This book was phenomenal. While I’m not usually a big fan of historical fiction, this book completely won me over within the first few pages. Thank you Natasha Lester and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this advanced copy of The Mademoiselle Alliance.

Thanks to NetGalley for the digital ARC. What an amazing , and for the most part historically true novel. Who knew a young woman would run a most successful Resistance group during WWII hoping to save la belle France? Marie-Madeleine Meric was her name and the Alliance she was able to build actually DID help save her country at inestimable risk to herself and her agents. The amount of research and detail the author put into this story was astounding. This is a story that needs to be told.

I was so excited when I received the e-ARC for Natasha Lester's newest book. She is always a must-read author for me and this book did not disappoint. I had never heard of Marie-Madeleine Meric and what she did for France during WWII. I love the detail that this book goes into (and the author notes are interesting as always - do not read them until you have finished the book!).

An amazing fictionalized account of an amazing woman/mother/spy.

Read it if you love historical fiction, strong female characters, and stories of espionage.

Thanks to NetGalley for my early peek at this book. I will definitely be purchasing a physical copy

I found this ARC to be virtually shocking, in that it was basically a strangely narrated rip-off of the biography “Madame Fourcade’s Secret War” by Lynne Olsen, published in 2019. I seriously am questioning the judgement of the editors of this ARC in going forward with the publication. While Ms. Lester mentions the Olden biography in her ‘Author’s Notes’ at the end of her book as being available at the Archives Nationale de France, at no point does she mention she has ‘lifted’ details and lines directly from this source. Indeed, at several times, I found identical wordings in Ms Lester’s ARC that I’d read in the previously published biography by Ms. Olsen. These similarities made me very uncomfortable and I found it impossible to rate this book fairly. I urge the publishers to take a closer look at both books with greater scrutiny. If nothing else, Ms Lester needs to amend her notes and sources to better reflect where her material comes from.

Great story about a little known heroine. I learned so much about the Alliance that worked underground during WWII that I was unaware of. Marie-Madeleine was an incredible woman whose love of country spurred her on to work tirelessly and encourage others to join in. I am so glad this author chose to tell Marie-Madeleine’s story so others are able to learn her story.

The Mademoiselle Alliance, just as Madame Fourcade's Secret War does, details Marie Madeleine Fourcade's involvement in and leadership of the Alliance to save France from the Nazis in World War Two. But, oh! It is SO Much more!! The Mademoiselle Alliance is the story of a gutsy, innovative, intelligent woman; a woman who achieves successful leadership of an intrepid determined selfless group of men and women who are key players in the fight to save and free France.
This narrative brings to life the risks and sacrifices of these heroes who gave their all for the country they so passionately loved.

Huge fan of Natasha Lester and this book was no exception. i would say it is a little different from some of her other books (other than from maybe the Paris Orphan which is the only book of hers i haven't yet read) in that is semi-biographical (although she is clear that it is still a work of fiction, a lot of the characters really existed). as usual, Natasha does an amazing job of weaving in a beautiful love story while keeping the events pretty true to historical accuracy. it was wonderful to see the story of Marie Madeleine (who was a true French resistance heroine) come to life - especially since i was not at all familiar with her story prior to reading it. While there is romance, it is less so than some of her other recent books (the 3 lives of Alix St Pierre, the disappearance of Astrid Bricard etc) - so if you are looking for more romance, you may be disappointed.

Overall, i would give this book 4.5 stars - so i am rounding up to a 5 :).

Lester always gives the readers an intriguing and very detailed historical fiction. I am a historical fiction reader, and she knows how to delve into the past.

In 1928 eighteen-year-old Marie-Madeline is living in Morocco with her husband. She is not your typical female of the time. She is into flying planes, driving fast and working in intelligence for the government. She loves live and is living for the next adventure.

In Paris in 1938 Europe is on the cusp of war. Marie-Madeline encounters a enigmatic man with the codename Navarre. She ends up helping him build a resistance network. Marie-Madeline knows going in as a women thing will not be easy. She ends up with a double life on the edge of danger at every turn.

Thank you Ballantine for the gifted e-ARC and I will be pre-ordering to add to the rest of her books on my shelf.

Marie-Madeleine was the only female leader of a Resistance network in France during WWII; she really did lead around three thousand agents, many of whom were conservative military men decades her senior. She had two children who she sent to Switzerland when they were targeted by the Nazi's and she bore another son while leading the Resistance. A remarkable story.

The Mademoiselle Alliance by Natasha Lester is an unbelievably fascinating story. During World War II, there were numerous resistance groups in occupied France and this book is about Marie-Madeleine Meric and the Alliance. Because she was a woman, she was overlooked and many doubted what she was able to accomplish along with her agents in the Alliance. The Alliance contributed to the war effort and many lost their lives. The outcome of the War could have been worse if it weren't for those agents. I loved reading about her. Though this work is historical fiction and as the author states in her Author's Note, many characters were invented but based on real people. I think historical fiction readers will absolutely love this book. Most especially if you're a Natasha Lester fan. She's amazing. I am so thankful I was able to read an early copy and a huge thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing.

"The Mademoiselle Alliance" was a fascinating story. While I was aware that there were various resistance groups in occupied France, I had never heard of Marie-Madeleine Meric and the Alliance. What she and her agents were able to accomplish and endure is amazing. Marie-Madeleine was repeatedly doubted and overlooked because she was a woman, which was sometimes to her advantage, as the sexism of both allies and enemies allowed her to escape danger or manipulate situations to her advantage in a manner that would not have succeeded if she had been a man. Being underestimated worked to her advantage at times. Being a woman and a mother also probably helped her gain allies and assistance from other women, who understood what she was risking and saw in her the possibilities for contributing to the war effort in a more active way. She had a tenacity to her that made people want to believe in her and assist her.

The book is a work of historical fiction, and so the author has invented some characters, combined events, and invented dialogue. Furthermore, as the author explains, there are contradictions in Marie-Madeleine's memoirs, and the English translation of her memoir, which was written in French, leaves material out, so the full "truth" about Marie-Madeleine cannot be known. However, some of the more amazing and astonishing incidents in the book are based in fact.

This is a historical fiction novel based on the true life of Marie-Madeleine Fourcade. It goes back and forth between the late 1920's when she lived in Morocco and WW2 in France. Marie ended up playing a huge part in the French resistance and this is her story. It's another excellent read by Natasha Lester!

I received a free e-arc of this book through Netgalley, but the opinions are all my own. Did you know that only one woman ran a Resistance network in France during WWII commanding more than 3000 people allied in their cause to save France? Marie-Madeline survived for years longer than the average 6 month Resistance leader. She was an unorthodox woman of her time and often put herself to save others risk. She also had a congenital hip issue which left her in pain much of the time. I was glad to read about this amazing woman who I had never heard of before.

This was everything that I was looking for from a historical fiction novel, it had that element that I was looking for and enjoyed from the description. The overall feel worked with the time-line and enjoyed the way everything worked together to tell the story. The characters felt like they belonged in this world and was hooked from the first page. Natasha Lester has a great writing style and enjoyed the overall package.

Marie-Madeleine‘s story is a fascinating one, and Natasha Lester captures it beautifully. This novel has shades of Casablanca and is a pleasure to read. The setting is rendered beautifully and is almost a character unto itself.