The Book of Lost Fragrances by M J Rose, Book Review
The Book of Lost Fragrances is a sweeping and suspenseful tale of secrets, intrigue, and lovers separated by time, all connected through the mystical qualities of a perfume created in the days of Cleopatra–and lost for 2,000 years.
The Book of Lost Fragrances Synopsis:
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.
Genre: Mystery, Drama, Historical, Action-Adventure, Romance
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BOOK REVIEW
The synopses of M J Rose’ novels have been tempting me for some time now, so I was delighted to be given the opportunity to review her latest offering. The Book of Lost Fragrances met and then quickly went on to exceed my original expectations.
There are so many interesting things going on in this novel, multiple adventure-filled story lines spanning history, all woven together almost effortlessly. Although a complex web of characters and time periods, the connections are revealed slowly giving the audience time to absorb the atmosphere and grandeur of the settings described.
M J Rose has clearly put much effort into the research for this novel. Her descriptions of scent are superb and the evocations of time and place took on a cinematic quality in places.
In The Book of Lost Fragrances M J Rose has achieved the distinctly uncommon, an action-packed romantic mystery delivered in literary quality prose.
I do not just mean the common fare romance (although there’s a nice dose of that too), I mean a deep appreciation and devotion to someone or something. You do not need to believe in reincarnation to become engrossed in this novel. The motivations of the cast of characters, although vastly different, are all based on passionate beliefs and ideals, and so are compelling.
This is a story about things greater than any individual, but also every individuals power to do great things. M J Rose’s The Book of Lost Fragrances is an ambitious novel very well executed – highly recommended.
BOOK RATING: The Story 4.5 / 5 ; The Writing 5 / 5 — Overall 4.75
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Update: We’ve since enjoyed two more M J Rose novels – Seduction and The Collector of Dying Breaths.
About the Author, MJ Rose
M.J. Rose is the international best selling author of eleven novels and two non-fiction books on marketing. Her next novel THE BOOK OF LOST FRAGRANCES (Atria/S&S) will be published in March 2012. Her fiction and non-fiction has appeared in many magazines and reviews including Oprah Magazine. She has been featured in the New York Times, Newsweek, Time, USA Today and on the Today Show, and NPR radio. Rose graduated from Syracuse University, spent the ’80s in advertising, has a commercial in the Museum of Modern Art in NYC and since 2005 has run the first marketing company for authors – Authorbuzz.com. The television series PAST LIFE, was based on Rose’s novels in the Renincarnationist series. She is one of the founding board members of International Thriller Writers and runs the blog- Buzz, Balls & Hype. She is also the co-founder of Peroozal.com and BookTrib.com.
Rose lives in CT with her husband the musician and composer, Doug Scofield, and their very spoiled and often photographed dog, Winka. For more information on M.J. Rose and her novels, please visit her website.
* I received this ebook from Historical Fiction Virtual Book Tours and Atria Publishing via NetGalley for review purposes. My receiving this title at no cost did not impact my ability to express my honest opinions about it.
