Meant to Be Mine book review

Meant to Be Mine is the much anticipated second book of Becky Wade's Porter Family Series!  If you've enjoyed Becky's other books then you will love this one, too!

Description:
Ty Porter has always been irresistible to Celia Park.  All through high school--irresistible.  When their paths cross again after college--still irresistible.  This time, though, Ty seems to feel exactly the same way about Celia.  their whirlwind romance deposits them at a street-corner Las Vegas wedding chapel.
The next morning they wake to a marriage certificate and a does of cold reality.  Celia's ready to be Ty's wife, but Ty's not ready to be her husband.  He's a professional bull rider, he lives on the road, and he's long planned to settle down with the hometown girl he's known since childhood.
Five and a half years pass.  Celia's buried her dreams so that she can afford to raise her daughter.  Ty's achieved all of his goals.  Or though he had, until he looks again into the eyes of the woman he couldn't forget and into the face of the child he never knew he had.
How much will Ty sacrifice to win back Celia's trust and prove to her that their spontaneous marriage can still become the love of a lifetime?

Author bio:
Becky Wade is a graduate of Baylor University.  As a newlywed, she lived for three years in a home overlooking the turquoise waters of the Caribbean, as well as in Australia, before returning to the States.  A  mom and three young children, Becky and her family now live in Dallas, Texas.  Learn more at www.beckywade.com
(Book description and author bio found on www.amazon.com.  Cover photo copied from www.deepershopping.com.)

My review:
Even better than the last! 5 stars
I've loved Becky Wade's other 2 books, so the fact that I also loved this one comes as no surprise.  I was so excited to read it when I found out it is Ty's book, Bo's brother from Undeniably Yours, and was not disappointed.  Becky's books draw you in from the beginning and don't let you go until long after you've read the final page.
I loved Celia, though I did find her a little frustrating at times, that made her even more believable.  She is sassy, proud, very independent, and a loving mother.  I loved her sparring with Ty, her comebacks often making me laugh and smile.  She is an interesting complex characters, and I found her intriguing mostly because of her faith in God, or lack thereof, in this case.  I was curious about her, wondering where her journey would take her.  She has tried Christianity before and felt God failed her.  She was of the mistaken impression that she had to be good enough and follow a set of rules for Him to love her.  Anyone who's ever tried that knows that we fail a lot, and eventually, we give up trying.  When she finally understands that she could never be good enough, it was like God was telling me that, too.
Ty was an oddity to begin with.  She is also an interesting character, one that keeps your attention and makes you keep reading to find out what he does next.  He is strong, stubborn, and sure of himself, which makes he seem conceited.  As the saying goes "actions speak louder than words," and you have to looking beyond his words to see what he is actually "saying."  His faith journey was interesting too, watching to see when he would figure it out and what it would take for him to "get it."
The main theme of this book is forgiveness, receiving it and giving it.  Celia forgiving Ty.  Ty forgiving Celia.  Both of them accepting God's forgiveness.  I admire how Becky handles this topic.  She doesn't sugarcoat it, or try to downplay the importance of it, instead she points it out, over and over.  It isn't an easy topic, but with her trademark finesse, she weaves it into the story with ease.  I also appreciate the struggle the characters go through, forgiving each other.  It's almost never easy and I would have been upset had Becky made it seem so.  I love Becky's book because they challenge and encourage my faith and this one does just that.  It reminded me of important truths and God used it to point out things in my life that I hadn't noticed or was choosing to ignore.
I highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys Christian fiction that tugs at your heart and faith.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from the author for my honest review, which I have given.  I was not required to write a positive review and have not been compensated for it.  All opinions expressed are my own.