Thank you @readforeverpub for a copy of this book. Lester does a great job with another histories fiction during WWII. Alix St. Pierre is an amazing main character with her job as PR for Christian Dior launching his own line. I love how strong and determined Alix is and we learn about her role during the war.

I enjoyed how the book explored how difficult it was for a woman wanting a career and not to be a housewife. Economic class was also discussed and how people treated you if you weren't in the same economic status.

I love how the past of Alix leads her to her preset day and how the story was told.

Alix St Pierre is fierce in both mind and body. A talented, hard-working woman. It's 1943, and she is recruited into the OSS as a spy and sent to Switzerland. She ends up working with the Italian partisans to secure the supplies, especially weapons and ammunition, they need to fight the Nazis. However, some of her methods are questionable, and not everything goes according to plan. So, when the war ends, she is haunted by some events.

Wanting to escape her war efforts and past, she returns to Paris and is hired by Dior to help launch his new couture clothing line. But, as she immerses herself in work, the past comes back to haunt her once again.

This is a unique take on historical fiction; it combines war, espionage, romance, and fashion, making it fun but, at times, intense and intriguing. I loved learning about the early years of fashion design houses and Christian Dior before he was well known. Overall, excellent historical fiction.

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.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. The author did a wonderful job of painting the scenes for us. In the beginning of the book I thought it was going to be rather shallow, but it was not. I liked Alex in all of her lives. I believe that we can always count on Natasha Lester for our historical fiction reading. The book was easy to read, told a great story, and held my interest.

I absolutely enjoyed this book. I found the title character Alix well developed. I would recommend this book to just about anyone who likes a good story.

I really enjoyed reading this book. This was a beautifully written World War 2 novel with a great premise. Alix
works for the resistance during the war, and she evolves into a publicist for Dior back when women didn't usually work unless they had to.

I loved the setting, and the plot. I enjoyed the background about women - how they were so important to the war effort, but then dismissed when the men came home. I also enjoyed the dilemma that Alix had CAN women have it all.

It was a novel of war, of history and it had some romance thrown in.

.A solid 4 stars. Why not 5? Because I really enjoyed it, but I didn't close it thinking "wow". . I didn't immediately message my friends saying "you HAVE to read this". I liked it a LOT, but love? Not so much..

A completely captivating story of a young woman whose work during WWII continues to haunt her in a post war Paris. With the backdrop of the up and coming House of Dior, she tries to hold on to her determination, ambition and independence while trying to avenge and overcome the one tragedy that lingers in her nightmares.

Alix St Pierre was just starting out in the PR world of New York when she’s recruited by the government to be a spy in Switzerland…a place she knew well thanks to her time at a boarding school. Once she arrives, she realizes that if she’s going to make a difference in this war…she has to go out on her own and do it rather than bow down to the man in charge. She becomes involved with Italian partisans and hopes to help them overthrow the Nazis who are destroying towns and people in the quest for dominance.

A mission gone wrong takes the lives of 9 men and in the years after the war, Alix carries the weight of responsibility heavily on her shoulders. As she takes a job as the head of PR for Christian Dior, she meets a man who was on the mountain the day those brave 9 men lost their lives. Together they form a partnership to take down the Nazi who got away. Along the way they learn that times have changed and people can be happy together without societies expectations ruling over every decision they make. As the man that got away comes after Alix for his own revenge, the duo revert back to their spying days to set him up and take him down. Can they do it? You’re going to have to read this book to find out!

First of all, let me say that I love Natasha Lester’s work. Her writing style is so captivating that you are hooked within the first couple of sentences. She creates characters that you can empathize with as well as admire! Alix St Pierre is such a strong, independent woman determined to make something of herself even if it means sacrificing love because she has been taught she can’t have both. But the war changed all that and it takes heartbreak to realize that there is a man out there willing to accept her and her ambitions.

I absolutely LOVED the inclusion of the House of Dior. Fashion tells a story in itself and for Alix, it provided her an extra boost of confidence because who doesn’t feel good in a beautiful dress designed to flow with you rather than just hang there. While the story in itself is fictional, many of the people, places and events were real and based on reality. In her author’s notes, Ms Lester details that to a great degree as well as provide sources. So do NOT skip out on the Author’s Notes. They are an intricate part of the story and her research is to be commended.

Thank you so much to NetGalley, Forever Grand Central Publishing and Natasha Lester for the early chance to read this awesome story! It’s definitely one to add to your TBR list!

I've really liked Natasha Lester's previous books, and The Three Lives of Alix St. Pierre was no different! It took a little while for me to get into it, but then I couldn't put it down. I loved the character of Alix, a former female member of the OSS who railed against traditional gender roles - a fight many women still face today! The descriptions of Dior's maison and the fashion housed within it were so incredible. I'm also a sucker for cat and mouse games, so the La Voce storyline kept me turning pages. The author always does a great job of threading so many real historical figures and events into her stories (and sends me down many google rabbit holes!). This book was a little long, but overall, I really liked it and would absolutely recommend it. Can't wait to see what the author does next! Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

👍🏼👍🏼 WW2 Lady Spies + Couture + Romance

Honestly the trifecta we all need. Or at least I did.

Not all WW2 historical fiction gets me going, but oh my, there is something about lady spies that I absolutely love. Okay, I like all spies. But WW2 lady spies, the women who paved the way for the modern intelligence community?! I love it.

What I really loved about this book is the redemption. Yeah there’s the war and the espionage and the fashion and the romance. But at the core of it all is the rise and fall and rise and fall and redemption of the infamous Alix St. Pierre.

The book feels a little long at first, but the story is so cleverly and carefully woven together. The time and effort is certainly worth it in this case. I loved the way that all of the dots were connected in the end with just the right amount of catharsis to finish it off.

Right, so how does one combine espionage, high fashion, and love? With a colorful cast of characters, of course. Largely based on real people (except for our central characters), the people that shape Alix’s experiences are fantastic in their own rights. Remember how I said the book feels long at first? It takes a few pages to introduce everyone and really set the stage. Stick with it.

Our heroine, Alix St. Pierre, has lived quite the life. A child of immigrants who ends up, through a series of un and fortunate circumstances, attending finishing school in Europe. Determined to make a name for herself, Alix sweet talks her way into working at the fashion magazine powerhouse, Harper’s Bazaar in Paris. Alix continues to garner success as a PR agent in the world of fashion due to her skill in storytelling. Until the world comes to a halt.

Like most women of the era, Alix joins the war effort. However, with the multiple languages she speaks and high familiarity with Europe, she is quickly recruited and sent behind enemy lines to be a “secretary”. Alix’s talents serve her well in her wartime role with one large exception which haunts her post-war life.

On a whim, Alix accepts an invitation to return to Paris to run the PR effort for a new and upcoming fashion house belonging to the one and only Christian Dior. While starting her new life, Alix is forced to confront her past, and maybe take a chance at falling in love.

I really enjoyed Alix’s journey - understanding where she comes from but also seeing the heights that she rises to. If you love historical fiction, romance, spies, and/or fashion, I think you are going to love this one too.

The Three Lives of Alix St. Pierre is an extraordinary work of historical fiction written by Natasha Lester. The focus on the story is the title character, Alix. Alix is an American woman who is orphaned at a young age and is taken in by her wealthy friend Lillie's family. The story mostly begins after Alix's schooling at a boarding school in Switzerland. She is recruited to work with Allen Dulles in Bern in order to uncover information about the Nazis that will aid the allies. The tragedy that happens during this period of Alix's life resurfaces when, a few years later in Paris, when working for the legendary fashion designer Christian Dior as his public relations specialist, new information comes to light. The two timelines are presented in alternating sections, so that the story unravels piece by piece, and the reader begins to make connections as to how the story will ultimately unfold.

This was a spectacular novel that I highly recommend. I have never read a book where the characters' dialogue and inner life are so vividly portrayed, until I read this novel. The extensive research that Ms. Lester conducted to write this book was so on point that I found myself wondering if Alix was real. She was so precisely placed into the real events and people of the time period that it was highly believable. The journey she takes - along with some of the supporting characters - is so moving, and so poignant. As I came to the last 10% of the book or so, I realized that I was unable to predict how the author would bring things to a close and reveal the truths of what Alix was trying to uncover. It came to a satisfying yet believable conclusion.

Thank you NetGalley, Natasha Lester, and the publisher for an electronic ARC of this book. Highly, highly recommended!

The Three Lives of Alix St. Pierre
Review Score: 4 1/2 Stars

Five Key Feels
-I love Alix’s work for Dior.

-There is so much intensity in this book between the timelines.

-The link between war, espionage, and fashion was so well done.

-It was interesting to learn more about the origins of the OSS.

-Alix really lived the struggle of a woman who wanted to go against the status quo, and I loved the exploration of that.

——

Wow. The Three Lives of Alix St. Pierre was incredible. Powerful, intense. I loved how the story unfolded. I thought at first the jumps in time would be confusing, but they really added a piece to the puzzles of the story.

Part spy thriller, part romance, part fashion, this book really has it all. I thoroughly enjoyed it and recommend it to anyone who loves historical fiction, fashion, romance, or mystery!

Absolutely yes! I really enjoyed reading this novel. The characters were fun, it held my interest, and provided an escape from reality. I would definitely recommend!

This was my first time reading a book by Natasha Lester. I generally enjoy historical fiction, but for whatever reason had never picked anything up by her previously.

In The Three Lives of Alix St. Pierre, we meet the aforementioned heroine as she takes on the job of Head of Press for the new Maison Dior in 1947, but her past as an OSS spy in Switzerland is coming to haunt her. The main plot of this book involves her hunting down a rogue German agent, La Voce, she encountered during her time in the service, with the help of a several friends.

Initially, I found the set-up of the plot to be rather disjointed and hard to get engaged in, but as I moved into the book, things became clearer. That said, this is a book told in multiple timelines, with several jumps back and forth throughout the book. I know that is a popular storytelling tool currently, but I think it could have been told in one continuously timeline without the jumps and still have been as effective.

Overall, this book was clearly well written and researched, and I enjoyed the character development and relationship building between Alix and her compatriots as they worked together to hunt down La Voce. I anticipate I will look for more books by Natasha Lester in the future.

Thank you to Forever (Grand Central Publishing) and NetGalley for the electronic ARC of this novel for review.

This book is great! Would definitely recommend. Thanks so much to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

Thank you NetGalley, Forever Publishing, and Natasha Lester for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review! This is a gorgeous cover and I was immediately interested in reading it. I love historical fiction, but I don’t normally read books set around WWII, so I wasn’t sure what to expect. However, I liked this one, and there was some beautiful prose and interesting stories included.

This book follows Alix St. Pierre and has two different storylines. It discusses her move to Paris and how she started to work for Dior, as well as her life as a spy during WWII. It was a little confusing at times trying to figure out who people were and how they connect to her life, but I got the hang of it pretty quickly.

This book features a lot of twists and turns, unique characters, and a good insight on some overlooked points of history. It’s a little confusing at times and a little too long, in my opinion, but it’s a good historical novel and I’m sure lots of people will love it.

Thanks to NetGalley for the advanced copy of 'The Three Lives of Alix St. Pierre' by Natasha Lester. This review contains my own personal thoughts and opinions.

Alix St. Pierre is everything you look for in a historical fiction heroine. She's a grafter, who overcomes the difficulties of losing her parents at a young age to ascend to a position of responsibility and influence in the newly established House of Dior in Paris post WW2. She also harbours crippling personal grief, blaming herself for the tragic loss several years earlier of 9 men on a mission she helped coordinate which if successful could potentially have shortened the war. Reluctantly teaming up with the dashing newspaper writer and renowned playboy Anthony March, Alix sets out to discover the identity of the man she believes to be responsible for passing on the incorrect intelligence which led to the operations failure. Along the way Alix and Anthony begin to question their preconceived ideas about one another and start entertaining the idea that perhaps there could be more to their relationship than achieving their mission objective.

I would describe this book as having a slow burning start, readers should stick with it though as the characters and story line are well fleshed out and the blossoming will they won't they romance between Alix and Anthony is intriguing.

Natasha Lester has written several novels, and it has been interesting to watch her evolve as an author. But I believe this one might be her best yet! Wonderful, captivating writing and original plot gives this novel the depth and ability to pull in any reader. The book description calls it a 'sumptuous' novel, and whoever wrote that is completely right. It is lushly written, and it glitters like the champagne served in the social circles where Alix St. Pierre mingled with the elites during WWII and after as she worked for Dior. I highly recommend this author and all of her other books I have read have been nothing less than fantastic. She is definitely an auto-buy author for me, and I can't wait to own this novel in print.

The Three Lives of Alix St Pierre is the new exciting historical fiction novel by Natasha Lester. It follows a duo timeline in 1943 following Alix's spy mission during World War II in Switzerland. The other half of the story then goes to 1947 when Alix arrives in Paris to work for Christian Dior. When a figure from the war reappears, Alex has to face her past and is determined for justice.

Lester does a wonderful job creating another thrilling and empowering story. The Three Lives of Alix St Pierre had me turning the pages to the very end. The descriptions of the Dior gowns were enchanting and I could easily envision them. The book is an easy 5 stars. I highly recommend this book for anyone who loves historical fiction and fashion.

I received a free advanced copy and all opinions are my own. I would like to offer my sincerest gratitude to Grand Central Publishing and NetGalley for the advanced copy.

I read a lot of books, mostly set in WW2 and always think one is my favorite until I read another lol. I loved this book, I'm not one for fashion yet the descriptions of the gowns and the intricate workings of the world of Christian Dior made for blissful reading. I absolutely loved the story but I wondered why Lester made no mention of Dior's sister who paid a high price for her own resistance (her injuries inflicted by her torturers are believed to be the reason she couldn't have children). She wasn't even mentioned in passing. Did anyone else notice that? It doesnt detract from the book which I highly recommend, Lester's words sing from the page but I was curious about it.

Wow, what an engrossing book! The Three Lives of Alix St. Pierre takes place in three timelines and had me hooked. If you like historical fiction, you'll definitely want to pick up this book. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.