Review: Meant to be Mine by Hannah Orenstein
I have been following Hannah Orenstein on social media for a while now and was excited to finally read Mean to Be Mine. It was a concept I wasn’t too sure about—a grandmother predicts the date when each family member will meet their soulmate—but it really worked for me. I found this book to be enjoyable, heartwarming, and relatable with just the right amount of RomCom magic. I think Orenstein straddles the line of women’s fiction and romance very well.
Synopsis:
“What if you knew exactly when you’d meet the love of your life? Edie Meyer knows. When her Grandma Gloria was a young woman, she had a vision of the exact day she would meet her soul mate—and then Grandpa Ray showed up.
Since then, Gloria has accurately predicted the day every single member of the family has met their match. Edie’s day arrives on June 24, 2022, when she’s twenty-nine years old. She has been waiting for it half her life. That morning, she boards an airplane to her twin sister’s surprise engagement, and when a handsome musician sits beside her, she knows it’s meant to be.
But fate comes with more complications than Edie expected and she can’t fight the nagging suspicion that her perfect guy doesn’t have perfect timing. After a tragedy and a shocking revelation rock Edie’s carefully constructed world, she’s forced to consider whether love chooses us, as simple as destiny, or if we choose it ourselves.” —StoryGraph
What I Liked:
The Ode to New York City—I’ve followed Hannah for awhile and I know how much she loves New York City. That love leaps off the page and made my New Yorker heart sing. And to read that this is the book she wrote during the early days of the pandemic in order to showcase wall that NYC is, amidst the pain and suffering, was all the more special.
The Atmospheric Writing—You can really tell which authors Orenstein has been inspired by. Her descriptions of food and clothing are deliciously sensory and crate the atmosphere very well.
The Family—I loved the family at the center of this book. While it is Edie’s story, we get to know so much about her extended family and how they made her who she is. I thought it was lovely. As someone who is not Jewish but grew up in a family where faith and culture intertwined, I was really fascinated by the Jewish elements, like food and holidays.
What Didn’t Work for Me:
Pacing—This is a short book, roughly 300 pages and it still felt long at points. I loved how the setting was created but would have liked a little more plot driven language.
Ending—So quick! I didn’t feel like I had enough time with the characters to be excited for the ending. I just needed one more chapter or a showcasing the date.
Character Authenticity: 4.5
Steam Rating: 0/5 (fade to black)
Overall Rating: 4/5
Content Warnings:
Loss, grief, heart attack, mention of school shooting, death of a sibling