MEANT TO BE is an extremely cute and wonderful little story. It is light and fluffy as air, but a quite engaging tale nonetheless. (The manuscript was an RWA Golden Hearts finalist in 2012). MEANT TO BE is a debut novel, and the beginning of a new series, Anchor Island. Readers are left believing that Terri Osburn has a bright writing future ahead of her.

Beth is on her way to Anchor Island to meet the family of her fiancé Lucas. He doesn't make the trip with her, however. Lucas is a driven lawyer trying to work his way into full partner, and is held back by an important case; leaving Beth on the island alone for the better part of two weeks. The first person she meets is Joe Dempsey, Lucas' brother. The first meeting does not go well. Joe has his own ideas on what kind of a woman his brother would marry, and Beth doesn't fit that image at all.

Left to her own devices, Beth wanders the island and becomes friendly with the natives. She also spends a lot of time with Joe, and first impressions fall to the wayside as they become increasingly attracted to each other. Beth also becomes embroiled in a subplot about greedy investors trying to buy up the island to put up a fancy resort; an effort spearheaded by none other than Joe's nasty ex-fiancé Cassie. This is an interesting storyline, but it ultimately just went away without much in the way of resolution.

I enjoyed the story, and especially the characters populating the town. Joe's dog Dozer was an interesting character all on his own. There are several possibilities for future romances. The townspeople are well-drawn and had distinct personalities (good or bad). The only real nit I had with the story was that the Lucas/Beth/Joe conflict was resolved incredibly quickly and easily. The triangle was an issue right up to the end of the book, and was then suddenly resolved in just a few pages.

Still, MEANT TO BE is an extremely fun read, and the series looks to be well worth continuing. Next up is Lucas and Sid, the not-so-feminine boat mechanic (who has long harbored a crush on Lucas). MEANT TO BE is a recommended read, and is an excellent debut novel.