Member Reviews
Meant to Be Mine by Hannah Orenstein
This is a sweet story about a woman whose grandmother can predict the date people in her family meet their soulmate. I read Head Over Heels two years ago and felt similar about Orenstein's work. It is very entertaining and upbeat (makes sense because of her work on magazines). These books won't be my favorite of all-time but they are an ideal palete cleanser or perfect for a time that you are in a reading slump.
I will say the ending / twist was a bit disappointing to me and left me feeling a bit confused. Still, I would recommend this book to anyone looking for a cute, easy romance for a vacation or beach read.
This is a typical romance that you can figure out the story line right away. I love the premise of this story. It’s almost magical. Unfortunately it’s a little lackluster and the true connection feels flat. You spend so much time with Theo everything else seems quick and rush at the end.
I hate politics and even more when it’s in a romance fiction story. That is a big no no when you are just trying to be immersed in story to forget the world.
Thank you Atria and NetGalley for this arc book!
This is my first book by this author and I loved it!!!!!!!!! It is am adorable story of first loves, family, & taking chances in life & love. This story is a must read for rom-com lovers!!!!!!!!
I received a complimentary copy of this book "Meant to be Mine" and all opinions expressed are my own. Even if you think you can plan your life, you really can't. Things come up, things go wrong, things go right. Fate and destiny, I guess it will happen and there is nothing you can do about it. I didn't really connect with the characters and struggled to get through some of the book. Also, I guessed what would happen at the end. Overall an okay book.
Hannah Orenstein does it again! This was my favorite romance of hers to date. I loved the magical realism elements, the love of family, and homage to New York City.
Do you believe in fate? Cause Edie sure does!
I thought this was super cute and very different from many romances, which is always nice!
I do wish the ending was longer, however.
This was a very ambitious concept to bring to fruition, and I think Orenstein mostly met her goal. A first round purchase for most libraries with a contemporary romance reading population
This book was so much fun! The plot immediately intrigued me and it didn't disappoint. Brilliantly executed, this novel was sexy, romantic, and grabbed my attention from start to finish. Great characters and overall a good time.
Thank you for the ARC! This review is a bit late… but… 5/5! I’ve never met a Hannah Orenstein book I didn’t like. Her characters are relatable and easy to connect with. Her writing is captivating. This book was so hard to put down!
I love this author and I was so excited to read her newest! While it wasn't my favorite of hers (Head Over Heels still wins for me), I really enjoyed this book and the meaning behind the story. It was really sweet reading the author's note about her grandparents and using special dates throughout this story. Might have shed a tear or two after reading that. Overall, I liked the characters and this story, but some of it fell a bit flat for me. By the end of the book I was dying to see who Edie would end up with!
Huge thanks to Atria Books for my free netgalley copy of this book in exchange for my honest review!
This was cute! I’m glad I read it but I wanted more spice. Edie was also a little annoying - it was kind of obvious where the book was going to go because would there even be a book if she just went along with what her family predicted? But I loved the family relationships and Jewish rep.
I really enjoyed the author's book HEAD OVER HEELS, and this was a fantastic follow up! Orenstein is so wonderful at characterization, and the grandmother in MEANT TO BE MINE is such a well drawn and wonderful character. The magical, meant-to-be soulmates theme worked incredibly well in this format, and Edie is a charming, well-developed character. My favorite romance of the summer!
Edie was very hard to warm up too. I thought she put way too much stock on her grandmother’s predictions and it was annoying how limited she was in her thinking. I finished by toughing it out.
This was so cute! A wonderful romance, filled with witty banter, delightful characters, and just enough steaminess. A must read for romance lovers!
I just love Hannah Orenstein’s books. Meant to Be Mine I think is my favorite. Edie has planned her entire life, but her grandmother has a gift of predicting when she will meet her future husband. I adored the relationship Edie has with her grandmother. This rom-com will thrill readers who love fate/destiny storylines. I thought it was a fabulous read.
This read was just what I needed to get out of a slump I have been in! It was engaging, easy to fall into and kept me thoroughly entertained. I love it when a story becomes like an afternoon spent with a good friend and "restores your soul" with its goodness and delight. This is a book of that nature. It is sure to bring a smile to your face and it will not disappoint!
Meant to be Mine has such a cute premise! I loved the idea that Edie’s grandmother had a special gift for predicting when people would meet their partner. There were some parts in the middle that were a little slow and overly detailed for my taste, but the ending was so cute and satisfying. I’d recommend this to readers looking for a cute and whimsical romance
✨i love love love love love love LOVED this book. the themes of fate and family and love and grief at times were so real and, while our main character Edie was frustratingly obsessed with tradition, she was still so so so relatable.
✨i kept thinking to myself that this felt like watching a classic Meg Ryan rom com. or any pre-2010 romcom. you have a hopeless romantic career woman who is being driven by a fantasy for love that she has had for her entire life. she is also oblivious at times, stubborn too, and close with her friends and family. with a backdrop of New York City, I couldn’t help but feel and imagine iconic NYC-based romcom backgrounds.
✨to be honest, I’m kicking myself for not reading it sooner. Atria and NetGalley let me have an eARC of this book months ago but I never got around to it. Until now, and I will be singing its praises until the end of time!!!
✨if you’re a fan of Emily Henry-type romances that have both romance and real life dramatic elements, or classic romcoms (like I’ve said), then this is a book that you need to pick up. The audiobook was also extremely easy to listen to along with an ebook. 12/10 recommend.
✨ALSO, I want to say that I think the message that this book had about love, finding love, and deciding whether or not to continue pursuing something/someone that isn’t meshing with you was so real and healthy and attainable. But now you’ve got to go and read this for yourselves!!!!
Thank you NetGalley and Atria Books for the opportunity to review this.
This book was cute and had a sweet ending, but just not for me. Edie’s grandma Gloria is magical, she has successfully predicted the exactly date someone will meet their match. The date for Edie? 6/24/2022. She meets Theo, the man destined to become her person.
I went into this super intrigued, fate, magic, and a guaranteed HEA? What not to love! Hannah does a wonderful job creating a loving family dynamic, a strong character in Edie, and her friendships with her twin sister and other best friend. We spent so much of the book with the wrong guy (or really two wrong guys), the twist ended up feeling way too rushed.
This was cute, though I loved the couple so much that I wish we could have had more time with their actual relationship. I loved the family and all the supporting characters as well.