A romantic story inspired by the Kennedy family. You’ll see JFK Jr in character Joe Kingsley, Jr. The characters are complicated yet lovable. A perfect summer read.

Joe Kingsley was born into American royalty. While he has been known to be reckless, he has an image to uphold, and his mom and Berry will not let him forget it. Cate however, nobody ever expected anything from. Having lost her father at a young age, her mom has remarried Curtis, who is the definition of abusive. When Cate gets discovered by a modeling agency, she can finally leave her childhood behind. When she meets and fall for Joe however, can they possible work when they come from such different families?

This book reminded me a bit of American Royals, which you all know I loved! I absolutely adored both Cate and Joe, and their relationship was one you just wanted to see work out. This book was filled with romance, struggle, abuse, love, and everything in between. Apparently the book was loosely based on the Kennedy family, which I can totally see having read it. I think this one might be one of my favorite books from Emily Giffin.

When I started reading this book, the Kennedy family automatically popped into my head. The story centers around Joe Kingsley. He is America’s favorite son and the Kingsley family is considered American royalty. His father, Joseph S. Kingsley, Jr. was an American hero who was killed in a tragic accident and Joe inherits the weight of his legacy.
The other main character is Cate Cooper. She was able to escape her abusive household after she was discovered by the world famous Elite modeling agency. Soon, Cate’s face is in magazines and on billboards. This is where it gets good!
She catches the attention of Joe and we have a modern day Camelot love story.
I loved every second, every page and every sentence. Emily Giffin always writes love stories with well developed characters that you root for and feel invested in. (I was thrilled to read in the epilogue that she was picturing JFK Jr. and Carolyn Bessette when she was writing!)
5 stars and two thumbs up. Giffin hit a grand slam with this one!

Emily Griffin’s done it again. I was so excited to read this book and didn’t want to put it down after I started. The characters were relatable and I felt strongly connected to them while reading. The author’s note at the end added a special touch that made me view the story in a different (equally enjoyable) lens.

This book was given to me in exchange for an honest review. Five Stars! Emily Giffin is one of my favorite authors and she never disappoints. While I'm not a fan of alternating point of views from two main characters, this book quickly sucked me in and I managed to read it in one day! While it's considered a romance novel, I do appreciate period pieces strewn throughout and this one includes the Kennedy connection. The book is about Cate and Joe, both from completely different walks of life, told from their POVs. While it's not overly sappy, it is a very sweet romance story that left me wanting more. Fabulous, sweet, quick read.

This story is strongly inspired by John Kennedy and Carolyn Bessette. It was, unfortunately, very one-dimensional. Character development was ignored for the sake of spanning time. This resulted in a slow, not-too-interesting read.

I received an early copy from NetGalley in exchange for a review.

The lives of members of the Kingsley family, in Emily Giffin's Meant to Be, very closely parallel the trials and tribulations of the Kennedy clan. The character, Joe Kingsley, virtually mimics the life of John F. Kennedy Jr. with few exceptions. He meets Cate (seemingly not based on Carolyn Bessette), a model from the wrong side of town, with whom he falls in love. Without giving too much away, I would recommend this book for those of us who are enamored of the Kennedys, with all of their glamour and faults. It's a quick, propulsive read, perfect for summer and beach reading.

What could have been. Emily Giffin's new book "Meant to Be" takes us on a journey most our familiar with but this times gives us the satisfaction of a happy ending. A love story of Cate and Joe references a love story similar to a great love story of the 1990s.

Oh my gosh. I could not put this book down. I’ve been reading Giffin’s books from the very beginning and this might be the best one yet. Loosely based on JFK Jr and Carolyn Bessette’s relationship, this one is going to be a crowd favorite for sure.

I loved this story of top bachelor, Joe, and top model, Cate, a girl from the "other side of the tracks"! The book is well written in the popular back and forth chapters between the characters. We get to experience a little of both Joe's and Cate's backgrounds, their romantic dating, and all that ensues following that. The story was fun to read, and compelling, but seemed a little predictable, and similar to an event that happened in real life, not too many years ago. I would recommend this "chick book" for those that are looking for a fun beach read.

Thanks to NetGalley for allowing me to read and review Meant to Be.

I did finish this book but definitely not my fave from this author. The JFK, Jr./Carolyn Bessette copycat romance was clearly well intended but highly distracting. I won't spoil the ending for anyone reading this review.

Thank you NetGalley for this ARC. Wow what a great “What If”story. I loved the parallel story of Joe and Cate to the real story of JFK Jr and Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy. This is one of Emily’s best books to date. It is a love story for the ages.

I am a big Emily Giffin fan.... but this book just didn't hit the mark for me. I felt like I kept reading waiting for something to happen, but it never did. well at least not until the very, (very) end and by then I was kind of over it. It was an homage to the Kennedy family, but it was missing the drama IMO. I'm still a fan, but I'm sad to say this book won't be on my re-read list.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine for the ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Always love Emily’s books and this does not disappoint. Excellent for those already a fan of her writing of a great one to start out with!!

I was waiting on another Emily Giffin book to come out. Beautiful characters and easy to follow storyline. One of those storys that really draws you into the characters. I stayed up all night to finish it!

Joe was the America's golden child, son of a famous and beloved man he lived with expectations and pressure to live up to his family name. Cate had a humble early childhood, that also involved abuse and secrets. Was she meant for Joe? Not in theory, but love is funny and fickle thing. I enjoyed the reimagining of a certain love story we all know. This story allowed the reader "waht ifs" and an ending that does not disappoint. Another great read by Emily Giffin.

This was one of my top books of the year so far! I absolutely loved everything about the story. I loved the characters. I loved the setting. I loved the slightly familiar story while still being something completely new. Emily Griffin is always a must read for me and this book was another great one!

IStarted readingt this was a story and thought it must me a retelling of the Kennedy's, at least JFK JR. It was a good story but not what I am used to by Emily Giffin. I hope it was all fiction and just made you think of the Kennedy family becuse Cait's mother was a nightmare.

I received a complimentary copy of this book "Meant to Be" and all opinions expressed are my own. I guess this was based on JFK jr and Carolyn Bessett. I didn't find the story all that interesting. The characters just weren't there for me and I didn't connect to them. I didn't look forward to reading this book each day.

Oh, I loved this book! A re-telling of the JFK Jr./Carolyn Bessette love story, this novel had the perfect tone of respect but also, storytelling. If only the true version had mimicked the novel. Giffin's characters are mesmerizing, likable and compelling, not an easy job when they are clearly based on people we know so much about. I read this one in two days, unable to put it down and desperately hoping for the satisfying ending that the author provided. I will definitely recommmend!