The Designer

by Marius Gabriel

Winner of the RNA Historical Romantic Novel of the Year Award.

In 1944, newly married Copper Reilly arrives in Paris soon after the liberation. While the city celebrates its freedom, she’s stuck in the prison of an unhappy marriage. When her husband commits one betrayal too many, Copper demands a separation.

Alone in Paris, she finds an unlikely new an obscure, middle-aged designer from the back rooms of a decaying fashion house whose timid nature and reluctance for fame clash with the bold brilliance of his designs. His name is Christian Dior.

Realising his genius, Copper urges Dior to strike out on his own, helping to pull him away from his insecurities and towards stardom. With just a camera and a typewriter, she takes her own advice and ventures into the wild and colourful world of fashion journalism.

Soon Copper finds herself torn between two very different suitors, questioning who she is and what she truly wants. As the city rebuilds and opulence returns, can Copper make a new, love-filled life for herself?

Genres: Historical Fiction, Fiction, Historical, Romance, Fashion, France, World War II

338 pages, Kindle Edition

First published October 1, 2017

About the author

Marius Gabriel is an international thriller and mystery writer.

Under the pseudonym Madeleine Ker, he wrote over 30 romance novels in the 1980s.

As Marius Gabriel he has written several mystery best-sellers, some of them historical novels.

He has three grown-up children and currently lives in Cairo and London. He is 59.

Reviews

[Magdalena aka A Bookaholic Swede · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was the mentioning of Christian Dior that made me curious to read the book. Well, not only that, but I was intrigued by the fact that the main character, Copper, strikes up a friendship with the well-known fashion designer. A man I know next to nothing about.

The book took me by surprise, at first I thought this would be the usual woman finds herself and has to choose between two men. But, yeah Copper does leave her husband after he has one affair too many, but after that, her life takes a pretty drastic turn as she tries to fulfill her dream as a journalist. Her friendship with Dior is a strong point in her life and I loved how to book introduced all the bohemian artist, painters writers, etc. that are living in Paris at the time. A lot of name dropping (in a good way) and I love how Copper embraces the bohemian world. And, there is love waiting around the corner, two very different people enter her life and both stir feeling inside her. But, who will win her heart? Or rather, will she sacrifice her new-won freedom she gained after her divorce? I was engrossed in the story and I really enjoyed reading about Copper's life in Paris.

The Designer is a fabulous book. I loved reading about Paris after the liberation, how the city slowly tries to return to normal after the occupations. But, there is unrest in the city and collaborators are frowned and often roughly treated.And, the war is yet over. This part of the book, everything going on that concerns the war added a deeper layer to the story. The Germans may have left the city, but the memory of their occupations is a deep wound.

I want to thank the publisher for providing me with a free copy through NetGalley for an honest review!

[Amina Hujdur · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nakon što su me "Parižanke" M.Gabriela oduševile, jedva sam čekala da kod nas bude dostupno stilusovo izdanje Dizajner.

Roman privlačan kao sam Dior, spoj historijske fikcije i razvoja mode u burnom periodu nakon II svj.rata u Francuskoj.
Autentični opisi, vjerodostojna ljubavna fabula i zanimljivo pripovijedanje su odlika i ovog romana.
Glavna junakinja pokušava da pronađe svoje mjesto u francuskom društvu i zaliječi rane od nesretne ljubavi. Da li će je njen bračni krah odvesti u još veci vrtlog strasti saznat ćete u ovom štivu.
Brzo se čita, jer je radnja dinamična i zanimljiva. Od mene topla preporuka 😍

"Niko nikoga ne može zamijeniti. Ljubav nije takva. Možemo voljeti nekoga jednom, a svaka je ljubav veličanstvena na svoj način."

[Dava Stewart · Rating 2 out of 5]

By the time I decided I didn't like this book at all, I was 70% finished. I should have just stopped because that last 30% was just so bad. So. Bad.

The dialog, where it existed was stilted and odd. The characters were flat, as if the author read Wikipedia pages and tried to turn them into stories.

Near the end the MC gives birth and complains that no one warned her it would be terrifying. No one needs that warning. The whole scene is easily the worst birth scene I've read in a long time, and possibly ever.

There are lots of phrases like "spill the beans" and "good job, kid". There is a gay man, a cocaine-addicted prostitute, a lesbian (who is repeatedly described as "athletic" and "strong"), and Hemingway makes a few appearances - all of which are strangely contradictory. It's as if every stereotype of Paris in the 40s had to be represented. Now that I think about it, there should have been at least one black person, a la Josephine Baker.

Unless you are a Dior fanatic, or you love super cheesy historical fiction, there's not much reason to recommend this one. Francophiles might like it for the fact it's set in Paris, but even that's a stretch.

[Pattie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed reading about this time period in Paris and learning more about the early fashion industry.

[Bridget Vollmer · Rating 2 out of 5]

I won this in a GR giveaway in exchange for a review....1 1/2 stars rounded up

I was really disappointed in this as I really wanted to love it. The story felt clunky and disjointed and the characters felt very one dimensional with minimal character development. I would have DNF'd but since I won it in a giveaway I wanted to finish it to see if it got better.

[junia · Rating 1 out of 5]

‘Can’t you be happy for me? At least I’m off the cocaine.’
'Really?’ Copper asked sceptically.
'Well, at least I can afford my own stuff now. I don’t have to go on my knees to Petrus anymore.’
'No, you get other women to do that for you.’
'Don’t lecture me, Copper. You live your life and I’ll live mine, okay?’
'Okay,’ Copper said sadly.


So if you enjoy dialogue like this, enjoy a gorgeous heroine who is just SO beautiful, who earnestly thanks everyone for their kindness, who has a working class background, who experiences major character growth and shifts on warp speed, oh and random cameo appearances of artists, designers, writers, and performers from history, then this book is for you.

Oh and as a bonus, there's also the fake "I want to be free!" mentality.. AND all this good luck. Like WHAT DID SHE HAVE TO ACTUALLY WORK FOR.

Unfortunately despite the glimpses of fashion and history, I don't enjoy following a woman who I guess was supposed to be the muse of Christian Dior as she lives her day to day life. I especially get annoyed when I have no idea of where the book is going and suddenly the plot randomly turns. By a certain, point I was skimming like five seconds a page to figure out the ending and then good riddance.

This book was free for a reason.


But kudos to the author for writing because despite my criticism I can't write a multi-chapter book. So yeah. Good job working hard.

I just read the book description. It's my fault for not reading the whole description. The last sentence should've been a giveaway as to what I would be getting myself into...

[Constantine · Rating 3 out of 5]

Rating: 3.5/5.0

This was my choice for the month of September 2017 among Kindle First books. The book is going to be released in October 2017. I have chosen this book for three reasons: One because it is a historical fiction and it is one of my favorite genres. Second, the cover! it is elegant and Third because as the title and description say it is about the designer Christian Dior. I knew this was just a fiction but still a fiction story about a real life figure is fascinating.

The story is set in the 1940s during world war II in Paris and it is revolving around this woman named Copper who is in a bad marriage with an unfaithful husband, so she tries to get out of this marriage and pursue a life where she has a full control over. She meets new friends like the designer Christian Dior, Suzy the lesbian girl who wants to be with her and another Russian man who she gets involved with.

Honestly I expected much more from this book. I thought we would get to know more about the designer Dior since he is in the book and the title of the book is The Designer, but it turns out he is more a side character which was disappointing to me. And another odd thing is the title, the title does not make sense here to me. This is like naming Alice in Wonderland book as The White Rabbit!

The story is decent and the atmosphere of the 1940s and the war is appropriate here but don't get into this book hoping to read about the designer because it is more about the main female character and her relationships.

[Thebooktrail · Rating 4 out of 5]

Visit the locations in the novel my link text

This was an immersive read which took me back to the artistic Paris at the time of WW2. The whole novel is peppered with stars and notable figures of the art and fashion world in particular. Literary stars too which the city became noted for. It was a delight to wander through this city without the plot – but the plot detailing the journey of Christian Dior, a penniless fashion artist to what he later became is nicely done.

The story follows a young female journalist, her failed marriage and how she meets and gets to know Dior. His story is the focus and it’s an interesting one. I don’t pretend to know much about Dior but this got me interested in how the city and the people of Paris were at that time and the artistic leanings of the city despite the overriding privations of the time.

I did enjoy reading about Paris after the liberation, and how the city survived under the occupation and then tried to breathe again once the war was over. However, despite the end of the war, its scars remain and the unrest in the city where collaborators are treated with disdain was an interesting background to the main story. In fact I didn’t think two stories of war and the fashion world would work together but they showcase and illustrate the best and worst of both, very nicely indeed.

[Amy Beck · Rating 4 out of 5]

Something about this book makes it feel like reading it is a guilty pleasure. With the backdrop of WWII (which, being Jewish, I normally avoid because I am unwilling and terrified to learn of the horrors) I was surprised to find myself not skipping pages. For this fashionista, the pull to learn about the exotic world of Paris couture culture almost destroyed by austerities of the war was strong enough to keep me going.

Although in theory, I would have preferred one-track focus on Dior and the other incomparable designers of the era, the storyline really delivered the full impact on the effect of the war in France and the world perspective and perception of the importance and vitality of the Paris fashion houses during this bleak political period of history.

It was enlightening to read the effect shortages, rationing and at times being forced to seduce the enemy in order to survive had on Fashion's stellar personalities although this more privileged stratum of society seemed to suffer less poverty than the bulk of the population. Frank revelations of designers' and artistic tribes' mental and physical breakdowns (some weathered and coped via drug-induced euphoria) to allow them to confront hard struggles and ultimately find a way to uplift themselves and the population out of despair provided a rousing ending.

[Morana Mazor · Rating 3 out of 5]

"Parižanke" Mariusa Gabriela bila mi je izvrsna knjiga... "Dizajner" mi je samo za nijansu slabiji, ali lako moguće da je to samo zato što sam "Parižanke" čitala prve... Opet imamo živuće likove (mislim, povijesne ličnosti), ovaj put Christiana Diora, pa Proz pa vrijeme oko/nakon 2 svj.rata i knjigu koja je zanimljiva, drži pažnju POGOTOVO ako ste ljubitelj mode (okej, i Pariza..al' to nekako i ide jedno s drugim ;)))

[Carrie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked it, but I didn’t love it

The Designer tells a very interesting story, creates many good characters and has its basis in history. All of these things I look for in a good book. That said, I found the writing style too unsophisticated and elementary for my taste and, in my opinion, for such an elaborate tale. It read like a Harlequin Romance with detailed descriptions of characters’ appearances but not much about their personalities. In the end I enjoyed it but I feel that the story of Mr Dior and the rebirth of Parisian fashion should have had more gravitas and have been more complex reading.

[Theresa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful!

Historical fiction brings the events and personalities, the highs and lows of history to life as non-fictional accountings rarely can. In relating the rise of Christian Dior as narrated by the entirely fictional character of Copper (Oona) Reilly, the reader is treated to a view of post-occupied Paris with all of its privations and yearnings, bitterness and hope. The liberated French simultaneously celebrate the end of Nazi occupation while they lick their wounded pride being both grateful and disdainful of their American liberators. There are shortages of every kind, simmering Communist agitation, and relentless pursuit of Nazi collaborators to face punishment in the epuration legalee which was aimed largely at young women, their punishment particularly harsh especially when carried out by vigilante mobs.

Copper Reilly, so nicknamed for her Irish red hair, is the narrator and central character whose journey is symbolic of the motivations for the second wave of feminism. As the book opens, she is in a troubled marriage and having followed her war correspondent husband, Amory, to Paris, is unsure how to manage his blatant unfaithfulness. Interestingly and no doubt, symbolically she reads American women's magazines to try to figure out what to do. As was typical for the times, the magazines advised women to arrange HER expectations, appearance, activities, thoughts and feelings to cope with the situation. Boys will be boys, after all.

Fortunately, Copper is having none of it and soon strikes out on her own while still in France in a way that would have been nearly impossible if she were still in the United States. The description of her reactions to leaving her husband and the accounting of how she survives to thrive is a wonderful. My only criticism of this book is that it seems that she caught an awful lot of breaks. Her progress seemed a bit too smooth.

From this reader's perspective, this book is very nearly perfect. The history, is accurate (a few events' timelines were re-arranged for literary effectiveness) and the characters are believable. So believable in fact, that I found myself commenting out loud on some of their activities and choices. The secondary characters are well developed and the minor characters, many whose names you'll recognize, add texture and color to the narrative.

Bottom line: This is a richly textured novel of a world in recovery and transition. The rise of feminism, the recovery of post-war Europe with its competing political and social forces, the rebirth of the fashion industry, a minor theme of sexual orientation and identity, as well as loyalty to family and friends...all are themes to be found in this engrossing novel. This novel appeals to me in the same way that Diana Gabaldon's Outlander series does. It treats history as the story of people and not just events and dates. I recommend it highly and wish you happy reading.

[Mary Haug · Rating 2 out of 5]

There was interesting information in this novel about Christian Dior’s beginning as a major force in the fashion world. But the characters in the story never rang true for me.

[Dawn Fielder · Rating 5 out of 5]

I adored this book. The characters are so full and I felt as if for two days I retreated into the bohemian life of a stringer journalist in WWII Paris.

[Sara · Rating 4 out of 5]

As a lover of fashion, particularly vintage fashion, I loved the references to some of the greats - Schiaparelli, Balenciaga, Balmain - and the scenes that reflected what it takes to make a couture collection. I also liked the inclusion of Catherine Dior, and her heroics in WWII, which was based on fact. The growth of Oona as a journalist was interesting, but seemed a little too easy - more a matter of right place, right time, than any real work on her part. While I like happy endings, I wish she had been independent a bit longer. Pearl's character seemed somewhat out of place with rest of the story. Overall, a good read.

[Dianne · Rating 1 out of 5]

Ugh---This is a perfect book for someone who is interested in drugs, Lesbian sex, and the graphic detailing of such. I expected so much more from this book than what I actually got. I'm not even sure if this was an accurate look at Dior or even the end of the occupation of France.

Even though this was free from Kindle Unlimited I would take a pass on it.

[Christina Boodhan Juras · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars, rounded down. Overall, fairly well-written and a decent story, but I was more intrigued by Dior than his friend, the main character. The end of the book covered his debut show at his fashion house, and it was beautifully described.

[E Sanders · Rating 5 out of 5]

Historical fiction at its best

Copper and her friends are wonderful characters set against the end of the war. I didn't want the story to end.

[Lorraine Walker · Rating 4 out of 5]

I chose this book because of the cover and I'd heard of the author. There are very descriptive scenes of the Paris fashion scene towards the end of World War 2 and just after, particularly those surrounding Christian Dior. This is a work of fiction, but real facts and people laced in with good writing makes this one of my favourites so far this year - and it's only February!

[Dosha (Bluestocking7) Beard · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed it immensely. However, the French accent was hard to understand. The narrator was very versatile with accents, especially the cockney. This one may have been better read by text. Remarkable story that made me wonder how much is fiction and how much is accurate history.

[Sue King · Rating 4 out of 5]

A lovely little historical novel set in Paris just as WWII is finishing up, focusing on the history of Christian Dior

[Olivia Picard · Rating 3 out of 5]

Honestly this man needed an LGBTQIA+ training or sumn because what the HELLLLLL.

It was a good story and at first I was fucking with the book until like half way or 3/4ths in. Then, I was like so... this was very clearly written by a man.. and very possibly... a republican... non gay man.

The idea of it all was very fun, the main theme about the resurgence of fashion post World War II from the perspective of a very bright, but scorned divorce, who became a journalist and member of the ruling class (but in a kind of liberal, bi woman way?) out of pure circumstance.

Overall it was more of a playful read that was kind of ruined the very base level of feminism ideals he was trying to integrate... because like... it was written by a man... it had no subtlety.

Have to mention the fact that the kinda gay "sex" scenes (in quotes because it barely even was) were written so badly that I wanted to literally stop reading entirely. Considered throwing the whole ass book away. Also not to mention the fact that the sex scene with the man was like 20 pages long, SKIP no thank you. It was written in the way of like "after getting my pussy ate by a woman, the STRENGTH of a man DICK is just what I needed, why did I EVER astray from THIS"

Anyways probably like a 3/5 for entertainment.

[OUT Shirt · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nagy várakozással kezdtem neki az olvasásnak. Reméltem, hogy könnyed és szórakoztató írás lesz, és közben betekintést fog nyújtani a divat világába is. Nagyon ígéretesnek indult a történet. A főszereplő Rézi különleges barátsága Diorral nagyon tetszett és szépen volt megrajzolva, de mégis ha kicsit erőteljesebben megmutatta volna Dior munkásságát, személyiségét, azokat a cikkeket, amiket Rézi róla írt, az alapján talán izgalmasabb lett volna a könyv. Viszont Rézi élete nem volt olyan érdekes számomra. Én őszintén drukkoltam, hogy ne házasodjon össze az orosz barátjával, Henryvel. Nekem az a fickó valahogy az első perctől nem volt szimpatikus. Érdekes viszont, hogy Susannal való barátságával kevesebb gondom volt, az számomra jobban belefért ebbe a képbe. A végére mindenestre már nagyon untam Rézi folyamatos évődését, és vártam, hogy mikor szól majd Diorról a történet.
Mikor végre aztán Dior igazán reflektorfénybe került, addigra a regénynek is vége lett sajnos...
Összességében a regény bátorságáért, a sokféle meleg és leszbikus karakterért, Tian és Catherine Dior történetéért megérte elolvasni. Rézi (Hanry és pl. Pearl) története pedig még épp elviselhető volt.

[Elettra · Rating 3 out of 5]

Avevo posto forse troppe aspettative su questo lavoro di Gabriel, pensavo di assistere veramente all’ascesa di questo grande personaggio ed artista, così come allude il titolo. Non nego che ci sia molto anche su di lui ma la vicenda principale gira attorno alla protagonista, alla sua evoluzione, alle sue rivendicazioni e alla sua storia d’amore con Henry, un incredibile e vero conte russo. Il che offusca un poco quel quadro storico del dopoguerra parigino che pure è delineato ma che rimane sullo sfondo. Sì, si parla anche dei campi di concentramento, dei maquis e delle loro punizioni sui collaboratori ma la loro presenza è così labile che mi è difficile definire questo libro un romanzo storico. Ci sono anche gli amici di Dior, Cocteau, Picasso, Suzy Solidor , c’è anche Hemingway , .. e tanti altri artisti della Parigi bohémien dell’epoca. Ma questo non basta, a mio parere. Gabriel ricostruisce forse una atmosfera ma non la storia.

[Meg · Rating 3 out of 5]

I thought that this book was going to be historical fiction about Dior and while it was, eventually, it got sidetracked along the way and turned into a romance novel. It made sense once I read about the author and discovered that he is primarily a romance novelist (albeit under a pseudonym) but that didn’t mean that I liked the detour.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am really enjoying this new trend of female-bent historical fiction. Between Outlander, Song of Achilles, Circe, and lots of others, this sub-genre is yielding a lot of well-written novels with a fresh perspective. This book is a jewel. Give it three chapters. Trust me.

[Becky · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sheesh! Why did I enjoy this book so much? It's not like I am rabidly interested in designer fashion -- haute couture as it were -- and it's not like I haven't read enough WWII fiction to last me a good long while either (and frankly, I seem to be stuck in it even now); but, I couldn't stop turning the pages, and absolutely recommend it for the beach, for the easy chair, and for the sheer satisfaction of getting to know characters -- siding with or against them -- and spending just a few hours in another time and space. These days, a respite from world events while examining past world events, might do us all a bit of good. Read it. I can't see how you wouldn't be glad you did!

[Erika Kilborn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyable read

I loved learning more about the history of the period. The author liberally sprinkles many well-known characters throughout the book, including some I did not realize were real people. The romance seemed a bit contrived and forced, but maybe that's just me.

[Evelyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely loved this book. There are real people scattered through the novel, especially the designer of the title, Christian Dior. The story follows the actions of Oona Reilly, a young American woman (fictional) who finds herself in Paris in 1944. As her marriage falls apart, she sets out to become a journalist. With hard work and dedication and some luck, she is successful. She encourages Dior to strike out on his own in the fashion world and the rest is history.

[Diane · Rating 3 out of 5]

3-3 1/2 ⭐️ s