The Lipstick Bureau by Michelle Gable

 

(Thank you to the publisher for providing me with a copy of this book!)

about book:

Inspired by one of the OSS’s few female operatives, Barbara Lauwers, a WWII novel set at OSS’s Morale Office in Rome, which was responsible for creating black propaganda and distributing it behind enemy lines. From the New York Times bestselling author of The Bookseller's Secret.

Inspired by a real-life female spy, a WWII-set novel about a woman challenging convention and boundaries to help win a war, no matter the cost.

“A gripping, fascinating read.” —Kelly Rimmer, New York Times bestselling author of The Warsaw Orphan

1944, Rome. Newlywed Niki Novotná is recruited by a new American spy agency to establish a secret branch in Italy's capital. One of the OSS's few female operatives abroad and multilingual, she's tasked with crafting fake stories and distributing propaganda to lower the morale of enemy soldiers.

Despite limited resources, Niki and a scrappy team of artists, forgers and others—now nicknamed The Lipstick Bureau—find success, forming a bond amid the cobblestoned streets and storied villas of the newly liberated city. But her work is also a way to escape devastating truths about the family she left behind in Czechoslovakia and a future with her controlling American husband.

As the war drags on and the pressure intensifies, Niki begins to question the rules she's been instructed to follow, and a colleague unexpectedly captures her heart. But one step out of line, one mistake, could mean life or death…

my thoughts:

The Lipstick Bureau by Michelle Gable is a terrific story based on real-life spy Barbara Lauwers. Set during WWII, this story introduces us to Niki, a Czech immigrant who worked for the OSS in Rome. Her job was to spread propaganda that would lower the morale of enemy soldiers. Niki worked alongside a small crew in Rome and they became known as The Lipstick Bureau and were quite successful. Of course, she worried about her family, her marriage, and her life - after all wartime is fraught with danger and the unknown. 

Gable has created a fascinating story using a few historical facts and real-life characters to shine light on a smart and determined woman dedicated to do her part in helping to stop the war. I found myself easily transported alongside Niki as she settles in Rome to take on her new role as a spy for the OSS, which eventually became the CIA.  I loved meeting her colleagues, reading about her work, and learning about her life during WWII. Talk about an interesting and engaging story!

I would happily recommend The Lipstick Bureau to fans of Gable's work and to anyone looking for their next great read - you are going to fall in deep with this one. Make sure to check it out!

Thank you to the publisher for providing me with a copy of this book!

The Bookseller's Secret: A Novel of Nancy Mitford and WWII by Michelle Gable

(Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book!)

 

about book:

From New York Times bestselling author Michelle Gable comes a dual-narrative set at the famed Heywood Hill Bookshop in London about a struggling American writer on the hunt for a rumored lost manuscript written by the iconic Nancy Mitford—bookseller, spy, author, and aristocrat—during World War II.

In 1942, London, Nancy Mitford is worried about more than air raids and German spies. Still recovering from a devastating loss, the once sparkling Bright Young Thing is estranged from her husband, her allowance has been cut, and she’s given up her writing career. On top of this, her five beautiful but infamous sisters continue making headlines with their controversial politics.

Eager for distraction and desperate for income, Nancy jumps at the chance to manage the Heywood Hill bookshop while the owner is away at war. Between the shop’s brisk business and the literary salons she hosts for her eccentric friends, Nancy’s life seems on the upswing. But when a mysterious French officer insists that she has a story to tell, Nancy must decide if picking up the pen again and revealing all is worth the price she might be forced to pay.

Eighty years later, Heywood Hill is abuzz with the hunt for a lost wartime manuscript written by Nancy Mitford. For one woman desperately in need of a change, the search will reveal not only a new side to Nancy, but an even more surprising link between the past and present…

my thoughts:

Wow! What a book! I just LOVED Michelle Gable's latest novel, The Bookseller's Secret: A Novel of Nancy Mitford and WWII - it was such a treat to read!

First off, Gable has written a fictionalized account of Mitford's life during WWII when she managed the Heywood Hill bookshop and it is fascinating. I've never read Mitford, but after this book I am most definitely picking up copies of her books ASAP. Secondly, I just loved the dual timelines, reading about Mitford one minute and then reading about Katie Cabot the next. Katie is present day in this timeline and she is looking for a lot wartime manuscript written by Nancy Mitford! Talk about connections. Thirdly, London! Yep, I will happily read any book set in London and this one was such fun to dive into. Fourth, a book about books - how could I resist!?

Gable has created a delicious story about Nancy Mitford that will captivate you hook line and sinker. I just loved getting to know this Bright Young Thing and her life during WWII at the Heywood Hill bookshop in London - talk about British history! I loved the descriptions of the culture, the people, the books, and Nancy. Would she write again? And, if so, would we ever get the chance to read her work? Enter Katie, a woman who's life is not exactly going to plan. She decides that she must find Nancy Mitford's missing manuscript if she wants to make a name for herself. Katie winds up teaming up with Felix, another book hunter. Soon the two are knee deep in Mitford's world as they search high and low for the manuscript. Talk about a riveting story!

I would happily recommend The Bookseller's Secret to fans of Gable and to anyone looking for their next great read - you won't want to miss out on this one!

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book!