Meant to be by Louisa Leaman .

An ok read sort of romantic story . The story really centred aound a valuable piece of jewellery as opposed to the romance that didn’t really flow very well for me. I expected more , it really felt a bit flat and it had such potential

Meant To Be has a plot that I have never read before so I was definitely interested in the jewellery aspect and how it related to the romance but this book fell kind of flat to me. I could not connect with the characters and found the constant talk about jewellery to be quite boring as I have no actual interest in jewellery and there was a lot of talk about it in this book. I'm sure someone will enjoy this book a lot more than I did.

This was an okay read. I liked the sound of it and was looking forward to it but I just felt a little let down. I don't think it flowed very well overall and I wasn't as invested as I expected to be.

Nothing bad at all, but it was only okay for me.

This wasn't just a story about romance, it was a story about family. About the legacy and history of the Taylor family, told through the journey of a necklace passed down through generations, each woman having their own story and that one true love.

The characters were mostly charming, interesting and well-rounded. I didn't like Stella, although I don't think we were supposed to. I also didn't like how on having the necklace, she suddenly formed an attachment to it, it had no meaning to her other than a shiny trinket but somehow she became possessive of it. That wasn't really explained other than to create a bit more drama but didn't seem to fit into the storyline.

Jess had such determination and drive when it came to the necklace but lacked the same enthusiasm when it came to herself and her life. When it came to deciding who to spend her life with, I had a good idea but was not 100% sure until it was revealed. I liked Guy but thought he may have had a bit more of an interesting backstory than he actually did but I still liked him nonetheless.

The idea that a single item of jewellery could unite soulmates and link the past to the present was a beautiful storyline and it was written at a great pace, the reader uncovered the family secrets and stories along with Jess, never knowing more than she did but never feeling as though anything was missing.

Overall a beautiful story, as intricate and beautifully crafted as the necklace itself

Synopsis sounded great, unfortunately I didn't really connect with Jess and wasn't hooked with the story like I hoped to be. Just ok for me.

This book was enjoyable, but not gripping enough for me, I felt the romance wasn't as central to this story as it had been advertised to be and didn't connect t0 the characters.

Just did not click with this story. It seemed like it would be a quirky rom-com, but the necklace still keeping centre-stage even after the hero and heroine meet and then taking her all over the place like that... I didn't know what this book wanted to be, and I also could not connect with the protagonists. Just, had a lot of potential but it got watered down along the way

What a beautiful book this was! Jess Taylor is in desperate pursuit of a necklace designed by her great great great grandmother at request of her dying grandmother.
It was quite a painful, raw read for me having recently lost my own gran but I loved finding out about the many adventures of the Taylor women and the mystical necklace.
Thanks to netgalley for the advance copy.

This book was just beautiful, I didnt want it to end. The pace was just right and I loved snuggling up with a cuppa and reading it.

This a charming and original story, about finding out what you really want from life and realising love isn't something you can plan. Jess finds love in the most surprising way when she is least expecting it. It disrupts her carefully planned life, but as she finds out more about her family and herself, she accepts love is precious. The characters are relatable and the setting described in an immersive way.

This is a story of family, romance, secrets and self-discovery, which is an enjoyable read.

I found this book difficult to read at parts as I didn't feel the story really flowed nicely. An ok book but not one ill be raving about

I really enjoyed this book, and had some great descriptions and could visualise the jewellery. Fun book to read.

Meant to be was written well, I just think I was more looking for romance and not so much: fight for the necklace / family history / journey of self discovery.

Then, when I did get those parts, the romance itself didn't grab me like i'd hoped.

(ARC kindly provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review)

Lovely, easy to read little romcom, my favourite kind of book. Really liked the characters & the storyline

Love the cozy romantic nature of the book. Ideal for these lockdown times. Shows love can happen when you least expect it

I found this book easy to read but I did not enjoy it as much as I expected. There was nothing wrong with either the plot or the characters, it just did not grip me or make me rush to the end as a really good story makes me feel. Predictable but not a page turner.

A nice easy read, a romcom that is enchanting and pure escapism. Loved Jess’s story would she stay with predictable Tim or would she fall for exciting Guy , all wrapped round the story of the butterfly necklace ! The book was well written, fun and light .
Would recommend
Thank you to Netgalley Random House, and Louisa’s Lehman for letting me read this book in exchange for an honest review

Gentle and heart warming. Enjoyable but missing that extra sparkle. I liked the characters but I don’t miss them now I’ve finished the book. I enjoyed the story but felt more could have been made around the family history for the individual women. At times it was slightly confusing.

Thank you Netgalley.

This was such a brilliantly written story that really captured my heart.
The characters were wonderful, and each added something new to the story. Their personalities were well developed and believable which really allowed the reader to relate to them in some way.
The story flowed beautifully, and the story kept me engaged and intrigued throughout.
This was a wonderful form of escapism which I enjoyed.

MEANT TO BE; LOVE, LOSS AND FAMILY HEIRLOOMS

I am a sucker for a good, easy love story and Meant To Be, the new novel by Louisa Leaman is just that. Yes, books in this genre are often predictable, but I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, sometimes predictability is just what is needed. Yeah, its a bit cliché and cheesy but secretly we’re all fans of cliché and cheese. For me Meant To Be was a warm and comforting tonic of a read.

Yet to call Meant To Be just a love story is a severe injustice to this novel. This is a novel that focuses on the history of the art nouveau period, more specifically art nouveau jewellery. Although I’ve never thought about it before, I’ve always liked art nouveau, but reading this novel I learnt a lot about the period. I found this truly fascinating.

As well as being an author, Louisa Leaman writes content for the V&A Museum. From reading the novel, it is clear that Louisa’s fiction is inspired by the V&A. In fact the V&A jewellery galleries in London feature beautifully in the story, which I loved as I am big fan of these galleries.

Meant To Be is also about connecting to family history through jewellery. This beautiful theme ran throughout the whole novel and I relished in it as I am fascinated and so sentimental about family history (ever since I can remember I have always been so intrigued about my own family history).

Ultimately Meant To Be is a novel about finding your authentic self when you have been lost – something I’m sure we can all relate to.

Meant To Be is the story of Jess who is desperate to find a family heirloom that has been lost. Although her boyfriend Tim can’t quite understand this need in Jess, believing she should take a secure teaching job rather than waste time on her jewellery ‘hobby business‘, Jess can’t forget the art nouveau necklace that she used to play with as a child. She also needs to find the necklace for Nancy, her frail grandmother before it is too late.

Jess is close to retrieving the necklace but Guy, the charming ‘treasure hunter‘ stands in her way. He has already bought it but gives Jess the chance of to getting it back for Nancy – as long as she goes on a date with him.

Taking its readers on a charming journey through family history from London, to Wales, to Hollywood, Meant To Be is a romance that is compelling and relatable. I read it over a chilled weekend and it really made my weekend. Thank you for that Louisa Leaman.

Meant To Be will be released as an Ebook on 17th December 2020 and will be published in paperback on 1st April 2021.

Thank you also Anne Cater from Random Things Tours for inviting me to read and review Meant To Be as part of the blog tour.