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16th out of 141 books
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192 voters
My rating:
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The Book of Lost Fragrances
by
M.J. Rose (Goodreads Author)
A sweeping and suspenseful tale of secrets, intrigue, and lovers separated by time, all connected through the mystical qualities of a perfume created in the days of Cleopatra—and lost for 2,000 years.
Jac L’Etoile has always been haunted by the past, her memories infused with the exotic scents that she grew up surrounded by as the heir to a storied French perfum...more
Jac L’Etoile has always been haunted by the past, her memories infused with the exotic scents that she grew up surrounded by as the heir to a storied French perfum...more
Hardcover, 416 pages
Expected publication:
March 13th 2012
by Atria Books
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Win a Copy of This Book
The Book of Lost Fragrances
by M.J. Rose (Goodreads Author)
by M.J. Rose (Goodreads Author)
Release date: Mar 13, 2012
Winners get a both the book and free sample of the perfume, Âmes Sœurs, the scent of soul mates the exclusive, mystical fragrance, inspired by the bo…more
Giveaway dates:
Jan 20-Feb 29, 2012
15 copies available,
1299 people requesting
Countries available:
US
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Edited 2/16/2012: One of my blog readers was kind enough to forward my review on to the author and she was in turn kind enough to provide me with proof that fantastical is indeed a word.
I stand corrected.
__________________
The Book of Lost Fragrances was kindly provided to me by Netgalley for Simon & Schuster, Inc..
Expected Publication Date: March 13th 2012
Interested in more of my reviews? Visit my blog!
2.5 stars
Storyli...more
I stand corrected.
__________________
The Book of Lost Fragrances was kindly provided to me by Netgalley for Simon & Schuster, Inc..
Expected Publication Date: March 13th 2012
Interested in more of my reviews? Visit my blog!
2.5 stars
Storyli...more
A French perfumer is commissioned in the 1800s to recreate a scent formula from Cleopatra’s fragrance factory. It is believed that those who smell the euphoric scent find a portal to past lives. The Book of Lost Fragrances—part thriller, part ancient history, and part romance—surprises on many levels.
Martyred Tibetan monks attempting to prove reincarnation. Napoleon. Cleopatra’s secret soul-mate fragrance formula. A modern day near-bankrupt perfume company. The famous 18th century Fr...more
Martyred Tibetan monks attempting to prove reincarnation. Napoleon. Cleopatra’s secret soul-mate fragrance formula. A modern day near-bankrupt perfume company. The famous 18th century Fr...more
What do modern Tibet, Cleopatra’s Egypt, revolutionary France, contemporary Paris, reincarnation, the Chinese mafia, the Dalai Lama, the catacombs, perfume production, and Greek mythology have to do with each other? Read The Book of Lost Fragrances and you will find out. Danger, deeply held beliefs, philosophical contemplations, broken hearts and unbreakable hearts, murder and theft: this book has a lot to offer.
All these strands take a while to lay out, and despite some excellent atmo...more
All these strands take a while to lay out, and despite some excellent atmo...more
I enjoyed this book a great deal. I have a more than passing - okay, voracious - interest in all things mythological and specifically archetypal, this spoke directly to one of my passions. However, that is not by any means the subject of this work. Rose manages to incorporate mythology, psychology, reincarnation, Chinese politics, Tibetan history, the Chinese Mafia in places as far-flung as Paris, along with the science of perfumery, archaeology and metaphysical exploration into one surprisin...more
After the death of their father, Robert and Jacinthe L'Etoile inherit the family's distinguished perfume house, which is on the brink of financial ruin. Tensions between the siblings are high. Jac wants to sell two of the house's signature fragrances to keep the business afloat, while Robbie believes that he can find another way to save the struggling firm.
Family lore holds that a L'Etoile ancestor traveled to Egypt where he found a book formulas from Cleopatra's fragrance facto...more
Family lore holds that a L'Etoile ancestor traveled to Egypt where he found a book formulas from Cleopatra's fragrance facto...more
This book is a mix of ancient history, paranormal, religion, mystery with a little romance tossed in on the side! It doesn't sound like a combination that would work, but it really does. The only thing missing was the actual smell of the fragrances being described in the story (remember scratch and sniff??).
I really liked the character of Jac. She had an interesting history and a few scars from her troubled past remained, but she strong enough to move on with her life. I would...more
I really liked the character of Jac. She had an interesting history and a few scars from her troubled past remained, but she strong enough to move on with her life. I would...more
Rob and Jac L'Etoile are brother and sister inheritors of the famous House of L'Etoile perfume manufacturers and sellers. But their interest lies far beyond just selling appealing perfumes and colognes. For the family has many secrets, all going back centuries when it was believed that a perfume existed that could lead one into past life regression. This, however, is not always such an appealing experience, as Jac experiences, one she and others believe is a touch of psychotic episodes that are ...more
Jac and Robbie L’Etoile grew up in the L’Etoile family, descended from generations of historic perfume makers. Jac abandons the family business after her mother commits suicide to go work in America. In Paris, her father descends into Alzheimers and her brother Robbie is left alone with an the almost bankrupt L’Etoile company. Jac insists they sell some of the family scents to pay off their debt, but Robbie wants to discover a mythical fragrance hinted at in the L’Etoile stories about The Book ...more
The Book of Lost Fragrances by M.J. Rose continues the search for the 12 memory tools that Malachai Samuels continues to search for as part of his research and obsession with reincarnation. The novel focuses not on Samuels per se, but on the history of the L’Etoile family and their development of perfumes and fragrances. Jac has given up the family business, even though the family has insisted that she has the more discerning nose for scent, but her brother Robbie continues to believe that the...more
From the moment Rose takes readers into an ancient Egyptian tomb with Napolean leading the way, to the present day in the catacombs under Paris, we become lost in a labyrinth of sight and scent that covers both time and place. The worlds of a perfumer in France, a skeptical television host in America, a Buddhist holy man in hiding, and countless others are linked by a fragrant ointment found in an Egyptian tomb, rumored to be a tool for experiencing past lives. Some will give their lives to prot...more
An interesting aspect of this book that I'd like to share is the idea that the main character, Jac, has been mistaking her lifelong "hallucinations" as psychotic episodes when in fact, we discover that they are remnants of her past life that she is remembering piece by piece. (I don't think this is a spoiler here because it was pretty obvious from the beginning and the fact that this is in the "Reincarnationist" series should be a clue.) I find this concept so intriguing. It ...more
Overall this is a very enjoyable book. I found the opening a little slow, but gradually I got into the story.
One of the things I loved most about this piece was the way it appeals to the senses, with detailed and sensuous description of smells playing a major role in the tale. I also enjoyed the historical flashbacks and the way they moved the rest of the story forward. The interplay of the ideas of memories and reincarnation worked very well and created an intriguing plot.
I ...more
One of the things I loved most about this piece was the way it appeals to the senses, with detailed and sensuous description of smells playing a major role in the tale. I also enjoyed the historical flashbacks and the way they moved the rest of the story forward. The interplay of the ideas of memories and reincarnation worked very well and created an intriguing plot.
I ...more
The Book of Lost Fragrances by MJ Rose circles around history, reincarnation, and naturally enough, perfumes. The book opens with Napoleon in Egypt and a mysterious clay bottle of scent. Fast forward a couple hundred years to modern-day America, China, and Paris. Jac, descendent of the famous L’Etoile who discovered the original perfume with Napoleon, is drawn into the mystery by her brother Robbie. Soon there are powerful American organizations, Chinese Triads, and Tibetan freedom fighters ...more
The House of L'Etoile is a parfumerie in Paris which dates back to pre-revolutionary France, and M.J. Rose's "The Book of Lost Fragrances" is a thriller/romance in which Jac L'Etoile searches for her missing brother, while helping her former lover decipher the meaning of some inscriptions on ancient Egyptian pottery found in the shop. While most of the story takes place in the here-and-now, the story covers historic episodes in the House of L'Etoile.
The book's MacGuffin is ...more
The book's MacGuffin is ...more
The publisher kindly sent me an advance copy of this novel for review ahead of it's release.
Jac is struggling to supress mental health problems and save her ancestral perfumery from bankruptcy. But when her brother uncovers a familial artefact that may be the saviour of controversial Tibetan beliefs in reincarnation, Jac’s precarious sanity is put to the test by cryptic clues, murder and a reunion with a long lost love. The bizarre plot is not adequately addressed by even the suppose...more
Jac is struggling to supress mental health problems and save her ancestral perfumery from bankruptcy. But when her brother uncovers a familial artefact that may be the saviour of controversial Tibetan beliefs in reincarnation, Jac’s precarious sanity is put to the test by cryptic clues, murder and a reunion with a long lost love. The bizarre plot is not adequately addressed by even the suppose...more
Do you enjoy a bit of history and a touch of mystery? Or do Buddas and the Dalai Lama fascinate you? Is mythology and reincarnation more to your taste? Or do Cleopatra and perfume intrigue you? Oh, and there’s also the ghost. What if you could find all of these in one story? Well, you can.
The Book of Lost Fragrances, a novel by author M. J. Rose, takes the reader from Egypt to New York, from China to France, and from the past to the present with a cast of characters you won’t soon fo...more
The Book of Lost Fragrances, a novel by author M. J. Rose, takes the reader from Egypt to New York, from China to France, and from the past to the present with a cast of characters you won’t soon fo...more
To see my full review, go to my blog: http://the-bookaholic.blogspot.com
The Book of Lost Fragrances touches your senses immediately from the first page.
I was drawn into this story within the pages of scents and sounds and sights through the author’s wondrous and detailed descriptions immediately and found myself intrigued from the start. The subject matter was not light though, I admit, as it touches on mythology, past-life regression and reincarnation, ancient history, ...more
The Book of Lost Fragrances touches your senses immediately from the first page.
I was drawn into this story within the pages of scents and sounds and sights through the author’s wondrous and detailed descriptions immediately and found myself intrigued from the start. The subject matter was not light though, I admit, as it touches on mythology, past-life regression and reincarnation, ancient history, ...more
I read this courtesy of the publisher and Netgalley. This had a promising plot, but it didn't really hold my attention. I think it's because it was too choppy, switching back and forth between multiple characters' points of view, with complicated back stories for each. It's well written and suspenseful in parts, evocative and lush with the scents and descriptions of the family mansion and grounds, but it kept losing me. I wasn't that emotionally engaged with the characters either.
Ja...more
Ja...more
This had such promise - but too much going on for that promise to really be fulfilled. There's the concept of Jungian archetypes, past-life regression, scent as aide memoire, Tibetan freedom, Chinese triads, former loves, Cleopatra's perfume factory, Napoleon in Egypt... and I'm sure I've left stuff out.
If the author had simply concentrated on Jac and Robbie's world, perhaps with more about the history of perfumes, it would have been interesting. Even the addition of Malachai Samue...more
If the author had simply concentrated on Jac and Robbie's world, perhaps with more about the history of perfumes, it would have been interesting. Even the addition of Malachai Samue...more
I really enjoyed this book for multiple reasons. First, it had one of the most unusual storylines that I think I have read all year. Second, it was intelligently written AND engrossing. Third, I loved how the characters were written. This book reminded me a tiny bit of Jennifer Donnelly's book, Revolution. This is an author who I have had several of her books on my TBR list for a while and they always kept being bumped down the list for other books. I will def. be moving her books back up the li...more
This was an eGalley ARC, and I don't normally bite the hand that feeds me advance eBooks (okay, they do expire so I don't actually own anything at the end), but this one fell somewhat short of my expectations. The writing was much too melodramatic at times, choppy narrative at others; it seemed like every few pages was a digression for a lengthy explanation about another factoid, which really hurt the pacing.
I really liked the narrative when it switched to past lives, I just wish th...more
I really liked the narrative when it switched to past lives, I just wish th...more
M.J. Rose writes with the sure hand of a seasoned storyteller. It's a luxury to sink into a book that spans such broad time and place, sweeping you through centuries and across continents without losing that essential thread of human story.
Haunted by a troubled past, Jac L'Etoile moves to the US, but after she inherits her family's financially (and emotionally) burdened perfume business, she's drawn into a mystery that poses questions about her family's dark past -- and about the jo...more
Haunted by a troubled past, Jac L'Etoile moves to the US, but after she inherits her family's financially (and emotionally) burdened perfume business, she's drawn into a mystery that poses questions about her family's dark past -- and about the jo...more
The Book of Lost Fragrances is a captivating historical fiction. It offers a tale of suspense with paranormal elements, religious oppression and a romance that spans the ages. Rose masterfully blends fact and fiction as she takes us from the tombs of ancient Egypt to the catacombs of Paris. I was fascinated by the history and drawn to the characters.
Told from multiple points of view we travel from past to present as different groups search for the fragrance of lost souls. Believed ...more
Told from multiple points of view we travel from past to present as different groups search for the fragrance of lost souls. Believed ...more
I received this ARC from the author through a contest.
I have read one other M.J. Rose book, and some of the characters in this book appear in her other works, but you don't need to have read those to follow this book. I found myself sinking into the world of the book, and didn't find the switching between times/viewpoints confusing. The book is part thriller, part mystery, and the romance comes from the soul mates meeting again and again through time. I liked this book better than ...more
I have read one other M.J. Rose book, and some of the characters in this book appear in her other works, but you don't need to have read those to follow this book. I found myself sinking into the world of the book, and didn't find the switching between times/viewpoints confusing. The book is part thriller, part mystery, and the romance comes from the soul mates meeting again and again through time. I liked this book better than ...more
This was the first suspenseful book for me in several months. Exploring the link between scent and memory was intriguing. I enjoyed it and have become more aware and thoughtful about scent. While looking at images of perfume organs online I discovered an interesting blog with reviews of perfumes. The enticing description of "Let Me Play the Lion" by Les Nez led me to order a sample. Hopefully the exchange rate of Swiss Francs is favorable, I'm sure the scent will be.
Just downloaded this from netgalley. Unfortunately, it is a pdf file rather than an epub file...which means I probably won't read it. The text is simply too small to read comfortably on the Nook screen. Sure, I can resize it - but I have to resize on every single page and - if I make it large enough - move the text block around on the screen. All of this is disruptive to the reading experience and is a dealbreaker for me.
Received an ARC because I love M.J.Rose. This is her best book yet. The plotting is brilliant, but it was the sensual details that really made this book so unusual and unforgettable. Every scene was lovingly rendered and the reader was right THERE with the characters: tasting and seeing and hearing and most of all smelling the fascinating world of perfumers present and past. A truly beautiful book.
M.J. Rose has the perfect touch to combine romance, history, reincarnation. As in her former books, The Reincarnationist, The Memorist, and The Hypnotist, it is all about finding a memory tool. Get immersed in the wonderful world of fragrances from Cleopatra's Egypt, through the French revolution to nowadays Paris and a little bit of Tibet.
A perfumer and his sister may be heirs to the secret formula of Cleopatra - a mystical scent that enables those who smell it to recall past lives and find their soulmates. If they can figure it out, they want to give the ancient perfume to the Dalai Lama, to strengthen the case for reincarnation. But Chinese gangsters want to stop the gift.
There's the kernel of a fun (if far-fetched) story here. Unfortunately, it doesn't get the chance to shine through the New-Agey claptrap, the supe...more
There's the kernel of a fun (if far-fetched) story here. Unfortunately, it doesn't get the chance to shine through the New-Agey claptrap, the supe...more
Received as an ARC from the publisher. Not the most exciting mystery I've ever read. Not enough tension between chapters to entice me to keep reading, but I did finish it. The info about the art of making custom perfumes was really interesting,and the tie-in with reincarnation was clever.
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Coming March 2012- The Book of Lost Fragrances.
“Here is an amazing novel that will keep you up all night—and leave you with powerful feelings of revelation, wonder, and the infinitude of human possibility. “ - NYT Bestseller Douglas Preston
M.J. Rose, is the international bestselling author of several novels including Lip Service, In Fidelity, Flesh Tones, Sheet Mus...more
More about M.J. Rose...
“Here is an amazing novel that will keep you up all night—and leave you with powerful feelings of revelation, wonder, and the infinitude of human possibility. “ - NYT Bestseller Douglas Preston
M.J. Rose, is the international bestselling author of several novels including Lip Service, In Fidelity, Flesh Tones, Sheet Mus...more
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