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.

If you are looking for a thrilling historical fiction, you’re in the right place. The Kennedy Girl mainly takes place in Paris, France as well as some scenes in Milan and New York. In The Kennedy Girl we follow a young american woman named Mia. One day Mia receives an offer to work for a popular modeling house in Paris. Mia accepts this job and heads to Paris. After settling in with her roommates and job Mia senses something may be off. This book has crazy plot twists and is a fun roller coaster. It kept me on the edge of my seat the whole time. The book starts off quickly and I find that you hit a lull for a bit but it picks right back up again with endless amounts of action. This book has a little bit of romance but not too much if that is something you are looking for. This book was researched and detailed. Julia Byran Thomas put her heart and soul into the book. I wouldn’t always say Mia was loveable but she was quite the complex character which makes her a loveable character. Honestly I think there is so much potential with the other characters in this book. We don’t see too many historical fiction series but this would be lovely. It doesn’t necessarily need to be a series but it would be cool if she wrote future books in the same fictional version of the world. Thank you Tantor Audio and NetGalley for a copy of this audiobook in exchange for my honest review.

Mia is an average working American fallen on hard times. One day at work, a complete stranger gives her an offfer that is hard for her to turn down because it offers her adventure and a potential fresh start, but it’s also a bit crazy and insane. Mia ultimately takes the stranger up on his offer and makes her way to Paris to embark on her new journey as a model for a prominent fashion house. As she’s going through the learning process and working more and more, she then finds herself involved in covert work. And, oh yeah, this is set in the middle of the Cold War…so let’s just say that Mia’s work becomes intense after a while.

I found this to be pretty interesting and a good listen! I would recommend this because it blends history and fiction being that these characters are fictional and their work in the story is fictional also, but the time and setting is obviously a real moment in time.

The Kennedy Girl by Julia Bryan Thomas was a captivating historical fiction novel that took place during the Cold War years of the 1960’s. It took place in both New York and Paris. Julia Bryan Thomas was able to capture the competitiveness and secrecy that the Cold War era brought and coupled it with the excitement and glamour that went hand and hand with the world of fashion especially in Paris, France. The Kennedy Girl was well written, well plotted and had just enough intriguing characters to keep me immersed throughout. I listened to the audiobook that was narrated very well by Ri Paige.

Amelia Walker, who preferred to be called Mia, grew up idolizing Jacqueline Kennedy. She admired everything about her. Amelia had had a sad life. Her mother had died when she was at the vulnerable age of eleven, the time when every young girl needed her mother the most. Her father had done his best to bring Mia up. Mia’s father had recently died. At the tender age of nineteen, Mia found herself an orphan. She lived in Brooklyn, New York and worked at a bakery. Mia did not have many opportunities sitting at her doorstep but one day she noticed a new customer enter the bakery. She had never seen him before. The next day, Mia encountered him again outside the bakery as she was leaving. To her complete surprise, the man made her an offer that both shocked her and enticed her. He told Mia that she had the qualities necessary to become a successful model. Mia was offered a one-way all expenses paid ticket to Paris to work as a fashion model at the infamous House of Rousseau. How could Mia pass up this once in a lifetime opportunity? Was it too good to be true or was her life about to evolve into everything she could have ever dreamed of doing? Only time would tell.

I really enjoyed listening to the audiobook of The Kennedy Girl by Julia Bryan Thomas. Mia was quite naive as the novel began but circumstances and new acquaintances emboldened her and made her grow up quickly. I enjoyed the acts of espionage and discovery that Mia found herself in. Many aspects of the Cold War were apparent in this book. It was a time when trust was hard to come by. Having grown up during this decade, I appreciated the references to President Kennedy and Jacqueline Kennedy and the fashions of the time. The Kennedy Girl was about friendship, learning who to trust, fashion, the life models led, espionage and romance. I enjoyed listening to The Kennedy Girl and recommend it highly.

Thank you to Tantor Audio for allowing me to listen to the audiobook of The Kennedy Girl by Julia Bryan Thomas through Netgalley in exchange for a honest review. All opinions expressed in this review were completely my own.

2.5
This historical novel set in paris in the 60s sounded really interesting, especially since it set in the fashion world and that sound right up my alley.
I found the first part very intriguing, getting to know our main character, her back story and when she moved to paris, but i found the connections she had in the first part (like luca) were more organic and realistic, therefore i didn't really enjoy the second part. To me it felt rushed, too many informations in too few words.
Though the narrator did a great job in with the different accents and tone of voice.
The conclusion is that this book probably wasn't for me.

I think this will be a hit based on a lot of titles I see coming out about young American women both in foreign cities and involved spy craft during WWII or the Cold War. It was a little slow for my taste, but I liked the world building of 1950's Paris.

Thank you to Netgalley for providiing me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. This review is for the audiobook. I wanted to state that the narration was well done and immersed me into the story. Now for the actual story: The book takes place in the 1960s when Amelia is approached by a male stranger who tells her she should be a model for the House of Rousseau in Paris. The timing is perfect for Amelia as she her parents have died and she is a bit stuck in life without anything to tie her to the US. She moves to Paris and shares a flat with two other models. The book lets you in on the fact that she is being used right away but you don't really know how until the mysteries all start to unravel. No Spoilers. I will say that I was disappointed to find that this book has almost nothing to do with Jaqueline or the other Kennedys. Jackie was fashionable and went to Paris. Amelia wanted to be regarded in the same way Jackie was. I didn't like the title at all in regards to the book. The story was fine and I am glad to have read this book. I would read from the author again. However it wasn't anything truly unique or engaging. 3.5 stars.

Julia Bryan Thomas’s The Kennedy Girl is a dazzling mix of fashion, Parisian glamour, and Cold War intrigue, set against the backdrop of 1960s haute couture.

Nineteen-year-old Amelia “Mia” Walker leaves her New York bakery job for the opportunity of a lifetime: modeling for the prestigious House of Rousseau in Paris. Inspired by her idol Jacqueline Kennedy, Mia quickly immerses herself in the city’s elegance, befriending fellow models and learning the ropes under the sophisticated Madame Laurant. But the glittering world of fashion conceals a darker side.

Mia discovers she has unknowingly become part of an espionage scheme, delivering cryptic messages for Cold War operatives during her social appearances. As the stakes rise, Mia must decide whether to risk her dreams—or her safety—while navigating the blurred lines between glamour and danger.

With richly drawn characters and a vivid depiction of 1960s Paris, The Kennedy Girl expertly combines the allure of high fashion with the suspense of a spy thriller. Perfect for fans of The Secrets We Kept, this novel is a captivating tale of resilience, courage, and the collision of politics and dreams.
The narration was fabulous and the listening experience was exceptional !

Fashion and glamour and spies, oh my. This is a fun Cold War historical fiction set in the high fashion world of the 1960s. It was a fun, fast read. I’ll be looking for more from this author.

I had a lot of fun reading this book about a model who gets recruited to be a spy during the cold war. However, I don't think I'm going to think about this book again. While I was reading it, it was super interesting, but I didn't find myself wanting to read it while I wasn't actively reading. Also while reading it, sometimes I caught little online language which just kept putting me off. The narrator on the other hand was excellent!

Fashion meets espionage in this fantastic work of Historical Fiction from Julia Bryan Thomas. Mia is offered a modeling job at the famous House of Rousseau, moving her from NYC to Paris for a new exciting life. But its the 1960s and Mia has found herself in the middle of the Cold War. I highly recommend.


Thank you Tantor Audio and NetGalley for a copy of this audiobook in exchange for my honest review.

I would give this 3.5 stars rounded up. I am fascinated with the Kennedys, so I was disappointed that this novel really had not much of a connection to the Kennedys. But that aside, the biggest issue that that I had with the book was its unevenness. The first half of the book was focused on the fashion angle. The protagonist was a young woman from the United States that was offered a job as a model at a fashion house in Paris. This fashion house was a ruse for a spy operation that threatened democracy as we knew it, in the height of the Cold War. In the first half of the book, fashion was the main thing and my problem is that I am not terribly interested in fashion. On the other hand, I am interested in Paris and the thing that kept me going were the descriptions of fashion.
The second half of the novel brought out the spy/Cold War historical part of the novel. This is what interested me, even though there were a few things that were a bit far fetched. So, my rating for the first half was a 3 and the second half was a 4, averaging out to 3.5.
About the characters. The protagonist was all right but I did not feel drawn to her. The other characters could have been fleshed out more.
I read this in parts and listened to the audio. The narrator was good, with a pleasant voice.
Thanks to NetGalley, Tantor Audio and Sourcebooks Landmark for providing me with the advanced reading copy and audio in exchange for my honest opinion.

When going through a rough time a young American is offered the opportunity to go model in Paris. Deciding to take a chance she enters the world of the rich and powerful where there is more going on that it seems. Mia must navigate through the power and politics.

This was an enjoyable read and I liked the development of the story and the characters.

Thank you NetGalley and RBmedia for the audio Arc The Kennedy Girl. This was a good read. It does have some dark shocking turns but overall I enjoyed it.

This story follows a young girl, Mia, as she moves from NYC to Paris when offered a modeling job at The House of Rousseau. The job ends up leading her into an unexpected and unintended path of espionage.

This was a fine historical fiction in many ways but had I not done the audio I’m not sure I would’ve kept going. It’s a very very slow burn to the point that nothing big really happened until after 90% in. The fashion aspect was the most interesting part to me.

Thanks to RB Media for the alc via Netgalley.

Set in the 1960s, American Mia moves to Paris when she is offered a modeling job with a famous clothing company. While overseas, she becomes immersed in her new world, but quickly becomes enveloped (accidentally of course) in the world of espionage.

I haven’t read many books set during the Cold War era, so this was an interesting time period to learn more about. While I do feel some parts of the book got away from reality (car chases, random kidnappings) I found myself still really invested. I liked learning about the fashion industry of the 1960s, a time with some much uncertainty due to the state of affairs globally. Overall, an interesting and entertaining read, but reality needs to be suspended a bit, which is not my favorite in historical fiction.

The narration was excellent and I recommend this method of reading to become fully engrossed in the story.

The Kennedy Girl is a historical fiction that takes place in Paris in the 1960's. It follows Mia, an American girl, who is hired and brought to Paris to work for a modeling agency. Set during the Cold War era, the girls at the modeling agency are sent on assignments to cocktail parties and other events where they showcase the couture of the fashion house....and sometimes other tasks.

This book touches on an array of subject matter from fashion, history, politics, espionage to a little bit of romance to round it out. While I found the pace and unfolding of the story itself to be a little slow and drawn out at times, I appreciated the different perspective as most of the historical fiction I have read takes place during WWII. It was refreshing to learn a little about the fashion industry mixed in with some intrigue and a spy ring set in a time period which I am not as familiar with. Once you get through all the historical information and background, things start to pick up. I found a small smile on my face at the end.

This was a good background book for me while doing tasks like driving, cooking, laundry, etc. Something to pass the time and have some entertainment but that did not require my complete focus to be able to follow along.

I would like to thank Tantor Audio for the free advance release copy of the audio version of this book, coming to you January 14, 2025!!

Thanks to NetGalley, Sourcebooks Landmark, and Tantor Audio for the digital copy of this book and audiobook; I am leaving this review voluntarily.

The story follows a young American, Mia, who works in a bakery in New York. She’s recruited to be a model and get this, she gets to go to Paris to work in a fashion house. Sounds like a dream opportunity for a young lady who is obsessed with Jackie Kennedy’s style. She starts working with the House of Rousseau and is adjusting to life in Paris, when suddenly, things turn a bit more interesting, as if that wasn’t interesting enough!

Set in the backdrop of the Cold War of the late 1950s and early 1960s, I thought I’d enjoy this book more than I did. That’s not to say it was bad–far from it! However, the pacing was slow to start. There was a big build up before Mia even gets involved in espionage, and then the story picks up considerably.

You can tell from the writing that this book is well researched, yet sometimes I feel like that was a hinderance to making me love the book entirely. It seemed to get a little bogged down in the middle a bit, then picks up again towards the end. It’s a somewhat unique story, so I have to give the author some credit for the overall arc of the story. If it sounds like I didn’t like the book, that’s not true. It just wasn’t a five-star read for me. More like 3.5.

I thought the narrator, Ri Paige, did an admirable job of narrating the book. I would definitely seek out other titles with her as narrator.

If you like a good story set in France during the Cold War, you should definitely check out The Kennedy Girl.

5 Stars! I LOVED this!! So unsuspecting! I took a chance, requesting a book that didn’t have a cover photo on NetGalley, it was publishing in a week and had what sounded like a fun plot that was right up my “fashion background alley” — and boy, was it!

Such fun! A young woman in NYC is approached by an older man to fly to Paris to represent one of the largest fashion houses. The story was worldly with tours and dress fittings, modeling, private parities, million dollar necklaces, espionage, guns, murder and an explosion! What more could I ask for?! I would totally read something else by this author!

Thanks to NG & the publishers for a chance to read early and review.

I was hoping this book was going to be more about the Kennedy's. It was still a good story but not what I was expecting.