Meant to Be by Lauren Morrill

Meant to Be by Lauren Morrill.
Publisher: Delacorte Books for Young Readers.
Pages: 304.
Release Date: November 13, 2012.
Source: NetGalley.

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 thought Meant to Be was freaking adorable. Like "giggly, butterflies-in-the-tummy, awww that's so sweet" kind of adorable. And the fact that it's set in London just makes it so much better.

I don't think we were meant to love Julia as she was in the beginning but I absolutely did. She's smart, studious, responsible and didn't take anybody's bullshit. I actually feared that I wouldn't end up loving this book because Jason just came across as this huge asshat when he was first introduced. And while he definitely maintains some of that asshattness throughout the rest of the novel, Morrill succeeded in developing his character because I had a giant soft spot for him when I finished the book. He kind of reminded me of a fourth grade boy picking on a girl because he likes her. I think Julia and Jason complimented each other and their relationship progressed so naturally. Yay for no instalove!

There were times when I found the Jason and Mark and Chris triangle to be a bit of a headache. If this book wasn't called "Meant To Be" I probably would've had a much bigger problem with it but everything worked out in a way that was clever and charming and true to the theme of the story.

Overall, I really enjoyed Meant to Be. It's cute, romantic, fun, has a gorgeous setting that visits some of London's best tourist spots and it's ridiculously charming. It's definitely one of the more lighthearted contemporary novels I've read this year. If you need a book that will make you smile, I definitely recommend this one!

Other reviews for Meant to Be:
I Eat Words.
365 Days Of Reading.
Chick Loves Lit.
GReads!