This is different than the other books by this author I've read. This is the third in a series (that i did not read) about the Wind Dancer, which is a (presumably fake) antique statue dating back at least to the time of Troy. That's really old. The main guy is a rich genius, and an evil genius is in love with him and obsessed with him, and trying to play a game with him over the wind dancer and killing everyone that the main guy cares about, which seemingly will bring the main guy into the evil guy's arms, in his mind. The main girl is also obsessed with the statue, which belongs to another branch of her family. She is also obsessed with her flower farm, vassaro, in france. She farms and makes perfumes. This book is the story of the main people launching the perfume with the help of the statue, while traveling all over europe (with a bit of the US), and all the while trying to foil the bad guy, and a european art theft ring which has also stolen the mona lisa, among other things. there is some politics in there too. A lot going on...the very beginning of the book reads like a straight up romance novel..if you can get past that front part, it gets better, and you get a lot of action, fashion, travel, blowing things up, spies, etc. it also gets really sad at one point. you dont need to read the other books it works as a stand alone novel, that's how i read it.