Thanks to Netgalley and HarperCollins Publishers for the ARC. Loved it and such an amazing story. The author did an outstanding job telling Jackie and Maria's story in her words. A must read for those who like to read historical fiction.

Some days, a gossipy novel of a few well known historical personalities fits the bill for a summer read. Gill Paul gives us Jackie and Maria in parallel, tied together not by a couple of brief meetings, but by Aristotle Onassis, who draws their lives together until their cataclysmic overlap. Most of America knows who Jackie and Maria are, and we've heard the rumors that swirl about their glamorous but difficult personalities, their tragedies, and their fierce relationship with the press and the paparazzi, and their bitter rivalry, so when Paul imagines their inner thoughts and feelings, their conversations and their relationships, particularly with tycoon Onassis, it isn't so much new information as it is a chance to re-experience history, and to be immersed in a fairy tale.
Paul introduces us to Jackie and Maria at the beginning of their public lives when Jackie meets and marries John Kennedy, and when Maria, married to her friend and business manager Battista meets Aristotle Onassis and begins a years long affair. Both women share a deep desire for children and both lose their newborns. They both despise the press and photographers, valuing privacy over fame, yet know how to use them to their advantage. And, both share an affair with Onassis.
Jackie and Maria was a quick read, and a novel I just could not put down. I was completely seduced by their personalities and their rivalry, delving in head first. This novel could be about two completely imagined women and would be juicy women's fiction, but the readers' knowledge of these ladies and their star studded supporting characters, makes Gill Paul's novel all the better.
Thank you NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This feels like listening to your friend share some gossip with you. It didn't feel as historical as I expected. It was okay, but not my favorite book by this author.

A dishy summer read! This books is a bit like sitting around a table and sharing in gossip. "Did you hear what happened with Maria?". Some reviews said that this felt more gossip column than historical fiction. I say , why can't it be both? I will 100% purchase this for the library and recommend it. It has scandal, romance & glamour. For fans of 7Husbands of Evelyn Hugo.

Jackie and Maria is about love triangles. I think the author does a tremendous job personifying both women and their lives. I was most interested in Maria Callas' story since I knew virtually nothing about her. She loved a man who couldn't be faithful, something Jackie was familiar with. I wondered about some scenes, if there was any truth to them, but the story flowed very well. This was a great follow up to another novel I read a few moths ago about Jackie.

The whole world knows Jackie Kennedy and that was my main reason to read this book, I wanted to know how her life would intertwine with this Maria Callas and man was it amazing how Gill Paul did this book and made a masterpiece. I loved reading how these two women's life, so different and so far away from each other but at the same time so close together with each other.

We get to follow Jackie's story line from when she met JFK and how they started dating and we even get some stories of her past boyfriends from before JFK. From when she decided Jack was her love, we see how her life changed, for better or for worse? Well, you be the judge, at least from this book. However, from this book's point of view, Jackie is the wife that follow's Jack even if she hates politics, but she stays by his side and "supports" him. She becomes the first lady that America loved, or hated at the beginning because of her expensive clothes (sounds kind of familiar). She becomes legendary when JFK dies and even afterwards. But years after she gets married to a very rich man, Aristotle Onassis.

Maria Callas, opera singer, a legend on her time. Can you see her and Jackie's lives intertwined? No, right? Well, we are wrong, so wrong. But back to Maria. Maria started her career very, very young, but her voice was magic and she stole the hearts of millions with it. But one thing that didn't go right for Maria? The hearts of the people that loved her. Starting with her family, her mother never loved her, and took advantaged of her even when she was a little girl, Then, she got married really, really young to someone who was much, much older than her. She thought she had found the love of her life, her husband did everything for her, he was her manager, managed all her business. Why couldn't she trust him, she rescued her from her family so she trusted him, the only thing she was missing was a child. And, as the years went by, the older she got and the older the husband got and the less he touched her and no kids for them, it was like he lost interest in her. And then she met Aristotle Onassis. He woke something in her that she didn't even realize she was missing, and she was so happy when she was near him and with him. And she left her husband and him his wife so they could be together. With Aristotle in her life, she finds that her life is turned upside down with this man, but being this happy she will do anything to continue to be this way. Until Aristotle does the unthinkable.

And these two women's world collide with each other and they will never be the same.

Man, there was so much going one at all times, so much family drama, so much romance drama...it was epic and even at the end you wanted more because you knew there had to be more, right?

Beautifully done.

I’ve always been fascinated with Jackie Kennedy, particularly her life before and after the White House years. She was such an enigmatic woman and so interesting. I enjoyed this fictionalized account about her and the opera diva Maria Callas, about who I went in not knowing much. This was great escapist fiction, and just what I needed between two heavier reads. I thought the author captured the personalities of the women and Onassis very well, from what I have read of them. Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the chance to read and review an advanced reader’s copy.

Aristotle Onassis and his women. Lee (aka Jackie’s sister), Jackie Kennedy and Maria Callas with a little Tina thrown in. Opera, Bay of Pigs,, and the Cuban Missle crisis form a backdrop for pregnancies, miscarriages, stillbirths and sadness. What makes women “settle”? This fictional account speculates what was going on in their minds.

Fun, gossipy little book that will have you fact checking many of the stories. It was a great escape.

Wow. This was the historical fiction book I didn't know I needed. It was beautifully written and easy to follow but also juicy and let me into some bits of history I didn't really even know about. It led me down a lot of YouTube black holes but it was so fun and I can't wait for this book to hit the shelves.

A captivating story of two fascinating icons! A dishy summer read with a famous cast of characters from John F. Kennedy to Aristotle Onassis. Well researched, perfectly paced, and a truly enchanting story.

Two women from very different worlds and the world's richest man... In real life each of them had a distinct aura. Their public personas were legendary. Having grown up hearing about all three of them, but lacking any real knowledge, I was attracted to this book. I was struck by the similarities between Jackie Kennedy and Maria Callas. I was intrigued by Aristotle Onassis' charm (he could get away with anything!). As the parallel storylines intersected, I found that I had been thoroughly drawn in. My middle of the night insomnia was more blessing than curse sinc e I could pick up this book and read away the night.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the chance to read this arc in exchange for an honest review.

Jackie and Maria
A Novel of Jackie Kennedy & Maria Callas
by Gill Paul
HarperCollins Publishers
You Like Them You Are Auto-Approved
William Morrow Paperbacks
Historical Fiction | Women's Fiction
Pub Date 18 Aug 2020 | Archive Date 13 Oct 2020

I truly love a good historical fiction novel.. This is labeled as historical fiction but to me I didn't see much research.
It felt more like a gossipy tale. Thanks to Net Galley and Harper Collins Publishers for providing the ARC of this book.
I will not purchase this for my library, our budget is way too small for this one.
3 star

Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC. Many women fought over Aristotle Onassis. Two of them were Jacqueline Kennedy and Maria Callas. This is a fascinating story on how all their lives bisected. I love Gill Paul’s writing! Worth a read! #jackieandmaria #gillpaul #aug2020

Though it was well-written, “Jackie and Maria” was a bit too gossip-column for my taste. While it’s certainly an interesting read, it might be a better choice for someone seeking a romance full of scandal than for a reader who’s looking for an excellently-researched and informative work of historical fiction.

Having read this author previously, I knew I would enjoy this book. Gill Paul brings the characters to life and weaves an intriguing story based on the real lives of Jackie Onassis and Maria Callas. I was intrigued from the very first page and highly recommend this book.

Interesting historical piece about Jackie and Jack Kennedy through his presidency. On the other side of the world, readers experience the relationship of Ari Onassis and Maria Callas. Later, a rivalry begins between these two women when their worlds collide; each hope to ensnare Ari as a husband. I enjoyed this insider's glimpse into these famous lives and relationships. This novel felt real to me which is always a plus with historical fiction.

I was very disappointed in this book. It's titled historical fiction, but it seemed to me to be more fiction and less true history. It was more gossipy with no evidence of research.

Historical Fiction.

5 shiny, bright stars!

I love to read about Jackie Kennedy and this book had a fresh perspective not only on Jackie Kennedy, but the rivalry between her and Maria Callas.

Jackie Kennedy and Maria Callas are not the best of friends.. in fact, they really aren't friends at all. Quite the opposite. They fell in love with the exact same man . . .

What an interesting plot! It was quite clear that Paul did extensive research. I read Paul's previous book, The Secret Wife and couldn't wait to read this one. It did not disappoint. Jackie and Maria is compelling and powerful. Completely Unputdownable.

If your bookclub likes historical fiction, this would be a great pick!

"Jackie & Maria" by Gill Paul
Genre: Historical Fiction/Women’s Fiction
Publisher: HarperCollins
Pub. Date: August 18, 2020
Mini-Review
In this historical fiction/women’s fiction, the emphasis is on women’s fiction. The story revolves around Jackie Kennedy and the world-famous opera singer, Maria Callas, and their relationship with Ari Onassis. By the third chapter, I went to check the endnotes and was not surprised to see that there weren’t any.
What you get is a lot of already known gossip such as, Jackie and Jack Kennedy’s marriage, after his assignation how heavily she leaned on Bobby Kennedy, all the rumors about the Kennedy boys and Marilyn Monroe, Jackie becoming Jackie O, and of course, the love triangle with Jackie and Ari and his longtime love affair with Maria.
At one point, the novel’s lines come straight out of the 1978 film, “The Greek Tycoon based on Maria, Jackie, and Ari. I remember this clearly because it was such harsh words Ari used in bed with Maria when describing his wife’s skinny American thighs. He was all class. In addition, many would say Maria was a fool for staying with him after he married Jackie.
It has been suggested that this book was meticulously researched—hmm, not in the Kindle version. If you are in the mood to read about famous women and their trouble with love then this is for you. If you wish for some documented history then I’d skip this one.