eARC Book review: Meant to Be Yours (Happily Inc. #5) by Susan Mallery

Available October 22, 2019
eARC Provided by publisher through Netgalley

Wedding coordinator Renee Grothen isn’t meant for marriage. Those who can, do. Those who can’t, plan. But she never could have planned on gorgeous, talented thriller writer Jasper Dembenski proposing—a fling, that is. Fun without a future. And the attraction between them is too strong for Renee to resist. Now she can have her no-wedding cake…and eat it, too.

After years in the military, Jasper is convinced he’s too damaged for relationships. So a flirtation—and more—with fiery, determined Renee is way too good to pass up…until his flame becomes his muse.

Renee is an expert at averting every crisis. But is she finally ready to leap into the one thing that can never be controlled: love?

Renee is a wedding planner that never wants to get married. That being said it seems like a weird choice for a career. Growing up she had some problems with a unique gift her mother has. She loves her but basically avoids having her mom visit her if she can. Jasper is a military veteran whose had some intense action while deployed and it's haunted him for a long while. He also doesn't think he's cut out for love and marriage because of his PTDS and everything that goes with that.  I liked both characters. Basically right from the start they have a one night stand that turns into a friends with benefits agreement and but immediately it doesn't follow that. Overall i enjoyed the book but pacing was strange. There's this big getting together at the beginning of the book and then it's like that didn't really happen. They kept seeing each other and spend time together but the benefits part of friends with benefits didn't really happen much. Renee's mother shows up and her "gift" is a odd gift that seems a bit off the wall. When it all comes out Jasper doesn't believe it until he sees it and then that's it everyone is OK with it. It makes Renee's reaction to the gift seem over blown. Disappointed in how over the top Renee is with the whole i can't trust love especially toward the end of the story.  This story was ok but definitely not my favorite of the series. I feel the secondary characters really helped this one along. 

Find out more about Susan Mallery and this series here www.susanmallery.com