Meant to Be

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NATIONAL BESTSELLER
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER

A restless golden boy and a girl with a troubled past navigate a love story that may be doomed 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 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 much of Cate Cooper. She, too, grew up fatherless—and after her mother marries an abusive man, she is forced to fend for herself. Discovered at age sixteen by a model scout, 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 in 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 a sense of purpose, as well as the answer to the question: Are certain love stories meant to be?NATIONAL BESTSELLER
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER

“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 ate it up.”
—Toronto Star

“Plenty juicy.”
—Entertainment Weekly

“[Meant to Be] is a tour de force by a writer who’s nothing short of a master at delving deep into the complexities of relationships and the ephemeral magic that keeps us all believing.”
—Patch

“A sweet and sensible romance firmly placed in the real world. . . . [It] 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.”
—ABC News

“Through this sweeping love story about fate and timing, Giffin reimagines history, capturing the gilded parts of the 90s, the weight of an American dynasty and the search for belonging.”
—Parade

“Giffin convincingly dramatizes the challenges the couple faces, inducing readers to invest in them and hope desperately for a happy ending.”
—Booklist

“A sweet and sensible romance firmly placed in the real world. . . . Giffin’s approach to romance is layered, relishing in the bond between two people on emotional, intellectual and physical levels. . . . Meant to Be balances classic romance scenes with nuggets of history and nuanced takes on modern issues. Giffin’s historical knowledge peeks out in well-placed pieces of reality woven into the greater fictional story. . . . Meant to Be proves you can have your romance and think deeply, too.”
—Associated Press

“Giffin’s latest charts the course of true love between an American aristocrat and a troubled fashionista. . . . An intriguing meditation on the meaning of ‘meant to be.'”
—Kirkus Reviews

“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. . . . [Giffin] does a masterful job 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

“Meant To Be is the most golden, heart-crunching, epic love story, which swept me away into another time and another world.” 
—Sophie Kinsella

“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

“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

PRAISE FOR EMILY GIFFIN

“A dependably down-to-earth, girlfriendly storyteller.”
—The New York Times

“[A] modern-day Jane Austen.”
—Vanity Fair

“Giffin’s writing is true, smart and heartfelt.”
—Entertainment Weekly

“Giffin [has a] trademark ability to capture the complexities of human emotions while telling a rip-roaring tale.”
—The Washington Post

“Giffin is a worldwide bestselling author because she gets under your skin—by creating relatable characters wrestling within believable situations.”
—The Atlanta Journal-ConstitutionEMILY GIFFIN is the author of eleven internationally bestselling novels: Something Borrowed, Something Blue, Baby Proof, Love the One You’re With, Heart of the Matter, Where We Belong, The One & Only, First Comes Love, All We Ever Wanted, The Lies That Bind and Meant to Be. She lives in Atlanta with her husband and three children.US

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