Author: Jude Deveraux
Publisher: MIRA
Released: March 16^th, 2021
Received: NetGalley

I received a copy of Meant to Be in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Jude Deveraux is back, and she’s done it again! Meant to Be tells the story of two sisters, traditions, and the desire to choose our own fate.

Set in 1972, Kansas, the story follows two sisters, Vera and Kelly Exton. Both girls are about as different as you can get, and they are well known in the town for their strong natures. The elder sister, Vera, wants to join the Peace Corps more than anything. But she’s tied to her home, taking care of her mother and younger sister. For now,

Meanwhile, younger Kelly has dreams of becoming a veterinarian; of growing up, and marrying her high school sweetheart. You’ve heard the story before, and you’ll hear it again. Both women must evaluate their wants and needs. Their hopes, and the expectations laid upon them.

Honestly, I almost feel like there’s no description that can do Meant to Be justice. This is a novel that will hit home with anyone who has ever felt conflicted in their lives. Those who have had to deal with the crushing weight of expectations, and the intense highs that come with having a dream.

For the most part, I really enjoyed reading about Vera and Kelly. Both sisters read as vastly different characters to me, and yet at the same time, they were both going through very similar struggles.

Admittedly there were parts of this novel that felt a little too slow for my liking, which is the main reason I am not rating it higher. It was an easy book to put down and take a break from, and a slightly harder book to pick back up and dive on into again.

I loved the time and setting of this novel, and do believe that it enhanced the overall story and feel of Meant to Be. Likewise, the romantic plots were well done, as were the aspects surrounding multiple generations. Which I should probably mention in a bit more detail: this novel actually follows three generations of the same family, not just Vera and Kelly. They just happened to be the two I connected to the most.