Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC of this book. I have chosen to write this honest review voluntarily and it reflects my personal opinion.
I was attracted by the blurb describing this book as I enjoy novels set in the war era featuring spies and Resistance work with strong female characters, such as those written so well by Chrystyna Lucyk-Berger. We learn about Alix through various events and times, from her finishing school in Switzerland and what led up to that, and into the war years, demonstrating where the 'three lives' comes from. The timeline was clearly shown but I thought it moved around a bit rather than following a clear progression of events and I didn't like the way this clouded the story. The descriptions are very detailed but I thought this slowed the action. By the time I had read 30% I had to admit to myself that I wasn't enjoying the book and gave up.

I was immediately drawn into this story because it’s a time period I’m interested in and I simply love fashion, especially vintage Dior. The book is set in the aftermath of WW2 in Paris, a city that’s lived under Nazi occupation for several years. As Alix St Pierre decides to embark on a new life, the city is still recovering. Is it possible to live in Paris at this point in time and not be influenced by it’s recent past? Alix soon founds out that it’s hard to forget, when there are wrongs still to be righted and justice to be served. I enjoyed her bravery and determination, especially considering how life started for her as an orphan. To go from that to an OSS officer and then to PR at Dior’s growing fashion house.

The story has several strands, moving back and forth from the present back to the events that led to her searching for traitors. As well as Alix’s point of view we get that of Anthony, who is a well-to-do American and gives us some insight into other parts of the inquiry. Despite the addition of Anthony, what I found most interesting about the story was how post-war is a woman’s battleground. Alix is one of the invisible women who placed their lives on the line for their country, but completely under the radar. Women acted behind the scenes instead of on the frontline for glory, but they took just the same risks. Women had been living very different lives while their husbands were serving, but were reluctant to simply pop back into their cages once the war was over. This book showcases the strength of women who stayed firmly free and the difficulties they faced from men who were resentful of that freedom. It was fascinating to be with these women. Alix and her friends, and witness their strength and resilience. As Dior’s new look came to the fore, after the utilitarian make do and mend clothes of wartime, it was startling and modern. These women are the equivalents of those daring dresses, creating lives that are completely new and entirely their own, free from the cage that men would have happily enclosed them in once again.

This historical espionage novel is an absolute thrill of a read! The storyline is twisty and engaging, and the setting of WWII and a fashion house make it one or the best books I had the opportunity to read recently.

Gorgeous breath-taking story of love, danger, courage and betrayal. When I first started thus book I stopped a couple times with a "ugh just another book" well I finally picked it back up and once I got into it?! I loved this book! What an enjoyable read!

Ooh this was a good book. I read a lot of historical fiction and this is one of the better ones I have read this year. It took a different perspective from many books relating to the same period which I found interesting and refreshing.

I found this book set in Paris to be an interesting and compelling read which I completed over the course of a couple of days.
Alix St Pierre takes a job in Paris in 1947, working for Christian Dior as a publicist. Somewhat unusually for this time period she is a working woman in a very responsible position. She values this aspect of her life and wants to preserve it due to her insecurity of being orphaned at age 13.
However Alix has a secret dating back to the war when she worked us an undercover agent helping the Italian resistance. Unfortunately due to some incorrect intelligence she feels terribly guilty about the death of a number of men.
Working in Europe again she discovers her nemesis, La Voce, a German agent is on her tail and she must evade him whilst bringing him to justice. Along the way she meets a handsome journalist who is also involved in her past although she does not realise this at first. They then team up together to try and discover who La Voce is and where he is hiding.
As well as being a spy story and a romance, this book is also an homage to the post war fashion world- the author has obviously done a lot of research on this theme and I found it very interesting to read about.
I liked the feisty though vulnerable character of Alix and her frequent reminders of a woman’s position in society post war. Despite risking their lives as agents, women were expected to return home and be content as housewives and mothers after the hostilities were over. Alix cannot face a future like this and this becomes a difficulty when she falls in love.
This was an enjoyable read which both entertained and educated. I knew little about the history of fashion and or Dior when I started reading!
Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for my arc.

Well written with an engagingly compelling storyline and well developed characters, some of which were easier to take to than others. I really enjoyed it and read it in a couple of sittings.

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for an early review copy.

A fabulous page-turner. As well as a book that features Dior the designer, albeit not the main character.

The main character is Alix St Pierre, and she’s one that not easy forgettable, she is both courageous and endangered. It’s hard not to love her.

The story is mostly set in Paris, post-WW2. It was interesting to read that the resistance took place outside France and that it happened in Italy.

I recommend this book.

I found this book a bit of a struggle to read. It had quite a confusing writing style which made it hard to follow at times. I usually love historical fiction so I was a little upset I didnt love this book. I also felt that it was quite a long book and maybe condensing it down a little would have helped with how it flowed. That being said Alix was a great character and lead a very book worthy life.