The Perfume Collector by Kathleen Tessaro

Publisher: Harper
Publish Date: February 4, 2013
Format: Paperback
Pages: 456
ISBN: 978 0062257840

An inheritance from a mysterious stranger…

An abandoned perfume shop on the Left Bank of Paris…

And three exquisite perfumes that hold a mystery…and a secret.

London, 1955: Grace Monroe is a fortunate young woman.  Despite her sheltered upbringing in Oxford, her recent marriage has thrust her into the heart of London’s more refined and ambitious social circles.  However, playing the role of the sophisticated socialite her husband would like her to be doesn’t come easily to her – and perhaps never will.

Then one evening a letter arrives from France that will change everything.  Grace has received an inheritance.  There’s only one problem: she has never heard of her benefactor, the mysterious Eva d’Orsey.

So begins a journey that takes Grace to Paris in search of Eva.  There, in a long-abandoned perfume shop on the Left Bank, she discovers the seductive would of perfumers and their muses, and a surprising, complex love story.  Told by invoking the three distinctive perfumes she inspired, Eva d”Orsey’s story weaves through the decades, from 1920s New York to Monte Carlo, Paris, and London.

But these three perfumes hold secrets.  And as Eva’s past and Grace’s future intersect, Grace realizes she must choose between the life she thinks she should live and the person she is truly meant to be.

My Thoughts

I really really enjoyed this book.  I read it very quickly and before I knew it, I had finished 100 pages in one sitting...a sure sign of a great novel.  Although I had a good idea of the outcome, I loved the entire story in between, I felt like I was transported back to such an elegant time period.  I loved how the perfumes were woven in, and so badly wanted to smell them!

A true journey of self discovery for both Grace and Eva and I found myself so intrigued with the lives they lead.  I felt the entire time I was reading I always had a connection with the characters.

My only tiny negative factor would be that I wanted more.  While the whole novel was so elegant and well delivered the end left me feeling empty.  I wanted more of Grace's journey and felt there could have been an epilogue instead of an abrupt ending.  That was the only thing holding me back from a 5 star rating, there was just not enough closure for me.

Overall a great historical novel, that I would highly recommend to anyone wanting to awaken their senses. 

My Rating: ««««

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The reviews made here are my personal opinion. I’m not being paid to review any of these books. I am by no means a professional book reviewer or editor.  I do this for the love of books.