Thank you to NetGalley and Ballantine Books for this eARC in exchange for my honest review!

This is not your everyday WWII historical fiction novel. This book focuses on Marie-Madeleine Fourcade, France's only female resistance leader during WWII. I had never heard of her, and after reading this book and learning about all she contributed and sacrificed during the war, it's awful that her name is not in every history book telling her story. Lester did a great job of highlighting some of her triumphs while also discussing the battles she faced with people who were on the same side as her but did not value her input or opinions because she was a woman.

I have read other books by Lester, and she always does an overwhelming amount of research for her novels, which shine through and bring the story to life. This book is no exception to that. I appreciated the Author's Note that explained that Marie-Madeleine's memoir had conflicting information, material that was left out, and issues with translating it to English. Lester is honest that the whole truth of what this woman accomplished and went through is unknown.

The book was a little too long for me, particularly in the first half. It wasn't until about 50% that the story started picking up, and I was more engaged. The beginning was slow and sometimes repetitive. Once I made it to the second half, it picked up, I became more attached to the characters, etc. But this is not a quick read by any stretch of the imagination.

Also, know going in that there are a LOT of characters, who have multiple code names, so it can be hard to keep track. I understand why there are so many characters. In fact, Lester explained that she even combined multiple people to try to make things less confusing, but I had to go back and remember who was who a couple of times.

The focus of this book is so different from most WWII historical fiction books. This is not another read about people surviving the horrors of concentration camps (not that these books aren't important, they are, and you should absolutely read them!), in fact the camps are mentioned only in passing. Lester did a great job of picking her subject and sticking to it, Marie-Madeleine and the resistance work she and her agents were conducting.

Overall, I enjoyed the book once I got through the beginning. I am a fan of Lester's writing, but this is not my favorite of her books. I think my opinion would be different if the book was edited down a little more, so it wasn't almost 500 pages. But I loved Marie-Madeleine and this book has inspired me to learn more about her.

Thank you to @netgalley and Random House for this ARC. 1928: Marie-Madeleine Méric was in Morocco at her husband's side as he is gathering intelligence for the French government when she realizes she has a gift for spying. 1936: With her marriage at rock bottom, she is living in France when she meets an unlikely contact who thinks she would make an amazing spy. This true story of Madam Fourcade and the largest network of spies across France during WW2 is one that is still talked about. The way she functioned, recruited and all die hard allegiances she had regardless of her being a woman is fascinating. Great read! #TheMademoiselleAlliance #NatashaLester #RandomHousePub #April2025

wow! Wow! WOW! Natasha Lester just keeps getting better and better. The Mademoiselle Alliance follows the remarkable Marie-Madeline Fourcade, who was a resistance fighter in France during the Nazi occupation leading the Alliance under the code name Herrison. Because Marie-Madeline was a real person, Lester had the opportunity to let her dazzling research skills really shine throughout this novel, which was rich with details and quotes from Fourcade’s memoirs and contemporaries.

In Lester’s previous novels, we are often given multiple POVs at different points in time, but in The Mademoiselle Alliance, Marie-Madeline is centered. Her narrative jumps between her younger married days and WWII in the first section of the book, but then stays firmly in the 1940s for the remainder. I loved how Lester brings to life real people who did remarkable and amazing things in order to stop the Nazi regime. The amount of sacrifices those in the alliance network gave really touched my heart and I feel compelled to read more about them. Thankfully, in true Natasha Lester style, her author notes are rich with additional reading. I love that! I wish we would have gotten a little epilogue with some additional details for those who survived the war, but I understand the narrative choice for how Lester wrapped up the story.

5 enthusiastic stars and a HUGE thanks to Natasha Lester, Random House-Ballantine Books, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this gorgeous novel.

Natasha Lester has done it again! Marie-Madeleine Fourcade was a remarkable woman. She ran a resistance network, named Alliance, in France during WWII, in command of more than 3000 men and women. Underestimated as a woman during that time, she was extraordinarily fearless and strong, and it’s a shame she is not better known in history. Natasha Lester has written an exceptional book, very well researched, bringing Marie-Madeleine to life, noting her role as mother and French fighter of the Nazis. I cannot recommend this book enough! With thanks to Netgalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine for this ARC. My opinions are my own. susanh_bookreviews. @natashalesterauthor

very well researched tale about a fiery, determined, woman who became one of the most successful leaders of the French Resistance. 5 stars. tysm for the arc.

The Mademoiselle Alliance by Natasha Lester was a significant disappointment. As someone who enjoys historical fiction and has read my fair share of WWII stories, I found this novel lacking depth. Lester provides no room for readers to interpret the emotions or motivations of Marie-Madeleine (the narrator)—everything is laid out plainly, leaving little to the imagination.
Additionally, the novel is written entirely in the present tense, with a heavy reliance on lyrical prose. Instead of immersing the reader in a thrilling spy narrative, it felt as though the author was trying to craft one memorable line after another, which became off-putting.
Another issue I had was with the pacing and structure of the plot. The transitions were jarring, with Marie-Madeleine suddenly finding herself in a completely different location or situation without any clear progression from one moment to the next. Moreover, several lines appeared to be lifted directly from Madame Fourcade’s Secret War by Lynne Olson, a book Lester references in her author notes. This felt like a missed opportunity for original storytelling.

3.75. An interesting historical fiction on Marie-Madeleine Méric, a remarkably talented woman who led a part of the WWII French Resistance network The Alliance. I liked it but I thought it was a bit too focused on one of her relationships which I felt distracted from the story. Otgerwise, a very good read

Thank you to Net Galley for the ARC. I think WW II buffs will enjoy this story. The main character, Marie-Madeleine, was the only female Resistance leader and the first woman to be honored with a funeral at Les Invalides. I had some difficulty staying engaged in about the first 50% of the book but once I managed to get through the first half then the story moved a bit quicker. There are a lot of code names to keep track of in the story but it wasn't difficult. There is a lot of detail in the story regarding the French Resistance's movement through France and England. Marie-Madeleine risks her life and gives up her role as a mother of three children to lead the French Resistance. She's a true hero.

What an incredible book! From start to finish, this story is utterly captivating and impossible to put down. Natasha Lester’s storytelling is exceptional, seamlessly bringing to life the gripping journey of Marie-Madeleine, Keon, and the rest of the Alliance members. This is a must-read that will keep you riveted until the very last page.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group for my advance reader copy.

I would like to thank Net Galley and Random House for the opportunity to read this as an ARC. I have read several of Natasha Lester's books, and have always enjoyed them. This is an exceptional book. I thought I had read everything about the French Resistance during WW2, but I had never read anything about this particular woman and her group. This is a book about 1 brave group of resistance fighters in France, from their establishment to the end of the war. It is a book about war and the horrors of war, but also about love , and trust , and loss and devotion. It is sad, touching, terrifying and caring, all in one. I am glad I decided to read"one more book about WW2".

I really enjoy Natasha Lester’s books & this one did not disappoint! I especially enjoyed learning so much about Marie-Madeleine, a resistance hero that I had never heard of before. What an incredible woman whose story deserves to be told. I would highly recommend this book!

I'm a very big fan of suspense/spy novels set in this time period, so I was excited to read this story by Natasha Lester. I deeply appreciate the amount and depth of research that went into this novel, as it really brought the atmosphere to life. The thing that was difficult for me to reconcile as a reader was the author's beautiful - and at times, even lyrical - prose with the fast and often jumpy pace of the story. Similarly, there was a large portion of the novel during the middle that seemed to drag the plot a bit too much, and I almost put the book down.

That being said, it was an enjoyable read, and I feel like I learned a lot about Marie-Madeleine and the incredible work she and her network accomplished during WWII.

Fo the love of country. Hero Marie-Madeline, wife, mother and adventurer heads a resistance group called the Alliance in France 1940-1945. She recruited and led over 3000 men and women in resistance efforts against the Nazi’s. Her story is amazing and at times brutal. What makes this Historical novel extraordinary is the author’s character development and an attention to detail that makes it come alive. I can’t imagine in today’s era so many people dedicated to saving their country. I’m grateful the Ballantine publishing valued this book.

An imminently fascinating page-turner! All the stars to Natasha Lester for her latest tour de force! Based on a true story, the brilliantly researched, beautifully crafted and ever so propulsive The Mademoiselle Alliance resurrects and honors the indomitable, free spirited WWII French Resistance leader Marie-Madeleine. Lester’s prose is gorgeous, her plotting and pacing often masterful (mistressful?!), her sense of place in numerous locations strong and transportive. I was drawn in by the first few pages and read obsessively until I finished this tale. And I am in awe of the real life heroine whose place in history Lester has now revived.

Extra credit for the informative, thoughtful author’s note.

I await eagerly each novel from Lester, and this novel did not disappoint. Highly recommended!

Many thanks to NetGalley and Ballantine Books for the privilege of a complimentary ARC. Opinions are my own.

The true story of one of history's unsung Marie-Madeleine Fourcade, the only woman to lead a resistance network in WWII France. Her story is one of epic love, tragic loss and magnificent leadership.

The subject was interesting and the writing was good. That it was written all in present tense was annoying. If it was used as a device for the first chapter, where she is breaking out of jail, and then reverted to past tense when the narrative goes to pick up the story from the beginning it would have been more effective. The story seemed to jump round in time, which made it a little hard to follow.. As always when a book is “based on a real story” I am always left wondering how much is fiction and how much is real. It might be helpful to have notes at the end to say which events or characters are fictional.

Meet Marie-Madeleine Meric. It’s 1928, and Marie-Madeleine lives in Morocco with her husband, an officer in the French military. He values her for her beauty and for the information she can secretly learn from unsuspecting officials. But he does not appreciate who she truly is—an adventurer with a high tolerance for danger.

His heavy-handed view of marriage eventually drives her to Paris, where she can breathe again. But, it’s 1936, and war is threatening her beloved city and country. So, when she’s recruited to help build a resistance network, she agrees and steps into more danger than she’d ever dreamed of. Eventually, she became the head of the Alliance, a shocking role for a woman. She concealed her gender as well as her identity because she knew most men would balk at her leadership. But one man didn’t. Author Natasha Lester explores that relationship with aplomb.

As daring and brave as Marie-Madeleine was, though, her heart was always with her children. The author does a beautiful job of showing the conflict she feels and the agony of the choices she was forced to make.

I loved this woman’s story. Lester’s primary source for her novel was Marie-Madeleine’s memoir, the French version, but it wasn’t the only source.
This book is impressively researched, which gives it greater heft and richer insight. Don’t miss reading the Author’s Notes at the end.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group for my advance reader copy.

THE MADEMOISELLE ALLIANCE is a story filled with intriguing characters that fill the pages of the book that are both human and real. Natasha Lester is one of my favorite historical fiction authors to read and she always brings her subjects to life within her books. Marie-Madeleine Meric is a woman who when we are introduced to her, is newly married and is in Morocco, dabbling in intelligence to help her new husband in 1928. It's both exotic and intriguing to her and for the reader, you feel everything she is feeling and then some. Marie is a woman who finds her voice and purpose years later when she is back in Paris, her marriage in tatters, raising her kids alone. The author delivers a story full of highs and many lows at a time in history where you can't help but wonder how those who resisted the Nazis survived the way they did. The story flows smoothly, keeping the reader entertained and glued to the pages, with a bated breath to see what would happen next for Marie and the rest of her Alliance network.

When we meet Marie-Madeleine, we find a young woman who is finding her place ina world in flux. Natasha Lester does a really amazing job breathing life into a person who I never heard of nor of the risks she took with her resistance network that was the biggest in Europe. Everytime I read one of Ms. Lester's books, I find myself learning about these unsung heroes of WWII that time seemed to have forgotten. WWII was a time in history that, if you don't learn from, you are doomed to repeat it and in THE MADEMOISELLE ALLIANCE, we find many unsung heroes of this resistance network. From MArie to Leon Faye, her heart and second in command in the Alliance Network as well as so many others, it's amazing how they got information to the British for their attack on Normandy. Ms. Lester delivers a story that needed to be told, to let these heroes actions, words and deeds be known to a new generation of people who may not have known what these brave men, women and children did for France and yes, for the world in WWII France.

Natasha Lester has shined a light on a woman who is one of the many heroes of Word War II in France that made many daring deeds and had many losses within her life during the war but she also had a deep love for France and freedom so her children and many others can experience that once again. THE MADEMOISELLE ALLIANCE is a story with many highs, lots of lows and story that will keep you on the edge of your seat till the very end. I can honestly say this story was full of twists, turns and laughter and tears and an ending I so didn't see coming. This a story that needed to be told of a person who made history at a time when you never knew if you were going to live or die from the moment you woke up to when you slept that night. The brave men and women of the Resistance are the heroes alongside the military might of the Allies and these regular people fought for their country, their families and for freedom. If you haven't read one of this author's books before I highly recommend THE MADEMOISELLE ALLIANCE as your introduction into this author's writing and storytelling. Ms. Lester delivers a sweeping story that takes you from Morocco to France to England and beyond. With each book I have read from this author, I have learned of people who were just like you and me, regular folk who did amazing things at a time when those feats were needed desperately. I look forward to seeing where Ms. Lester goes next in her next book and hope I don't have a long wait to see where she goes next.

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Wonderful read! Another brilliant book by Natasha Lester, where you fall in love with the characters, which were real people. The story pulls you in where you are rooting for the characters in the book, and want them to succeed. Brilliantly written, with great attention to detail.
Another fab read by Natasha Lester!

While it isn’t Natasha Lester’s best book, The Mademoiselle Alliance is certainly worth reading for the information about one of history’s lesser known heroines. The characters are memorable and the plot is engaging. It’s a warning that may have come too late in our current political climate but offers hope for anyone who values and anticipates resistance in the coming years.