I didn’t feel the chemistry in either of the romances. Adèle and Theo had almost no time together. I know war raises the stakes and speeds up the timeline in many relationships, but it seems they jumped from acquaintances to soulmates within a few pages. It was clear they were interested in each other, but everything moved way too quickly in too short a time to make their outcome believable. Chloé and Etienne were almost the opposite. They felt so much like awkward acquaintances who didn’t particularly like each other. Every interaction ends in a disagreement or misunderstanding, so I was genuinely surprised when it became clear they were supposed to be love interests. They spend so much time together for seemingly no reason – their relationship truly baffled me.

I didn’t know anything about Coco Chanel, so her actions during the war were news to me. With the author’s note at the end, I found the narrative to be a balanced telling of the known information. I don’t think you necessarily have to be interested in fashion to find how notable historical figures survived during the war interesting. And say what you will about Chanel; she is undoubtedly a notable historical figure.

I love when historical fiction builds a world around a well-known figure, and this was done incredibly well in The Dressmaker’s Secret. Though there were a few hiccups, I very much enjoyed this read.