A delightful love story, perfect for those obsessed with the Camelot days of the Kennedy’s. Yes, I thought right away that this story was familiar. Although much liberty was taken, it is not hard to see the parallels to JFK, Jr. and Carolyn and to the famous family which he came from. From references to the Harvard Hunk dating a model to a plane crash on the way to a cousin’s wedding, it was a bit like trying to read the story behind the story. As it turns out, that was the exact thought by the author behind the concept of this story. That aside, it was a delightful story to read about the love growing between Cate Cooper, raised in a dysfunctional home of abuse, and Joe Kingsley III, heir to American royalty and destined for political greatness. Cate and Joe, although from different worlds, were “meant to be”. Taken on the story just written on the pages, it is a quick read and pleasant on the beach. I give this a 3.5 out of 5, but will round up to a 4.

Many thanks to #netgalley #emilygriffin #meanttobe for the opportunity to red and review this book.

A beautiful love story in a few-imagined Kennedy family, “Meant to Be” is a very cute, bittersweet novel. I love this author!

This is probably closer to a 3.5 star book, but I'll give it the benefit of the doubt and round up. I loved Joe and Cate's characters. I hated that it was loosely modeled off of JFK Jr. and Carolyn Bessette. I really did love these characters, and basing them off of real-life American "royalty" felt off - like they were cheated out of their own story or something silly like that. I too have always been fascinated with the Kennedys - JFK, Jackie, JFK Jr. And I can absolutely relate to wondering how their lives would have turned out if things had been different. But creating a fictional story to finish theirs just didn't sit well with me. So while I really enjoyed the book and the characters, I struggled with just how closely things paralleled the real-life story of the Kennedys. I guess I just prefer my fiction to stay fiction, and not get muddied up with trying to re-write history.

i loved this fictional take on the version of the relationship of jfk jr and carolyn bessette kennedy. it had just the right amount of historical context, romance, and more serious notes.

The Kingsley family is American royalty and has been for many generations. Beloved for their military heroics, political service, and unmatched elegance Joe III is a free spirit, flying planes, partying, and always up to some new adventures. Despite his best intentions, he has trouble meeting the expectations of a nation, as well as those of his mother Dottie and best friend Berry

Cate Cooper couldn't be more opposite to Joe. Raised by a single mother until her mother marrys an abusive man, Kate is left to fend for herself. After being discovered by a model scout at age sixteen, Cate decides that her looks may be her only ticket out of a miserable life. It isn't long before Cate's career takes off and suddenly she is throw into a world where she feels as though she doesn't belong.

When Cate and Joe cross paths, the feelings between the two can't be denied. Cate is dealing with feelings of not belonging and as Joe wants more and more from Cate, Cate isn't sure if their relationship can take it.

This was a truly beautiful love story between Joe and Cate and both dealing with their own family traumas that stayed with them long past childhood.

Emily Giffin is one of my very favorite authors. I am always excited when she releases a new book. "Meant to Be" was a different concept for her books, as it is loosely based on the relationship of John Kennedy Jr. and Caroline Bessete. It was nice knowing the story already and learning new details (maybe real, maybe not) and imagining an intimate view of their very public relationship. As always, I love Emily Giffin's natural conversational writing style. A highly enjoyable book!

Loosely based on JFK,Jr and his wife Carolyn, this book was an interesting take on the life and politics of a man and an unassuming woman that fell in love and the family complications of the relationship.
I found myself putting the book down and not interested in reading it, but it was interesting in a voyeur kind of way I guess.

This was fine. Idk, it didn’t blow me away but it was enjoyable. I liked seeing the story progress, getting a look at both characters from childhood and onward. It was interesting to see their relationship progress and how their backgrounds impacted choices and perceptions.

Overall, solid read. (3.5)

[cw - substance abuse, domestic violence]

<i>Simple, classic, understated, and all the more heartfelt for it</i>-- in Emily Giffen's newest offering, art imitates life imitates art, borrowing from the American dream of a romance (the Kennedy's) as it brings together the son of American royalty with a former model from the proverbial other side of the tracks. The plot here is nothing new, but in Giffen's hands, the romance soars as Joe and Cate navigate their difficult personal and familial histories while pursuing a relationship with one another that stands at odds with society's expectations.
This is probably my favorite of Giffen's novels, and stands out among a sea of romances, as it's elevated and mature, trusting that compelling characters and a strong enough bond is plenty to power a novel. No hijinks necessary. The late 60's, East Coast setting, gives the book a more literary quality, and in Giffen's capable hands, the book transcends its setting, to feel timeless.

A riff on John Jr and Carolyn’s relationship, except it was too similar to fully enjoy. Joe was perfectly fine, Cate was too walled off to like, Berry was an unbearable and intrusive friend. It was nice to see a different ending than the real ending John and Carolyn had but it didn’t do enough for me. Overall a decent book but not a great book.

This book is so good! It’s a fictionalized idea of what it may have been like to be JFK Jr., the pressure he may have felt, what it would have been like for him to fall in love and what it would be like for that woman to marry into such an iconic family.

*ARC copy provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.*

I am a fan of Emily Giffin’s writing, and this book is no exception. As others have commented, it is about a fictionalized version of the Kennedys. The book started slowly for me, but once the background information for the characters was established and the story really got started, I was hooked!

Joe and Cate’s story was compelling and hopeful. Hopeful because these two people have totally different lives yet find a way to be together against many odds. The first time they meet, the connection is instant. However, the timing is wrong. About a year later, circumstances have changed, and Joe relentlessly pursues Cate because he hasn’t ever forgotten their first meeting. The story continues as they go through many ups and downs throughout their relationship – family issues on both sides, feelings of inferiority, media scrutiny, etc. The secondary characters in this book were also interesting and the ending of the book wraps things up nicely. I enjoyed this book very much and would recommend it.

Emily Giffin does not disappoint. Joseph Kingsley III is reminiscent of John Kennedy, Jr. - he is the favorite son of a popular political family and he carries a large load of family expectations on his wide shoulders. And not only does he carry the weight of his family expectations, the entire nation is watching his life unfold in the media and judging his every move.

Meanwhile, Cate's family life is about as far from Joe's as the east is from the west. No father, an abusive stepfather and an uninvolved mother leave her to fend for herself and so she does. She figures all she really has going for her is her appearance so she trades on that and eventually finds her place in the world as a model.

Joe and Cate meet by accident on the beach and soon they are in a relationship, but the glare of the media spotlight never leaves them alone and makes it difficult to find their way. Can Joe and Cate find their way to a shared future when neither of them feels like they know themselves?

This was a fast and easy read, a good summer vacation read. Good, not great.

I think i would have enjoyed it more with less obvious JFK Jr and Carolyn Bessette Kennedy similarities. For me, it was distracting and cheapened the story. I didn’t find Joe or Cate as intriguing as JFK Jr and Carolyn. Cate was kind of snobby and Joe seemed overly smitten to such a standoffish Cate.

However, I wish the real couple could have had the same ending.

Again, I would consider it an easy summer read. Thanks to NetGalley for allowing me to read this book.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for my honest review. Mark your calendars because the publication is set for May 31, 2022!

This ended up being a 3 star read for me. Emily Giffin has been on my radar for a while now and this was the first book I was able to sit down with. Unfortunately, this book didn't resonate with me and I so badly wanted to love it.

The writing felt flat which in turn made the characters seem one dimensional. I thought the first few chapters were written with this tone to help set up the background of the characters but I realized that the whole book was written in this fashion.

I struggled to connect with Joe and Cate's story and it felt like a biography book rather than a fictional/romance story. I'm also clearly an outlier because other readers adored this book. I'm definitely going to read some of Giffin's other books and I hope this was just a fluke.

I love the fact that Joe and Cate are loosely based on JFK and Carolyn Bessette - I wish I knew this at the beginning (it was state in the author's note at the end). The whole story is very hooking - I finished it very quickly. A great summer read to get lost in!

Thanks to NetGalley and publisher for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

Meant to Be
By Emily Giffin

This is the story of Joe Kingsley (much like John Kennedy) and Cate Cooper, the child of a dysfunctional family with an abusive step-father. From their first "accidentally on purpose" meeting through all the family drama fraught with secrets, it is a typical romance novel – sometimes known as a beach read.

That said, I will add that Ms. Giffin takes a story filled with somewhat implausible melodrama and manages to keep it an interesting read. This was the first book I have read by this author; I found her writing good enough that I will probably sample another of her books. After all, if you've been doing some heavy duty reading, sometimes a beach read just hits the spot!

I have been a longtime reader of Emily Griffin’s books, and this novel was a complete revelation to me. Set in the 1960s, this a love story set in the world of privilege but touching on topics of abuse and duty, and just how strong family ties really are. I absolutely loved it!

Emily Giffin reimagines the romance between JFK Jr and Carolyn Bessette in Meant to Be. Set in NYC and the Hamptons, the story revolves around Cate Cooper, who left high school and her verbally abusive step-father when she was discovered by a modeling agency while strolling on a NJ boardwalk. Joe Kingsley III is the well-known son of a deceased astronaut. He meets Cate during a photo shoot when he is walking the beach in the Hamptons. The novel details the ups and down of the rich and famous in love. Meant to Be is a good beach or long-weekend read for women who enjoy happily ever after.

I have been a huge Emily Giffin fan from the very beginning (SoBo and SoBu are among my favorite books ever). Every time she writes a new one I buy it right away. EG never disappoints, but some I like better than others. This is one of her BEST BOOKS ever. I couldn’t put it down and finished it in less than 24 hours.

This is the love story of Joe Kingsley Jr and Cate Cooper’s —very loosely based in JFK Jr. and Carolyn Bessete. The book is told from the perspective of both characters—in alternating chapters —in EG’s signature prose (she writes them so realistically, almost like they’re real people).

I laughed, I cried, I didn’t stop reading till I was done. LOVED THIS BOOK.

Thank you NetGalley for the Arc!