The Lipstick Bureau

 

The Lipstick Bureau

By: Michelle Gable

Genre: Historical Fiction

Summary:

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…   ---bn.com

Let me start by saying how much I loved Niki!! She was a spunky, fun, determined character who marched to the beat of her own drum whenever others wanted to keep playing the same old song. She wasn't afraid to think outside of the box to get her missions accomplished. Michelle Gable gave me numerous characters to enjoy, but Niki was my favorite. 

Niki is placed in the MO (Morale Operations) unit of the O.S.S. (Office of Strategic Services). Her unit's job is to deal with black propaganda to spread to the enemy. Niki comes up with creative ways to accomplish this task. She pushed boundaries to get the job done. It was fascinating to see what plan she would come up with next and then how it would unfold. Despite her unit being underestimated, underfunded and under everything, she was able to get the results needed. Through a fake newspaper to luring enemy soldiers with the false promise of companionship to even convincing hundreds to dessert their posts. You get to read it all happen. 

I will warn you that this book is a chunky boy. It comes in at over 450 pages, so be prepared to invest time. But you won't be disappointed. As each page is turned and the story unfolds, you'll see the heart behind Niki's drive. You'll see the effect of having to leave her family behind and them later choosing not to leave has had on her. It will, ultimately, drive her to cross lines and push boundaries in the hopes of getting closer to the brother she hasn't been able to locate. Within the book, you get a look at World War II from a rarely seen perspective. 

While The Lipstick Bureau isn't going to leave you on the edge of your seat anticipating what will happen next, you will be glued to the characters. You will connect with the MO team players. You'll be routing for them. This book kept showing me the heart of Niki- in all the different facets. From start to finish you always see how her love of her family drove her decisions- both during the war and after it. 

Michelle Gable has been a favorite author of mine for years. Yet again, she tells a story you get immersed in and become fascinated with. I found the end a little abrupt, but the story grips you from the get go and keeps you until the end, so any ending may have been abrupt. I spent a weekend hanging out with Niki and the MO unit and I enjoyed it.