In Happily Inc, love means never having to say “I do”… eat it, too.
After years in the military, Jasper is convinced he’s too damaged for relationships. So a flirtation—and more—with fiery, determined Renee is way too good to pass up…until his flame becomes his muse.
Renee is an expert at averting every crisis. But, as feelings become more serious, is she finally ready to leap into the one thing that can never be controlled: love?
Don’t miss Susan Mallery’s latest book, The Stepsisters! A heartfelt tale of friendship between two women who used to be sisters.
Read more in the reader-favorite Happily Inc series:
Book 1: You Say It First
Book 2: Second Chance Girl
Book 3: Why Not Tonight
Book 4: Not Quite Over You
Book 5: Meant to Be Yours
Book 6: Happily This Christmas
more
Jasper and Renee. What can I say. I loved that what started out as a no strings attached arrangement turned into a full fledge relationship with some ups and downs. It was pretty cute and funny to see how Jasper, the hero, wasn’t just a perfect romance hero. He had his flaws. Made mistakes but I really liked how he owned up to them. And I really like how Renee didn’t let him get away with his high handedness. And Renee’s secret! I was not expecting that but it worked out really well. It was actually pretty cool and cute. She also had some past issues to work through but she managed to do so and just in time to grasp her happily ever after. Meant to Be Yours was a really great story. I enjoyed it very much.
*I voluntarily read an advance copy of this book*
This is the 5th book in the Happily Inc series. Each one just keeps getting better. Susan Mallery weaves a wonderful story of close friends, family, town and of course love. This story was about taking a chance at an everlasting love for Renee, the wedding planner and Jasper, the author. In these turbulent times, it’s great to be able to take some time and lose yourself in a romantic story. I was completely drawn into the story with a few tears, laughter and hope. Well done! Looking forward to the next in the series.
I am a big fan of Ms. Mallery and I enjoy each book more than the last but…this story? OMG, both main characters will grab your heart and will not let go.
Renee Grothen, a wedding planner in Happily, Inc., is a great character but she is hiding a secret from her past. Yes, we get to find out what it is but it is towards the end of the book. Can’t really say more about that because I would give away spoilers however for me, I think it is fascinating! Jasper Dembenski is a military hero, with some issues from the war, who is now an author living in Happily, Inc. The book starts with Jasper just finishing a book tour, driving an old RV cross country, where he is adopted (yes, you read that correctly) by a stray dog. Wait until you read about Koda! How these misfits get to be a family is touching and sweet and sexy and fun and SO very special.
Lots of characters from previous books pop in – no worries, this is a standalone story – and even Millie the giraffe has a walk-on. So much fun! I really loved this story, want to spirit away Jasper, Koda, and Renee, and just watch how their lives unfold. Highly recommend this story.
Susan Mallory has a knack for writing heart warming romances that invite you into the story & keep you emotionally involved to the end. In this story, Jasper is a mystery writer needed to establish a connection with the female love interest of his detective. He’s an award winning writer but can’t make her three dimensional & less wooden. Once he starts spending time with Renee, his muse takes hold & his female character comes to life. Now if he can just keep her interested in spending time with him without any possibility of it being permanent. He’s just too broken for a true relationship.
Renee is a wedding coordinator for Weddings Out of the Box. They pull out all the stops to give you the wedding of your dreams. She knows she isn’t a candidate for happily ever after but that doesn’t mean she can’t have fun. She’s been attracted to Jasper & is happy he’s only interested in short term too. You know what they say about the best laid plans!
Ms. Malley crafts characters that are down to earth & easily relatable. Happily Inc is a wonderful small town built around the wedding business. Everyone knows everyone else’s business & are there to help when needed. I love the way the characters interact & the fact that they all show up in each other’s books. You can easily read this as a stand alone but you will be pulled in & want to read them all. This story hit all of the emotions from the very beginning. Jasper rescues an older abandoned dog & seems bewildered as to why he didn’t leave him at the shelter like he’d planned. Renee is overseeing a firefighter wedding &, thanks to a fountain mishap & the bride’s younger brother, ends up drenched from head to toe. Ms. Mallory manages to get the sexual tension & intense interest across without any explicit scenes which is a wonderful change in this day.
A good heart and a soft touch could be the key to happily ever after or spell the beginning of the end for two broken soulmates. Meant to be Yours is an emotional minefield. Renee and Jasper are good people, struggling with baggage that has haunted them for years. When life throws a bone their way, can love step in and heal the unfixable parts of their souls? Mallery has a way with hearts. Even in the ugly moments, she never fails to let the sunshine in to somehow lighten the load. All it takes is a dash of humor, a ton of heart and unforgettable characters to brighten up the day.
I kinda liked the premise of the author finding his muse. I thought Jasper’s artistic quirks were funny. I found Rene annoying and when we learned the real reason of her “fear” of animals I thought it was completely off the wall ridiculous. I quit halfway thru and will return the book to the library, where I borrowed it for free (thank goodness).
This was the slowest read of any Mallery book so far. Great characters but to much of the writers struggles. The second book of Cade and Bethany was right back at the level of good reading that Susan Mallery always delivers.
Renee is a wedding coordinator who meets Jasper at a game night. Both do not want to be “involved” but a drawn to each other. Jasper is a writer who is at a loss for how to incorporate a love interest into his book. His limited experience with love and how to react emotionally –due to his past–have him observing weddings, engaged couples interactions, and, of course. Renee.
Susan Mallery keeps your interest from her intro to the end. You won’t be disappointed.
I really enjoyed this book. I think that this is the first one that I’ve read in the happily inc. series and would gladly read more. The characters are great as is the story line. I would definitely recommend this book!
Part of a series set in Happily Inc, CA. Some surprises
I really enjoyed this addition to the Happily, Inc series. I enjoy seeing characters from the previous books reappear and show the further development of their lives. In this novel Renee Grothen and Jasper Dembenski are the main characters. Renee feels like she has been betrayed by the significant men in her life and Jasper suffers from PTSD from his time in the military and both feel that they can never have a normal family life. When they are attracted to one another, they agree to a friends with benefits relationship. Anyone who has read a Happily Inc story knows this plan was doomed to failure. It was fun to read Renee and Jasper’s love story that developed as Renee helped Jasper create a female character, whose career mirrored Renee’s as a wedding planner, for his final novel in the series to create a happily ever after for his lead character.
Meant To Be Yours By Susan Mallery
Renee Grothen is a wedding planner who loves the challenge of planning the perfect wedding for couples. Jasper Dembenski is a thriller writer who loves the challenge of trying to find a new way to kill of the characters. They meet and start dating and both are scared of relationships. They have a lot of things to work through in order for them to reach their happily ever after. I really enjoyed this book and recommend for anyone looking for a great book to read.
Jasper is finishing up his book tour and on his way back when he finds himself helping a homeless pup. Plans to take him home were not what he planned.. Never having a dog he has a lot to learn. Arriving back in Happily Inc. he is ready to start on his new book. Renee is loving her job as a wedding planner. She is struggling with her past and not sure of her future. Jasper and Renee work out an agreement that seems to meet each others needs. Both are fearful of a relationship and commitment. As time goes they both realize that it might not be impossible to push past fears and jump in. I was given this book by the publisher for my honest review.
I love the series and none on them have disappointed me.
Meant to Be Yours is another in the Happily Inc series but can also be read as a stand alone. This is Jasper and Renee’s story about two people who believe they are too damaged to be in a conventional relationship. Renee’s childhood was marred by her mother’s special talent and her father leaving, then the few relationships that she had turned bad so she is certain that she has to protect her heart and privacy at all costs. Jasper is a former military man who suffers from PTSD and is now a famous writer who believes he is too damaged but Renee draws him in and he can’t stop thinking about her. From their first encounter, their relationship has many ups and downs. The development of the story and growth of the characters is beautifully written story filled with many emotions to keep the reader involved.
I love this group on Happily Inc. Renee Grothen is great at being a wedding planner. She lives and breathes for this and little else. Her life has been ok but her mother does nothing but bring stress and embarrassment to her. Jasper Dembenski is mystery writer. He has been touring in his RV and along the way, he picked up a dog that was thrown away. The two have become best friends. Game night took an interesting turn. Jasper and Renee decide they would be friends with benefits. Jasper keeps finding ways to get under Renee’s skin, which hurts her. He doesn’t mean to but how many times can you say you are sorry. Renee’s mother is a hoot. You will love her, as does everyone that works for Outside the Box. Mrs Grothen has a talk with Jasper. Hurt my daughter and you will be sorry. In the end Jasper realizes what he has and moves to make it permanent.
Great book
Terrific book. This story is about Renee, a wedding planner at Weddings Out of the Box, and Jasper, the local author who writes mystery novels. Happily is a small town, so they’ve seen each other around but don’t really know each other. That changes one games night at The Boardroom when their partnership in a game strikes unexpected sparks. Neither is interested in anything permanent, but what could go wrong with some commitment-free fun?
Renee loves her job as a wedding planner. There is nothing she enjoys more than helping a couple plan that day they will remember forever. I loved seeing the various weddings and Renee’s ability to create calm out of chaos. But as much happiness as she gets out of her work, she is convinced that there is no wedding in her future. She’s been burned in the past and believes that love is not for her. She also has a rocky relationship with her mother, thanks to a very unusual situation that has left her reluctant to have anything to do with animals.
Jasper is a very successful mystery writer who has made a home for himself in Happily Inc. He is a former soldier who had very bad PTSD when he left the service and considered himself broken to the point of being unable to have any kind of relationship. He is on the way home from his latest book tour (in an RV because he hates to fly) when he is adopted by an abandoned dog. Though a reluctant dog owner at first, it doesn’t take long for Koda to wiggle his way into Jasper’s life and heart. It quickly becomes apparent that these two are meant for each other, and I loved their scenes together.
I loved the development of the relationship between Jasper and Renee. It starts as sex-only, as neither wants anything permanent. But in a strange turn of events, they spend more time together out of bed than in it and find themselves becoming friends. Jasper asks for Renee’s help with the book he is currently writing. He’s about to end the successful series, and Jasper and his editor believe that the hero needs to fall in love. Unfortunately for Jasper, his attempts at writing a woman for Vidar have been spectacularly unsuccessful. Things get a little tense when Jasper decides that his best option is to follow Renee in her work. She is not up for that idea at all and makes her opinion quite clear. Jasper, who has a bit of tunnel vision when working, goes above Renee’s head which forces her to let him tag along. Renee is rightfully furious, and I liked the way that she told him so, explained why to the point where he saw the error of his ways and apologized. It wasn’t the only time he pulls a boneheaded move, and Renee is very good at making him face his mistakes.
Once they get past the anger, they end up spending a lot of time together. I loved watching their friendship grow and turn into something more. I loved Jasper’s fascination with Renee’s ability to help her couples find the perfect expression of their love. His enthusiasm for getting involved in the whole process, from setting up to serving drinks, was heartwarming. I also enjoyed seeing Renee’s reaction to and acceptance of Jasper’s tendency to get lost in his creative process. There were several times when they were together that he would totally lose track of when and where he was, but she never made a stink about it. Both of them realize that their feelings are changing, but neither believes that they are in a place to do anything about it.
In the midst of all of this angst, Renee’s mother, Verity, arrives for an unexpected visit. Renee has worked hard to keep her mother separate from her life in Happily Inc. because of issues that have arisen in the past. Verity has a unique talent that created problems for Renee, both when she was younger and with her most recent relationship. Renee is afraid of what will happen if her new friends find out about her mom, and she dreads the reactions. I liked Verity a lot, though I also understood Renee’s feelings. I had to laugh at the reason that brought Verity to Happily Inc., and the event that came out of it was hilarious. But in the end, it’s Verity, Jasper’s dog Koda, and Renee’s cats Fred and Lucille who help Jasper and Renee understand that they aren’t nearly as broken as they think they are. I’m looking forward to seeing more of them in future books.
When Renee and Jasper discover they aren’t who they really are and love is totally possible for “damaged” or relationship challenged people, the story takes all kinds of twists and turns and becomes a new favorite of my collection of Susan Mallery books!
This is Book 5 in the Happily, Inc. series. I enjoyed returning to Happily, Inc. Reading Meant to be Yours was like visiting old friends.
Ms. Mallery is a master of writing complex relationships. Jasper is a military veteran who suffers from PTSD. Renee struggles with issues concerning her mother and the father who abandoned them when she was young. Neither of them feels capable of being in a lasting relationship.
Meant to be Yours held my attention from the first chapter to the end…which came far too soon. I always enjoy reading Susan Mallery’s books. I recommend Meant to be Yours and the entire Happily, Inc. series to anyone who likes feel good romance with a twist of humor.