A couple years after her divorce, kindergarten teacher Marjette is still trying to get use to the life as a single mom raising a teenage son mostly on her own. Just before the school year begins, she finds her perfect neighbor, Noa, on her porch. It appears tragedy struck Noa's family and although she does not know Noa well, she tries her best to help Noa pull it together. Soon the school year begins, and Noa's little girl is in Marjette's class, and she does what she can to support the child as her mother navigates grief. As Marjette immerses herself in Noa and her daughter's life, she dives in a little deeper as she falls for Noa's brother. We watch as the characters lives intertwine and they navigate through the obstacles in their lives.

I thought this was an exquisite story of friendship, grief, and having the courage to take your life back. I thought it was a bit slow at some points, but overall a great read.

there is so much happening in this book and I just... i wanted more... it left much to be desired. co authored books are difficult. I really liked their first one but this one just didnt work for me

I honestly didn't know what to expect from Never Meant to Meet You, so I was pleasantly surprised by everything that happened. This is a delightful story about friendship, romance, and motherhood. There are also mouth-watering food descriptions and even some recipes, including one for Marjette's famous fried chicken. It's also funny and I enjoyed all the Jewish references. I loved the kindergarten aspect. Marjette's classroom sounded like a lot of fun.

I really like how Marjette and Noa's friendship developed and how they learned things about each other throughout the story and became enmeshed in each other's lives. Marjette's friendship with Judy was a lot of fun, as well. Their banter was just so genuine and I liked how they were comfortable enough with each other to get snarky. And we can't forget Max and his efforts to get Marjette's attention, even with Rachel clinging to him the entire time...

My only concern was that the story tended to jump around in time and skip scenes that could have been beneficial to the story. The ending also felt a bit anticlimactic, but the story went at a comfortable pace and never felt slow. I wish we could have had Noa's narrative too. Maybe another book from her perspective is in order...

Overall, this was a worthwhile read! I somehow missed Tiny Imperfections, but now I want to check out that one too.

Movie casting suggestions:
Marjette: Tika Sumpter
Judy: Angela Elayne Gibbs
Noa: Isla Fisher
Max: Paul Rudd
Rachel: Leslie Mann
Booker: Michael Ealy
Darius: Adam Swain

Absolutely beautiful novel about friendship, grief, and finding the courage to pivoting in life. It's a nice, quick read that has an excellent portrayal of female friendships. It's a great Fall/Winter read, and there's a heartwarming friendship that blossoms between Marjette and Noa. I'd read more from this duo.

Ali and Asha have become one of my most favorite author duos - they write the most fun stories, and seamlessly flow so many themes together that draw you in and keep you engaged throughout the whole story. ⁣
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And while this one starts off with a death in the neighborhood - I promise you it’s not a sad book. I love when a found family comes together but most especially when it’s the most unexpected of connections. Marjette and Noa are the most unlikely of friends, but watching their relationship blossom is such a joy!⁣
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There’s something in this story that everyone can relate to - from race and religion, to parenting, grief, and relationships, and everything in-between. Theres humor and snark, romance and drama, a little bit of mystery and a LOT of delicious meals. ⁣
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Expect to laugh out loud while feeling all the heart tugging feels, and prepare for inspiring messages while your tummy growls. It’s all of the wonderful things.

I didn't expect to be so entertained by this story. As per usual with these authors the story was way more then what it seems.

It sounds like neighbours getting to know each other but it touches on death and moving forward after a large change in ones life. Along with a lovely romance!a mother and son relationship and dealing with a awful ex.

The fact that Majette is noisy is the amazing cause aren't we all? She gets too involved and past sins have, made her skittish. Her neighbour is going through it and her daughter is in her class. It's only natural that she should help.

Max is said neighbour's brother and the talk of her class yes he's beautiful but she's her for her son. Reading Marjett's narration is funny and awesome to be a part of.

I enjoyed the whole thing

I interviewed Asha and Alli about NEVER MEANT TO MEET YOU -- you can watch the interview here: https://www.youtube.com/c/AMightyBlaze/videos?view=2&live_view=503

✨𝗕𝗢𝗢𝗞 𝗧𝗢𝗨𝗥✨

From the authors of Tiny Imperfections comes a riotously funny, emotionally real look at race and religion, love and heartache, and the realities of parenting through it all.

Self-appointed fixer of other people’s woes Marjette Lewis is uncharacteristically determined to keep to her side of the driveway when it comes to her flawless neighbor Noa Abrams. Professionally, Marjette has her hands full as she prepares for a new class of kindergarteners and her first year of teaching without her best friend, Judy, as campus “Black-up.” And at home, her son’s budding manhood challenges her expectations, and her vexing ex-husband continues to be a thorn in her side.

But when tragedy strikes Marjette’s street, and an unexpected child shows up on the first day of school with an uncle who has all the class moms aflutter, Marjette is forced to contend with both her neighbor and her own heartache over losing the life she once thought was guaranteed. Through laughter, tears, and the gift of found family, Marjette and Noa navigate the rituals of loss together and discover the strength to remake their lives?whether they meant to or not.

𝗡𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝗠𝗲𝗮𝗻𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝗠𝗲𝗲𝘁 𝗬𝗼𝘂 released October 1, 2022.

Thank you TLC Book Tours and Amazon Publishing for this tour invite.

https://www.instagram.com/booksandcoffeemx/

Favorite Quotes:

“My mommy sath firth impressions are everything; that’s why she made my daddy take uth all to school in the Range Rover and pretend like they aren’t getting a ’vorce. He’th parking right now,” my new friend insists, proud that she’s in on her parents’ dirt. Straightening out her powder-blue extravaganza, she lets me know who showed up fierce for the first day of school.

I ate my emotions this week. S’mores are the new sadness.

I dig right into the middle of my sweet potato pie and hold up a heaping bite. “Girl, there are no calories in grief pie, so you go on and dig in.” Noa stabs the pie like it’s Charlie.

His absence is a presence. The house feels too big. Esty and I are the quiet ones; Charlie was the soundtrack to our family.

“I have mad research skills.” “You mean stalking?” “Same but different.”

You think it’s pure chance we’ve turned out to be friends, Marjette? Please. One of the reasons we get along so well is you’re Black, I’m Jewish, and White supremacists are after us both.

I hate people who practice moderation, it’s not natural.


My Review:

This was a fun and feisty read with realistic storylines laced together with real-world issues, clever and snarky humor that kept a smirk on my face, observant cultural insights, personal foibles, grief, and daily living. This one covered a lot of ground and there was much to unpack from the diverse characters, but I liked and enjoyed these perceptive yet flawed women who were doing their best to show up each day, and building an unexpected and supportive bond while struggling with single parenting, the personal pain of betrayal, family issues, deadly dull diet support group meetings, and sugar addictions, and all with wickedly sharp wit and wryly humorous observations. I’m not black or Jewish but I could easily relate, these characters could well be my people.

My review will appear in Booklist (an American Library Association publication). I loved this sparkling and funny story of two women falling into an unlikely friendship. Marjette, the main character, has a great voice that will pull you in right away. Get this book!!