Book Review
The Three Lives of Alix St Pierre by Natasha Lester
Historical Fiction | WWII
After reading my first Natasha Lester novel, The Paris Secret, last year, I knew that this was an author whose books would continue to grace my bookshelves for a long time to come. And this newest novel by Lester, The Three Lives of Alix St Pierre, doesn’t disappoint! Luscious and exciting, packed with adventure and espionage, fashion and romance this story sums up the WWII historical fiction genre so well.
Reader’s Thoughts:
While the plot of this novel doesn’t bring anything particularly new to the now-familiar WWII genre of novels, there’s a reason we keep returning to stories like this. No matter how many times they’re told, they still rivet us with their tales of right versus wrong, passion and heart, and the ultimate fight for truth and goodness to triumph. In this, The Three Lives of Alix St Pierre is a sweeping, delightful edition to the genre.
The character of Alix St. Pierre is everything that you want for a protagonist. Passionate and witty, driven and charismatic, but also with a complicated past and a gamut of emotion and pain to wrestle through. Her character is complex and fascinating, and provided a page-turning story that was difficult to put down!
I also really enjoyed watching the relationship between Alix and Anthony grow slowly and authentically. The chemistry between these two characters was delicious and well worth the wait. Anthony March and Alix St. Pierre will probably be one of my favorite fictional couples for the year.
There were a lot of different parts to this book but they all tied together really well. The fashion elements of this story were especially interesting. I didn’t know much about Christian Dior as a designer, and it was clear that Lester had done a lot of research into the early years of his Paris fashion house. Her descriptions of Dior’s dresses were beautiful and sent me spiraling down a rabbit hole of research myself as I busily Googled the designs. Dior himself was also an incredibly kindhearted and sweet secondary character that added such hope and light to the story.
Despite the novel being over 400 pages long, it’s the sort of story you want to savor — because you simply don’t want it to end. With its sweeping blend of spies and ballgowns, heartache and hope, this story has earned a permanent spot on my bookshelf!
Recommended for:
Those who love WWII genre stories with spies, intrigue, fashion, and romance
This post contains affiliate links; as an Amazon associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. Advance copy of the book provided courtesy of Read Forever Pub. All opinions expressed are my own.
About the book:
(From the publisher) 1943. After spearheading several successful advertising campaigns in New York, PR wizard Alix St Pierre comes to the attention of the US government and finds herself recruited into a fledgling intelligence organisation.
Enlisted as a spy, Alix is sent to Europe where she is tasked with getting close to a Nazi who might be willing to help the Allied forces – but there’s also the chance he might be a double agent.
1946. Following the war, Alix moves to Paris to run the Service de la Presse for the yet-to-be-launched House of Christian Dior. But when a figure from the war reappears and threatens to destroy her future, Alix realises that only she can right the wrongs of the past and bring him to justice.
The Three Lives of Alix St Pierre is a thrilling, sumptuous work of historical fiction told in three timelines: before, during and after WWII. This completely immersive story takes readers from the dangerous, intrigue-filled rooms in Switzerland where elites of both sides mingled and schemed during the war, to the glamorous halls of the House of Dior in the golden age of French fashion and journalism.