Jackie and Maria by Gill Paul Book Review

Jackie and Maria by Gill Paul was a surprise for me. A delightful one. Although I knew who Jackie was, I was not too familiar with Maria. And I didn’t know much about the man who was the center of the story between them in this book.

From the first few chapters, I felt an instant connection to both women. The author has made them human with her words. You can Google and read lots of information about them both, not all of it flattering, but then you read this story and you feel a very human connection to them both.

I am not sure how much I can say without giving away the story, because the author weaves real events with fictional ones, but what I came away with the most from reading Jackie and Maria is that these were women living life in the public eye, under intense scrutiny all the time, and although we perceived them as very strong women, who kept the world in awe, they were also very vulnerable in many ways. They also were used by the men they loved and who loved them back. It is an emotional read, but one I very much enjoyed.

Reading Jackie and Maria left me wanting to know more about all the major players in the story. It also made we wish I could reach out and hug them. The writing moved along at a very comfortable pace and kept me engaged and wanting to just get in "one more chapter" before having to stop. Picking the book back up was to continue on a wonderful adventure.

I received an ARC through a Goodreads Giveaway. All opinions are 100% my own.