Meant To Be [Mass Market Paperback]

Edie Claire (Author)

Book Description

Series: Warner Forever | Publication Date: June 2004

Edie Clare writes a follow-up to her women's fiction debut "Long Time Coming" with a compelling story about a young woman who inherits an estate and finds love unexpectedly.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

An absorbing family mystery propels Claire's newest offering (after Long Time Coming), which follows 30-year-old Meara O'Rourke as she tries to piece together the circumstances surrounding her birth and adoption. Before she died, Meara's birth mother whispered an ominous message: "I was protecting you. Rosemary died. Stay...." Afterward, Meara learns she has inherited half ownership of Laurel Ridge, an estate that belonged to her birth mother's newly acquired husband, Mitchell Black. Mitchell's icy son Fletcher isn't willing to let a virtual stranger claim half of his childhood home, but he allows Meara to stay at Laurel Ridge while she solves the mystery of her mother's baffling words. Fletcher slowly warms toward Meara as the story progresses, but there's never any doubt the two will get together; after all, they both love nature, children and homemade pie. Fortunately, the fascinating family puzzle at the center of the novel compensates for the lack of romantic tension. Claire reveals the details of Meara's adoption morsel by morsel, which can be maddening, and her protagonists possess all the vivacity of cooked pasta. Still, there's no denying that this story is suspenseful, which should go a long way in appeasing readers.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist

Elementary-school teacher Meara O'Rourke has just lost her parents and broken her engagement. But the most disturbing news is a phone call telling her that her birth mother, Sheila, is in intensive care. Meara met Sheila once before, but found out that everything she told her was a lie and now hasn't a clue as to why she wants to see her. It turns out that the recently married and widowed Sheila has left Meara half her husband's estate, which includes an old inn and land on Laurel Ridge in bucolic Pennsylvania. Meara soon meets Fletcher, who also owns the property. The moody gentle giant wants nothing more than for Meara to disappear, but his kind nature allows her the peace and fortitude she needs to find out about her birth parents. Fletcher warns her that she may not like the answers, but Meara needs to know. The search for the past opens up the future in Claire's compassionate romance. Patty Engelmann
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 400 pages
• Publisher: Forever (June 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0446612782
• ISBN-13: 978-0446612784
• Product Dimensions: 6.8 x 4.3 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,024,588 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Novelist and playwright Edie Claire is a veterinarian, a childbirth educator, and a mother of three who delights in writing cozy mysteries, classic and young adult romantic suspense novels, and comedic stage plays. Pick up an Edie Claire work and you can be assured of intrigue, humor, a touch of romance (or a hefty dose of it, depending on the book!) and an ending that will leave you with a smile.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

30 of 32 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars I couldn't put it down, March 10, 2007

By 

Kathleen Wagner (SWPA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Meant To Be (Mass Market Paperback)

It took me about 5 short minutes to realize that this was going to be a terrific read. Not only did it tale place in a beautiful setting, but there was a warmth that suffused not only the characters, but the story itself.
Expect a surprise near the end, and expect to be disappointed that its over.

25 of 27 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars engaging romantic with some suspense, May 26, 2004

By 

Harriet Klausner - See all my reviews
(#1 Hall OF FAME REVIEWER)    (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Meant To Be (Mass Market Paperback)

Just north of Pittsburgh, thirty year old schoolteacher Meara O'Rourke receives a phone call from a Laurel Mountain hospital stating that her mom was near death from a car accident. Meara informs the caller that her mom died a month ago after suffering from a long term illness. When the hospital administrator mentions Sheila Black, Meara realizes that the woman in the trauma center is her biological mother, whom she met once.

She arrives at the hospital where her mother warns her that Rosemary died before Sheila also passes away. Attorney David Falcon informs Meara that Sheila was married to Mitchell Black who died in the crash and that Rosemary was Mitchell's deceased first wife. She also learns that she inherited part ownership of an estate including the nineteenth century Sheepsworth Inn. Mitchell's angry son Fletcher displays hostility towards Meara. He wants her to leave and will buy her out. Instead a stubborn Meara who does not want any part of the estate refuses to sell because she believes he plans to destroy this pristine land. Meara learns more about her biological mother and Mitchell to the point that she loves him, but he remains nasty towards her, making her wonder if its time to leave while her heart still beats.

This is an engaging romantic with some suspense that occurs late in the novel. For the most part, the tale is more of a character study as Meara tries to understand her mother and Fletcher, which in turn enables the audience to better understand the lead female protagonist. Fans will appreciate this insightful tale though the intrigue comes towards the second half.

Harriet Klausner

22 of 24 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Interesting premise.., September 14, 2004

By 

skisno "skisno" (Hollis, NH USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Meant To Be (Mass Market Paperback)

This was a different, kind of creepy story. I was interested in the idea of looking for your birth parents and the possibility of encountering unsavory information. This was a satisfying book for that premise.

The story revolves around an inheritance shared with a man who turns out to be a love interest and a possible connection to the heroine's life before adoption.

I think the story and writing are good. Claire ties the story threads together quite capably for a mostly satisfying ending. Some threads are left hanging but I think that is due to some weakness in her character development. The characters were a little stiff and one-dimensional. I liked the Meara character but she didn't read like a real person. The inheritance that she shares with a brother and sister was a little implausible as was her immediate (like within 24 hours) friendship with the sister and love interest with the brother. Claire delved slighly into their characters but not enough for them to be more interesting. Although the brother was the love interest, he just comes across as a nice guy, almost too nice and too sensitive to be real.

All in all, with the main premise of seeking out your birth parents after adoption, the book succeeds. What Meara finds is interesting enough to hold your interest and keep you in suspense to the very end.