The Book of Lost Fragrances by MJ Rose

About the novel... "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 perfume company. In order to flee the pain of those remembrances--and of her mother's suicide--she moved to America. Now, fourteen years later she and her brother have inherited the company along with it's financial problems. But when Robbie hints at an earth-shattering discovery in the family archives and then suddenly goes missing--leaving a dead body in his wake--Jac is plunged into a world she thought she'd left behind.
Back in Paris to investigate her brother's disappearance, Jac becomes haunted by the legend the House of L'Etoile has been espousing since 1799. Is there a scent that can unlock the mystery of reincarnation - or is it just another dream infused perfume?
The Book of Lost Fragrances fuses history, passion, and suspense, moving from Cleopatra's Egypt and the terrors of revolutionary France to Tibet's battle with China and the glamour of modern-day Paris. Jac's quest for the ancient perfume someone is willing to kill for becomes the key to understanding her own troubled past."


About the author... "M.J. Rose is the international best selling author of eleven novels and two non-fiction books on marketing. Her next novel THE BOOK OF LOST FRAGRANCES (Atria/S&S) will be published in March 2012. Her fiction and non-fiction has appeared in many magazines and reviews including Oprah Magazine. She has been featured in the New York Times, Newsweek, Time, USA Today and on the Today Show, and NPR radio. Rose graduated from Syracuse University, spent the '80s in advertising, has a commercial in the Museum of Modern Art in NYC and since 2005 has run the first marketing company for authors - Authorbuzz.com. The television series PAST LIFE, was based on Rose's novels in the Renincarnationist series. She is one of the founding board members of International Thriller Writers and runs the blog- Buzz, Balls & Hype. She is also the co-founder of Peroozal.com and BookTrib.com.
Rose lives in CT with her husband the musician and composer, Doug Scofield, and their very spoiled and often photographed dog, Winka.
For more information on M.J. Rose and her novels, please visit her WEBSITE. You can also find her on Facebook."

I am very, very choosy about the novels that I accept for review. Since I really don't want to post a negative review, I don't review books that are out of my comfort zone. The Book of Lost Fragrances is an exception to that rule. It is a genre that I usually don't read. However, I took a chance with this novel and, WOW... I am so happy I did!

This is such an unusual story so well-written that I had to force myself to slow down while reading. I wanted to read quickly because I was enjoying the story so much but also wanted to appreciate the care Ms. Rose took to craft such a unique story.

~~Thanks to Amy at Historical Fiction Virtual Book Tours... http://hfvirtualbooktours.blogspot.com/... for a copy of The book of Lost Fragrances by MJ Rose in exchange for this review~~

A Heart That Dares by Jill Limber

From the publisher's website..."Amanda Giles honors a deathbed promise to her brother and gets swept up into adventure and daring during the War Between the States.
Amanda Giles, an unconventional and free-spirited young artist, has to fulfill a deathbed promise to her brother before she can take up her life as a Bohemian in New York. She finds herself swept up in the perilous life of an undercover espionage agent for the Army of the North with handsome young Army Captain. Daniel McGrath. Daniel knows his preoccupation with the woman posing as his wife puts them both in grave danger, but he finds Amanda has no intention of abandoning their mission. As the danger increases, Daniel's most vital objective is to secure a future for himself and the woman he loves."

As big as The Civil War was for our country, I truly believe that it is best told in "little" stories. By that, I mean... the stories of the people who lived through it... not the history lessons that we all learn in school.

A Heart That Dares is a great novel that takes a piece of the "big" and tells the "little" so fluidly. It is adventure story filled with characters, settings and plot points that morphs into a love story while keeping its integrity as a historical novel.

That said... there really is something for everyone in A Heart That Dares. I think, though, my favorite part was the relationship between Amanda and Daniel. It grew naturally... and I was excited to watch it grow through the story.

This novel, A Heart That Dares, is my first by Jill Limber. It is, definitely, a wonderful introduction to an author who has not only written a beautiful "little" love story but a historical novel that tells the "big" story of a terrible time for our nation.

~~Thanks to Dorothy at http://www.pumpupyourbook.com/ for a PDF copy of A Heart That Dares by Jill Limber in exchange for my review.~~