A review by this_momma_is_booked
Meant to be Mine by Hannah Orenstein

emotional hopeful lighthearted reflective fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

I really enjoyed this book! I think the plot was really original, which kept me reading because I genuinely didn't know how it was going to end. I loved all the mentions of Jewish culture and customs because those are not things I am familiar with, so it was nice to learn about them and see them incorporated into a modern romance. 

There is one aspect of this book that does bug me a bit - okay, the more I think about it, the more it bothers me. The entire book, we hear about Gloria's abilities, how she can predict the day you'll find your true love. Not once do we not see any of these matches work out - on the contrary, we see what happens when you purposely go against Gloria's prediction (Edie's mom marries a man who she knows is not her match and they end up divorced). However, we are told that Edie's twin bucked tradition and is marrying someone who she wasn't "matched" with and so far they've been together for 11 years and it's a wonderful relationship. Cool. Why aren't there any consequences for that? I'm not saying that I believe in this fate or matching ability, but for the purpose of the book, we're told Gloria is infallible. So what gives? Furthermore, why didn't it work out with Evie and her match? What is it about these sisters that the matching magic doesn't apply to them?


I really enjoyed that the book didn't end up going in the direction I thought with the matching magic and it left me a little surprised at the end. Overall, I'd recommend this book! 
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