This was an interesting, if fairly predictable, book. It was obvious from the start that Joe and Cate were modeled after John F Kennedy Jr. and his wife. I enjoyed it but nothing really stood out to me. I felt like the characters and the relationship between Joe and Cate could have been better developed.

Rating: 4
genre: historical fiction & family drama
read this if you liked: The Dinner List

review: When I heard Emily Giffin’s latest book was based loosely on JFK Jr. and Carolyn Bessette’s whirlwind romance, I knew I had to pick it up. Her last few books have been misses for me, but this one felt more like her older books. Meant to Be is about the life and love between Joe Kingsley Jr. and Cate, an unlikely pair who can’t help but be smitten for each other. I was immediately charmed by Joe Kingsley and loved seeing how his life of prestige and privilege didn’t stop him from going his own way. I loved how Cate challenged him. I wish there had been a bit more character development and romance, but I really enjoyed the relationship between the two of them and getting a “backstage look” at their life and what it could have been. I felt like the ending wrapped up a bit quickly, but it was certainly a heartwarming read.

This is probably my most favorite Emily Giffin novel! Very loosely based on the lives of JFK Jr and Carolyn Bessette IMO. I absolutely loved Joe and Cate's love story and backstories and everything. They were well-developed characters and I literally gasped out loud at one point of the story (thinking it was going to follow the real-life tragedy).

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC.

Meant to Be is such a sweet love story with JFK Jr and Carolyn Bessette vibes. This star-crossed lovers story is the perfect beach read!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

Reading this, I immediately got vibes of the Kennedy family, and when I finished the book and read other reviews, it was apparent that I wasn't the only person who thought this. I really could not see it for its own story and that was very distracting. This was blandly entertaining but lacked depth. *Advance copy provided by the publisher in exchange for my honest review.

Fans of Giffin will not be disappointed. However I did not enjoy this as much as some of her earlier works. Play in JFK Jr and Caroline Basset Kennedy.

Best book I read all summer. Loved that the storyline mirrored JFKJr.

Also loved that it rewrote their history to what if....loved the epilogue

I rated 4.5

When I think of women's fiction, I think of books just like this one, that gives all the feels. This is a perfect book to snuggle up with on any day.

This novel, based on the life and loves of JFK Jr., was a surprise. It's not the deepest subject matter -- it's definitely chick lit -- but it's exceptionally well written, and the characters and their dialogue are believable. Toward the end, I couldn't put it down, and I was surprised by how much I enjoyed it (again, due to the quality of the writing). Definitely a summer read!!

Emily Giffin coming in with another fabulous book! Meant to Be is a JFK Jr and Carolyn reimagining and I loved every single minute of it. It is definitely one of my favorite books of the year. I think Giffin did a wonderful job creating the characters of Joe and Kate and while inspired by the Kennedys, they were still their own people. I highly recommend everyone read this book, you will not be disappointed.

I really enjoyed the first part of this book. Towards the middle the story drug for me, especially when the family drama started. Overall it was a good book.

Joe Kingsley III is the eldest son of the beloved Kingsley family, adored for their politics and military heroics. But he struggles holding up the honor of the Kingsley name. Meanwhile Cate grew up poor in a single-parent home. Modeling was her way out. When Joe and Cate meet, they feel a connection instantly. But can their relationship survive the intense spotlight that comes with it?

This was a surprisingly captivating read! It wasn't always the best written, perhaps, but I found myself always wanting to pick it up and find out what was going on with Joe and Cate. They were both intriguing characters.

MEANT TO BE uses the "what if" of JFK Jr. and Carolyn Bessette Kennedy as its foundation. You can see parallels as you read, but the characters do stand on their own. Joe is struggling with the burdens that come with being from a famous family, while Cate is a model from the wrong side of the tracks. The tale moves quickly as chapters alternate between Joe and Cate's point of view. Their love story is actually quite sweet at times and it's truly fascinating in a sort of soap opera, dramatic way. The book also touches on important topics such as domestic violence.

Overall, this is a touching, emotional romantic story that draws you in immediately.

Joseph Kingsley was born into American royalty and has always known his role in fame. But this lifestyle was built on political trendsetters and the untimely death of his astronaut father. Joe has a lot to live up to.

Cate on the other hand, comes from a completely different lifestyle. After avoiding her traumatic childhood, Cate escapes to model, growing comfortable in fashion.

This novel is a fictional retelling based on the lives of John Kennedy Jr. And Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy and reads a lot like a romantic historical fiction. I loved the love the characters had for one another and the real life struggles they ran into together. I won't spoil the ending but Griffin warmed my heart with heroism. This was a great book that I thoroughly enjoyed reading.

I wasn’t sure how I was going to feel about this book, as I tend to not care about celebrities/fake famous people in a lot of books. From the start, we alternate between Joe and Cate’s POV and I was immediately hooked. I absolutely loved this book and had the hardest time putting it down. I didn’t know much about JFK Jr or Carolyn Bessette, so I was completely captivated by this story. I went and read up on them after I finished the book, and feel like there are enough differences for this to stand on its own. This is the perfect summer beach read!

Bottom Line: Read it!

**I received a copy of Meant to Be from Netgalley in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are of my own.**

Thank you NetGalley for this advanced copy.

Wow. That’s all I can say. What a great, touching story. Two different lives that come together. I could not put this book down and found it very hard to give up on my lunch hour lol. It reminded me a bit of Rock Star by Jackie Collins - the love story, Kennedy family and it was just delicious. Book hangover begins.

Emily Giffin has done it again! Wow want a great book! I loved everything about this book and the characters! I loved how we got to really know them before the story really begins. It was like watching my two best friends fall in love. Great book and as always I can’t wait to read more from Emily!

Meant To Be by Emily Giffin is a smart love story loosely based on that of JFK Jr and his wife, Carolyn. It's the tale of two people who were meant to be together but have to deal with living their true lives in a possibly unwanted national spotlight due to the notoriety of his family. I think this book is perfect for summer reading and will leave you with a smile on your face. Read and enjoy!

I love Emily Giffin's style of writing.
I was lucky enough to receive an arc of Meant to Be.

This story is loosely based on JKF Jr. and Carolyn Bassette.
It's a "what if?" there was a different ending to their well-publicized relationship.

When I began the story, I was getting an expensive gel pedicure and I was so caught up in reading it, that I didn't notice that the stylist was painting the wrong color on until it was finished. 😄

This was a lovely story and I swooned over Joe. 😍

I'm not typically an Emily Giffin fan as I'm not a romance fan, but absolutely loved All We Ever Wanted so decided to give this a try. Very interesting that this is a fictionalized account of JFK Jr. and his wife, but still fell a little flat for me.

Meant to Be captured my attention from the first page to the end. I began seeing similarities to John Kennedy and Caroline Bessette Kennedy which intrigued me even more. Meant to Be is the perfect vacation read providing just enough "what ifs" and "that can't happens" while ending with a twist. Griffin did a wonderful job switching between the characters with just the right amount of time spent on each one before switching to the other.
Thank you to Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine, Books and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.