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The Lipstick Bureau  By  cover art

The Lipstick Bureau

By: Michelle Gable
Narrated by: Eleanor Caudill
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Publisher's summary

Inspired by a real-life female spy, a 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…

*Don't miss The Beautiful People, Michelle Gable’s next novel. On sale in April 2024 and available to preorder now!

©2022 Michelle Gable (P)2022 Harlequin Enterprises, Limited

What listeners say about The Lipstick Bureau

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New History Lesson

I love a story that is based on actual people and events. Very well written and a good performance.

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Amazing piece of history!

A great listen! The narrator was perfect! The story, while not 100% true, was exceptional and well worth the listen!

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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Great Story

Loved it could not put the book down Very educational. Loved the author’s work. Bye

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    3 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars

Fairly good

It was a decent story. I’m not sure that I would read it again. But I like books in this genre, so I liked it.

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  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Overall… Pretty good, not great

Although this is a compelling story, the writing is not overly sophisticated. I wish I had realized this was published by Harlequin, as that explains a lot. Characterizations are a little on the simplistic side, and the heroine is not particularly admirable. Furthering the mediocrity, the narrator repeats mispronounces several common words including commandant an armistice. It’s too bad really, as overall she’s pretty good. Probably won’t look for more by this author.

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  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Slow

I found this book to be slow and rambling. Read 1/3 of the book and it still hadn’t picked up.

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Beautiful, complex story.

The Lipstick Bureau provides short chapters and easy to follow plot that will engage romance readers without sacrificing its ability to teach even hardened history buffs a new thing or two about WW2 and Women’s History.

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    2 out of 5 stars
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Just could not enjoy it

I generally love historical fiction about women and WWII, but to me, this one was way off the mark. I debated several times. The characters are not developed enough for me. Apparently, I wasn't paying attention because each chapter is from one of two characters and I didn't catch on until halfway through the book. I see another reviewer stated in their review, that if they had noticed it was published by Harlequin, they would have skipped over this book. I completely concur.

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