Meant to Be Mine:
3.5

Meant to Be Mine is about Edie, a New York woman whose grandmother has accurately predicted the date that various family member's would meet their true love. When the date finally comes that Edie's grandmother predicted she would meet her true love, Edie meets Theo. But is Theo the one she is meant to be with? Could her grandmother have gotten it wrong? Edie is torn between upholding the family legacy and following what her heart may (or may not) be telling her.

I loved the premise for this book but found the first part to be a little slow. I do like the direction the story ultimately took but it took awhile for it to get there and I didn't fully buy into the ending. Overall, a good light enjoyable read.

Thanks, Netgalley for the ARC!

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

Wow, this book did not end up going the way I expected, and I'm not mad about it. The premise sounded super cute with the "meant to be together" romance, but like life, not everything is so glossy and perfect. It features the age old argument of whether it is fate or the choices you make that create your story. This is a brutally honest modern love story, right down to the pace. It's such a wide scope of one's inner thoughts when first dating someone and the internalization you can create when starting a relationship. It's the harsh reality of a person finding what they imagine for themselves versus what they actually want. It demonstrates what a person experiences when they find themselves looking at life from a different perspective instead of through rose-colored lenses. I found myself confused along with the main character when she was thinking about the decisions she was making for herself. Everyone has experienced making a hard life decision and the thoughts, doubts, and questions that come with it. The only way I can describe the style of the book is that it's cerebral. It's all inner monologue, doubts, hard decisions, love, heartbreak, and personal growth. It's honestly the perfect "coming of age" story for your twenties! I highly recommend this one!

If you could find out the exact date you'll meet your forever someone, would you want to know?

With Evie Meyer's family history, it's a given she embraced the idea. You see, after watching one family member after another meet their match on date predicted by her grandmother, Gloria, I get why she was eager for her turn. However, I don't think I liked how she approached the day, June 24, 2022, to be specific. I won't go into details, but Edie is so fixated on "the date", she doesn't let things flow as naturally as I would have liked.

Is Theo Larsen a good catch?
Absolutely. I mean any guy show makes their new girlfriend a muse for their new song, is a winner. Add to that his good looks and support for all things Edie, he definitely had great potential.
BUT . . .
I think Edie was wrong on how she treated the relationship, focusing solely on him being her forever guy, with a wedding and kids being the expectation, instead of just letting things happen organically.

Eventually, Edie comes to terms with what she wants and whether the premonition has to happen for her to be happy. I liked the direction the story ultimately took; it made a whole lot more sense.

Overall, this was a fast-paced whirlwind full of likeable characters. A great summer read!

Thanks to Atria Books I was provided an ARC of Meant To Be Mine by Hannah Orenstein via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

*****Publishing June 7, 2022*****

A highly entertaining book that will keep you guessing until the end!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ June 24, 2022 is an important day for Edie, it’s the day her grandmother Gloria has predicted she will meet her sole mate! Edie has known this date since she was informed at age 16. She has even dumped her boyfriend 6 months before in preparation. Gloria has successfully predicted other family’s soulmate dates. Will this be the date or will life get in the way? Will this soulmate be the one? This fun light rom-com with having you entertained, laughing, and turning the pages to find out Edie’s fate! Will it end in happily ever after?

A perfect Summer read for a vacation! I could see this book made into a mini series!

This was such a special book and unlike anything else I've read. It's not your typical romance - because the story takes so many twists and turns, you're never really sure how its going to play out. I saw so much of myself in Edie, which really made me love this story so much more. The Jewish rep is everything... and this is such a love letter to Jewish cuisine and NYC staples.

The concept of this book is so genius - and really makes you think about fate vs. free will. A very unique love story worthy of everyone's time.

This was such a cute book!!! When Edie’s grandmother predicted the date that she would meet her soulmate, she was assured of true love. But what if your heart is telling you differently? I loved the relationships between the main character & her sister & grandmother & their whole extended family. Edie was such a great character—I loved reading about her styling business & her life in New York City. And when she meets Theo on her appointed date she is sure he is her one. But she finds out that nothing is guaranteed when it comes to love.

Meant to Be Mine piqued my interest as soon as I read the synopsis. A novel about fate, finding your soul mate, strong family bonds, traditions, and tied all together with great writing? Of course, I wanted to read it.

Edie Meyer’s grandmother has a rare power: she can tell you the date when you will meet your true love. She did it for all of her family members, and she has never steered them wrong. As Edie gets ready to celebrate her twin sister’s engagement, she is more than a little excited that the date that Grandma Gloria gave her all those years ago is finally in sight.

Naturally, Edie is on high alert when June 24th arrives. Who will it be? Where will they meet? How will she know if it’s him? Will it be love at first sight? When she does meet a handsome musician who sparks her interest, she is sure that she has met the one.

There was so much to love about this novel. I enjoyed the humor, Edie’s family, her quest for love, and the anticipation of it all. Did Edie always make the best, most rational decisions? No, but that’s the fun about fiction. It takes you out of real life and plops you in a fictional one that is rife with drama, questionable situations, and keeps the reader thoroughly entertained. And that is what Meant to Be Mine did.

There was never a dull moment in this novel. I was right there with Edie, trying to discover if she had met her match, and experiencing the highs and lows with her. I could hear Grandma Gloria’s voice as clearly as if she were speaking directly to me.

Meant to Be Mine was a pleasure to read. I was hooked on the story and the characters right from the beginning, and I breezed through it in a short amount of time. As someone who does believe in fate and the power of a wise grandmother, Meant to Be Mine just hit the spot!

*4.5 Stars

Edie’s grandma has predicted when every family member will meet their perfect match. On Edie’s predicted day she meets Theo on the plane and thinks he must be her soulmate. As her feelings for Theo start to grow she cannot help but doubt he is her match.

Hannah Orenstein is becoming an auto-buy author for me! I loved this one so much! I truly felt the same excitement and doubts that Edie had during her relationship with Theo. But it’s not just about finding your soulmate; it’s about family, fate, and believing in yourself. Such a fun and heartfelt read! Thank you Netgalley and Atria Books for the egalley in exchange for my honest review.

I have loved all of Hannah Orenstein's books, but Meant to Be Mine has definitely shot to the top for my favorite book that she has written (so far). From the storyline, to the characters, to the perfect amount of Judaism weaved throughout the book, I loved so much about it.

While Meant to Be Mine is a love story, it isn't just your typical love story of Edie trying to find her soulmate. The love she has for her grandmother Gloria, to me was the real love story of the book. I enjoyed their interactions so much and it made me tear up a few times when their conversations reminded me of ones I had with my own Jewish grandmother who is no longer here, over the years.

This story felt like one of the most authentic books I have read that really showed the pressure we put on ourselves to find the person we are meant to be with, hoping to find with them the future we have always envisioned, and what happens when the things we thought we wanted don't go as planned. I liked watching Edie evolve into the person at the beginning who was ready to jump in to everything with Theo because she thought it was their destiny, to learning that she didn't want to compromise on things she has always wanted in her future, and learning to let go of the path she thought destiny was supposed to put her down. I selfishly wanted a few more pages at the end of the book, but I absolutely loved the way it ended.

The Jewish representation in this book was incredible. I loved the traditions that were included, the Yiddish terms, and the little bit of education about the holidays and Jewish customs. Gloria was the perfect Jewish grandmother, and I only wish I was able to still hug my Jewish grandmothers after reading this book.

[REVIEW: Meant to Be Mine by Hannah Orenstein]

Thank you to @NetGalley for this ARC — opinions are all my own.

💜 I was so charmed by this modern romance!💜

Our story revolves around Edie, a 29 year-old set out to find her soul mate on the date predicted by Gloria, her grandmother and family’s much revered matriarch. She posses a gift of prophecy — providing her loved ones with the exact date they will find their life’s true love. And her predictions haven’t failed yet.

Edie is a fashion stylist living out her dream job in NYC, keen on classic cuts and the perfect red lip. On June 26, she dolls up, boards a plane to Maine for her sister’s engagement party. When she finds herself seated next to dark-denim clad, indie musician Theo, she can only assume she’s met her match. Can this be the love she’s left her ex Jonah for? Will the pressure of Gloria’s prophecy help or hinder Edie’s insecurities? I tapped quickly through Kindle pages to find out.

There’s so much to love in Meant to Be Mine: The author’s note for starters — Hannah wrote this book as an ode to her grandparents love story who she sadly lost to COVID in ‘21. The Jewish rep — this is my own heritage and I couldn’t get enough of the food descriptions, the traditions and the Yiddish slang! Edie’s character finds a client in a young Black woman running for Congress and the politics felt timely and tastefully done.

Light contemporary romance isn’t something I pick up often, but I really enjoyed this book by Orenstein that will be out June 7th!

Edie is a successful woman in her 20’s with a big, blended Jewish family, including her precious grandmother, Gloria. Gloria has a special gift of predicting the exact date those in her family will meet their true love for life. As the book opens it is Edie’s day to find that person! A handsome man on a plane seems to be the one, but will he be?

Edie, her family, her friends are all just so lovable. New York City feels like a character here and all the places come to life. I love a book that describes the food characters eat, that’s weird maybe, but it is fun here. Grandmother Gloria is just like a hug from the page! I want to go out for an evening with Edie and her friends! The romance is sweet and mildly spicy (mostly closed door).

Thank you to @netgalley and @atriabooks for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

Posted to http://www.instagram.com/minsabookworm

Wow I loved this book so so so much!!!! All the side characters were amazing and added so much to the story. Gloria and Edie’s relationship reminds me so much of my relationship with my grandmother. I also just love how the story progressed but also kept me guessing the whole time. Just so good and I LOVED the ending so so much.

This one was a bit different and I liked it. But it wasn’t amazing.

Edie’s grandmother has had visions of when everyone in the family would meet the loves of their lives. On the date predicted, Edie meets Theo. They begin dating and Edie is confused that the person she’s supposed to be with isn’t quite who she wants.

I really liked seeing Edie and Theo’s relationship progress. And I liked seeing that Edie was struggling to balance what was happening with the “prophecy”.

I think I wanted more of Edie with Bennet. I enjoyed their scenes together.

I also think the big event in the story came late and thus the end of the story just seemed to wrap up super quick. It felt a bit rushed and just too much in too short a space.

Unrelated to the actual plot, I absolutely loved all the Jewish rep & I think I’ll try to make Gloria’s matzoh ball soup sometime.

Overall enjoyable but not super memorable (3.5).

It was sweet, although overly predictable. I wasn’t a fan of the “big reveal.”

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for the ARC.

Edie's grandmother can predict the day everyone in her family will meet the love of their life. Today is Edie's date, and she meets her perfect match on an airplane. Is he the one?

I absolutely loved how close Edie’s family was, especially how close she was with her sister Rae. Her grandma Gloria was adorable and I loved her! I do feel like the ending was rushed a little but overall a solid storyline. The story was really pushing an old love interest most of the story and I was disappointed about how it turned out. I wish there was a bit more romance.

Overall it was a fast, cute read.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the chance to read this novel early!

Oh man do i have mixed feelings about this book. The whole time so couldn't decided who i wanted the main character with and I think that's what hurt the story for me. Felt like there needed more character development when it came to her relationship with the men, but other wise was a great story and read it in one sitting.

“What if you knew exactly when you’d meet the love of your life?”✨

*Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

2 books in & I know for sure that I am a big fan of the way Hannah Orenstein writes her books. I love how her books don’t just center on the romance, but also tackle other issues and ideas!

I thought this story was fleshed out extremely well and was the perfect length. I wasn’t quite sure where it was going, but I love how we were able to see Edie grow & realize that her life doesn’t necessarily need to be predicted and planned out for her. The prophecy of finding her match on a specific day was intriguing & I was curious to see how it would all play out.

This was a thought provoking book and I really enjoyed the MC’s and side characters!

Thank you Netgalley and Atria Books for the arc of Meant to Be Mine. Edie’s grandmother has premonitions of the date her children and grandchildren will meet their soulmates. When Edie meets hers, we see her passion and excitement, plus her questioning if this is meant to be. It’s based in Brooklyn and the Jewish culture is prevalent, which I really enjoyed. It is a fun chick lit book that makes you think about what’s meant to happen in life and what we control, if anything. This book comes out 6/7/22. Preorder it now.

Thank you to Netgalley, the author, and Atria Books for providing a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. I liked the premise of this romance, because I enjoy books with a little touch of magical realism, especially when it comes to stories about fate or destiny. I did not, however, care for the execution. The writing was lacking something. I found myself skimming over descriptive passages, especially when it came to things about fashion (the main character Edie is a stylist). I found it hard to connect to Edie and found some of her thought processes annoying. There is a point in the book when you realize how things will probably end up, and then it takes a very long time to get that part of the plot started. I kept checking the percentage on my Kindle and wondering just how rushed it was going to be at the end. It was so rushed that the actual romance barely even happened. I wanted to like this book -- great title, great cover, great premise -- but it just did not work for me.

Thank you @netgalley and @atriabooks for the e-ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

I really enjoyed Hannah Orenstein's last book, Head Over Heels, but am really disappointed to say Meant To Be Mine fell flat for me.

I thought the book's premise was a promising and exciting one: Edie's grandmother is able to successfully predict the date on which her family members are going to meet their soulmate. I mean, YES! Tell me more!

*** SPOILERS***

Edie's date is June 22nd 2022 - and when the day arrives she meets a handsome indie musician on an airplane on her way to her sister's. This moment is where the book went downhill for me, because Theo and Edie have no chemistry and I couldn't feel their connection at all. It was as if Edie was just going through the motions waiting for some miracle to happen because oh! he's her soulmate! I had a feeling early on she was not meant to be with Theo, simply because Edie keeps on repeating she is not (yet) in love with Theo and she also keeps on mentioning how much she misses her ex, Jonah - whom she broke up with simply because she didn't believe him to be her soulmate in accordance with her grandmother's vision. This is the reason the romance between Theo and Edie falls completely flat - why should I, as a reader, emotionally invest in a relationship even the main character isn't sure about? I don't understand what the author was aiming for here, because the (doomed) relationship takes up 90% of the book.

Edie's character is also not really developed beyond her quest to find her soulmate. And the man she ultimately ends up with, the man she doesn't meet on June 22nd.....is with another woman in the book until the 90% mark?!

I did enjoy the Jewish representation and the dedication to the writer's grandparents - but overall (I am sad to say) this book and the romance didn't work for me.