predicted the dates of all of her family members and each found the person they were to marry on "their days." Edie's twin Rae met her love in college and they have been together ever since, but waited a few years to get engaged once they were both settled in their careers and Edie is craving for a relationship that looks like theirs - can her guy arrive on HER DAY?!

What a sweet romance. While I am not a huge reader of magic and witches and all of those things, this one is not that at all. It was so fun to watch the main character try to live up to the expectations that are set by her family members and see how those dominos will fall. Often we think about if we had known our death date, but to know the date you will meet the one is an interesting question to ask - does it help or hurt your other relationships that happen before and are there even more expectations put on the people you meet that day? I loved how this book dealt with these questions and the story was so perfectly paced.

With only a few steamy scenes that were appropriately placed, I would recommend this romance to those who avoid the overtly sexy times as these fit in the story and were quick and not too graphic.

My second Hannah Orenstein book and there are two in her backlist and I hope to add them to my summer reading because this book was perfect for a day at the pool!

An easy read that, although it has some romance in it, is more geared towards the love of family, and finding out what you truly want in life.

Edie has always known one thing: the day she would meet "the one". Due to her grandma's talent for determining when people will find their soulmates, Edie and her family have always known ahead of time. When she takes a flight on the date given to her and a handsome musician sits next to her, she knows it is an act of fate. However, as time goes on, she is left wondering if things are really as pre-determined as they seem, or if there is more she should be looking for.

This was not a cute rom-com, like I was expecting, however more of a family drama that touched on real issues such as grief and finding yourself, and I appreciated the unexpected angle this book took. I liked the writing style and the characters, and I read it in almost one sitting as I was curious how they would all play out. I have a close relationship with my grandma, so I could entirely relate to how special Gloria was to Edie.

However, this one didn't quite hit home for me. Maybe it's my feelings on the fate and destiny trope, but I just couldn't get past the thought of curating your entire life around a date that is based on a "gift". I also thought the input of politics and clear political views wasn't necessary to the story, but rather I could see how it would turn some people away from her books.

Thank you to Netgalley and Atria Books for an eARC in exchange for an honest review. Full review to be posted on my IG @manis.and.manuscripts on 6/6/22 in advance of pub day.

Wow! The last page of the book made me bump up my rating to five stars. This book was a tribute to how important Grandparents are to a family structure. Living with a prophecy was no easy task for the main character Edie as her grandmother, Gloria told her a date from a young age of when she would meet her 'match'. I went back in forth in my own mind thinking of how knowing a specific date would be so scary and intimidating. Edie felt this way as well, especially after seeing other members of her family (her sister and her mother) meeting their 'match' on their date. I went back in forth wondering if Theo was for her as she met him on her 'match' date. This book tugs on your emotions and has such a perfect ending. Highly recommend!

I was so excited to get approved for Meant to Be Mine by Hannah Orenstein on @netgalley !! This book comes out June 7th, which is just in a few days! It’s very different from her previous novel Head Over Heels because it has a small element of magical realism.

Meant to Be Mine is about Edie and her family’s tradition. Gloria, Edie’s grandmother, has always been able to see and know the date her family members will meet “The One”. It’s officially Edie’s day and she meets a handsome stranger that catches her eye on a plane ride to her sister’s surprise engagement. Is love up to fate or do we have more choice in it?

❤️Review❤️

I really enjoyed this one! I loved the concept of this magical ability to predict the day you will find the love of your life. It made me question whether I would actually want to know or continue to let life surprise me. It seems like it’s a lot of pressure to know. Edie is definitely a character who put all of her eggs in one basket counting on this day being it. It was really great watching her figure things out and what was really important to her even if it was a bit frustrating when she made not the best choices along the way. I loved that we got to see a variety of relationships not just romantic. Her connection to Gloria and her twin sister, Rae, was really sweet. I also like that the ending didn’t necessarily go the way I expected. It didn’t feel like the classic formulaic romance. I just wish the magical realism element was a little more present in some way. It’s another book that I can see being a perfect summer beach read!

4 stars! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

#Bookstagram #NetGalley #BeachRead #SummerRead #ARC #NewBooks #NewBookRelease #JuneReading #SummerReading #Books #MagicalRealism #RomanceBooks #2022Books

What would you do if you knew the exact date that you’re supposed to meet the one? Edie’s grandma, Gloria, has a special gift of predicting when her family is going to meet their special person. For a few years now, Edie’s know that the big day is June 24, 202 but she never expected to be at the airport getting ready to board a flight to Portland for her sister’s engagement. But when she finally meets a cute stranger on the fated day, she thinks everything is starting to go according to plan. But love is not always predictable and every once in a while a curveball will be thrown our way where it’s up to us to decide what’s the next play. I loved Edie and the love interest. The final 2 chapters had me swooning but all of the interactions between Edie and Mr. love interest had me gushing.

“Our love is woven into the fabric of our lives; it’s not some puffed-up fantasy built on shaky ground.”

Thank you Net Galley for the early copy!! I loved it.

This was a sweet romance. I have to admit - I didn't connect to the storyline as much as I could have because I don't have a lot of belief in anyone being able to predict the future. I did enjoy the characters and thought it wasn't entirely predictable, as many romance novels are.

Thank you @netgalley & Atria Books for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

The synopsis of this book - that a young woman knows, thanks to her grandmother, exactly when she will meet her soulmate - had me intrigued right away bc I both love magical realism & find the trope of “fate v. free-will” to be an extremely interesting concept that can be taken in so many different directions when done right proper (some films that come immediately to mind are 𝘈 𝘊𝘭𝘰𝘤𝘬𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘬 𝘖𝘳𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘦, 𝘎𝘢𝘵𝘵𝘢𝘤𝘢, 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘈𝘥𝘫𝘶𝘴𝘵𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘉𝘶𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘶, 𝘔𝘦𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘰, 𝘚𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘤𝘦 𝘊𝘰𝘥𝘦 &, more loosely, 𝘌𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘯𝘢𝘭 𝘚𝘶𝘯𝘴𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘚𝘱𝘰𝘵𝘭𝘦𝘴𝘴 𝘔𝘪𝘯𝘥).

Let me just start by saying that there are plenty of good things to be found in this book, despite my rating & despite it missing the mark for me personally. There are some cute moments, and it does ask/hit those thematic questions & beats of what it means to really choose our own fate. I loved the Jewish representation & getting to learn more about all of the different customs, games, & traditions. I also really enjoy reading about close/complex family dynamics, so it was nice to see those specific relationships very clearly defined & fleshed out here.

Unfortunately, everything else about this novel was just…. Meh, to me. Especially the characters. Edie irked me to no end w some of her decisions (& not in a good way), and Theo was so gd boring he was basically a non-entity to me. I also called the “twist” fairly early on in the novel, which wouldn’t be so bad if it were at least fun to get there…. But it wasn’t. 🥲 No spoilers here ofc, but I’m honestly still a bit salty that we spend such a large portion of the novel kinda barking up the wrong tree & like, for why… 😮‍💨

Despite all this, while this book wasn’t really for me, it might be perfect for you! So def check it out come June 7th!

Meant to Be Mine by Hannah Orenstein is like a balm for a heavy heart. Edie and her family, The Meyer’s, have a special gift. Gloria, the matriarch, has the ability to predict what day you will meet the love of your life. She has successfully set up up couples in and out of the family and has never been wrong with her predictions. When Edie’s day approaches she anxiously prepares to meet her guy. Enter Theo - a hot musician who sits next to her on the plane and charms her from hello. What follows is a love story that questions whether or not fate and destiny can truly predict love.

I’ll start by saying I enjoyed this book - it was fun to experience NYC through Edie’s eyes and it did the trick of taking me out of the heaviness of the real world. However, this book is extremely simple - the writing is surface level, as is the plot. I felt like the same themes and examples were constantly being repeated (we get it, Gloria loved a martini!!!) which made it hard to get to know the characters and their emotions. The ~love story~ was also totally surface level and I don’t want to spoil anything but the ending happened pretty much out of the blue and I would have LOVED to spend more time there. This is my first time reading Hannah’s work so I can’t speak to how this book compares to her others. Overall, enjoyed! Pick this up, it’s perfect for the beach.

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for the ARC in exchange for my honest review. Meant to Be Mine is out 6/7/22.

When you contemplate the idea of soulmates or being destined for someone, it feels almost like you don’t have a choice in the matter. Edie has spent her whole life waiting to meet her person. Her grandmother has predicted everyone in her family date of when they will meet their true love. Edie has always been so sure of this supernatural gift from her grandmother that she is pushed off really loving someone because of this fact. She meets a handsome musician on a plane ride to Maine on her specific date and eventually they date. Over time, she realizes that they are not compatible and her entire belief system is crushed. Does she stick it out because it is fate, or can she make a new path for herself outside of the family tradition?

There was a point on the book where the concept of leaving a partner is brought up. It can be truly scary to give up a relationship you put time and effort into and if you’ve ever broken up with someone before you know the feeling. The author does a great job with a quote that states: “The room you’re creating in your life by walking away from him is going to leave space for amazing thing to come…” and it struck me to my core!

Things I enjoyed about the book were the strong family connections and display of Jewish traditions. This was also the first book I’ve read that has mentioned the pandemic in its storyline. This was not a romance novel to me, but more of women’s fiction and the spicy scenes were the fade-to-black variety. The banter was relatable and the texts back and forth made it feel truly modern.

Things I didn’t enjoy were the politicizing parts of the book. The book follows a democratic candidate running for senator and at points ostracized the republican readers by bluntly disapproving of their beliefs.

This book was exactly what I needed right now. It was quick to read, kept me engaged, and was a great premise.


Thank you Netgalley and Atria Books for this eARC!

Out June 7, 2022 [Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an eARC in exchange for an honest review!]

Rating: 3.5/5 stars

Edie has spent her entire life waiting for June 24, 2022—the date her beloved grandmother prophesied Edie would meet her soulmate. When Edie boards an airplane that day and finds herself seated next to a handsome stranger, she assumes her fate is sealed, but it turns out things might be more complicated than she could ever anticipate.

I love magical realism and books that play with the concept of destiny vs. free will, so I had high hopes for the concept of this novel. And, in a lot of ways, MEANT TO BE MINE was what I expected—it was generally fun, generally uplifting, generally romantic, and played with all the themes of fate and determinism that I was anticipating.

What I didn’t love, unfortunately, were the characters—Edie made questionable decisions all the way through and Theo was a less-than-engaging love interest in my opinion. I also predicted where the ending was headed pretty early on, but wasn’t at all satisfied with exactly where it ended up. That said, I still “aww’ed” at a few moments, and I appreciated the close family dynamics and the Jewish representation.

In short—while this wasn’t my favorite, I definitely didn’t hate it, and if the concept sounds fun to you I’d encourage checking it out!

Recommended if you like: fate vs. free-will; magical realist romances; close-knit families.

CW: Death of a loved one; discussion of mass/school shooting and related trauma; grief.

This book has a very unique and thought-provoking premise that I feel could have been mined a little bit further. That being said, it was a quick and compulsive read as I was very curious who Edie would end up with.

Edie's grandmother has a superpower. She can predict when the members of her family will meet their soulmate. Edie has been waiting for her day for years and has been preparing for it for just as long. She even broke up with her boyfriend who she loved in preparation. So when she meets a handsome stranger on her plane ride to her sister's surprise proposal she thinks this is it, she has finally met the one. Destiny, fate, choice. These are concepts I love in romance novels and I love all the questions this book raises on what exactly is destiny - can you be so preoccupied with what you think is supposed to happen that you can miss something right in front of you?

There is a lot going on this book. I wish maybe the book had focused more on the central tenants of its thesis and the romance instead of trying to juggle so much but when it worked, it really worked. I love Edie's relationship with her grandmother, you can tell how personal that was for Orenstein. There is a political side plot that didn't work for me and I have to say, I think the end was kind of rushed. Ok, not kind of but really rushed. I wish that had been developed more as well.

Edie is single-mindedly focused on her fate and what is supposed to happen and the moments where she lets that come in between her and what is best for her are the best parts of this book. I did find myself frustrated with her - the plot about her ex-boyfriend I felt was really awkward.

Please check the content warnings here. There is a storyline involving death of a family member as well as another character who lost their sibling because of gun violence and even if it isn't a huge plot point, I think anyone going into this book should be mindful of that. The book also discusses COVID briefly.

I largely enjoyed reading this book and think it would be a great summer read.

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for the opportunity to read an E-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Imagine you knew the exact day that you'd meet the love of your life.

For some people, it would be great to know when they'd meet their forever love. It requires a strong belief in fate and that is the basis of this contemporary fiction read. This is a story about romantic destiny that centres on Edie, a fashion stylist who ardently relies on her grandmother's prediction of the day that she will meet her true love.

My favourite part of this book were the relationships. I loved Edie's bond with her twin sister Rae and her grandmother, Gloria who was a sassy old broad with a unique talent for predicting when family and friends will find their life partners. I also enjoyed the inclusion of Jewish culture and the vivid descriptions of its NYC setting.

But I didn't love Edie's immaturity. It was a bit frustrating to watch Edie's unwavering belief in Gloria's prediction instead of stopping to think for herself and how the man in front of her could be a better fit. I also thought the author was too heavy-handed with her red herring, trying to lead readers to believe who would be Edie's true love. The ending was satisfying but felt rushed and not enough time was devoted to seeing Edie with the person she ends up with.

Less Romance/RomCom and more of a Contemporary Fiction story with a cool love destiny premise, this was a good read but different than what I was expecting. I think it will provide lots of fodder for book discussions, but it didn't quite tick all the boxes for me.

Disclaimer: My sincere thanks to Atria Books for my advanced copy of this book which was provided in exchange for my honest review.

I am the queen of "what ifs". And with that, I am also the queen of following rules. So if I was told I would meet my soulmate on a specific day in a specific place I wouldn't even question it. Until... there was reason to question it. Meant to Be Mine has been one of my favorite reads of 2022 and I cannot wait to share it with the world!

•review•
meant to be mine | hannah orenstein

★ ★ ★ ★ ☆

this was just so stinkin adorable.

first of all, the makeup artist in me absolutely loved all of the beauty product references. mac’s ruby woo? talk about a freakin’ staple. and yes, it IS true that it was once (or maybe still is? idk) rihanna’s go-to.

also, I loved the current-ness of this. before you say anything, I’m like 35% sure that current-ness is a word. but no, I did not look it up. who has that kind of time? anyway, they talk about everything up in here. there is so much content packed into those 288 pages, without it being too full or overwhelming.
love.
pandemics.
gun violence.
grief.
destiny.
heart break.
I feel like a lot of ‘hot button topics’ are often shied away from in this genre, so I really appreciated the fact that so many real life / real time topics and social commentaries are woven into this love story that is honestly.. so much more than a love story. it feels silly to classify it as such.

there’s plenty of representation, without it seeming like it was just a box that needed to be ticked. ya know? the characters are fully developed, and unique and just.. lovely.

what else?

rae and max? love them. couple goals, honestly.
the second we met bennett, I knew I was going to adore him (rae isn’t the only one who knows how to listen to her gut 😉 iykyk).

the banter? gosh. yes please.
theo and edie.
kiara and bennett.
rae and max.
bennett and edie.
shireen.
just top notch. all around.

oh, gloria.
gloria, gloria, gloria.
we already know that old people in books make me emotional, ok. but I just love her. she’s badass and unapologetic and everything I hope to be at ninety years old.
and the fact that we’re gifted with her matzo ball soup recipe at the end? 🙏🏼 (side note: is that supposed to be like a ‘praise the lord’ emoji, or two hands high fiving? idk. but either way, it works)

meant to be mine comes out on tuesday, and I can’t wait to see what you guys think!
thank you to netgalley, and atria for my advanced copy.

As someone who always dreams about finding “the one” and questioning every relationship that I stumble upon, this book was really a treat to read!

Edie Meyers is told by her grandma Gloria (who has a power of being able to tell people the exact day they’ll meet the person they are fated to be with, like can you imagine??) that on June 24,2022 she will meet the man she’s meant to be with. When I tell you this story had me emotionally invested all the way through, I meant it!!

Edie really had me riding this rollercoaster of emotions on what love is and what we as people are willing to believe in to get what we think we want vs what we TRULY WANT 🥹. I wouldn’t say this story is a full on romance, but more of a contemporary with some romance, but still amazing! The way miss Hannah was able to write these view points on her characters view of love and the future was soo pleasing to read.

What I l o v e ❤️‍🔥 about Hannah Orenstein’s books is that she really knows how to write her characters with great depth (like you get to know them all the way through, likes/dislikes, fears, joys, family, EVERYTHING!) SHE IS TALENTED AND I AM SO SAD I AM CAUGHT UP WITH HER BACKLIST SMH 🤦🏻‍♀️ 🥺

I really recommend this guys, please check it out and share this gem, I definitely can’t wait to get my own physical copy to annotate!! Back to dreaming about whether I’ll be blessed to meet my future man 🥹🫠

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for providing this ARC for an honest review.

I really loved the idea of "soulmates" or "fated mates" in romance stories, so Meant to Be Mine really appealed to me when I read the description. And having read Hannah Orenstein's previous books, I knew there would be some kind of twist to the basic trope, and that it wouldn't be a clear and easy path from meet-cute to happily-ever-after.

Ever since she was young, Edie Meyer has been told that her beloved grandmother Gloria has a gift for predicting the exact date that someone will meet their true love. And she's surrounded by the proof of Gloria's successes - her sister, mother, aunts and uncles, even Gloria herself. She has placed blind faith in her "day" to the extent that she's treated all past relationships as flings, and even breaking off a relationship where she had fallen deeply in love. Even when she's heartbroken for months, mourning the lost of someone she deeply cared for, she still looks forward to meeting "the one". So when she boards a flight from NYC to Maine for her twin-sister's surprise engagement, she's on high alert for her potential mate, and is pleasantly surprised to find herself sitting next to a handsome and charming musician, Theo. The pair immediately hit it off, but when the plane lands and the pair go their separate ways without so much as exchanging numbers, Edie wonders if she got something wrong. Only a few days later, on the return flight to NYC, she runs into Theo again, and the pair begin a their relationship. Just days later, Edie meets she meets the best man for her sister's wedding, Bennett, with whom she becomes quick friends. As she spends more time getting to know Theo, she begins to wonder if he really is meant to be her soulmate - he's not interested in putting down roots, getting married, or having children. She still misses her past relationship, the one she ended right before her predicted date, and can't help but compare the two relationships. As her faith in Gloria's prophecy fades, she worries that she might have made a mistake, and can't help but think that maybe destiny can't guarantee happiness or true love.

This book is everything I hoped it would be - it had happiness and sadness, hoping for the future while mourning the past. As Edie wonders if she made a mistake by ending things with Jonah, placing all her faith in Theo, or if there is another option right in front of her if she can put aside the concept of destiny. And the bombshell truth that she's faced with just when she really begins to question the one thing she's trusted half her life really helped to turn the page in her story and propel her to make a choice about what she wants.

3.5 stars

This book was fun and engaging. The best thing about it was that it really makes you think how would you live your life (or a portion of it) if you knew the exact date something momentous was to happen? I remember this question coming up in a book from a few years ago (The Immortalists) where the date was when each of the siblings would die. This book is not as grim as that, but it still makes you think the same thoughts, would you want to know? How would it effect your choices? Edie knows the date when she will meet her forever love. She has fun with dating, but ultimately breaks up with any guy she really starts to have feelings for, because she knows they did not meet on the specified date. Then she meets "the guy" on the day, and starts her path of happily ever after. Of course she ends up questioning all the past and present relationships in her life, remaining strong in her belief that no one in her family has not found their true love from Grandma Gloria's prophecy. There is no question that I would never personally buy into this whole idea, but this was still a well rounded, well written story that I really enjoyed. And the whole idea does make you think about the possibilities, even if you don't believe in the concept. There is also a side story about a woman running for Congress, the main protagonist is hired as a stylist for her, while her sister's best man is the campaign manager.

I really liked this one. It's a light read, but it still makes you think. The interesting twist near the end is very satisfying, yet muddles the prediction idea even more. This one will make a perfect summer beach/pool read. I have another title on my backlist of books by this author, and I'm excited to give that one a look sooner rather than later.

I was SO into the premise of this one, the whole idea of fate and destiny is always interesting to me and I was excited to see what the author would do with the concept. I was immediately sucked in as it’s Edie’s day and when she meets a guy who seems like he could be the one I was so excited to see what would happen. So I was into it for at least the first half as Edie and Theo begin dating. I adored the relationship Edie had with her family, and especially with her grandparents and I really loved learning about her Jewish culture and heritage. But then things happen, I know that’s vague but I’m trying not to spoil anything and the story completely lost me. The romance elements I was expecting just didn’t pan out to my satisfaction and by the time I finished I was underwhelmed. Overall this was just ok for me in the end, I really liked so much of this but the end part of Edie’s journey just didn’t work for me at all.

Thank you to Netgalley and Atria Books for the ARC.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 4/5 stars

Meant to Be Mine is a magical, sweet story about a woman who is told by her grandmother the date that she will meet her true love. However, when she finally meets her true love, she discovers he isn’t exactly what she expected.

I enjoyed this story and the storyline. It was a quick read and had the perfect ending. A lighthearted romance that demands to be read in one sitting.

ARC was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.