Meant to Be Me by Wendy Hudson

9 reviews for Meant to Be Me by Wendy Hudson

1. 

   Rated 4 out of 5

   Betty Harmon – April 5, 2019:

   Meant to be Me by Wendy Hudson is definitely one of those psychological thrillers that you might want to read in the light of day or with all the lights on in your house. I must admit I didn’t read the blurb completely, so I was a bit surprised when I realized this was truly a suspense filled novel. I am glad that I did choose to read this book.

   The main character in the story is Darcy Harris, a very sweet, kind and trusting woman who works as an engineer for a company in Inverness, Scotland. Darcy should have a nice and comfortable life, except for two problems. In spite of her looking, she can’t seem to find “the one,” a partner that she could fall in love with. All of her attempts to find this person seem to end in no show first dates. Her other problem is more sinister. She has a stalker. Most of the stalker’s acts so far have been limited to sending notes, gifts and stalking her online social media, but still remains uncaught by the police.

   Darcy is aware of how such people can escalate to more dangerous acts, and this is terrifying to her. Her best friend and boss Anja Olsen is always there to help her through her trials though, and Darcy also meets an intriguing stranger by accident at the beginning of the story. Eilidh Grey attracts Darcy’s interest almost immediately, but is it safe to trust a stranger she meets on the street when she has a stalker always nearby? Eilidh also has her own problems from her past that intrude into the story.

   I won’t mention anything else from the tale, because I don’t want to ruin it for any potential readers. This tale begins a bit slow, but quickly intensifies about halfway through. Ms. Hudson has done an excellent job creating the intrigue and fear that anyone would feel living through this situation. The romance is a slow-burn with the sex being of the fade-to-black sort, which is fine in this type of story. Even though I was not expecting to read a mystery/psychological thriller when I began this book, I really enjoyed it. If you love mystery and suspense filled stories, you will also like Meant to be Me.

   I receive an ARC from Ylva Publishing for an honest review.

   Rainbow Reflections:
   https://rainbowreflections.home.blog/

2. 

   Rated 4 out of 5

   cheekybugger13 – April 7, 2019:

   I was curious about Wendy Hudson’s latest novel, “Meant To Be Me,” after reading its blurb and excerpt, even though I’m not a fan of love triangles but the potential darkness in the story especially when there was a stalker (crikey!) lurking about quickly overshadowed my weariness about it. Plus, footprints in the snow always give me a sense of foreboding, which the book cover alluded me to. So naturally, I had to oblige by exploring just what kind of new twisty story Hudson had created in her mind and transferred into words this time!

   I have to say, Hudson’s forewarning was not inaccurate. Her approach to “Meant To Be Me” was definitely a little different than her previous work. But I’d say, if you take a step back and cast a wider lens angle to view its overall feel and tone, you’d find Hudson’s familiar signature and psychological theme in the genetic make-up of the story. At least, that was how I interpreted it when I finished the book and pondered its overall creation. Needless to say, this book ended up getting darker, more twisted (and alas, more aggro for me, too), as Hudson cranked up the madness, the angst and the dubious acts, before all the chips fell into place in the end. Although Ylva categorised this book as a “romantic suspense,” it was much more of a suspense than a romance, really. Even with the romance, I must say, it wasn’t tackled in its usual prose. Twisty.

   This story was comprised of three primary characters – Darcy, Anja and Eilidh – Darcy being the main one and the centre of Anja and Eilidh’s attention. Whereas Darcy and Anja had been best mates and worked together as engineers in an energy company, Anja being Darcy’s boss and all, Darcy and Eilidh were both strangers until their path crossed one early morning totally by chance. An accident, actually. Accident by coffee, to be precise. Within the first two chapters, Hudson managed to establish some basic brief on the trio. Then there was the issue of Darcy’s mystery stalker whom Hudson also quickly put out there in the beginning which I appreciated because the intrigue for me was the stalker plot above everything else, really, and how it’d affect the MCs. Apparently, the coppers knew about Darcy’s stalker ordeal as she’d reported it ever since it happened two years ago. But to date, no joy in the capture, for some reason! All Darcy could do was to keep a record of all the encounters with the stalker, i.e. anonymous phone calls, texts, gifts, etc..

   I absolutely enjoyed reading the first act because of the fact that right off the bat, Hudson jumped right into constructing all the necessary steps in the setup that would lead to the identity of the stalker, ending up with a breathtakingly intense car chase scene, acutely exacerbated by the fact that it happened in the middle of the night, in the dead of snow, on slippery roads and the ominous black ice! The entire sequence was written and described with vivid fervour, the images jumped out of the pages like they were happening on-screen! And as if what happened at the end of the first act weren’t enough, Hudson immediately dragged me into another intense sequence in the beginning of the second act. It was an edge-of-your-seat level of urgency as deftly described by Hudson. Every action was acute and potentially deadly. I utterly enjoyed Hudson’s style of constructing this whole intense sequence – describing the same scene via each involved party’s vantage point. It reminded me of the movie, “Vantage Point,” as far as how Hudson crafted the scene from different points of view including the parties’ internal monologue. In my mind, I saw the camera angle shots moving from one affected party to the next very clearly. I thought it was extremely effective to present such a highly nerve-racking situation in the way that Hudson chose to present. I only realised as I heaved a sigh of relief when the sequence ended that I was holding my breath the entire time both sequences were happening back-to-back! What an adrenaline rush, indeed! Phew! These two brilliantly written and depicted actions scenes ended up being my favourite moment of the book, really! Bloody well done, Ms. Hudson!

   For the rest of the second act in the aftermath of the aforementioned sequences, Hudson introduced a big obstacle to catching the stalker, involving Darcy. Because of potential spoilers, I can’t divulge or elaborate anymore. All I can say is, the entire sorry case of the setback then unwittingly developed into this slow burn aggravation for me because of certain behaviours, acts and prolonged confusion and angst that seemed to drag on a little longer than I would’ve liked. Although, I understand Hudson’s intention of doing so as it made the situation more intense and stressful by having the stalker still in the wind whilst nobody seemed to have any kind of suspicion or wanted to investigate deeper, hence making the situation more suspenseful for the reader. But for me, I was getting more annoyed by the minute. For me, I’d have preferred more action toward getting to the bottom of the mystery instead of having to read through all the miscommunications, misunderstandings, missed opportunities, aggro and persistent tentativeness happening with no recourse in sight as far as the characters were concerned, particularly the state of affairs concerning the stalker, Darcy and Anja’s increasingly weird relationship, and Darcy and Eilidh’s unsettling one. Although, I did appreciate that Hudson included the POVs of all the relevant characters, spread out throughout all the confusion, secrets and lies and prolonged undertones of “Will they? Will they not?”, “Is she? Is she not?” At one point, I wanted to give Darcy a hard shake and order her to pull her finger out already! But that’s just me, mind. I’m sure there are a lot of readers out there who wouldn’t mind this kind of angst and tension.

   In the midst of all the upheavals where the mystery/suspense turned darker as the stalker’s state of mind deteriorated, descending into a quagmire of delusion and obsession, Hudson also gave us Eilidh and Anja’s respective back stories, their past, which were told in their own POVs, thus, fleshing out their characters more deeply, which played into Darcy’s in different kind of situations, nevermind the progressing story. Also, there were a couple more action scenes which were impressively written and depicted. One was the boat scene which turned out to be something out of a thriller movie, I must say, what with the sinister and ominous result of one’s probable action toward another. An accident or intentional? It was a captivating scene to read! And then there was this big fire scene in the final act, leading to an ultimate confrontation with the stalker whose crazy, psycho act of deadly intention quickly became something out of a B-action movie – violent, bloody barmy and totally thrilling to read! Another adrenaline rush written effectively well!

   I thought Hudson weaved an interesting overall tapestry of the story involving some twisted revelations. Talk about warped! I just wish there were more specific cat-and-mouse situations involving the stalker, though. But what Hudson ended up incorporating into her tangled tale still worked in the end. Whilst “Meant To Be Me” (which is an apt title for this particular story, btw) was well-written, imo, and I’ve liked Hudson’s writing since “Four Steps,” I wasn’t as fully invested in how the plot unfolded as I wanted to. There were unresolved issues that were left without any clear closure or disclosure by the end of the story especially that one particular action by the stalker that set out a chain of events that changed the course of Darcy’s path in Act 1, which I thought deserved to be recalled and realised, if only for Darcy’s sake in the end. Also, I was a little surprised by the distinct contrast in Darcy’s attitude and behaviour in the wake of discovering the stalker’s deeds between two different time frames in the story – intense/fury in one vs nonchalant in the other. I couldn’t help feeling a little troubled by that unexplained change of behaviour, be it psychologically or emotionally. Maybe I missed something? And then, there was this weird thing between Darcy and Anja throughout the book that affected how I felt about the overall romance in the end. A bit ambivalent for me, tbh. But that’s just my own personal taste, really. Hey, to each their own, innit? Reckon most readers will be fine with it, I’m sure!

   All in all, I think fans who enjoy suspense/mystery (not to mention, slightly twisted romance), especially when it relates to deranged stalkers, will find “Meant To Be Me” to be a fascinating read especially if they don’t mind all the angst and elevated stress that I reckon Hudson intentionally injected into her story in order to put readers on their toes! I liked the book especially Hudson’s quality of writing. So I won’t hesitate to recommend readers to give this latest suspense story of hers a read. Because I like how Hudson writes, I will continue to look out for her future work as she’s got something there when it comes to creating thrillers and suspenseful mysteries, imo! Oh, and I thoroughly enjoyed the location of this story! Inverness! Go, Scotland!

   *An ARC copy of this book was given to me by the publisher in exchange for an honest review*

3. 

   Rated 5 out of 5

   Kitty Kat – April 8, 2019:

   ‘Meant To Be Me’ is a heart-thumping, nerve-jangling, suspense story that had me glued to the page. Inverness-based engineer Darcy has a stalker and finds it hard to let her guard down, even for a second. Her loyal best friend Anja is always on hand with support and work keeps her sane. When she literally bumps into an early morning jogger, Eilidh, she dares to hope that things may be looking up for her. Will the two women ever be able to find a way to get together? Circumstances and interference conspire to put stumbling blocks in their way. But there is much more to it than that.

   I have read Wendy Hudson’s first two novels and found them seriously impressive. But I believe this is her best so far. She knows just how to ramp up the tension and this story had a psychological suspense element that had me on the edge of my seat. Just when I thought I knew where it was going I was surprised again and again. It was scary, perfectly pitched and did not let up. The baddie in the mix was so plausible and I wanted to scream out to Darcy. ‘Meant To Be Me’ is beautifully written and one that I can see me re-reading. Highly recommended.

4. 

   Rated 5 out of 5

   Miira – April 16, 2019:

   First of all, this is Hudson’s best yet.

   Things start innocently enough – there’s a chance encounter and instant attraction sort of a thing between Darcy and Eilidh. Darcy’s best friend, Anja is very supportive but cautious, because Darcy has a stalker. Through everything, Darcy tries to stay optimistic but careful, Eilidh seems to be looking for love, and Anja has her own personal things to figure out, too. These three plus a few supporting characters make up the cast around whom the story revolves and tightens until it’s almost too much and you need a break – but can’t stop reading.. because it’s almost too much!

   The storyline and characters are realistic and relatable, so the thriller side of the book is truly scary. There are no instantly recognisable super-villains: this mad stalker could be anyone! To counterbalance the thrills, the romance is really sweet and warm. Of course the reader is again ahead of the protagonists, which makes for a nail-biting experience – and it remains gripping until the very end*).

   *) and in my case, beyond the end. The story continued in my dream, where [redacted] had [redacted, censored] and was plotting revenge. Was happy to wake up a bit earlier than usual!

5. 

   Rated 4 out of 5

   Carrie – April 21, 2019:

   Anyone else have The Police song ‘Every Breath You Take’ in their head for this one? CREEPY STALKER. That is the theme of this book.

   Darcy is a hopeless romantic that can’t find love. The ladies are ditching her and the worst of it all is she has a stalker. She clumsily meets Eilidh (A-lee) on a bridge early one cold and dark morning. They exchange numbers but the timing just doesn’t seem to be right. Eilidh is just coming out of a 9 year relationship and Darcy’s best friend is going through a heck of a time and requires her support. The rest is a mysterious, suspenseful, and psychological jumble of 90,000+ words.

   Yes, this was long. At times, I felt like this could have been left out and that seemed a bit repetitive. But I mostly just enjoyed reading it. I was never bored. I was always pulled to want to read what happens next. And there were times where I was truly anxious about the events that were happening. There were some intense drama/action in parts.

   This is tagged as ‘Romantic Suspense.’ I didn’t feel that the romance in the book was super strong. To me, this was mostly a story about a stalker and there happened to be a side dose of romance. And that is probably the only reason I could forgive the lack of chemistry between the romantic pairing. When I think of it like that, I don’t think it hindered the book in any way. But if I was judging this based on romance, it would have been a disappointment.

   I recommend this to anyone who enjoys creepy stalkers, likable main characters, sailing, cabins, hot tubs, car chases, family issues, disabilities, and re-heated lasagna.

   I received an ARC from YLVA Publishing for an honest review

6. 

   Rated 5 out of 5

   Karen McIntosh – April 25, 2019:

   ‘Meant To Be Me’ is a heart-thumping, nerve-jangling, suspense story that had me glued to the page. Inverness-based engineer Darcy has a stalker and finds it hard to let her guard down, even for a second. Her loyal best friend Anja is always on hand with support and work keeps her sane. When she literally bumps into an early morning jogger, Eilidh, she dares to hope that things may be looking up for her. Will the two women ever be able to find a way to get together? Circumstances and interference conspire to put stumbling blocks in their way. But there is much more to it than that.

   I have read Wendy Hudson’s first two novels and found them seriously impressive. But I believe this is her best so far. She knows just how to ramp up the tension and this story had a psychological suspense element that had me on the edge of my seat. Just when I thought I knew where it was going I was surprised again and again. It was scary, perfectly pitched and did not let up. The baddie in the mix was so plausible and I wanted to scream out to Darcy. ‘Meant To Be Me’ is beautifully written and one that I can see me re-reading. Highly recommended.

7. 

   Rated 4 out of 5

   stephasselin – May 5, 2019:

   Meant to be Me by Wendy Hudson

   Darcy Harris is unlucky in love, which is unfortunate because she is a romantic at heart. Enters Eilidh Grey one morning, in a totally cute and adorable way. Both of their lives being as complicated as they are, it takes a lot of time and way too many infuriating scenes with Anja (Darcy’s boss and best friend), before they get the chance to meet again.

   It was my first read by Wendy Hudson, and in the beginning, I wasn’t sure about the writing style; especially it the Stalker’s scenes. It wasn’t clear and obvious that the person was stalking Darcy. The only obvious thing was that the stalker was a really deranged person who needed mental assistance and helps for everything they were saying and doing.

   The opening scene of the book what was caught my attention, and I’m glad it did because there is a long moment to go from the sweet and happy first scene to the main interesting part of the book.

   I understand some scenes are needed to help the story grow, but at some point, it seemed more like an interlude. While all we were really waiting for, was the continuation of a captivating and infuriating situation happening. It slowed the beat. The story was scary at times and impressed me at others. It’s rare to read a story when I appreciate a character at first, and the more the story goes on, the more I hate them but this one managed to.

   Overall, I really loved the book, even if the writing style took me a while to get used to. I would suggest it because it was different from the usual books I get the chance to review.

   I’ll be looking for other books by Wendy Hudson in the future because even though the few irks here and there, I couldn’t stop reading,

   4 stars.

   RainbowMoose’s Reviews
   @RainbowMReviews

   *ARC received in exchange of an honest review *

8. 

   Rated 4 out of 5

   Karola – May 24, 2019:

   ***free ARC
   This book had me right from the start. Although sometimes the change in writing into the view of the stalker was a little bit confusing. But I really felt for Darcy and Eilidh, so many hurdles… and all because of a stalker. And Darcy‘s best friend Anja is making everything worse.. I really liked this book

9. 

   Rated 5 out of 5

   Caroline W – October 30, 2019:

   Loved this book – brilliant writing and definitely Miss Hudson’s Best book yet. Very intriguing and once I got into didn’t want to put it down