Michelle Gable

I truly enjoy a good historical novel based on real people, and after reading Michelle Gable's last novel, The Bookseller's Secret (which featured a fictionalized Nancy Mitford), I knew I would want to read her new novel, The Lipstick Bureau.

The novel opens in May 1989 as Niki and her daughter Andrea are attending a black tie dinner in Washington DC to honor the "Ladies of the O.S.S.", or as Niki says a "deceptively quaint title, like a neighborhood bridge club." Andrea knew that her mother show more worked for the O.S.S., the precursor of today's C.I.A., but she was shocked to learn that her mother was not an interpreter or secretary, but she was an important member of the propaganda team called Morale Ops.

The story turns to 1943, when Niki, who speaks eight languages, manages to get herself assigned to a Morale Ops team in Algiers. A few years earlier, Niki tried unsuccessfully to convince her parents and beloved young brother Pasha to leave Czechoslovakia with her as the Nazis were moving to annex the country.

Niki's team is soon sent to Rome during the last few years of the war and Niki hopes that she can get assigned closer to her home country where she can find out what has happened to her family. In the meantime, Niki uses her brains and creativity to find ways that Morale Ops can convince German soldiers and citizens that Hitler is losing the war and they should turn against him.

I liked Niki's creativity and her out-of-the-box thinking, even if it skirts military rules. Sometimes her ideas backfire, and when they do, she gets the blame. When her ideas succeed, her partner Will get the credit and promotions that she deserves.

Niki is brilliant, headstrong, and a terrible driver. She encourages a local Italian housewife-turned-prostitute Paloma to help her with some of her plans, and when her sister-in-law Moggy turns up (possibly to spy on Niki for Nicki's husband), Moggy becomes involved in as well.

Niki is based on the real life of Barbara Lauwers, and some of the operations in the story (code names Sauerkraut, Cornflakes, and Monte Rosa) actually happened. Gable brings her characters to vivid life, especially the women, and she gives Niki a great sense of humor. (Niki calls the O.S.S. "a hodgepodge of army castoffs and every rich family's one stupid son.")

I didn't know much about Rome after the Nazis were driven from there, and found Gable's description of it and the Morale Ops fascinating. If you are a reader of Susan Elia MacNeal's wonderful Maggie Hope WWII series, as I am, The Lipstick Bureau is a must-read.

Thanks to Harlequin for putting me on Michelle Gable's tour. show less

Fascinating! Even without a war, a mystery, a murder, or spies, this was a captivating novel based on actual people during a not-so-long-ago time period where the characters’ names are still familiar to many of today’s readers: Jackie Kennedy, Lilly Pulitzer, Wendy Vanderbilt, and iconic photographer Slim Aarons.

Inserting fictional Margo Hightower into the world of Palm Beach society during the 1960s, author Michelle Gable gives readers a glimpse of the jet set from the perspective of an show more “everywoman.” Margo considers herself a failed debutante after her boyfriend calls off their engagement, her family is involved in scandal, and she is left with almost no money and no moneymaking skills. Thanks to a friend who convinces photographer Slim Aarons to hire Margo as his assistant, the premise had me settled in to read a guilty pleasure. And I was not disappointed.

Slim is famous for his photos capturing high society, royalty, and Hollywood stars in their habitat. Against the backdrop of the photo shoots, Margo “becomes swept up in the city’s social circle – and into a friendship with heiress and rising fashion designer Lilly Pulitzer.” (taken from the book jacket).

In addition to the recounting of Lilly Pulitzer’s ascent to resort-wear fame and photographer Slim Aarons’ career as photographer to the rich and famous, Gable shows the life behind the façade of last century’s privileged class. Seen through Margo’s somewhat naïve eyes, the novel is a page-turner that offers many thought-provoking topics and would make a great book club read. show less

This is the fictional story of Niki Novotna, born in Czechoslovakia, inspired by the life of real-life WII spy Barbara Lauwers.

Niki isn’t a particularly likable person. She is a shoot-from-the-hip type of person and acts without thinking of the consequences, especially to those around her. But I did like her creativity and her passion. Despite minimal resources, her team of artists and forgers was successful.

It is obvious that Gable did much research for this novel. I enjoyed reading show more about the propaganda tactics used in WWII. These tactics proved to be successful in helping bring an end to the war. Niki, being multilingual, creates fake stories and distributes propaganda to lower the morale of enemy soldiers.

While the story is set mostly in Italy, Niki is trying to locate her brother fighting in Czechoslovakia. There is little written about what was going on in Czechoslovakia during the war, so I found the references to it very interesting.

I enjoyed the chapters written from Paloma’s viewpoint. Paloma, a prostitute, befriends Niki. It is from Paloma that we learn what WWII life is like for the people of Italy.

The book is also a love story, a story of friendship, and a story of survival. The ending was predictable, but I enjoyed the journey the book took me on. It had its exciting moments that had me on the edge of my seat.

I recommend this book to historical fiction fans. show less

What a surprise this book is! I borrowed the audiobook from SimplyE, thinking it would be a delightful, romantic romp through Paris and what I call a “popcorn read.” Something light and fluffy that I can consume quickly and greatly enjoy.

To my great surprise, A Paris Apartment was not a popcorn read. It was nuanced and detailed, containing mysteries all throughout that didn’t unfold or resolve in two pages, so it kept the reader wondering.

The main character, April, had a lot of show more baggage, quirks and issues. She wasn’t always likable. I find that important in a book, because rarely do we ever like or agree or sympathize 100-percent with someone in real life. It makes for a more realistic character, in my humble opinion.

The mysteries and family drama that unfolds in this book is CRAZY. It had me shouting updates to my roommate, who periodically tuned into the audiobook by default. :)

I spent a fair amount of time googling names I didn’t know, to find that they were real people! The author clearly did a ton of research for this book.

For example, did you know that fartiste was a real profession? It’s a professional farter. I can’t believe that I’ve only just heard of that for the first time!

Also, if you really want to be immersed in the book, buy some cheese and champagne, because those staples get mentioned. A lot. And now I crave a cheese platter.

Really enjoyable read and jaunt through Parisian history and a Parisian family, through the good, the bad and the laide. show less