Meant For Now
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Hi Friends,
I got bit by the bookworm hard these last couple of weeks. Devoured 3 books in record time. Don’t worry, I won’t overwhelm you with all three reviews in one go. Let’s start with my favorite of the three, “Meant For Now” by Allison Speka.
Quick synopsis: For most of Frankie’s life she has been working hard to climb that corporate ladder, until the day she was let go from her dream job. Not knowing what her next step will be, she decides to go for an extended stay with her sister in Key Ridge, CO. There she meets a handsome stranger who she can tell is in no way right for her.
Oliver is a free spirit, likes to take things one day at a time. Of course as fate would have it, the two have found themselves meeting more often than not. With her desperate to find her next plan, and Oliver completely aimless, the two strike up a deal. Oliver is determined to show Frankie a good time, while she’s hoping she can give some structure to his life.
Even though everything about them isn’t meant to be, maybe they’re meant for now…
Non-spoiler review:
First and foremost, I love anything and everything that Allison Speka has written. I have read all 8 of her books and am excited to read the others she has on the way. This book is very much heavy on the banter, light on the spice. Just how I like it. Very much an early 2000’s rom-com as she likes to put it.
I related to Frankie at the beginning of the story, a lot. A few years ago I felt the same. My life was super planned out, I knew the goals I had to hit, but then life took a sharp left turn. And gosh golly, I wasn’t wearing a seatbelt.
Frankie’s character is a little extreme when it comes to her career goals. She takes the term, “work a holic” very seriously. When she goes to stay with her sister, she barely leaves the guest room because she is writing and rewriting her resume. But one night, she is out at a bar where she meets our MMC, Oliver.
There the two exchange some banter, then as they are parting ways, Frankie goes for it and kisses Oliver. Sparks fly. It’s cute as shit.
This is written in both Frankie’s and Oliver’s POVs. Which I love. Getting to know what’s going on in both MC’s minds is what makes a romance novel even better.
The story unfolds like any good rom-com. It’s predictable, silly, and at times corny. Meant for Now is such a great pallet cleanser of a story. Giving you those feel-good vibes to really escape your own reality of work and responsibilities.
BEWARE: Spoilers ahead:
I don’t think there will be too many spoilers for this book. Since I have a feeling everyone understands how the formula for these kinds of stories play out.
Girl meets boy.
We’ve established they met at a bar where the sparks were going off.
They get to know each other.
Come to find out, Oliver is really good friends with Frankie’s brother-in-law. So during her stay in Key Ridge they see each other a lot more frequently than she anticipated. One moment that I absolutely LOVED, was when Frankie took Oliver aside and told him that the kiss they shared at the bar was not going to repeat and was very out of character for her. Oliver assumed that she didn’t want him to tell anybody that it happened, but she quickly responded with something like, “Are you kidding? I already told my sister. We are adults.” So great. Getting it out in the open is such a relief. I understand that in movies and books they need conflict, so they make the characters not say things correctly to move along the plot. But this made me so happy that we wouldn’t have to do that silly little dance for this story.
Don’t admit their feelings for a while.
As more time passes and they are hanging out together, you can feel the tension rising. It’s glorious. Frankie gets a part time jon at the restaurant in the resort and Oliver is there teaching snowboarding lessons for the season. Every chance he gets he comes to the restaurant for her shift just to hang out with her some more.
They kiss…again and tell each other how they feel.
Once they become honest with each they start a “situationship.” They are both aware that the other person is just not right for them, but they can’t deny the chemistry is strong. After the season is over, Oliver doesn’t really have a plan for where he will be jetting off too next, and Frankie is interviewing for a fancy job in New York City. Even knowing these factors, they decided to keep seeing each other for the time being. Oliver is getting Frankie out of her shell a little more each day. While Frankie is trying to get Oliver to make some sort of plan for his life.
During this time they are getting to know more and more about each other. Oliver is opening up about his childhood and the rift between his mother and him. Even talking about how, when he was young, he was not very close with his brother, but now they speak way more often. Frankie is starting to question whether or not she actually wants to find another job like the one she had. She’s learning there is more to life than spreadsheets and meetings.
Something happens to cause them to fight or break-up.
After a couple weeks the two of them are really falling in love with each other. They just won’t admit it. Frankie accepted a job offer from the company in New York and Oliver is taking on a summer job on the west coast. When Oliver says goodbye to Frankie it brings tears to my eyes. He doesn’t want to let her go but he knows he has to. So they part ways knowing they will never see each other again. Or so we think.
The grand gesture.
On the short flight to Denver, Frankie makes the realization that she’s madly in love with Oliver and just doesn’t want to be apart. She decides to decline the job and stay with him. When she gets off the plane she makes a mad dash for the ticket counter to see if she can get a flight back to Key Ridge to see Oilver.
Litte does she know, Oliver took a flight to Denver to try and catch her before her connecting flight to NY. When the two meet in the airport it’s everything my romantic heart loves. They run into each others arms, confess their love, and decide to just wing it together. (Don’t mind me just melting into a pile of warm and fuzzy feelings.)
The epilogue takes place about a year later, and no it’s not them getting married. It’s from Oliver’s POV explaining how their life is looking on the road. They travel a lot for all the different jobs Oliver takes and Frankie even got an awesome marketing job that she’s able to do remotely. I like that. I feel like too many books include a wedding at the end as a way to tie up everything. (Which is very ironic to me. Don’t worry if you don’t get the irony, I’ll be able explain it in about 2.5 years.😉)
The End.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 5/5 Stars