A review by mephala
Meant to Be Mine by Cara Maxwell

lighthearted fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

After reading Jilted in January by the same author, this book was rather disappointing.

Where the Rake Review’s story was interesting and well developed - with full fleshed, complex characters that shared amazing chemistry - Mean to Be Mine felt really dry and almost simplistic. 

I liked the premise, but felt the plot itself was underdeveloped. Childhood friends that lost their bond, yet are still forced to marry because of the decades old arrangement was intriguing, and I was hoping for a lot of emotional and angsty moments. Unfortunately, not only the whole story felt rushed, but the more heavy scenes felt hollow. 

Still, the weakest part of the story was the main couple –  Kelly and Theodore share so little chemistry I never fully felt invested in their developing romance. Theodore seemed not to be sure how to behave towards Kelly, blowing hot and cold thorough the whole book. 

As a side note, compared to Jilted in January (which was deliciously sensual and sexy) this story feels almost chaste – not to say there are no sex scenes in the book. There is one, sole intimate moment shared by Kelly and Theodore, and it feels out of place. The whole ordeal lasted maybe two paragraphs of rather clinical and cold description – I get it kind of matches the hero’s attitude and how both of them perceived their forced union, but I felt sorry for both of them. 

Mean to Be Mine was just an ok story; I liked some moments, but overall it felt very rushed. I will not be continuing reading this series.