Imagine receiving a letter telling you a
complete stranger has left you an inheritance. That’s exactly what happens in
1955 to demure socialite Grace Monroe, who, with some gentle coaxing from her
best friend, travels to Paris to learn more about her unknown benefactor, the
mysterious and seductive Eva d’Orsey.
The latest novel by Kathleen Tessaro is a delicious
tale of love, beauty, heartbreak and intrigue that seamlessly intertwines Eva’s
complicated life in the glamorous locales of London, New York and Monte Carlo in
the 1920s and Grace’s life in the novel’s present day (1950s). I was captivated
by Tessaro’s knowledge of the perfume industry, which provides the backstory
for the novel. Her descriptions of the art of perfume making are so evocative
that you can almost smell the sumptuous concoctions. Add several wonderfully complex characters to
the mix and you have all the ingredients for a novel that was extremely hard to
put down (I did not want to go to bed!)
While it might not take long for some people to
unravel this alluring story (I admit I had things figured out about halfway
through the book), getting to the end is a journey you’ll want to take — and
soon!
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