Review: AMAZING!!!
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 11 1, 2013
Raine Thomas has quickly become one of my top authors to read.  If it has her name on it, I'm definitely going to pick it up, especially after being blown away by both this novel and her previous NA release,For Everly.  Set in the same world of major league baseball, both Meant For Her and For Everly unite America's favorite pastime with angsty men, exceptional women, a bit of mystery, and much intrigue in order to create breath taking, amazing reads.While both novels are technically stand alones, Meant For Her takes place a few months after the conclusion of For Everly, following a completely different set of characters but also looking in on Everly and Cole, uniting the couples in friendship.  I loved this because, after reading For Everly, I wasn't ready to give up one of my favorite couples of all time, and it was great to see them in the background of this novel as Sierra and Evan took the lead and stole my heart.Sierra is an amazing woman, and I love the splash of photography that Thomas adds into the mix, showing scenes through the lens of the camera and really painting an amazing portrait within this novel.  Though Evan struggles to commit, Sierra's understanding and love captures his heart, and her unwavering stance made me love her from the get-go.  Evan has his moments when it's easy to love him, but he also struggles with the recent loss of his mother and, unwilling to allow himself to feel this type of loss again, he pushes everyone away.  At times, I really understood where Evan was coming from, and at others, I wanted to slap him in the face, yet Sierra never gives up on Evan and, though rebuffed time and time again, she ultimately breaks down his hard barriers.I loved the relationship between Sierra and Evan in this novel, and I enjoyed the aspect of baseball as well.  Though not a huge fan of the game, Thomas includes just enough that it's intriguing but not overwhelming as most of the novel revolves around the relationships of the characters, and the threats against Evan as a newcomer to Atlanta.  The mystery and intrigue arises here as Evan shrugs off the threats, ignoring Sierra's intuition and, ultimately, putting himself and those he loves in great peril.  Overall, the truth of the matter is somewhat of a shock because Thomas points in another direction from the start, which is another reason that I really enjoyed this novel.  It's a beautiful read, one I highly recommend, and once you finish, be sure to go back and read For Everly if you haven't already.  You won't be disappointed!