The Second Marriage by Gill Paul

Synopsis
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?

Review
The Second Marriage by Gill Paul is a fictional account of the love triangle that emerged between Maria Callas, Jackie Kennedy and Aristotle Onassis. Covering the years 1957 – 1973 Gill Paul makes us voyeaurs in to the lives of these three very famous characters, the glamour, glitz, the highs and the lows and the secrets and lies. The chapters are split between the narrative of Maria and Jackie, two very different women, and how they came into the sphere of Onassis, the richest man in the world, and the catalyst for their rivalry. Beautifully told, this is a book that had me captivated from page one.

The Second Marriage is a book I just had to read as I love my historical fiction and there is still the glamour and intrigue around the life of Jackie Kennedy. I have read a few books about her and always wondered why she married Aristotal Onassis; I always found it a strange choice, but Gill Paul gives some answers. As central characters you can’t get more iconic than Maria Callas and Jackie Kennedy. Maria was a world famous Opera star, taking on the most iconic roles, singing in the most celebrated Opera Houses and mixing with the rich and famous.This fame is how she met Onassis, a man she left her husband for, and spent ten years with without being able to get married; a man who completely stole her heart. Jacke Kennedy, is still the most famous and iconic First Lady of the White House. Beautiful, intelligent and wife to America’s most famous President, who had to live her life in the glare of the public. What I loved about this book is that we saw how Jackie and John Kennedy met, what life was like before the White House and how she felt about all the attention, and the pressure. It is a fascinating story, as looks at Kennedy’s affairs and the horror that what his assassination. The Second Marriage title refers to Jackie’s marriage to Onassis that doesn’t happen until the later stages of the book. Whilst Maria and Jackie seem to be very different characters, Gill Paul brings their similarities to light. Both were in realationships with rich and powerful men who had affairs , both had to face the devastaion of miscarriage, and both had insecurities even though they appeared strong and confident. Gill Paul’s characterisation is stunning, really getting into the psyche of both women and making them relatable and accessable to the reader; I really felt I knew them by the end of the book. Aristotle Onassis is the catalyst that brings joins he lives of both women. Said to be the richest man in the world he thrived on money and power and mixing with the rich and famous; from royalty, to presidents, ex prime ministers, world leaders and beautiful women. It is his charm and charisma that drew women to him like moths to a flame. Even though he also faces personal tragedies of his own, he is still a character that I disliked.Blog

I always love reading Gill Paul’s books, and feel that this may be her best book yet. She writes with skill, drawing the reader into the book with her depth of characters and fascinating plot lines taking the reader into the loves of the rich and famous. With such three strong characters, it would be easy to make this book salacious, and sensational, but Gill Paul has a subtitly and empathy in her writing, and her mix of fact and fiction makes for a spellbinding and emotive read.

The. Second Marriage is an intoxicating read and my only fault is that is that it had to end. I loved her characteriation of Jackie, Maria and Onassis,three powerful people, whose lives were lived in the public eye and seemed to be perfect, but like icebergs, underneath they were floundering with insecurities and ultimately tragic in love. Beautifuly written with the combination of love, loss, betrayal, and tragedy this is a stunning read.

I’d like to thank Avon Books and Anne Cater of Random Things Tours for my invite on the blog tour.