Many thanks for the complimentary ARC kindly provided by NetGalley and the author/publisher. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

This was a tough one that I picked up and put down 3 times. I’ve enjoyed C. W. Gortner’s writing in the past, and the writing isn’t the issue for me. I’m just gonna say this just wasn’t the book for me.

This book would interest anyone who grew up in the 70's or 80's and was a fan of fashion magazines. Provides behind-the-scenes stories of Saint Laurent's intense devotion to his work. The author has a wonderful sympathy for all of the very interesting characters. At times the stories get a bit wild and crazy - the 1970's in Paris! - but the author helps us to understand the characters' motivations. Very well researched and written, highly recommend.

As a lover of historical fiction, I can always count on author C.W. Gortner to offer up a skillful novel where I will learn something new, even when it's a topic of only marginal interest to me. THE SAINT LAURENT MUSE is a deep dive into the world of Haute couture during the 1970s in Paris. A period when the exclusivity associated with high fashion is shifting toward the more lucrative world of ready-to-wear. And it's hardly the world of glamour you might imagine.

Gortner's novel focuses on LouLou de la Falaise (1947-2011), a chic dresser known in fashion circles for being the muse of designer Yves Saint Laurent (1936-2008). Saint Laurent's steady partner and sometime lover was Pierre Bergé (1930-2017) who provided the business savvy behind the Saint Laurent brand.

As readers, we learn that Loulou, the daughter of an aristocratic French writer and a former model who divorce when she is just three years old, grows up in a string of foster families and boarding schools, never experiencing the love and security every child deserves. Until she finds a sense of family within the fashion world, where she ultimately gets her a chance to do her own designing.

As a longtime employee and friend, it is from Loulou's vantage point that we explore the world of Saint Laurent-Bergé fashion in Paris. It's a high-pressure world where millions of dollars are at stake and the cults of celebrity and wealth are woven throughout the industry. There are endless deadlines around unveiling collections, petty jealousies among designers, competition over who is using which trendy models, and behind-the-scenes excess in alcohol, drugs, and sexual activity. Although this novel is set in a period before the AIDS epidemic, the book includes graphic descriptions of gay clubs in Paris where anonymous sex was readily available for both participants and voyeurs.

THE SAINT LAURENT MUSE also includes the story of the love Yves Saint Laurent felt for French socialite Jacques de Bascher (1951-1989), a much younger man who was German designer Karl Lagerfeld's (1933-2019) companion from 1971 to de Bascher's death. It's quite a strange love story. One that will leave you with many more questions than answers.

I walk away from this book knowing much more about the world of fashion, though I can't say it's one I find appealing. But I recommend the book for those who like to get inside unknown worlds that reflect aspects of society we don't often get to observe.

Delve deep into the fashion world of the 70’s with Lulu and Yves St Laurent.By delving deep I mean the fashions,the drugs,the parties,the people.Absolutely fascinating book with a lot of fashion history.very stylish.
Thankyou Netgalley for this ARC

Readers who are interested in fashion history will be riveted by this look at the creative and decadent set who surrounded fashion super-star Yves St. Laurent.

The book was both fascinating and horrifying as we follow the back-biting design set and vicariously attend their parties and night’s out. Frankly, the copious drug use left me a bit shell-shocked, but I loved reading about Lulu de la Falaise and her experiences with St. Laurent. It will be up to the reader to discern if there are any “ happy ever after” stories in this novel. There are conclusions. And successes, for sure.

Netgalley provided me a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for a candid review.

The Saint Laurent Muse is a great historical fiction book. Ig had historical fiction as well as fashion! A five star book!

This book was pure entertainment! Well-written, and much more daring that I had initially anticipated, but I enjoyed that. These people were complex and all of their complexities coupled with the carte blanche access they had at their fingertips made for quite interesting (albeit, sad) lives.