The Lipstick Bureau
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: Despite the brief synopsis, this book came in at 464 pages. While the intrigue of reading about spies captured my interest sadly this book was just mediocre in its delivery. There was nothing in the unfolding of the main character's life that compelled me to truly care what happened. Niki was a seemingly intelligent woman who didn't feel like the rules applied to her. She sought ways to accomplish her mission and that was that. Niki had a brash, devil may care attitude. She exhibited an overwhelming amount of tenacity for the propaganda she helped create and the means by which her and the rest of the team resorted to delivering it to their target audience.
Did Niki and her husband truly marry for love? There was never enough backstory developed to provide clarification. Did Niki's family survive? As the author insinuated that perhaps they weren't the most honest of people I truly was left indifferent. The team itself seemed more like a hodgepodge of misfits rather than a secret branch of the OSS. The destined to happen but didn't need to happen relationship between Niki and Will didn't contribute anything to the story. As far as Niki's sister in law Moggy well, I'm not sure what her role was at all.
I received a copy of this title via NetGalley.
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