Who doesn’t love her books!!! I adore them!! Astrid is ahead of her time and a badass at that making closes and wearing them like she owns them.. because she does however because she is a women’s Mr hawk jones gets the credit which is not okay. She is the looked at as his muse and not the amazing designer she is, like her mother she can’t break it. Blythe her daughter has done berthing to get out of it being the muse but now she is looked at as I’m not better then my mother and grand mother but she is! I adored this story because it shows women are bad ass and society is just disgusting and thinking we as women can’t do it and I know we as women can! Read it it’s amazing just like always

Natasha Lester never misses! She does multi-generational historical fiction like nobody else, and that remains resolutely true for The Disappearance of Astrid Bricard. There is always so much more than meets the eye when it comes to a muse. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the free advance copy.

Thank you to NetGalley and Forever (Grand Central Publishing) for an e-ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Natasha Lester's "The Disappearance of Astrid Bricard" is a captivating and immersive novel that seamlessly blends fashion, feminism, and family secrets into a spellbinding tale. Set against the backdrop of the glamorous and ever-evolving world of haute couture, this book is a delightful treat for fashion enthusiasts and historical fiction lovers alike.

From the very first page, Lester transports readers into the vibrant and dazzling era of 1970s New York City, where the legendary Astrid Bricard, a rising star in the fashion industry, stands at the forefront of a burgeoning feminist movement. Lester's meticulous attention to detail and her vivid descriptions of the fashion world make every scene come alive, allowing readers to fully immerse themselves in the story's rich tapestry.

The novel's strength lies in its multifaceted characters, each with their own complex motivations, flaws, and aspirations. Astrid's determination to forge her own path in the male-dominated fashion industry is both inspiring and relatable, while her daughter Blythe's quest to unravel the truth about her mother's disappearance adds an intriguing layer of mystery to the narrative.

Lester's writing is both evocative and emotionally resonant, deftly exploring themes of ambition, legacy, and the sacrifices women make to achieve their dreams. The seamless transition between past and present timelines keeps the reader engaged, as the secrets and tragedies of the Bricard family gradually unfold.

While the pacing occasionally lags in certain sections, Lester's masterful storytelling and her ability to capture the essence of the fashion world more than compensate for these minor lulls. The resolution, though not entirely surprising, is nonetheless satisfying and poignant.

Overall, "The Disappearance of Astrid Bricard" is a remarkable work that celebrates the power of women in the face of adversity and societal constraints. With its captivating characters, rich historical details, and a strong feminist undercurrent, this novel is a must-read for anyone seeking an immersive and thought-provoking literary experience. Natasha Lester's talent for storytelling shines through, making this book a well-deserved 4-star gem.

I enjoyed the multiple generational, multiple time line POV of the Bricard fashion dynasty as each woman strives to make her own mark. Would recommend!

Thank you to the publisher for an advance reader copy of this novel. This is a historical fiction/mystery mashup within the world of fashion. Admittingly I don't know a lot about the fashion world but that didn't stop me from enjoying the story. The writing was excellent and I could really picture the scenes and the fashion in my head. This was my first by Lester but I will definitely look to her backlist for others.

I normally love a multi-generational story, but something about this book wasn't quite clicking for me. This was my first Natasha Lester novel and it was masterfully written, but I couldn't really get lost in the characters like I wanted to. Hopefully this is the kind of book I can return to at a different point in time and in a different headspace, and I'll be able to get sucked in then.

I love a good generational drama, and this novel set nicely within that genre (as well as in the historical fiction space). It follows three generations of Bricard women: Mizza, the real-life muse of Christian Dior; Astrid, the daughter she gave up who's trying to make her way in the fashion world in the 70s; and Blythe, Astrid's daughter who's trying to cope with the disappearance of her mother. I was completely captivated by the chapters that followed Mizza and Astrid, but Blythe's story (set in the present) was a little less interesting to me. It was a tiny bit too focused on romance, but I did love all of the historical accuracies and tidbits from real events (such as the fashion battle that took place between the French and the Americans in Versailles in the 1970s).

I didn't love all of the switching back and forth between timelines, mainly because there were times when I had trouble keeping all of the characters straight. However, Lester is skilled at picking out interesting subjects, so I respect what she did with the characters, and I appreciated how tidy the ending was. Might not rush to check out her other titles, but I was glad I read this one.

American designer, fashion muse, and social enigma, Astrid Bricard has vanished on the night of her first and only international fashion show. Astrid can't seem to escape the shadow of her mother, Mizza Bricard, the infamous "muse" of Christian Dior at the beginning of his career. And all Blythe Bricard, daughter of Astrid, wants to do is escape the Bricard limelight and make enough money designing to support her two kids and their life in New York City. Three generations of Bricard women, all trying to escape the destiny set out for them by those before them and by the social and political landscapes of their times. Blythe is approached to resurrect her mother's fashion line, Mizza, but some wounds cut a bit too deep, and confronting the painful legacy that came before her might be too much to bear.

I absolutely loved this story. The intersection of high fashion and historical fiction and also weaving these women's stories into it was brilliant. The amount of research and care that was taken to represent the historical facts of the time while also fitting these fictional women (except Mizza who was very much real) into the story can only be described as an art form. The author's passion for the fashion industry really shone through the stories of each of the women. Too often fashion can easily be written off as flippant and vapid, but fashion is political and fashion does reflect much of our social values. Brilliant work by Natasha Lester and I can't wait to read more.

Really enjoyed this and the suspense element of uncovering what happened to three generations of Bricard women. The historical element was just as fascinating and I appreciated the nod to a real life fashion icon whose legacy was brushed under the rug in the shadow of the man she worked for/with. There was one element to the story that I just couldn’t get over or behind that detracted from the story, but still overall, enjoyable.

I was not sure I was going to like this book when I started it, but I pushed through and after the first few chapters I found the groove of the book & could not put it down. I loved reading about Astrid & Blythe. Less so about Mizza (although I’m considering giving the book a reread now that I know she was a real person). The only thing I didn’t like was that I feel like the ending wrapped everything up to neatly. I love a HEA ending but only if it’s earned & I don’t feel like it was here.

Who’s looking for a really good historical fiction novel? The Disappearance of Astrid Bricard hits all those good hallmarks of an excellent historical fiction. First of all, multiple generations? ✅ Mixture of multiple iconic locations? New York and France ✅✅ All the feelings? ✅✅✅

I had so much love for Blythe, Astrid and Mizza. Each generation of the Bricard women faced such hardships from Nazis to men receiving credit for their hard-earned work and accomplishments. Doesn’t that just make you want to 🤬🤬🤬?

I didn’t want this one to end, so I stretched it out! I didn’t 💯 love how some of the plot lines played out, (particularly Astrid’s) hence dropping it by one star. But, I loved the overall story, message, and how everyone wrapped up in the end. Definitely recommend this one! And can we talk about that cover?!?! 😍😍😍

This was my third Natasha Lester novel and I’ve adored them all.

Here we meet three generations of women, all connected to the world of high fashion and we follow their stories from Paris in 1917 to New York in the early 1970’s and then the present day.

I loved all three women’s stories and the different timelines and thought the mystery element added an extra layer to this book. Lester is an expert at a multiple point of view, multiple timeline story and her skill at making you care about all of the characters while she takes you from past to present and back again really shone through in this book. I thoroughly enjoyed it!

This story follows the generations of three women in the fashion industry. It was interesting getting some information about how the fashion world works. I didn’t find the women to be very interesting or like able. The middle of the story was very long and drawn out and the ending was very fast when that could have been much longer. I don’t recommend this when there’s so many other historical fiction books out there

Moved a bit too slowly for me. Loved the premise and the dual timeline, just couldn’t connect with the characters of fashion.

✨ Review ✨ The Disappearance of Astrid Bricard by Natasha Lester; Narrated by Barrie Kreinik

Thanks to Hachette Audio, Forever Books, and #netgalley for the gifted advanced copy/ies of this book!

This was the kind of complicated multi-generational multiple timeline historical fiction that I love. It follows
1) Mizza Bricard - the reported muse of Christian Dior - partly set during WWII in Paris
2) Astrid Bricard - daughter of Mizza, famous for a scandalous photo with famous designer Hawk Jones in the disco era. Sets the fashion scene on fire until she goes missing after a US vs. France design show set in Versailles.
3) Blythe Bricard - daughter of Astrid and Hawk - contemporary times, recently separated from husband and parent of two kids; got left behind with the rise of his career.

All of these women became overshadowed by male designers as muses, mothers, assistants, and just generally shoved to the side. Blythe tries to solve the mystery of where Astrid went after her Versailles show, and in the midst, uncovers a deeper, richer story where all of these women had design genius that became covered up by a patriarchal lens of their history.

I loved how the book unraveled the layers of this story throughout the book. I do think sometimes it was a little difficult to keep track of the stories because of how many parallels there were between the women. At the same time, I loved these parallels and how it linked them together.

CW: complicity with Nazis for survival (honestly I was a little uneasy/unsure about how this was handled, especially as coco chanel is a famous case of this...this might need some more research on my part, but I wanted to note it here)

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Genre: historical fiction
Length: 13 hrs and 8 mins
Setting: NYC, Paris, Versailles, etc.
Pub Date: 30 Jan 2024

Read this if you like:
⭕️ fashion and feminism
⭕️ multi-generational female stories
⭕️ historical fiction with multiple timelines
⭕️ messy family stories

I listened to this as an audiobook, and y'all, I think it was the best way to devour this story. The narrator was so captivating, and it really built the suspense and emotions. The story follows three generations of Bricard women, as well as their experiences in the fashion industry. It centers the mystery of where Astrid (the second of the three generations), and it unveils that mystery through the three timelines. Astrid's story was also about her finding her voice in an industry dominated by men. This was just so, so well done, and I couldn't listen fast enough because I was so captivated by these women. Thanks to NetGalley for the look (even though I ended up listening instead of the print option) at this January 2024 release!

3.75 stars!

We love seeing powerful women!!! Although I did like this book, I found it rather long. I feel like it could have been 100 pages shorter and just an effective.

I think I have come to the conclusion that historical fiction isn't really for me, but I still enjoyed this story and following along with Blythe's story. I liked seeing the different timelines and seeing how everything played out in the end.

I think I may have been able to pay attention a little better with the audiobook, but I would still recommend.

Quick and Dirty
-multigenerational historical fiction
-3 POV, 3 timelines
-full of fashion and glam
-family drama with mental health rep
-🌶️🌶️/5 closed door romance

What Worked
I had VERY high hopes for this book based on my last Natasha Lester read. Thankfully, this one was every bit as good as the last! Her writing style is so authentic and raw, drawing you into the inner world of her characters and creating an almost instant connection between reader and subject. She also has a knack for brewing the perfect blend of action, history, beauty, chaos, and passion. I don’t read a lot of romance books, but I enjoy a passionate love affair in my historical fiction reads. And her books have just the right amount of romance for me. I really appreciated the mental health representation in this novel; it was refreshing to see an author approach such a sensitive topic with grace and empathy. But the thing that worked best for me was the VIBE!!! I wanted to crawl into the pages of the 70’s timeline and live there rent-free! Even the contemporary timeline was a VIBE, and I was definitely here for it. Lastly, I cannot shut up about the EASTER EGGS in this novel and how much I loved seeing characters from The Three Lives of Alix St Pierre incorporated in this novel. SO MUCH FUN!

What Didn’t Work
Not much if I’m being honest. A fellow reader pointed out the pretty obvious miscommunication trope that I completely overlooked (totally mesmerized by the VIBE), but even that wasn’t enough for me to find fault. It was busy at times with the three different leads/timelines, but it worked in the end. I could see others not caring for all the fashion elements if they weren’t into that scene, but it very much worked for me!

Read This If
Anyone looking to escape into a family drama with lots of complex layers will enjoy this novel!

I just reviewed The Disappearance of Astrid Bricard by Natasha Lester # NetGalley. I enjoy her writing and have read all of her books. Her stories mix the past and the present

Thank you Grand Central for review copy! This is one I wanted to read based on the cover and booksta recommendations and the theme itself. I am captivated by stories of women in high profile/celebrity roles who are manipulated by, and possibly manipulate back, the media and sociocultural expectations placed on them. I loved that this is also a story that spans decades (that always works for me, I love the richness of a deep story dive that shifts with time), the fashion/social scene contexts, and the nuance of Astrid herself. I love that there is a hint of mystery, an element of women misused by industry, and the sense that women still have the upper hand even when being used and mistreated.
Perfect for fans of Evelyn Hugo and similar reads and great for book clubs and buddy reads, there are some good themes to examine.