Jacqueline in Paris by Ann Mah was wonderful! Reimagining her year abroad in post-war Europe, this story is about Jacqueline Bouvier’s early life before becoming an American icon and marrying JFK. A beautifully written historical fiction novel with a new perspective on this era.

What's not to love about a year in Paris? Mah dives right into Jackie's world before she was the woman everyone thought they knew! Highly recommend.

Jacqueline in Paris is the story of Jackie Onassis (Kennedy) as a young girl studying abroad in Paris for a year.
It was well-researched and really painted a picture of post-war France. It read similarly to a biography with a significant amount of history and a light plot. The author wrote it in first person, so Jackie tells us her story as if we are reading her journal, her life was fascinating.
Towards the end, we discover how politics was truly influential in her young life and how ideas and stereotypes of groups of people aren’t always accurate.
For readers who love Jackie O and her life, this book will be of interest to you.

Thank you Netgalley and Mariner Books for my eArc in exchange for an honest review.

Publication date: September 27, 2022!

Jacqueline in Paris is the fictional story of the real life Jacqueline Bouvier's (Kennedy Onasis) year abroad in Paris. The year is 1949, post-war Paris in the few years following Nazi occupation. The recovery in Europe during this period is very different from what young Jackie has seen in the US. She gets wrapped up in communists, spies, and of course, boyfriends along with beautifully vivid descriptions of her love for Paris.

Ann Mah's 2019 NYT article is a must read after you read the fictional novel to learn more about Jackie's love of Paris and year abroad.

Ann Mah is one of those authors that I can count on to never disappoint. She has written a beautiful novel of Jacqueline Bouvier's year abroad in post WW2 Paris that shaped the icon we know as Jackie O. Jacqueline in Paris checks all the boxes. History, wanderlust and that sense of new adventures all set in the city of light. C'est magnifique!

Overrated Book:
Jacqueline in Paris
By: Ann Mah

WHAT DO PEOPLE SAY?
This a beautiful story that has both suspense and romance.

HOW I FELT ABOUT IT:
I was so excited to read this book, as I love historical fiction set in Europe. This book, however, missed the mark for me. I felt that it was an incredibly slow build, and then there was just a small pop of excitement, and even that wasn’t all that great. The concept of the book sounded amazing but overall, it just fell flat for me.

DO I STILL RECOMMEND IT? Maybe

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Jacqueline in Paris was kindly provided as an ARC by Netgalley and Mariner Books.

I was so excited to read this book by Mah, as I have read The Lost Vintage by her and loved it. This story, however, fell short for me. It took me a very long time to get into the book, and it wasn’t captivating enough to keep my interest.


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Although fictional, this is told in first person from the POV of Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy Onassis. The voice was very compelling and convincing to immediately draw the reader in and experience Jackie’s time as a student living in Paris following WWII. It was an eye opening experience for her and other American students, profoundly affecting Jackie for the rest of her life. Hearing about her childhood and relationship with her mother helps to understand Jackie’s aloof personality and affinity for privacy. From the beginning to the end, this book had me enthralled and I could not put it down. How interesting to learn more about this private woman, if only. Well written, with plentiful research and a dedication to unknown facts and events of WWII. This historical fiction story reads as if it truly is not a work of fiction at all. I loved it.
Many thanks to #netgalley #acquelineinparis #annmah #marinerbooks for the opportunity to read and review this book.

I love historical fiction books and this one did not disappoint. I loved going through this time with Jacqueline, whom I had not read too much about before she married into the Kennedy family. While it is fiction, I loved the story.
I received an advance copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

I absolutely loved this book. Well researched and
wonderfully written, with twists that will leave readers thirsting for more. Like the city that serves as its setting, this novel immerses the reader in an environment both intimately familiar and utterly new. Thank you to NetGalley, the author and publisher for the complimentary copy.

Thank you to NetGalley and Mariner Books for this ARC. Jacqueline Bouvier has just gotten off a ship to spend a year of school in France. She spends a fascinating year meeting new people and going to new places. This year abroad shaped Jackie to whom she became. She spoke fluent French and was able to board with 3 other classmates in a widow's home in Paris. I really enjoyed seeing Jackie in this new light and not just the widow of JFK. This book was fascinating but heavy in politics with all the different views on the war that just ended. #JacquelinInParis #AnnMah #MarinerBooks #Sept2022

I really enjoyed “Jacqueline in Paris” by Ann Mah. I loved the descriptions of Paris and the reimagining of Jackie’s year abroad in Paris during college. This was a very good work in the historical fiction genre. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced reader’s copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

A wonderful read excellent historical fiction.I was fascinated by Jackie’s time in Paris.The story the characters come alive.Another wonderful book by Ann Mah I’m a fan of her fiction and non fiction books .#netgalley #marinerbooks

This was a well-written and well-researched fictionalized account of the year Jacqueline Bouvier spent studying abroad in Paris. This was a pivotal time for her, both in terms of her own development and her exposure to a world beyond the strict confines of her family and her women's college. Her time in Paris provided a foundational basis for the woman she was to become. In addition to learning about her early years, I enjoyed learning about what Paris was like in 1949 in the immediate time after the end of WWII. The reverberations of the Nazi occupation were still very much present. An interesting, enjoyable historical fiction novel.

I had no idea this was about Jackie O and I was so pleasantly surprised! It's hard to believe this was historical fiction because it seemed so real.

The first half of the book was a real struggle to get through. All of the names and trying to remember who was who was really rough. I wanted to absolutely love this book from the beginning, but it took me awhile to finally get to where I was enjoying it. The book still doesn't reveal much about Jackie Kennedy, but it was a fun glimpse into one year of her life.

I studied the assassination of JFK a lot during high school so the synopsis of this book being focused on Jackie Kennedy during her early 20s peaked my interest. I found this book transported me to post WWII Paris and made me sentimental of my own time abroad in Europe during college. Similar to Jacqueline, it was a transformative experience during my life which helped me feel attached to her character. This book explores the tensions between Europe and the Soviet Union with the rise of communism. I also thought this book was both well researched and written depicting what post-war life was like for those in Paris and throughout Europe. This book also touched on the state of Germany post-war and presented a compassionate perspective from multiple characters which I found thought-provoking. There is also hints of mystery and betrayal which I believe added to the plot. Overall, I really enjoyed reading this book based on Jacqueline’s real-life experience abroad and the representation of life post WWII.

4.5 out of 5 stars

4.5 out of 5 Stars

Jacqueline Bouvier loved France. It was a place where she felt she could truly be herself, away from her controlling mother, alcoholic but adored father and the life society dictated she should live. So when she was able to study abroad in Paris in 1949c she was in seventh heaven. But the Paris she dreamed of was a different place. Still not yet recovered from Nazi occupation, like Jackie herself, Paris was trying to discover itself again. It was important to remember that despite the horrors of WWII still fresh in their minds, France was a land of culture, art, love and life. During her time abroad, Jackie’s eyes were opened to what and who she could become. Throw in a ring of spies and a bit of communism for thrill and mystery and you have a lovely portrayal of one of the most famous First Ladies in American History.

Loosely based on Jackie’s year abroad, Ann Mah paints a stunning portrait of Paris as it recovers from war and tries to redefine and rediscover itself in its wake. It’s a coming of age time for the ever so private Jackie and makes her easy to connect with!

Thanks so much to NetGalley, Mariner Books and Ann Mah for early access to this gem of a story! Taking a trip to Paris in the pages of a book I’d always exciting and to tag along with Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy Onassis was inspiring!

What a well researched, enjoyable read from Ann Mah. I only know the basics about Jacqueline Kennedy so appreciated the peek into her backstory while experiencing post WWII Paris through her experiences. Will be recommending widely.

I was fascinated by this book. I'm a Massachusetts native and was a young wife when JFK was elected. I knew Jacqueline Kennedy's background, but didn't connect the effect of her year abroad on her future life. I had not read this author before, but I surely will again. An outstanding portrayal of postwar France and the rise of communism.

This historical fiction title explores Jacqueline Bouvier's time in Paris as a college student. Shortly after World War II Paris is still recovering when Jacqueline arrives. She is stunned by what she finds and it shapes her and her future in unexpected ways.