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A restless golden boy and a girl with a troubled past navigate a love story that may be doomed before it even begins in this irresistible new novel from the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Something Borrowed and The Lies That Bind.
The Kingsley family is practically American royalty, beloved for their military heroics, political service, and unmatched elegance. When Joseph S. Kingsley III is born in 1960, he inherits the weight of that legacy. Growing up with all the Kingsley looks and charisma, Joe should have no problem taking up the mantle after his father’s untimely death. But he is also a little bit reckless, and can’t seem to figure out how to channel the expectations of an entire country.
No one ever expected anything of Cate, on the other hand. She, too, grew up in a single-parent household—just her and her mom scraping by in their small apartment. As a teenager, though, Cate is discovered for her looks. Modeling may be her only ticket out of the cycle of disappointment that her mother has always inhabited. Before too long, her face is everywhere, though she is always aware that she’d be a pariah in her social circles if anyone knew her true story.
When Joe and Cate's paths cross, their connection is instant. What remains to be seen is whether their relationship will survive the glare of the spotlight that follows Joe everywhere. And just as they find themselves in the make-or-break moment, the tragedy that seems to run in Joe’s family right alongside all that privilege will repeat itself.
In a beautifully written novel that recaptures a gilded moment in American history, Emily Giffin tells a story of a love that may or may not have the power to transcend circumstances that seem arrayed against it . . . and the difficulty of finding your way to the place you belong.
PRAISE FOR Meant to Be
“I’m a sucker for an iconic, against-all-odds love story, and Meant to Be truly delivers. This fun, addictive read is a must for anyone enchanted by family dynasties, the private lives of the rich and famous, and soul connections that cannot be denied.”—Tia Williams, New York Times bestselling author of Seven Days in June
“If you’ve never read Emily Giffin, Meant to Be is the perfect place to start. This glorious, satisfying novel from the master storyteller of contemporary fiction is impossible to put down. It’s Giffin’s best novel yet—and they are all exceptional.”—Adriana Trigiani, New York Times bestselling author of The Good Left Undone
“Meant to Be elegantly captures love in all its passionate, messy, wonderful glory. Emily Giffin’s writing is addictive—from the first page to the final line. This warm hug of a book is the perfect literary escape.”—Jill Santopolo, New York Times bestselling author of Everything After
“MEANT TO ME is the most golden, heart-crunching, epic love story, which swept me away into another time and another world.” —Sophie Kinsella
"[A] lively page-turner." —New York Times
“MEANT TO BE balances classic romance scenes with nuggets of history and nuanced takes on modern issues…. Giffin’s writing is consumable and rich, balancing dialog and descriptions to build a parallel world with convincing characters. MEANT TO BE proves you can have your romance and think deeply, too.” —Associated Press
“Giffin convincingly dramatizes the challenges the couple faces, inducing readers to invest in them and hope desperately for a happy ending.” —Booklist
“The novel strikes a careful balance between simply retelling the true story of JFK Jr. and his wife, Carolyn Bessette, and crafting an entirely new one. Readers who have an abiding interest in the Kennedys will be fascinated to see the ways in which Giffin utilizes real-life details and how she complicates the romance by introducing various factors, particularly issues of class, and considering how they might have affected the relationship of these fictional counterparts to JFK Jr. and Carolyn…..she does a masterful job of asking key 'what if?' questions and then going on to answer them in imaginative, thoughtful ways….MEANT TO BE is a chic, history-inspired summer read that you will definitely want to take with you to the beach.” —BookReporter
"A captivating romance." —Atlanta Journal-Constitution
"Taking the clay of history, but adding extra specks to it, MEANT TO BE is about a reckless golden boy named Joseph S. Kingsley Jr., who feels the weight of a legacy, and the out-of-left-field fashion-plate Cate Cooper, for whom he falls...I read it. I absolutely ate it up. Like many a so-called roman à clef, the mischief of course comes with deciphering what is real and what has only the ring of truth...But that is another story, I guess. This is Joe and Cate. And I definitely got my fix." —Toronto Star
"[With] witty banter and steamy encounters...it is the conflict brewing when [Joe's and Cate's] pedigrees clash, and, particularly, Cate’s consciousness of the disparity, that grips us. An intriguing mediation on the meaning of 'meant to be.'" —Kirkus
"No. 1 New York Times bestselling author Emily Giffin does not disappoint with this epic love story. Based on Carolyn Jeanne Bessette and John F. Kennedy, Jr., this gorgeously written novel follows the courtship and whirlwind romance of Cate Cooper and Joseph Kingsley. Giffin writes with such grace and heart and leaves us questioning, 'What really is our fate?'" —Hamptons magazine