⭐️⭐️⭐️💫 3.75/5 Stars

The Kennedy Girl sweeps you away to 1960s Paris with a captivating blend of historical fiction, high fashion, and unexpected espionage. What begins as a glamorous modeling opportunity for young Amelia quickly transforms into a thrilling journey far beyond the runway.

This was my first read by Julia Bryan Thomas, and while the beginning was a bit slow for my taste, the second half more than made up for it with tension, intrigue, and twists I didn’t see coming. I’ll definitely be picking up more from this author!

Thank you to #NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for the ARC.

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Wonderfully entertaining. Intriguing plot with a believable cast of characters. This is one of those books that when you begin it, you don’t want to get up again until the book is done.

I really liked this one and it was one of my top reads last month. Mia is an interesting character and enjoyed her growth as a person and in her profession.

Note: Thank you to NetGalley, Sourcebooks Landmark, and author Julia Bryan Thomas for the advanced reader copy of this book. What follows is my unbiased review of the book.

For one reason or another, most historical fiction seems to center on World War II. Maybe it’s an easy topic, where the lines between good and bad were easily defined, and we could all cheer pretty easily when the war ended and the protagonists lived happily ever after. There’s no questioning whether one side could have been right and the other wrong. The era of the Cold War could be thought of the same way in some circles, but there were many people who fell on what we would consider the “wrong” side of the dispute for a variety of reasons.

The Kennedy Girl is a novel set during the era of the Cold War, particularly the early 1960s as only a small number of nations had the capability of creating a nuclear weapon. It was also a time when there were spies all around the world trying to help their nation gain the upper hand, while people also tried to do what they thought would stop nuclear proliferation.

Mia Walker lives in New York City and works at a bakery. Her mother died when she was young, and her father recently passed when she is approached by Theo Gillette, who recruits her to be a model for the House of Rousseau, a couture house in Paris. He gives her a plane ticket, and she hesitates, even going all the way out to the airport to cash in the ticket. In the end, she decides why not and travels to Paris.

There, they spend time training her to see if she has what it takes. Mia has never thought of herself as beautiful, but she has a look that gets people’s attention even if she doesn’t see it. She lives in an apartment with two other models for House Rousseau, Maeve and Elisabeth, and is driven around by a handsome Italian chauffeur, Luca. It would seem that she is living a charmed life. However, there is more going on at House of Rousseau than meets the eye.

I enjoyed the book, even if I felt like I had to suspend my disbelief quite a bit at times. Mia is not only a runway model, she is sent out to be seen in society in House of Rousseau garments, and is often given messages by Theo to pass on to someone at the event. The messages don’t make sense to Mia, and they make her a little uncomfortable, but there’s no smoking gun that she can pin down as something wrong. Meanwhile, she’s enjoying her life, saving her money, and experiencing Paris.

That all changes eventually when someone who states he works for the United States government makes contact with Mia. Philip tells her she is helping an Alliance of Eastern European nations on their own quest for nuclear technology. Mia does not know who to believe. She has her suspicions about House of Rousseau, but Philip’s actions aren’t on the level, either.

The Kennedy Girl was a good read. It was hard to believe that Mia could be this naive to think she was just discovered on the streets of New York and given a ticket to Paris and an apartment to live in. She was sheltered quite a bit in her life, but it still was hard to believe. Of course, the thing is they need someone who’s a bit naive and who will just follow orders, and who is disposable. With no living relatives, if Mia has to be “disappeared” at some point, there isn’t anyone who will come looking for her.

The intrigue was exciting as I was submerged in a world of espionage during the Cold War. There wasn’t much in the way of violence, but there is a constant threat. Mia isn’t certain who is the good guy and who is the bad guy as she’s navigating her time in Paris, which culminates in her meeting her idol, Jackie Kennedy. It all comes together at the end, and Mia gets an education in life.

The characters are well written with depth and I came to care for them. I found myself rooting for some people not to be on the wrong side as they seemed to care about Mia a great deal. Mia also evolves a lot from a naive girl to someone who develops confidence, poise, and a worldliness she most definitely did not have when she arrived in Paris. It was a joy to follow this, and it felt genuine.

The political history of the time is interesting. The Cold War was always painted to me as the United States versus the Soviet Union, but there were many other nations who wanted to remain strong with their own weaponry and were willing to betray whomever they had to just to get their hands on it.

The Kennedy Girl is a solid piece of historical fiction that drew me in easily. The topic was a bit different than what I usually read, and I think if you’re interested in this time in history, you’ll like it. It was also interesting to read what it is like to be a part of a Paris fashion house. It’s not as simple as people think to be a model, and I found that part enlightening. All around, this was a good read.

The Kennedy Girl by Julia Bryan Thomas
4/5 🌟

This was such a joyful book. The author does a great job of writing a storyline that builds but also keeps you invested as it goes along by peppering in coming of age themes, history, romance, and having a career.

It was a story about a woman, Mia, who is from NYC and a scout gives her an opportunity to be a model for a top fashion house in Paris France. She seizes the opportunity and begins her immersive experience in France which pulls her into some secretive spy business during the Cold War. The setting of the 1960s is such a great backdrop with it being intense and yet still romantic and open to possibility. I also liked the tie in with tv politics and Jackie Kennedy being well known and admired. I really liked how easy this was to follow and see how Mia was going to survive.

(Thanks to Sourcebooks Landmark for providing me with an eARC.)

Descriptions of clothes and the fashion house world showed the author's research for the book. It started slow setting up the story, but the action sped up. The story was fascinating; it kept me invested in everything that happened. Mia went through a lot in the story and I could feel it in the way she grew more cautious of other people and was able to make snap decisions when faced with dangerous tasks; by the end of the book, I felt Mia's exhaustion at everything she was put through. I felt the shift in perspective in one chapter to Raphaël felt unnecessary since the story was already switching between three characters; he was a minor character and I felt his story could've been included in one of the other characters' perspective. I also found some of Mia's decisions made little sense, like where she hid the book and the necklace.

(Actual: 3.75⭐, rounded up) This book was such a pleasant surprise for me - I've never read anything from this author before/until now, so I wasn't exactly sure what to expect and/or if it would even match my personal reading tastes (especially since I don't read too much HistFic). That being said.... it absolutely did! I found Thomas's prose bold and lively in style, which helped in adding even more depth and fun to the central plot (as some parts did lag just a tad, but not so much so where it bothered me). And while Mia did annoy me sometimes as our MC, I kept reminding myself that she's supposed to only be 19, and well..... at that age... ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ LOL anyway. I thought this was a super intriguing read, packed with adventure, glamour, espionage, and more!

This was a very slow read & I wanted to DNF it many times. I did enjoy reading about Paris though. But that was really all I liked. I feel like the espionage plot could have been introduced earlier because when it was I felt like a whole new book had started.

In 1960, Amelia "Mia" Walker has tended to her dying father, and wonders what she'll do next. She works at a bakery so is no stranger to hard work. One day a customer, Theo Gillette, offers her the chance at a whole new life: travel to Paris and join the House of Rousseau to become a model. To sweeten the deal, he gives her a plane ticket with no strings attached.

Initially thinking she'll cash the ticket in, Mia impulsively decides instead that she'll take Gillette's offer, and arrives in Paris. She's put up at a flat with two other Rousseau models, Maeve and Elizabeth, and is slowly taught deportment and some French by the design house. Soon Mia is walking down runways and attending sparkling parties, wearing the beautiful Rousseau designs.

We also meet another resident of Mia's building, Madame Fournier, who left her staid, adult boys' expectations to move to Paris, and who keeps a close eye on the models in the apartment, for her own mysterious reasons.

After a little time successfully modelling, Gillette begins asking the naive Mia to pass on enigmatic phrases to specific party guests. Puzzled, she does, but gradually begins to wonder what is really going on. Before too long, Mia begins to realize she's being followed, and that her room in the shared flat has been searched.

Mia does not understand what is happening, but between warnings from an American man she meets at a party to being followed and to more shocking incidents, Mia begins to understand that she is a small part of a bid to sway political power during the Cold War.

Author Julia Bryan Thomas does a great job of creating a compelling story with a likeable protagonist who is forced to open her eyes to the wider, political and economic influences in the world.

I loved all the details Thomas provided of working at a fashion house, as well as Mia's joy at exploring a new city. Though not a country bumpkin, she gains much poise, a little ruthlessness, and a deeper understanding of herself and the world over the course of the story.

I greatly enjoyed the novel, and the audiobook, which I also listened to while reading. Ri Paige's voice is wonderfully textured, soothing when it needed to be, and clipped during action scenes. The characters come to life and I loved how well she conveyed Mia's growth.

Thank you to Netgalley, Sourcebooks Landmark and Tantor Audio for these ARCs in exchange for my review.

In this unique and high-stakes new historical fiction novel, readers are dropped into 1960s Paris and the fashion industry when Mia, who works a normal job at a bakery, is offered a dream job as a model for the House of Rousseau in Paris. While the life is intense, Mia loves her new life and the glamour and glitz of it all, but not everything is as it seems, since the fashion house is drawing its models into the political intrigue and espionage of the Cold War, bordering on outright international crimes. As she discovers the secrets of her new life, Mia must decide how far she is willing to go for her country and for her employers and friends. With its thrilling international setting against the Cold War, readers will love the complex detail and historical backdrop of this fascinating new novel. Mia is an interesting protagonist, and readers are just as in the dark as she is throughout the novel’s events, so the twists and turns will pull readers into the story. High stakes, exciting, and surprisingly emotional, this book is a great and gripping historical fiction thriller that fans of mysteries and historical intrigue will absolutely love.

This was a very slow read for me, I kept putting it down and would pick it back up in hopes getting hooked.

Thank you Netgalley, SOURCEBOOKS Landmark | Sourcebooks Landmark and Julia Bryan Thomas for free e-ARC of The Kennedy Girl in return of my honest review.

Unfortunately, my experience with The Kennedy Girl was far from enjoyable. Despite the hype surrounding this book, it didn't live up to my expectations.

First and foremost, the plot felt overly predictable and, at times, even tedious. The story didn't grab my attention in the way I had hoped, and it lacked the depth and complexity I often look for in a good read. The pacing was inconsistent; there were moments of stagnation that left me bored, only for the narrative to suddenly rush through important events with little buildup.

The characters were another letdown. They seemed one-dimensional, with motivations that were either unclear or entirely implausible. I found it hard to care about their struggles, and I wasn't invested in their development, which made the emotional beats of the story fall flat.


While I can understand why some readers might enjoy this book, it simply wasn't for me. I couldn't connect with the story, characters, or writing, and it ultimately left me feeling disappointed.

I am quite late for my review of The Kennedy Girl (life happens!) I really enjoyed this book! Mia is a bit naïve, but I guess that can be expected of a 19-year-old. The book started picking up for me when she found out what she was really being used for (won't spoil it!). All in all, this was a book I enjoyed a lot and would recommend it to a historical fiction fan!

Thank you NetGalley for the advanced copy. I am not a reviewer who will retell the plot, just my feelings towards the book as the reader can look up the plot themselves.

Having grown up during the Cold War, I found myself drawn into this story from the beginning. The story doesn’t appear to be based on any actual person just the unsettled events of that time frame. For a nineteen-year-old girl without any family to take a chance on an offer to model in France at that time would have been very risky and not likely but it makes a good story. The characters are crafted in such a way that it is hard to decide who the bad guys are and it was disappointing to see the delivery driver turned out to be on the wrong side. The story does however end on a positive note.

This one took me way too long to read, but I blame that on the fact that I just don't have the concentration to read these days. I'd much rather turn on the tv and zone for hours on end. Once I settled into this one and was determined to finish, I found it quite enjoyable. Our little Mia finds herself hired as a model for a fashion house in Paris that is way more than just a fashion house, and she gets mixed up in espionage and danger. I think that for anyone who likes a little history and intrigue, this one would be a good fit.

I was very hopeful for this book. I've always been a Jackie Kennedy fan and thought it would reflect more of that side of the story since it was titled as such. However, the story just fell flat. It felt one dimensional and I just wasn't interested enough to see the book through.
DNF @42%

There is nothing I love more as a historical fiction lover than a book where the FMC gets lost in an espionage plot in a glamorous world that in a way no longer exists. The picture that was painted was vivid and transported me back to the 60’s. I was engaged the entire time I was reading it.

A stranger presents Mia with a once in a lifetime opportunity- a ticket to Paris to be one of the House of Rousseau’s models in Paris. Mia lost her father recently and decides to take a risk.

She becomes the fashion house’s lead model as a world of espionage is unveiled to her. Suddenly, Mia has to decide who to trust and what side she is on.

@juliabryanthomas_author this was a fun read!!! The fashion house was such an interesting backdrop and the warring sides kept me wondering who Mia was safe with. Can’t wait to read your other work!

⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Thanks to @netgalley and @sourcebooks for this #advancedreaderscopy - pub date was 1/21/25

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#thekennedygirl
#netgalley
#twopuppiesaremessingwithmyreading

This started out so slow with the scene setting in Paris that I switched to the audiobook. That didn’t help. It took forever to set the scene and then about halfway though, it’s like another book started, as if the author was told to pick it up and espionage is thrown in to liven it up. But by then, I’d lost interest in the story. It didn’t help that several common French words were mispronounced throughout and it grated on my nerves. It seems nitpicky but could they not find someone who could pronounce monsieur correctly? This will be of interest to those who like fashion and are into the slow burn of spy work in France. It didn’t work for me.

A fascinating book set in the 1960's with an intriguing main character. Mia has no idea what's in store for her when she snares a one way ticket to Paris and a modelling job with the House of Rousseau. Mia takes a chance on what turns out to be life-changing decision and quickly discovers there is more than fashion and glamour at stake. It's the Cold War and she finds herself caught up in situations that are far beyond her experience. Clever and resouorceful she finds herself caught up in espionage in a fabulous Parisienne setting. Highly recommend. Fascinating plot and layered, complex characters.