BOOK BY: Michelle Gable
The premise of this book about WW2 propaganda sounded fascinating, and the cover is fabulous.
It took me a few times to start this book, but in the end, I wasn’t able to connect with the characters. I love dual-time stories, so it was interesting moving back and forth from 1989 to the past. There are some intense scenes, drawing out the suspense of Nikki’s undercover work.
It’s obvious that extensive research was done to create this look at the propagandist work during WW2. There are some surprises and a love story to maintain reader interest, creating a reader experience one soon won’t forget.
I received a copy from the publisher through NetGalley. All opinions expressed are my own.

There were things I liked about the book and some I didn’t care for. I thought the research was incredible, but, there were times the story was drawn out. I found the operations the team came up with and executed clever and exciting. I just wanted more interaction with the characters.
I did like the premise, but, unfortunately I didn’t care for Nikki after a few chapters.

I received a copy from the publisher though Netgalley. Opinions are my own.

This is about the early days of the OSS, the predecessor to the CIA. It's about a multilingual young woman who is recruited to use her skills to disseminate propaganda to Germans. This book was interesting, but the plot failed to grab me. I liked the characters, but the story just didn't move along fast enough.

The Lipstick Bureau by Michelle Gable is a thrilling spy novel set during World War II. In 1944 Rome, Niki Novotná is recruited by a new American spy agency to establish a secret branch in Italy. Since Niki is multilingual, she's tasked with distributing propaganda and creating fake stories to lower the morale of enemy soldiers. As the war goes on, Niki begins to question the instructions she has to follow. However, one mistake could mean the difference between life and death.

Gable does a wonderful job creating an inspirational story of female resistance during World War II. The Lipstick Bureau had me turning the pages to the very end. This book is an easy 5 stars. I highly recommend this book for anyone who loves historical fiction and espionage.

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

I couldn't wait to finish this book--so I could read something else! So very disappointing. This book could have/should have been compelling. Instead, I slogged through it.

The setting: "1944, Rome. Newlywed Niki Novotná [a Czech with multiple degrees and 7 languages] is recruited by a new American spy agency [OSS] to establish a secret branch in Italy's capital ... she's tasked with crafting fake stories and distributing propaganda to lower the morale of enemy soldiers ... Despite limited resources, Niki and a scrappy team of artists, forgers and others—now nicknamed The Lipstick Bureau—find success.... Loosely inspired by real-life OSS operative Barbara Lauwers ... The Lipstick Bureau is about a woman challenging convention and boundaries to help win a war, no matter the cost."

I like a dual timeline, but this book did NOTHING for me. Here 1944/45, Rome. 1989 Washington, D.C.

I was never engaged. And I found it somewhat predictable [especially two of the plot lines]--particularly the "love story" [no spoiler from me; but also the parts that derailed it because of the silly "mush"].

What did I like? Niki's sister-in-law, Mary Margaret, aka Moggy--somewhat of a breath of fresh air.

1.5 but rounding up only because Gable did her homework/research.

Pass.

The premise of the book caught my attention- I’m particularly interested in WWII and did not know about this aspect. I was not fully engaged throughout the book and was not attached to the main character. I feel as if the story dragged a bit with details that weren’t necessary. The love story did not hold my interest, along with the flashes forward to 1989. I’m glad to learn something about the undercover aspect- I loved that piece of history was told.

I'm a massive fan of WWII historical fiction so was very excited for this one. It's a relatively unique take on the genre, focusing on Italy and an OSS female propagandist, but unfortunately there's little else to differentiate it from the countless other similar novels out there. It definitely could have used an editor - this should have been 250 pages, not 450 - and there's nothing special about any element - the character development, the relationships, the concept, the historical context, etc.

Let me start by saying how much I loved Niki!! She was a spunky, fun, determined character who marched to the beat of her own drum whenever others wanted to keep playing the same old song. She wasn't afraid to think outside of the box to get her missions accomplished. Michelle Gable gave me numerous characters to enjoy, but Niki was my favorite.

Niki is placed in the MO (Morale Operations) unit of the O.S.S. (Office of Strategic Services). Her unit's job is to deal with black propaganda to spread to the enemy. Niki comes up with creative ways to accomplish this task. She pushed boundaries to get the job done. It was fascinating to see what plan she would come up with next and then how it would unfold. Despite her unit being underestimated, underfunded and under everything, she was able to get the results needed. Through a fake newspaper to luring enemy soldiers with the false promise of companionship to even convincing hundreds to dessert their posts. You get to read it all happen.

I will warn you that this book is a chunky boy. It comes in at over 450 pages, so be prepared to invest time. But you won't be disappointed. As each page is turned and the story unfolds, you'll see the heart behind Niki's drive. You'll see the effect of having to leave her family behind and them later choosing not to leave has had on her. It will, ultimately, drive her to cross lines and push boundaries in the hopes of getting closer to the brother she hasn't been able to locate. Within the book, you get a look at World War II from a rarely seen perspective.

While The Lipstick Bureau isn't going to leave you on the edge of your seat anticipating what will happen next, you will be glued to the characters. You will connect with the MO team players. You'll be routing for them. This book kept showing me the heart of Niki- in all the different facets. From start to finish you always see how her love of her family drove her decisions- both during the war and after it.

Michelle Gable has been a favorite author of mine for years. Yet again, she tells a story you get immersed in and become fascinated with. I found the end a little abrupt, but the story grips you from the get go and keeps you until the end, so any ending may have been abrupt. I spent a weekend hanging out with Niki and the MO unit and I enjoyed it.

This novel presented a new (at least to me) WWII plot, about a Czech woman who marries and American and joins the OSS (precursor to the CIA) to work in Rome as a disinformation/propagandist to cripple German soldiers' morale. Not a facet of WWII I have read about before, so that was interesting. However, I was disappointed by the novel because the title made me expect a novel about Niki and a group of girlboss women helping to turn the tide of the war, and that wasn't what was going on here.

Based on the real life story of a Czech woman who worked for the OSS in what was known as the Propaganda Against Nazi Germany division, this story is filled with historical detail, a lot of which I had very little or no knowledge of. That is saying something because I read tons of books about WWII, both fiction and non-fiction. I love when I come across one dealing with a subject I have yet to read about.
This book's main focus deals with the end part of WWII and tells of the Allies usage of what is called psychological propaganda, which they used to turn the tide of the war to favor them. It is a fascinating study as to how susceptible the human psyche is to being influenced by outside sources (dare I say brain washing?)
On the whole this was an interesting look at psychological warfare and a part of WWII that isn't as prominently portrayed as others are.
The book does start of kind of slow, but after sticking with it through the first 100 pages it did pick up. Not a bad read for anyone interested in learning more than the main headline stories of WWII. I would recommend to all WWII buffs who like reading historical fiction that teaches something.
Thank you to Harlequin Trade Publishing and Net Galley for the free ARC, I am leaving my honest review in return.

The Lipstick Bureau by Michelle Gable is an intriguing story inspired by a real spy. This is a slow build that I would leave and then return to because I could not stop thinking about what would happen next. I think the book picked up the pace towards the end and became much more engaging.

Thanks to Graydon House for sending me this eARC through NetGalley. I found this historical fiction to be a pleasant read. It is loosely based on the experiences of Barbara Lauwers, a Czech native who married an American and emigrated to the US in 1941. She also worked for the OSS Morale Operations department in Rome. Although these parts are in common with the main character in the book, other parts are fictional, such as Niki's husband George.
Niki bends and breaks many rules and is almost court martial-ed. She falls in love with Will, a colleague, even though both are married. Her lies and rule breaking causes her no end of problems. But she overcomes most of them. There are 2 narrators in the book: Niki and her prostitute friend, Paloma. Paloma is part of the rule breaking.
Niki has some endearing habits, such as invoking various Czech saints, even though she is not religious.
Quote:"Maybe all that praying to Zdislava Berka, patron saint of difficult marriages, would pay off."
Czech proverb, quoted by Niki when thinking about her brother in German controlled Slovakia
"As that Czech proverb said, nade "je imira posledni. It was hope that always died last."
Niki to Will, who she has fallen in love with: "Just an old saying I've always liked. Snest bych ti modre z nebe. I would take the blue from the sky for you."
I recommend this book to historical fiction fans.

This book is inspired by the true life of a woman working for the OSS in "Morale Operations" AKA Propaganda against Nazi Germany. Knowing that it had a lot of truth to it bumped it to 4 stars for me. It was interesting but not compelling. I enjoyed getting to know a little about the characters and what happened. While presented in a dual-timeline it was mostly set during WWII with only a short framework in more recent times as opposed to some kind of mystery that is linked by equal time of both.

For those interested in WWII women's history.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC of this book.

This is a WWII story based on a true story, which I did not realize until the end of the book. The narrative focused on the end of the war, and the psychological propaganda used by the Allies to tip the war in their favor. I loved this part of the book - it was fascinating to see history from a different perspective.
There are many themes that the book grazes that could have been further elaborated upon- that would have made the story richer. The first 3/4 was very slow - months were depicted in hundreds of pages- and then the book wraps up too quickly. It loses some of the emotion of the ending.
I think this novel has great promise! Just needs some reconfiguration for my tastes. Many thanks to NetGalley, Author Michelle Gable, and Graydon House Publishers for this e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

I didn't realize this story was rooted in fact. It was a glimpse into an entirely different type of warfare, making this WWII story feel fresh. Knowing that it mirrors an actual woman's life made it even better.

I’m always a fan of historical fiction, especially in WW II. This one was loosely based on true events, which is why I decided to give it a try. However, I never could get into the story or even root for the main character. It did make me want to look up Barbara Lauwers (who it was based off) and I found her story so intriguing. I just wish it could have been written better.
So not the best book, but based off a great story.

Oh my goodness was this good. So good that it is definitely a top 10 read for me for 2022. Based on a true story, it is about a group of ingenious people outsmarting the Nazis with everything they have - especially their wits. It is so fascinating how the OSS and all the secret services used everything they had to defeat the Nazis. not just in battle. Highly recommended!

3 stars.*

Michelle Gable is one of my favorite Historical Fiction writers. She does detailed research, creates nuanced characters, and weaves terrific stories.

I expected The Lipstic Bureau to be something like Our Girl in Moscow by Beatriz Williams, but it was nothing like it. It is the story of Niki Novotna, a fictionalized version of famed WWII spy Barbara Lauwers. It tells of how the OSS, specifically the office "led" by Niki, created propaganda that helped bring an end to the war.

It is also a love story, a story of friendship, and a lesson in history.

I enjoyed it, primarily for the history, but didn't love it.

*with thanks to NetGalley for the Digital ARC in exchange for this honest review. (less)

This is a good historical fiction book that switches between the present and the past during World War II. The book is a little hard to stay interested in and took me awhile to ready, which is not typically true. The characters were well-developed, but I was just not that invested in seeing where their stories went.

A Czech immigrant helping spread propaganda during WW II made this book a very compelling read. My great grandparents immigrated from Czechoslovakia so this story has a strong familial connection with me, even if they we not in Czechoslovakia at this particular time in history. Niki is a very complicated, passionate and intelligent woman doing what she can for the war effort in the OSS, what eventually becomes the CIA in the future. When she get assigned to the moral operations department there she meets and shares a year of her life with a variety of dynamic cast of characters. The story goes between present elderly Niki and past young Niki working in Rome for the OSS. There is also a third viewpoint form a supporting character that changes POV as well intermittently throughout the story. I found this book to be fascinating with facts about WW II along with the romantic and gender discrimination subplots. This is a great historical fiction read, and don’t forget the author’s note at the end!