This story of a young woman, Alix St. Pierre, takes place before, during and after WWII. We meet her when she is a 13 year old orphan living with her friend and their family. As her journey and life continues Alix becomes a spy during WWII recruited by the U.S. because of her gift of languages...knowing French, Italian and German. After the war Alix heads to Paris where we find her working as a PR person for Christian Dior as he opens his fledgling house of fashion. However, while in Paris she is faced with a figure from the past during the war years that not only has her unsettled, but she finds she must investigate who this figure is. This is a person whose identity is that of the Nazi informant whose false information led Alix to launch her last mission that turned out fatally and led to the guilt she has carried ever since.

This novel filled with intrigue and spies during the war and that of the fashion world after WWII kept this book and the reader a story that couldn't let go until the very end. The research was impeccable and the characters well developed. I have long been a fan of Ms. Lester...none of her books disappoint and "The Three Lives of Alix St. Pierre" is tops among them.. My thanks to NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Another great story written by Natasha Lester. She weaves history with love and heartache in a way that make you feel each character. Her background knowledge of the history behind the war and her descriptions of the settings makes you feel like you are in the book. Love when her books come out

Christian Dior is a familiar name in fashion, but an unknown in post-WWII when he hit fashion week with the New Look. What if his public relations director was a woman with a haunted past in the OSS that wasn't really in the past?
Postwar Paris, fancy named dresses, and spies.
Yes, please.

Fashion, historical fiction, spies and romance equal perfection! I absolutely loved this book. I highly recommend it!

I love Natasha Lester's historical fiction and strong female characters. The Three Lives of Alix St. Pierre weaves together the stories of past and present, creating an interesting narrative and intriguing mystery. Alix is a strong woman who has faced many challenges throughout her life. She is a sympathetic and realistic character to whom readers will be drawn.,
This is another great novel by Natasha Lester!

Thank you NetGalley and Forever for this ARC.

This book is one of those that I wish I had a physical copy so I could truly turn the page. This one was definitely a historical fiction page turner that I loved. At first I did not know what to make of Alix but wow…. I loved her strength and vulnerability.

This was my first Natasha Lester book but definitely not the last!

I don't even know where to start - other than to say this is one of the most well written and enjoyable books I've read this year and in the WWII genre. I thought I was getting worn out by WWII stories in the past couple years, but this one immediately drew my attention and I remained stuck in the story until the ending.

Strong female characters, all of them! A dashing hero - or two! A sweeping story with many facets, ie the three lives reference. Gorgeous Dior couture plays a large part of the story. The storylines weave together seamlessly and the mysteries keep getting more involved as you read. Just a beautiful story!

Thank you to NetGalley, the author and publisher for a temporary, digital ARC in return for my review. Don't miss this one!!

I always enjoy Natasha Lester books. I found this one to be a bit slow and was wishing for some character relationships to be more fleshed out. The last 25% had me hooked and glad I stuck with it.

Thank you @netgalley and @forever for this ARC. My thoughts and opinions are my own.

In post-war Paris, Alix St. Pierre begins working as a publicist for an up and coming design house- House of Dior. While navigating post war society and the roles of women, Alix must come to terms with the consequences of her actions during the war in an effort to move on with her life. Told in three timelines- before, during and after the war- The Three Lives of Alix St Pierre is a story of one woman’s attempt to free herself from the decisions of her past, while changing the course of her future.

I could not find a connection with this story- within the first chapter I found Alix’s character confusing- who is she? Why is she going to Paris suddenly? Why should I, as a reader, care about her? For the first third of the novel, there really aren’t any supporting characters of mention- due in part to her experiences during the war, Alix prefers a solitary lifestyle. With no connection to the main character, and no supporting characters to pull me along, I just found myself disinterested.

I think there are two separate stories in this novel that alone, would be an engaging read: Alix’s time and experience working at House of Dior in its early days, and then the backstory of Alix’s role in the secret intelligence organization during the war. Together, I found the storylines very convoluted and hard to keep track of- one minute she’s talking about the fabrics and effort level that went into creating the Soirée gown by Dior, and the next page she is trying to track down an unknown Nazi named La Voce. It was hard to follow at times.

This next ‘critique’ is absolutely a matter of preference, but the book is divided in sections based on years, and the range is given (example: 1939-1940). When telling multiple storylines (three, in this case) I love it when an author does that math for you- “one year later”, “5 years ago” so that I don’t have to stop and figure it out. If I’m invested in the story and reading late into the night, I don’t want to need to think and figure out if it’s past/present/future.

I think readers who enjoy historical fiction, who like a bit of intrigue and having to piece together the storyline will enjoy this novel- especially if they have an interest in Parisian or post war fashion. If you’re a fan of multiple timelines, you should definitely give this book a chance!

I would like to thank Net Galley for the opportunity to review this book as an ARC. I have never read any of Natasha Lester's books before. I was excited to read this one, due to the subject matter and the praise for her other books. I read quite a lot of historical fiction and was interested in the time frame of this book. This book covers 3 periods in Alix St. Pierre's life- before World War 2, during World War 2 and directly after it. I had a problem with the timelines . I have read several books recently where the time lines jump back and forth and usually do not have a problem. In this book, I had a hard time keeping track of things. The early part of Alix's life is not given a lot of time in the story, with the thrust on her work during WW2 as a member of the OSS and after the war, working as a Press Secretary for Christian Dior. The war portion was interesting, as Alix was involved with spies ( and spying herself) and the with the Italian partisans who fought against Mussolini and Hitler. The Christian Dior sections were probably the best written and best plotted, although there were plot holes and underwritten characters throughout the book. I did like the mix of real and fictional characters. There was also a feminist viewpoint which was intriguing, but, to my mind not followed through. It was mentioned several times that women had been recruited for the workforce during the war , and then pushed aside after , as they were no longer needed. This is historically accurate, but is just thrown out there, and not really integrated into the story line. There is a romance and some sex scenes of course, and while interesting, they seemed like they was thrown in as an afterthought. Actually, having read the authors notes, I got the feeling that she really wanted to write a book about Christian Dior. This book was ok, and if you are a fan of the author, you will probably love it. For me, it was good, but not outstanding.

This ARC was provided to me via Kindle, from Forever (Grand Central Publishing) and #NetGalley. Thank you for the opportunity to preview and review. Opinions expressed are completely my own..

A lovely story that will be enjoyable for many genres.

Have you ever read a book that took your emotions across the entire spectrum and then wrenched your heart from your chest so hard you had to stop and remind yourself to keep breathing? This book took me on an emotional journey, not just to live the story, but to really understand what happened in the world, what happens, when a woman tries to make the most of herself. A woman who tries to live her dream against all odds. A woman who gets thrust into a war, but tries so hard to care, and help, and to not lose herself in the process.

"...if the world was so screwed up that virtue meant compromising yourself, then nothing was worth fighting for. But that makes me just as dishonorable as everyone else. If no one fights back, then we get the world we deserve."

Alix St. Pierre did fight. She fought to keep every ounce of integrity she could. We all have to compromise in our lives, but how many of us can say that we kept fighting for what we thought was right, sometimes against all odds, even to the point of sacrificing ourselves for what we believe in?

"We know what we are, but know not what we may be."

This is so true of Alix. She was spectacular. She was so much more than just a heroine on the page. She was all of us and is all of us, trying to make the best of what society has given us, what the world gives us every day.

This was the first Natasha Lester book I've read, but it won't be the last. It was a masterpiece and I want more.

I always enjoy reading Natasha’s books that each include strong female characters and how they persevere through challenging times. This books continues to do that with Alix. And I enjoy that fashion theme woven into the stories.

THE THREE LIVES OF ALIX ST. PIERRE manages to be both glamorous and gritty at the same time:
The Christian Dior sections present a dazzling and optimistic post-war success story; and,
The WW2 espionage story was a familiar, but compelling story of bravery and deceit.

I loved the Dior setting and the inside look at how our protagonist successfully promoted his fashion house. I wish this was the whole book because the writer has a talent for bringing that environment and the fashion to life.

The flashback sections of the OSS office, and their support of the resistance, felt like another “ evil Nazi story.”

But, the discordant note in the book for me was the heavy-handed feminist diatribes. There were strong female characters in the novel who could have illustrated the points through their story. The reader needs to be given credit for the ability to connect a few dots. . . .

There was a lot to like in this book: poetic descriptions of Paris, an alluring look at Paris in the Post-War period, and some compelling characters. But, it held the promise of more, and that is what I wanted for THE THREE LIVES OF ALIX ST. PIERRE.

netgalley provided me a complimentary copy in exchange for an honest review

I want to thank Hatchette Publishing, NetGalley, and the author for the ARC of this book. I was skeptical for the first 25% of the book if this was for me. But I became so enamored of the woman Alix St. Pierre was that I hated for it to end! Such a historical tale and a strong female character. I cannot recommend this book enough!

Magnificent in ever respect! I loved, loved, loved The Three Lives of Alix St. Pierre, which has been masterfully conceived, researched and crafted by Australian author Natasha Lester. The prose is simply gorgeous. The plot is imaginative, brilliant and compelling, page turning made urgent by Lester’s tantalizing organization of the chapters. The characters - particularly plucky, tiny redhead in silk Alix - are ever so deliciously drawn and fascinating. And the peek at the creation and commercialization of Dior’s “New Look” fashions is especially interesting. Truly, this is SO beautifully written. I’ve read and thoroughly enjoyed Ms. Lester’s prior historical novels published in the United States, and “Three Lives” is my favorite yet - and one of my favorite books of 2022. Highly recommended to fans of Lester’s prior historicals as well as to fans of Kristin Harmel’s and Kate Quinn’s WWII novels. Many thanks to NetGalley and Forever (Grand Central Publishing) for a complimentary ARC. Opinions are my own.

Alix St. Pierre has lived three lives. She has been a poor orphan, luckily taken in by her wealthy friend’s family as a child. She has become a successful public relations guru and is set on launching a new fashion house - Dior, no less - in Paris. Alix has also moonlike as a WW2 spy for the Allied Forces.

The reader gets to see Alix as she currently is - struggling to market the new fashion house of Dior while grappling with unassuaged guilt over some past mysterious deed she committed during the war.

We also get to follow along her past as she is recruited by the allied forces and begins to question the nature of her relationships with her closest friend and her fiancé.

This book is for you if you like historical fiction, romance, spy stories and mystery, and empowered women.

I really liked the feminist lens this story was told through - highlighting the struggles of women being recognized for their contributions during war time and the reconciliation of returning to their previous domestic lives afterward.

I did feel the storytelling was a bit slow at times but the mystery of what occurred for Alix during the war was so gripping that I couldn’t put it down until I finished.

*slight spoiler ahead!*

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC of this book! Lester is quickly becoming one of my favorite historical fiction authors and has landed a spot on my auto-buy list after reading The Three Lives of Alix St. Pierre! I found myself wishing I didn't have any other responsibilities so I could devour this book in one sitting - it is a page turner that keeps you guessing and waiting the whole way through. Each character has so much depth and their growth throughout the book was amazing to read. The slow burn between Alix and Anthony was perfectly executed and I found myself yelling at the book "JUST KISS ALREADY" and almost cheered when it finally happened. Looking forward to getting a physical copy when it comes out!

This is an excellent book about post WW2 life, learning to live with the horrors and regrets of living through WW2, and a peak into the world of fashion, especially women's fashion, post WW2.

Alix St Pierre is hired as Service de la Presse for the new House of Christian Dior. She spends the last of her money to move to France to run the press for Dior's first show. While there, she is faced with her past as an agent for US intelligence, and wrestling with her guilt.

I've read a couple of books by this author and enjoy her writing. This one was excellent and I learned more about WW2 that I had previously not read about. Also provided a glimpse into what it was like for women after WW2.

I received a copy of this from Netgalley and am so glad I read this book.

The Three Lives of Alix St. Pierre by Natasha Lester is hands down, my favorite book i’ve read this summer!! The rich history and research that has gone into the story, from couture, to spying to romance had me hooked. Don’t want to give away too much but Alix works for Dior as his press secretary and through flashbacks we learn about her wartime activities and how they still affect her. Through some work and finding a team to help her she’s able to solve the remaining mysteries and pull it all together in an very enjoyable story. I can’t recommend this strongly enough- everyone should read it!!!