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.

I guess that the title should have been a tip off - but it didn't take long for me to figure out that Cate would end up with her teenage crush. This book was a take off of the JFK Junior-Carolyn Bessette story but lacked any in-depth feeling of the relationship. It seemed to me to be a young adult romance with a Hallmark ending.
I grew up in the 50s and 60s and remember the excitement of the country when JFK was elected. We were glued to our TVs watching every minute of the funeral and little JohnJohn saluting his father's casket. I think that nearly everyone watching would say it was a defining event. Naturally, we were intrigued by the famous family and how they coped with the loss of the President. Evidently Emily Griffin was among the aforementioned people and used her writing to bring us the rest of the story.
However, this story was a disappointment to me because the characters lacked depth. I found them both to be one dimensional, although Cate seemed to grow throughout the novel. The plot was totally predictable with a little surprise ending, but the romance was too fluffy to be real. The paparazzi definitely put some pressure on the relationship, but it seemed more Princess Diana-Prince Charles stalking than the typical mid-60s press. I was bored with the he said/she said alternating chapters and felt that the 2 main characters were telling us their story rather than letting the story develop through their intereactions.
I received an Advance readers copy (ARC) for free from NetGalley and the publisher and am leaving this review voluntarily. My rating is actually 2.5 stars

One of my favorite 2022 reads. EG is like a fine wine and only gets better. She is the only person who can do a JFK Jr. and CB re-imagining.

I picked this book simply because I read the something borrowed series from Emily Giffin. With this book I quickly learned she will be an immediate buy for me from here on out!! I loved the book and now need to read all her backlist.

This is the sweetest love story ever!!!!!!!!! If you love Cinderella and prince charming love stories then this is the book for you. Or if you're a hopeless romantic who just loves a happily ever after this book has it all. Celebrity lifestyles, family drama, love, romance, & happily ever after. This is in this readers opinion Emily Giffins best book ever!!

Spirit of transparency, the book started a little slow for me. I think it was critical, however, because it allowed for important context to be built about the characters. Neither has an easy life, and that's outlined at the beginning of the text. Overall, it's an easy read. The characters, Joe and Cate, are likable and realistic. I enjoyed the book.

This book wasn't for me. I typically love Emily Giffin but this fell flat. The book never grabbed me and bored me. I found myself looking for other books to read and struggled to finish it.

I want to thank Netgalley, and Ballantine Books for an ARC of this book in exchange for a review.

If you are a Kennedy fan you will love this booked based on them. It is basically a what-if version of JFK Jr and Carolyn. I enjoyed it and will give Emily Giffens book a chance in the future

Wow was I amazed by this book. I went in blind and quickly figured out this story was similar to The Kennedy’s. What a beautiful story and the character development was unbelievable. I fell deeply for Cate and loved that their different backgrounds may of shaped who they were and growing together made them even stronger.

Loved everything about this book and think it’s actually reread quality.

Sending a sincere thank you to Ballentine books and NetGalley for an early release for my honest review