There are some books that, from the very first page, draw you in and don’t let go; that leave you thinking about them even when you’re not reading them.

That’s what Steven Rowley’s sophomore novel, The Editor, did for me.

The story takes place in early 1990s New York, where aspiring writer James Smale receives the surprise of his life when he learns he has scored a book deal, and that Jackie Kennedy Onassis is his editor.

Touched by James’ novel The Quarantine - a fictionalized account of his relationship with his mother -the former first lady takes the author under her maternal wing and urges him to dig deeper, explore the unresolved issues with his mother and “find a way forward … to focus on healing” as he re-writes the conclusion of his book.

A beautiful and poignant novel that explores the complexity of mother-son relationships, The Editor made me both laugh and cry as James navigates and questions every relationship in his life,and learns that there is more to his mother’s story than he could have ever imagined.

This book was an absolute gem. Rowley’s writing style was smooth, heartfelt and full of charm, and I loved how human and down-to-earth he made all of the characters, especially Jackie O. Great job, Mr. Rowley! I can't wait to read more of your work.

Thank you to Netgalley and Putnam Books for early access to this novel in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to Netgalley and Penguin Group Putnam for the advanced reading copy of The Editor by Steven Rowley in exchange for an honest review!

The synopsis of The Editor really hooked me. In the 80’s and 90’s, Jackie Kennedy-Onassis was a book editor at Viking Press and Doubleday Books. In Steven Rowley’s novel, a writer with his first novel on the way, James Smale, walks into a meeting to meet his first editor. He is already a nervous, bumbling wreck….and then Jackie O herself walks in to reveal herself as the editor interested in his book. Really, you don’t need more of a synopsis than that to hook you! But James is in a weird situation, will he be able to say no to some of the former first lady’s comments on his novel? What about his mother…who is so obsessed with the Kennedy’s that her own son’s middle name is Francis? Jackie has some tricks (and daquiris) up her sleeve to help James confront what is really at the heart of the novel – his family’s past.

I really enjoyed Steven Rowley’s writing, it was very fast paced without feeling rushed. It was contemporary historical fiction (did i just make that genre up?) at its finest. It is absolutely a quick read, and you will want to tear through every detail about Jackie Kennedy-Onassis. On that note, I usually feel unsettled about true historical figures having fictional words in their mouth. To me, it usually feels wrong. But man, Rowley really did his research. There wasn’t anything she said that made me think, “would Jackie really say this?” And there are a few times where you could tell Rowley felt what he was writing may have been seen as taking a liberty, but he backs it up by having James’ character reference that he heard x, y, and z by a book about Jackie, and then would reference a real book. I loved that! James is a writer, and an iconic woman is his editor, of course he would read a few books on her! She is worthy of extra research!

The main setback I found with this book was James’ mother. I wanted to care about her as much as everyone else did, but I just couldn’t. I liked how Rowley wrote her interactions with her family, but it felt like there was a puzzle piece missing for me to really want to know about her life as much as James and Jackie did.

Overall, this was a really fun read, and I will definitely be on the lookout for the next Steven Rowley novel.

The Editor did not seem to be a novel that I would usually pick up. Yes, it was historical fiction, yes, it was about books, yes, it was by a writer I enjoy. But Jackie Kennedy Onassis plays a pivotal role, and my knowledge of Jackie is minimal. When I think Jackie Kennedy, I think a pink pillbox hat and the assassination of JFK. I also tend to shy away from books about writers. Writers portrayed in novels are generally tortured, sleep deprived, grumpy, and all around unpleasant. James Smale, Rowley’s novelist can be tortured, sleep deprived, and grumpy, but in a way that was likeable. In fact, I was charmed by how hard he fanboyed over Jackie when he first meets her.

Little did I know, but Jackie was an editor for Viking and Doubleday after marrying and losing both of her very influential husbands. Smale finds himself working with Jackie, and together they produce a semi-autobiographical novel centering around Smale’s mother, much to his mother’s dismay. A psychodynamic therapist’s wet dream – an adult man displacing love for a mother onto Jackie Kennedy as his real mother angrily witnesses her son air the family’s dirty laundry.

Rowley yet again has awed me with his powerful writing. I felt the roller coaster of feels just as I had when I read Lily in the Octopus, but this was on a completely different spectrum – a spectrum of familial love and bitterness, versus the adoration and desperation that comes with having a dog.
Speed reading through this novel did not feel like a chore, it felt right, and I imagine even if I had a longer time frame, I would have completed this book in three days anyway. Despite being fiction, I was fascinated with how Rowley portrayed Jackie Kennedy. Bits of this mystery of this woman were revealed, yet she was still an enigma.

I don’t think I’ll forget this woman. (Or book.)

Was I the only one not aware that Jackie Kennedy Onassis spent the later part of her life at a publishing company?! What a set up for this sophomore novel by Steven Rowley. I had heard amazing things about his debut novel, Lily and the Octopus (which I have yet to read) but as soon as I finished The Editor I put a hold on it at the library! Anyway, on to the actual review. It took me quite a while to gel with the fictionalized version of Jackie O in this book, but I don't think it had anything to do with Rowley's depiction of her. I didn't know that Jackie had spend time at a publishing house and it took me a while to get used to. This aspect of the story, Jackie as the editor, was what initially drew me in, but I found myself growing slightly bored of this part of the plot line as the story went on. In my opinion, what really worked in this book was the protagonist's relationship with his family, in particular the mother/son relationship. This book also stayed true to its setting: the 1990s. You really felt like you were in it and current events were mentioned in a way that was authentic.

Short review: Give this book a go if you like easy reads with an emphasis on family troubles and dynamics. Don't read this if you want to know more about Jackie Kennedy Onassis or if she's your main interest.

I received an advance copy of this book on NetGalley, this has not influenced my review.

I first heard about author Steven Rowley when my book club selected his book, Lily and the Octopus, as its monthly choice. Mostly, I enjoyed that book (except for a bizarre sequence on a boat...). Full of insights into the complex world of women, The Editor, is even better.

What I Liked:

Themes:

The novel tackles an issue most of us face. How do we see the women who gave birth to us as more than just our mothers? We think we know them, but do we? This is illustrated in the characters of Jacqueline Onassis and James's mother, Aileen. Just as James must find a way to look past the strangeness of working with the legendary Jackie O, he must also try to see his mother as a real person, full of flaws. Actually, it's easy to see the flaws in a person. It's much harder to come to grips with the fact that people are complex. People are not saints or sinners, but a mixture of both.

Characters:

I liked that we only see Jackie as James sees her. We only get glimpses of her life from how he interacts with her, and what she allows him to see. What we do see shows a woman who is so much more than someone's wife, or mother. And isn't that the whole point of the book?


Aileen is also such a complex person. At first it seems strange that she would refuse to read her son's book. But as the novel progresses, we soon find out why this would be so painful. I loved how the book shows, as Jackie says in the book, that women of her generation were once girls with dreams of their own. They wanted far more than marriage and motherhood.

Relationships:

The relationship between James and his boyfriend, Daniel is also complex. While they love each other, both struggle to find ways to support each other without sacrificing their own ambitions. I love that they are truly in this relationship for the long haul.

James relationship with Jackie is also interesting. How does one work with a woman who is so famous? James quickly learns how people are eager to get any juicy information about Jackie. He needs to be careful to guard her privacy if he wants to be around her. But he must also realize that theirs is a purely professional relationship. They are friendly, but are not really friends, however much he would wish otherwise.

James' relationship with his mother is what is central to the book. He can't understand why his mother is so upset that he is writing a book loosely based on his mom. She is appalled that Jackie Onassis is reading about her. Every woman has her secrets, and Aileen has got some whoppers. How will their relationship change when he finds them all out?

I loved this book. I loved the humor, pathos, the search for identity and belonging. James Smale is writing an autobiographical novel wherein his mother Aileen Smale is the central figure. How could she not be? She chose James over her husband. She was always the constant in James life. Much of the book is devoted to James’ need to decode who she is until there are no more secrets and the potential damage it will do to their relationship.

Depicted with wit and hilarious inner dialogue James has his less than memorable moments and humbly acknowledges his failures. Set in New York in the 1990s the description of the publishing world is James ability to differentiate between a “beige girl” and a “Power beige”. Upon their first meeting, he bows to Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, his Editor, because he doesn’t know the protocol. He has a coping mechanism of performing ten jumping jacks and that can happen in the most inappropriate places. He apologizes frequently. I like him a lot.

Watching a TV clip of the Clintons walking from the Capitol to the White House James Smale reflects that “An administration is judged by whether or not it fulfills the promise of its start. A book should be judged in a similar way”. Mr. Rowley you have hit a home run.

Thank you Netgalley and Putnam for a copy.

Combine the art of how a book comes to life with an age-old fascination with Jackie Kennedy, and it is no surprise that I loved this book. It begins with a phone call to a hopeful young author, James, to come and meet at the Doubleday office in NYC about publishing his book. Unbeknownst to him, until she enters the conference room, it is Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis who has fallen in love with his book. As the story takes us through the heavy editing process, the complicated relationship with his boyfriend, and the search for the book's ending, James and Mrs. Onassis form an intriguing bond. Not an intimate friendship, but not just editor and client, she pushes him to dig deep into his own emotions and find what is stopping him from the perfect conclusion to his semi-autobiographical novel. At a memorable family meal, James learns the secret that has directed much of his relationship with his mother, and even his father, a revelation that will have significant consequences. This is a beautiful little story, wrapped with gorgeous prose and intriguing bits of historical trivia that is throughly enjoyable.

Steven Rowley, Author of “The Editor” has written an entertaining, intriguing, heartwarming, and amusing novel. The Genres for this Novel are Fiction, and Women’s Fiction. The author describes his characters as determined, motivated, complicated and complex. Some are dysfunctional and quirky. The story takes place mostly in New York City. around the 1990’s.

James Smale is a struggling writer and finally has some luck. He is going to meet his new editor about his autobiographical book, which does describe his dysfunctional family. James has a very estranged relationship with his mother. James Smale is absolutely shocked to find that his editor is none other than” Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis.”

I loved reading about the friendship that evolved between the former first lady and James. It reminds me of a “normal” mother-son relationship. James is challenged to complete his novel and unravel some frightening and dark secrets in his family.

I appreciate that Steven Rowley describes the difficulties that authors do, and speaks about communication, family, friendship, forgiveness, love and hope. I would recommend this novel to readers who enjoy a delightful novel.

Fantastic story about family, the things that bring you together and pull you apart. Having Jackie O as the voice that guides a new authors book was entertaining, but written so well you could hear her voice when reading. The discovery of who you are and how you got there pulls this story together beautifully. Would highly recommend.

I really struggled through this book. I thought it would have some interesting insight into Jackie Kennedy Onassis as a book editor, but it didn't touch on her editing as much as I would have liked. I also didn't like the main character all that much, and parts of it were boring. I don't regret reading it, but it's not a book I am planning on recommending to others.

“I think we ache for the certainty of our past, perhaps, more so than the goodness of it. Writers open themselves to many perspectives, they put themselves in their characters’ shoes. It muddies your image of things. Much easier to see the past through a single lens, but it’s never the whole story, is it.”

Imagined and throughly believable quotes from one of the most famous women of our time, anchors this rich novel. Aspiring writer James Smale's editor is Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis and the thoughtful and elegant way in which Mr. Rowley describes this relationship, is the best part of the novel. Patrician vs plebeian, reality vs imagination, celebration vs heartbreak are all themes which intersect at the core of this rich story. Any avid reader interested in the publishing process with devour this new work. A three-Kleenex ending with have you re-evaluating your own intimate connections with the characters of your own "story".

ARC was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Steven Rowley’s The Editor is a jaunty, light read that attempts humor on every page. The opening of the novel, in many ways, reminded me of a duller, less funny version the wide-eyed Andrea Sachs of The Devil Wears Prada but from a male perspective. However, Rowley’s version read more in the vein of puerile than comical, and the jokes and moments of humor never really hit the mark for me. As I read this novel, the attempts at comedy only distracted from the reading experience, because they managed to take away from the book’s atmosphere rather than add to it. They fell flat and just came off as borderline YA, misplaced in The Editor’s setting. It’s possible that it was my own misunderstanding, but I was hoping for a more substantive read – something with a little more meat on the bones that I could really fall into. It’s possible that I would have responded better to this book if I’d known the type of humor that it was going for – borderline slapstick as the James Smale regales us with stumbling all over himself – and the fluffy way in which the story would be told.
Let’s start from the beginning: In 1992, James Smale is a writer living in New York City who hasn’t been published in years. What he has accomplished is a slew of soul-crushing temp assignments involving hours sitting in cubicle after cubicle; he’s witnessed the demise of his family unit on the subject of his homosexuality and he’s written a book about his mother. A cold woman he never really felt he knew, she is an accidental topic that spills out of James as a form of therapy while he tries to grapple with who she is and how they feel about each other. It is this book that lands him in the orbit of Jackie Kennedy Onassis. When James arrives at the publishing house to meet the editor who wants to buy his book, never in his wildest dreams did he imagine that it would be the Mrs. Onassis. He is dumbstruck and dumbfounded and worried how his mother, a devout Catholic and avid admirer of the Kennedy family, will feel about having her life read and edited by one of her idols. James and Jackie develop a friendship he never expected, and as they work together on his manuscript, she encourages him to go back home to confront his demons of the past so that he can write the perfect, authentic ending for the book. But when a long-held family secret is revealed, he realized his editor may have had a larger plan that goes beyond the page…
The Editor is a cozy read that pairs well with a mug of Earl Grey tea and warm footie socks. It leans into the territory of heartfelt, going for the heartstrings that for most of us are triggered by matters such as family, ailing elderly parents, apartheid within the ranks of a nuclear unit and the realization of finally meeting one’s goals. You’ll find all of that here, wrapped around a sincere writer still grappling with his past writer, his ice-cold mother, his now-estranged father and the Mrs. Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis in all her prim fineness and glamour. Jackie Kennedy Onassis, here, is painted as a real person – someone who waits in line at the copy machine and likes the occasional drink after work – and that portrayal of her I really appreciated. It was approachable and dynamic, as I’m sure Rowley intended for her to be. She quietly and demurely stole the show both as and in The Editor. However, the rest of the cast of characters would have interested me more if they’d been explored through a more profound lens, if the interactions between them had been conceived with more depth and less failed attempts at awkward humor. After a while, those attempts just make the read itself awkward for the reader, and that’s not the relationship I’d hoped for with this book. But alas, I don’t doubt that many readers will enjoy this novel. Just be prepared for what you’re in for – at times inane humor, a writer’s journey both personally and professionally and the effortlessly exotic bird that is the Jackie Kennedy we think of at its center.

Such a great book, one that is so original. Great characters and love the relationships in it. It’s a winner!

James Smale has finished writing his first novel, “Quarantine”, and an editor at Doubleday is interested in publishing it. Until he arrives for his first meeting about the book he doesn’t know that the editor is Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis. James never stops being awed by her aura, history and celebrity. Quarantine is about mothers and sons and Mrs. Onassis is drawn to the book. In her gentle prodding of James to improve the book and make it more true, she also prods him to address issues with his own mother Aileen, who is not happy about being a character in Quarantine.

I loved the portrayal of Mrs. Onassis, who tried (but often failed)to be treated like any other editor despite her rarified life. She and James have a good working relationship that is not quite a friendship. I also loved the prickly James/Aileen dynamic. The writing was very assured and the story was both funny and touching.

I received a free copy of this book from the publisher.

James Smale has finally sold his book to a publisher. When he arrives at the publisher's office in New York, he is shocked to discover the editor who wants to publish his book is none other than former first lady Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis. As he progresses down the road towards publication, James has trouble finishing his story. The book is semi-autobiographical and could cause problems in his already tenuous relationships with his family and partner. He forms an unexpected friendship with Onassis, who helps him not only with the ending for his book but with his life.

Lovely book! This story sucked me right in at the start with Smale's shocked first meeting with his editor. The poor man was absolutely gobsmacked that he was in the same room with Jackie O. Turns out her wisdom would do more for Smale's life than a published book.....

This is the first book by Steven Rowley that I've read. I thoroughly enjoyed this story! I'm definitely going to be reading more by this author! I've had Lily and the Octopus on my bookshelf for quite awhile. I think it's time to move it to the top of the TBR stack and start reading! Rowley tells this story with the sweetest mix of humor, wisdom, and wit. Just a lovely story!

**I voluntarily read an advance readers copy of this book from Penguin via NetGalley. All opinions expressed are entirely my own.**

An aspiring gay novelist in 1990s New York lands a publishing deal exploring the estranged relationship between a mother and son and discovers his Doubleday editor is none other than former First Lady of the United States, Jackie Kennedy Onassis. The Editor was touching, introspective, and full of nuanced emotional character arcs.

Concept: ★★★★★
Protagonist: ★★★ 1/2
Pacing: ★★★

Right off the bat: this story is not focused on Jackie Kennedy. She is a pivotal character, but her arc in The Editor takes a strong third place to the events of both the protagonist and the protagonist's quest to finish his novel.

One of the strongest aspects of The Editor is its sense of place—you never forget you're in the 90s. Talk of Clinton's election is prominent throughout and the perception of the homosexual community feels accurate to the time period.

The Editor follows James as he works (under Jackie Kennedy's direction) to find an accurate resolution to his novel, which involves the painful confrontation between the protagonist and his aloof mother. This is an obviously autobiographical work, as James himself has many conflicted issues with his mother and is attempting to repair those bridges indirectly/directly through his novel. One of the book's selling points is in the reparation process between James and his mother—it was fascinating.

However, due to the nature of James' constant search for internal reparations and external quest for resolution I found sections of this book to be long winded and entirely focused on James' thoughts and feelings. There were huge paragraphs with no dialogue and minimal action at the start of almost every chapter, lending a sense of odd pacing and making me bored with James. As soon as the dialogue/action resumed in each section, I reengaged.

Overall, a great read! Recommended for fans of The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo and others who enjoy intimate and emotional tales.

The author does a great job of focusing on Jackie Onassis’ later years in NYC, as a book editor. Seeking some sort of normalcy we are treated to the essence of this charming woman.

An extraordinarily written book on friendship between 2 unexpected people. James Smale is a struggling first time writer who has written a controversial book about his mother. Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, THE JACKIE KENNEDY, is the editor for James Smale's novel.

The story is about James Smale and his personal relationship with his mother. While writing the story, it forces him to confront his lifelong struggle of understanding his relationship with his mother and himself. How many of us have this issue? ME!

Through his interactions with Mrs. Onassis, he discovers and mends his relationship with his mother while learning about Mrs. Onassis and her role as a mother.

The story had a slow beginning but turned into a very meaningful story. It shows Jackie Kennedy in a role so apart from all the men in her life. It made me into a Jackie Kennedy fan and now I'm trying to find more non-fiction books about her. I absolutely loved how they portrayed her through her love for books and editing, not as someone's wife.

Thank you Penguin Group Putnam and NetGalley for giving me this opportunity to review The Editor! I can't wait to recommend this for my Book Club, especially with the resurgence of the Kennedy family in the news lately.

A novel that makes me laugh out loud is a gem--and this one did! I loved the way the author used humor throughout to cushion the emotion of family and relationship conflict. Especially interesting was learning what the roles of agent, editor, and publisher are in getting a book from manuscript to a bound and for sale product. And having Jackie Kennedy Onassis be the editor of the fictional novel was just icing on the cake.

Thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Group Putnam for the ARC to read, review and enjoy.

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this early review copy! 3.5 rounded up. I LOVED Lily and the Octopus. Like, ugly crying, used half a box of Kleenex kind of love. I came into this book expecting the same sledgehammer to my emotions and....didn't get it. BUT THAT'S OKAY. I think, had I not come into this book with the high expectations I did, and the hope of a repeat performance of the kind of emotional impact I had with Lily, I would just be crowing about this book. Because it IS good! I went into it completely blind, having no idea it was about, tangentially, Jackie Kennedy Onassis. The story felt a lot like how I would perceive Jackie to have been - quiet, elegant, self-deprecating, humble. There are emotionally charged sections, and the ending was sweet and hopeful and satisfying. Altogether a great, engaging read...just don't go in expecting Lily and the Octopus level feelings.