( received a complimentary e-book in exchange for review )

Set during a favorite time period of mine, I was easily drawn in to this story. Found the writing provided an easy literary visit back in to the past. The characters and storyline were in sync thru each chapter. One of my favorite reads of 2020.

I loved this book. I was not familiar with the life of Maria Callas and this historical fiction book was very entertaining. Two women both involved with Aristotle Onassis and their lives. The story spans over a long period of time and was very well done. I listened to it on audio and the narration was fantastic.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for my advanced copy!!

I LOVED this book!!! I mean loved it!!! I didn’t know much about Jackie Kennedy other than she was married to JFK. I still don’t know if I like her much....if she was just a victim of circumstance or just cold, but given what she went through very understandable. But I fell in love with Maria and did not know any of this love triangle. I felt such compassion for her. I don’t know if this book is all factually true but it was beautifully written.

This definitely needs to be on your reading list!

I enjoyed this but didn’t love it. An interesting story about Jackie Kennedy but didn’t totally align with my current interests.

Gossip column extended!

If you grew up at the time of the Kennedy's reign you know they exuded a fascination we all wanted to be part of. Well my friends and I in our teenage years did. We were were fixated with them. Jackie just seemed so glamorous, an American princess. I won't ever forget where I was when we heard about the assassination of John Kennedy and the tragedy that unfolded before our eyes. I attended an all girls high school and I don't think there was a dry eye in the place that day.
I wanted to read this book because I've always been fascinated by this seemingly aloof woman and I guess I always wondered why she married Onassis.
Maria Callas I knew little about.
What I read was a mixture of titillating gossip, heavy innuendo and easily obtained information. It's grubby and not at all enlightening.
I will admit though it's fast paced and easily read. I became more sympatico with Maria Callas, about whom I knew very little.
In the end though both these women were played by the powerful men they loved.

A HarperCollins ARC via NetGalley
(Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.)

I loved this book! I honestly had never heard or Maria Callas before and I had definitely not expected her story to be tired to Jackie Kennedy! Both these ladies lead, to the outside world, fabulous lives but their reality was so different. Lots of tragedy and heartbreak that with being in the public spotlight was lived out in front of cameras. This book was an amazingly insightful look at the personal lives of these famous women. Five stars!

Loved this book great story of Jackie, Maria and Ari. Loved the way this author incorporated each woman's story and tied them together. Loved this historical fiction story.

Jackie and Maria is a wonderfully, intriguing, historical fiction story and two glamorous woman trying to make their own mark on the world. This book will take you back in to a time when life seemed to be more simple, yet still have the heartache that can be found in the world today. Thoroughly an enjoyable read!

One thing history allows us to do is too look at the lives of famous people with eyes that see their fallibilities and their private lives. Gill Paul has pulled readers into the minds of two famous women whose lives were connected through Aristotle Onassis. We know about John F. Kennedy’s infidelities, but this was the first time, I’ve read about how Jackie felt when Marilyn Monroe sang “Happy Birthday” to JFK in that breathy, sexy voice. I knew so little about Marie Callas and this novel brought me into her life as well. Wealth and fame don’t relieve women of burdens and heartbreak. Yes, it’s a gossipy novel but so much fun to read about the wealthy and their problems.

I LOVED everything about this book, even days later I am still thinking about it. It is an historical fiction book based on Jackie Kennedy and Maria Calla's in the 1950s-1970s. I had no idea what Jackie Kennedy went through in life- from her pregnancies, losses, a cheating husband she loved and so much more. Maria is also an incredibly strong woman who dealt with a lot of sadness through her childhood and life. I understand much of what they say is fiction, but I felt like I was back in history living besides these women. I have been doing my own research on both now that I am done because their lives are so interesting and I have more to learn. Fantastic read!!!

The beautiful cover of this novel lets readers know who the protagonists are:  Jackie Kennedy and Maria Callas.  In the novel, they are surrounded by those in their lives including Onassis, JFK, RFK, Jackie's sister Lee and many others.  All are brought to life in this excellent historical fiction.


Jackie and Maria had more in common than Aristotle Onassis.  According to the book, both had mothers they could not please and both faced terrible losses around pregnancies.  In addition, each was involved with a charismatic man who did not believe in fidelity and who did believe in power.


The settings of the novel bring the story to life.  Readers will be in many locations including DC, Paris, Greece, the Cape, Aristotle's yacht and more.  The story unfolds in these places in a dual narrative that features the world from both Maria and Jackie's perspectives.


As in the best historical novels, the world of the characters is portrayed in such a way that I very much wanted the history that I already knew, to somehow magically be transformed for the sake of the people on whom the characters are based.  Of course, it could not be.


I enjoyed this title and recommend it highly for those who enjoy historical fiction.  Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this title in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed this book. The fictionalized rivalry between Jackie and Maria as they vied for the affections of Ari Onassis made me wonder how much was based on reality. The author did a great job of writing about the time period, as it was easy to picture.

I’m a sucker for anything Jackie Kennedy Onassis related so I was very excited about this one, even though I knew very little about Maria Callas. This book features intimate scenes between the two couples, scenes where you could just imagine that these conversations really took place. While reading the chapters, there were times when I hated Jack Kennedy for his treatment of Jackie and Ari for his lack of loyalty to Maria. I also found moments where I thought the two women were plotting to get what they wanted, security. It was well researched, but doesn’t have a heavy hand. It’s a gripping story that unfolds over the years. I was unfamiliar with this author, but will be checking out her other works after this.

I went into this book blind as I didn't know the story of Jackie Kennedy and Maria Callas. And while it was entertaining and interesting, I'm just stunned that there were so many people intertwined in their lives and none of them seemed to care much about their marriages. Infidelity seemed to sadly be the norm with them rather than the exception. There was a lot of tragedy and sadness surrounding these characters and it seems true that money really didn't buy happiness. The author did a good job telling the story and I think anyone interested in the Kennedys would find this historical twist fascinating.

I found Jackie and Maria to be fascinating. It was a look into the lives of Jackie Kennedy and Maria Callas and each of their relationships with Aristotle Onassis. Both women endured tragedy in their lives. Jackie had lost several babies and then lost her husband. Maria had also lost a child. These two strong-willed women had more in common than they realized and yet they were at cross purposes. Both women had attachments to Onassis which kept them from ever having a friendship.

Jackie's loss of John left her dealing with PTSD for years. I don't think I'd ever quite considered how difficult living through that experience would have been for a wife. Even though it was frustrating to see his lack of consistent support for Jackie and the notable infidelities, she still loved him and this was a tragic loss for her. On top of that, she and her children were left to deal with the paparazzi and the aggressive attempts to photograph them.

Maria Callas was a world famous opera singer who was also Onassis' long term love. Unfortunately, he was not a faithful man as he pursued multiple affairs during their time together. Yet, Maria would return to him again and again. He always assured her that they would marry "when the time was right."

Even though this book is a historical fiction which is loosely based on the history surrounding these individuals and the time period, I was mesmerized. There were a few facts I was unaware of before reading this book. Their story really is tragic in so many ways.

Thank you to NetGalley and William Morrow Publishing for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you Netgalley and HarperCollins for this advanced copy of Jackie and Maria in exchange for my honest review.

I love Gill Paul's books and I loved this one as well.
This is a story of two strong and famous women who both had affection for the same man.

Jackie Kennedy devastated from the loss of her husband John F. Kennedy takes comfort from the most wealthiest man in the world Ari Onassis.

Maria Callas a very famous opera singer was Ari Onassis lover and best friend for years.

This is a messy love story filled with lies and deception, and yet is also shows the passion and depth of love between two people that surpasses all life's tragedies.
Good read. 4 stars!

Historical fiction, if done correctly, blurs the line between what happened and what is imagined. This book is done right. First book I’ve read by this author, but I do own others. This book hooked me from Page 1.

I remember watching JFK’s funeral on TV. I was in first grade, so Caroline Kennedy was my age. I can remember asking questions of my parents regarding the shooting and the funeral. As I grew, I was always fascinated with the Kennedy’s. I remember the ‘horror’ of Jackie marrying Onassis. I vaguely remember the backstory of world-famous soprano Maria Callas.

This was a great story of how some things might have happened. Told from Jackie and Maria’s point of view, alternating chapters. Both woman, who seemed so strong and stoic, had so much in common. Both fell in love with strong, powerful men. Men as different in upbringing but the same in temperament. Both women only wanted to be loved, but were treated poorly in that respect. Children, family, faith...important to both. Their lives intersect when Aristotle decides he needs another notch in his belt by adding Jacki.

Politics, jet setting, gossip, heartache, disappointment, living in the public eye, ruthlessness, excessiveness, deceit and so much more is focused on in this book. Just a great escape...Milan, Paris, Greece, New York, Massachusetts. Perfect reading vacation and all the components of a great read!

Thanks to Ms. Paul, Harpers Collins Publishers and NetGalley for this ARC. Opinion is mine alone.

This was more fluff that I expected. I wanted more historical fact that speculation.

Still, it was enjoyable on a Sunday afternoon to imagine Maria Callas and Jackie Kennedy fighting over old Aristotle Onassis.

Thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review.

I love historical fiction and was so intrigued by a story about Jackie O. This is a time period that I hadn't read about and really enjoyed getting a closer look - even through fiction. It kept me on Wikipedia looking up Maria and Ari and trying to follow along with the timeline of actual events. I like historical fiction because it gives history a personal feel. Even knowing that it's not quite exactly what happened, it lets the reader really feel like they are a part of that piece of history. While it did not leave me feeling happy, it did resolve at the end and I gained a greater awareness of people and places and events that I only had a cliff's notes version of before.

Not only was this book enjoyable to read, it was also extremely informative and educational! I'm not very familiar with the history of the 1950s-1970s and throughout the book I found myself doing my own research because I was so invested in the characters and wanted to know how much of the story was historically accurate. I loved how Gill Paul described and developed Jackie Kennedy and Maria Callas so eloquently and really gave us a look inside their lives. I didn't realize how much their stories intertwined and they went from being friendly with each other to enemies. Ari was really a piece of work and definitely a "ladies man" to put it nicely. He was also very charming and I could see why he was so desired by so many women. Both ladies had similar lifestyles but were in two very different worlds at the time. Maria was a famous opera singer in Europe and really all over the world. Jackie as we all know was first lady to President Kennedy. It was heartbreaking hearing about all of the fertility issues both ladies had and how that affected their lives. The media was also insanely invested in both women's stories. I can only imagine how bad the media would have been had this taken place more recently. All in all I really enjoyed this novel and thought it was extremely well written.

Thank you Harper Collins Publishing and NetGalley for this ARC for my honest review!