I received this book free of charge from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

I’ve read a lot of books by Susan Mallery. They’re entertaining, quick reads. But they’re definitely a little formulaic and predictable. Still, this was a nice story about Jasper and Renee.

Usually I love Susan Mallery books, however I struggled with this one. I didn't;t relate to the characters and it took me a long time to read it because of this. I had to keep stopping and going back to it. I am still looking forward to reading her books. This one just did not die it for me.



** I received a copy of this book in exchange for a honest review from NetGalley**

Meant to be Yours is #7 in Susan Mallery's Happily Inc series. However it can easily be read as a stand alone, although I am sure readers of the series will be very happy to catch up with other previous characters.

Happily Inc is a town that has come to life because it caters for specialty destination weddings. In this book we meet Renee, who is one of the actual wedding coordinators. She helps plan all the details and sees it through to the end. She is a lovely down to earth person, except that she has a big hang up about her mother. She loves her very much but can't cope with a special ability her mother has. Renee has decided that while she plans others weddings, marriage isn't for her.

Jasper is a writer, ex military who has seen far too much for any human being and has been deeply changed by his war experiences. He believes he can never marry because he is far too damaged and won't be good in a committed relationship.

They meet! And are about to have all their pre suppositions challenged!

I loved the pet aspect to this book, it added warmth and charm, It also challenged our two - Renee and Jasper to see things differently. I liked the friendship aspect to the story, the women were there for Renee, the men for Jasper - and that was something new for him, now he has friends to turn to. And the love story is sweet.

I wasn't so enamoured by the wedding planning business. How many ways to add zest to a wedding! What's wrong with plain ordinary! It bored me somewhat.  However this town has certainly found a way to form a community and make a living which is great.  For those who enjoy a small town romance.

I voluntarily offered to review this book with no obligations and my opinions are honest!
This was a great book !
It should only have been friends with some benefits only.
Renee is a wedding coordinator, but she is not looking for her own groom.
Not happening!
Jasper is a writer, but he suffers from PTSD.
The attraction is there, but is it enough ?
Both of them have ghosts in their past.
Are they really going to let their ghosts affect their chances for a relationship?
You will have to read the book to find out.
It has all the ingredients that you need for a great book!
I can't wait for the next book in this series.

This is the second in the series where the main characters were not any of the Mitchell brothers who first appear in Mallery's other series Fools Gold. The last time we met Jasper Wynn was breaking up with him. Fast forward to current time and Renee (whom we also met previously) is interested in Jasper. I was quite surprise when the author chose to break up Jasper and Wynn and give him a new love interest. Renee has recently moved to happily inc and working along with Pallas. she and Jasper decide to see each other for intimacy which was similar to his relationship with wynn but as times goes by both Jasper and Renee realize its much more. We get to met Renee's mom who can hear the thoughts of animals which results in some humorous scenes with animals and couple who is about to get married and of course we get to see some of the previous couples. We also get a short story of how Princess Bethany and Cade met. review on goodreads and amazon.

You all know I’m alllll about wedding content right now! I haven’t read the other books in these series, so I can’t judge it based on that. But I thought this book was cute! It didn’t matter that I hadn’t read the other books. Is it my new favorite book? No. But if you’re looking for a cute romance, go for it!

Happily Inc is a wedding destination town in California. Weddings Out of the Box gets a lot of business all throughout the year since they specialize in themed weddings. Renee is one of the top wedding coordinators they have, and even though she likes planning weddings, she can't see herself planning her own. Jasper hasn't been living in Happily Inc for long, but the town is just the right place for him to get his writing done. Just off a book tour and working on a new book, when he meets Renee, she becomes something of an inspiration for him. Both of them are cynical about love, but together could that change?

Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Collins for the opportunity to read and review this book.

This is the first book I have read by Susan Mallery even though I have had her books on my TBR for quite a while now. Meant to Be Yours is book number five in the series, but it's not a series that you have to read in order. Although, being the person I am, I'm going to go back and start from the beginning.

Happily Inc is a small town, with big business in the wedding industry. Each book in the series, tells the story about another couple meeting and falling in love in this town. Renee and Jasper each have pasts that they would like to forget, but without it, they wouldn't be the people they are today. But it has scarred them from finding love. Will all of that change when they get together?


Renee is pretty secretive about her past, every man she has loved has left her and she isn't going to let that happen again. She will guard her heart until the very end. Jasper was broken after his time in the military. His friends believe that he is pretty much put back together, although he can't believe that.

This book pulled me in from the very beginning. With a few unexpected things that happened, it kept me invested until the very end. A quick enjoyable read!

Favorite Quotes:

His voice was low and teasing. It sent ripples down her spine and made her wish she was the kind of woman who could look a man in the eye while inviting him back to her place. But she wasn’t and she couldn’t.

“So you’d be using me for sex… I don’t know.” He raised and lowered his shoulders. “I’ve never been anyone’s sex toy before.” “You didn’t really just say that.” He dropped his gaze to the floor. “I feel used.” “Just stop it. No one believes that for a second.” He looked at her again and grinned.

You are the dumbest of the dumb. She must be furious with you. Personally I’d hire someone to beat you up and then set you on fire. How could you?

Someone tapped her on the shoulder. She turned and saw Jasper standing very close. He leaned in and kissed her on the lips— a sweet kiss that unexpectedly made her eyes burn. “Score!” he whispered. “I always wanted to kiss a girl in the library. It’s been a fantasy of mine since I was fifteen and had a thing for a girl named Bambi.” “Seriously? Bambi?” “I swear. She was so hot and she never noticed me.” “That’s her loss.” “I like to think so.” Then he was gone, continuing his library exploration.

My Review:

I was late to discover her brilliance but I am unashamed in confessing that I unabashedly adore the nimble raconteur known as Susan Mallery and want to read every word she ever scribbles. Her latest tale was a cleverly amusing small-town romance featured Renee and Jasper, two somewhat fractured and socially awkward people who viewed and avoided relationships like a virulent disease but had entered into a monogamous friends-with-benefits agreement as both realized their lives were lacking. They had an A+ rating for advanced chemistry although their mutual friendship developed slowly with fits and starts and several calamitous missteps. Their lives began to mesh until they had become considerably more than planned, but were they able to be more, and more of what would they be?

The primary and most of the secondary characters were endearingly flawed and alluring as well as distinctly quirky. I enjoyed their snappy banter, clever levity, and humorous situations and sensual exploits, although I was quite beguiled by the considerable insight and thought that went into the profoundly perceptive details involving the myriad complications and peculiarities of wedding planning, which was Renee’s vocation and she was exceptionally good at it; as well as the absorbing tendency and capricious nature of the resilient Jasper’s writing process. Jasper was a best-selling author of thrillers and I can imagine just how much this crafty wordsmith enjoyed skewering her own foibles and muse.

I was provided an eARC copy of this book by Harlequin and Netgalley in exchange for my honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.

Meant to Be Yours, book 5 (though it can be read as a standalone) in the Happily Inc series by Susan Mallery, was a beautiful, deeply emotional read. It’s the story of two jaded individuals – Renee and Jasper – who don’t believe in love finding their way to each other through their own healing.

Veteran and thriller writer Jasper is suffering from PTSD after years in the military. Renee, with steel walls high around her heart and secrets in her past, knows marriage isn’t in the cards for her. Will they ever learn to see the beauty in the broken, and let love in?

Meant to Be Yours is a love story that takes its time. The character development of Renee and Jasper is excellently, realistically done. They both blossom so much throughout the story as individuals, and it is those separate journeys that brings them closer together.

Aside from characters major and side, another thing I loved about Meant to Be Yours was the world building. The town of Happily Inc is charming and quirky, and you are immediately immersed in this wonderful community and its people.

If I had to give one word to describe Meant to Be Yours, it would be ‘delightful.’ It’s a story of second chances, the strength in vulnerability, romance, laughter (there were some ridiculous moments that made me giggle out loud), friendship, and the essentialness of love in our lives, in all its forms.

I closed this book with such a warm feeling of well-being, that it makes me want to read all of Susan Mallery’s other books.

If you enjoy heartwarming, poignant stories that give you butterflies and warm fuzzies both, I highly recommend Meant to Be Yours!

This story involves Jasper who is a retired military policeman turned writer and Renee who works as a wedding coordinator for Wedding’s Out of the Box. The two of them consider themselves basically unlovable and aren’t looking for anything serious and have resigned themselves to never falling in love and having a family. I’ll let you take a wild guess on if that remains true through the series 😉

The two of them meet and start a strict sex-only “relationship” but they begin to catch feelings and really get to know themselves in the process. Renee does an amazing job as a wedding coordinator and her friend group is fantastic. I think I’m going to read the other books just to learn more about those ladies. Jasper is a sexy and brooding author who weasels his way into Renee’s job to do some research for his upcoming book. I definitely like Jasper more than Renee in this book and he seems to come with a little less baggage than she does, but it wouldn’t be a fun read if they don’t work out things.

There’s a few random side stories that go on along with the story; we get to learn more about her friends, her mother makes an appearance, there’s an adorable giant dog wedding, and at least one wedding blow up. It will keep you guessing on what’s going to happen, but it was an engrossing read that kept me turning the page. I think you’ll really enjoy this book and want to move to Happily, Inc because everyone seems so happy there!

Even though I have not read the rest of this series, this book was fine read on its own. It has its own story line and plot that doesn't leave anything unknown if you haven't read the other Happily, Inc. books! That being said, it might be nice to read the previous books in the series to find out more about this strange little wedding town and the people living in it. I know usually with series like this, the author gives some fun little references to past characters or story lines for those who have read the series from start to finish. Not to mention that there is also a fun bonus story at the end of this that follows another character that we read about briefly in this book! So lots of fun to be had with the inhabitants of Happily, Inc.!

While I am usually a big fan of the whole romance genre, I will say that this is one of the slower burn romances. It starts out with some good steamy sexy times, but on the whole romance swoony aspect, we are left to wait... and wait... and wait. BUT do not fear, because it wouldn't be a true Happily, Inc. tale if things didn't end happily ever after! The characters were your typical male who thinks he can't be loved, and woman who has given up on love. Even though Renee is a wedding planner, she thinks that love isn't something to look forward to in her future. And Jasper has seen too much bad to get through his PTSD and find someone who cares for him no matter his flaws. But what they both don't realize is that they might have found love after all, in each other! 

Sounds pretty typical for a love story and it was, but that's kind of the point with romance, right? You want to know that there is this undeniable pull towards that one special person for you in this world, and that no matter the circumstances, you will find it and it will happen for you. I know that the hopeless romantic in me loved every bit of their denial and refusal to see what was right in front of them. But that's also what gives us that ever so satisfying slow burn romance that sweeps us off our feet in the end.

This was such a sweet and fun and quirky love story that was unique in its own way enough to keep me interested to the end. I am definitely interested in reading some of Susan Mallery's other books in this series now that I've dipped my toe in the Happily, Inc. waters!

This is the 5th book in the Happily Inc. series and I will say that I didn’t have any trouble following along!

Renee is a wedding coordinator and has zero plans of getting married. She has a deep family history and has been left burned in the love department to the point where she doesn’t have marriage on her radar in the slightest. Enter Jasper. Jasper was a military man that was left with his own issues after returning home from the war.

I liked Renee right away. Her character was someone that can definitely be relatable in the love department. She had her own realistic issues and you could really see where she was coming from. I had a little bit of a hard time with Jasper’s character. I’m not someone who ever experienced war or had a friend/family member who did either. He seemed almost unlikable, but that’s how it is with people that have PTSD, etc. They are not always themselves.

I did enjoy the entertaining and romantic aspect of this book. I liked watching Jasper and Renee falling in love and they did not even realize their doing. It was a great story to read and I could absolutely imagine it in my head.

The only issue that I really had was the characters and the fact that it felt a little rushed to me. I was reading and reading and then I realized that it was the end and I was reading into the next story that was included in this book. I was a little confused and I thought that it could have been written a little more in depth with more details to really make it feel like they were perfect.

Happily Inc. series is a perfect series to introduce yourself to the writings of Susan Mallery. With great characters and fun settings, these romances are fairly clean and enjoyable. This one is about a wedding planner who has all the right timing and control, but has no time for love. That is until a damaged young man walks into her life. Now, she must decide if letting go is something she can do.

Thanks to Mira for the wonderful Arc. All opinions are mine.

Renee isn't much for weddings herself but is great at running them for others. Jasper is a thriller writer stuck in a bit of a rut when it comes to his writing. Both have an attraction and have come up with a an agreement of a fling but Jasper wants a little bit more out of Renee when he asks if he can shadow this wedding business for a bit of inspiration for his next thriller.

If you love romances your going to love this book. I pretty much binge read this book though which TBH wasn't hard because I was just really enjoyed it that much. I loved the characters and getting to know them and thier back stories. I loved seeing the romance and bickering. I thought it was interesting seeing Renee's family life and what she went though. Just know that if you are looking for a new book to binge your going to want to check out this book.

The Review

The fifth book in the Happily Inc. series, (sixth if you include book #2.5), author Susan Mallery has done a masterful job of creating a connected storyline across multiple books and characters, while also creating a wholly unique story that allows for anyone to jump into the narrative. While the cast of characters of this novel all stem from previous books, the protagonists take center stage in the story as these two people trying to escape their past come together in ways neither one of them expected.

The complexity of the characters makes this love story bloom much more than the traditional romance tale. Taking the time to explore both Jasper and Renee’s pasts that have influenced how they go about their relationship really depend the readers connection with both the book and the characters. The theme of finding love and overcoming that feeling of being “broken” played out eloquently throughout the novel, and the author did an amazing job of incorporating the atmosphere of love and romance that has become associated with this series into the character’s overall struggles.

The Verdict

Beautifully written, expertly crafted and emotionally driven. Author Susan Mallery has created a wholly original tale that keeps the overall setting and story of the Happily Inc. series in line while giving readers two protagonists that are relatable, honest and emotionally driven, giving readers an evenly paced read that will have them rooting for these two to overcome the odds and find solace with one another. Can two people who feel broken find love and overcome the odds? Find out by grabbing your copy of “Meant To Be Yours” by Susan Mallery today!

I love stories that feature love interest who think they can't love or aren't suited to love, so the description of this book was right up my alley. It's actually the fifth book in a series, but from my experience with this one it doesn't appear you need to read the previous books to understand the setting or characters, though I'm sure there are things that make more sense if you do as the stories likely wind together. Still, from the way this book reads you can probably only read the ones you are interested in, read them out of order, or read them all - either way works!

I absolutely fell in love with the characters in this book, not just Renee and Jasper, but the friends that surround them. The world building and setting of Happily Inc was enchanting, there were so many places I would love to see in this quaint little town. Throughout the story you do see glimpses of who I assume were the couples from the previous books, and they each have stories of their own that weave into the main plot. Mallery has done a masterful job of creating a place and characters that you want to be friends with and spend time with. And Renee's mother plus the relationship between her and Renee? Beautiful.

Now to Renee and Jasper, who both believe that they are broken in different ways. Neither of them believe that love will ever be in their future because of different things they have experienced in the past. Their internal dialogue and struggles when faced with the progression of their relationship was beautiful. The insecurities and worries that they each had were understandable and I really enjoyed the way they would sort things out in their heads, and then with each other.

If you're looking for a romance on the fun side but with plenty of soul searching and growth of characters, be sure to pick this one up. I'm so thrilled I got the opportunity to read it.

Great book! This is the fifth book in the Happily Inc. series. I really enjoyed the chemistry and romance between Renee and Jasper. I would highly recommend this book and series.

I had a hard time getting into this book. maybe it was because I didn’t read the first 4? I’m unsure.
Renee has been hurt way too many times that now she is avoiding it so that she doesn’t get hurt again.
Jasper is a veteran that has seen many horrific things in his deployment, due to that he is haunted by the memories.
I did like Jasper an Renee but I felt like something was missing. I did want to DNF this a few times, but I wanted to be able to finish the book an give it my honest review. That being said… I feel like this book for me personally could have been a lot better. I only kept reading because I wanted to know if there was going to be a HEA and even that was disappointing.

Renee is the ultimate wedding planner. She can't do, so she plans.
Jasper is the writer who has also failed at relationships, so he keeps things shallow, superficial.
Will these two take a chance on love together?

I do love a Susan Mallery book. So satisfying.

4 Solid Susan Stars
Susan Mallery has a way of setting up a perfect situation. She has you all invested with one idea and then sneaks in with another. Two people who are so sure love and marriage ain't happening for them...maybe others but not them...
Then Bam they get the real feelings and things take off from there.
Loved it.