Author: Emily Giffin
Publisher: Ballantine Books
Genre: Romance
Source: Purchased

Goodreads: 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.

Ope’s Opinion: The first thing this book makes me want to do now is go look up Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy’s and see how close this story is to her real life. This would have been a really good story even if it was not based on their lives. My only complaint and what kept this from being a five chair book was the explicit sexual details. The details did not add anything to the story of their relationship.

The story written from both Cate’s and Joe’s perspectives moved it at a quick pace. Even though some things were repeated it was so you could you see them from each of their sides.

The epilogue was a perfect way to end the book. It wrapped things up the way you wish real life had happened.