As enticing as this book sounded, I'm sorry to say it wasn't for me. It felt like the author was trying to show off their research and namedrop as many royals, social cues, and socialites as possible. It didn't feel immersive or natural so I don't have much interest in continuing.

On the verge of WWII, Joe Kennedy Sr was appointed ambassador and moved to London with his wife, Rose, and their 9 children, Joseph Jr (Joe), John (Jack), Rosemary, Kathleen (Kick), Eunice, Patricia (Pat), Robert (Bobby), Jean, and Edward (Ted). The Kennedy Debutante focused on 18 year old Kathleen, who preferred to be called "Kick." Although Kick enjoys the debutante scene, she is also independent and somewhat rebellious in nature. After falling in love with 20 year old Billy Hartington, the future Duke of Devonshire, their relationship met many obstacles, including parental disapproval, WWII, and the biggest, their religious differences. She was Catholic while he was Protestant, and neither was willing to convert. If they were to marry, in which faith would they raise their children? Would Kick choose her faith and family, or her one true love?

The first half about all of the parties attended and trips taken by Kick moved way too slowly for me, and I wish it would have been cut in half. About halfway through the book, my interest was finally piqued, but overall, the story just wasn't as interesting as I'd hoped. Since I was born after the Kennedy presidency, I have never been overly curious about their family, so that may explain at least part of my apathy. Of course, my heart ached for Kick at the end (I'm not made of ice!), but unfortunately, it just wasn't enough to raise my rating another full star. I did, however, enjoy this debut author's writing style and would try her next one.

Lastly, if anyone knows of a great book about Kick's younger sister, Eunice Kennedy Shriver, who founded the Special Olympics, then please let me know because her life sounds much more intriguing!

I received an advance copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

Location: 1938-1944 London, England and NYC

This is based on the true story of Kathleen "Kick" Kennedy, sister of John F. Kennedy. This book gives a look into Kathleen's life beginning as a teenager when the family was living in England and she is presented into society. She has a lot of pressure to represent the family well. She falls in love with a man who is not Catholic that does not please her mother. There is a lot of information about World War II also.

The Kennedy Debutante tells the story of one of the lesser known Kennedy children, Kick. I usually enjoy all things Kennedy; however, while this book does have its moments, overall, I thought it was sort of slow, especially in the middle. Nevertheless, I wanted to see how the story ended and finished it.

Thank you to NetGalley for the free eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Lindas Book Obsession Review of "The Kennedy Debutante" by @Kerri Maher  Berkley Publishing Group October, 2018

Kerri Maher, Author of "The Kennedy Debutante has vividly described the "Golden World" of the Kennedys in this enchanting, dramatic, romantic, endearing, captivating, intense and riveting novel. The Genres for this novel are Historical Fiction, Fiction, Women's Fiction, with a touch of Romance. The timeline for this novel starts in London in 1938, and is also in the United States, Spain and other European countries during the pre-war and war. The story goes to the past only when it pertains to the characters or events.

Kerri Maher describes her colorful cast of characters as complicated and complex. Kathleen "KICK" Kennedy makes her debut in England the year that her father is the Ambassador to London. Kick is the absolute darling , extremely  sought after among the popular set. She also has the responsibilities of watching out for her older sister, Rosemary, who has some problems. Some of my favorite parts in this novel are the interaction among the Kennedy clan. It is fun watching the interaction with Joe and John, her brothers. Kick's mother is a stern and dominant force in her life.

The Kennedys are Roman Catholic, and that causes conflict for Kick when she falls in love with  Billy Harrington, the future Duke of Devonshire, who comes from a Protestant family. Kick is regarded as the rebellious sister but she questions her loyalty to her family or the man she loves.I would highly recommend this entertaining and enjoyable Historical novel for those readers that enjoy reading about the Kennedys, and the start of World War Two. I received an ARC from NetGalley for my honest review.

Knowing so little about the private lives of the Kennedy and not knowing Kick, I became so enamored with all the characters and was so captivated by all the emotionally charged events. So well written. Highly recommend!

The Kennedy Family were/are truly a dynasty in America so I was eager to latch on to this novel about one of the lesser known members of the family. Kathleen "Kick" Kennedy is a young woman torn between wanting to please her family and desiring the excitement of normalcy.
This is an astoundingly good debut novel with characters that leap off from the pages, a decently paced plot that holds interest as well as a lot of research.
Kick definitely crammed a lot into her all-too-brief life and it was a joy to get to know her. This one is well worth the read!
I received an Advance Review Copy. All opinions are my own.

I have always had a fascination with the Kennedy family and have read quite a few books on the men in the family but not a lot about the women. I was instantly pulled into Kathleen (Kick's) story. Kick lived a short life and although there was a lot of family pressure, she tended to follow her heart. I highly recommend this book to lovers of historical fiction and all things Kennedy. The Kennedy Debutante is a mesmerizing debut!

From what I know of history, this wonderful work of historical fiction is pretty faithful to the facts, and tells the fascinating story of Kathleen "Kick" Kennedy, the high-spirited daughter and sister of the Kennedy clan. The family adored and idolized her for good reason -- she was intelligent, beautiful, and a force to be reckoned with. Unfortunately for her, she was born in a time where she really couldn't fully live up to her promise and potential. This is a great book -- romantic, bittersweet, and a fascinating look at the history of the time.

We enter this book in 1939 as Kathleen (Kick) Kennedy is about to make her debut in English society as the daughter of the US Ambassador. The Catholic faith of this Irish American family is well-known and is a bit of a stumbling block for the British. Thus the stage is set for Kathleen's struggles when she falls in love with a Marquess who is also a staunch Protestant. Both Kathleen and Billy have duties to fulfill for their families and the religious preference in each family is an integral piece of those duties. Kick wrestles with her family expectations and whether the church's are equivalent. Is compromise possible? Will she lose her soul?

Thank you to Berkley Publishing and NetGalley for a digital ARC of this debut novel.

The Kennedy Debutante was an absolute pleasure to read! Given all that has been published and produced about this political dynasty, it was refreshing to read a novel detailing the life of one of the lesser known Kennedys, especially one so authentic in feel. This novel is highly evocative, capturing the feelings of two nations on the brink of war and the consequences that had on individuals and in larger society. Though politics must be a factor in any work involving the Kennedy family, the novel provided a realistic glimpse into the personal life of a powerful family and the motivations of the dynamic and captivating Kick. I highly recommend this work!

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with a free digital copy in return for my honest review.

I had always wondered about this Kennedy daughter that I hadn't heard much of so when I received the chance to read this book I jumped at it and I wasn't disappointed. It's a well written engrossing story of a lesser known Kennedy daughter who was strong and fascinating to read about it. If you ever wondered about the Kennedys and like a well written story pick this up and prepare to be dazzled. Well done. Happy reading!

I am normally not someone like reads historical books, but like a lot of people, I am obsessed with the Kennedys, and like to read what I can about them. This book definitely did not disappoint, and I learned a lot of things I didn’t know.

This book gave me info on one of the Kennedys I have to admit, I didn’t know too much about. I also find the traditions that started in days gone by to be so interesting. The way the author writes, I can have a really clear picture of the events, and almost makes me feel like I was watching it first hand.

For anyone interested in the Kennedys that would like to learn more about the family members that are written about much less, I would definitely recommend this book. It was just so interesting.

I’ve never heard of Kathleen (Kick) Kennedy before running into this book. I was instantly intrigued and knew without a doubt that I wanted to learn more about Kick.

The story opens on Presentation Day. Kick has been preparing for this day ever since moving to London two months prior. She can hardly wait to be presented in front of King George VI and Queen Elizabeth.

I loved Kick Kennedy’s strength and enthusiasm. She is adventurous, outspoken, and determined to carve her own path. Her love of London, England shines through loud and clear in the book! It is clearly her home and where she is meant to be. Even during the short time period when she had to return to America, she remained steadfast that her home was London. I admired her drive and persistence to return to the city where her heart resides.

Kick meets the love of her life, Billy, and everything between them seems perfect with one exception – religion. The majority of this book is about Kick and Billy, their love for each other and their struggles due to their incompatible religions. Neither wants to convert to the other religion nor do they want to cause pain for their families. A compromise must lie somewhere, they just need to find it.

For the most part I enjoyed this book and loved learning more about Kick. I did feel it dragged on a bit at times and I would have liked the story to go even further. Kick died quite young and I was surprised the story ended before her untimely death.

Kitt Kennedy deserves to be remembered and Kerri Maher did a fabulous job through The Kennedy Debutante of bringing her to life.

I wasn’t that familiar with Kitt Kennedy before reading this novel. I found her to be a very interesting, vivacious person and I so enjoyed Maher’s portrayal of her life. I can’t imagine what it was like to be a Kennedy, an American in England on the cusp of World War II and also what it was like to be a woman during that time. Kennedy was a force to be reckoned with.

Through Maher’s incredible writing, I understand Kitt’s plight as a young woman drawn to a Protestant man whom she dearly loved. Kitt tried to retain who she was, remain faithful to her family and religion as well as honoring the love that she felt.

I received an Advance Review Copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

I have to admit that I don’t have much general knowledge about one of JFK’s sisters, Kathleen “Kick” Kennedy. Maybe because she was only twenty-eight years old when she died in 1948. Maher’s debut novel tackles the elusive subject of the Joseph and Rose Kennedy’s nine children (John was second in line).

When her father was serving as United States Ambassador to the United Kingdom, Kick made many friends in London and was the "debutante of 1938,” which is probably how Maher decided to title her story. There isn’t a lot about her early years in America in this novel, and that’s okay. It was fun dropping in on the eighteen year old as she is presented to the King and Queen of England.

Broken into three parts, from Spring 1938 through Winter 1944, readers are treated to watching Kick grown into a strong female. She wasn’t as confident as her two older brothers, but she did her best, especially when she went up against her formidable father and her rather harsh mother.

Readers get to watch Kick fall in love with England, even with war rising on the horizon. And readers get to watch as Kick falls in love with Billy Harrington, the future Duke of Devonshire.

Her family and Billy’s family frowns on their relationship. Kick is almost staunchly Catholic has her devoted mother, while Billy’s family is equally dedicated to their Protestant faith. If the young couple is allowed to marry, Kick must agree to raise any future children as Protestant, even if she herself did not convert.

I felt this novel was rather light-hearted and didn’t seem to have the depth that was needed to make Kick jump off the page. Maybe it’s not fair, but I read Michelle Gable’s “The Summer I Met Jack,” has a much deeper sense of actually knowing all the Kennedy’s personalities. For those reasons, “The Kennedy Debutante” receives 3 out of 5 stars in Julie’s world.

Kathleen “Kick” Kennedy has been called JFK’s forgotten sister. The Kennedy Debutante begins when Kick is introduced to English society at the age of 18 and shortly after her father, Joe, Sr. assumes the position of US Ambassador to the United Kingdom. The remainder of the book follows Kick through her father’s disgrace, her older sister’s difficulties, her romance with an Englishman, and WWII.

It is obvious that the author, Kerri Maher, has done her research. But, as I read this book I felt as though I was reading a series of vignettes and in some cases there was very little transition between the scenes. The author includes many names of the people Kick comes in contact with, some of who became her dearest friends. At times it seemed to read like a who’s who in British society and that made reading somewhat tedious. The book does gives insight to the Kennedy family dynamics as well as the expectations that high society had for their daughters. As Kick struggles with her priorities, it is very clear that her Catholicism is her priority, as well as trying to please her family. Throughout the book there are copious references to her faith and her family’s responsibilities, with Kick constantly seeking guidance and reassurance.

The Kennedy family has often been referred to as “American Royalty” and this book does not dispel that notion. But, it was a flawed family, with parents that could be both cold and unyielding as well as protective and supportive.

For someone interested in the Kennedy family history, this is yet another book to add to the collection.

Many thanks to Net Galley and the publisher for providing a copy of this book for review.

Thanks to Berkley for a complimentary copy in exchange for my honest review.

THE KENNEDY DEBUTANTE was a tragic, yet heartwarming tale of the 4th Kennedy child, Kathleen “Kick” Kennedy.

Author gives a wonderfully vivid account of the life and love story surrounding Kathleen Kennedy. I’m sure many of us are familiar with the Kennedy sons. Presidents, lieutenants in the Navy, senators and Attorney Generals. Their stories are well known and easily traceable on the internet and historical books. The Kennedy women, on the other hand, are sometimes left in the shadows. Kathleen had a extremely short life but she made the most of the little bit of time she had.

The details presented in this novel is remarkable. You can honestly feel her mental struggle of wanting to break away from the Kennedy name and carve a way for herself. Maher portrays the details effortlessly and allows the reader to view the tragic plight she faces daily. The love story that springs up is tasteful and makes the reader want to root for them despite what actually happens in real life.

Im growing to really love historical fiction. Can’t wait to read my next one!

I enjoyed the historical background of the book and the insights into the Kennedy family however, the story seemed to lag for me. I grew bored in the middle and started skimming the rest. I would have preferred more of a story and more interaction and depth to the characters.

This is a great historical fiction of Kathleen, "Kick", Kennedy--focusing on her life in London beginning in 1938 as the Ambassador's daughter. While I am familiar with the black and white history of her life, I really enjoyed the details given this period of time. Kathleen is portrayed as the female counterpart of her older counterpart of her male brothers, Joe, Jr. and Jack in that she was not afraid to speak her mind, stand up for her convictions, and take risks. While history books note the facts, the author takes the reader into Kathleen heart and inner struggles as she forges her own path in life. I enjoyed it so much I read it in just a few settings. Highly recommend!!

Thanks to NetGalley and Penguin/Random House for an advance digital copy of this book. My review is voluntary,