This book was absolutely fascinating to read and it was hard to believe it was a work of fiction! It read so plausibly and was an incredibly interesting account of the world of well-known individuals such as Jackie Kennedy, Aristotle Onassis, JFK and Maria Callas. Highly recommended!

This was an interesting historical women's fiction based on the lives of Jackie Kennedy and the world-famous opera singer, Maria Callas. Two very different personalities but both share an affair with Aristotle Onassis.

I was hooked on right from the start and wanted to learn more about these two women. It covers their glamorous lives, tragedies, lack of privacy and relationship with the paparazzi.

The amount of research that the author has done for this book is commendable. I’ve never read a historical fiction novel before so I learnt a lot from this book.

Thank You to NetGalley and Avon Books UK for this ARC!

I am not quite sure what I feel about this book. I thoroughly enjoyed it but when I read that Maria Callas and Jackie Kennedy had probably never met, I felt quite disappointed.
However, it was well written and kept me engrossed to the very end so I have given it 5 stars and will definitely read another Gill Paul book.
Thank you Netgalley and Avon Books for giving me the opportunity to give my unbiased opinion.

Triumphant! What an amazing book I absolutely loved it. It is about the 2 main women in Aristotle Onassis' life but this is also the backdrop to their lives which was so intrigung and answered some of the questions I had about them as I knew some things but not all. Whilst the book is fiction having looked further at events so much of this is real which makes it all the better. Once I had finshed reading it I was still thinking about it 2 days later which is always a sign of a good book. Brilliant. I will certainly be lookng for more books by Gill Paul

Really good read. Would recommend to friends and family. I could sympathise with characters (important for any fiction novel!) and looked forward to picking it up and reading the next few chapters! Interesting plot line and a good ending. Will look out for more novels by the author. Thank you.

I wanted to love this book as much as I loved the other books by this author such as The Secret Wife and Another Woman's Husband, but for me this one fell a little flat. The historical aspects of this book were intriguing, but the writing just didn't work for me. As always, I look forward to the next book by this author.

The Second Marriage is a creative retelling of the love triangle between Aristotles, Jackie and Maria.

My reservation is that I find the story line rather antiquated... two women fighting over a man belongs to the past. Where is Aristotle's accountability in this? Whilst I understand the context of the book and the social aspects of the time, the author could have alluded to the fact Aristotle was famous for collecting celebrity friends and seducing married women just for fun. I feel the author focused too much on female rivalry and excused Aristotle's actions but perhaps that's just my personal take on the story.

With that being said, it wasn't a bad book at all.

Disclosure: I'd like to thank the publisher for my advanced reader copy. This is my honest review.

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What the novel also does is take us into the minds of Jackie and Maria telling the love triangle from both points of views in alternate timelines. Callas is a remarkable woman with a wonderful back story in her own right. And the author raises the question of what made this remarkable, self-made 20th century icon leave her husband to become another man’s mistress? Does Gill answer the question – it would appear for love. And Callas remained Onassis’ one true love until his death.

The novel is forensically researched and pays great attention to detail. Although it reimagines the truth. Kennedy and Callas are believed to have only met once; and there is no evidence to support the theory that Callas and Onassis ever had a child.

The historical fiction does not detract from what is a wonderful book, possibly my favourite Gill Paul novel so far, and I found The Secret Wife very difficult to top.

Maria Callas, Jackie Kennedy and man between them - Ari Onassis. Great story, Unique characters, great read.

Excellent historical fiction.

5 stars is simply not enough !! ( I read and reviewed this book under the title The Second Marriage)

Gill Paul has written another masterful captivating book based on history and put into a story I could not put down.

Historical fiction at its best.

Jacqueline Kennedy and Maria Callas, both having equal time in the story and both having a life story that pulls the reader in.

You feel like you are sitting there having a cocktail with these ladies( not together mind you). You laugh with them, you cry with them .

I wont give any more away but suffice to say put this book no matter the title to the top of your TBR pile.

Thanks to NetGalley, Avon Books UK, Avon for allowing me to get to lost in this fascinating story of 2 fascinating ladies.

A really great read.Love how this author manages to mix real people in history and fiction together to create a great story.Love Gills books.

If I’m honest I was disappointed this book. I’ve read others by the same author that I loved but this one offered neither an insight into the characters nor anything new. It was a bit boring.

I should start by saying that I was not expecting to like this book, I love to read about the Kennedys, though mostly factual books and I’d previously read a book by this author which I didn’t enjoy.
However this book......I loved it.
It tells the story of Maria Callas, Aristotle Onassis and Jackie Kennedy. Alternating between Maria Callas and Jackie’s point of view the story draws you in quickly. The author has wisely chosen to focus on the women, their day to day lives and feelings. Historical events are dealt with but only as they affect the lives of Maria and Jackie, This makes the book feel intimate and made sure it held my interest,
The characters are well drawn and realistic, I loved Maria, less so Jackie and even found myself caring about Onassis whom the author manages to portray in a realistic yet still sympathetic light. The selfishness of the characters is here, as it was in real life, fairly mind blowing, but I still found myself caring about them.
All in all I loved this and I wasn’t expecting to.
I’m going back now to look at others by the author.

I love Gil Paul’s books. The way she gets into the minds of her characters makes me believe her implicitly. This book tells at first two separate stories. One of Jackie Kennedy and one of opera singer Maria Callas. I knew quite a bit about Jackie but nothing about Maria Callas.
Being an opera singer was a real tough life. Rehearsing for hours each and having to look after your voice only to be booed during a performance if one note is not up to scratch. I felt so sorry for Maria all through the book especially the way she was treated by Aristotle Onassis.
The book takes us through the assassination of president Kennedy and emotional story behind it. How did Jackie feel? What did she do next?
I don’t believe that Jackie loved Onassis, I think she wanted him for security and because she was used to the riches and didn’t know what to do with her life next. I wish she had spoke with Maria and found out the truth of her relationship with Onassis.
Onassis on the other hand was unlikable to me. He wasn’t good looking but wanted to bed every woman he saw. He liked to have his conquests. I think money was the only attraction to him for most women.
I couldn’t put this book down it was a real page turner. I always expect a good read from Gil Paul.
The only thing that didn’t gel with me is the title. I don’t think it gives you any clue what the book is about. The American title of Jackie and Maria is much better.

This was another gripping, emotive book from Gill Paul. A period of history not often covered in this genre, but one I could read more and more of. I didn't think I could love a book more than The Lost Daughter, but The Second Marriage is perhaps my new favourite.

Jackie's story is an absolute rollercoaster and I found myself completely hooked and caught up in her POV.

Maria also offered a really interesting new take on such an epic, almost fairy-tale love story. Gill is a masterful storyteller and watching these three characters come alive on the page was a testament to how brilliantly she writes.

I absolutely devoured this book. I adored it. The characters, atmosphere, emotion were all so amazingly crafted that it was simply not possible to put this book down at times, and then when I did have to put it down, I kept thinking about it.

The story tells the lives of two glamorous women- Maria Callas and Jackie Kennedy and gives the reader an insight into their lives. I was so drawn in by it, learning all about them, what it's like to live such a public life and coping with the press and fans etc. I didn't know how the two women were linked before so it was intriguing to watch the story unfold.

The way that Gill Paul creates atmosphere and brings the past to life is amazing.

This is the perfect read to enjoy this summer. If you like books where you feel like you have really got to know the characters and it's set within a glamorous, seductive backdrop, then this is just for you!

The Second Marriage by Gill Paul is an excellent historical fiction that centers around two well-known women in the life of Aristotle Onassis: opera singer Maria Callas and Jaqueline Kennedy. Both characters are unique and formidable women in their own rights and both end up vying for the affection of one man.

I have read many fiction and nonfiction books in regards to Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis and the Kennedy family in general, so I had an idea of the situations and outcomes from a biographical aspect, however I have never read anything from a fictional aspect. It was refreshing, unique, engaging, riveting, and kept me enthralled despite knowing a great bit of detail already (which says something of the author’s talent to keep me interested).

I was thoroughly impressed and enjoyed this book immensely.

5/5 stars

Thank you NetGalley and Avon Books UK for this ARC and in return I am submitting my unbiased and voluntary review and opinion.

I am posting this review to my GR (links below) and Bookbub accounts immediately and will post it to my Amazon and B&N accounts upon publication.

I absolutely loved this book! I have read most of Gill Paul's books and this one did not disappoint. I love to be introduced to characters in history I know very little about.
The story is based around Jackie Kennedy and Maria Callas; 2 women I again knew very little about. Although their stories are quite separate they are linked by the men in their lives. I enjoyed learning more about them & felt I knew their characters by the end.
As much as there is an element of fiction to the story much of it is factually based. A triumph!

Thanks to netgalley for an early copy in return for an honest review.
Once again gill paul pulls it off again, this Author has a way of working the reader to where she wants them totally captivated.
Having read most of this author's work I think this is one of her best to date.
A must read for all.

An incredible interpretation of two tumultuous historical love affairs, where truth is interlaced with fiction. I can’t recommend it enough!