I love a love story and this book had a lot of emotions.

Five years ago, Chiara met a man at a bar, they spent all night together, being totally honest about themselves and life. Despite a connection, with different plans for their futures, they walked away without so much as a kiss and just the memory of their time together. Until a few years later when she saw him again, this time being introduced as her best friend's new boyfriend. Sebastian and Chiara were distant acquaintances with Rory connecting them, but when she dies, they sever that connection again. When they are brought together in a chance meeting one evening and the resulting consequences, Chiara needs to decide if this has all been fate and if she and Sebastian are being given a second chance.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book. One thing I will say, is that a major plot point in the book felt too obvious. I think there is a way the results of their running into each other again could have happened without it being something they were worrying about happening and it could have had a bigger impact. Knowing the possibility made it feel obvious that it was going to happen. I loved the strong and supportive female friendships between Malia, Tessa and Chiara (and hearing about Rory's place in the group). Overall, it packed an emotional punch with realistic worries and concerns that were worked through in a realistic way.

I love this authors style of writing and I was excited when I saw she had a new series coming out. Meant to Be (Twist of Fate #1) is Chiara Kennedy and Sebastian Ryder’s emotional roller coaster and for me it’s a great start to the new series.
Chiara and Sebastian have a history, they dated before Chiara’s best friend Rory starting dating Sebastian but they pretended not to know each other rather than upset Rory. Sebastian went on to marry Rory who he believed was his soulmate and Chiara kept her best friend but two years ago they both lost the most improper person in their life when Rory died. This couple have avoided each other and the inevitable for the past two years but fate seems intent on pushing them together so can two broken souls help mend each other or will guilt tear them apart……
This is an emotional roller coaster that will keep you on the edge of your seat, it has wonderful characters and I’m sure like me your heart will break for them as they embark on their journey. Meant to Be is a beautifully written romance that will appeal to a wide range of audiences and I highly recommend you one click.

I would have never read a book featuring so many tropes I avoid. But here I am, because it's Jennifer Probst.

I wanted to read this book just because I like Jennifer's writing. I didn't know what I was getting myself into until their first encounter led to no kissing. And then everything I don't like in a book begun. Loss, secrets, guilt, accidental pregnancy, impostor syndrome, savior syndrome. So many things I don't like to read about in a romance book. But the author took them all in, gave them the least hurtfulness possible. Just alchemized and turned them into gold.

There is so much goodness in this book, such incredible warm relationships and such lovely characters. The only drama is caused by the internal conflict of both hero and heroine.

And in between all these things that are not my favorite, such hard subjects that could have gone so wrong, every page is infused with chemistry and tension. I adore this as so often romance books lack this very thing that makes it all a remarkable journey. Not this book! Sebastian and Chiara's attraction and affection is infused in this book, almost all their encounters crackle with tension and longing. What a beautiful love story. And to think the very title is the hardest things for Chiara to admit.

For the beauty of love, of humans in all their complexity and humanity this book is wonderfully written. It may not be my favorite story, for personal reasons, but I'm in awe at the author's mastery of weaving such heavy subjects in a blanket of love.

I received a copy of this in order to offer my personal view on it.

4 Star review of Meant To Be (Twist of Fate #1) by Jennifer Probst

Having read a number of books by Jennifer Probst I could not wait to read the first book in her latest series Mean To Be. This was a well written, emotional roller coaster of a read that drew me in and held me captive.
Can two broken hearts every be truly healed? Two years ago Chiara Kennedy’s best friend Rory died, they had been friends since they were young. She feels the loss everyday and is lost without her. To Sebastian Ryder, his late wife Rory was his soul mate and he was devastated when she died.
Complicating matters is that Chiara and Sebastian dated before parting ways and when Rory introduced them, they pretended that they didn’t know each other. Both have avoided one another since Rory’s death and yet fate obviously has plans for them.
Meeting again, the attraction that once burned is still there and they give in. Could this be the start of something wonderful or will it all come crashing down? The guilt that they feel, particularly Chiara as they get to know one another challenges them.
Can they both come to terms with the past, get closure and in doing so move on together?
One click and find out.

It had a very problematic scene for me, and that made me just don't like the book. I liked the emotional journey they go through but it wasn't enough to get over that scene.

Fate is fickle in this engaging, emotional romance.

We start with a terrific meet-cute as Chiara and Sebastian click at a bar and spend a friendly evening together before Chiara decides they're on two different life tracks and she walks away.

Sebastian met and soon married Rory, one of her best friends, then spent a couple years drowning in grief and guilt after Rory's death in a car accident. Now five years after their first meeting, Sebastian and Chiara run into each other again - in a bar - only this time he inadvertently gets roofied and she's got to get him home safely.

That night is more pivotal than either of them could have imagined, joining their lives in several ways and reigniting the attraction that's been there from the start. I loved how they banded together to track down the person who drugged him, yet the story goes so much further by working this storyline into her career as well as his.

Their romance is full of highs and lows, and is endlessly complicated by their shared love for Rory. This is a deeply emotional tale that has more than a few heartbreaking moments, and I adored the patience shown by all as they worked toward their HEA as if it had always been Meant to Be.

We also get to know Chiara and Rory's two other friends, the team of four lifelong friends having started a business together right after college, and I'm looking forward to reading more in this series as Tessa and Malia find their own HEAs. I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book.

Thank you to Net Galley for an advanced copy of this book. What an enjoyable read. It was heartwarming to read how a sudden and tragic death has such a ripple effect and affects so many different people. It is always amazing to see how many people one person's life touches and this book shows that is so many different ways. The choices we make as we move through our lives also affect everyone around us and again this book tackles that. It is an amazing story that has tons of angst, forgiveness and love. Definitely a book worth picking up and reading. I am looking forward to the next book in this series.

4 1/2 Stars for this heart-breaking story!

My heart broke for Chiara and Sebastian. I understand that Chiara thought she was betraying her deceased best friend by having feelings for her husband, but the heart wants what the heart wants. It was nice for a change that the male lead wasn't a playboy. He just wanted a regular life ... a wife, kids, a dog, house and a white picket fence. This is a great start to a new series and I can't wait for the next book in the series.

Chiara briefly met Sebastian before her best friend Rory introduces Chiara to her new boyfriend ... Sebastian. Rory and Sebastian get married and a few years later Rory dies. Two years after the death of his wife, Sebastian is still a wreck. Then one night while he's out with his buddy, across the bar he spies Chiara, one of Rory's best friends. The next thing he remembers is waking up in Chiara's bed. After denying her feelings for Sebastian for years, Chiara realizes she still has feelings for Sebastian ... but he's still off-limits.

I received an early copy through NetGalley in exchange for a honest review.

If you want an easy to read romance, with good characters, an interesting storyline then this will be for you.
Nothing too heavy, but light and romantic and a bit predictable, but I enjoyed the “journey”.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
3 stars

This was the first book I‘ve ever read by Jennifer Probst. She totally got me with second chance, surprise baby and let‘s be real that cover is just super stunning.

Claire and Sebastian (mostly known as Ryder) met in a bar where Ryder saved Claire from an annoying pick up. After that they spend the whole evening/night with eachother, sharing their dreams and desires. Weeks later Ryder is introduced to Claire as her best friends new boyfriend. Little do they know years down the line there would be more between them then either expected.

I enjoyed their story. It was a little hard to get into the book due to my dislike of third person writing and the annoying feeling I got from Claire a lot of times. I really liked Ryder. I understood some of Claire‘s predicaments but I felt like it was used more often as an excise rather true feeling about the situation.

For me the book get‘s 3.5⭐️

Sebastian and Chiara are pulled together in their time of grief and after. They are connected through the love of her friend and his wife. After a couple years, they are trying to put the pieces back together of their friendship after the loss, but one thing leads to another. A surprise pregnancy brings them closer and helps propel their relationship forward faster. They both have hesitancies, but the connection between them is undeniable. It's an angsty, feel good story!

Book 1 in a new series by Jennifer Probst. I really enjoyed it - as I do all of her novels. This is not my typical genre. However, I always find her books to be well-written with characters that you can't help but be invested in. Definitely add this to your summer beach read list!

I'm looking forward to book 2 in this series.

Thank you #netgalley and #montlake for the eARC.

DNF at 21%

It’s weird that I dnf a book because it makes me feel uncomfortable, but it has happened. The MCs have sex when he was drugged and she wasn’t, but she thought she was dreaming. I’m sorry but how do you have sex thinking you are dreaming? I can admit being groggy at first… but girl, there’s a limit. And she’s pregnant because it was, obviously, unprotected. I’m sorry but this is wrong at so many levels, I don’t want to continue reading.

I am a huge Jennifer Probst fan, but this one wasn't my favorite of hers. Don't get me wrong, I still enjoyed it, but it took me a lot longer to get through than normal.

Chiara and Sebastian had one amazing night together, but were forced to keep it at just that, one night, because they were in different places in their lives. A time later, fate brings Chiara and Sebastian back together, but this time, Sebastian is dating Chiara's friend Rory and eventually marries her.

Years later, Rory dies unexpectedly and leaves everyone heart broken.

After one insane night, Chiara ends up pregnant with Sebastian's baby. Now they have to navigate the pregnancy and their feelings for each other that never really went away. We see the push and pull from Chiara who feels bad about feeling something for her dead best friends husband and is essentially taking over the life that Rory always wanted.

Will Chiara and Sebastian be able to overcome these obstacles and find a happy ending to their story?

Chiara lost her best friend Rory two years ago. They grew up together, along with two other girls, and start their own business. Quench, their company, leans to woman and how to empower themselves. Ryder is a school counselor and volunteers at a youth center. He met Chiara at a bar and they hung out all night long. They both wanted different things so they went their separate ways. When Rory shows up with Ryder, as her boyfriend, they pretend to not know each other. But two years after Rory’s death, they are reunited when Ryder is dosed with a date rape drug. She takes him home to watch over him but they end up having a one night stand and the consequences are nothing either of them were expecting.

Ok great story but Chiara got on my nerves just a little bit. She kept seesawing between wanting Ryder and thinking she would come second place in his heart. Pretty steamy where friends become lovers and second chance for love.

* Voluntarily read and reviewed this for NetGalley *

Chiara had a wonderful night with Sebastian but then.....he married her friend and business partner Rory. When Rory is killed two years later, Chiara not only has to deal with grief, she has to step into Rory's shoes at work. See has kept his affection for Chiara hidden but now it's right up in his head and heart. Can these two overcome guilty feelings? You know they will, don't you? I liked this not just for Seb and Chiara but also for their friends who I suspect we'l.l see in future installments in the series. Thanks to netgalley for the ARC.

I enjoyed this story. Chiara and Sebastian met by chance in a bar and spent one night together and then went their separate ways… until Sebastian is introduced to her as her best friend’s boyfriend. Fast forward a few years after Rory, Chiara’s best friend and Sebastian’s wife, has died and they brought back together through fate. I liked seeing them work through their own issues, the guilt of liking each other and attempting to move on. This was a somewhat different, but still entertaining second chance romance.

Chiara always knew that Sebastian was the one who got away, but the timing wasn’t right for them when they met five years ago. He got on with his life and what a surprise when he married her best friend and business partner, Rory. Chiara never let on that she knew Sebastian and when Rory left them all too soon, she was devastated, but also relieved that her secret would never be revealed.

Sebastian never forgot the night he met Chiara or what they had talked about. It was like bumping into an old friend after many years apart and effortlessly catching up on all that had transpired. The connection he had with Chiara was everlasting and hard to forget. Their chemistry was instant, both physically and intellectually, as they poured their hearts out to each other and shared their hopes and dreams. They listened to music at the beach then parted ways at sunrise, both of them wondering what had just happened.

They never spoke of that night again, until fate stepped in, changing their lives forever. When Sebastian came to Chiara's rescue one night, she was thankful for his help but surprised to see him. Chiara kept a wall up when it came to Sebastian and that night it came tumbling down, propelling them into a relationship that neither of them expected. Sebastian was definitely more excited about their meeting and hoped this was a sign that he had a second chance to finish what they started all those years ago. Chiara’s feelings for Sebastian came back with a vengeance and she was at a loss about what to do. Was it their time to fall in love or was what they once had better left in the past?

Meant to be
By: Jennifer Probst

📚💕⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💕📚

Intense read!

This book will definitely tear your heart apart and put you back together. It’s based with so much love, tragedy and sadness with a bit of hope thrown in. He lost his wife and she lost her best friend. When these two people come together as two individuals who lost someone they truly loved. Do they or should they become so much more?

The author writing is flawless, and the words are so captivating, the plot had so many twists and turns and none that I was expecting, and many shockingly intimate I have become a huge fan of this author. The author writes with so much intensity and emotion pulled from each book it’s felt page after page. Some are quick witted story lines are so perfect and lets you believe you have a front row seat. So being able to read this love story didn’t disappoint. The authors ability to have two separate individuals struggling in their everyday life and try to navigate someone else’s thoughts, needs and desires was intense and gives all the fills.

Authors Blurb: It’s been two years since Chiara Kennedy lost her dearest friend, Rory. Chiara misses everything about her. Rory’s widowed husband is another story. Sebastian Ryder is a man Chiara had secretly wanted, let slip away, and hoped to never see again. Then fate throws them together for an unexpected one-night stand and a morning after of new challenges.

Sebastian had a soul mate in Rory. Shutting down after his tragic loss, he kept a cool distance from everyone—including Chiara, with whom he once shared a deep if fleeting affection. That was over and done with a long time ago. But when they meet again, old emotions resurface along with a heart-wounding past that haunts them both.
As Chiara and Sebastian grow closer, finally getting to know each other, Chiara struggles with feelings of guilt even as she cherishes her second chance with Sebastian. Will fate allow them to overcome the past, or are they destined to always wonder if they are truly meant to be?

This book has everything I love in a book. Then you add that it's beautifully written and believable. It is easily a five star read. Written in dual POV my personal favorite this story flows so incredibly well that the next thing you know your 80% into the book and loving every second of it. The believable way the characters interact is perfect. Run, Hop, Jump or use your (1 click) finger to do whatever you have to do and get this amazing book. It'll break your heart, you'll want to scream with frustration and it'll let you discover that love just might conquer all. The chemistry is steamy and sweet and oh so romantic.

Thanks Netgally for letting me read and review.📚💕

Chiara and Sebastian meet at a bar and talk the whole night. They feel an attraction, but realize they both want very different things in life and decide it was not meant to be. Years later, they meet again when Chiara is introduced to Sebastian as her best friend’s, Rory’s, new boyfriend! Deciding not to mention they had met once before, they keep away from each other as much as possible. Rory and Sebastian marry and then, after two years, she dies in an accident. More years go by and when Chiara and Sebastian accidently meet again, they can not deny the attraction. They both feel they are betraying Rory by going on with this relationship. Maybe it was meant to be after all. I received an ARC from NetGalley and Montlake for my honest review.