What is French for falling in love?
When Del leaves small town America to compete in a perfume competition in Paris, she thinks it is just the next step on her five-year-plan. It’s an exciting opportunity. What started out as just a dream for Del and her twin sister is nearly in her grasp. If she wins this competition, they are on their way to opening their very own perfume boutique!
Arriving in Paris, watching the sun glinting off the Seine and wandering the Champs-Elysees, Del discovers the most perfect perfumery she’s ever seen. Yet, as the competition dawns Del realises that whilst she might have had the best nose in her small village, her competitors seem to know more than she could ever have dreamed. This competition isn’t going to be easy…
Del has the romance of Paris to sweep her away from her worries, but as the competition heats up, so does her desire for that which she cannot have! If only the dashing owner Sébastien didn’t smell so seductive, look so handsome and make her heart flutter like it never has before. They say love smells as sweet as a red rose in bloom, but Del would tell anyone that true love can’t be bottled – it’s beautiful and unique to everyone…even herself. With everything on the line for her future, can Del really let a little attraction get in the way of securing her dreams?
I found the story enjoyable and romantic. I read it in less than a day, not only because it’s not too long (a little more than 200 pages), but because I was engrossed in the plot. What I liked most about this novel is the character of Del. The author presents her through many fronts. She is devoted to her family, she is still grieving over her grandmother’s death and she constantly misses her twin sister Jen, her other half, especially since she is now busy with her boyfriend. She is competitive and determined to win her place in the competition but she is also a loyal and true friend and she helps the other competitors even if it means she could lose. She is also funny and gets herself in ridiculous and embarrassing situations that made me laugh out loud. And she’s never been in love, at least not until she arrives to Paris.
Small town girl meets big city boy. She grew up in a farm in Michigan, raised by her grandparents while her hippy parents healed the world with their prayers. He is the heir of an empire. While she dreams of the bright lights of the big city, he wishes for the quietness of the countryside. Del and Sébastien couldn’t be more different, and yet they hit it off right away, and I enjoyed seeing their story develop throughout the novel. The fact that the novel is set in the most romantic city in the world helped to create the romantic and atmospheric setting for Del and Seb’s love story.
The setting of Paris is another thing that I enjoyed in this novel. I loved to explore Paris along with Del as she visits the city with its iconic landmarks – from the Moulin Rouge to Notre Dame and more – and its beautiful shops and cafés.
THE LITTLE PERFUME SHOP OFF THE CHAMPS-ELYSEES is an highly enjoyable and charming novel and I’d like to thank HQ Digital for providing me with an early copy of the book and for letting me take part in the blog tour.
REBECCA RAISIN is a true bibliophile. This love of books morphed into the desire to write them. Rebecca aims to write characters you can see yourself being friends with. People with big hearts who care about relationships, and most importantly, believe in true, once in a lifetime love.
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