Book Review: Meant to Be by Lauren Morrill

Meant to Be

By Lauren Morrill

Release Date: November 13, 2012

Source: Publisher

Summary: 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.

Review: Ever since I saw the cover of this book, I knew I had to read it. Anything about a girl going to London, I want that book in my hands ASAP. There's something so magical and romantic about books abroad, so I just couldn't wait to dig into this one. 

Julia is used to following the rules; she is a straight-A student with swimming records as only a junior in high school. Julia has the chance to go to London, where you parents went for their honeymoon, for her spring break trip. Jumping on the chance to go to a literary lover's paradise, Julia finds herself on her way to London with a bunch of her classmates, none of which include any close friends. Fending for herself, Julia must deal with navigating through a foreign city while the annoying Jason, who just so happens to be her partner for the week, breaths down her neck 24/7. 

While Jason starts to grow on her throughout the trip, Julia can't seem to get Mark, her MTB (Meant To Be) from back home, out of her head. Not to mention there's a mysterious guy she doesn't remember meeting at a party texting her, asking to meet up. With so many men in her life, Julia sure has a lot to figure out. I thought Julia's character was so relatable and it was nice to read about a girl who doesn't have her life figured out at all. And even though Jason can be immature and pesky, he sure knows how to turn on his sweet side. Their trip sounds like so much fun and all I wanted to do while reading this book was hop on a plane and have an MTB adventure in London myself. 

Meant to Be was definitely a fantastic YA read full of travel, romance, and fun. If you're a fan of Stephanie Perkins or Jennifer Echols, you should definitely check this one out. There's nothing more I love than a YA contemporary romance to snuggle up with, and Meant to Be is the perfect book for doing just that.