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Meant to Be by Emily Giffin Book Review

Reasons For Reading This Book:

Meant To Be by Emily Giffin was a romance recommendation that I saw on @bookedwithrook . The post shared their favorite romance books in celebration of Valentine's Day. I was in between book club books and wanted something light that I could possibly read on my Spring Break vacation if I didn't finish it beforehand, I did finish it before vacation. I read the description of the book and it peaked my interest. I have a history of liking shows or books where the love interests come from different social classes and with the characters in this book fitting that I thought I might like it, so I check it out from the library.

Content of This Book:

Joseph Kingsley was born into American royalty. The Kingsley family is beloved for their military heroics, political service and extraordinary elegance. Joe's father, Joseph S. Kingsley Jr. was killed in a tragic accident leaving his only son to inherit his legacy. Joe III is not like his father at all. He is a free spirit who loves to push back against his mother and best friend. Cate Copper grew up under very different circumstances, where there was no expectations for her to succeed. Raised by a single mother and her mother's abusive husband, Cate finally gets the break she needs. She is scouted by a modeling agency. She does well for herself by booking jobs, yet she still never feels as though she belongs. While on a job Cate meets Joe. The chemistry is apparent from that moment. The question is can these two people from different worlds make the relationship succeed. While finding their own sense of self, they are also questioning whether their relationship is meant to be. 

What I Liked About This Book:

It was very easy to read. The beginning might have been a little rushed as the author was trying to get all the necessary information to the read as fast a possible to bring them up to where the narrations began. The two narrators Joe and Cate had different tones, voices and narration styles so the reader could differentiate who's chapter was who. The pace of the book was pretty perfect. Just the right amount of plot was happening to keep the story progressing at an even pace. The author also evenly separated the narrations between the two giving them equal time to share their current and past experiences so the reader could become familiar with their personality and inner thoughts. Everything was laid out, leaving little room for interpretation or unclear thoughts as to why the characters were acting the way they were. The side characters were included the perfect amount, adding to the plot when necessary but not taking over. Overall I did like the concept of the story and the idea of the characters world's coming together. One last thing I will say about the characters is they were steady in their personalities. Once I became familiar with them I was able to guess how they would react to current situations. In my opinion this means the author did a fantastic job of building the characters so the reader could understand them. 

What I Disliked About This Book:

I thought it was very forgettable and not memorable romance book in the slightest. I was never thinking about the book or the characters when I was not reading it. I thought some of it was predictable. I was also not swept off my feet by their love and was not impressed with their relationship as a whole. There were romantic gestures in the beginning but overtime I became less impressed. As someone who has watched a lot of romance shows I have realized a pattern and what is included in all of the shows. Even though this is a book it still followed the same pattern or included all that the shows do. 

Would I Recommend This Book?

Sally, no I would not recommend this book. Like I said it was forgettable and not a memorable read. I believe there are better romance novels at there. 

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