Howard Cohen of the Miami Herald praised the album saying "Genre-hoppers Ramsey Lewis and vocalist Nancy Wilson have teamed before in the mid-'80s and once again make for a winning pair. Their latest, Meant to Be, a mix of instrumentals and vocal tracks, clings to the more romantic, mellow side of jazz with hospital-clean acoustics and refined accompaniment from pianist Lewis' trio. As such, the elegant Wilson, who sings on five of the 11 tracks, is in her element."[4] Laura Emerick of the Chicago Sun-Times noted "though Lewis' pianism might serve as the equivalent of aural wallpaper for many jazz purists, their work here will delight their fans."[5]
Matt Collar of AllMusic declared "Ramsey Lewis and Nancy Wilson's 1984 project, The Two of Us, featured synth pop, smooth jazz, and disco-lite covers of tunes such as Paul McCartney's "Ram." While it was a solid attempt at mid-'80s mainstream pop radio airplay, it had little to do aesthetically with the jazz heritage that Lewis and Wilson built their careers on. Fast-forward to 2002 and you find the duo teaming up again on Meant to Be, an album of straight-ahead acoustic jazz. Some fans of The Two of Us may be a little disappointed with the classicist nature of the project, but anyone who's enjoyed the varied work of these two legends should revel in the lush sound they've achieved.[3]
Mario Tarradell of the Dallas Morning News found "Piano man and song stylist unite again, and it's another exquisite effort. Several of Mr. Lewis' instrumentals are sprinkled throughout the 11-song disc, the most ambitious being "A Moment Alone." But the proceedings turn sensual and alluring when Ms. Wilson sings."[6]
[3]