The Second Marriage by Gill Paul #Review

 

Today, we have an historical novel which focuses on the second half of the 20th Century and which takes as its inspiration, the figures of Jackie Kennedy, Aristotle Onassis and Maria Callas. The Second Marriage was published by Avon on 24th August 2020. 

JACKIE

When her first marriage ends in tragedy, Jackie Kennedy fears she’ll never love again. But all that changes when she encounters…

ARI

Successful and charming, Ari Onassis is a man who promises her the world. Yet soon after they marry, Jackie learns that his heart also belongs to another…

MARIA

A beautiful, famed singer, Maria Callas is in love with Jackie’s new husband – and she isn’t going to give up.

Little by little, Jackie and Maria’s lives begin to tangle in a dangerous web of secrets, scandal and lies. But with both women determined to make Ari theirs alone, the stakes are high. How far will they go for true love?

My Thoughts

 Although this is very much a fictionalised account, it is nevertheless fascinating to take a look at these three characters and their complicated relationships. The novel follows Jackie Kennedy, through her marriage to Jack Kennedy and covers both his assassination in Dallas and the shooting of his brother, Bobby. Maria Callas and Aristotle Onassis had a complicated relationship over several decades, from the 1950's through to the 70's. I enjoyed following events which I remembered and taking a look at the extended members of all three families.

    The novel alternates the characters of Jackie and Maria as their lives interweave. They are very different women. Maria seems to wear her heart on her sleeve. Jackie is much more reserved and guarded. They both seem to want to be protected and looked after and share a longing for children. You do find yourself wondering just who was manipulating who. This is a well written and engaging novel which keeps the action moving and at the same time, gives an insight into these three characters, flaws and all. I also loved the notes at the end which shed light on what happened to the characters in the future and explained which parts were fiction.

 In short: A clash of titans

 

About the Author

Gill Paul's historical novels have reached the top of the USA Today, Toronto Globe & Mail and kindle charts, and been translated into twenty languages.

They include THE SECOND MARRIAGE (titled JACKIE AND MARIA in the US), two bestselling novels about the Romanovs - THE SECRET WIFE and THE LOST DAUGHTER - as well as WOMEN AND CHILDREN FIRST, which was shortlisted for the 2013 RNA Epic Novel of the Year award, NO PLACE FOR A LADY, shortlisted for a Love Stories award, and ANOTHER WOMAN'S HUSBAND, about links you might not have suspected between Wallis Simpson and Princess Diana.

Gill also writes historical non-fiction, including A HISTORY OF MEDICINE IN 50 OBJECTS, and she speaks at libraries and literary festivals on subjects ranging from the Titanic to the Romanovs.

Gill lives in London, where she is working on her tenth novel, and she swims daily in an outdoor pond.

You can follow Gill here:  Website  |  Twitter  |   Instagram

Book link:  Amazon UK

Thanks to Gill Paul, Avon and Anne Cater of Random Things Tours for a copy of the book and a place on the tour. 

Check out the rest of the tour!