Becky Wade has become one of my favorite authors in the Christian fiction genre lately. Back in March, I read her debut novel, My Stubborn Heart, and absolutely loved it. I read her second book, Undeniably Yours, earlier this month and really enjoyed it, too.
So of course I was excited about her latest release, Meant to Be Mine. I didn't really know what the book was about until I received a copy and read the back...I just knew that it was somehow connected with Undeniably Yours, because they're listed as part of the same series on Goodreads. It turns out that the main male character in the new book is the younger brother of the main guy in Undeniably Yours. (I'm really hoping this means that Jake's story is coming next?)
First of all, I have to say that this story might not be what you'd usually expect from this genre. It starts off with a spontaneous wedding in Las Vegas and involves a "secret baby" plotline, but I don't want to spoil anything so I won't say much else about that. (That information is included on the back cover, so I don't feel like I'm giving anything away.)
I love Becky Wade's writing style. It just seems so realistic. Her characters often think or speak in ways that I feel are really natural, instead of having that stilted or awkward feeling that sometimes happens in contemporaries. And though she's not overly descriptive, one of the things that I've noticed (with all of her novels) is that I can clearly picture the settings and characters and exactly what's going on. (There's a house in my area that I always pictured in my head as the house they're renovating in My Stubborn Heart. Every time I drive past it, it reminds me of that book, which is nice. :)
I really liked Celia as a character. She was likable and I could definitely understand her motivations for her actions and all of the reservations and mistrust she had during most of the story. The bedtime stories that she told Addie cracked me up. :) Speaking of Addie, she was adorable. Ty, on the other hand...well, it took me a while to warm up to him. He doesn't exactly start off in the most positive light! And since I had just read about his brother Bo, who's such a nice guy, it made Ty's flaws seem even more noticeable. By the end of the book, though, I had come to appreciate Ty. (One thing I did love right from the beginning is the fact that he's a bull rider. Random fact: I used to love to watch bullriding, and when I was younger, my family went to a PBR event every year. We even went to a few local bullriding events.)
The pace of this book felt a little slower and more relaxed than with Wade's first two books. I guess that's because there's a sort of deadline in both of those, but here it's just about the lives and relationships of the characters. Of course, I don't mind a slower plot in the least.
I really enjoyed Meant to Be Mine. I was honestly expecting it to be a little similar to Undeniably Yours (a Texas-style love story), but it was so different. I still think Becky Wade's first book is my favorite of her three so far, but this one cemented my love for her stories. I'll continue to read whatever she writes...and keep my fingers crossed that the third Porter brother's story is coming soon. :) And what about Dru? I'd like to hear her story, too...
*Note: I received this book for free from Bethany House Publishers in exchange for an honest review.*