Vero Profumo - Kiki

I want to finish with my favourite. And oh, what a favourite!

Btw, I never considered myself a huge fan of lavender. I like the smell of it but it doesn't make me weak at the knees.

These are my favourite extrait and the edp of the line. Edp won by a margin but the extrait is just incredible. I just wish I could write about them in a normal way and not with gushing emotion. :)

It's just, the extrait reminds me so vividly of my childhood summers spent at the middle Croatian coast, in a little village with lavender fields. That is a smell you never forget.  And then when you find it in perfume, I don't need to tell you how wonderful it makes me feel. I can smell and see in my mind the lavender fields bathed in the sun and smelling warm. This might not sound like a perfume, but believe me, it is.
Of the notes, except for variants of lavender, I can't say I smell anything particular. It's more the case of realizing the notes are making lavender smell differently than actually smelling the other notes. But then again, maybe it's just the fact that my nose has trouble going around a familiar note which is prominent.

I don't want to sound again like edp is not worth the same notice. It is. It's the best variant of the passion fruit note because for some reason, here it smells most alive and the least sweet.
You know, from the notes, you'd think you could smell the lavender straight away but that's not the case. It's hidden in there and it forces the fruit to behave from behind the scenes.

Really, that lavender is an intriguingly shady fellow...

I have to apologize if my Vero reviews sounded more like my imagination running wild than actual reviews, but I just didn't seem to be able to help myself.
They take you on a journey and you're not sure where you  will end up, but you will definitely have an interesting ride (and a satisfying end point).
Basically, it's the same as with good books, you never know where they will take you and where you will end up.

Edp notes: Lavender essential oil, bergamot, citron, passion fruit, lavender absolute, geranium, caramel, patchouli, musk

Extrait notes: lavender, caramel, musk, fruits



Notes and pic by: http://www.luckyscent.com/

Vero Profumo - Onda

How to do this without resorting to same ideas as for Rubj?

I don't want to repeat myself and say I prefer the extrait again (which I do). It's just that the fruity (passion fruity) opening makes me think of candy. You know, combine ginger and fruit and see what you will think of.

So, the extrait starts off very seriously, green and menthol-like with bark and woody hints. I like the opening a lot, it lets you breathe it in with open lungs. And then, it gets a bit problematic for me, getting an oily vetiver quality that does not go well with my stomach (especially when combined with light leathery smokiness). I can't help smelling it and waiting to see if it will disappear. It does and then I can happily state that I'm in love with its character and strength (and it has both in spades).

On the other hand, the edp feels boyish and flashy. You know, if the extrait were a man of strength and character and some years, the edp would be a young, flashy man. Not a bad one, just not yet grown up (psychologically). But you can see after spending time with both, that they must be some kind of family as you recognize the facial features of your man in the young man standing before you.

Edp notes: Bergamot, citron, mandarin, ginger, coriander, basil, passion fruit, iris, ylang-ylang, honey, vetiver Bourbon, patchouli, musk, cedar wood

Extrait notes: vetiver, ginger, mace, coriander

I really don't want you to think the edp is not good because it is. And if I haven't smelled the extrait, I would probably think it was great. But I can't help it when the extrait speaks to me and I want the edp to grow up. And smelling them side by side didn't help much as I kept giving more attention to the extrait even though I noticed the lightheartedness (fruitiness) of edp disappearing and more character showing.

All 3 extraits make me feel like they were given freedom to develop and spread their wings while the edps feel a bit stumped in their growth.  And I have no idea where that came from but it felt right in writing it down.


Notes and pic by: http://www.luckyscent.com/

Vero Perfumes - Introduction and Rubj

I had samples of Vero Perfume extraits for a couple of years now. I ordered them sometime early in my budding perfumista days, spritzed and promptly concluded I have no idea why they are hailed as great.
As you might have noticed, lately I've been going through those samples that didn't get my love in the early days and realizing you really need to build up to some perfumes and smell through many, many steps to get there. Eventually though, your effort is rewarded and new smelling vistas open before your nose.

That is what keeps happening to me. So, when I discovered samples of edp of Rubj, Kiki and Onda in the package Helg sent, I was overjoyed. :) I could finally test the extraits and edps side by side and see if I understand what the deal is. Which is what I've been doing the past week and today I'll talk about Rubj.

EdP notes: Bergamot, mandarin, neroli, passion fruit, cumin, orange flower absolute, tuberose, basil, cedar, oak moss, musk

Extrait notes: Moroccan orange blossom, musk, Egyptian jasmine

You know, you really need to have some serious talent if you can get 3 notes to smell like Rubj.

The extrait opened on me like a sweet, jasminy floral and for someone who loves orange blossoms, I seem to be able to miss them each time they come with some other white floral.

Rubj smells seducingly warm, lightly sweet and enveloping.

The edp on the other hand smells more and less sweet at the same time. Like a brash version of the elegant woman that is extrait. It's fruity sweet and louder and at the same time, that sweetness is tempered with something that smelled fir like to me, but there are notes in there that can lead you in that direction easily (and it's not like I recognize the nuances).
Honestly, to me, these two don't smell like variants of the same. The edp is fruity, cuminy warm (I'm warning you well in advance you smell cumin in there), stronger and bolder in a tropical way.
And the most interesting thing to come from smelling Rubj extrait is that I think it smells clean and light-hearted, and I guess clean smelling comes from the fact that it smells very much like L'Oreal hair color which I found very funny and enjoyable at the same time.

I should also warn you that wearing Rubj edp might cause some concerned smelling of yourself to check if your deodorant is working as it should. :) The cumin at its best work. ;)

To me, it was only in the drydown of both that I could see the family resemblance.

I should also state now that after smelling all the extraits and edps, I prefer the extraits. I believe the edps will probably sell better but the extraits are the strange, tempered beasts you want to spend time with.
Also, the extraits are much more elegant in their approach towards the world, they are not brashly spoken young things but softly spoken creatures in a world of their own.

I've read that Ms. Kern worked the edps around the passion fruit note. After smelling all of them, you cannot miss it.

Soon to come - reviews of Ondas and Kikis. :)


Notes and pic by: http://www.luckyscent.com/

Lois McMaster Bujold: Shards of Honor

This is one of 2 prequels to Miles Vorkosigan stories but my second time around, I wanted to start at the beginning. And it's been quite a while since I read the Vorkosigan saga.

This is the story of Miles' parents meeting and falling in love. :)

Btw, I love it when reading a book makes me come to a whole bunch of realizations, one of which is also that by the time I write the review, I forget some, get some new ones, and forget to write some of those down too in the post. :) But then again, I never said my mind was organized.

One of the realizations was the fact that I read for fun and thrills. What I mean is, that the story can be made interesting and breath-taking (reading without breathing much) and the love story can develop and characters not even to kiss well after they both know they are in love. And the best thing? It wasn't even the kiss that was thrilling - it was all the dialogues that came before and after. :)

One of the more disturbing realizations was, what was I doing when reading this for the first time?! It's normal to forget parts of the story, I just can't remember everything after one reading, but I seem to have missed quite a lot of underlying hints too, looking in retrospect. And I'm not sure I can blame it all on the Croatian translation (as this series was translated into Croatian) and that's how I read it originally. That was quite some time ago so I decided to do it again, only this time in original. And I'm glad I did. You always lose something in translation, it's normal. Now, I'm enjoying myself fully.

It is such an intelligently written book and if you don't pay attention, you can actually get lost in both the dialogues and underlying politics. It certainly engages the mind while giving it a thrilling science-fiction ride.
And even though the stories revolve around warfare and the Barrayar society is based on military basics, this book and the whole series is actually a strong voice against was, aggression and bloodshed.

I highly recommend this to anyone even slightly interested in either fantasy or science-fiction. You won't regret it. Especially after Miles enters the scene. :)

My perfume criteria

Or, how I determine it's a perfume I'd like to own a bottle/decant of.

I realize some of my criterions might not be objective but then again loving perfumes cannot be termed as objective as love is in there. :)

1. On the first inhale it makes me smile or relieves stress from my shoulders (Scarlett and Timbuktu respectively).

2. Notes are so well blended, you can't take them apart and they tell a story (Antonia).

3. It smells like the epitome of its category (Shalimar and Ambre Sultan).

4. It smells strange and compelling (Jardin du Nil).

5. It smells strange and interesting but might not be compelling to me (Vero Rubj).

6. It is so new to my nose that I can't resist trying to figure it out.

7. I lack words to describe what I'm smelling (as I'm overwhelmed usually - Antonia and Ambre Sultan again).

8. I simply love what I'm smelling as it hits all the right buttons for me, even though it might not get much love from everyone else.


P.S. I do plan on adding to this list as I realize I might be applying some other criteria I'm yet unaware of.

J.D. Robb: Treachery in Death

You know, I always wondered how someone who wrote 33 books in one series manages to make them all interesting, thrilling and basically un-put-downable (is that even an expression?!)?
I still have no answer, but JD Robb (Nora Roberts actually) manages just fine. Well, more than fine as I can't wait for paperbacks and I keep ordering hardcovers, now, when the series is going so well, as you can't get the books otherwise. Btw, I really hate that - I'm a long time reader of this, I should deserve being able to buy them at paperback prices without waiting so long. But ok.

The other thing I was wondering is how you review installment 33 of a series?! I mean, those who came so far don't need a review and will probably buy the book as soon as possible, and those who haven't probably aren't interested in reading a review of book no. 33.  ;)

So, if you're wondering how I'm going to do it - I won't.

I'll just say it contains everything that made the previous books interesting - the love, the friendship, the intrigue, and the moral code good cops live by.
It all combines into another story that made Eve Dallas become a live character for me, a character that stands outside the novels and that is something that doesn't happen often.

P.S. She also has the body and the husband I want. :) Not the job though.

Ambre Sultan - the Sultan of ambers

I believe the title says it all. :)

There've been several reviews of this wonder in the last few weeks so I don't want to write another one.

I'll just say that when I say the Sultan of Ambers, I mean it. And I love ambers. In all variants.

A big thank you to Helg from Perfume Shrine who sent some over for me to try (along some other gems I hope I'll be reviewing soon).

So, instead of a review, I leave you with a round-up of those I found the best (and I urge you try this one if you havent already):

Perfume Shrine

Olfactoria's Travels

The Non-Blonde

Before I finish, I just have to add, it has the additional quality of making me think of Shalimar when I put AS on.

I need a bottle (or 10). :)

Open letter to the Editor of Women's Health

This letter was written by Tarleisio of Scent Less Sensibilities as a response to an article published in Women's Health. Some of us commenting on the post decided we wanted to spread the message across - so please read on and everything will be explained.

An open letter to the editor of Women’s Health magazine

An article in the Beauty section of the April edition of Women’s Health, entitled ‘Your Perfect Scent’ was brought to my attention by a friend and fellow blogger, and several statements in the article as well as the overall tone compelled me to write you.

The article attempts to categorize women in a range of ages – from their teens until ‘40+’ according to perfume category, arguing that throughout their lives, women prioritize their fragrance choices differently and gravitate towards the perfumes that reflect those priorities. It then proceeds to cite various perfumes currently available that might appeal, and this is where I feel compelled to protest – both at the underlying assumptions that teenagers want to impersonate walking cupcakes, that women in their thirties wear perfume to feel ‘sexy and secure’ and finally the statement that women in their forties wear perfume to feel ‘elegant’.

Women at any age read magazines such as yours for information and inspiration in their lifestyle choices, and few of them are entirely aware that for print media in a competitive digital age, advertising revenue takes pride of place over relevant content. As a consequence of perfume being formulated to target certain demographics and as a result of what you choose to advocate in your editorial pages, the perfumes sold in department stores and mall chain stores are all indistinguishable from one another. One sweet, fruity floral scent segues seamlessly into the next sweet, fruity floral, and only the name of the designer on the label is interchangeable. So women are shortchanged from both sides of that equation – by the major designer houses that are often the only luxury these women can afford, and by the very magazines they read for inspiration promoting only the brands they already advertise on their pages.

The problem is that neither your readers in general nor women in particular are thrilled about being defined in demographic terms, any more than teenaged girls can be lumped into cupcake fragrance categories, women in their thirties need to feel ‘sexy or ‘secure’ or ‘forty+’ women – a term I personally find more than slightly condescending - want to be considered ‘elegant’ above all other reasons for wearing perfume.

What surprises me more than any other aspect of a very important issue in general, namely the stereotyping of women in the media, is that we live in an individualistic age. As women and as individuals, the opportunity to make individual choices that reflect our unique selves has never been greater, and this includes the very subject matter of your article – perfume. What is more, as social media change how we are informed and entertained and inspired to make those choices, creating and maintaining a dialogue with your readers is a valuable tool to retain the very readership that underlies your role in that media landscape, whether on a newsstand or on the Web.

There is a rich and invaluable resource available to any journalist interested in her subject matter – perfume blogs. We would quite happily have participated and in the process been thrilled to share what we know – that you are not doomed to ‘elegance’ simply for a diminished sense of smell – a claim I find quite unsubstantiated by scientific evidence in the article or in my personal experience, nor are you compelled to waft cupcake as a teenager, simply because there’s nothing else to choose from. There’s not too much else to choose from in the mainstream market because a tiny number of companies determine what scents land on department store shelves, and if one sweet, fruity floral scent becomes a success, it must therefore follow – so dictate the laws of the marketing briefs of these companies promoting this or that ‘exclusive designer’ – that only sweet, fruity, floral perfumes will do.

Women’s Health is a magazine that has a broad scope – to promote a healthy, happy and fulfilled lifestyle for its readership that goes beyond the usual stereotypical ‘women’s magazines’. Even so, when you attempted to inform your readers about a very personal choice, you fell victim to that precise stereotyping, and ignored a perfect opportunity to elevate your editorial content a bit above the stereotypical content of any other women’s magazine currently available.

Which is why we read you, after all.



Yours sincerely,

Tarleisio, perfume blogger at Scent Less Sensibilities





This letter has also been published on the following participating blogs:



Bloody Frida

Olfactoria's Travels

Eyeliner on a Cat

Beauty on the Outside

Redolent of Spices

and

Perfume Project

Keiko Mecheri: Scarlett

I still can't believe I thought I didn't like these perfumes. :) But it was at the beginning of my perfume love so I think that lack of sniffing experience is a good excuse. :)

It's not often I encounter a perfume that upon the first smell makes me love it. It happened with Iris Pourpre too.

For me, it starts lightly citrusy (very lightly and only because I now always expect some variant on that so I focus), masculine smelling (even though on Luckyscent it's in the feminine category) and I have no idea what else I'm smelling but whatever it is, it seems to be wet. :) Not aquatic but like you immersed it in water and took it out, and now the perfume smells wet. It smells of a green herb sprayed with a lot of juicy fruit. You can smell and feel the juiciness of this one.

Notes by KM: bay rose, rare spices, hesperides, rose, green notes, musk
Notes by Luckyscent: rare spices, blood orange zest, green of angelica, may rose

When combined, they give a better precision, as I understand where the juicy fruit is coming from.
This is one of those perfumes that notes cannot describe and even if you try to describe it in such a manner, it wouldn't even come close. Because it smells refreshing, alive, smilingly happy and energetic at the same time, while retaining the dewy feel until drydown. You can feel the spices pinching your nose lightly (I thought it smelled like cinnamon, possibly clove too).

And here is where I came to a wall.

As you can see, green notes are listed and I couldn't smell them out. The thing is, I knew from the start that there had to be something green in there but the whole time I was smelling my wrist, I couldn't smell them out. I mean, I can tell by the way the whole structure smells they are there, I just can't smell them.
Does this happen to anyone else?

Since today was a tiring day, I was very glad to wear this on my wrist and be able to smell for instant pick-me-up. It just plain works for me. :)

And as this discovery made me very happy, what didn't make me happy at all, quite the contrary, is the fact that Keiko Mecheri site only ships samples to US and the line is not available in Croatia. So, if I want to try the rest of the rather large collection (and I want to), I need to order them from a third party. Eventually I guess...

Notes and pic by: http://www.keikomecheri.com/

Other notes by: http://www.luckyscent.com/

Shelly Laurenston: Hunting Season (The Gathering)

Before I forget, please, anyone who reads my book reviews and has a suggestion for me of something I might like, do make it/them.
I've never even heard of Ms Laurenston before Geordan commented and mentioned her name in the context of paranormal romance.
Btw, has any of you ever wondered how broad a term romance is when applied to books? :D

So, as this experience went well for me, AND it was my first official Amazon download to my Kindle, I'm now eager for more suggestions that will entice me to download more books. So, suggestions are welcome and well, expected. ;)

OK, onto the book. Like I already mentioned, romance is a broad term when applied to books, so I was a bit taken aback when the romance way I'm used to when applied to human anatomy went straight to direct speech. Can't say I was expecting that. :)

But I believe it says a lot about the author that she made me forget I wasn't used to naming parts of human anatomy and by the end of the book forgot that were the words I was reading.
Now I'm making it seem like this was the most important part of the book. :) It wasn't. Well, I don't really know what was the most important part of the book as from what I gathered, it is supposed to be a start of the series, the only problem with that is there is no information when the next book might come out (or if). And I was ready to start reading about Tye and Janelle, figuring if the story about Neecy and Yager came out in 2009 ( and I believe that was re-published), chances were good I might be getting the next installment in a minute (through my lovely new friend called Kindle). No such luck. :(

I keep writing and not saying much about the book. :) But I guess you can tell from the fact that I wanted to start on the next right that minute, I enjoyed it. And I did.
I do think I could have done with a little more character development for Neecy and Yager but it was ok as it was.
I loved the conversations, I especially loved the bizarre situations featuring mostly Mike (I think his name is Mike, I'm bad with names), and the fact that this series is connected to Norse mythology. I don't really want to talk about the story, as with all books that keep your attention throughout, there are enough little things that make it interesting.


P.S. I just need to say this - there is no way Yager looks like the guy from this cover.

Pic by: http://www.shellylaurenston.com/

Wish I'd get to a coast soon - Costes by Costes

I've been hearing about Costes for a long time but somehow never got around to sampling any of their offerings. Until a little sample of Costes (edt I believe) arrived in a swap.
And then again it took me ages to try it. I rather don't think about the amount of samples and decants I have and have not talked about (or sniffed at all).

As I always do, I tried it without checking the notes beforehand. Just for an instant, it wafted a little suncreen smell I recognize but can't place as which particular bottle it might have come from. And besides, it disappearing so fast, it's not really important.
What is important is that it starts off citrusy and lavender-like and well, strong. Here is where I need to clarify that not all lavender notes smell the same to me. Some take on a masculine character that is in my mind reminiscent of firs and greenery. Like this one. I also thought I smelled incense but wondered later if I was wrong because I couldn't find it afterward.

Notes: lavender, bay-tree, coriander, white pepper, rose, incense, woods, light musc.

Yes, seeing the notes, I realize why I'm thinking of green lavender. :)
While looking for notes, I also came across the fact that this was made by Olivia Giacobetti. It seems she pretty much can't miss out with me. I like this one very much, even though I don't consider it as great as some of her other creations. And when I say great, I'm thinking more in the line of complex and changing.
Because after that initial green fresh blast, it goes into peppery freshness tinged by lighty sweet rose and pretty much stays there.

For someone who thought that roses are not friendly to her in perfumes, I somehow ended up loving them in all the myriad of variants they come out. I don't know though what those variants are called and they are rarely named in notes so I still haven't learned to distinguish them by names. But it seems Ms Giacobetti knows them inside out as this isn't her first rosey perfume I tried, and I admit I love Eau Egyptienne a bit more than this one.
But having said that, if I had a bottle of this, I would be spraying it quite often, and at this time of the year too, as it's fresh, optimistic, lively and extremely easy to wear even though I'm thinking some people might object to pepper as I find it quite obvious. But it's just that little thing that adds a bit of sexy zestiness to it.

SO, one last thing I need to say about this is that it's easy to smell the notes (I didn't smell all of them but most) and to follow them through the scent but they don't work in there for themselves, there is a synergy in there that makes the sum of the notes you recognize and smell, into a little work of art that is easy to wear.

Notes and pic by: http://www.luckyscent.com/

Strange lands - MPG Jardin du Nil

Where to start?
Is it just me or do some of the perfume names sound extremely similar? Btw, this one came out in 1988.

Also, it's been on my mind these days so I need to get it off my chest (has no connection to the rest of the post though).
I remember discovering the perfumeland (I love how Carrie put it) and getting lost immediately. I started reading THE blogs (you all probably know  from your own experience which) and there were all these names there - of perfume houses, perfumes and perfumers I've never even heard of but everyone else seemed to know who were they all talking about. All these abbreviations, like SL, Fem du Bois, MPG, FM, ELdO, etc. were complete mistery, not to mention the fact that getting the perfume name connected to the right house was way beyond me.
And here I am, a few years later, writing a blog and discussing all these things in abbreviations. And I thought I would never, ever, be able to gain this knowledge.
Basically, what I'm saying is - when you want to do something and it's something you like, there is no limit to where you might go. And I just feel like I started. :)

OK, on to my strange discovery.

I have problems putting my thoughts into words now. The perfume itself is strange (until the drydown) and what it made me realize isn't that strange but it's something I never considered before.
You see, when I applied Jardin du Nil, I thought my sample might have gone off. So, I went searching for notes and all relevant information, only to come across the fact that other people might not have termed it so diplomatically and had much more colorful phrases to describe the opening of this one. :)

So, it seems my sample isn't off, just strange. And I'm bursting to tell you that although that strange is almost unwearable (well, certainly for some), I love the fact that Jean Laporte was so brave, as well as MPG, and released this.
Notes: citruses, geranium, mint, tincture of rose, jasmine, vetyver, patchouli, amber.

Believe me, these notes do not prepare you in the least for what is to assault your nose once you apply Jardin du Nil. :)
I know I make it sound awful but I am just so intrigued by it. I will keep smelling my sample over and over.

But to get back on to the perfume. It starts for me like a citrusy, acidic, bitter and aquatic something. I thought the acidic/bitter part was due to the perfume going off, but it seems that's normal. :)
And then I went in search of notes and realized what it was that I was smelling. The rose tincture! Beside the citrusy notes, I'm sure you all know the smell of stale roses in a vase. That's what's giving this the strange acidic feel that is a bit nose-assaulting. But once I realized it, I didn't mind the smell. Well, I didn't even mind it before because I was intrigued.

After this initial strangeness, I'm guessing we're entering the more docile waters of the Nile, where the rose is more dark and lightly boozy, underscored by mint and then later by vetiver and jasmine hiding somewhere in the night so you can't be completely sure it's them but you can guess who in the company is yet unaccounted for.
The drydown reminds me of Paestum Rose's drydown and is nowhere near the intriguing strangeness of the beginning but is probably the part most people enjoy the most or never get around to smelling. :)

Found another one - Under the Arbor by CB I hate perfume

It's finally dawning on me that if I want to find something new and interesting to wear (for any purpose really), I only need to dig deeper into the recesses of my perfume collection and I'll be sure to find something that fits.
I know why I skipped this one, I thought it might be similar to Black March which I love to smell but can't wear so I just didn't feel the need to try Under the Arbor.

That is, until a few days ago while on the lookout for spring scents.

If I imagine sitting under the arbor (I'm not imagining the grape one which was the starting point for this one), I'd imagine sitting in the shade of a large tree, on a bed of grass, enjoying the warmth of the sun safely away from its rays and smelling the  nature around me.

Under the Arbor doesn't transport me there actually. And definitely not into a summer day.
It starts for me smelling of bark and grass in the morning, when it doesn't smell sweet but more earthy. I didn't realize it until this one came along, that when spring comes, I need scents that are grounding and not too exuberant as spring is exuberant itself, so I need something to temper that and make me feel alive at the same time.
And what better way to do that then bring one into contact with nature?

Notes: crushed grape leaves, weathered wood, green moss, cool earth

At some point it reminded me a bit of Black March due to the whole earthy vibe but while I can't wear the earthiness that is Black March, I can wear this one. Because even though it doesn't transport me into a summer day under the arbor, it does something even better.

As the perfume progressed, I got the distinct feeling that the sun was gaining height and the spring air around me started warming and with it the sweetness of air got stronger. It is as if you sat under that arbor in the relative spring coolness of the morning and reclined there in the peace of nature while the sun kept rising and warming your little spring paradise.

Honestly, that is one of the better experiences you can smell bottled. :)

Notes by: http://www.cbihateperfume.com/
Pic by: http://www.visnjan.hr/

Mary Balogh: a Secret Affair

Sometimes I wonder what do people who read my blog for perfume reviews think of my taste in books? :)
I know some people are ashamed to admit to reading romance but I don't know why - it's one more thing that makes you who you are.

Anyway, I had a bit of a revelation today as I was chatting with a friend regarding horoscope and she took a look at my natal chart and laughed. It seems my horoscope shows I have an urge to escape reality through my hobbies and woe to anyone trying to separate me from them (luckily, my boyfriend is very supportive of both my reading and my perfume habit - but you know about the perfume part already).
So, if you consider that I need to escape reality and stress of everyday life, I don't think my choice of books to read is that strange.

Well, this tells you nothing about the book. :) I'll start with, it made me cry. And that doesn't happen often. Actually, it did happen recently with one of the Steven Burst's books but also deservedly.

It's been awhile since that happened - and I'm usually the laughing stock of anyone who watches a movie with me that makes me cry.  I honestly can't help it. And it happens more with movies than with books.

So, a book that made me shed a tear is a good one. :)

I've had a period when I discovered Mrs Balogh's books and went through all I could find. It's been awhile so I forgot why exactly I loved her books so much but this one brought it all back.
I won't go into details about the story, it's on every other blog and book cover out there. I'll just say that the dialogues between the two main characters are some of the best I've ever read in a romance novel. I loved them!

The story is great and a novel one (I've read so many romance novels that some seem like plagiarism) and I have nothing more to add. If you like reading romance, I highly recommend this.