From the Fated Loves collection by USA-Today bestselling author Edie Claire, a 4.5-star Romantic Times Top Pick and winner of the Romance Reviews Today Perfect Ten Award
When nothing is as it seems, all you can do is trust your heart...
On the eve of her thirtieth birthday, Meara O'Rourke can't help but feel alone. With her last remaining relative newly buried and her potentially disastrous engagement freshly broken, she makes a resolution to begin her life anew -- only to have an unexpected phone call turn her whole world upside down. Her biological mother Sheila, whom she met only once six years before, lies in critical condition in a nearby hospital. And though the woman once refused to see her daughter ever again -- her last wish is just the opposite.
A few whispered words, and Sheila is gone. But the questions she has put into her daughter's head, and the historic stone inn she has unknowingly bequeathed, sweep Meara up into the whirlwind of another life -- and a legacy of deception. When Meara begins to have memories of a place she's never been, she realizes that while finding out the truth about her birth and adoption could answer all her questions -- it could also tear her apart.
"A marvelous story that skillfully interweaves romance with the mystery... Claire makes each element of this terrific tale count." June 2004 Top Pick -- Romantic Times Bookclub Magazine
"An absorbing family mystery... there's no denying that this story is suspenseful." -- Publisher's Weekly
"One of the best books I have read this year... An element of suspense runs through the pages, and the endearing tale builds to a crescendo of excitement and thrill while warming the heart. Meant To Beis a powerful story of love, healing, discovery and truth... I closed the covers wishing I could stay inside the green world of Meara and Fletcher's mountain. Ms. Claire has woven a tale that touched my soul and will live as a cherished keeper to read again and again. I am pleased to award Meant To Be our finest honor, RRT's Perfect 10" Perfect 10 Award -- Romance Reviews Today
"Intriguing and thought provoking... don't be surprised if you need a tissue or two along the way. Edie Claire has written another keeper." Rating: 9/10 -- Contemporary Romance Writers
"Edie Claire has a flair for creating a strong and suspenseful narrative that still contains satisfying elements of love and romance... the suspense which continues unabated through the length of the novel holds readers utterly captivated while the compelling story and growing romance tug at their heartstrings... richly imagined and very insightful, Meant To Be is destined for the keeper shelf." -- Road to Romance
"This very involving novel combines the best of suspense and romance... The revelations continue almost until the final pages, and will keep the reader thoroughly engrossed." -- Romance Reader's Connection
"A wonderful book The story displays a depth of emotion and character that is truly refreshing... a joy to read." -- Fallen Angel Reviews
"The feel of a thoroughly modern subject with a slightly Gothic mood." -- New and Previously Owned Books
"A story that will tear at your heart... excellent offering from a premier author." -- Writers Unlimited
"A paragon of superbly written, compelling women's literature." -- My Shelf
Originally published in 2004 by Warner Books (Warner Forever).