The Perfume Garden by Kate Lord Brown
High in the hills of Valencia, a forgotten house guards its secrets. Untouched since Franco's forces tore through Spain in 1936, the whitewashed walls have crumbled, the garden, laden with orange blossom, grown wild.Emma Temple is the first to unlock its doors in seventy years. Guided by a series of letters and a key bequeathed in her mother's will, she has left her job as London's leading perfumier to restore this dilapidated villa to its former glory. It is the perfect retreat: a wilderness redolent with strange and exotic scents, heavy with the colours and sounds of a foreign time. But for her grandmother, Freya, a British nurse who stayed here during Spain's devastating civil war, Emma's new home evokes terrible memories. As the house begins to give up its secrets, Emma is drawn deeper into Freya's story: one of crushed idealism, lost love, and families ripped apart by war. She soon realises it is one thing letting go of the past, but another when it won't let go of you.
Absolutely adored this book. This is my first time reading anything by Kate Lord Brown and it won't be the last. I really loved the backdrop of Spain and the alternating time lapses between the present time and 1930s Spain. All of the details, an old decrepit house , beautiful scenery, European attitude, all of it, definitely reminded me of Under the Tuscan Sun (which I loved). I'm an avid fan of historical fiction so I particularly loved the alternate story revolving around Rosa and Freya during the Spanish civil war. However, I loved Emma's story as well, especially regarding the loss of her mother and reconnecting with her through Liberty's letters. Her relationship with Luca was adorable, and I found myself rooting for them to be together throughout the story. And the perfume! The perfume! Oh I loved it so much. I felt like I was in the garden with Emma creating my own magical scents. I thoroughly enjoyed The Perfume Garden, and would highly recommend.
Thursday, October 29, 2015
Wednesday, October 28, 2015
Saturday, October 24, 2015
Cover Love - Halloween
Labels:
cover love,
fiction,
gothic,
mystery,
suspense,
thrillers,
upcoming reads
Friday, October 23, 2015
Ever since I was a little girl I had wanted to be
Sweet Water by Christine Baker Kline
When a grandfather she never knew bequeaths her a house and 60 acres of land in Sweetwater, Tenn., a restless young artist leaves New York to recover her past and rethink her future. Cassie Simon's mother Ellen died when Cassie was only three; raised in Boston by her grieving father, she never knew her maternal relatives. Unprepared for the thick veil of mystery that surrounds them, Cassie is especially bewildered by her brusque grandmother, whom rumor credits with hiding a terrible secret about Ellen's death. In alternating sections told from their respective points of view, Cassie and her grandmother fight their separate battles to cope with the truth about the tragedy
I had high expectations for Sweet Water based on Christine Baker Kline's other novel, Orphan Train, which I was a fan of. I had hoped that Sweet Water would hold up to the same promise, but sadly, it completely missed the mark for me. The whole premise drew me in, a young artist leaving New York to recover her past in the south, sounds like something I would love, right? But wow, the plot fell short. It was a REAL struggle getting through this one. I couldn't relate or sympathize with any of the characters, and ok, I'm sorry, but what is up with the whole relationship between Cassie and her cousin (adopted or not, REALLY?!!?), can you say redneck stereotype? Very odd, and kind of creepy honestly. I found myself skipping pages and skimming the last few chapters, which can't be a good sign. In the end I was left disappointed. Sweet Water was forgettable to me.
When a grandfather she never knew bequeaths her a house and 60 acres of land in Sweetwater, Tenn., a restless young artist leaves New York to recover her past and rethink her future. Cassie Simon's mother Ellen died when Cassie was only three; raised in Boston by her grieving father, she never knew her maternal relatives. Unprepared for the thick veil of mystery that surrounds them, Cassie is especially bewildered by her brusque grandmother, whom rumor credits with hiding a terrible secret about Ellen's death. In alternating sections told from their respective points of view, Cassie and her grandmother fight their separate battles to cope with the truth about the tragedy
I had high expectations for Sweet Water based on Christine Baker Kline's other novel, Orphan Train, which I was a fan of. I had hoped that Sweet Water would hold up to the same promise, but sadly, it completely missed the mark for me. The whole premise drew me in, a young artist leaving New York to recover her past in the south, sounds like something I would love, right? But wow, the plot fell short. It was a REAL struggle getting through this one. I couldn't relate or sympathize with any of the characters, and ok, I'm sorry, but what is up with the whole relationship between Cassie and her cousin (adopted or not, REALLY?!!?), can you say redneck stereotype? Very odd, and kind of creepy honestly. I found myself skipping pages and skimming the last few chapters, which can't be a good sign. In the end I was left disappointed. Sweet Water was forgettable to me.
Thursday, October 22, 2015
Upcoming reads
Labels:
england,
fiction,
historical fiction,
historical romance,
love,
TBR,
upcoming reads
Wednesday, October 21, 2015
There's no place like home
Wrap up!
Mr. Mercedes - Stephen King
Sweet Water - Christina Baker Kline
Luckiest Girl Alive - Jessica Knoll
The Girl on the Train - Paula Hawkins
Miss Buncle's Book - D.E. Stevenson
The Good Girl - Mary Kubica
Hard time choosing between The Girl on the Train and Mr. Mercedes this month, but giving the edge to Paula Hawkins' gem. Absolutely LOVED this book, haven't been this engrossed in a novel in some time.
Mr. Mercedes - Stephen King
Sweet Water - Christina Baker Kline
Luckiest Girl Alive - Jessica Knoll
The Girl on the Train - Paula Hawkins
Miss Buncle's Book - D.E. Stevenson
The Good Girl - Mary Kubica
PICK OF THE MONTH
The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins
The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins
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