I normally love a multi-generational story, but something about this book wasn't quite clicking for me. This was my first Natasha Lester novel and it was masterfully written, but I couldn't really get lost in the characters like I wanted to. Hopefully this is the kind of book I can return to at a different point in time and in a different headspace, and I'll be able to get sucked in then.

I love a good generational drama, and this novel set nicely within that genre (as well as in the historical fiction space). It follows three generations of Bricard women: Mizza, the real-life muse of Christian Dior; Astrid, the daughter she gave up who's trying to make her way in the fashion world in the 70s; and Blythe, Astrid's daughter who's trying to cope with the disappearance of her mother. I was completely captivated by the chapters that followed Mizza and Astrid, but Blythe's story (set in the present) was a little less interesting to me. It was a tiny bit too focused on romance, but I did love all of the historical accuracies and tidbits from real events (such as the fashion battle that took place between the French and the Americans in Versailles in the 1970s).

I didn't love all of the switching back and forth between timelines, mainly because there were times when I had trouble keeping all of the characters straight. However, Lester is skilled at picking out interesting subjects, so I respect what she did with the characters, and I appreciated how tidy the ending was. Might not rush to check out her other titles, but I was glad I read this one.

American designer, fashion muse, and social enigma, Astrid Bricard has vanished on the night of her first and only international fashion show. Astrid can't seem to escape the shadow of her mother, Mizza Bricard, the infamous "muse" of Christian Dior at the beginning of his career. And all Blythe Bricard, daughter of Astrid, wants to do is escape the Bricard limelight and make enough money designing to support her two kids and their life in New York City. Three generations of Bricard women, all trying to escape the destiny set out for them by those before them and by the social and political landscapes of their times. Blythe is approached to resurrect her mother's fashion line, Mizza, but some wounds cut a bit too deep, and confronting the painful legacy that came before her might be too much to bear.

I absolutely loved this story. The intersection of high fashion and historical fiction and also weaving these women's stories into it was brilliant. The amount of research and care that was taken to represent the historical facts of the time while also fitting these fictional women (except Mizza who was very much real) into the story can only be described as an art form. The author's passion for the fashion industry really shone through the stories of each of the women. Too often fashion can easily be written off as flippant and vapid, but fashion is political and fashion does reflect much of our social values. Brilliant work by Natasha Lester and I can't wait to read more.

Really enjoyed this and the suspense element of uncovering what happened to three generations of Bricard women. The historical element was just as fascinating and I appreciated the nod to a real life fashion icon whose legacy was brushed under the rug in the shadow of the man she worked for/with. There was one element to the story that I just couldn’t get over or behind that detracted from the story, but still overall, enjoyable.

I was not sure I was going to like this book when I started it, but I pushed through and after the first few chapters I found the groove of the book & could not put it down. I loved reading about Astrid & Blythe. Less so about Mizza (although I’m considering giving the book a reread now that I know she was a real person). The only thing I didn’t like was that I feel like the ending wrapped everything up to neatly. I love a HEA ending but only if it’s earned & I don’t feel like it was here.

Who’s looking for a really good historical fiction novel? The Disappearance of Astrid Bricard hits all those good hallmarks of an excellent historical fiction. First of all, multiple generations? ✅ Mixture of multiple iconic locations? New York and France ✅✅ All the feelings? ✅✅✅

I had so much love for Blythe, Astrid and Mizza. Each generation of the Bricard women faced such hardships from Nazis to men receiving credit for their hard-earned work and accomplishments. Doesn’t that just make you want to 🤬🤬🤬?

I didn’t want this one to end, so I stretched it out! I didn’t 💯 love how some of the plot lines played out, (particularly Astrid’s) hence dropping it by one star. But, I loved the overall story, message, and how everyone wrapped up in the end. Definitely recommend this one! And can we talk about that cover?!?! 😍😍😍

This was my third Natasha Lester novel and I’ve adored them all.

Here we meet three generations of women, all connected to the world of high fashion and we follow their stories from Paris in 1917 to New York in the early 1970’s and then the present day.

I loved all three women’s stories and the different timelines and thought the mystery element added an extra layer to this book. Lester is an expert at a multiple point of view, multiple timeline story and her skill at making you care about all of the characters while she takes you from past to present and back again really shone through in this book. I thoroughly enjoyed it!

This story follows the generations of three women in the fashion industry. It was interesting getting some information about how the fashion world works. I didn’t find the women to be very interesting or like able. The middle of the story was very long and drawn out and the ending was very fast when that could have been much longer. I don’t recommend this when there’s so many other historical fiction books out there

Moved a bit too slowly for me. Loved the premise and the dual timeline, just couldn’t connect with the characters of fashion.

✨ Review ✨ The Disappearance of Astrid Bricard by Natasha Lester; Narrated by Barrie Kreinik

Thanks to Hachette Audio, Forever Books, and #netgalley for the gifted advanced copy/ies of this book!

This was the kind of complicated multi-generational multiple timeline historical fiction that I love. It follows
1) Mizza Bricard - the reported muse of Christian Dior - partly set during WWII in Paris
2) Astrid Bricard - daughter of Mizza, famous for a scandalous photo with famous designer Hawk Jones in the disco era. Sets the fashion scene on fire until she goes missing after a US vs. France design show set in Versailles.
3) Blythe Bricard - daughter of Astrid and Hawk - contemporary times, recently separated from husband and parent of two kids; got left behind with the rise of his career.

All of these women became overshadowed by male designers as muses, mothers, assistants, and just generally shoved to the side. Blythe tries to solve the mystery of where Astrid went after her Versailles show, and in the midst, uncovers a deeper, richer story where all of these women had design genius that became covered up by a patriarchal lens of their history.

I loved how the book unraveled the layers of this story throughout the book. I do think sometimes it was a little difficult to keep track of the stories because of how many parallels there were between the women. At the same time, I loved these parallels and how it linked them together.

CW: complicity with Nazis for survival (honestly I was a little uneasy/unsure about how this was handled, especially as coco chanel is a famous case of this...this might need some more research on my part, but I wanted to note it here)

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Genre: historical fiction
Length: 13 hrs and 8 mins
Setting: NYC, Paris, Versailles, etc.
Pub Date: 30 Jan 2024

Read this if you like:
⭕️ fashion and feminism
⭕️ multi-generational female stories
⭕️ historical fiction with multiple timelines
⭕️ messy family stories

I listened to this as an audiobook, and y'all, I think it was the best way to devour this story. The narrator was so captivating, and it really built the suspense and emotions. The story follows three generations of Bricard women, as well as their experiences in the fashion industry. It centers the mystery of where Astrid (the second of the three generations), and it unveils that mystery through the three timelines. Astrid's story was also about her finding her voice in an industry dominated by men. This was just so, so well done, and I couldn't listen fast enough because I was so captivated by these women. Thanks to NetGalley for the look (even though I ended up listening instead of the print option) at this January 2024 release!

3.75 stars!

We love seeing powerful women!!! Although I did like this book, I found it rather long. I feel like it could have been 100 pages shorter and just an effective.

I think I have come to the conclusion that historical fiction isn't really for me, but I still enjoyed this story and following along with Blythe's story. I liked seeing the different timelines and seeing how everything played out in the end.

I think I may have been able to pay attention a little better with the audiobook, but I would still recommend.

Quick and Dirty
-multigenerational historical fiction
-3 POV, 3 timelines
-full of fashion and glam
-family drama with mental health rep
-🌶️🌶️/5 closed door romance

What Worked
I had VERY high hopes for this book based on my last Natasha Lester read. Thankfully, this one was every bit as good as the last! Her writing style is so authentic and raw, drawing you into the inner world of her characters and creating an almost instant connection between reader and subject. She also has a knack for brewing the perfect blend of action, history, beauty, chaos, and passion. I don’t read a lot of romance books, but I enjoy a passionate love affair in my historical fiction reads. And her books have just the right amount of romance for me. I really appreciated the mental health representation in this novel; it was refreshing to see an author approach such a sensitive topic with grace and empathy. But the thing that worked best for me was the VIBE!!! I wanted to crawl into the pages of the 70’s timeline and live there rent-free! Even the contemporary timeline was a VIBE, and I was definitely here for it. Lastly, I cannot shut up about the EASTER EGGS in this novel and how much I loved seeing characters from The Three Lives of Alix St Pierre incorporated in this novel. SO MUCH FUN!

What Didn’t Work
Not much if I’m being honest. A fellow reader pointed out the pretty obvious miscommunication trope that I completely overlooked (totally mesmerized by the VIBE), but even that wasn’t enough for me to find fault. It was busy at times with the three different leads/timelines, but it worked in the end. I could see others not caring for all the fashion elements if they weren’t into that scene, but it very much worked for me!

Read This If
Anyone looking to escape into a family drama with lots of complex layers will enjoy this novel!

I just reviewed The Disappearance of Astrid Bricard by Natasha Lester # NetGalley. I enjoy her writing and have read all of her books. Her stories mix the past and the present

Thank you Grand Central for review copy! This is one I wanted to read based on the cover and booksta recommendations and the theme itself. I am captivated by stories of women in high profile/celebrity roles who are manipulated by, and possibly manipulate back, the media and sociocultural expectations placed on them. I loved that this is also a story that spans decades (that always works for me, I love the richness of a deep story dive that shifts with time), the fashion/social scene contexts, and the nuance of Astrid herself. I love that there is a hint of mystery, an element of women misused by industry, and the sense that women still have the upper hand even when being used and mistreated.
Perfect for fans of Evelyn Hugo and similar reads and great for book clubs and buddy reads, there are some good themes to examine.

The Disappearance of Astrid Bricard by Natasha Lester is a multiple time line story of three generations of exceptionally strong women in the world of fashion with a mystery. A heart wrenching story of the Bricard women trying overcome the barriers in the fashion world dominated and managed by men.

Lester’s incredible research, and superb blending of fact and fiction, made all three of the Bricard women truly unforgettable. Mizza Bricard, the only main character based on an actual person, was famous for being Christian Dior's muse. Mizza, birth name Germaine Louise Neustadt, with many other names as time and circumstances warranted, was never acknowledged in her time for her design contributions to fashion. Mizza’s daughter Astrid and granddaughter Blythe, the other two main characters, were blended into the story so artfully by Lester one could not tell that they were fictional.

Beautifully told, Lester pulled me into this must read story from page one, as she took on issues that are unfortunately still happening to this day. The ending is an emotional roller coaster and yes I cried. Highly recommend The Disappearance of Astrid Bricard, truly one not to be missed.

Many thanks to Forever (Grand Central Publishing) via NetGalley for the opportunity read and review an advance copy of this wonderful book. I was under no obligation whatsoever to write a favorable review and all opinions are my own.

A really great exploration of the world of fashion and women's place in it, told in great detail in a multi-generation multi-timeline story, executed expertly.

In the world of fashion, there are designers and muses, assistants and seamstresses. Then, once in a generation, there’s a woman like Astrid Bricard.

The daughter of the notorious Mizza Bricard, muse to the Christian Dior, Astrid has fought long and hard to shed her mother’s fame and be perceived as her own woman of worth. That is not easy when you aim to wow the very same industry that used and exploited your mother. Known for her lack of panties and excess of lovers, Mizza inspired entire lines of couture, but she was remembered much more for being a party girl who turned away from expectations and upended society’s predestined role for her as a woman in the arts.

Astrid is aware that Mizza's journey was not an easy one, but she’s more consumed by the ways in which her mother’s legacy has overshadowed her own journey. From the teasing gazes of men who ask if she inherited Mizza's hatred of undergarments to her classmates at the Fashion Institute of Technology, who remain convinced that Astrid was admitted with a prestigious scholarship because of her mother’s reputation and not her own talent, everyone seems set on underestimating her. Luckily for Astrid, their opinions only push her to work harder and design memorable, glamorous dresses the likes of which the fashion world has never seen before. And then she meets Hawk.

A fashion student wunderkind, Hawk is famous for doing the one thing that every FIT professor warns their students against doing: leaving school and immediately opening his own studio, rather than aiming for an internship with one of the top designers or (heaven forbid) a lesser known designer. Hawk is charming and swoon-worthy, but more than that, he believes in Astrid. Despite her no-nonsense approach to school and love, the two quickly hit it off. Their passion is one that they’re keen to ignore, but it attracts the eye like a sculptural dress or feather boa.

One night, while Astrid is wearing one of Hawk’s most controversial, revealing designs, the two are captured on camera dancing on a table, and history is made. Their photo is everything the 1970s is: flashy, heady and glamorous, and it becomes indicative of an era in the same way that the Rolling Stones or Fleetwood Mac are. As their partnership soars, they are invited to the 1973 Battle of Versailles, a competition between American and French designers to determine who will earn their country the title of “fashion capital of the world.” But rather than presenting her white column dress, Astrid disappears, leaving nothing but her final creation, smeared with crimson blood.

In present day, Blythe Bricard is nearing the end of her rope. Her recent divorce has left her spent, financially and emotionally. Although she has always dreamed of designing ecofriendly clothing, she instead has found herself costuming popular television shows. With the reputations of her grandmother and mother looming over her, Blythe can see why the papers and magazines call her a disappointment to her family name, even as they constantly seek her out for revelations about her mother and what she thinks really happened that night. Rumors of a drug deal gone wrong, a competition with a fellow classmate and even a staged disappearance have hounded Blythe for years. But wherever she went, Blythe knows only one thing: Astrid Bricard didn’t care enough about her daughter to stay, and that’s enough to forget her forever.

That is, until Blythe is approached with the deal of a lifetime. A prominent fashion dealer is interested in reviving Astrid’s sole fashion line, and they want Blythe to head the project. This would mean merging her designs with those of her mother and reminding the world of Astrid’s talent. But her mother’s legacy is painful, and growing up under the mantle of her panty-less grandmother and short-skirted mother has positioned Blythe right in the middle of a whole lot of misogyny. Sex --- and her like or dislike of it --- has been all anyone thinks about when they meet the heir to the Bricard name, and she’s hesitant to hitch her wagon to a publicity gimmick.

But the money is alluring, as is the chance to do something for herself. When she learns that a relative has been studying Astrid’s disappearance and has discovered certain holes in the story, it becomes obvious that it is time to set the record straight once and for all --- both to save the Bricard name and to put Astrid’s mystery to rest…and maybe claim something for herself at the same time.

Natasha Lester has penned a spellbinding, captivating mystery that is both a sartorial adventure through the ages and a scathing critique of misogyny and how it confines and oppresses women. While Mizza is based on a real historical figure, Astrid and Blythe are Lester’s own creations, and the story truly soars with their plotlines.

Lester is a keen observer of each era she writes, weaving in everything from the politics to the fashion. Her characters absolutely leap off the page, each of them wielding dressmaker shears and a needle. A deft, stylish writer, Lester is able to trace the tumultuous highs and lows of her characters in a way that is as graceful as it is informative. Each of them are completely fleshed out and defined by their settings, making this story instantly immersive and atmospheric.

THE DISAPPEARANCE OF ASTRID BRICARD is, shamefully, my first Natasha Lester book, but rest assured that I’ll be ordering her backlist as soon as this review is done.

I enjoyed learning about the three Bricard women - Blythe, Astrid and Mizza, all forces in their own right.

Blythe feels like she has been in the shadow of Astrid (her mother) and Mizza (her grandmother) her whole life. She is now an adult, divorced from her very absent husband Jack and mother to two.
She had her own dreams of designing but gave those up to raise her kids. She and her kids arrive at a fancy French chateau for a three week vacation with her ex-husband and his family.

Astrid had been ready to make her way in the fashion world in 1970. She meets Hawk Jones, and she becomes his lover and his muse. Astrid was a talented designer, but a photo of her partly naked in a short silver lamé dress with Hank is all over the papers and that overshadows everything. Both Hawk and Astrid end up invited to a fashion competition, The Battle of Versailles where American designers and French will compete against each other. And there is where Astrid disappears.

This book takes us through the lives of all three Bicard women. . And we follow as they mystery of Astrid's disappearance is finally solved.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Forever for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

It seems like so many novels lately are in the same style as #daisyjonesandthesix or #thesevenhusbandsofevelynhugo but I liked that this one took a real person (Mizza Bricard) and weaved a story around her. The love story of Astrid Bricard and Hawk Jones is beautifully written and I could not put the book down during those sections. A ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ book that was recently published. 📚📚📚 #netgalleyarc #netgalleyreads #netgalleyreview #my2024readingproject #thedisappearanceofastridbricard