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.

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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.

As much as I WANTED to enjoy this book, as I have enjoyed others written by this author, it just dragged for me. It felt as though it was flipping between two timelines and was difficult to keep up with.

Content warnings: war, suicide, murder, POW, death of a loved one

Alix St. Pierre uses the last of her money to move to Paris, where she accepts a job as the marketing director for a new fashion house -- Maison Dior. Surprisingly, the job makes good use of the spycraft skills she developed in the OSS during World War II.

The novel jumps back and forth from Alix's current job at Dior and her time working in Switzerland during World War II. Many bad things happened to Alix and those around her during the war and its aftermath, and some of them start to catch up to her while she's living in Paris. She joins forces with another former OSS agent to finally figure out what happened during a botched mission. But as the story progresses, Alix may be running out of time...

Recommended for fans of World War II fiction and historical women's fiction.

Representation: orphan, women with careers in the 1940s

Intriguing characters and a fabulous setting

When we first meet Alix St. Pierre in the early 1940’s, she is packing up from school and heading to Paris to start her new life….but not, as planned, with her best friend. She is undaunted and sets out to take the glamorous city by storm. But soon the tale shifts, and we see Alix returned to Paris again, this time after the end of World War II. Her experiences during the war have shaken her, but she is trying to start anew. A former colleague has arranged for her to interview with the fledgling House of Dior. But even as she is finding her feet in this latest life, something from her wartime past and its connections to the realm of espionage intrudes. In order to have a future, she will need to put to rest some dangerous secrets from her wartime life. There are people around her who are ready to help her….but there are some who want her life destroyed.

I have read many books, novels and memoirs alike, set in this time period. The glamour of Paris, the horrors and deprivations of war, the clandestine world of espionage…all are to be found in the pages of this novel, alongside the rebounding world of fashion. It is an enthralling read, both in deciphering the mystery of who is after Alix and why, and also in learning who Alix was and is, and how that has factored into the mystery at hand. Readers of Susan Elia MacNeal, of Aline Countess of Romanones, and others who write of women involved in WWII intelligence will enjoy this novel. I highly recommend it! Many thanks to NetGalley for the advanced copy.

In the author’s notes, Lester comments there were many fun facts she could have included but it would have made the book twice as long. I would have preferred her adding in the fun facts and skipping the many irrelevant passages. Tightening the language and removing unnecessary characters would allow for more information about Dior and a cleaner, easier-to-follow story.

NOTE: I received early access to this book in exchange for writing an impartial review. Thank you Netgalley and Forever Publishing. Publication Date: January 10, 2023.

Bestselling author Natasha Lester has done it all! THE THREE LIVES OF ALIX ST. PIERRE is historical fiction with suspense, romance, two interesting story lines, three-dimensional characters that grow and change over time -- all set against the drama of World War II!

The novel moves back and forth in time (as so many contemporary books do these days), though together both only cover the period of 1937-47. At the center is Alix St. Pierre. Orphaned as a teen, Alix winds up living with her close friend (more like sister) Lillie's family, and, for the first time, experiences a world of wealth and privilege. Though she never quite feels like she belongs.

One story thread follows Alix's work during the war, where her facility with multiple languages lands her an important job working in intelligence. The second story involves Alix's post-war job in Paris, handling press relations for a brand new, visionary women's apparel designer, by the name of Christian Dior. In both positions, Alix excels, proving herself intelligent, resourceful, and strategic. But, in both situations, she also finds herself in danger. Because her war responsibilities have left a big target on her back and many Nazis are still walking the streets free.

One big theme of the book is examining gender roles. This is an era where society sees women primarily as second class citizens, whose proper rolls are as wives and mothers serving the careers and aspirations of their husbands. So even when a woman is assigned work where lives are at stake, is she ever fully trusted? Can she act independently? And what becomes of someone like Alix who succeeds so brilliantly in intelligence work, but is then expected to return to a subservient role when the war ends. This is exactly what happened to thousands of woman who worked and lived financially independent lives DURING World War II, taking on the jobs left behind by soldiers going overseas. And then, after the war, those same women were expected to quit those jobs and return to "domestic bliss."

So, yes this book offers page-turning plots, with many unexpected twists and turns.
And yes, there are interesting characters.
Along with a budding romance.
But what Lester has also done is given voice to the thousands (millions?) of capable women who have not had the opportunity to use their brains in the pursuit of valuable work outside the home. Understandably, when World War II ended, emphasis was on the returning soldiers. But Lester has reminded us all about the war's impact on women, by inserting 21st century feminist questions into this iconic 20th century event.

There is some violence in the book and a few moments where I thought the message was a little heavy-handed. (Some lecture-like dialog that made me wince a bit.) But nothing that spoiled my overall enjoyment of this very compelling read.

The Three Lives of Alix St. Pierre by Natasha Lester starts with us being introduced to Alix as she prepares herself to work in Paris for a new up and coming designer, Christian Dior.
Before Paris we meet Lillie. Lillie is Alix’ best friend and they’re inseparable growing up. But the time has come when Alix must go to Paris to pursue her dream.
I really enjoyed the character of Alix St. Pierre. One could say she’s a smart, fast talking, independent, trouser wearing, woman who is also a heroine. I loved her strength AND her vulnerability.
There’s a dual timeline in the book that flashes back during the war when Alix worked for the OSS. She is currently in Paris working for le patron, a nickname for Christian Dior. It’s 1946, and in the wonderful world of fashion in Paris and Alix has acquired a position as Director of Publicity for the House of Dior. Her presence there really makes some much-needed improvements.
Alix has lived with crippling guilt ever since the war ended. After stumbling upon a figure from the past, Alix enlists her closest friends to help with an investigation into finding out the identity of a Nazi informant whose bad information led Alix to launch a fatal mission that ended up with the deaths of men from her company. She must work closely with someone from her past to find out what happened. Alix believes that “listening and observing are critical skills when persuading.” She sets things in motion to find out the identity.
Her friendly and not so friendly banter with Anthony is well written. He is someone who is deep, difficult to understand but wants to be close to Alix, for what purpose? Is he a spy too? I’ll never tell.
One of the lines from Anthony was pivotal to the story “Maybe sometimes in a life there’s a moment when you get just what you thought you wanted – and it turns out to be everything you wished for”. His character really develops and makes this book even better.
Alix, always working and not accustomed to being told or forced to do anything goes to New York for work and later stated “when I returned to New York, they asked me to make posters telling women to quit their jobs and go home and cook nice dinners for their husbands. I told them I didn’t know how to spell husband.” This quote shows a lot of her quirkiness and sassiness.
Like a beautiful tapestry, the author’s intricately woven storylines are so engaging. I couldn’t put it down. I always look forward to the Author’s Note at the end to read about how the story came to be and what the historical facts are in the book. I especially loved the historical fashion in this book. Natasha’s meticulous research is amazing.
Thank you to Grand Central Publishing and NetGalley for an Advance Readers copy in exchange for an honest review

Alix is the kind of woman that I wish every WWII woman could be. Bold, brave, and entirely unforgettable, while also the epitome of romance. As an avid historical fiction reader, I can say with confidence that Natasha Lester is one of the foremost voices in this space, deftly weaving fact with fiction and creating a story that is truly impossible to put down. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the free advanced copy.

This book takes the reader back to a time in the past when Alix is deeply involved in WWII and then in the salon of one Christian Dior. I absolutely loved the settings of the story. The fact that a man from the past, from a totally different world, enters the world of fashion and Alix must find a way to make sure he gets what he deserves. Aside from the wonderful story, one of my favorite parts was seeing a character whose name I know well, seeing him in "real life" was so intriguing.

This was another amazing book by Natasha Lester. She is able to take her main character, Alix, and give her many different facets of life. Not only does she do amazing research but she also gives details in a way that you can imagine a Dior gown down to the stitch work. I always tell people to tell a new author. She is definitely a must on my list.

3.5 stars!

The beginning was kind of slow but once the story picked up I really enjoyed it. This was my 2nd book by this author and I plan to read more.