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The Essence of Perfection
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Among the uber-famous, she’s the most highly sought-after fragrance maker—and a well-kept secret. But designing a scent for pop’s newest superstar could take Nicola King and her family’s business from elite to downright legendary. Of course, mystery is part of Nicola’s brand—so no one knows she’s actually an over-cautious person who always puts her own life on permanent ho
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When life for the entire universe and planet turns on its end and like everyone else you "have nothing to do" while your place of work is closed, superspeed readers like me can read 250+ pages/hour, so yes, I have read the book … and many more today.
I requested and received a temporary digital Advance Reader Copy of this book from #NetGalley, the publisher and the author in exchange for an honest review.
From the publisher, as I do not repeat the contents or story of books in reviews, I let them ...more
I requested and received a temporary digital Advance Reader Copy of this book from #NetGalley, the publisher and the author in exchange for an honest review.
From the publisher, as I do not repeat the contents or story of books in reviews, I let them ...more
I enjoyed the book, it was a little longer than what I thought it needed to be by 25\30 pages but good read. I'm going to create my list and start working on it, it's never to late.
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Nicola has worked really hard to built her brand but she hasn't worked hard on herself. She's a perfumer- and I loved the details about that. She's also got a serious self esteem problem. Social media proves to be a real plus and problem both for her. It helps sell her perfumes but she also finds herself shamed into doing things on her bucket list- the bucket list she didn't expect others to see. She copes with her own issues, as well as her grandfather's, and then, well there's Damien. Thanks t
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I loved this book but ,in all honesty the main characters were hard to like a lot of the time and the ending was believable and satisfying if not frustrating! I read the first book and this one didn't disappoint either. You find yourself rooting for Nicola and in fact we all may know someone who lacks confidence and needs a boost. (That's probably why it was so frustrating to see someone who you believed in be so down on themselves. )Like i said the ending was worth the wait and how real people
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3.75 stars. This is the perfect story to inspire and challenge readers to get out of their comfort zone in 2020. Nicola, perfumer to the stars, was the central character and felt very familiar. She reminds me a bit of myself and other women I know. Nita Brooks did a good job in developing Nicola as a modern woman juggling her love life, career, and family obligations. I appreciate romance novels that can do this and enjoyed seeing how Nicola did this throughout the book. However, I would have li
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A fragrance designer who’s encouraged to step outside her comfort zone is part of The Essence of Perfection by Nita Brooks.
Nicola King is the fragrance designer for her family’s business, Queen Couture. She’s so dedicated often forgetting to have a life. Nicola wants everything to go as planned. When the wrong list gets sent to a producer, instead of her responses for interview, Nicola finds herself in the spotlight.
This book was an eye-opener with characters I really enjoyed. I can appreciate N ...more
Nicola King is the fragrance designer for her family’s business, Queen Couture. She’s so dedicated often forgetting to have a life. Nicola wants everything to go as planned. When the wrong list gets sent to a producer, instead of her responses for interview, Nicola finds herself in the spotlight.
This book was an eye-opener with characters I really enjoyed. I can appreciate N ...more
When we received The Essence of Perfection in the mail, we were all excited here at the AAMBC. Nita Brooks did not disappoint.
The Essence of Perfection explores topics that many of us can relate to. Sibling rivalry. Work-life balance. Accepting imperfections. Through Nicola King, we watch as she navigates this world of self-discovery after a social media snafu.
Romantic, entertaining, and painfully real, Nita Brooks weaves a tale that captures the reader's attention. Any of us could be Nicola and ...more
The Essence of Perfection explores topics that many of us can relate to. Sibling rivalry. Work-life balance. Accepting imperfections. Through Nicola King, we watch as she navigates this world of self-discovery after a social media snafu.
Romantic, entertaining, and painfully real, Nita Brooks weaves a tale that captures the reader's attention. Any of us could be Nicola and ...more
I wanted to like this book, if for no reason other than the simple but pretty cover.
But oh my goodness. I feel like I need to take a shower after this book.
The premise actually seemed decent. Girl has a list of things she regrets not doing, so she tries to go and do them all. Except that plot really took a backseat to said girl's drama. Everywhere she want there was drama! Family drama, boyfriend drama, work drama... it became exhausting to try and sympathize with her when she ruins something y ...more
But oh my goodness. I feel like I need to take a shower after this book.
The premise actually seemed decent. Girl has a list of things she regrets not doing, so she tries to go and do them all. Except that plot really took a backseat to said girl's drama. Everywhere she want there was drama! Family drama, boyfriend drama, work drama... it became exhausting to try and sympathize with her when she ruins something y ...more
A cute and sweet read about Nicola, the eldest daughter and a perfume designer to her mother's Coture Queen Perfume line. Nicola has been offered the chance of a lifetime, to design a scent for a celebrity. She get's added pressure when her bucket list winds up in the hands of a television talk show, and thy want to film her checking things off her list. All of the above adds more confusion in her life than she bargained for.
Nicola felt pressure from all sides, and sometimes didn't ask for help ...more
Nicola felt pressure from all sides, and sometimes didn't ask for help ...more
Really enjoyed this one when I realized the essence of the book was family and relationships - something I'm a sucker for. I felt invested in Nicola, to see how she would come out of all this, what the 'big, dark secret' about her and her sister was, and then if she'd get the guy, of course.
The writing kinda got to me because there were just so many fragments, sentences that should've been together but were broken by a period so it felt a bit off for the flow. I also wanted to see more about th ...more
The writing kinda got to me because there were just so many fragments, sentences that should've been together but were broken by a period so it felt a bit off for the flow. I also wanted to see more about th ...more
The Essence of Perfection was a fun story that encourages people to get out of their comfort zone. I liked the way the situation was created in this story. Nicola, a perfumer, has a secret list of things she wants to do one day, like a bucket list. Her list is accidentally leaked to people and forces her to do the things on it. I liked the different events that happen to her because of this list, and I enjoyed the romance added to the story. I didn't totally connect with the main character, but
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I wanted to like this more than I did.
The premise of this book is what lead me to pick it up but ultimately I felt like the book didn't coherently approach the idea of the list of regrets. I was expecting some build up but it was revealed early on and only a few aspects were focused on. I also found the main character mildly irritating, especially the way she treated the people in her life. I understand that was part of her revelation, which most romance novels have, but it came across in a way ...more
The premise of this book is what lead me to pick it up but ultimately I felt like the book didn't coherently approach the idea of the list of regrets. I was expecting some build up but it was revealed early on and only a few aspects were focused on. I also found the main character mildly irritating, especially the way she treated the people in her life. I understand that was part of her revelation, which most romance novels have, but it came across in a way ...more
The essence of perfection is an entertaining chick-lit with a lead character who’s a perfume designer. It is a fancy job, as often the case in this genre, but for once it’s a refreshing change from the magazine editor or the successful writer. I liked reading about how she goes about creating a juice. I also thought the plot was well thought out, conveying a noteworthy message. However, at times, I was a bit annoyed by the strange, sometimes toxic dynamic between Nicola and her sister and mother
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was definitely an easy and fun read, finished it very quickly. i wasn’t necessarily impressed by the resolution, and actually skipped the last 20 pages. i liked the story a lot, just couldn’t really understand the point of having cameras and a talk show follow Nicola around. i also thought she had the potential to be a more dynamic character. i definitely liked this book, i just wish it did a better job of showing rather than telling. it’s very dialogue heavy, i know it is a personal preference
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Loved the Nicola/Quinn relationship; I felt like Brooks really captured that sense of their peace with each other being fragile and relying on them shoving down the difficult feelings, but their deep down love for each other being unshakeable. Nicola trying to find her creativity and really figure out how to make her career work was fascinating to watch. The writing, though, sometimes felt like it was trying to explain too much and I wish the "narrator" had sort of stepped back and let the story
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I received an advanced readers digital copy of The Essence of Perfection in exchange for an honest review.
My immediate attraction to The Essence of Perfection was the beautiful cover followed by being intrigued by the main character’s profession. Nicola is a fragrance chemist who is all work and no play until she finds herself in a situation where she has no choice but to leave her comfort zone.
I enjoyed the characters and whenever I stopped reading I would wonder what awkward position would Ni ...more
My immediate attraction to The Essence of Perfection was the beautiful cover followed by being intrigued by the main character’s profession. Nicola is a fragrance chemist who is all work and no play until she finds herself in a situation where she has no choice but to leave her comfort zone.
I enjoyed the characters and whenever I stopped reading I would wonder what awkward position would Ni ...more
I'm mad at this book because of main character, but I know that so many people will love this book because of how strong and competent this woman is. I guess I saw so much of myself in her - struggling with emotions and vulnerability that I didn't like it.
oh, and I was expecting more romance, but this is straight up women's fiction. ...more
oh, and I was expecting more romance, but this is straight up women's fiction. ...more
This was another beautiful story written by new author Nita Brooks. I throughly enjoyed this book and the lessons it taught about letting go of the need to have everything be perfect. Great characters, storyline and ending.
There was little to no talk or imagination about perfume and how it's made. It's basic chick-lit for 20-somethings.
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I loved this book from the beginning to the end!! I was so excited to learn the outcome that I reluctantly put it down when I had to! Looking for more books by this author!
Read the complete non-spoiler review of the book in my blog : https://www.goodreads.com/author/show...
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Can I Pound My Head Against the Wall Some More?
The Essence of Perfection was a beautiful concept. The book cover is gorgeous too. I enjoyed the debut novel Redesigning Happiness and could not wait to get my hands-on Essence.
The writing is elegant, inventive, and fresh. But Nicola King was a pain in my #youknowwhat. Every time she graced the pages I was hoping and wishing if she finally saw the writing on the wall and the issue behind all her problems: the woman in the mirror.
As the creative gen ...more
The Essence of Perfection was a beautiful concept. The book cover is gorgeous too. I enjoyed the debut novel Redesigning Happiness and could not wait to get my hands-on Essence.
The writing is elegant, inventive, and fresh. But Nicola King was a pain in my #youknowwhat. Every time she graced the pages I was hoping and wishing if she finally saw the writing on the wall and the issue behind all her problems: the woman in the mirror.
As the creative gen ...more
I received an advanced reader copy of this novel in exchange for a review.
Nicola is a scent maker for her mother’s cosmetic company. She is accustomed to being the easy one in her family and fixing everyone’s problems and never asking for help. But she is tired of her life and wants to fix the missed chances of her past, so she makes a secret list to fix this. As she works through the list, she changes and sees her world differently.
Nicola is a scent maker for her mother’s cosmetic company. She is accustomed to being the easy one in her family and fixing everyone’s problems and never asking for help. But she is tired of her life and wants to fix the missed chances of her past, so she makes a secret list to fix this. As she works through the list, she changes and sees her world differently.
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