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orinoco450's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
kjhairion's review against another edition
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
flowersofquiethappiness's review against another edition
4.0
*happy sigh* This is such a delightful story! I have no earthly idea why I waited so long to read it, but I could shake myself. Because once I started it, I very quickly was hooked in and unable to stop reading until the very last page! Celia and Ty have such awesome chemistry and watching them attempt to deny the inevitable is too cute. Seriously, I could NOT stop grinning while reading this. Those two are so entirely stubborn! Of course, it’s perfectly understandable from Celia’s point of view, broken trust is hard to rebuild. And Ty? He was a bit frustrating for a good portion of the first half of the story, but once he finally got his head on straight, oh my! I don’t know how Celia was able to resist him for so long! ;) I hadn’t read one of Ms. Wade’s books for a while and had forgotten how utterly engrossing they are. And just how good she is at writing a swoony romance! This is one book that I am very happy that I have on my shelf and I know it’ll get lots of rereading. If you haven’t read it yet, stop being a goober and go read it now! :D
reneesmith's review against another edition
5.0
I was a daddy’s girl. So I’ve always loved stories that feature tender father/daughter scenes, like . . .
For me, Meant to Be Mine evoked that feeling.
Becky Wade’s novel tells the story of estranged husband and wife, Ty Porter and Celia Park. The main action takes place five years after an impromptu wedding, which ended with Ty informing Celia the marriage was a mistake. However, their time together produced a tiny, glasses-wearing miracle named Addie—which Ty discovers when he feels an urge to see Celia again after many years apart.
The first time Ty meets his little girl Addie, this story lassoed my heart and galloped away for a wonderful ride.
Check out Ty’s response to spending time with her: “If she turned that sunray of a smile on him again and asked her to buy him a boat or a pony or a swimming pool, he’d probably buy those, too . . . Addie fascinated him. Enchanted him. Wrapped him around her pinkie . . . He expected it would take him a good while to win her heart. But it hadn’t taken her long at all to win his.”
This father/daughter magic works on Addie’s mother Celia, as well. As Celia watches Ty with Addie, her heart begins to yearn for a renewed relationship with her Heavenly Father. Yet even this involves her estranged husband as God leads Celia through the painful process of forgiving him.
I love how God restores this family by wooing the hearts of the parents to Him—-just like a doting, in-love-with-His-kids, always-there-for-you Father. And, of course, there’s plenty of romantic sweetness & sizzle along the way!
What I liked best . . .
My favorite quotes . . .
She invited God in. And God, whose character is love, who spoke the world into being, who rescues His people, came. He came. And in Him, she began to feel her hard heart change.
The more she basked in the Presence of the Kind of Love that would exchange Jesus’ Perfect Life for the disarray she’d made of her own, the more the hole within her began to fill.
Atticus Finch including precocious Jean Louise in his nightly newspaper reading.
Or shy Matthew Cuthbert picking out a dress with puffed sleeves for Anne Shirley.
Charles Ingalls playing the fiddle as Half Pint and Mary fall asleep.
Oh, and that scene from Little Women, where Father March comes home from war, and Amy wraps her arms around his leg, determined to hold on and never let him go.
For me, Meant to Be Mine evoked that feeling.
Becky Wade’s novel tells the story of estranged husband and wife, Ty Porter and Celia Park. The main action takes place five years after an impromptu wedding, which ended with Ty informing Celia the marriage was a mistake. However, their time together produced a tiny, glasses-wearing miracle named Addie—which Ty discovers when he feels an urge to see Celia again after many years apart.
The first time Ty meets his little girl Addie, this story lassoed my heart and galloped away for a wonderful ride.
Check out Ty’s response to spending time with her: “If she turned that sunray of a smile on him again and asked her to buy him a boat or a pony or a swimming pool, he’d probably buy those, too . . . Addie fascinated him. Enchanted him. Wrapped him around her pinkie . . . He expected it would take him a good while to win her heart. But it hadn’t taken her long at all to win his.”
This father/daughter magic works on Addie’s mother Celia, as well. As Celia watches Ty with Addie, her heart begins to yearn for a renewed relationship with her Heavenly Father. Yet even this involves her estranged husband as God leads Celia through the painful process of forgiving him.
I love how God restores this family by wooing the hearts of the parents to Him—-just like a doting, in-love-with-His-kids, always-there-for-you Father. And, of course, there’s plenty of romantic sweetness & sizzle along the way!
What I liked best . . .
The fun, flirty conversations between estranged-but-still crazy-about-each-other Celia & Ty
Imagining what kind of cowgirl boots I’d wear if I were visiting the Porter family (Everyone in Texas wears boots!)
Celia’s creative take on princess stories
Every time the Porter family got together
Uncle Danny’s surfer dude adventures
Meeting long-timed marrieds Jerry and Donetta
My favorite quotes . . .
She invited God in. And God, whose character is love, who spoke the world into being, who rescues His people, came. He came. And in Him, she began to feel her hard heart change.
The more she basked in the Presence of the Kind of Love that would exchange Jesus’ Perfect Life for the disarray she’d made of her own, the more the hole within her began to fill.
julie_campbell's review against another edition
5.0
I love this author! Believable characters, good story. Started reading last night & finished this morning. So good.
sarah_reading_party's review against another edition
5.0
This is the second book in a series about the Porter family, and it was just as precious, romantic, and indulgent as the first! I love how the author makes her characters come alive. I always walk away from a Becky Wade novel in a happy mood [and not because I read this one on the beach last month!]. I feel like the characters are friends, and not every author can create consistently endearing characters, novel after novel.
One thing that impressed me about this book was its unpredictability and uniqueness. First off–what wasn’t unpredictable: that Celia and Ty will fall back in love. That’s the premise of ALL these books, and I’m sorry if I ruined anything for you. :) But anyways…the book begins with Ty’s proposal to Celia…and it’s not written in retrospect. See? Unique. What book does that? The rest of the novel is a series of unpredictable choices and plot twists all related to the way Celia and Ty rekindle their relationship. It is adorable the way that Ty works to redeem himself in Celia’s eyes. Adorable AND inspirational. If only we could be so dedicated to someone we love!
I also appreciated the secondary characters in this book. Addie, Celia and Ty’s daughter, is great. She’s five but wise beyond her years and serves an important role in the story. She is precious and shy, with a big heart, love for fairytales, and cowboy boots. Celia’s uncle has a big personality and is an amusing foil for Addie’s seriousness, and his role as protector of his girls is awesome. He’s the kinda guy you want on your court!
My least favorite character is Ty’s “other woman,” Tawny. She sounds exactly as her name makes her sound [and my apologies to the nice Tawnys out there... tv and books just give that name a bad rap, imo]. What was a bit disturbing about her was her pursuit of Ty as a married man. I wish this had been more denounced in the book–though Ty’s refusal of her affections was pretty strong.
This book was just great. Another unique love story by Becky Wade, with a setting just as great [a small Texas town]. I wish I lived in one of the charming Victorians described in the book. Oh, and for you foodies… Celia is a baker and has a sweet gig in the local bakery. Becky, you did good with this one! :) Thanks for another good read. Hope you guys all check it out!
Disclosure: I received a complimentary copy of this book from Bethany House Publishers. However, I was not required to write a positive review. The thoughts expressed above are entirely my own. Thanks to Bethany House for the chance to read this great book!
One thing that impressed me about this book was its unpredictability and uniqueness. First off–what wasn’t unpredictable: that Celia and Ty will fall back in love. That’s the premise of ALL these books, and I’m sorry if I ruined anything for you. :) But anyways…the book begins with Ty’s proposal to Celia…and it’s not written in retrospect. See? Unique. What book does that? The rest of the novel is a series of unpredictable choices and plot twists all related to the way Celia and Ty rekindle their relationship. It is adorable the way that Ty works to redeem himself in Celia’s eyes. Adorable AND inspirational. If only we could be so dedicated to someone we love!
I also appreciated the secondary characters in this book. Addie, Celia and Ty’s daughter, is great. She’s five but wise beyond her years and serves an important role in the story. She is precious and shy, with a big heart, love for fairytales, and cowboy boots. Celia’s uncle has a big personality and is an amusing foil for Addie’s seriousness, and his role as protector of his girls is awesome. He’s the kinda guy you want on your court!
My least favorite character is Ty’s “other woman,” Tawny. She sounds exactly as her name makes her sound [and my apologies to the nice Tawnys out there... tv and books just give that name a bad rap, imo]. What was a bit disturbing about her was her pursuit of Ty as a married man. I wish this had been more denounced in the book–though Ty’s refusal of her affections was pretty strong.
This book was just great. Another unique love story by Becky Wade, with a setting just as great [a small Texas town]. I wish I lived in one of the charming Victorians described in the book. Oh, and for you foodies… Celia is a baker and has a sweet gig in the local bakery. Becky, you did good with this one! :) Thanks for another good read. Hope you guys all check it out!
Disclosure: I received a complimentary copy of this book from Bethany House Publishers. However, I was not required to write a positive review. The thoughts expressed above are entirely my own. Thanks to Bethany House for the chance to read this great book!
sarahryoung's review against another edition
5.0
Meant to Be Mine was my second Becky Wade book, and I enjoyed it as much—if not more—than My Stubborn Heart.It didn’t take long to get through and it was a happy, make-you-mushy story. But that doesn’t mean the characters didn’t drive me crazy with their quirks and issues. Celia and Ty were almost too realistic in their flaws and stubbornness. I kind of just really wanted to knock their heads together so they’d see what was so painfully obvious to anyone with a brain. I suppose that’s what made the ending so satisfying. I thought I knew how it would end, and I was close, but I was surprised at one little twist Wade threw in at the end.
I was a bit surprised at the amount of sexual tension present in such a squeaky clean book. I don’t mean it had inappropriate sexual content. I just mean that the author didn’t ignore the role of physical attraction in romantic relationships. Addressing that physical attraction seems to be a growing trend in Christian fiction—contemporary or historical. It certainly makes the characters more relatable (and probably more appealing to the general market), but sometimes I think it can get in the way of the rest of the story. That said, I think Wade did a good job finding a balance.
A few pages in, I was a little nervous about where the story was going to go considering it starts with a Vegas wedding and two people who have spent less than a week together. But it turned out to be a great story about forgiveness and God’s redemption of past mistakes.
If you’re looking for a light, fun read, pick up a Becky Wade book. I don’t think you’ll be disappointed.
*I received a free copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for my honest review. My opinions are my own and were not influenced by the publisher or author.
I was a bit surprised at the amount of sexual tension present in such a squeaky clean book. I don’t mean it had inappropriate sexual content. I just mean that the author didn’t ignore the role of physical attraction in romantic relationships. Addressing that physical attraction seems to be a growing trend in Christian fiction—contemporary or historical. It certainly makes the characters more relatable (and probably more appealing to the general market), but sometimes I think it can get in the way of the rest of the story. That said, I think Wade did a good job finding a balance.
A few pages in, I was a little nervous about where the story was going to go considering it starts with a Vegas wedding and two people who have spent less than a week together. But it turned out to be a great story about forgiveness and God’s redemption of past mistakes.
If you’re looking for a light, fun read, pick up a Becky Wade book. I don’t think you’ll be disappointed.
*I received a free copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for my honest review. My opinions are my own and were not influenced by the publisher or author.
yesididbringabook's review against another edition
4.0
4- Definitely Recommend
I loved this book. There was a perfect amount of religiosity, so that it wasn't overpowering but still existed. Ty's struggles were realistic and not depicted in the typical overblown fashion. Anytime something annoyed me, like Celia's struggle to overcome trust issues, the thought process behind it was explained, and thus I saw the annoying aspects as parts of their character.
I'm definitely going to stay on the lookout for Ms. Wade's books.
I loved this book. There was a perfect amount of religiosity, so that it wasn't overpowering but still existed. Ty's struggles were realistic and not depicted in the typical overblown fashion. Anytime something annoyed me, like Celia's struggle to overcome trust issues, the thought process behind it was explained, and thus I saw the annoying aspects as parts of their character.
I'm definitely going to stay on the lookout for Ms. Wade's books.