Natasha Lester's The Three Lives of Alix St. Pierre is a gripping historical fiction tapestry woven with threads of wartime intrigue, dazzling Parisian fashion, and a moving heroine. This moves through three chapters of Alix's life.

Wartime Switzerland is juxtaposed with the glamour of Dior as we follow Alix's journey.

Many thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for sharing this one with me. All thoughts are my own.

Actually, 2.5 stars!
Alix St. Pierre was a spy during WWII. After the war, Alix worked for Christian Dior. Alix advised Christian Dior to make a dress for Rita Hayworth to help launch his new product. Thus, her memories of the war seemed to be behind, and she could begin her life anew. However, Alix learned that a Nazi war criminal, who was involved in the death of her fiancé, is hiding in Paris. Alix is determined to find the criminal and also hopes to find peace after her traumatic past.

I did not like Alix. I did find her to be a strong and intelligent woman. She was a woman who experienced much trauma and loss. However, I could not connect with her. She seemed very distant and cold. Most of her emotions seemed to be very forced. This may be because the audiobook relied heavily on telling and not showing. Thus, I was not invested in Alix, and I found myself more interested in the characters around her.

Overall, this audiobook is about trauma, choices, and recovery. The message of the audiobook is to forgive yourself. The supporting characters, especially Christian Dior were fascinating. I did not like how the audiobook was formatted. It often switched between Alix’s past and present. I think the story would have flowed better if it was told in a more chronological format. I also thought that the audiobook was very drawn out and repetitive. I also thought the romance overshadowed the main storyline. The audiobook’s best feature was the setting. I loved the settings of Switzerland, Italy, Paris, and New York. I also liked the mystery aspect of the audiobook. I did like the narrator, but her performance was not enough to save the story. Thus, The Three Lives of Alix St. Pierre had potential, but it fell flat. Still, I recommend this for fans of Invisible Woman, A Most Clever Girl, and The Alice Network!

This was such a unique historical fiction read and we got such a fantastic and inspirational heroine in Alix St. Pierre! As we followed her and weaved between dual timelines, we explored such juxtaposing worlds! We jump from a fascinating and stunning fashion environment to a devastating but captivating story of espionage during WWII.

Lester was able to create such vivid settings and though her characters were fictional, they felt so incredibly real.

This one certainly had something for everyone. We had history, romance and even mystery and ultimately a heartbreakingly beautiful tale! This was my first by Lester but it won’t be my last!

I've read many stories set during WWII, but love when I read a fresh take on this time in history. THE THREE LIVES OF ALIX ST. PIERRE follows the story of a woman named Alix St. Pierre, an orphan who never truly felt like she belongs in the world of fashion and glamour, until she becomes a fashion icon in Paris.

While I enjoyed the historical elements to the story, I thought the inclusion of the fashion storyline was so fascinating, as the House of Dior is created.

I loved listening to the novel as an audiobook, narrated by Barrie Kreinik. One of my favorite things about reading Historical Fiction is learning about a time in history, and I always appreciate a strong female lead, and Alix St. Pierre was such a well rounded character. I was so taken with how the author included themes of gender equality and women's rights, and it still baffles my mind that women were looked at as such an inferior gender, even as late as the 1950's.

*many thanks to Forever and Hachette Audio for the gifted copy for review

"To the invisible women behind the men."

"Power is the absence of love."

Listening to the meticulously researched epic world spanning WWll romantic historical fiction audiobook, The Three Lives of Alix St. Pierre by brilliant author Natasha Lester, was like experiencing a Oscar winning historical film. By the end I was drained from intense drama, tears, smiles and heart pounding love scenes.

The story is told before, during and after WWll and how our very brave, intelligent and sassy Alix is recruited to be a spy by the fledgling OSS, defies orders and save lives, has devastating failures, is betrayed, seeks revenge and in between helps launch the formidable fashion House of Dior in Paris with a little help from Rita Hayworth.

I was stunned by the enormous range from narrator Barrie Kreinik as she takes us through the fear, the tenacity, the anger, the sorrow, the guilt, and the love that Alix endures during an unfathomable time in our history.

My all time favorite movie is Casablanca and at one point when Alix realizes that she can't hide away with the man she loves, I kept seeing Humphrey Bogart telling Ingrid Bergman, "The lives of three people don't amount to a hill of beans." The war takes precedent over all lives.

You can feel Alix's heartbreak during a dance with her love Anthony,
"If only there weren't other people in the room," he says. Alix responds, "If only there weren't ever Nazis."

I saw them dance. I saw them look into each other eyes. I saw them have to walk away from one another. I cried...hard. This response is what a great story can do for readers. It's what this writer did to me. The Three Lives of Alix St. Pierre is my first 5 star review of 2023. It might be yours too.

I received a free copy of this audiobook from Hachette Audio via #NetGalley
for a fair and honest review. All opinions are my own.

Natasha Lester is definitely a master with words, and weaving incredible historical fiction tales. She has a beautiful way of incorporating fashion and it’s history into her novels, while still making them thrilling and interesting (for me!). This book is no exception. 

The Three Lives of Alix St. Pierre was full of different characters, which I did find a little difficult to keep track of at some points, as well as a bit confusing with the timeline switches, but that could have been an audiobook issue. While it was still a beautiful story, there was definitely a lot lost in translation between the timeline switches and I wanted more from certain ones and much less from others. I’d still recommend it for fashion/historical fiction lovers!

Natasha Lester is absolutely a go-to author for me. Her books are all encompassing, historical fictions, with female heroines for the ages. "The Three Lives of Alix St. Pierre" certainly lives up to this formula.

Alix St. Pierre is the orphaned daughter of two movie costume designers, so her love and talent with design, fabric, and masterpieces is in her blood. So, after the war, when she joined Dior's newly created couture house and is tasked with PR for his first line she's no stranger to beautiful works. However, her past haunts her as her work as a spy during WWII looms ever near.

With her witty use of design puns and design language, Lester weaves together another beautifully nuanced tale of one women's war. Stitching the timeliness of before, during and after war, Alix looks to find the answers and fill in the blanks to the decisions that still haunt her.

Have you ever gone through an event that changed your life forever? For Alix St. Pierre it was WWII and her time working of a covert team trying to aid in Northern Italy.

What I liked:
- The house of Dior was a large part of the present day part of the story
- The strong female characters
- There was romance
What I didn’t:
- There were three timelines in the book; prior to WWII, during the war, and after. It honestly got confusing.
- I couldn’t connect to Alix. There was just something about her I couldn’t connect to.

Over all the book was a 3 for me. I loved the fashion and how the women’s roles during WWII and how they changed forever was central in the story but Alix was just not like-able

The Three Lives of Alix St. Pierre is my first Natasha Lester title, and it will not be my last. Alix St. Pierre is a woman ahead of her time. Orphaned at age 13 and taken in by her wealthy best friend’s family, Alix never loses sight of who she is. She is a force to be reckoned with at the fledgling House of Dior and in her quest to find out more about how nine members of the Italian Resistance were murdered while fleeing to Switzerland.

Read by Barrie Kreinik, the audiobook could be among the top ten of 2023. Kreinik’s voices are so singular, there is never any question which character is speaking. Her pacing is perfect, her accents just right. Her voice conveys every nuance of emotion. I will definitely be seeking out more of her work.

Thanks to NetGalley and Hachette Audio for the chance to listen to this book in exchange for an honest review.

I loved Natasha Lester’s Riviera House and was extremely excited to read her new book. The Three Lives of Alix St. Pierre was an incredible read and exceeded expectations! Alix is such an interesting character and has both endured and accomplished so much at such a young age. The story was such a wonderful mix of intrigue, fashion, war, romance, friendship, and so much more. The Paris setting was an added bonus! LOVED this book!

What a story! Thank you Hachette Audio, Forever. I loved everything here. It was cruel but itvwas so passionate. I love whrn the charaters are so deep and emotional, claver, altruist and so good at what they did. We get the whole before during and after the war.. all times are so greeping and I could not stop listening. My fave was the after but anyway I eas interested in the whole story. If you like fasion industry it would be a great book for you as well. Something not usual for me but can not wait to read more about this author.

The market is flooded with stories of World War II daring and bravery, maybe because those qualities seem to be so sadly lacking in over leaders and our country now. Alix St. Pierre is an incredible woman, who becomes a model, a government publicity agent to lure women to the workplace and a spy for the Allies. Take a break from the pathetic whiny politicians and their delusional followers of today and travel back in time for a dose of real leadership and a lesson on citizenship

I really, really enjoyed this latest historical fiction, WWII romance from Natasha Lester!! She's one of my absolute favorite authors and this new book did not disappoint!! Spanning the years before, during and after WWII, we get to know Alix St. Pierre, a strong woman who balances multiple lives - one as a publicity manager for Dior and another as a secret spy and ally, helping people during the war in Switzerland.

This was great on audio narrated by Barrie Kreinik and highly recommended for fans of Kristin Harmel or Kate Quinn. Alix was such a strong protagonist and easily a woman to admire and be in awe of - someone not willing to bend her ideals or dreams just for the love of a man. I loved how she refused to give up what she wanted just to be a society wife and stuck to what she wanted to do - all while being extremely fashionable.

Much thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for early digital copies in exchange for my honest review!!

This is a unique, thoughtfully planned out story perfect for fans of WIII historical fiction. It is told through the lens of Alix St. Pierre and weaves together three timelines: Alix’s life pre war as a Paris fashion correspondent, her life during the war as a spy for the OSS and her life post-war working for Dior. These three shifting timelines not only keep the story moving forward but also bring suspense as gaps are filled and twists are revealed. What I think makes this book stand out from others in this genre was the element of fun and excitement we got through Alix’s job working for Dior. I enjoyed learning about the history of this designer, the Paris culture post war and the descriptions of the lavish Ritz Hotel. While I primarily read the book, which you will want in front of you to see the gorgeous Dior dresses, I listened to some chapters via audio and found the narrator to be excellent and skillful, particularly when depicting the accents from various countries!

Read if you like:
-WWII Historical Fiction
-Fashion/ Christian Dior
-Stories about feminists
-Alternating timelines and settings
-Side romance storylines
-A bit of mystery and suspense

Thank you so much Forever and Hachette Audio for the ARC/ALC. Out Jan 10th!!

4.5 stars

Plot: This story centers around Alix St. Pierre, a young woman who desperately tries to escape her previous involvement in the war by becoming a publicist at the House of Dior in Paris. Told through timelines of before, during, and after the war, we learn of Alix’s recruitment to be a spy, her time serving in Europe, as well as her role in launching the Christian Dior brand. She wants nothing more than to leave her past behind, but when a person from the war threatens to destroy her future, Alix realizes this is her chance to right her wrongs and maybe even find some justice.

Thoughts: It is clear how much research went into this book. Lester crafted the perfect blend of intrigue and glam by bringing together a WWII storyline with the glitz of Dior. This is certainly different from most WWII stories, but how can you go wrong with a story that involves a female spy, fashion, and journalism? There is really something for everyone in this book, and I look forward to checking out some of Lester’s previous works. It is clear that she values strong female protagonists within the historical fiction genre, which I always enjoy reading about.

The audiobook was great-- I did a combo of reading and listening. Listening was particularly useful on this one given the integration of French (and a little Italian) in the text.

This book was...a lot. I might've preferred only two lives of Alix as at times it seemed there was too much going on and the timelines weren't clear as they jumped back and forth. I did really enjoy the most current timeline where Alix and Anthony work to find out the identity of the person who ruined both of their lives during a failed mission in the war, though several of the characters in the wartime flashbacks were not fleshed out enough for me and I found myself wishing the story had been more compact or even split into two books to better tell each part. The narrator did a great job bringing Alix and the others to life and kept me wanting to listen to the end. I will recommend this title to readers who enjoy historical fiction. Thank you to Hachette Audio and NetGalley for the early listen in exchange for my honest opinion.

Orphaned Alix St. Pierre is used to making her own path during a time when women typically married and became housewives. World War II is still fresh on Alix's mind and as a former spy for the United States in Switzerland Alix has scars and secrets that still haunt her. Alix ends up landing a position as Service de la Presse for the new couture house of Christian Dior. As she navigates the ups and downs of Paris a figure from her war past appears and threatens to destroy what Alix has just begun to rebuild. Alix is such a clever and witty character that you can't help rooting for her to overcome any obstacles she encounters.

Natasha Lester returns to Paris a location where she has successfully created several other excellent works of historical fiction .The intertwined narratives introduce young Alix St. Pierre who loses both her parents at age thirteen and is later adopted by the wealthy family of her closest friend with whom she is sent to boarding school in Switzerland. Later at the beginning of World War II she is recruited by the OSS and returns to Switzerland where she serves as assistant to Allen Dulles (first head of the CIA). In this position she successfully provides support to the Italian partisans who are fighting the Nazis. Post wartime she arrives in Paris to secure a job in publicity for the newly created fashion house of Christian Dior. However tragedies that occurred when she was in the OSS which return to haunt her in her new position. Alix is threatened by a former Nazi called La Voce with whom she had contact during the war who resurfaces to threaten her. The glamorous world of Paris couture and descriptions of the Ritz Hotel is part of the fascinating backdrop for this story of romantic suspense. The audio version was skillfully narrated by a performer with excellent French, Italian and German!