The characters of Ike and Kay are relatable and were easy to connect to. This book was very well researched and moved quickly. The flow and writing of this book was wonderful and enjoyable.

Thank you to Netgalley for the free ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Ike and Kay is an enjoyable historical fictional account of a love affair during WWII between the former United States President Dwight David Eisenhower (Ike), who was a general in Europe during World War 2, and Kay Summersby, who was his driver. Over time, they became very close, becaming his personal aide and confidante, and eventually, his lover. Keeping in mind that this book is only based on fact, there are many parts that we can only surmise were true, such as their conversations and their feelings for each other. However, Eisenhower who was married to Mamie and had two children in America, acted as though he were a single man, taking Kay out in public throughout Europe and Africa, I felt as though he didn't care what he did anywhere except the United States, where his family resided. I really enjoyed reading about their experiences together and all the people she got to meet, like FDR, Winston Churchill and General Patton. She was well-liked by everyone and thanks to Ike, became a US citizen and moved to America.

If you enjoy historical fiction, I think you'll really get into Ike & Kay. James MacManus really did his research and came up with a very enjoyable read.

I was not overly impressed with this book and found it really hard to finish.
Really love historical fiction but just could not get into the story of Ike and Kay.

Wonderful read. Well researched page turner. The details about the love affair and subsequent consequences are page turning. The author is very fluid in the writing and the characters really feel alive in your head. Great historical references.

Those with an interest in World War II and historical fiction will appreciate this story of the alleged affair between Dwight Eisenhower and Kay Summersby. I enjoyed this read, from the point of view of Kay, and the associated events that occurred during the war, including D-Day and the surrender by Germany.

Thank you for an ARC, The Overlook Press and NetGalley!

Thank you to Merrill L.Moss Media Relations for the opportunity to review "Ike and Kay."
Although the book was fiction,it also contained many actual facts that were pertinent to the storyline.
The characters were true enough & there was enough about the War yrs.to keep it interesting.
The two central characters & the name of the book were one & the same.
In summary,the story is as old as time,they fell in love,one got hurt & tried to move on with their life,although unsuccessfully while the other apparently managed just fine.
What makes the book.so readable,that even though rumors flew for many yrs.& still do,they were always denied until many yrs.later.
For History buffs,this will more than hold your interest.

"Ike and Kay" provided an interesting look at the personal life of Eisenhower during WWII, told from the perspective of his driver/assistant/mistress. Kay's treatment after the war, after her relationship ends, shows a stark contrast to her heady position during the war and the inevitability of changes in relationships after a crisis. Some of the transitions to backstory could have been a little smoother, but overall, this was an interesting read.

This was a very interesting read for me! I had not heard of or read anything about this story. I love historical fiction and this one fits the bill. A true love story in the midst of a war going on. A married man and his personal assistant being thrown together while trying to survive a war! Enjoyed it very much.

I didn't know anything about the historical Kay Summersby, and very little about Eisenhower, but I found this fictionalised account of their wartime relationship interesting. Neither of them are portrayed in a wholly sympathetic light, but perhaps because of the difficulties of portraying real historical characters based on what is known, but also on supposition, neither of the characters is completely believable.

I did find the novel's depiction of well known historical events from WW2 such as D Day from the perspective of military/political command interesting, in fact this was probably the most enjoyable aspect of the novel.

This was a story that was based on the life of Dwight Eisenhower and Kay Summersby. It documents both the war and the relationship between "Ike" and Kay. I found the story interesting and was intrigued by the way things progressed both in the relationship and war strategy. I did find that the story was much too long. After a certain point, it became bogged down with too much introspection from Kay and I felt like I'd never get through it. This took away some of the pleasure of the story. All in all it is a very well written account of one of the most historical wars ever fought.

This is a lovely story of wartime friends who cared for and trusted each other for a long time before falling in love even when everyone was against it.
The writer obviously has a bit of a biased towards Kay in this story. Mamie is painted as the uptight, whiny, alcoholic wife at home and Ike is also portrayed as a bit of a bad guy in the end. While I do feel Kay wasn’t treated fairly, she was not innocent.
About 45% into the story the characters get lost amid all the war and politically talk.We get them back but it threw me a bit right in the middle. This is a very interesting part of history I knew nothing about and while I liked Kay I felt a bit more depth was needed in her feelings during the relationship and not just after. 3/5

I received a copy from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
I have to say I am not a History buff but have heard of Eisenhower - who hasn't, but it was fascinating reading from this angle. I loved the imagery and could almost smell the cigarette smoke and stale ashtrays after an intense meeting of superminds. The relationship between Ike and Kay was at first more of a friendship which then developed through mutual respect and admiration. I felt for Eisenhower's wife but could also empathise with Kay - to a degree. All in all, I found it to be fast paced and I could not put it down as I had to find out what happened. I was disappointed by Ike's choices but loved the way James McManus rounded things off at the end. I found it to be a really interesting read and would recommend it to anyone who enjoys a warm fuzzy, tear my heart out Wartime romance with a well known historical figure at the centre of a scandal. Is there truth in this? Who knows - we draw our own conclusions. Read it!

This is the story of the alleged affair between Dwight Eisenhower and Kay Summersby. I was unaware of this story previously so I was intrigued. The story fell short of my expectations, however. The characters were shallow and Kay was too naive to be believable. I really wanted to enjoy this book, but I just can't recommend this one.

Ike and Kay chronicles the love story between former president of the United States, Dwight D. Eisenhower and his driver Kay Summersby.

Unfortunately, this book was really hard to get through. I struggled with Ike and Kay and their attraction for one another was a bit awkward. I didn’t enjoy either character and glorifying a mistress is not my cup of tea. They called Kay his shadow and his poor wife Mamie had to see her plastered all over magazines while she was home in the US and they were across the waters during World War 2.

On the other hand, since the genre of this book is historical fiction I was inspired to learn more about the war and actually understanding who Dwight D. Eisenhower was before his presidency was interesting. I also enjoyed being able to google Kay and her Packard to get a clear image of her.

The research that went into this book was superb which bumped it up a few notches. I think the author did a great job teaching the reader about the war and integrating that aspect into this historical love story.

‘Ike and Kay’ by James MacManus was a terrific read. I am a huge historical fiction fan and this book did not disappoint. The book is based on the real life figures of General Dwight Eisenhower and Kay Summersby.

Learning about the private side of such a celebrated figure is very interesting especially when a bit of romance is thrown in. Apparently there were always rumors about whether General Dwight Eisenhower had an affair with his driver Kay Summersby during WWII. This historical romance imagines their romantic connection set against war-torn Europe. I would like to give the author high praise for his extensive research on this subject.

I think the novel is interesting on so many levels. Eisenhower was one of the key figures in the allied victory over Germany. Eisenhower’s personal life is rarely discussed. Mr. MacManus answers the question who was Dwight Eisenhower? What drew him to Kay? What did a love affair during WWII mean?

I was so interested in Kay Summersby that I googled her after I finished the book. The description in the book fit her exactly.

Thank you to James MacManus, the publisher Overlook Press and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Review will be posted on August 3rd, 2018

I will fully admit that I only know the basics about Eisenhower, and I knew nothing about his staff and those surrounding him during WWII. Which is why I really wanted to read this book and start learning more about him in a fictional sense to see if I wanted to continue learning more about him from a more historical standpoint. So, of course, I have done a little bit of research about Eisenhower and Kay, and while there is no confirmation that they ever had a physical affair, it does seem plausible that it could have happened. As far as I can tell though, and what other historians say it does seem that they might have had an emotional affair instead during the war. This is all just speculation though, and we might never fully know.

Typically I don't like books that revolve around affairs or things like that. But there was just something about this book, that had me needing to know how they were going to end. MacManus was able to show the real realities of WWII and mixes them with a plausible rumor surrounding these two.

Kay is a British citizen who is working as a driver during WWII, she gets assigned to US General Eisenhower, and from there forms a friendship of sorts and eventually becomes his secretary and all around person.
Eisenhower is the United States General who is on a fact-finding mission at first, and then who ends up working to help Britain defeat the Nazi's in WWII. During this time he had Kay travel with him and eventually got her to be apart of the US military so she could travel with him easily.
We also have the side characters, some that are known people from WWII, and the others are people that were more unknown that we're apart of his 'family' (staff) as he liked to call them.

Overall I did really find this to be a fascinating read. I always love learning more about WWII, and how things happened and the people behind them. While this is a fiction novel, MacManus did use a lot of real life things that happened and you can tell he did do a lot of research. While the majority of this book is based on speculation and rumor, the behind the main story was extremely realistic. I ended up really enjoyed Kay and Eisenhower as characters until the last 25% of the book and then I stopped liking them as much because of things that were happening.

I do think if you like historical fiction and want to learn more about WWII then this is a great read for you!

This was a great read. I love history, historical fiction and this hit the spot. Based on real life figures and a rumor of a love affair, I could not put this one down! I actually googled Kay Summersby after I finished... the description in the book fit her exactly.
I was a little upset with Ike.. I won't spoil it, but in reality we all know how it turns out.
Thank you James MacManus, NetGalley and to the publisher for the opportunity to read this story of love, war, sadness and life!

This book tore at me more than most because of my admiration for General Dwight D. Eisenhower. James MacManus, in his carefully researched historical novel, “Ike and Kay,” takes the reader into the seamier aspects of Eisenhower and Kay Summersby’s infamous love affair during World War Two. Long rumored and never fully denied, their romance sullied Ike’s career both during his brilliant management of Allied forces during the war and his political career after he retired.

Summersby was on Eisenhower’s team, first as a driver then as a personal aide until he returned to the United States after the war was over. Summersby travelled with Eisenhower on missions all over the war theatre, becoming “Ike’s Shadow” to those who noted such things. He got her enlisted in the Army despite her not being a US citizen. He used his influence to get that citizenship, subsequent higher rank, and close contact with all the major players in the Allied war effort. And, she was always there in the photographs, smiling brightly for worldwide news coverage.

When the war was over Eisenhower returned to the US and left Summersby behind in Berlin, crushed and angry over being discarded. He had repeatedly told her of plans to divorce his wife, Mamie, but those promises were broken. The book is an in-depth account of their relationship and the elements that destroyed it. There is also a bit of vengeance in Summersby’s attempts to rekindle the romance after she also came to America.

It was upsetting for me to know of the more intimate details of their love affair. It was hard to read of the more physical aspects of their union, because Ike was a childhood shining beacon to me. His shining pate and emoticon grin are etched in my memory and the thoughts of their groping and rutting are outside my comfort zone. That being said, this book is carefully researched, very well written, and extremely captivating.

It’s hard to dislodge an icon. I don’t believe MacManus had that in mind. But his account is certainly upsetting because of the earthiness and callousness of both parties. Eisenhower can be faulted for his weakness and duplicitousness. Summersby is equally at fault for her own failings and extreme gullibility. My heart goes out to Mamie, the helpless and grievous victim of all the tomfoolery.

This is a great book that recounts much of the European campaign in clear prose. The historical moments have not been better portrayed in a short treatise. The affair is of small consequence except to the major players and to those like me who like their heroes untarnished.

This one is for fans of historical fiction that looks at women who stand beside or behind more famous men. Kay Summersby and General Dwight Eisenhower had a relationship- the full extent of which has never and likely will never be know. MacManus has opted to go with a full on one and that's fair. This is a well documented story told from her perspective. My quibble is that passion is missing (although there might not have been any.) This could be due to the writing still, which does not sweep one away. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. Try this if you aren't familiar with this story or if you only know the general outlines and would like to learn more.

There were always rumors about whether General Dwight Eisenhower had an affair with his driver Kay Summersby during WWII. This deftly written historical romance imagines their passionate connection, set against war-torn Europe as backdrop.

She had been an ambulance driver in London during the Blitz when conscripted to drive the General. Their relationship grew into affection. (He presented her with a box of chocolates, rarer than silk stockings during war-time deprivation.)

She ends up traveling with him — against military regulations — on far-away missions before the Nazis are defeated. Their relationship so concerned his wife Mamie that she questioned in letters the propriety of his “obsession with Ireland.”

He did little to hide his affair with Kay, known publicly as “Ike’s shadow,” and in fact threw his weight to get her American citizenship and US army ranking, even bringing her to the US after the war. Only when officials learn of his decision to divorce Mamie do they they imperil the already precarious relationship. In the end, Kay is reassigned to California and the affair ends. Poignant, compelling and a must-read for lovers of the best historical fiction and romance.

Thanks to The Overlook Press and NetGalley for the review copy. Opinions are fully mine.

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