The Three Lives of Alix St. Pierre

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!!!

A completely captivating story of a young woman whose work during WWII continues to haunt her in a post war Paris. With the backdrop of the up and coming House of Dior, she tries to hold on to her determination, ambition and independence while trying to avenge and overcome the one tragedy that lingers in her nightmares.

Alix St Pierre was just starting out in the PR world of New York when she’s recruited by the government to be a spy in Switzerland…a place she knew well thanks to her time at a boarding school. Once she arrives, she realizes that if she’s going to make a difference in this war…she has to go out on her own and do it rather than bow down to the man in charge. She becomes involved with Italian partisans and hopes to help them overthrow the Nazis who are destroying towns and people in the quest for dominance.

A mission gone wrong takes the lives of 9 men and in the years after the war, Alix carries the weight of responsibility heavily on her shoulders. As she takes a job as the head of PR for Christian Dior, she meets a man who was on the mountain the day those brave 9 men lost their lives. Together they form a partnership to take down the Nazi who got away. Along the way they learn that times have changed and people can be happy together without societies expectations ruling over every decision they make. As the man that got away comes after Alix for his own revenge, the duo revert back to their spying days to set him up and take him down. Can they do it? You’re going to have to read this book to find out!

First of all, let me say that I love Natasha Lester’s work. Her writing style is so captivating that you are hooked within the first couple of sentences. She creates characters that you can empathize with as well as admire! Alix St Pierre is such a strong, independent woman determined to make something of herself even if it means sacrificing love because she has been taught she can’t have both. But the war changed all that and it takes heartbreak to realize that there is a man out there willing to accept her and her ambitions.

I absolutely LOVED the inclusion of the House of Dior. Fashion tells a story in itself and for Alix, it provided her an extra boost of confidence because who doesn’t feel good in a beautiful dress designed to flow with you rather than just hang there. While the story in itself is fictional, many of the people, places and events were real and based on reality. In her author’s notes, Ms Lester details that to a great degree as well as provide sources. So do NOT skip out on the Author’s Notes. They are an intricate part of the story and her research is to be commended.

Thank you so much to NetGalley, Forever Grand Central Publishing and Natasha Lester for the early chance to read this awesome story! It’s definitely one to add to your TBR list!

The Three Lives of Alix St. Pierre is an extraordinary work of historical fiction written by Natasha Lester. The focus on the story is the title character, Alix. Alix is an American woman who is orphaned at a young age and is taken in by her wealthy friend Lillie's family. The story mostly begins after Alix's schooling at a boarding school in Switzerland. She is recruited to work with Allen Dulles in Bern in order to uncover information about the Nazis that will aid the allies. The tragedy that happens during this period of Alix's life resurfaces when, a few years later in Paris, when working for the legendary fashion designer Christian Dior as his public relations specialist, new information comes to light. The two timelines are presented in alternating sections, so that the story unravels piece by piece, and the reader begins to make connections as to how the story will ultimately unfold.

This was a spectacular novel that I highly recommend. I have never read a book where the characters' dialogue and inner life are so vividly portrayed, until I read this novel. The extensive research that Ms. Lester conducted to write this book was so on point that I found myself wondering if Alix was real. She was so precisely placed into the real events and people of the time period that it was highly believable. The journey she takes - along with some of the supporting characters - is so moving, and so poignant. As I came to the last 10% of the book or so, I realized that I was unable to predict how the author would bring things to a close and reveal the truths of what Alix was trying to uncover. It came to a satisfying yet believable conclusion.

Thank you NetGalley, Natasha Lester, and the publisher for an electronic ARC of this book. Highly, highly recommended!

A well crafted and written WWII novel which also encompasses what comes after. Alix was recruited into the OSS in Switzerland. A tragedy on a mountainside haunts her even after and, in 1946, when she's working for The House of Dior, she finally finds a way to make someone atone for the deaths of 9 men. This moves between the war and Alix's life running publicity for Dior, It's got all the elements of the genre- there's espionage, danger, secrets, romance, and a reckoning (this last is mild). Lester has good storytelling skills and brings Alix, along with the other characters, to life. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. A good read.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for allowing me to read this advanced copy. I love historical fiction and I knew nothing about Dior so that made this story very interesting. The story is broken into different time periods of the main characters life which at first made it hard to follow. I did like the storyline of what people were forced to deal with during WW2 and the impossible decisions they had to make. Alix was also a wonderfully developed main character, years ahead of her time.

I love Natasha Lester’s books and this one is no exception. One is difference from her other books, is it doesn’t have a dual narrative. Even though there are two different timelines, we stay with the main character, Alix.

Her story is amazing, and it was great reading about a different location than many other books I’ve read set during WWII. I’m already looking forward to Natasha’s next book!