An Underwhelming New Novel from a Favorite Author - The Trouble With Destiny by Lauren Morrill

Title: The Trouble with Destiny
Author: Lauren Morrill
Series: stand-alone
Publisher: Delacorte
Publication Date: December 8, 2015
Source: received from publisher via Netgalley
Purchase: Amazon | Barnes & Noble

It’s not about the destination, it’s about the journey...

With her trusty baton and six insanely organized clipboards, drum major Liza Sanders is about to take Destiny by storm—the boat, that is. When Liza discovered that her beloved band was losing funding, she found Destiny, a luxury cruise ship complete with pools, midnight chocolate buffets, and a $25,000 spring break talent show prize.

Liza can’t imagine senior year without the band, and nothing will distract her from achieving victory. She’s therefore not interested when her old camp crush, Lenny, shows up on board, looking shockingly hipster-hot. And she’s especially not interested in Russ, the probably-as-dumb-as-he-is-cute prankster jock whose ex, Demi, happens be Liza’s ex–best friend and leader of the Athenas, a show choir that’s the band’s greatest competition.

But it’s not going to be smooth sailing. After the Destiny breaks down, all of Liza’s best-laid plans start to go awry. Liza likes to think of herself as an expert at almost everything, but when it comes to love, she’s about to find herself lost at sea.

I loved Lauren Morrill's debut, and her sophomore novel was cute, but I have to admit that I was completely underwhelmed by her newest novel. It was cute, but it's that kind of cute where I'm cringing at what I know is coming because you can just tell that a disaster is on the horizon. I almost put it aside at 30%. To be completely honest, I almost put it aside several times with no intention of picking it back up, but I just kept hoping that it would redeem itself, especially considering how much I enjoyed her previous novels.

It's just…this book felt glaringly familiar. As in, I'd seem pretty much this same premise in Meant to Be. It's like she took versions of the same characters from her first book and rewrote them into this book. But instead of gallivanting around London, they were cavorting on a cruise ship. Same kinds of hijinks. Same bad decisions. Just more cringeworthy.

I didn't hate this book. It just wasn't nearly as fun as I'd hoped. Especially since I'd been anticipating it for a year. And it felt like the focus of the book -- the competition for $25k to save the band -- was lost along the way because of the romance drama.

Because of the similarities to Meant To Be, this book was extremely predictable. Not that her first book wasn't predictable in its own right, but it was still cute enough to keep me entertained, and I was able to look past it. The same can't be said for The Trouble With Destiny.

I really wanted to love this novel, especially with that adorable cover. But I barely made it to the end…and I was cringing all the way. I'm not giving up on this author just because of one disappointing book, though. She's got another contemporary novel slated for release next year, and I'll at least give it a try.

GIF it to me straight:

About the author:

Lauren Elizabeth Morrill is many things, including, but not limited to, a writer, an educator, a badass roller derby skater, a former band nerd, an aggressive driver, and a die-hard Mac person. She also watches a lot of TV, eats a lot of junk food, and drinks a lot of Coke. It's a wonder her brain and teeth haven't rotted out of her head.

Lauren is the author of Meant to Be, Being Sloane Jacobs, The Trouble With Destiny, and the forthcoming My Unscripted Life (October 2016), all from Random House.

Find Lauren:

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads

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Labels: beautiful covers, contemporary, disappointments, lauren morrill, paper lantern lit, random house, reviews, the trouble with destiny

Waiting on Wednesday: The Secrets We Keep & The Trouble with Destiny

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

This week's WoW selections are...








's Pick:

Title: The Secrets We Keep
Author: Trisha Leaver
Series: n/a
Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux (BYR)
Publication Date: April 28th, 2015

A girl takes over her twin sister's identity in this emotionally charged page-turner about the complicated bond between sisters.

Ella and Maddy Lawton are identical twins. Ella has spent her high school years living in popular Maddy's shadows, but she has never been envious of Maddy. In fact, she's chosen the quiet, safe confines of her sketchbook over the constant battle for attention that has defined Maddy's world.

When—after a heated argument—Maddy and Ella get into a tragic accident that leaves her sister dead, Ella wakes up in the hospital surrounded by loved ones who believe she is Maddy. Feeling responsible for Maddy's death and everyone's grief, Ella makes a split-second decision to pretend to be Maddy. Soon, Ella realizes that Maddy's life was full of secrets. Caught in a web of lies, Ella is faced with two options—confess her deception or live her sister's life.

Twins!!!! Identical. Books involving twins always suck me in. I blame Parent Trap from when I was young. Granted one of these twins bites it, but hey!! I love the idea of her being stuck in her lie, pretending to be her dead sister. I'm really curious to see how she pulls that off. I'm guessing it won't work out too well.

I probably shouldn't be so excited for this one, it will more than likely make me cry, or at least sniffle a bit.





's Pick:



Title: The Trouble with Destiny
Author: Lauren Morrill
Series: n/a
Publisher: Delacorte
Publication Date: Fall 2015

It’s not about the destination, it’s about the journey. . . .

With her trusty baton and six insanely organized clipboards, drum major Liza Sanders is about to take Destiny by storm—the boat, that is. When Liza discovered that her beloved band was losing funding, she found Destiny, a luxury cruise ship complete with pools, midnight chocolate buffets, and a $25,000 spring break talent show prize.

Liza can’t imagine senior year without the band, and nothing will distract her from achieving victory. She’s therefore not interested when her old camp crush, Lenny, shows up on board, looking shockingly hipster-hot. And she’s especially not interested in Russ, the probably-as-dumb-as-he-is-cute prankster jock whose ex, Demi, happens be Liza’s ex–best friend and leader of the Athenas, a show choir that’s the band’s greatest competition.

But it’s not going to be smooth sailing. After the Destiny breaks down, all of Liza’s best-laid plans start to go awry. Liza likes to think of herself as an expert at almost everything, but when it comes to love, she’s about to find herself lost at sea.

Oh my gosh, this just sounds adorably nerdy and funny and I just love Lauren Morrill, so I'll definitely be picking this one up come Fall of next year. Goodness, I'm already featuring books that come out a year from now...I've hit an all-time low, lol.

What are you desperately waiting for this Wednesday? Let us know in the comments or share a link to your own WoW post!

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Labels: beautiful covers, contemporary, lauren morrill, macmillan, random house, the secrets we keep, the trouble with destiny, trisha leaver, waiting on wednesday (wow)

{Mini} Reviews: Being Sloane Jacobs by Lauren Morrill and See Me by Wendy Higgins

Title: Being Sloane Jacobs
Author: Lauren Morrill
Narrator: Shelby Lewis, Devon Sorvari
Series: n/a
Publisher: Listening Library
Publication Date: January 7th, 2014
Source: purchased audio
Purchase: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Audible

Meet Sloane Emily Jacobs: a seriously stressed-out figure-skater from Washington, D.C., who choked during junior nationals and isn’t sure she’s ready for a comeback. What she does know is that she’d give anything to escape the mass of misery that is her life.

Now meet Sloane Devon Jacobs, a spunky ice hockey player from Philly who’s been suspended from her team for too many aggressive hip checks. Her punishment? Hockey camp, now, when she’s playing the worst she’s ever played. If she messes up? Her life will be over.

When the two Sloanes meet by chance in Montreal and decide to trade places for the summer, each girl thinks she’s the lucky one: no strangers to judge or laugh at Sloane Emily, no scouts expecting Sloane Devon to be a hero. But it didn’t occur to Sloane E. that while avoiding sequins and axels she might meet a hockey hottie—and Sloane D. never expected to run into a familiar (and very good-looking) face from home. It’s not long before the Sloanes discover that convincing people you’re someone else might be more difficult than being yourself.

Being Sloane Jacobs was just okay for me. I knew what it was about going in. I knew it wasn’t going to be all that deep. That it was a cross between Parent Trap and The Cutting Edge…. I knew all that. Did it stop me? Nope. I thought that was the kind of read I was in the mood for.

I think maybe part of me hoped it would be more original, less predictable. My biggest issue I think was the Narrators. I loved the Narrator for Sloane Devon. The Narrator for Sloane Emily though annoyed me. By the end of the book she didn’t quite sound like nails on a chalk board at least. If not for Sloane Devon, I probably would have DNF’d.

In a nutshell, you have two Sloane Jacob’s who want to run away from their lives. They meet at a hotel before summer camp and decide to switch places. One goes to Hockey, the other goes to Figure Skating. While I found some of their adventures entertaining, I didn’t particularly find them believable. I rolled my eyes a little, but I did laugh. There were some funny moments.

One thing I detested was the talk of Sloane Devon’s smelly hockey gear. Guys, this bothered me. They mentioned how it smelled like dead fish on more than one occasion, and I was so grossed out. They switched clothes, right, so they switched skates and stuff. So Sloane Emily was wearing Sloane Devon’s nasty smelly gear and I just wanted to gag. In fact, I think I did at one point. At least they thought to keep their own undies because that would just be crossing the line.

Overall, it wasn’t bad, just not that great. I loved Meant to Be, so maybe I was expecting more. I do think this will appeal to some readers though, maybe a younger crowd.

Throw these bitches on skates and presto!! you have a book

About the author:


Lauren Elizabeth Morrill is many things, including, but not limited to, a writer, an educator, a badass roller derby skater, a former band nerd, an aggressive driver, and a die-hard Mac person. She also watches a lot of TV, eats a lot of junk food, and drinks a lot of Coke. It's a wonder her brain and teeth haven't rotted out of her head.

Her first novel, Meant to Be, sold in a two-book deal to Wendy Loggia at Delacorte for Paper Lantern Lit.

Find Lauren:

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads

Title: See Me
Author: Wendy Higgins
Series: n/a
Publisher: Self Pub
Publication Date: March 17th, 2014
Source: Purchased
Purchase: Amazon | Barnes & Noble

While most seventeen-year-old American girls would refuse to let their parents marry them off to a stranger, Robyn Mason dreams of the mysterious McKale in Ireland, wondering how he’ll look and imagining his cute Irish accent. Prearranged bindings are common for magical families like her own, however when she travels to the whimsical Emerald Isle she discovers there’s more to her betrothal and McKale’s clan than she was led to believe.

What starts as an obligatory pairing between Robyn and McKale morphs over time into something they both need. But one giant obstacle stands in the way of their budding romance: a seductive and deadly Fae princess accustomed to getting what she wants—and what she wants is McKale as her plaything. Love, desire, and jealousies collide as Robyn’s family and McKale’s clan must work together to outsmart the powerful Faeries and preserve the only hope left for their people.

See Me is my first experience reading Wendy Higgins. It was my friend Jess’s pick that week and it looked cute so we dove right in. I liked it, it was adorable, but it wasn’t great.

Robyn has been betrothed since she was a baby, to son from another magical family. So it starts off with them getting ready to head out to Ireland so she can finally meet him before they get hitched. Ahh the mysterious McHale, there is more too his family than Robyn knows, and when she finds out it’s pretty darn funny.

The Fae play a big part in this story, especially the Fae Princess who wants McHale all to herself. I enjoyed watching Robyn and McHale get to know each other but I felt like the Fae presence wasn’t written as strongly as it could be. That’s to be expected though. I believe this was something Higgin’s wrote ages ago before she published anything.

Also the ending was kinda lame, both Jess and I were left saying to each other… “That’s it?” It was a fun quick read though, and I’d be willing to try other works by this author.

What kind of ending was that? 

About the author:

After earning a bachelors in Creative Writing from George Mason University and a masters in Curriculum and Instruction from Radford, Wendy taught high school English until becoming a mommy. Writing Young Adult (YA) stories gives her the opportunity to delve into the ambiguities of those pivotal, daunting, and exciting years before adulthood.

She lives in Northern Virginia with her husband, daughter, and son. Sweet Evil is her debut novel.

Find Wendy:

Website | Twitter | Goodreads | Pinterest | Facebook | Tumblr

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Labels: being sloane jacobs, contemporary, faeries, lauren morrill, paranormal, parent trap, reviews, see me, wendy higgins

Review: Being Sloane Jacobs by Lauren Morrill

Title: Being Sloane Jacobs
Author: Lauren Morrill
Series: stand-alone
Publisher: Delacorte
Publication Date: January 7, 2014
Source: received from publisher via Netgalley
Purchase: Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Meet Sloane Emily Jacobs: a seriously stressed-out figure-skater from Washington, D.C., who choked during junior nationals and isn’t sure she’s ready for a comeback. What she does know is that she’d give anything to escape the mass of misery that is her life.

Now meet Sloane Devon Jacobs, a spunky ice hockey player from Philly who’s been suspended from her team for too many aggressive hip checks. Her punishment? Hockey camp, now, when she’s playing the worst she’s ever played. If she messes up? Her life will be over.

When the two Sloanes meet by chance in Montreal and decide to trade places for the summer, each girl thinks she’s the lucky one: no strangers to judge or laugh at Sloane Emily, no scouts expecting Sloane Devon to be a hero. But it didn’t occur to Sloane E. that while avoiding sequins and axels she might meet a hockey hottie—and Sloane D. never expected to run into a familiar (and very good-looking) face from home. It’s not long before the Sloanes discover that convincing people you’re someone else might be more difficult than being yourself.

If you'll remember, I just about squee'd my pants with excitement over Lauren Morrill's debut, Meant to Be. That story was completely adorable and had me giggling like a school girl over the zany antics of Jason and Julia.  The antics perpetrated by The Sloanes were no less zany and no less adorable, and I ended up loving Lauren's sophomore novel almost as much as her debut, which I've featured here on the blog prominently, as it's one of my favorite new contemporaries.

Both Sloanes are experiencing issues on and off the ice, and both are willing to do just about anything to escape those problems.  So, when a chance encounter leaves them with the opportunity to do just that, there's nothing and no one standing in their way, and they switch lives for a summer of new experiences, new obstacles, and new love.  Little do they know that running away never solves anything, and their problems have only just begun.

True, this novel requires the suspension of disbelief from the reader, as there are quite a few plot holes to be overlooked and the general plausibility of such a situation is called into question many times.  But if you can bring yourself to overlook that and focus on the novel in a purely entertaining fashion, I think you'll be pleased with the end result.  It is not a perfect book, but it is definitely a fun book.  Think The Parent Trap meets The Cutting Edge and you'd have a fairly apt comparison.

This story is told from both Sloane's perspectives, and unlike a lot of books that attempt the dual POV,  Being Sloane Jacobs actually does it effectively.  The author manages to make each girls' voice unique, which is apparently difficult to do for characters of the opposite sex for some authors, so I'm doubly impressed that Morrill was able to accomplish this task so brilliantly.  Each Sloane had similar reasons for agreeing to switch lives for several weeks, but even so, they were very different girls with very different lives, and that was portrayed well in this narrative.

Being Sloane Jacobs fares on the lighter side of YA, but I think it's too-cute role reversal plot can be enjoyed by all ages. Especially since the story focuses on the girls, their bond, and their ability to overcome life's little obstacles, rather than on the summer romances they each start up.  Those were cute, but they weren't the focal point of The Sloanes' summers, much to my delight.

I knew what to expect from this story going into it, and it delivered.  Which is to say, the book oversimplifies things a bit and comes in an entirely neat and tidy package, but it still manages to be highly entertaining in the process.  It was a jaunty little read that left me content and smiling, and sometimes, as with this book, that's all I'm looking for.  Yes, it was a fluffy read, but it was a well-written one from a great new voice in YA contemporary literature.  It's a little bit cheesy and a lotta bit fun, and if you're looking for a cute read to help pass the time until Isla is finally, finally in your hands, I think this just might be the book for you.

GIF it to me straight:

Adorable AND full of girl power.

(I'm seriously going to teach my daughter to do this in her Jeep. :P)

About the author:

LAUREN MORRILL grew up in Maryville, Tennessee, where she was a short-term Girl Scout, a (not so) proud member of the marching band, and a trouble-making editor for the school newspaper. She graduated from Indiana University with a major in history and a minor in rock & roll, and now lives in Macon, GA with her husband and their dog, Lucy. When she's not writing, she spends a lot of hours getting knocked around on the track playing roller derby.

Find Lauren:

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads

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Labels: being sloane jacobs, contemporary, lauren morrill, paper lantern lit, random house, reviews

Teaser Tuesday #86: Being Sloane Jacobs by Lauren Morrill

Teaser Tuesday is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (Make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

Here's what I'm teasing this week:

Title: Being Sloane Jacobs
Author: Lauren Morrill
Series: stand-alone
Publisher: Delacorte
Publication Date: January 7, 2014
Source: received from publisher via Netgalley
Purchase: Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Meet Sloane Emily Jacobs: a seriously stressed-out figure-skater from Washington, D.C., who choked during junior nationals and isn’t sure she’s ready for a comeback. What she does know is that she’d give anything to escape the mass of misery that is her life.

Now meet Sloane Devon Jacobs, a spunky ice hockey player from Philly who’s been suspended from her team for too many aggressive hip checks. Her punishment? Hockey camp, now, when she’s playing the worst she’s ever played. If she messes up? Her life will be over.

When the two Sloanes meet by chance in Montreal and decide to trade places for the summer, each girl thinks she’s the lucky one: no strangers to judge or laugh at Sloane Emily, no scouts expecting Sloane Devon to be a hero. But it didn’t occur to Sloane E. that while avoiding sequins and axels she might meet a hockey hottie—and Sloane D. never expected to run into a familiar (and very good-looking) face from home. It’s not long before the Sloanes discover that convincing people you’re someone else might be more difficult than being yourself.

My teaser:

"Let me at least help you to the door."  He gives me the single most genuine smile I've ever seen.  My chest aches.  I don't want to say good night to him.  It's like saying goodbye to home all over again.

- Loc 1797, 50% of galley

Aw.  My chest aches for her.  But I can't help but think that these two girls brought this "parent-trap" type dilemma on themselves. :-/  I loved Lauren's debut and I'm loving her sophomore novel just as much.

What are you teasing this week?  Share it in the comments or leave a link so I can visit!

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Labels: all the swoons, beautiful covers, being sloane jacobs, contemporary, favorites, lauren morrill, must-read, random house

Waiting on Wednesday: Being Sloane Jacobs by Lauren Morrill

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

This week's WoW selection is...

Title: Being Sloane Jacobs
Author: Lauren Morrill
Series: n/a
Publisher: Delacorte
Publication Date: January 7, 2014

Meet Sloane Emily Jacobs: a seriously stressed-out figure-skater from Washington, D.C., who choked during junior nationals and isn’t sure she’s ready for a comeback. What she does know is that she’d give anything to escape the mass of misery that is her life.

Now meet Sloane Devon Jacobs, a spunky ice hockey player from Philly who’s been suspended from her team for too many aggressive hip checks. Her punishment? Hockey camp, now, when she’s playing the worst she’s ever played. If she messes up? Her life will be over.

When the two Sloanes meet by chance in Montreal and decide to trade places for the summer, each girl thinks she’s the lucky one: no strangers to judge or laugh at Sloane Emily, no scouts expecting Sloane Devon to be a hero. But it didn’t occur to Sloane E. that while avoiding sequins and axels she might meet a hockey hottie—and Sloane D. never expected to run into a familiar (and very good-looking) face from home. It’s not long before the Sloanes discover that convincing people you’re someone else might be more difficult than being yourself.

I just loved Lauren Morrill's debut, Meant to Be, to pieces, and I'm expecting this sophomore novel to be just as adorable.  And from the sounds of it, I won't be disappointed.  :)  Also, I love this cover.  It's so colorful and cute, just like the one for MtB.  I'm sensing a pattern here...lol.


(My daughter was sitting with me when I was working on this post, and we're taking her to see Despicable Me 2 tomorrow, so she pretty much told me I  had to post this GIF since we are also waiting on this movie.  :D)

Now that you know what I'm dying to read, what are you waiting on this week?  Feel free to share it in the comments or leave a link so I can stop by!

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Labels: beautiful covers, being sloane jacobs, contemporary, iwantsit-iwantsitnow, lauren morrill, paper lantern lit, waiting on wednesday (wow)

Fire & Ice Blog Hop: Meant to Be by Lauren Morrill - Guest Post + Giveaway

I am sooo happy to be taking part in the Fire & Ice Blog Hop!  I'm also super excited to be featuring the author of my new favorite YA contemporary!  My 4yo daughter even loved the cover so much it inspired this post.  So, without further ado, I'd like to welcome Lauren Morrill, author of Meant to Be, to the blog today!

A lot of my readers have asked me if I'm writing a sequel to Meant to Be, and the answer to that is ... not right now! I wouldn't rule it out, but I'm pretty pleased with how Meant to Be ended. However, I do like to think about what Julia and Jason did after they left London. Which is why I'm bringing you -- exclusively! -- Julia & Jason's first date after they get back to Boston ... well, Cambridge! I think Julia would have insisted on paying a visit to the mothership, aka Harvard University. You know she's busily preparing her application!

Dinner at Bartley's Burger Cottage

Bartley's is a Cambridge landmark, and with Julia and Jason both sharing healthy appetites for junk food, I can only imagine that Bartley's would be one of their favorite places. Julia would order the Tom Brady (a burger topped with cheddar, guacamole, lettuce, tomato, and red onion) and a side of fries, while Jason would favor the Mark Zuckerburg (boursin cheese and bacon) with sweet potato fries. If it was a particularly warm night, they'd take one of the sidewalk tables, where Jason would slip fries to all the passing dogs.

Movie at the Brattle Theater

After dinner, the pair would wander through Harvard Square, stopping for a movie at the historic Brattle Theater. Here, they'd partake of a little Brit flashback, with a double feature of Monty Python and the Holy Grail and Life of Brian. It would be the perfect movie compromise for Julia and Jason: he goes for the slapstick, she goes for the smart British humor. Popcorn and cokes, of course!

Dessert at LA Burdick

After a double feature, they're ready for dessert, and there's no place better than LA Burdick. As much as Julia would like to split a famous chocolate frappe with two straws, they both know they'll need their own! They'd also order an assortment of Burdick's chocolate goodies. Jason would take a bite out of everything, while Julia methodically worked her way through trying to figure out her favorite item. I think she'd be partial to the raspberry macarons, while Jason would be wolfing down their chocolate mice.

A stroll along the Charles

After a sugar boost, Julia and Jason would cap off their evening with a stroll along the Charles River, where Jason would attempt to reenact their London pond plunge (but this time, Julia knows what's up and dodges!).

Thanks for letting me share Julia and Jason's first date with you! It let me relive my four years I spent living in Boston and Cambridge, and if you ever see on Twitter that I'm visiting, you'll now know where to find me! And if you look hard, you might just see one tiny little swimmer with a book in her purse alongside a gangly redhead in a Red Sox cap!

Holy WOW!  I love this post!  Julia & Jason's first date!!!!  And we got to be a part of it!  Thanks ever so much to Lauren Morrill for putting this together for my readers!

Title:  Meant to Be
Author:  Lauren Morrill
Series:  stand-alone
Publisher:  Delacorte
Publication Date:  November 13, 2012
Purchase:  Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Meant to be or not meant to be . . . that is the question.

It's one thing to fall head over heels into a puddle of hazelnut coffee, and quite another to fall for the—gasp—wrong guy. Straight-A junior Julia may be accident prone, but she's queen of following rules and being prepared. That's why she keeps a pencil sharpener in her purse and a pocket Shakespeare in her, well, pocket. And that's also why she's chosen Mark Bixford, her childhood crush, as her MTB ("meant to be").
 
But this spring break, Julia's rules are about to get defenestrated (SAT word: to be thrown from a window) when she's partnered with her personal nemesis, class-clown Jason, on a school trip to London. After one wild party, Julia starts receiving romantic texts . . . from an unknown number! Jason promises to help discover the identity of her mysterious new suitor if she agrees to break a few rules along the way. And thus begins a wild goose chase through London, leading Julia closer and closer to the biggest surprise of all: true love.
 
Because sometimes the things you least expect are the most meant to be.

About the author:

LAUREN MORRILL grew up in Maryville, Tennessee, where she was a short-term Girl Scout, a (not so) proud member of the marching band, and a trouble-making editor for the school newspaper. She graduated from Indiana University with a major in history and a minor in rock & roll, and now lives in Macon, GA with her husband and their dog, Lucy. When she's not writing, she spends a lot of hours getting knocked around on the track playing roller derby. Meant to Be is her first novel.

Find out more about Lauren & her novels:

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads

And to support the author and celebrate my love for this book, I'm giving away a Meant to Be prize pack featuring:

• a copy of Meant to Be by Lauren Morrill
• a pocket Shakespeare (you'll understand it's significance once you read MtB)
• a set of Shakespearean magnetic poetry

Rules:

• This giveaway is open to residents of the US only, sorry.  But I do have another international giveaway coming soon!
• One entry per household.
• All entries will be verified.  Any entry found to be falsified will result in disqualification of all entries for that participant.
• Winner will be notified via email.  Winner will then have 48 hours to respond before another winner will be selected.  Please check your SPAM folders!
• I am not responsible for lost packages.

And now on to the fun stuff!  You only have to follow my blog to enter, but all other entries/follows are appreciated!  :D

a Rafflecopter giveaway

I hope you enjoyed this peek at life after Meant to Be for Julia and Jason!  Thanks for stopping by & happy reading!

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Labels: extras, favorites, fire and ice, giveaway hops, giveaways, guest post, lauren morrill, meant to be