MEANT TO BE, BY EMILY GIFFIN

emotional funny lighthearted medium-paced romance

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Minimal
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Perfect read for a beach vacation (or in my case a perfect read during a cold winter weekend). It felt a bit like a good Netflix binge – light enough for easy reading but not trashy.

On the surface, Joe and Cate are modeled after a certain elite American “royal” family. But Emily Griffin thoughtfully and imaginatively fills out their characters with friends and families, hopes and dreams, life pressures and challenges.  While there were  similarities to the tragic real life couple that might have implications for any iconic couple who is in the public spotlight, Cate and Joe are their own people – individually and as a team. I found myself  rooting for them and concerned for them as they navigate love and romance in a world very different from my own. 

The first part of the book focuses on their back story with just the right pace and details so that there is enough to care about once we get to the heart of the story early on. 

Some of the fourth quarter before the epilogue used a similar strategy but felt a bit rushed. A relationship with a pivotal character who appears later in the book is resolved but I would have liked to have some more conversations and deeper insight into the character.

The epilogue included a sense of forgiveness and redemption and tied up some loose ends but I wouldn’t have minded an extra chapter – or even 50 more pages to fill in some of those details more fully (maybe I just wanted to spend more time with Cate and Joe?). The author’s note was worthwhile and respectful.

#MeanttoBe #NetGalley

Content Warnings Moderate: Domestic abuse and Emotional abuse Minor: Eating disorder

Pub Date 31 May 2022