I ended up abandoning this one. The premise was interesting. Young JFK meets and seduces a young, female holocaust survivor from Poland who arrived in the US after the war. She is trying to earn enough money as an artist to bring her mother to the US from a resettlement camp. It gives a unique look into the lives of the Kennedy family through the eyes of a one-time housemaid turned love interest.

Normally, I'd eat this up, but I was really distracted by the dialogue and internal monologues. It felt one-dimensional and kind of cheesy. I imagine it's tough to write in a dialect you don't speak, so maybe that's why it felt caricature-ish. I want to care about the characters more than I do, which is strange, because I'm fascinated by the Kennedys and in this book, I just don't care. Anyway, it was distracting enough to give up on the book altogether.

This is a fascinating fictionalization of a romantic relationship between Jack Kennedy and Alicia Corning Clark, also known as Alicia Darr, Barbara Kopcyzsnka, and several other aliases. Alicia, a Jewish refugee, was working in a movie theater in Hyannisport when she was pulled into the Kennedy world, simply by Jack asking her out on a date. Their idyllic summer ended badly, when Jack and Alicia became engaged and Joe Kennedy, after discovering Alicia was Jewish and not Catholic, refused to allow their relationship to continue. Alicia may or may not have had Jack’s child, but she certainly had a full and interesting life with multiple marriages, opportunities to pursue both an acting and an artistic career, living in Los Angeles, Rome, and New York, and counting numerous Hollywood stars among her friends.

Although I was too young to remember the Kennedy glamour in its heyday, I have always been interested in the family. This book shows a more human side of Jack Kennedy, before he became President, and also shows how the entire family was scripted to Joe Kennedy’s direction for their lives. I really enjoyed The Summer I Met Jack, and will be eagerly awaiting Michelle Gable’s next book.

I’m a big fan of Michelle Gable’s previous novels, and while this one is equally well-researched and written, it just didn’t capture my attention like its predecessors. I think it was the result of various issues. The e-book I received through Netgalley was full of distracting errors, with paragraphs all running together, making the story hard to follow at times. And I found the main character, Alicia, lukewarm. I didn’t love her and I didn’t hate her, which sometimes makes for boring reading. But Gable states in her afterword that she hoped the novel would have the reader googling for days after, and I did spend a lot of time googling all the characters, putting faces to the famous names.

This is a long but fascinating book based on a true story. One I had never heard before. The characters are vividly written as are the descriptions of surroundings. Historical fiction at its best.

(3.5 rating) I've always been fascinated with the Kennedy family and was excited to read this book. I've read about Jack Kennedy's affairs while married and in office, but I knew nothing of his relationship with Alicia Darr before his presidency. Being that this is fiction based on real people, I have to admit that I found myself not liking Jack and Alicia and, at times, some of the Kennedy clan. I applaud Michelle Gable for the extensive research done for this book. It led me to look up Alicia Darr online as I wanted to know what she looked like and to read up on her a bit more. She was a beautiful woman with quite a fascinating life.

I received an advance review copy of this book from NetGalley.

Most people know who John F Kennedy was and can probably name a fact or two about him. President. First Catholic president. Assassinated president. Democrat. Bostonian. War hero. Hyannisport yachtsman. Rich Playboy. Womanizer.

I think it’s safe to say that he is one of the most recognizable presidents in modern memory. For me personally I am not a huge fan of the post war America time period but I was intrigued by this novel. Though I know quite a bit about JFK in a professional sense–I am more intrigued by his personal life than his politics.

When this book came up for review many many months ago, I was eager to read it mostly because it was a different period than I normally read but also because I was intrigued by his love life. Most Americans know of his alleged affair with Marilyn Monroe but who was this Alicia Darr person? I had no idea and was thus interested to learn something new.

While this is a fictionalized account of their relationship, it is rooted in real life.

New York Times bestselling author imagines the affair between John F. Kennedy and Alicia Corning Clark – and the child they may have had.

Based on a real story – in 1950, a young, beautiful Polish refugee arrives in Hyannisport, Massachusetts to work as a maid for one of the wealthiest families in America. Alicia is at once dazzled by the large and charismatic family, in particular the oldest son, a rising politician named Jack.

Alicia and Jack are soon engaged, but his domineering father forbids the marriage. And so, Alicia trades Hyannisport for Hollywood, and eventually Rome. She dates famous actors and athletes and royalty, including Gary Cooper, Kirk Douglas, and Katharine Hepburn, all the while staying close with Jack. A decade after they meet, on the eve of Jack’s inauguration as the thirty-fifth President of the United States, the two must confront what they mean to each other.

The Summer I Met Jack by Michelle Gable is based on the fascinating real life of Alicia Corning Clark, a woman who J. Edgar Hoover insisted was paid by the Kennedys to keep quiet, not only about her romance with Jack Kennedy, but also a baby they may have had together (summary from Goodreads).

I don’t even know where to begin with this one. So right out of the gate, I gotta say this was a great read. The writing was wonderful. I loved who everything flowed together and the plot was well thought out and the language of the time period was spot on. Clearly the author has a love for post war Americana and I loved how that was front and center in this story.

This was a book that read a little like a Lifetime movie but in a good way. From the start I was intrigued by the plot…..rich and famous future leader of the free world meets random popcorn girl and begins torrid affair??? How does that happen???? How was this going to play out???? I had never heard of Alicia Darr prior to this book so I was very interested in how this was all going to go.

While I loved the writing I really didn’t care for either character…..like at all. Yet I couldn’t stop reading this book! I was hooked on it like a soap opera for a number of reasons but mostly because the characters were so flawed and so clearly wrong for each other but yet they soldiered on and I couldn’t be more intrigued by how this was going to end.

I loved the glamorous backdrop of Hyannisport. My sister lives in Boston and has been out to the cape many times and it never ceases to capture my interest. Hyannisport really screams political old money all thanks to the Kennedy’s and the author capitalized on that with this book and it worked so well.

In my opinion Jack Kennedy was a complete asshole. I was so put off by his character yet like so many women, there was something I found charming about him. Maybe it was his moodiness or his confidence but while I couldn’t stand him in the book, I could understand why so many women would easily fall victim to his charm. I thought the author did a great job at making him a jerk but yet as a reader I had hope that he was actually being genuine and honest. But seriously though—-what an asshole! Entitled and couldn’t keep it in his pants! Yet as I said, there was something that kept drawing me to his character and I think that the author did a great job at portraying this for the audience. I mean isn’t that the idea…..he’s a jerk but yet a charismatic jerk.

Alicia was completely blind when it came to Jack. The whole time I was reading all I could think of was HELLO WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU!?! Don’t you see what he’s doing?!? Can’t you see his lies?!? But again, like so many women she was blind to his nature. I personally felt like Alicia was opportunistic and I never really felt sympathy for her or her situations. She survived occupied Poland and went to work in camps, so we are meant to feel sympathy for her but for some reason I just didn’t. She clearly did what she had to do in order to survive and she took every opportunity that came her way. Like so many her tragic situation made her more driven than the average person so in some ways I felt she was selfish and at the same time gullible which was a frustrating combination.

Together these two were a recipe for disaster. I don’t know how much of their relationship is real and how much has been altered for this book but either way it’s clear that these two were not meant to be a long term item.

As I said, I had a hard time putting this one down because it felt like a total indulgence. I loved the glitz and glamor of America’s ‘royal’ family and how the author used the period to add a sense of nostalgia for a more glamorous time for the audience. The relationship between Alicia and Jack started before he was elected president so it had this sense of calm before the storm which I loved. Knowing the history of JFK and how things ultimately turned out for him added a lot of foreshadowing in this books and I just loved it.

Beautiful story telling with a candid view of the complicated family life behind America’s most well known president. This was the perfect way to kick off my summer reading and over Memorial Day weekend when I start to really long for those warm nights and golden days!

Challenge/Book Summary:

Book: The Summer I Met Jack by Michelle Gable

Kindle Edition, 528 pages
Expected publication: May 29th 2018 by St. Martin’s Press
ASIN B075QJBLZ7
Review copy provided by: Author/Publisher in exchange for an honest review.

This book counts toward: NA

Hosted by: NA
Books for Challenge Completed: NA
Recommendation: 4 out of 5

Genre: Historical fiction, romance

Memorable lines/quotes:

The Kennedy craze seems to resurface every now and then. For me, it has resurfaced lately for sure. First, I saw the movie, Chappaquiddick, out recently in theaters (about the tragedy and scandal Ted Kennedy was involved in back in 1969). Then, I moved on to the new CNN documentary series, American Dynasties: The Kennedys. It seemed only natural that when I saw a new book coming out about JFK, I jumped on it. The Summer I Met Jack, by Michelle Gable, hit shelves yesterday. I was thankful to receive a pre-release galley copy recently, and I really enjoyed it.

The book gives a fictional account of the real-life rumored romance between JFK and Alicia Corning Clark. What begins as a summer fling soon evolves into so much more. It is fascinating to see the Kennedy family dynamics, and how the patriarch, Joe, plays strongly into the whole relationship. Alicia certainly has her faults, but she is also a very sympathetic character. It is easy to dislike the Kennedys while reading this one. Still, the family’s power and allure is ever present throughout the novel.

Although there were some parts I could have done without (I didn’t need the intimate details of their relationship to get the picture), the book was well-written and very enjoyable. I found myself thinking about it days and even weeks after I had finished reading it (always the sign of a good book). My next step is to do a little research of my own to try and find out how much of the story is fact and how much is fiction. In any case, the story was riveting. I highly recommend The Summer I Met Jack to all fans of the Kennedys, and specifically fans of JFK. It will make for a great summer read.

This novel incorporating an unlikely romance between a poor Polish immigrant and America’s 35th President JFK was a page-turner. It often had me pausing to wonder what was truth and what was fiction. I read the book in just a few days and it piqued my interest to learn more about the real Alicia Corning Clark. The character on which she is based truly comes to life; Alicia’s strength of spirit and culture shine through.

The Kennedy’s are portrayed quite negatively and early on I tired of John F Kennedy being depicted repetitively as a sex maniac charmer. It gave me pause and overshadowed some of the high points as our 35th president rose through the ranks from junior congressman.

There are some surprises. One that stands out was learning that JFK sought the Presidential nomination by ‘default’ after his older brother Joe died in the war. To think our world could have progressed very differently if our top dog decision maker was different during these very volatile years.

A historical fiction account of a love affair between JFK and Alicia Corning Clark which may have resulted in a love child.

Alicia is a Polish refugee who arrives in Hyannisport via Oklahoma to work as a maid for the Kennedys. Jack (a young JFK) becomes dazzled by her beauty and starts a romance that leads to an engagement. Jack's father, Joe, has other ideas of who Jack should marry and it is not a maid from Poland. Over the years Alicia and Jack continue to see each other on the side but they each marry other people.

Alicia tries to become someone important but winds up rich in money but poor in family and friends as her life comes to a close.

I found this book fascinating as I have always enjoyed reading about JFK. This book sure has me rethinking what a great guy he was as he is portrayed as a playboy, slob and rude person his entire life. I believe I had my head buried in the sand as to his true character.

I felt sorry for Alicia as I cannot imagine being separated from my parents to go into hiding and then learning my father was killed in a concentration camp and my mother was only a shell of herself. I thought she was a strong person to leave her mother to try and get them a better life. She did the best she could. Money to her was important and that is how she saw a way to get her mom what she needed and later in life she used the money to make herself happy in the moment. She did one of the most selfless acts in letting someone else raise her baby as their own. She thought she was protecting the baby.

Does Alicia's story have truth? I believe it does.

I received a complimentary copy of this novel through NetGalley from St. Martin's Press. Any opinions expressed in the review are entirely my own.

This is a sweeping tale that evolves between meticulous research of historical fact to fiction. Well done to the author for her attention to detail and extensive research on the Kennedy family. It is the story of a young beautiful immigrant who worked for the Kennedy family and fell in love with Jack.
Their love was doomed once his Father found out and she was banished. She went on to Hollywood and led a exciting life among Hollywood stars, and did cross paths with him again. He was the love of her life and she died sadly never able to be with him. She dies with a broken heart for the young girl she was, for the love that was banished and what could have been.
I loved this story and felt for her heartbreak. Is it fact or fiction we will never know but this is a very good read that I was unable to put down. Very well written and excellent research here. Reading this book you are drawn into her story and the grandiose life of the Kennedy family.. Their impact on America is here and this book shows how Kennedy Senior was willing to do anything for his son to be President. What a story this is! In its entirety it is very engrossing. I read it cover to cover.
Thank you for the opportunity to read this wonderful book. I received a ARC which does not influence my review.

In ‘The Summer I Met Jack’ Michelle Gable tells the riveting story of how Polish refugee Alicia Clark went from a maid at the Kennedy compound, to Jack’s fiancée, and beyond.
I have such an interest in the Kennedy family and their secrets. It was so fascinating to learn of this young woman who won Jack’s heart, only to have his father forbid them from marrying because she was Jewish and his son was on a political path that would lead him to the White House. Alicia Corning Clark went on to have romances with some of the most famous men in the world, but there was always something tying her back to Jack Kennedy.
Michelle Gable’s storytelling transports you back in time and place, I was so hooked that I read this book in one sitting. I was pleased to receive an advance copy of this book from the publisher, this review is my own honest opinion.

The unexpected pleasure of going into a book blind is so rewarding. The Summer I Met Jack is pure pleasure as I’m whisked away to the 1950’s. The story shifts from the 1950’s to present day which kept me intrigued and reading on to find out how the two intersect.

Barbara Kopczysnka is an immigrant from Poland. She changes her name to Alicia Darr to assimilate and appear more American. She soon finds employment at the house of the Kennedy’s as a maid. Yes, ‘the’ Kennedy’s. She is also selling her paintings at the local movie house while working there as well. It is at the movie house where she first encounters Jack Kennedy and there is an undeniable attraction. She is caught off guard when she sees him at a party that she is working at the Kennedy home. You would think that would put an end to Jack’s attraction to Alicia because of social class, but Jack is not deterred and pursues her. Jack is in the political spotlight and all appearances must be perfect in the public eye. When Jack’s father, Joe, finds out that Alicia isn’t who he thought she was he aggressively discourages the relationship. Jack and Alicia continue their relationship secretly, but soon enough Alicia finds herself swimming upstream and realizes she will never be on equal grounds in the Kennedy family and earn their respect.

I liked the first part of the book that deals with the relationship between Jack and Alicia. It’s romantic and a little edgy as Alicia is always looking over her shoulder waiting for her past to catch up to her. When their relationship is absolutely finished, Alicia’s life takes front seat and her tumultuous relationships with a roster of celebrities is spilled on the front pages of gossip magazines.

Is it possible that a baby was conceived during Alicia and Jack’s affair? It seems plausible. When I read historical fiction and I start googling people and places after I finish, I know I’ve just read a great book.

This book is filled with Hollywood drama and old time classic celebrities. Michelle Gable does not disadisappoint readers with her newest novel. I for one loved reading all the Hollywood drama and scandal. This is the fiction story of an alleged affair between JFK and a imigrant girl from Poland. Is it fiction or truth? You decide. I will highly recommend this book to everyone and a huge thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for the oppurtunity to read this amazing novel.

The Summer I Met Jack is a fictional novel based on innuendo and facts, but where one stops and the other starts is not clear. The author, Michelle Gable based on research was able to piece together a book about Jack Kennedy and his affair with Alicia Darr in this novel. The book is fascinating.

Alicia Darr was known by many names and had much written about her. She started out as a Jew in Poland and was hidden by the nuns during WWII. As a displaced person, she was able to emigrate to the US and met JFK and later married Edmond Perdom, Alfred Corning Clark and Dr. Norman R Gay. Between those points is a story of a love that was denied for ages and yet seemingly the one love of Alicia for all times.

The story is told in two points of view. One from Alicia and one from a young Roman women who is supposedly her daughter. The life and loves of Alicia between the bright lights of Hollywood and the glitz and glamour of the spotlights of the rich and famous was far away from her early life. She seems a character that burns brightly, but at the same time is always seeking. She met JFK in Massachusetts in the 50s and according to her was engaged to be married to him but the marriage was nixed by JFK’s father because she was a Jew. The circumstances, descriptions and storylines are very compelling. Michelle Gable was able to mix fact and fiction so well that it is not clear where they end and begin.

The Summer I Met Jack by Michelle Gable is a good read.

Based on a true story. In 1950, a young Polish refugee named Alicia arrives in Hyannisport, MA, to work as a maid for a wealthy family. She and Jack fall in love but are forbidden to marry by his father. She moves to Hollywood, then Rome. Based on the life of Alicia Corning Clark, a fascinating novel.

April 2016 Alicia wouldn’t get deported she didn’t think. Alicia had emigrated to the U S under somewhat of a ill-begotten circumstances. But she was no longer a citizen of Poland and they couldn’t return her to the German camp. To be deported you had to have a home. Risky to bet it all on a maid from Poland. But she had no other options on Cape Cod. At least she had this job -her part time job at the Center Theater. The theater reminded Alicia at home. Alicia was a painter and got permission to display her art at the theater. Alicia was behind the counter when she heard a man’s voice ask if she was still selling he was handsome and tanned and said his name was Jack Kennedy. Jack. Alicia realized he was from the family her friend Irenka picked up after as her job. The family Alicia hoped would employ her too. A year ago Alicia and Irenka were put together at the YMCA in Oklahoma City, due to their shared circumstances : Polish, unattached, and young although Irenka and several years on Alicia. But at heart the females were nothing alike. In her childhood in Lodz a prosperous city in central Poland and known for its culture and industry. Alicia had attended the opera. studied music, and was good at art.Alicia dreamed of seeing her art in famous galleries all over the world. Irenka had lived im Linterlands near Russia and her people were farmers. She had a meager education and had never learned to read. Irenka had learned of the job with the Kennedys and went right to Mass as fast as she could to get the job and she did. Alicia saw the outside of the house needed a fresh coat of paint as did the walls on the inside, the furniture was on the shabby side of worn the floors needed a good polish and there was no art on the walls. Alicia did get a job working part time for the Kennedy’s . Alicia examined the Kennedys; recording their physical characteristics, their speech patterns and myriad quirks. The Kennedy’s personalities were large in its form and after a few days Alicia was well schooled in each which showed the family’s relentless need to show the world who they were. One day Alicia is told by the landlady she can no longer stay in the apartment with Irenka as the Fire Marshal said there were too many people living there even though there was only four. Alicia couldn’t find a place and was afraid she would end up on the streets but the film projectionist a quirky little guy named George said Alicia could stay with him and his mother and sleep in his sisters old room. Alicia had no choice but to accept. Then Alicia had a day off and watched a couple movies with George at the Central but then she wanted to be outside and paused to watch a street entertainer that she knew and then Jack called her name when he seen her and introduced Alicia to his friends. He asked Alicia to his mother's Labor Day party and she laughed at the. After a while Alicia and Jack get involved and then engaged but then Joe found out Alicia was jewish and demanded Jack break off the engagement and not see Alicia anymore as Joe had aspiration for Jack to become the President of the U S and Alicia wouldn’t make a good women to stand by Jack’s side. Alicia leaves Mass and goes to Hollywood meeting many famous people but especially men. Alicia eventually marries Alfred Corning Clark who was a Singer Sewing Machine heir.
I liked this book. I like that it showed a more human/realistic portrayal of the Kennedys and their strengths, their shortcomings. I like the author portrayed numerous celebrity affairs. I felt this was well written. I also liked the twists and turns a lot. I had never heard of Alicia Corning Clark and her engagement to Jack Kennedy before reading this now I need to do some research to sate my curiosity. Also I wonder if Ethel was racist toward emigrants as the book shows. Also would Joe really have sex with his assistant right over his wife's head? What does that say about Rose if this is true? Why was this Kennedy home so not kept up with and shabby when so rich? This did drag for me at times, I found myself wondering what was truth and what was fiction in this book. I do wish Alicia had found happiness in the end but unfortunately she really didn’t. She definitely paid for loving Jack Kennedy. I liked the characters and the ins and outs of this book and I recommend.

I love the premise of books like this, they are almost a hypotheses of what could have been. Similar to I Was Anastasia by Ariel Lawhon, not totally true, but not unbelievable.

I read this book without much knowledge of the Kennedy family. Gable does a great job at capturing the unique personalities of each member - from my research after reading the book.

I will say the title spans a much longer time than just one summer and I think that’s why it became a slower read for me and more difficult to finish. My favorite parts were the summertimes in Hyannisport. Gable does a wonderful job at capturing the spontaneity and thrill that comes with the freedom of summer. If it had all truly taken place in the summer, I would have enjoyed it all the more!

Great summertime read, perfect for the beach. It’s a great book for reading in portions, you don’t have to read it all at once to still enjoy it!

Much has been written about John Kennedy's "Camelot"-those thousand magical days of his presidency before he was gunned down in Dallas, leaving a nation in shock and forever wondering what might have been had he lived. It is also well known that Mr. Kennedy had "soft spot" for women and rumors of his extra marital affairs swirled during his presidency and in the decades after. The Summer I Met Jack opens the door on a lesser known relationship the bachelor JFK allegedly had with a Polish immigrant named Barbara Kopczysnka, who briefly worked as a maid at the Kennedy compound in Hyannis Port, Massachusetts. Specifically, The Summer I Met Jack delves into the possibility that a secret love child resulted from this relationship. The Summer I Met Jack is a delicious marriage of history and fiction-that the existence of a possible Kennedy heir remains unsolved only adds to the allure. Miss Kopczysnka was an actual person- later known to world as Alicia Corning Clark-a "D" list actress who rose to social prominence through her marriages to several famous and wealthy men. There's a lot of name dropping in The Summer I Met Jack-after leaving Hyannis Port Barbara heads to Hollywood where she mingles with Katharine Hepburn, Spencer Tracy, Gary Cooper, and others. This mix of fact and fantasy sometimes seems surreal-it is mentioned in passing that Alicia may have worked as an "escort" when first arriving in LA, yet she eases into the lives of "A" listers with surprising speed. The Summer I Met Jack is poignant yet depressing-JFK comes across as a heartless philanderer with Jackie as his dutiful enabler-even sadder if these cliches were true. With most of the characters in The Summer I Met Jack long deceased, the book seems less relevant than it might have if Mr. Kennedy or Miss Corning Clark were able to give their versions of events. Author Michelle Gable wisely emphasizes that The Summer I Met Jack is a work of fiction, and while it's an agreeable read, it's also another heartbreaking chapter in the saga of the Kennedy's, whose lives seemed more like a Greek tragedy than a mystical fairy tale. In a nod to JFK, The Summer I Met Jack will be published on the day he would have turned 101.

The Summer I Met Jack is an account of Ms Alicia Darr and her relationship with JFK. Michelle Gable provides the readers with a fictionalized but possible scenario in which the two meet, fall in love and ultimately are torn apart by ambition and a very driven Kennedy agenda. This story does not portray JFK or his family as the much adored American Family we all know. Peppered with newspaper article headlines throughout, this story is delicious with a veritable who’s who list of secondary characters and a storyline that is captivating with possibility. I highly recommend this book. I received an ARC of this book. All opinions are my own.

Fantastic read!! This was a great story and I loved it but the grammatical errors and formatting of the ARC made it distracting to read! I almost wish I had waited for the polished version to come out!