catfactory's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
kittykornerlibrarian's review against another edition
3.0
I am not in the mood for bleak, World War II era historical fiction. So much World War II era historical fiction. So. Much.
wordssearched's review against another edition
informative
mysterious
reflective
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.0
I struggled with how to rate this one because it wasn't poorly written, and if you're into World War 2 historical fiction, then this might be for you. My reaction is based entirely on high expectations from an enticing premise: a queer woman in Paris at the height of the Nazi occupation must find and secure a book of formulas by a famous perfumer before it falls into German hands. Sounds great, right? But the execution doesn't quite follow through. Schaffert did his research and is a solid writer, but in the end, I could get into the narrative or connect with any of the characters, and the plot sputters along until a ho-hum conclusion in which very little happens. Not bad, per se, just boring.
louismunozjr's review against another edition
2.0
2 stars, maybe closer to 2.5? Couldn't really get into the book, if I'm honest. The characters felt inauthentic, as did some of the period atmosphere. Maybe I wasn't paying attention, especially since I ultimately skimmed large swathes of the book. I could see this book exciting and fulfilling others' expectations, but color me uninvolved and disengaged from pretty much the first page.
Many thanks to #NetGalley for a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
Many thanks to #NetGalley for a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
valharris's review against another edition
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
4.0
iambriam's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
informative
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
5.0
bigpaw's review against another edition
3.0
Really nailed the fanfic thing of describing scents as a mix of normal smells and vague abstract concepts
starrburst112's review
3.0
It was okay. I wanted to see how the story ended but wasn’t too invested.
ilikecows321's review against another edition
dark
lighthearted
mysterious
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
disabledbookdragon's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0