The Dress Thief

Winner - Festival of Romantic Fiction's Best Historical Read and USA Today Bestselling author

A modern tale of desire and deception set in the world of 1930s Parisian haute couture – perfect for fans of The Perfume Collector or The Paris Wife.

Alix Gower has a dream: to join the ranks of Coco Chanel to become a designer in the high-stakes world of Parisian haute couture. But Alix also has a secret: she supports her family by stealing designs to create bootlegs for the foreign market. A hidden sketchbook and two minutes inside Hermès is all she needs to create a perfect replica, to be whisked off to production in New York.

Then Alix is given her big break - a chance to finally realize her dream in one of the most prominent Parisian fashion houses - but at the price of copying the breakthrough Spring Collection.

Knowing this could be her only opportunity, Alix accepts the arrangement. But when a mystery from her past resurfaces and a chance meeting has her falling into the arms of a handsome English war reporter, Alix learns that the slightest misstep - or misplaced trust - could be all it takes for her life to begin falling apart at the seams.

• WINNER - 2014 Festival of Romantic Fiction's Best Historical Read.


• WINNER - 2015 Public Book Awards.


• Shortlisted - 2015 Romance Writers of America (RWA) RITA Awards.

What reviewers are saying about The Dress Thief…

‘The Dress Thief goes way beyond a story of Parisian fashion. It is a story of mystery, romance, friendship and the everyday struggles of life. Right from the start this book will grip hold of you and draw you into Alix’s story and it won’t let you go till the very last page…’ That Thing She Reads

'A delicious treat of a novel. I loved the setting in 1930s Paris - a place of intrigue, exquisite silk frocks, and dangerous secrets. And I was utterly charmed by the story's delectable heroine, as she struggled to make her mark in this seductive but perilous world' Margaret Leroy

'A truly accomplished and delicious debut novel' Laurie Graham.

'A fascinating evocation of a great fashion house and the knife-edge the designers live on. Natalie Meg Evans is a born storyteller' Sara Craven

‘A charming novel that totally transported me to the Paris fashion houses of the late 1930s.’ Trip Fiction

'Rich in detail, this is a pacy and engaging read, full of cloak and dagger intrigue, beautiful clothes and romance' Sunday Mirror

'I loved this story, the way that Cora grows from a self centered young girl into a strong, independent woman who had me reading late into the night.' Books for Avid Readers


Genre: Historical

"A truly accomplished and delicious debut novel." - Laurie Graham