Niki Novotna is recruited by a new American spy agency in 1944. She’s an asset to the OSS since she’s fluent in multiple languages and will be able to help create propaganda to send over enemy lines. Her co-workers become like family as they do their part in the war effort; however, Niki’s mind is often occupied with thoughts of her family in Czechoslovakia and her loveless marriage to her American husband.

The novel passes from different periods of time, helping to connect the story of Niki’s life for the readers. I enjoyed this novel as it gave me insight into another aspect of wartime life that I hadn’t read about before.

Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for allowing me to read an ARC of this novel. #NetGalley #TheLipstickBureau

I really like historical fiction . Unfortunately this one has so many details and it could be hard to follow at times. I wanted to really like it, but fell short in some aspects for me.

Based on a true spy story, "The Lipstick Bureau," by Michelle Gable, tells the story of Niki, a Czech American recruited by the OSS (the precursor to the CIA) to disseminate propaganda and fake stories in Italy in order to lower the morale of the enemy fighters.

I was particularly interested in reading this book, as the story seemed fascinating. Unfortunately, the book was choppy, the writing felt like the author was telling the story, not writing it, and I just could not find a comfortable rhythm.

Thank you Netgalley and Graydon House for the ARC.

Inspired by a true story, Michelle Gable’s The Lipstick Bureau is an extraordinary historical tale about courage, bravery and love readers will not be able to forget.

In Rome, 1944, newlywed Niki has been recruited by a new American spy agency to help establish a secret branch in the Italian capital. As one of the OSS’s few female operatives abroad who also happens to be multilingual, Niki is given the task of creating fake stories and distributing propaganda in order to diminish the morale of the enemy’s army. Niki might be limited in resources, but she certainly is not limited in ingenuity and enthusiasm as with a team of artists, forgers and others nicknamed The Lipstick Bureau, she has found plenty of success in the liberated city.

However, Niki’s work also provides her with some much-needed escapism as it allows her to momentarily forget about the family she left behind in Czechoslovakia and her controlling American husband. With the conflict showing no sign of abating and the war dragging on, the pressure is on Niki’s shoulders as she begins to question the rules she has been instructed to follow. Distractions are the very last things she needs, but when she finds herself drawn to a colleague, Niki realizes that she must watch her step because one wrong move and one mistake could end up costing her everything.

Atmospheric, dramatic and inspirational, Michelle Gable’s The Lipstick Bureau is a stunning historical novel that celebrates women’s indomitable strength, their ability to rise to any challenge which comes their way even when the odds are stacked against them and the power of love that is sure to keep readers glued to its pages. In The Lipstick Bureau, Michelle Gable has written a heart-wrenching yet ultimately hopeful tale that will stay with readers long after the last page is turned.

I love this historical fiction! Anything to do with female spies or undercover government operations is a win for me.

I enjoyed the characters (although some were kind of annoying but I think that was the point).

The main character was so brave and motivated. I really loved her spunk and how she didn't let anyone get her down.

I was all for the romance (sort of romance) but also didn't feel too attached to it. It was not the main part of the story and I like that the author didn't make it overpower everything else going on.

Morale operations is something everyone knows something about but it was so interesting getting more information on how it was actually done! Plus I liked the coming together of sides. I like when books show different sides of the enemies as well.

Overall, highly recommend this book if you enjoy historical fiction!

Last year I read and very much enjoyed Ms. Gable’s novel, The Bookseller’s Secret so I was excited to receive an e galley for The Lipstick Bureau. While I enjoyed this novel, it read more slowly for me than the author’s earlier book.

The Lipstick Bureau is a WWII story about a young woman who is recruited by Bill Donovan himself to be involved in secretive WWII operations. Niki brings many skills to the table. She is intelligent, willing to take risks and fluent in numerous languages. She is motivated partly by wanting to get back to Czechoslovakia to find out how her family has fared.

Niki does not succeed in her first efforts upon recruitment. She moves on and lands with a group of somewhat misfit men whose task is to create and send out propaganda to the Germans. Readers get to know the backstories of these co workers. They also learn more about how and why she married George.

When the story opens, readers are in the present so there is no doubt that Niki has survived the war. She is with a man who is not George, and is about to go to a reunion of agents accompanied by her daughter. The past then unfolds.

I learned a great deal about the events and history that took place in Czechoslovakia and Italywhile reading the book. This offered a bit of a different perspective from some of the other WWII historical fiction that I have read. It is also of interest that the novel is based on a true story.

Those who read WWII fiction may want to give this title a look. I liked it but wanted (honestly) to like it just a bit more.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for this title. All opinions are my own.

A woman with three degrees and fluent in 7 languages is sent into WWII to spread propaganda and aid in the war efforts.

This book was okay. I typically love WWII novels, so this one seemed to check all of my boxes, especially being inspired by a real-life hero. However, it was just very difficult for me to stay engaged with the story. I had difficulty understanding the time jumps at the beginning of the novel and then I had a hard time relating to Niki as a character. I felt like a lot of the story preferred to focus on her forbidden romance rather than the war efforts and found myself speed-reading through scenes to get to what was happening on the war front.

Also, I have a hard time reading books that justify infidelity by making the husband/wife distant or "unloveable". It just leaves a sour taste in my mouth, so I didn't care for that whole side-plot.

Overall, I loved the historical aspects of this book and frankly, I think that's what kept me reading. I had hoped to be more engaged than I was. I almost wish I hadn't known that the book was inspired by a war hero because I think I found myself wanting to know her story rather than the fictional one that was presented here. Overall, it's well written and I enjoyed Niki's spunk and enthusiasm, I just didn't relate to her enough to be moved by her story.

Content guide: Cursing is much higher than I expected, dropping several "f-bombs" and an array of others | Gore was very low, I don't recall hardly any at all | No spice -- just mention of "pleasure" workers and a couple of undetailed kisses.

I received this book from NetGalley for free. All comments and opinions are entirely my own and this review is voluntary.

I had never heard of the Lipstick Bureau before reading this book.
I liked reading about the operatives to sabotage the enemies’ war efforts and all the creative ways they engaged in implementing it.
I did struggle to like Niki. She was very accomplished, but as a character I found her rather cold and indifferent.
Still, it’s an interesting read.

This is a book for those who love WW2 and want another perspective on it. it is a great book showing WW2 from the point of view from women who spied to help us win. I highly recommend this those who love historical fiction

An intriguing story, well-written. It jumps back and forth from World War II to the 1980's. In the World War II genre, the OSS is not as commonly written about, and especially a foreign national female working the OSS, so it's unique in that way. It is not super believable with how the story transpires and the characters are not as multi-dimensional as I would like, but it is a unique novel.

I enjoyed reading The Lipstick Bureau by Michelle Gable. The characters in this story will warm your heart. Happy Reading!
**I received an ARC of this book courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher. All opinions expressed in this review are my own and given freely**

Read if you like: WW2 stories, women's involvement in the war.
-
Based on true events, the book follows Nikki, a woman from Czechoslovakia, who married an American and immigrated to the states. There she is sought out due to her language skills and she ends up working for the OSS in Italy during the war. I really liked reading about her involvement in the war and her work with propaganda. She was a smart and innovative character who was not only fighting for the allies but for her family as well! Overall I liked the story!

The Lipstick Bureau is about a group of OSS personnel in the Moral Operations unit, stationed in Rome after its liberation during WWII. Their responsibilities included development and dissemination of propaganda materials designed to decrease the moral of Germans at home and German soldiers still fighting in Italy. The hope was that by increasing dissatisfaction with Hitler and conditions within Germany, the Germans would resist and speed the war’s conclusion.
I expected the book to focus on the moral ops and conditions in Rome. What’s included is interesting and more than superficial, but the larger focus seemed to be on the personal lives of a few individuals assigned to the group and their principal Italian connection.
The writing seemed disjointed and uneven. The last 20% was the best part of the book and finally succeeded in making the characters stories more relatable. For me this was too little, too late and as a result I never felt invested in any aspect of the book. I found it interesting as the operations and some of the characters are based on actual events and real people but overall the book was disappointing.
Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review an ARC.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC of 'The Lipstick Bureau' by Michelle Gable.

A fascinating read exploring the little known Morale Operations (MO) division of Allied wartime operations and its attempts to undermine enemy morale through the dissemination of 'black' propaganda in axis controlled areas. Michelle Gable adapts the real lived experiences of Allied operatives working in Rome during WW2, creating a narrative that is both informative and gripping. With ingenuity and a make do and get on with it attitude, the central character, Nikki, works tirelessly to distribute anti-Hitler/Nazi propaganda whilst battling supply issues, a lack of support from the higher ups, and a belief that her department is a waste of time and resources.

A must read for fans of Kate Quinn.

The Lipstick Bureau - Michelle Gable

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, I love a book that introduces me to part of history that I wasn’t aware of or didn’t know much about.

Based loosely on the life of a female Czech born American turned spy, this one fit the bill.

I knew about the OSS (the predecessor to the CIA) but I wasn’t aware of the Morale Operations division at all or it’s role in disseminating “black propaganda” into the axis troops with the express purpose of depressing morale and bringing down the enemy troops from within. I think my fascination over their missions and work is primarily what held my attention.

I will say that there were places where it felt a bit disjointed. Gable begins the story from several perspectives and with two timelines. It felt like the one timeline - the current day timeline - was extra to the story until the very end when it was all tied together. If you read it and you’re feeling like you’re being taken on a bit of a tangent, bear with it. It will get there.

I loved the main character, Nicki. She is complicated, bull headed, passionate, patriotic and doesn’t like to color within the lines…so much so that she is almost court marshalled for proceeding with missions that she deems critical to the war effort.

All in all, I really enjoyed this one and am thankful to @netgalley, @michellegable and the publisher for my e arc in exchange for my honest review.

PS. Don’t forget the author’s note. It’s worth it.

Loosely inspired by the story of Barbara Lauwers, Michelle Gable introduces the reader to Nikola Novotna, a brilliant former lawyer, skilled linguist, and the frustrated wife of American George Clingman. World War II continues to devastate the world as Niki joins the Office of Strategic Services, where her language skills and keen mind benefit her career and the Allied efforts. The novel jumps between World War II and 1989 and follows Niki and her Morale Operations (MO) colleagues during the final phase of the war in Europe. Gable brings her cast of vibrant personalities to life and successfully highlights their conflicting feelings about their propaganda’s role in the war. Niki in particular wars with her emotions, her loyalties, and her relationships as she tries to manage her work and her life. Gable makes these emotions and morally gray actions tangible for the reader, who feels Niki’s struggle for fulfillment throughout the book. The ups and downs of Niki’s life and time in the MO keeps the reader on their toes throughout the book, and the flash-forwards to Niki’s future reveal more and more of her core values and morals. Overall, Gable successfully immerses the reader into this wild, morally gray world alongside Niki, whose struggles and successes are absorbing.

This was a very interesting story, made even more enjoyable by the fact that it was based on a true story. However, I feel there were too many side points that made this a little too long. I didn’t see the need for the present day point of view; I think the dual POV from the 1940s was enough to fully tell the story.

I received an advance copy. All thoughts are my own.

I wanted to love this one but for some reason it was just an okay read that I couldn't really fully get invested into. I liked that it was loosely based on a real person and the OSS organization. It was interesting learning about their work overseas in countries we that don't typically get featured in WWII historical fiction too. But for whatever reason this was just an okay read for me and won't likely be too memorable. Recommended for fans of women espionage stories like The Black swan of Paris or The secret society of Salzburg. Much thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital copy in exchange for my honest review!

I wanted to love this one but for some reason it was just an okay read that I couldn't really fully get invested into. I liked that it was loosely based on a real person and the OSS organization. It was interesting learning about their work overseas in countries we that don't typically get featured in WWII historical fiction too. But for whatever reason this was just an okay read for me and won't likely be too memorable. Recommended for fans of women espionage stories like The Black swan of Paris or The secret society of Salzburg. Much thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital copy in exchange for my honest review!

2 stars

This is the first book I have read from this author and to be honest I am unsure if I will pick up another at this point. I read a lot of WWII Historical fiction and this one kind of fell flat for me. It took me a long time to get into the story and even when I finally did get into it I still had a rough time because it felt so jarring at times. things didn't really fit together the way they should have. I didn't find any of the characters to be likable or ones I could find any connection with.

I did find the parts about the effects of propaganda that was used in winning the war to be interesting and the actual historical parts were fascinating. The short chapters made it very readable. there were a lot of things that didn't add to the story like side stories that didn't particularly fit.

Overall I was just kind of disappointed.