| Title | : | So Not Meant To Be (Cane Brothers, #2) |
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | |
| ISBN | : | - |
| Language | : | English |
| Format Type | : | Kindle Edition |
| Number of Pages | : | 512 |
| Publication | : | First published June 7, 2022 |
Am I friends with JP Cane?
Ha! That's laughable.
Besides the fact that he’s adopted some far-fetched notion from the movie When Harry Met Sally that says men and women can't be friends and work together, it’s safe to say we're not friends. He's annoyingly loud, obnoxiously handsome, and has made an art out of poking all my hot buttons . . . multiple times a day.
So you can imagine how disgruntled I am when I not only have to fly to San Francisco with him for work, but stay in the same penthouse. Yup, we're sharing the same air, twenty-four-seven. We're talking full-fledged working roommates.
The man doesn't know what it means to wear a shirt, thrives off protein bars, and you guessed it, moans loud enough for people to believe he's Meg Ryan in a restaurant.
Spoiler Alert: I WON'T be having what he's having.
Tack on his continuous flirting and his polished good looks, and I'm caught staring down the barrel of a seductive temptation that makes it hard for me to sleep at night.
But guess who can control herself? This girl.
Because if there is one thing I know for certain, it's that JP Cane and I are so not meant to be.
So Not Meant To Be (Cane Brothers, #2) Reviews
-
dnf at 30% 😭 I don’t wanna talk about it.
-
I absolutely adore Meghan as both an author and a human being (she's pretty awesome if I do say so myself) and I was definitely looking forward to this book especially with JP & Kelsey's reactions to each other in Hux & Lotties book.. buuuut I didn't like Kelsey. At all. She was judgy, thought the worst in JP with no solid evidence to back it up, and he spent damn near the entire book trying to prove to her that she could count on him.. and she just kept expecting the worst.
Honestly JP is the reason why I gave this three stars -- he is sensitive, borderline depressed, can't get his brothers to really hear him, and the girl he's crushing on thinks he's a vile human being. This man is so freaking sweet and he listens to what Kelsey wants and goes above and beyond to do that for her, but because she's so obsessed with finding love, she overlooks what's glaring right in front of her. I just wanted to bundle up poor Jonah in my arms and keep her away from him.
That's not to say I didn't like some parts of kelsey and her relationship with JP.. I don't think she was a horrible human being but her assumptions of who JP was just really irritated me. She never tried to get to know him, and she kept going on other dates which kept breaking his heart. I just really wanted to shake some sense into this woman. Damn near everyone in the book was telling her that Jonah isn't the man she thinks he is, but does she listen?! Not a chance. Ugh.
I did really enjoy the ending, and these two were really cute together ,I just wish we didn't spend 80% of it with Kelsey being judgy to someone who never deserved it. Jonah wasn't a manwhore, he wasn't an asshole (ok, he had his moments, but don't we all?) But he just wanted Kelsey to see him the way he saw her.
I'm in no way trying to be rude to this author because she is one of the absolute best authors out there, but this one just wasn't my favorite.
**I received an ARC of this book and these are my honest opinions ** -
I’ve dreamt of this, of this very moment, where I could own this woman. I don’t want it to end; I want it to last. I want to know that I can drive her crazy.
AVAILABLE NOW:
http://mybook.to/SoNotMeantToBe
-
One word. Kelsey.
She ruined the whole book for me. Where as book 1 had some hilarious moments to balance the broody Huxley. This one didn’t. It had Kelsey.
She was a judgemental biatch when it came to JP, and from the outside it was so unwarranted. JP deserved so much better. And if I was him I would have left her in that restaurant with her shitty attitude and gone on a lads night with Helix.
She had a spoilt brat complex, and I didn’t even feel sorry for her when she felt insecure because she wasn’t as pretty/cool as Lottie. She had no personality to compare to her sister and it showed.
I would happily read about JP again, but with a woman who adored him and treated him with the respect and love he so clearly deserves, he’s an absolute sweetheart.
The story felt weak, there wasn’t really a point other than Kelsey’s insecurities and JP’s love at first sight. It was all just kind of meh. -
Is there something in the water?
It seems that a lot of authors have been written fluff lately and Megan had joined them. To say this book was bad was an understatement. I truly don't see why the 5 stars reviews because I had to force myself to read it. The book was too long, therefore, the author had to create unnecessary drama to prolong the story. Let's dissect the main characters! Kelsey was a miserable, insecure shrew who couldn't see what was right in front of her. She was a narcissist who thinks that she was all that when deep down, she was an insecure, desperate little girl who wanted to find Prince charming. She had no concept of self awareness and thought that she was perfect.
JP on the other hand, was somewhat ok, yet very emotionally unstable. The man could not control his emotions and lash out when things don't go his way. Still, with his shortcomings, I feel like he was too good for this shrew.
The other characters were interesting but they were too involved in each other's lives.
It seems like Megan wanted to recreate a fun version of when Harry met Sally. But she could not have done a worse job. Kelsey was nothing like Sally. While Sally was stuck in her ways, she was a confident woman and knew when to walk away when she was not happy. Kelsey's podcast was lame and she was low key crushing on her brother in law. This whole fight with JP at the restaurant, her holding to his leg and refusing to let him go, and lastly sitting on him because she no longer to be ignored were all childish to me. The humor felt short and was truly was not happy with this book. You can pass on this and read some of Megan's old store when she was writing stories and not fluff. And lastly for heaven's sake, we don't need no 500 pages to tell a story. As a reader, I should crave for more instead of begging for a train wreck to be pver -
3.5 stars
I was so excited to read this book, as we already met JP and Kelsey in ‘Not So Meet Cute’, and let me tell you… there were parts of this I absolutely loved. And every part of that was JP. He is a Meghan Quinn hero I adored. Truly, one of her best. But Kelsey… I really wanted to like her, and some of the time she was tolerable, but dang. There were other times she just took me out of the story with her behavior. JP deserved better IMO, but thankfully by the end I was mostly happy with them together.
Audio book source: Audible
Story Rating: 3.5 stars
Narrators: Stella Hunter & Aaron Shedlock
Narration Rating: 4 stars
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Length: 13h 23m -
if you ever want to torture someone, force them to read the prologue of this
when i tell you these are ACTUAL quotes from the intro:
➟ “Kelsey, it’s a known fact men and women can’t have a working relationship and be friends at the same time.”
➟ I snort so hard I spray snot on the design plans in front of me. Casually, I wipe away the droplets with my hand.
➟ “Babe, I can smell the sexual chemistry, and because it’s so palpable, so thick, so . . . musky—”
“Eww, it’s not musky.”
➟ “Are you feverish? Is that what’s happening? You’ve come down with something and this is how you act?”
“I’m a specimen of health. You should know that. You check me out enough.”
“I do not.”
I don’t.
➟ He guffaws, a sound so annoying that my molars grind together. “Why do you think my sleeves are rolled up right now?”
[...]
He leans in close. “Because I know how much they turn you on.”
➟ “A man and a woman who find each other attractive and who work together will never be able to be friends. There will always be a giant elephant in the room, and that elephant’s name is Sex. It’s basic human math, Kelsey. We all need to climax, and when we find someone who’s attractive, we want that person to help us climax.”
➟ “And if I had any romantic inkling toward you, I wouldn’t be wearing this simple, almost homely blouse that does nothing to show off my perfect, bouncy breasts…And I wouldn’t be wearing underwear, either, on the off chance that you pulled me on top of this conference table and spread my legs for a small taste.”
➟ “Now, if you don’t mind, I have an appointment to stuff my mouth full of meat.”
-
2.5⭐️
i’ve spent all month trying to get through this book with hopes that it’d get better but it just…didn’t. 😭 kelsey was INSUFFERABLE and spent the entire book making baseless assumptions about JP that i just didn’t understand. i honestly wanted JP to do better which says A LOT bc we root for the fmc first in this household.
JP saved the book for me, but even he gave me the ick sometimes so idk. 😭 i also hated how huxley and lottie would literally be in a room full of people talking about boning each other like??? it was very uncomfy idk idk idk this one just icked me out a lot and felt overly long and i’m hella sad about it. 😭 hopefully i like breaker’s book. -
4.75 enemies-to-friends-to-lovers, forced proximity, Sleepless in Seattle Stars
I laughed, giggled, swooned, fanned my face, and reread WAYYY too many scenes (and tons of highlighting). I needed a nice, lighthearted book, and this totally delivered. Yes, I looked like a crazy person when I was giggling while driving or cleaning (audiobooks are the best), but, my gosh, it was sooooo worth it 😅😂.
JP tells Kelsey that they can’t be friends… why? Well, because they’re too attracted to each other, and according to When Harry Met Sally, people that’re attracted to each other just CANNOT be friends. Of course, this pushes Kelsey‘s buttons and it only increases the banter between them. But they need to be civil to each other because their siblings are getting married (Huxley and Lottie from A Not So Meet Cute). Kelsey wants a serious relationship and she doesn’t believe JP could ever be in one.
Huxley tells JP that he needs to go to San Francisco with Kelsey for the next two weeks in order to solidify a deal that involves her Sustainably Organized business. Considering that JP is Kelsey‘s boss, he’s forced to go. Let the forced proximity begin 😈.
What I liked/loved:
—the tension 🔥. Sure, this is a slow burn book, but there’s so much tension that builds up. As soon as the book opens, JP and Kelsey have palpable tension 👀
—the banter. They have some of the best banter lol. When they volley back-and-forth, it totally made me giggle and sometimes fan my face because it was 🔥👀“The only bullshit thing between us is that spiel you just laid out. Deny it all you want, but I know you want me. The quicker you accept that, the better you will feel.” Despite the heavy beat of my heart, I know it’s my time to turn my head, and when I do, our noses nearly touch. With all the bravado I can muster, I say, “The sooner you realize I’m out of your league . . . the better you will feel.”
—the times I giggled/laughed. I. Was. Dying 😂. From the “dragging” spider monkey scene to the ☕️ bag scene to the n!ppl€ poking scene to the pigeon donation scenes (and more) I couldn’t help but laugh
—the smexxy times🔥. I loooove how JP’s dom’s side came out. I mean. Jeeeezus, The way he ordered Kelsey to pl€asure herself even before they kissed was just 🥵. The airplane scene and the pool scene will live rent free in my brain forever. It’s slow burn, 71% for a home run and we only get one full home run, but everything leading up to it and following it was scrumptious🤤
—the amount of Os JP gives Kelsey. Yes, I said it 💁🏻♀️. I can always appreciate a man that makes sure his woman is satisfied, and JP does this in spades 🥵🔥. Plus, the edging/pool scene alone deserves a medal 💅😉
—JP’s confidence 😮💨“And there’s your problem,” JP says, leaning in. “A perfect gentleman isn’t going to make you come the way I can.”
—the dirty talk. Oh LAWD jeeeezus 🔥👀. JP has such a dirty mouth 🥵 and he makes her have one too
—the allusions/references. From Sleepless in Seattle to Henry Cavill building a computer, I appreciated them all 👏🏻
—the Meant To Be Podcast. This was such a sweet addition to the book. I loved seeing some of my past favorite MQ couples make appearances and talk about how they met 🥰🥰🥰. Now I wanna read the ones I haven’t read 👀
—the fact that JP was into her before she was😅. I like seeing the man squirm once in a while, which leads me to…
—the OMD- let the hero squirming/claiming begin 😈
—the texting and emails, especially when he’s trying to make an appointment to stare at each other 😂😅
—the ending 🥹
What I wanted more of:
—I would’ve liked there to be more smexxy home runs. We gets lots of appetizers and treats, but sometimes, a girl wants a full meal 🤷🏻♀️. The snacks helped me feel satiated (but not full 😏)
—I would’ve liked it if JP had been more claimy and acted sooner 🤷🏻♀️. I understood why he did wasn’t, but it doesn’t meant I didn’t want him acting like a caveman
⚠️safety squad⚠️
-no cheating/sharing
-OM- h goes on dates with OM1. They kiss but it’s like whatever. Then she goes on another date with OM2. At this point, h and H haven’t even kissed (but he’s demanded her to make herself O in front of him )
-H dates OW. They kiss since they’re taking it slow
-edging/praise k!nk/subtle D/s which includes aftercare
-no c0nd0ms/h’s on bc and they’re both clean (he’s always used protection before) -
My favorite part of this entire book was JP and Kelsey dancing to "Wildest Dreams" by TAYLOR SWIFT.
“We’re slowly swaying to the music, an instrumental version of Taylor Swift’s Wildest Dreams, but the way he’s twirling me makes the room a blur, and I can’t focus on anything but us and only us.”
They both each had a date and funny enough, their dates knew each other so Kelsey and JP were ignored and ditched by their own dates. JP was so in love with Kelsey and of course, Kelsey was in a denial.
I actually have another favorite part, JP watched Animal Planets and donated thousands of dollars to save the pigeons and later on to polar bears. That's my type(favorite billionaire)
“Because you’re drunk,” Breaker says. “Spending fifty grand on pigeons seems like a good idea to you.”
“It was only twenty grand altogether. Fuck, should it have been fifty?”
Another example:
“I cry about the polar bears, watching them all over again.
I send an email to the pigeon place, inquiring about Kazoo.”
Kazoo is the pigeon he wanted to adopt.
JP has been supporting the pigeon shelter so they named it after him,I love that for him!
“I slowly swallow and say, “The pigeon shelter I’ve been supporting is now renaming its building the JP Cane Pigeon Rescue. The JPCPR. Has a fucking great ring to it. There’s some press going out next week about it. They asked if I’d show up for the dedication of the new name, and do you know how pathetic I am?” -
2 - 2.5 stars!
Did I read the same book as everyone else? It took a lot out of me to get through this book. One, it’s pretty tropey and two, Kelsey and JP were SO nasty to each other through 70% of the book. I get it, they each had internal trauma and struggles but dang…they took enemies too far for me. Not only that I felt like they were childish in their cutting remarks and actions. I liked JP ok but Kelsey was so judgmental and uppity. JP is why I’m even giving this story stars.
I love an enemies-to-lovers romance but the MCs legitimately despised each other for more than half the story lol. So when they finally did ‘fall’ for each other I felt like I got whiplash. O nowwwwww you want to play house? O-kay.
The sex though? That was hot. The only time they didn’t hate each other…but I definitely would classify this as a slow burn. The sexual tension was there in all its hate form glory.
The writing and some of the humor was seriously great even if a little ridiculous. But the MCs…specifically Kelsey…were annoyingly juvenile and bitter. I am interested in the first book in this series…Lottie and Huxley. Maybe that one won’t make me want to break my Kindle. -
DNF for now: Not sure if it's my mood or the heroine's personality, but I'm having trouble with this one! And that's a shame, because I loved A Not So Meet Cute and I was really looking forward to this. Rather than struggle through, I'm setting it aside so I can go in fresh on another day.
Side note: The audio is great! It's duet-style (my favorite), and adds a lot of fun to the vibe. -
I'm rating this one 4.5 stars. Overall, I really loved the book. The plot was nice, and the enemies to lovers aspect of the book wasn't over super quickly, which was nice. Having dual POV really gave great insight into why both characters were acting the way they are, and also led to some really emotional moments throughout the story. I laughed out loud several times, and shed a few tears during some of the more emotional chapters, because I really could feel the pain and angst. This book is longer than most rom-coms, but I enjoyed that because it felt more like a slow burn vs. insta-love. We got to see the characters grow to respect each other, then become friends, and then more. We got to SEE them date and fall in love, rather than just being TOLD that those things happened, which I enjoyed.
The reason I docked .5 stars was because of the conflict. (Spoilers for the conflict coming now) I really felt like it was unnecessary and that
Overall, that was a minor part of the book, and because I loved the rest of it so much, I'm still rounding up to 5 stars! Another winner from Meghan Quinn. I love her work and can't wait to read whatever she writes next! -
I think at this point I've established I love Meghan Quinn's books. This one was no exception.
This book takes place after the events of A Not So Meet Cute and centers on JP Cane, a wealthy businessman, who falls for his brother's fiancé sister, Kelsey. Kelsey initially wants nothing to do with JP and his playboy ways, but after being forced to spend two weeks in San Francisco together on a work trip, she slowly starts to realize there's more to JP than meets the eye.
Like every good romcom there's the moment that seems to sabotage the building romance. I think though it's this moment that made me give this book 4 stars instead of 5 stars. Kelsey if very upset and breaks things off after she feels like she has been rejected physically by JP and the whole thing is one of those if people just told each other what was happening and what was going on then none of this would of happened moments. Miscommunication drives me crazy y'all.
With that being said let me leave with one of my fav quotes from the book:
"For instance, if I were to label Huxley and Lottie’s romance, I would easily call it ‘enemies to lovers’ since they hated each other, with a smattering of ‘fake fiancée’ and a touch of ‘billionaire.’ All wildly popular.” “Billionaire is a trope?” Both his brows raise now in suspicion. “A very popular one.”
All great tropes :) -
This book was…ridiculous.
-
DNF @ 34%
you know what sucks, i actually thought kelsey was the only sane character in
A Not So Meet Cute, and i liked her better than her sister. naturally, i held her in high regard.
HAHAHAHAHAHA well i guess joke's on me, because imagine my horror when i discovered that not only is she more irritating than her sister, but she is somehow worse than her sister when it comes to personal space and just letting things go.
allow me to present 3 instances where i should've DNF'ed, and my final breaking point.
exhibit A: the prologueI have no idea why JP is droning on about this attraction between us. It’s not as though I’ve led him on. I’m a firm believer in love. Therefore, I’m looking for love. Not a fling, not a sexy one-night stand. I’m looking for my soulmate, just like the soulmates on my semi-popular podcast. I want forever.
the "semi-popular" podcast kelsey's talking about is called the "meant to be podcast", where she talks to couples (aka couples from previous meghan quinn books) who are married, and how they all knew that their s/o was the one™️. *gag*. not only is this 26 year old woman, who owns her own business (also wtf is a sustainable organiser i mean we're all gonna die anyways just let us all speed up the process) in southern california, dreaming about some knIghT iN shIniNg aRmoUr insta-love romance whatever, but she also turned it into a whole ass hobby? that's like me saying i work at a nuclear powerplant, and on my downtime, i conduct experiments with uranium-238 isotope.
this should've been a red flag, but i am colour blind and stupid.
exhibit B: chapter 3
kelsey and jp both sign up for the same blind dating service-kelsey because at this point she's just a fucking loser lusting after her sister's boyfriend, and jp because he lost a basketball game to breaker. obviously, they end up matching with each other (because a computer algorithm gave them the highest ever accuracy score of 97% so it's meant to be), and kelsey thinks jp has enough braincells to hack into the app (mind you, jp is a business guy not a tech guy who would actually go to such extreme lengths) and pair them together because at one point, he was obsessed with dating kelsey. they end up arguing, so ✨creatively✨, and if i had to read that horribleness, then so do you.“You’re really not. I might ask for a refund. Hypercritical fishwife isn’t what I call a good first date or a match, for that matter.”
“Fishwife?” I ask.
“Yup. Already called you a shrew, thought fishwife would be a good second option.”
“Yeah . . . well, you’re a . . . you’re a . . .”
“A what?” he asks, his grin growing even wider.
Think, Kelsey, think of a good name.
“A shortsighted boob.”
He tosses his head back, laughter erupting from his lips. “That’s the best you could come up with? A shortsighted boob? Shit.” He wipes at his eyes as I grow more furious by the second.
exhibit C: chapter 9I don’t really register that I have shorts in my hand. All I know is that I have a hold of something and it’s time to pull.
That’s exactly what I do.
I yank on his shorts so hard that he stumbles forward, and because I’m holding on to his other leg, he can’t catch his balance.
[...]
It was never my intention to anger him more, nor was it my intention to cause him to fall.
But I accomplished both things . . . whilst pantsing him at the same time.
Yup, just like that, with a slight yank, those elastic-banded shorts of his slide right off his narrow hips and down his legs, causing him to stumble even more.
I cry out in horror because, good God, there are loose shorts in my hand.
[...]
And then, with a big crash to the floor, he falls on top of me, pillowing my face with what I can only assume is his stomach.
“Jesus fuck,” he says.
I open my eyes and come face to face with man scrotum.
A man’s freaking scrotum!
“Ahhh!” I scream and swat at his leg. “Your penis is on my face. Your penis is on my face.”
[...]
“Dear God! It’s on my nose! Your genitals are resting on my freaking nose!”
“I fucking know!” he yells back. “But I can’t get up because you’re still holding on to me.”
“I’ve been tea-bagged,” I cry out in horror, his penis still rubbing along my nostrils.
“Let the fuck GO, KELSEY!”
As if I finally realize what’s happening, I release all my limbs and he climbs off me. I scramble up against the wall and hold my hand—still clutching his shorts—in front of my face.
“I’ve been defiled.”
“You’ve been defiled?” he retorts. “I’m the one who’s been stripped bare.” He yanks the shorts from my grasp and I hear him scurry around, putting them on. When I think the coast is clear, I part my fingers to see if he’s decent.
I’m met with a very angry stare.
context: jp, kelsey, lottie and huxley attended a hospital charity gala together. kelsey had brought along a date named edwin (🚩🚩), and jp's date for the evening was a woman named genesis (her job is as irrelevant as her appearance in the book). edwin and genesis went to the same college, so they hit it off, and eventually spent the night together. jp took kelsey to lottie and huxley's house (he now lives opposite them), and he complimented kelsey's outfit. then kelsey opened her mouthSo, I release his hand and take a step back. “JP, I’m not going to sleep with you.” The words fly out of my mouth in a flurry, making it clear where I stand.
obviously jp was mad that kelsey thought so little of him, so he went about ignoring her. easy peasey, no? wasn't that what kelsey wanted all along? but nooooo she just had to figure out why jp was mad at her, as if it wasn't so obvious i mean, the man can only tolerate you for so long, ma'am. so, when they're forced to go on a trip to san fransisco and live in the same penthouse together for 2 weeks, kelsey decides that its time for her to return to being the main thought going through jp's mind 24/7, so she bangs on jp's door, he doesn't want to give her the time of day, so she hangs on to his legs like a 4 y/o toddler. but fuck if this line didn't give me a rush-
His compliments, his kindness, aren’t going to factor into my decision.“Let’s get one thing straight, Kelsey. I’m not here to be friends with you, nor am I here to try to solve any sort of complex you might have about not being liked. I’m here to do a job and I’d prefer you just leave me alone.”
exhibit D: chapter 11
kelsey thinks there's a burglar in the penthouse. because, naturally, burglars make grunting and moaning noises. but our sweet, sheltered, sunflower takes a wooden spoon (even rapunzel had enough braincells to use a pan as a defence utensil) in order to scare said burglar away. there was no burglar. jp was having "man time." kelsey is an embarrassment to society.
if you don't believe me, boy do i have proof- Nope, manned with a wooden spoon—the worst it can do is toss a salad—I slide closer and closer to his room until I hear it . . . a constant pumping sound. Like . . . oh God, like someone is getting stabbed.
[...]
And before I can stop myself, I pull down on the doorknob, then kick the door open and accompany it with a warrior scream that nearly deafens me.
[...]
My eyes land on the bed, where he pops up, completely and utterly naked . . . and holding a pillow in front of his crotch.
[...]
Oh, sweet lord, that was JP jacking off.
[...]
And before I know it, my hand is caressing a very stiff body.
“Ahh,” I yell again, dropping the hand covering my eyes only to find my other hand passing over JP’s nipples. “Oh shit, sorry. That’s your, uh, that’s your man chest. Your nipple. I was just rubbing your nipple. Not on purpose. Not because I wanted to.”
PLEASE KILL ME NOW
kelsey's reasoning was that because she couldn't see the light underneath jp's door, that meant he wasn't at home.
where does this woman get the audacity and what in caucasian is this?
tbh i was done after this, but the next day, i actually went back to see if i could try and get past this trainwreck (BIG MISTAKE), and it was 4 additional pages of jp and kelsey just poking each others nipples.
tl;dr
i have never written such a long negative review before, but this book was honestly really bad, and i am embarrassed i spent time actually reading until chapter 11. this book isn't worth 512 pages, and not even jp's tattoos can save it.
-
So Not Meant to Be is the second book in Meghan Quinn’s Billionaire series (the series isn’t currently titled but it does go with A Not So Meet Cute). Once again, I was laughing out loud through this entire book! Meghan is an absolute QUEEN when it comes to writing stories that are not only funny but have a lot of heart in them too. In this one, readers will get to know JP and Kelsey as they navigate their differences concerning mean and women being able to just be friends. It’s not an easy road for either of them and their banter with each other is laugh out loud funny, but it’s worth it to us readers who enjoy seeing a little vulnerability in characters.
Overall, this is the perfect addition to the series and I’m looking forward to Breaker’s story at some point! I know it’ll be just as good as these two have been!
If you enjoy witty banter, an enemies-to-lovers trope, and characters that warm your heart then I highly recommend reading SO NOT MEANT TO BE!
𝗣𝗘𝗥𝗙𝗘𝗖𝗧 𝗙𝗢𝗥 𝗙𝗔𝗡𝗦 𝗢𝗙:
• enemies-to-lovers romances
• Laugh Out Loud Romcoms
• Billionaire Romances
• Books in Kindle Unlimited
𝗠𝗬 𝗥𝗔𝗧𝗜𝗡𝗚: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ -
4⭐️ 3🌶
If you don’t like two grown adults who had mad miscommunication issues then this won’t be the book for you. HOWEVER …. Me… I let that shit kick me in the face and say thank you. I love miscommunication, gimme gimme gimme. It’s problematic I know, sue me.
Again like a not so meet cute, this book was FUNNY and straight up had me LOLing in my pitch black bedroom at like 2 am.
AND The banter + the tension that this book had was TOP TIER, and I enjoyed every stinking moment of it!!
Don’t even get me started on the spicy scene on the plane, phewwwww she was sweating over here!
Were JP and Kelsey cheesy af somtimes? Yes absolutely. But It was fun, it was cute, sweet and sexy!!!
Frick I can’t wait to jump right into breakers book!!!! -
There was so much to love about this book I don’t know where to begin with this enemies to friends to lovers story..
—the banter between Kelsey and JP was fantastic. Witty, sarcastic, flirty…MQ at her best. Kelsey wants to fall in love. JP is just ready for a good time. The physical attraction is there, and JP thinks coworkers can’t be friends because of that. That is just one of the things that irritates Kelsey.
—-the vulnerabilities that each character showed made them so human and made me fall in love with them. Although I couldn’t understand why a beautiful, smart, accomplished woman like Kelsey felt like she wasn’t good enough.🤷🏻♀️
—- JP was such a hoot. Yes, he could be annoying and acted like a frat boy at times, but boy he had a big heart. And when he got ‘serious’ about his feelings for Kelsey and decided to ‘woo’ her…*sigh* (Oh, the scene where he begs Kelsey not to go out on her date and stay with him instead…*swoon*)
—-the 2 weeks spent in San Francisco, where they really got to know each other? One of the highlights of the book for me.
—-Kelsey’s podcast? What a surprise! To see couples from MQ’s previous books tell how they met and fell in love….so clever! All my favorite couples popping up in this book was awesome. And later in the book when JP uses the podcast format to tell his and Kelsey’s story…😍
—-So many other tidbits….too many to mention but boy did they make the book enjoyable and added to the development of the characters. JP’s favorite movie, Kazoo the pigeon, his dissection of Sleepless in Seattle (he’s right!)
—-Did I mention the chemistry between JP and Kelsey? Hot, hot hot….And JP was a dirty talker as well…and Kelsey loved it. These two had some really hawt times…
—-The fact that it took me a couple of days to read it in no way means that it wasn’t enjoyable. In fact it’s just the opposite. I didn’t want it to end! I wanted to savor it. And I knew, being a MQ book, there was going to be the inevitable breakup between the characters…and I didn’t want to read it! But at least it didn’t last long (I’ll never forget that 8 year breakup MQ book). And it brought a few tears to my eyes seeing how distraught JP was..
I really enjoyed this one; love the Cane brothers and I’m ready for Breaker’s book …like right now…
5 big stars -
3.5⭐️
Kelsey in this book was quite different than in
A Not So Meet Cute. Here she got on my nerves a few times and she was so judgmental towards JP. She hardly knew the man. Yes, he had past conquests, but that's what they were. In the past 🙄 And Kelsey needed to really work on her self-esteem and personal issues because hello miscommunication-in-the-third-act-conflict.
JP was easily my favorite character. He's so sweet and thoughtful and so infatuated with the heroine, it's cute to see him stumble and work for it when she doesn't easily accept him.
I appreciated that this aimed to be a slow-burn, but it could've been 100 pages shorter.
(Kelsey's podcast was such a good idea. I loved seeing Meghan Quinn's past couples. Though I hated that the narrator gave Arlo a Southern accent lmaoo 😭) -
I loved Not So Meet Cute and the Highland Fling, but this one felt over the top cheesy to me. Not my fave.
Kelsey was childish and irritating — the way she latched onto his leg or refused to move from his lap so he’d stop ignoring her were so cringe. The drama at the end was ridiculous. So much fluff. It could have been 100 pages shorter. No real story telling, it felt more like a diary? I didn’t like it.
I did really love the pigeon. And the snippets of Kelsey’s podcast interviews with the duos from other books! And the subtle reference to another newer release or hers, The Reunion. I smirked. 😏
All in all… Meh. -
3.5 stars: Meant to be podcast: Welcome listeners to another fun and cute workplace romance!
If you need a pallet cleanser or something lighter, check this one out!
It didn't make me laugh out loud, but the story was fun anyway. The spice was good, and I adored the slowly developing relationship between the MCs.
JP was such an incredible MMC! I'm a sucker for a pining Hero! 🛐
I loved him so much more than Kelsey, the FMC. She was okay, but I didn't like some of her behavior and assumptions. (She was pretty judgmental and thought the worst of JP without any reason/evidence.)
But I adored their dynamic!
The little intersections of the Meant To Be Podcast were cute, but I couldn't fully appreciate it as this was my first Meghan Quinn Book (I think it would've been so much more fun had I known some of these couples mentioned)
I'm a lying liar 😂 I just saw that I've already read some in 2021 (I can't remember them, but I read too much to remember every book lol)
Overall, a cute and fun story, and definitely not my last Meghan Quinn book!
→ Tropes ←
- Work colleagues/ boss/employee
- Fun banter
- Boy obsessed
- Unrequited love and pining
- Forced proximity
- Spice
⚠️Safety: not cheating, no om/ow
📖Audiobook: 1st person, Dual POV; Duet narration (highly recommended!)
🎧Theme song:Pretty Please by Jackson Wang -
So, not meant to be by @meghanquinnbooks is going up in my top 5 books that made me laugh out loud! I absolutely loved this book!
Plus, the illustrated editions are so Damn cute! I can't wait to read the next book!
I absolutely adore JP and Kelsey! Their story was so cute and funny! I loved it! I highlighted multiple parts that made me laugh out loud! Then there is a spice! This book is a slow burn, but when we get there, you will melt! Loved it so much!
Overall ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️/ 5
Spice 🌶 🌶 🌶 🌶/ 5
Whitty Banter 🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰/5 -
2.5/5 stars
I came her for a good time I ended up with a headache.
God—this book was just not it. The first book was unhinged made me laugh so much and over all it was just enjoyable, but this one was just frustrating.
The fresh take on When Harry Met Sally was literally lost on me because aside from literally two things there was not even a hint of that.
Kelsey and JP were all over the place. I just found their banter and dynamic super annoying and the way the first few chapters gave me a full on headache.
I thought I might like Kelsey but baby girl let me tell you one thing: you never leave it up to a man to build up your confidence and your worth. It just isn’t how it works. The whole romantic agenda was low key cringy for me and I don’t know didn’t really work. Also Kelsey how can you prefer Sleepless in Seattle over When Harry Met Sally? Girl, not cool at all.
JP oh man. I can’t even. Fun guy yes but too much for me like just talk about your feelings bro because Kelsey can’t read your mind lol.
The whole drama at the end omg I knew it that was coming, but please I think while Kelsey being upset was predictable and I also understand and it was valid she didn’t really listen when he told her that he also was upset and it had nothing to do with her.
Lottie and Huxley I knew it you guys would be that kind of couple super into pdas to make people around you uncomfortable lmao.
The sex was good to be honest, I enjoyed it just like the first book it was phewww.
I would like to keep reading to see if Breaker will have his own book even though I am sort of disappointed. -
skimmed the last 200 pages bc i was bored i do not recommend this
-
SI Y SI Y SI
se sintió como una montaña rusa este libro
me reía y me estresaba y me moría de amor todo al mismo tiempo
PI CAN TE
friends to enemies enemies to lovers
AH y JP por favor cásate conmigo -
So Not Meant To Be is a standalone rom-com with interconnected characters from A Not So Meet Cute, told from both points of view with a happy ending.
Tropes:
🥵 Enemies-to-Lovers
💑🏻 Forced Proximity
🦸🏻♂️ Protective, swoony, hot-as-h e l l billionaire hero
🔥 Hot, fun workplace romance
❤️ Steamy, swoony, Rom-Com
Real-estate entrepreneur JP Cane developed a crush towards Kelsey from the moment he laid eyes on her. To his dismay, he never stood a chance because of this notorious playboy status. So he decided to antagonize her to the point of making her avoid him at all costs.
Having to share penthouse in beautiful San Francisco for a two-week work trip will make evading him almost impossible, especially when he’s determined to show her a deeper and different side of him. But will it be too late?
SO NOT MEANT TO BE has everything I could ask for! Great banter, endearing characters, a beautiful backdrop, fun, LMAO, moments as well as touching and oh so swnooy moments that Meghan balanced with skill to create this story I enjoyed very much.
JP wears a devil may care façade, he slowly revealed his thoughtful and caring side and even slower his buried vulnerabilities. I really liked who he complimented Kelsey’s more serious persona. I couldn’t help but fall for him and cheer them on.
Their romance unfolded perfectly at their own pace with a little help from JP’s brothers. Especially Breaker who I hope we get to know more. I really liked how JP wanted to help other which also complimented Kelsey’s sustainable business.
Also of note, I think that Kelsey’s Meant To Be podcasts which featured couples from Meghan’s past books was a brilliant way for her to introduce or remind us of all her wonderful past characters.
World building: 🐦🐦🐦🐦🐦
Character development: 👤👤👤👤👤
Plot: 📚📚📚📚📚
Romance: 💕💕💕💕💕
Sexiness: 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥
LOL Moments: 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
Amazon ->
https://amzn.to/3Mpk9dZ
★ I was given an ARC of this book courtesy of the author. The excerpts are from that copy.
★
Check out all my book edits over at Instagram -
***AVAILABLE NOW***
4 STARS
I really enjoyed this one. Good chemistry, banter, humor and steam.
What I loved:
1. JP as a character was really amazing. I liked how much he wanted to be seen by the heroine and be worthy of her.
2. The heroine’s insecurities about her sexuality and exploration were very relatable for me.
3. I enjoyed them as a couple in all forms.
4. I liked the conflict and how it unfolded in the story.
5. The audiobooks was a dual narration, which I live for.
6. I LOVED all the podcasts. It was so cute and fun for lovers of MQ books but still fun for new readers.
What I needed more of:
1. While this is an enemies to lovers, I really struggled with the fact that reader knows they both like each other but all these things get in the way. I personally struggle with this type of story line in general.
2. At times, both characters react emotionally and quickly to each other specifically.
Overall, I really enjoyed and would recommend as what I didn’t love is more personal preference.
Audiobook
