The Lipstick Bureau: A Novel of World War II
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- Create Date：2023-01-03 11:21:35
- Update Date：2025-09-06
- Status：finish
- Author：Michelle Gable
- ISBN：B09Y3XXXXL
- Environment：PC/Android/iPhone/iPad/Kindle
Reviews
Betty
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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 person and acts without thinking of the consequences， especially to those around her。 But I did like her creativity and her passion。 Despite very limited resources， her team of artists and forgers were successful。It is obvious that Gable did a lot of research for this novel。 I enjoyed reading abo 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 person and acts without thinking of the consequences， especially to those around her。 But I did like her creativity and her passion。 Despite very limited resources， her team of artists and forgers were successful。It is obvious that Gable did a lot of research for this novel。 I enjoyed reading 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。 。。。more
Kathy
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I read this book in one weekend and didn't want to put it down。 Gable presents the realities of war alongside the personalities and desires of the main characters。 Survival is the name of the game and it's not always predictable or pretty。 Historical fiction fans will enjoy a glimpse into how propaganda works and the OSS。 An excellent Book Club selection for the many moral and ethical discussion points。 This is the first book I have read by Gable and it won't be the last。 Full review at http://p I read this book in one weekend and didn't want to put it down。 Gable presents the realities of war alongside the personalities and desires of the main characters。 Survival is the name of the game and it's not always predictable or pretty。 Historical fiction fans will enjoy a glimpse into how propaganda works and the OSS。 An excellent Book Club selection for the many moral and ethical discussion points。 This is the first book I have read by Gable and it won't be the last。 Full review at http://pennyformythoughts-nona。blogsp。。。 。。。more
Booksandcoffeemx
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𝘎𝘳𝘪𝘱𝘱𝘪𝘯𝘨， 𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘳𝘪𝘨𝘶𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘧𝘢𝘴𝘤𝘪𝘯𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨！What a way to start my year。 I love historical fiction and this story was simply fantastic。 Inspired by a real-life female WWII spy this book was captivating， mesmerizing and impossible to put down。 Loved it。Thank you HTP Books for this gifted copy。𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗟𝗶𝗽𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗸 𝗕𝘂𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘂 by Michelle Gable released December 27， 2022。https://www。instagram。com/booksandcof。。。 𝘎𝘳𝘪𝘱𝘱𝘪𝘯𝘨， 𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘳𝘪𝘨𝘶𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘧𝘢𝘴𝘤𝘪𝘯𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨！What a way to start my year。 I love historical fiction and this story was simply fantastic。 Inspired by a real-life female WWII spy this book was captivating， mesmerizing and impossible to put down。 Loved it。Thank you HTP Books for this gifted copy。𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗟𝗶𝗽𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗸 𝗕𝘂𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘂 by Michelle Gable released December 27， 2022。https://www。instagram。com/booksandcof。。。 。。。more
Stephanie
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⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️The Lipstick Bureau by Michelle GableThis book is loosely based off the life and experiences of Barbara Lauwers a Czech native who worked for the OSS （now known as the CIA） during WWII。 Nikki Novotna is sent to Italy with the brand new spay agency to help break down the moral of the Nazi solders。 This is the first time propaganda was used this way in warfare and Nikki breaks many rules along the way。 With the help of German POW’s they deliver letters and flyers to influence the connectio ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️The Lipstick Bureau by Michelle GableThis book is loosely based off the life and experiences of Barbara Lauwers a Czech native who worked for the OSS （now known as the CIA） during WWII。 Nikki Novotna is sent to Italy with the brand new spay agency to help break down the moral of the Nazi solders。 This is the first time propaganda was used this way in warfare and Nikki breaks many rules along the way。 With the help of German POW’s they deliver letters and flyers to influence the connection the Nazis have to Hilter。 As the war drags on they see positive results from their efforts。 As the war came to an end Nikki learns of her family’s fate and is honored with the Bronze Star for her heroic efforts。 This was an interesting read。 I love learning about the women’s role during WWII。 Thanks to Grayson House and NetGalley for this ARC。 。。。more
Shannon
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This was fantastic！ I was provided an ARC via the publisher and Netgalley， all opinions are my own。 Thank you to Graydon House Books for the opportunity to read this fascinating book！ This was released on December， 27， 2022。 Full disclosure I swapped between the arc and the final published version of the audiobook on hoopla。 The audiobook is fabulous， the narrator did a wonderful job voices the different characters。This historical fiction is inspired by real events and real people during WWII。 T This was fantastic！ I was provided an ARC via the publisher and Netgalley， all opinions are my own。 Thank you to Graydon House Books for the opportunity to read this fascinating book！ This was released on December， 27， 2022。 Full disclosure I swapped between the arc and the final published version of the audiobook on hoopla。 The audiobook is fabulous， the narrator did a wonderful job voices the different characters。This historical fiction is inspired by real events and real people during WWII。 The author does a nice job in the author's note explaining who was inspired by a real person， and who was fictional and what events she altered for the purposes of the book。 I always appreciate when an author takes the time to do thorough research and point out that they took some liberties with the facts to make the plot work。 This follows Niki， a well educated woman originally from Czechoslovakia who has been recruited to a secret government agency。 She wants to be a spy， but finds herself in a much different branch of the war machine。 She is hoping to use her contacts within the government， namely her husband George， to find out information about her family who stayed behind in Czechoslovakia。 While stationed in Rome with a rag-tag group， Niki is assigned to create "fake news" to lower the morale of the enemy。 They don't have much in the way of resources， so they are tasked with getting the job done in creative ways。 Niki bends and even breaks a few rules to achieve the mission。 Her work and her life are full of secrets， some of which may ruin her。This is told in an interesting style。 It alternates between the 1940's during Niki's service with the OSS when she was stationed in Algiers and Rome， then it switches to 1989 during a dinner honoring the women of the OSS which Niki attends with her daughter。 We also have another POV which is told from an Italian "working woman" named Paloma whom Niki befriends and employs during her time in Rome。 Paloma is being interviewed during her chapters， but the reason is not revealed until much later in the book。 Normally I'm not a fan of alternating timelines but it really works here。 While at the dinner， Niki has to face secrets she's kept from her daughter for many years。 Paloma's chapters reveal information that we otherwise wouldn't have known。 This is perfect for fans of Alice Quinn's The Alice Network。 I loved it。 I loved getting to know Niki and Will and the rest of their gang。 Paloma's character was a nice addition to remind us that a war was still going on， and that the Allies did not solve everything instantly by defeating the Germans。 。。。more
Dave
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Niki works for the OSS （now the CIA） in Rome during the last few years of WWII。 Historical fiction based on the life of agent Barbara Lauwers。
Sue
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This new book by Michelle Gable gives a perspective of WWII that is different from many of the books about this era。 The book is based on a the work done by the OSS Morale Operations department that was based in Rome near the end of the war。 Their job was to create so-called black propaganda to create confusion and loss of morale in the German armies。 The main character in this book is loosely based on the experiences of Barbara Lauwers， a Czech native who married an American and emigrated to th This new book by Michelle Gable gives a perspective of WWII that is different from many of the books about this era。 The book is based on a the work done by the OSS Morale Operations department that was based in Rome near the end of the war。 Their job was to create so-called black propaganda to create confusion and loss of morale in the German armies。 The main character in this book is loosely based on the experiences of Barbara Lauwers， a Czech native who married an American and emigrated to the US in 1941。 Nikola left her home to marry an American in 1941。 Her goal was to find out what happened to the family that she left behind and she believed that if she became part of OSS， she would have a good chance to getting to Czechoslovak to find her parents and her brother。 She's assigned to the Morale Operations department in Rome to help create negative information to reduce the morale of the German soldiers。 The department is filled with a strange cast of characters and no one is really overlooking their plans。 Nikola was a person who would sooner do something now and if it comes to light， then to ask forgiveness。 When there were no airplanes available to drop the negative information behind enemy lines， she came up with a plan to use German pow's to carry the information to areas where the troops would see them。 She was reckless enough not to care that using pow's was not allowed via the Geneva convention。 In some cases， her plans caused great danger to the people who were disseminating the information。I found the background of the story very new and informative to me。 The story was told by Nikola in 1989 as she told the story of her life during WWII。 I never really connected to Nikola - I thought that she was too invested in breaking the roles so that her ideas could be used。 She was treated poorly by the higher ranked officers because she was a woman。Overall， I enjoyed this book because I learned things that I had never read before about the negative propaganda。 I didn't really like the Nikola of the 1940s and she was much more likable in the part of her story in 1989。Be sure to read the author's notes at the end of the book to find out additional information about the OSS and the real people that the fictional characters were based on。 。。。more
Corinna Ward
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I really enjoyed this book。 It was well written and kept me engaged throughout。 Knowing it is losely based on a true story is all the more reason to be drawn into the story。
Becky Baldridge
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The Lipstick Bureau is a captivating story inspired by the life of Barbara Lauwers。 It's a loose interpretation， but there's no denying that Michelle Gable did her research。 Niki is a bit of a rebel， and she breaks more than her fair share of rules。 I think that side of her is a big part of what made her so intriguing。 A lot of the story takes place in flashbacks， but it's easy to separate past and present （or present for the characters， anyway）。 I'm not always fond of that style， but it works f The Lipstick Bureau is a captivating story inspired by the life of Barbara Lauwers。 It's a loose interpretation， but there's no denying that Michelle Gable did her research。 Niki is a bit of a rebel， and she breaks more than her fair share of rules。 I think that side of her is a big part of what made her so intriguing。 A lot of the story takes place in flashbacks， but it's easy to separate past and present （or present for the characters， anyway）。 I'm not always fond of that style， but it works for this book， and it's easy to follow the timeline。 The book is well written， and the characters and their story held my attention from start to finish。 If you enjoy WWII era fiction， I'd recommend this one。 。。。more
Ellen
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Based on real events， the book told the story of Rome close to the end of WWII。 Niki is a Czechoslovakian woman who escapes the Nazis and marries an American man。 Able to understand many languages， Niki becomes part of the MO division of the OSS， a division dedicated to providing propaganda to the German troops to encourage them to desert and lower morale。 The book also has chapters of Niki attending a luncheon commemorating the work of the women in the OSS， with her daughter， who was surprised Based on real events， the book told the story of Rome close to the end of WWII。 Niki is a Czechoslovakian woman who escapes the Nazis and marries an American man。 Able to understand many languages， Niki becomes part of the MO division of the OSS， a division dedicated to providing propaganda to the German troops to encourage them to desert and lower morale。 The book also has chapters of Niki attending a luncheon commemorating the work of the women in the OSS， with her daughter， who was surprised to learn about the bravery and sacrifices her Mom made during the war， The story was illuminating， and the characters， particularly Ezra， Will and Moggy， enhanced the story。 I recommend this book for historical fiction fans。 Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC。 。。。more
Mischa
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Niki jsem neměla skoro vůbec ráda， ale pohled Palomy mi to i celkem vynahrazoval – především proto， že z jejího pohledu autorka dávala čtenáři najevo， že Niki ani nemá být úplně tak sympatická – ohledně mnoha věcí je ignorantská， a ve snaze dosáhnout svého jde někdy přes mrtvoly。 Mnohem více mě ale frustrovalo dost věcí týkajících se toho， že byla Niki z Československa – celou knihu jsem si říkala， že pokud by ji autorka dala přečíst jen jednomu – jednomu！ – českému čtenáři， hned by kniha vypada Niki jsem neměla skoro vůbec ráda， ale pohled Palomy mi to i celkem vynahrazoval – především proto， že z jejího pohledu autorka dávala čtenáři najevo， že Niki ani nemá být úplně tak sympatická – ohledně mnoha věcí je ignorantská， a ve snaze dosáhnout svého jde někdy přes mrtvoly。 Mnohem více mě ale frustrovalo dost věcí týkajících se toho， že byla Niki z Československa – celou knihu jsem si říkala， že pokud by ji autorka dala přečíst jen jednomu – jednomu！ – českému čtenáři， hned by kniha vypadala jinak。 Vzhledem k nesprávnému popisu hry během scény， kdy postavy hrají tenis， jsem navíc začala uvažovat， že kdoví， kolik dalších věcí má autorka v knize špatně， mimo， nebo pro „místního“ opět zvláštně （třeba fráze v cizích jazycích）， ale kterých si nemusím být vědoma。 。。。more
"Avonna
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Check out all my reviews at: https://www。avonnalovesgenres。comTHE LIPSTICK BUREAU by Michelle Gable is a historical fiction story loosely based on a real female spy during WWII working for the fledgling OSS （Office of Strategic Services） later to become the CIA。 I loved the premise and the extensive historical research， but the characters never hooked me emotionally， the writing at times seemed disjointed and the pace was slow。 I really wish the characters had been more developed and intrigued m Check out all my reviews at: https://www。avonnalovesgenres。comTHE LIPSTICK BUREAU by Michelle Gable is a historical fiction story loosely based on a real female spy during WWII working for the fledgling OSS （Office of Strategic Services） later to become the CIA。 I loved the premise and the extensive historical research， but the characters never hooked me emotionally， the writing at times seemed disjointed and the pace was slow。 I really wish the characters had been more developed and intrigued me as much as the plot regarding U。S。 political propaganda developed and distributed during the war to undermine the Nazi Party and Hitler。 I feel I would have enjoyed this story much more if it had been an actual biography of the fictionalized main characters。 The history and information surrounding the OSS and Department of Morale Operations was the reason I continued reading this book to the end。 。。。more
Dawn
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The Lipstick Bureau was a miss for me。 It was very hard for me to be engaged with the characters。 I was so excited about the description and the cover， but the story left me confused。 I usually can get into World War II books， but this one was dragging me down。Thank you to Michelle Gable， NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for allowing me to read this book in exchange for an honest review。
Brenda
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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 newl 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。This is a good book。 I haven't read a book by this author before and I'm not sure if I will read her again。I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher and NetGalley。 This in no way affects my opinion of this book which I read and reviewed voluntarily。 。。。more
Sharon
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3。5/5 starsI struggled with the pacing of this book， for a good 2/3， （if not 3/4 or more） of the story， and without any real insight or reason to care about the main character， Niki。 The transitions between modern day， the POV of an Italian prostitute， and the WWII story involving Niki， Will， and the other OSS members， were often awkward。 I did not know who the Italian woman was or why I needed to care， for far longer than I should have。 The plot was a lot of gnashing of teeth and waiting and co 3。5/5 starsI struggled with the pacing of this book， for a good 2/3， （if not 3/4 or more） of the story， and without any real insight or reason to care about the main character， Niki。 The transitions between modern day， the POV of an Italian prostitute， and the WWII story involving Niki， Will， and the other OSS members， were often awkward。 I did not know who the Italian woman was or why I needed to care， for far longer than I should have。 The plot was a lot of gnashing of teeth and waiting and complaining， it felt， so I needed to care about the characters。 Niki was frequently too impatient and frenetic to get a real feel for the character。 It's not about likable， but I needed a reason to care。 The snapshots in the modern day with her daughter， gave me glimpses and kept me going。 Will was also drawn as forgettable and dimwitted for so long， that I was impatient reading about him。 Then suddenly it all switched and I cared。 Suddenly Niki and Will had a story and there was emotion， and I was carried to the end in the last part of the book - maybe last 20%？ That's too long to wait， though I loved that last 20%。 I almost DNF'd but chose to plow through and it did pay off at the end。 It left me wondering what did I miss that suddenly these characters were fully drawn？ Sadly， I don't think I missed anything， but it was at the end that the author found her stride。 I wish it had been this way for the whole book。 I think the darkness that Niki is dealing with wondering if her family is alive and then learning later how they survived the war， was an interesting and important theme。 However， it was really only at the end that characters and themes felt developed for me。 The ending was emotional， poignant， and fitting。I appreciated a view on WWII in Italy， but I don't think I learned much new。 The limited info on Czechoslovakia （the Czech Republic， as it is now known） was minimal。 For as much as it was important to Niki's motivation， I had hoped to learn more about the war there。 I hope the released book has a good author's note， as historical fiction readers， myself included， often want to know more about locations， events， and resources to do more reading。 Please try to include that in ARCs if possible。 They often add more context that can improve the experience and the story after reading。I read an e-ARC provided by the publisher via NetGalley。 All opinions are my own。 。。。more
Reeca Elliott
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Niki finds herself working for the OSS， the new American spy agency。 She is multilingual and she is assigned to the propaganda division。 They are in charge of crafting stories to lower the morale of enemy soldiers。 She is hoping this unique job will help her find out more about the family she left behind in Czechoslovakia。 But the war just keeps dragging on and she continues to find herself in unique and dangerous situations。This story started strong but it is very fragmented。 There are lots of Niki finds herself working for the OSS， the new American spy agency。 She is multilingual and she is assigned to the propaganda division。 They are in charge of crafting stories to lower the morale of enemy soldiers。 She is hoping this unique job will help her find out more about the family she left behind in Czechoslovakia。 But the war just keeps dragging on and she continues to find herself in unique and dangerous situations。This story started strong but it is very fragmented。 There are lots of characters with a viewpoint and it is hard to tell who is doing the actual narrating in places。 I did enjoy the aspect that it is based on facts。 This did have me researching。 And I love a story which has me learning。 But， it is just too disjointed to keep me as captivated as I like to be。Need a good story based on facts in WWII…THIS IS IT！ Grab your copy today。I received this novel from the publisher for a honest review。 。。。more
Davida Chazan
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The OSS during WWII did some very interesting stuff。 One of them was to try to use propaganda against Nazi soldiers so they'd defect or give themselves up to the Allies。 This novel is about the group of people who made and distributed that propaganda。 You can find my full #bookreview on my blog here https://tcl-bookreviews。com/2022/12/2。。。 The OSS during WWII did some very interesting stuff。 One of them was to try to use propaganda against Nazi soldiers so they'd defect or give themselves up to the Allies。 This novel is about the group of people who made and distributed that propaganda。 You can find my full #bookreview on my blog here https://tcl-bookreviews。com/2022/12/2。。。 。。。more
Annarella
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This is an intriguing stories as it's based on the life of a historical character and talks about a less known page of the WWII。I knew there was a lot of propaganda and that people of the nazi occupied area were target with selected and manipulated communications。 Something similar is happening now even if we call it fake news。As I'm Italian i learned something new about how the Allies worked in Italy and it was interesting and gripping。I loved Niki because se never stop fighting for what she wa This is an intriguing stories as it's based on the life of a historical character and talks about a less known page of the WWII。I knew there was a lot of propaganda and that people of the nazi occupied area were target with selected and manipulated communications。 Something similar is happening now even if we call it fake news。As I'm Italian i learned something new about how the Allies worked in Italy and it was interesting and gripping。I loved Niki because se never stop fighting for what she wants and never gives up and stop searching for a better life。 She's clever， shrewd， and ruthless but she's also a woman who can love and trust。The cast of characters is interesting and the plot is intriguing and gripping。 I couldn't put it down and was moved by some parts。An excellent， well researched and well written story that i strongly recommend。Many thanks to Graydon House for this arc， all opinions are mine 。。。more
Margaret
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This is a lighter WWII novel about a branch of the OSS。。。“Morale Operations“。 It is loosely based on the life of Barbara Lauwers and includes some humour and romance。 While the story itself is okay but not amazing， my real enjoyment came from learning about the existence of the group and the creative and effective work they undertook and that makes it a worthy read。 Also I loved the characters of Moggy and Ezra。 3。5/5 stars。
Rose
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Really well-written。 I was entranced by the characters and love story。 Some aspects of the story dragged for me but otherwise， I enjoyed the story。
Deborah
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I always enjoy reading about important ways women assisted in WW II and this is such a story。 The characters are likeable and interesting。
Darla
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Happy pub day to this enlightening read。 Michelle Gable tells the story of the Office of Strategic Services （OSS） and predecessor to the CIA。 Using dual timelines in 1989 and 1944， we find out the role our main character Niki played as a woman serving in Italy。 Her assignment was to a unit that produced black propaganda in an effort to weaken the morale of the German troops and bring an end to the war。 She came up with the controversial idea of utilizing German POW volunteers to help deliver the Happy pub day to this enlightening read。 Michelle Gable tells the story of the Office of Strategic Services （OSS） and predecessor to the CIA。 Using dual timelines in 1989 and 1944， we find out the role our main character Niki played as a woman serving in Italy。 Her assignment was to a unit that produced black propaganda in an effort to weaken the morale of the German troops and bring an end to the war。 She came up with the controversial idea of utilizing German POW volunteers to help deliver the propaganda into enemy territory as planes were not available。 They gave their varied waves of information a name and I think my favorite was Project Cornflake where they used an ordinance which required mail to be delivered by all citizens who found it and sent their materials right into people's homes to read over their morning cereal。 Their work was not for the faint of heart。 It was an uphill battle without clear results as a measuring stick。 Alternating between the two timelines helped to break up the heaviness of the past narrative while continuing to shed light on the work that was done。 There is a third POV -- an Italian prostitute named Paloma。 That did not work so well for me as that storyline was quite cryptic at times。 Overall， though， this is a fascinating tale and based on a real-life spy named Barbara Lauwers。 Michelle Gables includes an extensive bibliography for those who want to find out more about this aspect of WW II。Thank you to Harlequin and NetGalley for a DRC in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
Alexandria Gunn
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Thank you to NetGalley for the free copy of this book in return for an honest review。I was excited to read this being a fan of the genre and of Michelle Gable's other books。 She certainly does her research， and that showed with this。Sadly， it wasn't what I expected， though。 The storyline was predictable and I couldn't connect to either of the two lead characters in the story。 Niki turned me off immediately and I found it hard to even care about her considering how little she seemed to care about Thank you to NetGalley for the free copy of this book in return for an honest review。I was excited to read this being a fan of the genre and of Michelle Gable's other books。 She certainly does her research， and that showed with this。Sadly， it wasn't what I expected， though。 The storyline was predictable and I couldn't connect to either of the two lead characters in the story。 Niki turned me off immediately and I found it hard to even care about her considering how little she seemed to care about anyone else around her unless they could help her find her family in Europe。There was nothing to make me fear for anyone's safety in this。 I could have done without the 1989 part of the story as that made it clear Niki survived。 I wanted to be left in the dark about that。 。。。more
Susan
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I really wanted to love THE LIPSTICK BUREAU by Michelle Gable。 I’ve read her twice before and both times were most enjoyable。 Everything about this book’s synopsis and cover appealed to me， so I don’t know what happened！ Well， yes I do。 I had a very hard time getting into this story， it just felt very disjointed。 I couldn’t really connect with any of the characters and the story。 THE LIPSTICK BUREAU is a World War II-era historical fiction loosely based on a true story。Overall， THE LIPSTICK BURE I really wanted to love THE LIPSTICK BUREAU by Michelle Gable。 I’ve read her twice before and both times were most enjoyable。 Everything about this book’s synopsis and cover appealed to me， so I don’t know what happened！ Well， yes I do。 I had a very hard time getting into this story， it just felt very disjointed。 I couldn’t really connect with any of the characters and the story。 THE LIPSTICK BUREAU is a World War II-era historical fiction loosely based on a true story。Overall， THE LIPSTICK BUREAU is a book I can say， is just a bit too long。 It is the story of Niki Novotna， a fictionalized version of famed WWII spy Barbara Lauwers。 I enjoyed the story with all the history but I didn’t love it。 Niki’s backstory was interesting， but I didn’t really connect with her in any way。 There is usually so much heart in Michelle’s writing that I am very sad that I did not love this one like the previous two I have read。 I am still looking forward to reading Ms。 Gable’s previous books that I haven’t gotten to yet as well as her future ones。I received a complimentary copy of this book from Graydon House-Harlequin through Netgalley。 All opinions expressed are my own and were voluntarily given。 。。。more
Pam Masters
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3。25 stars rounded down to 3I want to thank Graydon House， Harlequin Trade Publishing， and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an advanced copy of The Lipstick Bureau。 All opinions presented here are solely mine。The Lipstick Bureau is a World War II-era historical fiction loosely based on a true story。 Many of the events in the report are ones that occurred。 Some of the characters are people who served in the Rome office during the war。 Overall， the story dragged for me。 The book is over 450 p 3。25 stars rounded down to 3I want to thank Graydon House， Harlequin Trade Publishing， and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an advanced copy of The Lipstick Bureau。 All opinions presented here are solely mine。The Lipstick Bureau is a World War II-era historical fiction loosely based on a true story。 Many of the events in the report are ones that occurred。 Some of the characters are people who served in the Rome office during the war。 Overall， the story dragged for me。 The book is over 450 pages long， which is honestly 100 pages too long。 There are random time jumps between 1944/1945 and 1989。 The parts of the story set in 1989 did not feel like they belonged in the story。 Honestly， they could have been condensed into a prologue and an epilogue。Another issue I had with the book was the inclusion of Paloma's side of the story。 It left me confused while reading， unsure of who the narrator was at points。 The narrator's name was given at the start of the chapter， but the voices were similar。 And honestly， I didn't see the point of Paloma's side of the story。If you enjoy reading World War II-era historical fiction， you may enjoy reading The Lipstick Bureau。 。。。more
Lisa Wetzel
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The Lipstick Bureau by Michelle Gable is an intriguing WWII historical fiction book。 I really enjoyed this one， it is based on true characters and occurrences。 It is told in dual timelines and multiple point of views。 This one took a few chapters for me…。I must say I was going to stop reading it， but then it kicked and really pulled me into it！ There is suspense， secrets， betrayal， lies and even some romance。 The author’s note was very helpful at the end。 If you enjoy WWII historical fiction the The Lipstick Bureau by Michelle Gable is an intriguing WWII historical fiction book。 I really enjoyed this one， it is based on true characters and occurrences。 It is told in dual timelines and multiple point of views。 This one took a few chapters for me…。I must say I was going to stop reading it， but then it kicked and really pulled me into it！ There is suspense， secrets， betrayal， lies and even some romance。 The author’s note was very helpful at the end。 If you enjoy WWII historical fiction then this one is for you！Thank you NetGalley， Graydon House， Harlequin Trade Publishing and Michelle Gable for this advanced copy to read and review。 The opinions expressed are my own。#netgalley #thelipstickbureau #graydonhouse#harlequintradepublishing #michellegable #htpinfluencer。 #arc 。。。more
Larissa
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I will be honest this was not my favorite historical World War II novel that I have read this year。 Honestly it was a bit mid-grade。 While I enjoyed Niki， there was nothing about her story that made me feel super connected to her。 The romance in the book was so drawn out， which I respect due to the circumstances around the romance。 The pace was slow， and the story was just very long winded。 I did enjoy that Niki pushed the boundaries and advocated to do things in ways that others would not have I will be honest this was not my favorite historical World War II novel that I have read this year。 Honestly it was a bit mid-grade。 While I enjoyed Niki， there was nothing about her story that made me feel super connected to her。 The romance in the book was so drawn out， which I respect due to the circumstances around the romance。 The pace was slow， and the story was just very long winded。 I did enjoy that Niki pushed the boundaries and advocated to do things in ways that others would not have thought to try。 I feel terrible that she had to keep so many lies straight though。 I will recommend this book to patrons， but it will not be the first book I recommend。tThank you to Harlequin Trade Publishing and Netgalley for allowing me to read an advance copy of this title。 。。。more
Kathleen Gray
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An excellent read about a little known effort during WWII。 Niki， a Czech immigrant with a talent for languages （she speaks 8） and a desire to help the US （and perhaps find her family）， volunteers for what she later learns is the OSS。 What she doesn't realize， at least for a long time， is that her hateful husband George is working for OSS in Bern。 She ends up first in Algeria and then in Rome where she's part of a small group working on Moral Operations， aka propaganda。 She also befriends Paloma， An excellent read about a little known effort during WWII。 Niki， a Czech immigrant with a talent for languages （she speaks 8） and a desire to help the US （and perhaps find her family）， volunteers for what she later learns is the OSS。 What she doesn't realize， at least for a long time， is that her hateful husband George is working for OSS in Bern。 She ends up first in Algeria and then in Rome where she's part of a small group working on Moral Operations， aka propaganda。 She also befriends Paloma， a prostitute who provides her first person perspective on events and becomes， as it turns out， critical to Niki's success。 Her sister in law Moggy （keep your eye on her） turns up in Rome and adds immeasurably to the story which includes a romance with Will， a romance with is constrained for a long time by their mutual respect for their marriages。 There are all sorts of little twists here as the novel moves between the present-as Niki attends a gala for women of the OSS-and WWII。 Do not miss the afterword， which introduces the reader to Barbara Lauwers （and might induce you， like me， to google for more info）。 Gable has created a dynamic， impressive character in Niki， a treat in Paloma， a surprise or two in Moggy。 To be honest， I liked this much more than I expected to= it's a great story。 Thanks to the publisher for the ARC。 Terrific。 。。。more
Chaya
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Great historical fiction tale of a real-life WWII-era spy for the OSS， the precursor of the CIA。 Spreading propaganda is any good agency's job and Niki does it well。The story is engaging and nicely paced。 Great historical fiction tale of a real-life WWII-era spy for the OSS， the precursor of the CIA。 Spreading propaganda is any good agency's job and Niki does it well。The story is engaging and nicely paced。 。。。more
Eva
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