Does fate determine with whom we are destined to spend our lives, or is it simply chance? In MEANT TO BE MINE, Hannah Orenstein's delightful romance, Edie Meyer is forced to consider that very question. Her grandmother, Gloria, has correctly predicted the date on which all of her family members will meet their bashert, which is Yiddish for the true love that is meant to happen. She predicted her own meeting with Edie's grandfather, Ray, and the couple was blissfully married for many decades.

"MEANT TO BE MINE is sweet but not saccharine. It's charming and filled with feel-good family emotion. The premise is unique, and while it's a quick read, it's also thoughtfully written and features characters we root for."

Edie's twin sister, Rae, has met her true love, and they are finally getting engaged after being together for over 10 years. Now Edie's date is approaching, and she has spent years wondering and dreaming about what this encounter would be like. She is so sure of her grandmother's ability that she ended a relationship with a boyfriend she truly loved; she knew he couldn't be "the one" since they didn't meet on the "magic date." She still misses him and wonders if cutting ties with him was the right decision.

When she does meet someone on that magical date, Edie is convinced that he is "the one." Theo is a musician, and together they work in the creative arts. Edie envisions a perfect life together in New York City. She lives only blocks from Rae and her boyfriend, Max. So when Edie and Theo start to learn more about each other, Edie is dismayed that their life goals don't seem to mesh as seamlessly as she had assumed they would. But she also knows that her grandmother doesn't make mistakes.

When some family secrets are shared, Edie realizes that instead of just blindly trusting "fate," aka Gloria's vision, she might be better served to trust her own feelings. And just as we sagely nod and think to ourselves that, yes, blindly trusting fate is not sensible, Orenstein throws in a twist that makes us rethink even that notion.

MEANT TO BE MINE is sweet but not saccharine. It's charming and filled with feel-good family emotion. The premise is unique, and while it's a quick read, it's also thoughtfully written and features characters we root for. In what might be a sadly ironic twist considering recent events, the little brother of one of the characters was killed by a school shooter, which sparked his desire to work on gun control issues.

Book clubs looking for a lighter summer read that still has some discussion-worthy issues to ponder would do well to make MEANT TO BE MINE their next selection.