I enjoyed this book. I enjoyed reading about Jackie before she met John. And who she was during her year in Paris. This book was well written and I liked exploring Paris through her and her friends eyes. Will definitely look for other books this author writes.

I voluntarily reviewed a copy of this book provided by NetGalley.

A must-read for all those interested in a tale about Jackie O's life before Camelot. Told in Ann Mah's signature style. A must read for all Francophiles!

Jacqueline in Paris by Ann Mah. Pub Date: September 27, 2022. Rating: 4 stars. Set in Paris during the postwar period, this is the story of Jacqueline Bouvier's year of studying abroad before she became one of the most known Americans in the world. I had no idea Jackie had studied abroad in Paris and was so well educated, versed and even spoke French fluently. I enjoyed learning about her as a young woman before she became the wife of an American president. She was a woman of character, prestige and heart. I really enjoyed this novel and felt swept away in Paris. I highly recommend for historical fiction readers. Thanks to NetGalley and Mariner Books for this e-arc in exchange for my honest review. #netgalley #jacquelineinparis

Ann Mah’s novel is a portrayal of Jacqueline Bouvier’s transformative year abroad in postwar Paris. As a junior at Vassar College, Bouvier spent the year 1949/1950 studying at the University of Grenoble and the Sorbonne in Paris.

The journey begins with Bouvier boarding an ocean liner, embarking on an experience that will change her life. As the only Vassar student, she finds herself with a group of lively Smith students with whom she will later study. This voyage marks the start of Jackie’s immersion into an exhilarating world brimming with champagne, châteaux, theater, art, jazz clubs, and quaint cafés.

She lives with a host family, headed by Comtesse de Renty, a survivor of the Ravensbrück concentration camp because of her involvement with the French Resistance. Her eldest daughter may be a spy.

Despite the expectations of her own mother, who wants her to marry soon and well, Bouvier embarks on a passionate affair with the aspiring novelist, John Marquand. As her relationship with Marquand deepens, his claims of affiliating with Communists for research unsettle her, especially when she learns his “research” is for the CIA. Jacqueline views his behavior as a betrayal of their friends, yet it sharpens her political acumen, preparing her for her life as first lady.

The narrative presents itself as a memoir, a stylistic choice I found somewhat perturbing. I questioned the legitimacy of conjuring feelings and private thoughts of real-life figures. Did Jackie genuinely appreciate the appeal of communism, or was the author taking creative license? The exchange students were required to speak French at all times, and I was skeptical of Jackie’s fluency.

I didn’t care for the forward flashes of her future life and I found bits to be boring, but the diligent research and rich historical detail, coupled with the powerful sense of place, almost transported me to Bouvier’s Paris. 3 stars.

** Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for a review copy of this novel. The opinions expressed are my own.

I was so interested in Jacqueline Bouvier and her time before becoming the first lady but this moved so slowly for me that I continued to lose interest. I hate to say this because it's very well written but it just didn't hold me.

It pains me more than I can express to rate a biographical fiction novel (one of my most favorite genres) so low, especially one about someone so intriguing as Jacqueline Bouvier. However, if I were to say that I enjoyed this book, I would be lying. This story about Jacqueline's junior year of college abroad in Paris was stilted and fell completely flat. The dynamic Jacqueline that the world knows is a shell of herself in this novel, which primarily focuses on post WWII France, the French Resistance, and the rise of communism in France. If you are interested in French history more than you are intrigued by Jacqueline, then you may enjoy this book, but I personally found even the historical aspects of this novel to write as textbook. To make matters worse, you don't even get a sense of France in this novel. There's so much telling and not enough showing, not to mention that the characterization is weak. I hate to say it, but I was entirely bored with this novel and couldn't wait to be done with it, although I appreciate the work that Mah put into Jacqueline in Paris ... it is just not fun reading.

I really wanted to enjoy this novel because it was about Jacqueline’s time before she met John F. Kennedy. However, there was really not much of a plot. Jacqueline parties and has a first love. I expected more from this novel. Jacqueline herself is also emotionally distant, I could not connect with her. The characters are also very bland. Thus, it had a great premise, but it was not executed well. Still, I recommend this for fans of the Kennedys!

I absolutely loved this book. It hooked me and kept me turning pages until I was done. Finished it in two days! The character development was strong, and the premise was unique enough that it didn't feel like anything else I've read.

I really enjoyed this look at Jackie pre-JFK. It’s so nice to remember that these women who give up their lives for their husband’s careers did have lives for themselves. I enjoyed that JFK wasn’t even in the book until the last few pages.

I’ve read several fictional versions of Jackie’s life but none of them were in her younger years, so this is a great addition to the selections available.

I received an advanced copy. All thoughts are my own.

A very well researched historical fiction book. When Jacqueline Bouvier was attending Vassar College, she applied to spend her junior year abroad at the Sorbonne in Paris. This was 2 years after the end of WWII. Ms. Mah, the author, does touch on the secret Communist meetings that were going on in Paris at this time. While we don't know much about her junior year abroad, Ms. Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy is quoted as saying it was a significant year of her life.

Recommended for public libraries.

I loved this portrayal of Jackie and the history behind this novel. It is rich in detail and I was enthralled by this world in which she lived.
Many thanks to Mariner Books and to NetGalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

Loved this book based on the true story of Jackie Kennedy's year living in Paris while a college student. The book was researched well and I learned a lot more about this influential, historical figure and how Jackie's year in Paris formed her later cultural outlook and fashion sense. This book was much more than I expected, and I'd like to learn more about Jackie after reading this book. Another great book from Ann Mah!

I am a big fan of historical fiction, and the concept of Jacqueline in Paris really appealed to me. I was so thrilled to receive an advanced copy from NetGalley and Harper Collins.

It took me a while to get into this book. The beginning felt a little slow to me, but it really picked up about a third of the way in. And when it did, I got quite invested. I found the storylines related to communism and intelligence absolutely fascinating. I appreciated digging into these things that Jackie was likely to have experienced during her time in Paris. When it seemed like the book was mainly parties and hob knobing it felt a bit tired and uninspired.

Overall, I really did enjoy the book. I found the author's note to be so fascinating - knowing how much of this was based on real people and experiences was not at all what I expected.

Would love to read more by Ann Mah in the future!

Interesting historical fiction that centers Jackie's story of her time in Paris against the backdrop of WWII, Fans of the Paris Library, or Madeline Martin books, will find a home here.

Ann Mah’s writing is stunning and I felt like I was in Paris the entire time I was reading. I am beyond impressed with the amount of research that had to go into writing this book. If you’re intrigued by Jackie O’s life story, I would absolutely recommend this. If you aren’t, I would probably pass. It is not an easy read because there are so many characters and almost all of them have very French names so it was hard to keep track of. This is definitely a book that requires a quiet space and time to read. I went back and forth on a rating and I’m thinking around 3-stars because while I was sucked in after I finished I did feel like not THAT much actually happened in it. High-level synopsis: Jacqueline Bouvier’s college year abroad in postwar Paris, and the coming-of-age of an American icon – before the world knew her as Jackie.

Honest admission - I had absolutely no idea this novel was about Jackie Kennedy until the very last chapter, which somehow even made it all that much better. I don't know much about her in general, but it was so fascinating to read about her when she was young and impressionable and living in Paris after WWII. It was amazing and eye opening to see Paris through her lens at that time. It took me quite a bit to get into this story, but once I did, I truly could not put it down. Very well written and descriptive and heart breaking and heartwarming at the same time. Thank you to Netgalley and Mariner Books for the ARC.

I had no idea that Jackie Kennedy spent a year abroad living in Paris in the year following the end of WWII. I was fascinated by Ann Mah’s take on what Jackie would have seen in post-war France.

This book covered it all! The rise of communism, the French people’s disdain for Americans, the struggle to make ends meet for many citizens, and the return to the glitz and glam for the gilded aristocracy.

As far as historical fiction books go, it was one of the most unique ones I’ve read in recent years. I immediately gave it to my francophile mother because I know she will adore it.

This is the story of what life could have been like for Jacqueline Bouvier the summer of 1949, when she spent a summer abroad in Paris with a few other college students. There's a lot of history here, a few years after WW2 ended and the worry and concern of communism affecting not only France, but Europe and the United States. Fans of Jackie Kennedy will definitely enjoy this story of what life must have been like for Jacqueline during this time. The war is over but hardly forgotten.
Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for an advanced copy!

Jacqueline Bovier's year abroad during her college days is reimagined in a historical fiction novel. Set in post-WWII France, Jacqueline lives with a host family, makes friends, lives with the rationing and Communist seeds in society, and feels freer than she ever has from her mother's expectations.

I loved the premise of this book and some of the time period details, but to say this is a book about Jackie Kennedy is very misleading. This is a book about a fish out of water in France, with a strong sense of time and place, but the main female character could be anyone. There is very little "Jackie" here and I was really disappointed. The last 20% of the book finally somewhat ties the Jacqueline in the book to the Jackie she would become, but it is too little, too late. To save all the development and action (the first 80% is so slow) and I felt was a big mistake. Curiosity is the only reason I stuck with reading this book. Loved the glimpse of post-war France, wanted some real Jackie.

Thank you to Netgalley for the advance copy for review.

Jacqueline Kennedy was one of the world’s most well-known and iconic women. Her life has been well documented for sure. However, in this title, Ms. Mah, recalls and imagines an earlier time in Jacqueline’s life, long before she was a Kennedy. Here, she is a young girl, a Vassar student, on a junior year abroad in Paris.

In the author’s imagination, Jacqueline had to fight to get to Paris. Her mother and stepfather needed to be persuaded to let her go. Jacqueline’s mother’s goal for her daughter was a good marriage. When she finally agreed, it was with caveats regarding some young men that her daughter should meet. J’s mother also makes special arrangements for J to live with an aristocratic family, not in a dorm.

The book opens as J is arriving in France and follows her experiences and growth. In an early chapter, J is brought up against the reality of the Bouviers and how the family was not so well established as she had been led to believe. This exemplifies the ways in which time away from home leads to new understandings and perspectives.

Readers follow Jackie in a post war France that is still recovering. They make their way around the city with J and, such is the author’s talent, they feel that they could be there. In addition, readers follow the stories of those with whom Jackie comes in contact, including the family with whom she lives, the aristocratic Paul and some purported Communists, to round things out.

Fans of historical fiction are pretty certain to enjoy this novel.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Mariner Books for this title. All opinions are my own.