The Dress Thief

Thank you for stopping by today!  It is another hot day in Florida.  My dog, Doozy led me on a little chase this morning.  I was bringing in a large package off the front porch and he escaped (I took too long).  I was lucky enough to have some peanut butter cookies on hand to bribe him back into the house!  For a big dog, Doozy is very fast.  Just when I thought I had broke him of the habit of escaping.  You should have seen the big grin on his face!

I have just finished the novel called The Dress Thief by Natalie Meg Evans.  Alix Gower is living in Paris, France during the 1930’s.  She lives with her grandmother, Danielle.  They were living in England, but her grandmother no longer felt safe (she is Jewish).  She persisted until Alix agreed to go to Paris (talk about going from the frying pan to the fire).  Alix works as a telephone operator, but in order to make more money (living in Paris is more expensive than London) Alix starts stealing designs.  Alix has a good memory and an eye for fashion.  Her friend, Paul le Gal showed her how to pirate designs (for a cut of the take).  Paul then gives them to his contact.  The designs are then cheaply reproduced in America.  Alix does not enjoy this line of work, but she does not know how else to earn the extra money they need.

Alix was lucky to get a good education thanks to Jean-Yves, Comte de Charembourg.  He is a friend of the family and knew her grandfather.  Alix thinks there is more to the story, but she cannot get answers.  When Alix gets fired from the telephone exchange, Paul’s contact gets her an interview with Maison Javier.  Alix loves his designs.  Alix gets the job, but she does not like stealing designs from Javier.  But with their rent being raised (thanks to world’s fair), she does not have a choice.  Then someone starts threatening Alix.  She is attacked and is given a message for Comte de Charembourg.  Someone is blackmailing the Comte for money.  What did he do?  Until he pays up they are threatening Alix and those he cares about (the blackmailer must know more about the relationship between Alix and the Comte than Alix does). 

Verrian Haviland is the second son of an English noble and a journalist.  He has been reporting on the Spanish Civil War when he had to leave Spain quickly.  Verrian and Alix are destined to meet from the minute he needs help with a phone call (before she gets fired from the telephone exchange).   Can they work out their differences to be together?  Will Alix get caught pirating designs? Who is behind the blackmail?

I give The Dress Thief 4 out of 5 stars.  It is a good story, but a little long (the length of one and a half books).  There are also parts that I felt could have been eliminated or were not needed for the story.  The book does contain drugs, excessive alcohol drinking, and sex.  I enjoyed reading about the fashion industry during the 1930’s.  The fashions during that period were so beautiful with exquisite details.  All the work that goes into making a collection and then someone steals your designs!  I did enjoy the mystery in the book (the blackmail).  The person behind it was obvious, but I enjoyed following the clues to find the culprit.  The Dress Thief is out today!

I received a complimentary copy of The Dress Thief in exchange for an honest review.  The review and opinions expressed are my own.

I am currently reading The Witch of Bourbon Street by Suzanne Palmieri (it starts off very slow).  I am off to run some errands.  Have a lovely afternoon and stay safe.  Happy Reading! 

Kris

The Avid Reader