Meant to Be by Emily Giffin
Meant to Be by Emily Giffin Book Summary
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • He’s American royalty. She comes from a troubled past. Is their love story meant to be? This “lively page-turner” (The New York Times) offers a nostalgic, hopelessly romantic escape—from the author of Something Borrowed and The Lies That Bind.
“I’m a sucker for an iconic, against-all-odds love story, and Meant to Be truly delivers.”—Tia Williams, author of Seven Days in June
“A chic, history-inspired summer read [that] strikes a careful balance between simply retelling the true story of JFK Jr. and his wife, Carolyn Bessette, and crafting an entirely new one.”—Bookreporter
The Kingsley family is American royalty, beloved for their military heroics, political service, and unmatched elegance. In 1967, after Joseph S. Kingsley, Jr. is killed in a tragic accident, his charismatic son inherits the weight of that legacy. But Joe III is a free spirit—and a little bit reckless. Despite his best intentions, he has trouble meeting the expectations of a nation, as well as those of his exacting mother, Dottie.
Meanwhile, no one ever expected anything of Cate Cooper. She, too, grew up fatherless—and after her mother marries an abusive man, she is forced 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 the cycle of disappointment that her mother has always inhabited. Before too long, Cate’s face is in magazines and on billboards. Yet she feels like a fraud, faking it in a world to which she’s never truly belonged.
When Joe and Cate unexpectedly cross paths one afternoon, their connection is instant and intense. But can their relationship survive the glare of the spotlight and the so-called Kingsley curse? In a beautifully written novel that captures a gilded moment in American history, Emily Giffin tells the story of two people searching for belonging and identity, as well as the answer to the question: Are certain love stories meant to be?
Meant to Be Book Details
| Book Name | Meant to Be |
| Genre | Fiction & Literature |
| Author | Emily Giffin |
| Published | 31 May 2022, Tuesday |
| Price | $12.99 |
| E-Book Size | 4.39 MB |
Meant to Be by Emily Giffin Book Reviews
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I couldn’t stop reading!!. While reading, I kept noticing similarities between the Kennedy’s and John Jr. And Caroline Bessett. I loved hearing in the end, that this story was, indeed based on them and the Kennedy name. If only their ending could have been as perfect. They sure deserved it!
Great read. Perfect summer book, just what I needed.
Hard to get past…. The story of Joe is a clear rip off of the Kennedys . It’s so similar I found it distracting.
Amazing read!. Emily Griffin never disappoints. Another great book that I just couldn’t put down.
You might want to skip this one. I have enjoyed Emily Giffin’s books in the past and was looking forward to this one. However, it was a real disappointment. I was rolling my eyes most of the way through with all the cliches. The story was very pedestrian and shallow. Not at all like other Giffin books. The author’s notes at the end were much more interesting than the book.
Just Wonderful!. Meant to Be was outstanding! I enjoy all of Emily Giffins novels, but I must say this was was one of my favorites. I really liked the modern day spin on Kennedy inspired U.S. history. Between the romance, family drama, and friendships you aren’t going to want to miss this one!
too much.. the first half was SO good. But then the ending really ruined it for me.
Love letter to the Kennedys. This book was so beautifully written in a way that makes you fall in love with the Kennedys all over. Of course it’s not truly about the famous family, but about the fictional Kingsley family. I couldn’t put it down and just loved when I came across something and thought “wait that’s familiar.” Like didn’t JFK Jr have a dog named after a day of the week? Friday? I would find myself putting the book down and googling about the Kennedys. Although, it was very hard to put the book down. I was too young to remember much about JFK Jr, but this book sent me down a rabbit whole. Even if you don’t much about the famous family, you will love this book.
It’s cute easy read. I’m not sure why everyone is salty and hating on this book. I thought it was unique. While I’m not detailed on the inspiration for the book I can appreciate her passion for the real events. You won’t be disappointed, it’s worth the read.
Good read.. Good story, it slowed and flagged in places, however moved me in several spots. The constant self doubt is a little overwhelming, but the truest of heart warming romance is buried here, just requiring the reader to persevere. A definite do not miss, addition to your must read list.
Too predictable. I knew as soon as I started reading it that it was taken from the pages of a “true life” Kennedy…with some twists and turns. Although I am a reader of the whole Kennedy clan, I didn’t really appreciate that this was attempting to follow real life. Way to predictable, i.e., knowing what would happen next before I turned the page
Skip it. Caroline and JFK with their names changed. Ridiculous
Uninspired. This story is basically a rip off of the real life love story of John F Kennedy Jr and Carolyn Bessette minus the plane crash - right down to him failing the bar exam and her wedding dress. It’s so uninspired as we all already know that REAL love story. I knew everything that was about to happen because the author did not even try to use her imagination, other than to change the characters names. 👎🏻
Loved it!. I have loved almost all of her books. Stayed up all night when I started reading this one and finished the next day. Loved the characters and storyline. Hoping they turn this one into a movie one day. I really enjoyed it.
Disappointed. This feels like a departure from other books I’ve read by this author. It too closely resembled JFK Jr and his wife. Pretty early in the book the story becomes too parallel to JFK Jr. It’s one thing to resemble one another and completely different to copy JFK Jr. only changing small details. Such a shame, I’ve truly enjoyed the rich characters I know this author can create.
If only…. Perfection, down to the title. I’ve always wondered what life would have been if they had lived, especially current political issues. Thanks for letting us dream a bit!
Great Summer Read. I love all of Emily’s books, however this one was really good. I could not put it down.
Straight trash. I adore Emily Giffin, but this book was terrible. Worse than I imagine the worst Harlequin romance novel fan fiction would be. Incomplete , amateurish, and soulless.
Copy cat. Taken from JFK and Caroline. It was awful. Sorry I bought it.
Gets me every time. Once again I have smashed a book in one day and wanted another 300 pages, idk how she does it!
Meant To Be. Not her best book. I would save your money and pass on this one. It’s a copy story of John Kennedy Jr. and it’s not even interesting
So good!. I read it in a day! I couldn’t put it down. I have always been a huge fan of Emily’s books. I think this might be her best yet!
Amazing as always!. Really enjoyed the story line!
Great book!. Meant To Be is inspired by John Kennedy and Carolyn Bassett-Kennedy. The author writes in an authors note at the end of the book about the inspiration. I know of the couple and picked up on some similarities but this story stands on its own. It is about two people with different backgrounds forming a relationship with the added pressure of fame and expectations. The book is told from Joe’s POV and Cate’s POV. Often I got to see the same discussion from each characters POV which let me see more info their minds. I absolutely loved this book for the romance, can love conquer all, story. I’ll admit I thought of John and Carolyn throughout the book and wondered how many of the scenes were from their lives vs fiction. It added another element to an amazing book! This is the perfect escape read!
Just ok. Very slow start. And it felt like the ending was rushed and predictable.
Good read. I love the “What could have happened” scenario. We were all plagued by the plane crash of John Jr and this was a nice story of what nice life they could’ve had. I’m a dreamer and so I really enjoyed this book. I read it in three days. If not for work, I would’ve stayed home for 48 hrs reading straight. I couldn’t put it down reading in the car, reading on my breaks between work and reading into the late night when I knew I should be sleeping.
A quick and good read.. loved the Carolyn and JFK Jr. theme. Sweet story about honest love of complicated people.
Enjoyable read.. A not so predictable love story with some unexpected twists and turns. The male character Joe is who made this book for me.
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5 Books like Meant to Be (Emily Giffin)
Emily Fisk Giffin (born March 20, 1972) is an American author of several novels commonly categorized as chick lit.Her notable works include Something Borrowed, Heart of the Matter and The One and Only. Early life Emily Giffin was born on March 20, 1972. She attended Naperville North High School in Naperville, Illinois (a suburb of Chicago), where she was a member of a creative writing club and served as editor-in-chief of the school's newspaper. Giffin earned her undergraduate degree at Wake Forest University, where she double-majored in history and English and also served as manager of the basketball team. She then attended law school at the University of Virginia. Career After graduating from law school in 1997, she moved to Manhattan and worked in the litigation department of Winston & Strawn. In 2001, she moved to London and began writing full-time. Her first young adult novel, Lily Holding True, was rejected by eight publishers. Giffin began a new novel, then titled Rolling....
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