Books & Spoons Review for MEANT TO BE MINE by Marie Ferrarella

THE BOY NEXT DOOR IS BACK...AND AFTER HER HEART!

He's a "gift"--a referral from the Matchmaking Mamas--sent by Tiffany Lee's mother to do her bathroom remodel. But the real surprise is that Tiffany already knows Eddie Montoya. When they were little, he was her playground protector. When they were in college, Eddie was her campus competition. And now she's a teacher and he's her handyman?

Well, just on weekends. On Monday morning, Eddie shows up at Tiffany's school--as the new third-grade teacher. When a fund-raising contest between classes is announced, the old rivalry heats up. And it's game on! Except as the playful competition intensifies, so do their feelings for each other. And Eddie begins to wonder if they might work better...as a team.

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A well written, smoothly flowing tale of two teachers finding each other, again, with a little help of the matchmakers. I enjoyed the setting, of Eddie and Tiffany meeting for the third time in their lives, how those meetings had shaped their destiny, how they came to be where they are now. I like the teacher romances, always have found them fascinating, and appreciated the many scenes included in the story from the school and the activities around it with them interacting with the kids. 
Eddie is the perfect hero, a truly good guy. He is kind, considerate, generous, and loyal. He keeps his promises, the kids love and admire him, he can cook, remodel the bathroom, and he is good looking as can be.   The only thing I would fail him in is his taste in women. 
Tiffany, she wasn't a nice person at all. She is competitive to the fault, rather mean-spirited, inconsiderate, self-centered, rude... And I waited and waited for her redemption, her to be worthy of love, care, attention, anything. But she never changed. She still wonders how Eddie can manipulate every situation so that he comes off looking like a good guy - because he is! She still is planning to out-do him in any way possible because she is jealous of his 'hero status' at the school, she still is only thinking about herself and her gain in every situation, and her benefit in every single matter, even in a charity race to collect money for the homeless, it is about her. And I wanted her to be nice, sweet, considerate person that would be a perfect match to Eddie, but that development never was shown in the story. 
At the 70% mark, I laughed out loud at myself while reading, because learning about the development between these two - it was like watching an accident, you see it happen, there's nothing you can do to stop it, and you just can't turn away from it. Thankfully the story is written so well, I at least enjoyed that part of it. For Eddie and the fluently flowing tale
~ Three Spoons

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KOBO

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