The Book of Lost Fragrances

by M.J. Rose

This book was interesting, suspenseful, bittersweet and romantic.  I loved it!  I'm going to borrow the lead-in to this book from amazon.com's page:

Jac L'Etoile has always been haunted by the past, her memories infused with the exotic scents that she grew up surrounded by as the heir to a storied French perfume company. In order to flee the pain of those remembrances--and of her mother's suicide--she moved to America. Now, fourteen years later she and her brother have inherited the company along with it's financial problems. But when Robbie hints at an earth-shattering discovery in the family archives and then suddenly goes missing--leaving a dead body in his wake--Jac is plunged into a world she thought she'd left behind.

Back in Paris to investigate her brother's disappearance, Jac becomes haunted by the legend the House of L'Etoile has been espousing since 1799. Is there a scent that can unlock the mystery of reincarnation - or is it just another dream infused perfume?

The Book of Lost Fragrances fuses history, passion, and suspense, moving from Cleopatra's Egypt and the terrors of revolutionary France to Tibet's battle with China and the glamour of modern-day Paris. Jac's quest for the ancient perfume someone is willing to kill for becomes the key to understanding her own troubled past.

Rose wrote the scenes of Jac drifting in and out of fugue states so well that I could picture the change taking place just like it was a movie playing in my head.   I would probably rate this one as a 4.75/5.0 if I was to rate it.  Very enjoyable!


** I received a free copy of The Book of Lost Fragrances from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review. No other compensation was received.


BTW ~ If you haven't connected with NetGalley you need to check them out.  You are able to look through the galleys (when did we start calling ARCs galleys?) and if there's a book that interests you can request a galley.  I've received 5 or 6 so far; this is the 1st I've read.  They are all digital and the final editing hasn't been finished, but I like the concept a lot.  Authors and publishers don't have to email you personally and you can look through all the books and available and choose only the ones that call out to you.