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wabbitrabbit's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
smamato2's review against another edition
2.0
I enjoyed this perspective on World War II and the lives of LGBTQ+ community residing in occupied Paris. I found myself reading not to find out what happened but to finish the book at points. Some of the story lines dragged on and seemed unfinished all at the same time.
groovyfrood's review against another edition
I got about half way through the book, but it was just very slow and tedious. I loved the idea and premise of the story, but just found the friendship that developed between Voss and the main character uncomfortable and boring. I kept thinking something would happen, but so far no good. I just had to quit because I found it very a very dull read.
ale1014's review against another edition
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
littlesprite21's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
hskrkelle's review against another edition
2.0
This was a bit of a slog for me to get through. It was described to me as similar to “City of Girls”, which I enjoyed, but I think that comparison was a big stretch. This was just not my type of book.
rjsreadingnook's review against another edition
3.0
The WWII story held my interest, but I couldn’t see myself in Clementine, the queer American expat woman who dressed in men’s and women’s clothes. As a genderfluid AFAB person as well I was really looking forward to this one, but something was missing for me. Thank you to Doubleday for the ARC.
thereadingpotato's review against another edition
2.0
After a life of thievery to produce one-of-a-kind perfumes for the wealthy, seventy-two-year-old Clementine is forced to work with a Nazi bureaucrat to uncover the potentially poisonous secrets of a legendary perfumery, one of Hitler’s interests for use in WWII. All the while, she tells her life story, revealing her most intimate secrets in hopes of protecting her endangered friends.
This book is very atmospheric, and the connections between scents and memories is particularly emphasized. I liked the notion that one distinct smell can bring back a certain person, place, or moment in time, and I also enjoyed the LGBTQ+ representation.
However, I found this book to be incredibly slow and overly drawn out on multiple occasions. It’s quite repetitive about smells and scents, and there is a significant lack of action. There are several tangents into Clementine’s ambiguous past and constant musings about her thoughts, Parisian life, and old memories.
This book would be ideal if you enjoy slow-burn novels, especially if you have an interest in perfume or scents, or would like to see a unique perspective from underground Paris in WWII.
Thank you to Doubleday for this gifted copy in exchange for my honest review.
This book is very atmospheric, and the connections between scents and memories is particularly emphasized. I liked the notion that one distinct smell can bring back a certain person, place, or moment in time, and I also enjoyed the LGBTQ+ representation.
However, I found this book to be incredibly slow and overly drawn out on multiple occasions. It’s quite repetitive about smells and scents, and there is a significant lack of action. There are several tangents into Clementine’s ambiguous past and constant musings about her thoughts, Parisian life, and old memories.
This book would be ideal if you enjoy slow-burn novels, especially if you have an interest in perfume or scents, or would like to see a unique perspective from underground Paris in WWII.
Thank you to Doubleday for this gifted copy in exchange for my honest review.
_mary's review
2.0
It's a very interesting idea but it's not well executed. It's timeline is confusing, jumping from WWII France to turn of the century NYC without a transition. Clementine had to be in her seventies in order for the author to use both settings but I don't see a 70+ year old being able to do what Clem did in this book. It would have been better without the subplots and a more fleshed out main plot.
Edited to remove my comment on how the synopsis identified Clementine. A review labelled Clementine as a lesbian which I had mistaken for the synopsis. The synopsis states Clementine is a queer person.
Edited to remove my comment on how the synopsis identified Clementine. A review labelled Clementine as a lesbian which I had mistaken for the synopsis. The synopsis states Clementine is a queer person.