Scents & Sensibility • The Secret of a Heart Note

There are only two aromateurs left in the world, and Mimosa is one of them. She loves being able to identify scents, and work with them to create love elixirs to help potential matches come together. What she doesn't fancy, however, is the isolation and loneliness of being set apart from the world. But what choice does she have when falling in love could mean losing her talent for scents? Mimosa is forced to confront this lifestyle she both loves and hates when she accidentally gives an elixir to the wrong lady, and has to get her (handsome soccer star) son to help her fix things - all while dealing with family drama, interactions with other teens and academics. What's an aromateur to do?

Plot? You guys, The Secret of a Heart Note is like a romantic comedy in written form! And since I pretty much grew up on a steady diet of rom coms, it will probably come as no surprise that I fell head over heels in love with this book. I really loved the entire concoction: the concept of an aromateur and their lifestyle, the descriptions of the different scents and what they meant, the delicate familial balance Mimosa and her mother strove to maintain, the incredibly complicated school situation (academics and social life) and the budding romance between Mimosa and a certain hot soccer player. It all just blended really well, and I pretty much had heart eyes the entire time I read it.

Characters? Mimosa is my favorite kind of heroine. She's smart, sassy and stubborn, and I absolutely just adored getting to know her. I didn't always approve of her choices, as she tends to try to fix her problems on her own without asking for help and often acts impulsively. But it strikes me that, in hindsight, she's acting like a typical teen gal put into a high stress situation, and that's probably the reason I enjoyed her so much. Apart from Mimosa, I warmed immediately to her best friend Kali (who's no nonsense, a talented poet and incredibly wonderful) and Court (the soccer hottie who was just too charming for words).

Writing? This is the third novel I've read from Stacey, and I adore her writing as much as I did in her debut novel. She just has a way of telling her stories that just flows so easily. It's so wonderful to tumble into her stories, to get to know the details of her main character's lives and experiences.

Overall? I loved this book so dang much! It was an incredible read, one that made me feel all warm and wonderful when I had turned the very last page. (Real talk though, I had a couple of very minor quibbles. So minor that I don't feel they need to be mentioned.) If you're in the market for a book that's light and funny and charming and adorable, then definitely give this one a read.

What's your favorite scent?

Of all the scents in all the world, there are four scents that I love most: vanilla, peppermint, lavender and coffee. I find the scent of vanilla soothing and subtle, and it's my favorite of the four. Peppermit makes me think of Christmas, yes, but I also love the sharp, spicy scent. Lavender is calming and floral, and it makes me feel like my mindset is renewed. And coffee perks me up right away, securing my energy levels! When a perfume or candle or bath stuff has an option that smells like any of these four, I immediately gravitate towards that choice.

The Secret of a Heart Note by Stacey Lee

Publisher: Katherine Tegen Books | Publication Date: December 27, 2016

Source: ARC downloaded from Edelweiss (Thanks!)

Sometimes love is right under your nose. As one of only two aromateurs left on the planet, sixteen-year-old Mimosa knows what her future holds: a lifetime of weeding, mixing love elixirs, and matchmaking—all while remaining incurably alone. For Mim, the rules are clear: falling in love would render her nose useless, taking away her one great talent. Still, Mimosa doesn’t want to spend her life elbow-deep in soil and begonias. She dreams of a normal high school experience with friends, sports practices, debate club, and even a boyfriend. But when she accidentally gives an elixir to the wrong woman and has to rely on the lovesick woman’s son, the school soccer star, to help fix the situation, Mim quickly begins to realize that falling in love isn’t always a choice you can make.