Meant to Be - Emily Giffin

Meant to Be

By Emily Giffin

  • Release Date: 2022-05-31
  • Genre: Fiction & Literature
4 Score: 4 (From 1,120 Ratings)

Description

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • He’s American royalty. She comes from a troubled past. Is their love story meant to be? This “lively page-turner” (The New York Times) offers a nostalgic, hopelessly romantic escape—from the author of Something Borrowed and The Lies That Bind.

“I’m a sucker for an iconic, against-all-odds love story, and Meant to Be truly delivers.”—Tia Williams, author of Seven Days in June

“A chic, history-inspired summer read [that] strikes a careful balance between simply retelling the true story of JFK Jr. and his wife, Carolyn Bessette, and crafting an entirely new one.”—Bookreporter

The Kingsley family is American royalty, beloved for their military heroics, political service, and unmatched elegance. In 1967, after Joseph S. Kingsley, Jr. is killed in a tragic accident, his charismatic son inherits the weight of that legacy. But Joe III is a free spirit—and a little bit reckless. Despite his best intentions, he has trouble meeting the expectations of a nation, as well as those of his exacting mother, Dottie.

Meanwhile, no one ever expected anything of Cate Cooper. She, too, grew up fatherless—and after her mother marries an abusive man, she is forced to fend for herself. After being discovered by a model scout at age sixteen, Cate decides that her looks may be her only ticket out of the cycle of disappointment that her mother has always inhabited. Before too long, Cate’s face is in magazines and on billboards. Yet she feels like a fraud, faking it in a world to which she’s never truly belonged.

When Joe and Cate unexpectedly cross paths one afternoon, their connection is instant and intense. But can their relationship survive the glare of the spotlight and the so-called Kingsley curse? In a beautifully written novel that captures a gilded moment in American history, Emily Giffin tells the story of two people searching for belonging and identity, as well as the answer to the question: Are certain love stories meant to be?

Reviews

  • You might want to skip this one

    2
    By Dandee13
    I have enjoyed Emily Giffin’s books in the past and was looking forward to this one. However, it was a real disappointment. I was rolling my eyes most of the way through with all the cliches. The story was very pedestrian and shallow. Not at all like other Giffin books. The author’s notes at the end were much more interesting than the book.
  • Gets me every time

    5
    By therealeskater
    Once again I have smashed a book in one day and wanted another 300 pages, idk how she does it!
  • I couldn’t stop reading!!

    5
    By lizjedward
    While reading, I kept noticing similarities between the Kennedy’s and John Jr. And Caroline Bessett. I loved hearing in the end, that this story was, indeed based on them and the Kennedy name. If only their ending could have been as perfect. They sure deserved it!
  • Too predictable

    3
    By Mcb717
    I knew as soon as I started reading it that it was taken from the pages of a “true life” Kennedy…with some twists and turns. Although I am a reader of the whole Kennedy clan, I didn’t really appreciate that this was attempting to follow real life. Way to predictable, i.e., knowing what would happen next before I turned the page
  • Good read

    5
    By singinmama05
    I love the “What could have happened” scenario. We were all plagued by the plane crash of John Jr and this was a nice story of what nice life they could’ve had. I’m a dreamer and so I really enjoyed this book. I read it in three days. If not for work, I would’ve stayed home for 48 hrs reading straight. I couldn’t put it down reading in the car, reading on my breaks between work and reading into the late night when I knew I should be sleeping.
  • too much.

    1
    By listen to moi
    the first half was SO good. But then the ending really ruined it for me.
  • Loved it!

    5
    By smitten4
    I have loved almost all of her books. Stayed up all night when I started reading this one and finished the next day. Loved the characters and storyline. Hoping they turn this one into a movie one day. I really enjoyed it.
  • Straight trash

    1
    By Spectre3297
    I adore Emily Giffin, but this book was terrible. Worse than I imagine the worst Harlequin romance novel fan fiction would be. Incomplete , amateurish, and soulless.
  • Enjoyable read.

    4
    By molrud
    A not so predictable love story with some unexpected twists and turns. The male character Joe is who made this book for me.
  • Amazing read!

    5
    By ThatsMe4321
    Emily Griffin never disappoints. Another great book that I just couldn’t put down.

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