This was a pretty good book. It was a little bit hard to get through in some part and I wish it was a little bit more fast paced.

While the storyline was good, I didn't really like the jumping around of characters. Kick Kennedy was such a rebel for her time and rebelling against her family. I wish to know more about her than the other characters.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for approving me for this advanced readers copy. I enjoyed this book for a historical fiction book but I think if this is not your go to genre to read, it will be a struggle. Just be aware it might take longer than most books and is not an easy read at the get go. Would definitely recommend for the right reader.

3.5 stars! I enjoyed this story a lot. Historical fiction that pulls from real people’s stories is some of my favorite. However, I feel as if the author leaned too much on the true stories and didn’t take as many creative liberties as I would have liked.

Thank you to Net Galley and Mobius Books for the chance to read and review this book. All opinions are my own.
I enjoyed this book. It was interesting to learn more about Katherine "Kick" Kennedy and her life. I didn't really know much about her. I enjoyed learning more about her relationships with her family. I also enjoyed all the historical details about this time. Overall, it is a good story. I also thought the author handled the details of Rosemary's life with tenderness and care. I recommend this book if you like to read about the Kennedy's.

I loved this fictional story of Kathleen Kick Kennedy. But it was a bittersweet read knowing how her story actually ends. But also loved seeing the stories of Lady Brigid Guinness and Sissy Maddington play out as well.

I’ve always found the Kennedy family fascinating and thought A Kennedy Affair was such an interesting take on their story. I loved reading about Kathleen or “Kick” Kennedy. I didn’t know much about her prior to picking this book up, but it definitely made me want to do some more research on my own! The story primarily follows Kick as she travels to London during World War II to help with war efforts, but it also gives the perspectives of a couple of other women within her circle. Kick was such a complex, well-written character and I was drawn to her from the first few pages. Despite loving the characters and becoming invested in their stories, I found the pace of the book pretty slow at times and had trouble getting through a few parts. I did think the character list at the beginning of the book was very helpful! There were a lot of important players in this story and I struggled to keep them all straight - especially in the first half.

If you enjoy a character-driven, powerful story about World War II that skillfully blends truth and fiction, then give A Kennedy Affair a read!

4.5 Stars for me! Thank you to Mobius Books and NetGalley for the ARC!

I am a huge fan of the Kennedy family but this is the first time I've read a fiction book regarding their story. I recommend this book if you like historical fiction or the Kennedy family.

I will admit that I did not know much about Kick Kennedy or her story but she seems to be one of the more interesting members of the Kennedy family. This story follows her in the 1940's when she leaves for London to help during the war efforts of World War II. While her story is primarily the main focus, you still get glimpses into the lives of other women from different socioeconomic statuses and backgrounds who find love and friendship during a time of war. The storytelling here was immersive and you really felt like you were going through the rollercoaster of emotions with the characters.

The main reason this was not a 5 star read for me was that there parts of the story that were a little slow for me. I was very invested in the stories but just wanted them to move at a little bit faster pace.

Thank you to Mobius Books and NetGalley for the ARC!

I didn't know much about Kathleen Kennedy before reading this book and had to do a little bit of quick research to learn more about her as JFK's sister. This historical fiction took place in the 1940s during WWII when Kathleen "Kick" Kennedy stayed in London. The novel revolved around her friendships with a couple of other women in her circle and their varying circumstances in the war and her relationship with Billy Cavendish. It was a slow start for me, but about a third way through the book, I felt invested in all the female characters and wanted to know how they were going to turn out. As with all struggles during wars, this book is no exception to a sad outcome. I am appreciative of the author thoroughly depicting the circumstances and the agony associated with it at that time period.

I was really excited for this book because I think Kick Kennedy is such an interesting person and I really enjoyed seeing her story come to life. Overall, the book was okay. I loved all the characters and was invested in the story and what was going on, however, it felt extremely slow. I wanted to know what was happening in the book but I also wanted to fast forward through a lot of things. I did enjoy the book and seeing all the girls stories were so amazing and different even though they were going through the same things. I just think there were some things in the story that did not need to be there and often made the story less interesting.

Thank you NetGalley and Mobius Books for the advanced reader copy!

A Kennedy Affair is an intriguing and captivating historical novel that offers a fascinating glimpse into the lives behind one of America’s most iconic families. Emily Hourican’s storytelling is rich and immersive, blending fact and fiction with grace and emotional depth. I enjoyed the nuanced portrayal of romance, power, and personal struggle, which added layers of complexity to the narrative. It’s a compelling read for anyone interested in history, intrigue, and heartfelt drama.

This book is PERFECT for fans of Kristin Hannah, who crave similar writting and books with well crafted characters and hooking plot. From page one I could not put this book down! It was a book filled with characters and their own storylines, as well as how they come together. Hourican did a wonderful job weaving these characters together. Loved the historical aspect and would highlyrecommend if in need of a historical fiction!

This one was solidly middle of the road for me. There wasn’t anything wrong with it, the writing is polished, the pacing is steady, and the story unfolds in a perfectly acceptable way but it never really hooked me.

There was nothing really knew in this book that we haven't known or read before. The Kennedy family saga has been told many times before, therefore reviewing this novel seems superfluous..

I am sitting at the 2.5 rounded up to 3 stars position -- I was hoping for something different and I realize that is a "me" problem. One of my favorite aspects was the way Hourican treated Rosemary with dignity and value. I spent a large portion of the book wondering why it was called the Kennedy Affair; thankfully that question was addressed but it was still a detraction.

Much of the general Kennedy anecdotes were not new to me with the exception of Kick's relationship with Joe, Jr. I knew he was the only person in attendance at her critical life events in England but it was the everyday interactions that were genuine and added to the story.

Thank you to Net Galley, the publisher and author for an advance copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

This book told the story of Kathleen Kennedy's time overseas volunteering for the Red Cross during WWII. The other main character who is a true historical figure was Brigid Guiness. Both of these women wanted to stand on their own and not be burdened by their families' influence. Kathleen went by "Kick," and the troubles she faced related to her siblings and the love of her life whose family did not approve of his relationship with a Catholic. There was a lot of description about how Kick's family believed as Catholics did then that it was a mortal sin to marry outside the religion. Honestly, I thought the book was a little tedious in the middle, but the author brought all of the story lines together in the end, and I learned quite a bit about these families that I had forgotten over time.

I knew I enjoyed historical fiction but didn’t realize how much I enjoyed historical fiction based on true events!

This is the story of Kick Kennedy during WWII. I have read many books about the Kennedy’s but did not know much about Kick. She had previously been to England and fell in love with a non-Catholic man and set her family in a tizzy. This book continues the story as she comes back to England during the War and continues her relationship. We meet her friends and become enmeshed with their relationships and stories as well.

My only complaint would be I feel like the ending was short and I would have liked to have read more!

This novel follows the stories of Kathleen Kennedy as well as 2 other women, Brigid and Sissy, in her circle in England during World War 2. Sissy was not a real person but Brigid was based on a real woman and Kathleen, of course, was JFK's sister.

Kathleen's story was intriguing, although the storyline with Billy was rather long and drawn out; after awhile, it seemed that the story could have been sewn up a lot earlier than it was...maybe lengthened into the love story with FitzWilliam instead? The descriptions of WW2 London were well done, as were those of the social conditions for young people of the time.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC!
I really enjoyed this novelization of Kick Kennedy’s life.
PFGT- Plan for Good times while reading this book!

✨ What a beautifully layered read! A Kennedy Affair swept me straight into 1940s London — the fog, the heartbreak, the stolen moments of hope. 🇬🇧💔

💌 Kick’s longing for Billy felt so tender yet tragic — the way their love struggles against family duty and war made my heart ache. 🕊️❤️

🩺 Lady Brigid was a quiet star for me — trading glamour for grit, tending to soldiers by day and pouring her heart into forbidden letters by night. So brave and raw. 🌙✍️

🌆 And Sissy! Her wide-eyed wonder and yearning for more than what Ireland offered gave the story a spark of youthful hope and defiance. 🍀✨

📚 Overall, I loved how Hourican wove real history with vivid emotion — London felt alive, battered yet burning with possibility. The friendship between these three women made it all the more powerful.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ A gorgeous, bittersweet slice of wartime romance and resilience. Thank you for this gem, Emily Hourican! 💫