Meant to Be by Lauren Morrill

Julia intends on making the absolute most out of her class trip to London, but her plans are complicated when Jason is assigned to be her partner on the trip. Jason is a rule breaker and isn't serious in the least about all of the learning opportunities that Julia has highlighted in her guidebooks. But when Julia starts receiving mysterious texts after an illicit party their first night in London, all of Julia's preconceived notions about rules, travel, life, and love are challenged.

Meant to Be is a charming and romantic novel, and Morrill brings London vibrantly to life through Julia and Jason's escapades. The plot seems a bit formulaic at first, but the banter between Julia and Jason is genuinely witty and fun and the trouble that they find and narrowly avoid is so entertaining that the questionable logistics of the high school class trip and lack of supervision is easily overlooked. Morrill's characters are well rounded, and Julia's past experiences and the loss of her father contribute to her "meant to be" theory, which is gradually pulled apart at Julia falls for Jason. Morrill ends with a twist and a very satisfactory, romantic ending for the couple. Forget Paris--after reading Meant to Be, London will be the city occupying readers' imaginations.

Cover Comments: This cover is absolutely gorgeous! I love all of the colors, the green hill, and the London skyline. Such a perfect combination!

Review copy provided by publisher.