Meant to Be

A Novel

By: Emily Giffin

Narrated by: Caroline Hewitt, Robert Petkoff, Emily Giffin

Length: 11 hrs and 31 mins

Publisher's summary

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • He’s American royalty. She comes from a troubled past. Is their love story meant to be? This “lively page-turner” (The New York Times) offers a nostalgic, hopelessly romantic escape—from the author of Something Borrowed and The Lies That Bind.

“I’m a sucker for an iconic, against-all-odds love story, and Meant to Be truly delivers.”—Tia Williams, author of Seven Days in June 

“A chic, history-inspired summer read [that] strikes a careful balance between simply retelling the true story of JFK Jr. and his wife, Carolyn Bessette, and crafting an entirely new one.”—Bookreporter 

The Kingsley family is American royalty, beloved for their military heroics, political service, and unmatched elegance. In 1967, after Joseph S. Kingsley, Jr. is killed in a tragic accident, his charismatic son inherits the weight of that legacy. But Joe III is a free spirit—and a little bit reckless. Despite his best intentions, he has trouble meeting the expectations of a nation, as well as those of his exacting mother, Dottie.

Meanwhile, no one ever expected anything of Cate Cooper. She, too, grew up fatherless—and after her mother marries an abusive man, she is forced to fend for herself. After being discovered by a model scout at age sixteen, Cate decides that her looks may be her only ticket out of the cycle of disappointment that her mother has always inhabited. Before too long, Cate’s face is in magazines and on billboards. Yet she feels like a fraud, faking it in a world to which she’s never truly belonged.

When Joe and Cate unexpectedly cross paths one afternoon, their connection is instant and intense. But can their relationship survive the glare of the spotlight and the so-called Kingsley curse? In a beautifully written novel that captures a gilded moment in American history, Emily Giffin tells the story of two people searching for belonging and identity, as well as the answer to the question: Are certain love stories meant to be?

©2022 Emily Giffin (P)2022 Random House Audio

Lousy

I can not believe Emily Giffin is making money off of the JFK jet Caroline Bassett story. With a “what if “ version of the tale. This means if you read a ton of People magazines you too can take any story change the names and become a writer too. Do yourself a favor just google the real story and save yourself some money.

Swing and a miss.

Oh man. I have read Giffins books over and over and preordered this one. Unfortunately, I have to say: this was not it. It was a really bad lifetime movie with an even worse protagonist. There is nothing more irritating than a woman who is insecure, ashamed and non communicative in her relationship pushing a man away and he still somehow fawns over her for her to get her fairytale. Ugh. And in the end she’s so pathetic that he can’t help but love her through it. Hard pass for me. Super had pass.

Basically story of JFK Jr

Great story, especially if you have interest in the Kennedy family. The whole time I was listening to it all I could think of was “this is basically the story of JFK Jr and Caroline B. “ Definitely kept me listening, finished in two days.

Disappointed!

This book was a disappointment. Too many “ he said, I said, she said, - it was frustrating. I considered not finishing. Story was predictable.

Love Emily Giffen’s books, but not this time!

The characters fell flat for me. I felt nothing for them, and they didn’t seem to have any chemistry for one another.

For Kennedy Fans and History Buffs

After a bit of a slow start, Giffin creates compelling characters that are original and complicated. Although inspired by the Kennedy family, the story only uses the premise of an American family that felt an obligation to serve—one that captured our collective imagination. It is at once a romantic and suspenseful novel. I could not stop listening.

Perfection!

This book was so beautifully written! I enjoyed listening to it very much. Will be recommending it to everyone as the perfect summer read!

Really good!

Awesome story. Didn’t want to cut it off when I needed to! Good summer read!

best book by far

This was Giffin’s best book so far. I couldn’t put it down. It was such an easy read and Hewitt and Petkoff were terrific narrators.

Awesome story

This was so good. I couldn’t stop listening for long; finished in two days. Well done to all who were involved in this!