A Perfumer's Secret

De: Adria J. Cimino

Narrado por: Teri Schnaubelt

Perfumer Zoe Flore travels to Grasse, perfume capital of the world, to collect a formula: her inheritance from the family she never knew existed. The scent matches the one worn by her mother, who passed away when Zoe was a teenager. Zoe, competing to create a new fragrance for prestigious designer Cherone, believes this scent could win the contract - and lead her to the reason her mother fled Grasse for New York City. Before Zoe can discover the truth, the formula is stolen. Philippe Chevrefeuille, the enigmatic competitor who makes her heart race, is the only one who can help her find it. But Zoe is in no mood for romance, or at least that's what she tries telling herself.

Philippe knows that winning the Cherone fragrance contract is the way out of his mid-level perfumery job. And he has the ambition and ego to make it happen. Until Zoe enters the picture. In an instant, he's under her spell and losing his grip on his own creativity. If Philippe hopes to win, he must keep Zoe from finding the missing formula. But can he betray his own heart?

The pursuit transforms into a journey of self-discovery as each struggles to understand the complexities of love, the force of pride, and the meaning of family.

©2015 Adria J. Cimino (P)2017 Tantor

Heartfelt mystery in French perfume industry.

A Perfumer’s Secret by Adria J. Cimino is an amazing book about how discovering one’s talents can help you move on with one’s life. The story centers around New York perfumer Zoe Flore who leaves work unexpectedly to travel to the South of France to collect an inheritance from a relative she never knew. Her inheritance is a formula for a fragrance, the smell of which reminds Zoe of the perfume her mother wore before she passed away when Zoe was a teenager. The day Zoe receives the formula, it is stolen from her hotel room. It turns out more than one person wants to get their hands on this formula. Zoe wants it for sentimental reasons, while a few others desire it so they can make a profit from it.

There is so much that I really enjoyed about this book: (1) the well-developed characters, including an angsty teenager whose zest for life and inquisitive nature helps her befriend Zoe; (2) the research that went into this book, especially Grasse, France and the entire perfume industry; and (3) the mystery surrounding Zoe’s mother who moved to New York when she found out she was pregnant with Zoe and who never told Zoe who was her father.

Teri Schnaubelt narrated this audiobook and she did an outstanding job. She uses differing voices for all of the characters, young and old. Her narration was easy to listen to and she demonstrated the right amount of worry, exasperation, and yearning in all the right places. Simply put, this audiobook will pull at your heartstrings. Brava!