Category Archives: Meant to Be Mine

Review: Meant to Be Mine by Lisa Marie Perry

Title: Meant to Be Mine by Lisa Marie Perry
Guilty Pleasures Series Book One
Publisher: Forever
Genre: Contemporary, Romance
Length: 400 pages
Book Rating: C

Complimentary Review Copy Provided by Publisher Through NetGalley

Summary:

Loving him was hard. Wanting him was so damn easy . . .

Sofia Mercer may have been sick as a teen, but she’s no delicate flower. And she’s proven it by making it on her own and starting a new life away from the town that turned against her, away from the boy who broke her already fragile heart. But when her aunt Luz dies unexpectedly, leaving Sofia with a mountain of regrets and the keys to a quirky boutique, Sofia has no choice but to return to Cape Cod. Only, this new life in her old town comes with complications.

Burke Wolf was Sofia’s first love-a relationship that burned bright and went up in flames. Seeing him again, Sofia can’t help but get caught up in that all-too-familiar tornado of passion and pain. He’s battled his own demons-that much is clear. But Sofia can’t afford to be careless with her heart . . . and loving Burke again might just break it completely.

Review:

The first installment in Lisa Marie Perry’s Guilty Pleasures series, Meant to Be Mine is a second chance at love romance between former friends who have not seen one another for fourteen years.

Sophia Mercer has not been back to Eaves, MA since she and father left years earlier after a scandal.  Following her beloved great aunt’s death, Sophia returns for the funeral but after the service, she is more than ready to return to the anonymity of New York.  However, Sophia decides to move back to the small town after inheriting her aunt’s specialty store and apartment. Running into her old friend Burke Wolf stirs up long forgotten feelings but will their complicated pasts prevent them acting on their scorching hot attraction?

A sickly child with a life threatening heart condition, Sophia has been fairly healthy since receiving a much needed heart transplant.  She has a successful career but after returning from her aunt’s funeral, her life does not seem to quite fit her any more.  Realizing she would rather be in Eaves, she moves back home although she knows she will have to make peace with some of the ghosts of her past.  Sophia is a smart and savvy business woman who has an uphill battle ahead of her as she makes some pretty gutsy changes to her aunt’s business.  One of the improvements she would like to make involves spending time with Burke, but their interactions are rather acrimonious due to their somewhat convoluted history with one another.

Several years ago, Burke finally managed to kick his drug addiction and he continues to work hard to maintain his sobriety.  Running into Sophia brings back painful childhood memories he has tried very hard to forget.  Despite their unlikely friendship, they were once thick as thieves and Sophia saved him more than once during his turbulent teen years.  While he and Sophia supported on another during very tough times, he kept much of his life a secret from her and he still keeps a tight lid on the reasons for his substance abuse problems. Despite his unhappy history, Burke cannot quite leave Eaves for good although his career keeps him away from town for long stretches of time.

Burke and Sophia’s relationship seems to be following the same frustrating pattern as when they were teenagers.  They get along on a superficial level but the peace between them is tenuous which leads to an irritating pattern of them getting along, fighting and making up then turn around and repeat the cycle time and again.  Neither of them has dealt with the lingering issues from their respective childhoods and they both have a tendency to shut down or run away instead of discussing their problems.  Burke and Sophia spend so much time apart that it is difficult to connect with them as a couple and while there is plenty of passion between them, something always stops them before they consummate their desire.

While the plot is interesting, it does not seem to have much focus.  There are multiple story arcs involving numerous secondary characters so the storyline often feels chaotic and disjointed.  Every character seems to be keeping secrets and while this helps keep readers invested in the unfolding story, it is also irritating since there is little context for their actions or decisions.  With so much going on with Burke and Sophia, the plot feels a little overly complicated and busy because there is plenty of drama going on with the secondary cast of characters as well.

Despite a few flaws, Meant to Be Mine is a nice introduction to the Guilty Pleasures series.  Sophia is a strong female lead and her medical condition adds another layer to the storyline.  Burke is a well-rounded hero and his struggle with recovery is realistically portrayed.  The conflict between them is believable although it takes a little too long for begin working through their emotional baggage. Lisa Marie Perry’s tantalizing glimpses of the secondary characters will leave readers anxiously awaiting the next installment in the series.

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Filed under Contemporary, Forever, Lisa Marie Perry, Meant to Be Mine, Rated C, Review, Romance

Review: Meant to Be Mine by Becky Wade

meantTitle: Meant to Be Mine by Becky Wade
Porter Family Series Book Two
Publisher: Bethany House Publishers
Genre: Contemporary, Christian, Romance
Length: 384 pages
Book Rating: B

Complimentary Review Copy Provided by Publisher Through NetGalley

Summary:

Ty Porter has always been irresistible to Celia Park. All through high school–irresistible. When their paths cross again after college–still irresistible. This time, though, Ty seems to feel exactly the same way about Celia. Their whirlwind romance deposits them at a street-corner Las Vegas wedding chapel.

The next morning they wake to a marriage certificate and a dose of cold reality. Celia’s ready to be Ty’s wife, but Ty’s not ready to be her husband. He’s a professional bull rider, he lives on the road, and he’s long planned to settle down with the hometown girl he’s known since childhood.

Five and a half years pass. Celia’s buried her dreams so that she can afford to raise her daughter. Ty’s achieved all of his goals. Or thought he had, until he looks again into the eyes of the woman he couldn’t forget and into the face of the child he never knew he had.

How much will Ty sacrifice to win back Celia’s trust and prove to her that their spontaneous marriage can still become the love of a lifetime?

The Review:

Meant to Be Mine is a heartfelt addition to Becky Wade’s appealing Porter Family series. In this outing, Ty Porter is in for the shock of his life when he decides to track down his long abandoned bride, Celia.

Celia’s teenage crush on Ty is still alive and well when she meets him again in Las Vegas several years after they have both gone their separate ways. Ty is now a champion bull rider who travels the rodeo circuit while she is finally beginning her career as a sous chef. They find themselves caught up in the bright lights of Vegas and Ty convinces Celia to marry him. However, the next morning, he breaks her heart when he has second thoughts about their nuptials. Unbeknownst to Ty, their one night marriage results in an unexpected pregnancy and Celia gives birth to their daughter, Addie. Five and a half years later, Ty meets with Celia to make amends before he ends their marriage. But when he learns about Addie, he is determined to be a part of her life but Celia is equally determined to protect both herself and Addie from future heartache.

Celia has willingly put all of her dreams on hold to raise Addie and although they are struggling financially, they are happy. She is strong and independent but sometimes these traits do not work in her favor as she stubbornly refuses Ty’s offers of assistance. She is a bit overprotective of Addie and very reluctant to share her with Ty. While her reasons for keeping him at arm’s length are understandable, Celia is guilty of using Addie as her excuse for keeping their relationship casual.

It would be very easy to dislike Ty based on how badly he dealt with his marriage, but his infamous charm really is impossible to resist. It also helps that he truly regrets how badly he hurt Celia and his need to express this remorse in person shows maturity. Ty is a good-hearted, stand-up guy and despite Celia’s fears to the contrary, he keeps his promise to stay involved with Addie despite the fact his his bull riding career keeps him on the road much of the time.

Ty and Celia’s relationship is quite flirtatious but their unresolved history is always hovering in the background. The underlying themes of trust and forgiveness are keenly felt, but it is not until the later part of the novel that they become the focus of the story. Celia clings tightly to her hurt and anger and even as she regains her faith, she has a difficult time letting go of past resentments. Ty finds it easy to forgive Celia but his reluctance to give up his plan to reconcile with a woman from his past plays a huge role in her inability to trust him. It is incredibly satisfying and heartwarming watching them find their way back to each other and God.

In Meant to Be Mine, Becky Wade puts a fresh spin on the popular secret baby plot device and the resulting story is a moving journey of faith, trust and love. The writing is superb writing, the characters are appealing, and the storyline is realistic. The conflict is believable and the novel’s resolution is delightfully unexpected. The intriguing glimpses of Jake, Ty’s taciturn brother, leave me hoping his story will be the next installment in the Porter Family series.

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Filed under Becky Wade, Bethany House Publishers, Christian, Contemporary, Meant to Be Mine, Porter Family Series, Rated B, Review, Romance