The Scent of Rain

by Kristin Billerbeck

Could it be that the life Daphne's always wanted is right under her nose?

Daphne Sweeten left Paris--and a job she loved--to marry the man of her dreams in the U.S. But when he stands her up on their wedding day, she's left reeling and senseless. Literally. She's been trained as a perfume creator and now her sense of smell has disappeared along with her fiance.

She has to figure out why her nose isn't working, fix it, and get back to Paris. Meanwhile, she'll rely on her chemistry skills and just hope her new boss at Gibraltar Products, Jesse, doesn't notice her failing senses. They'll be working together on household fragrances, not posh perfumes. How hard can it be?

As Daphne and Jesse work on a signature scent for their new line, she feels God at work as never before. And the promise of what's possible is as fresh as the scent of rain.

Genres: Christian Fiction, Romance, Christian, Chick Lit, Fiction, Christian Romance, Contemporary

305 pages, Paperback

First published August 7, 2012

About the author

About Kristin
I grew up with a strong sense of justice. I simply knew the way things should be. And since I’m not smart enough to be a district attorney, I am a novelist. My childhood was slightly confusing. I blame my parents for this. Oh heck, I’m going to blame them for everything. I think I would have turned out normal if it weren’t for them.
the billerbeck's

Okay, probably not. I am a fourth-generation Californian, and an American mutt, but identify most strongly with my Italian heritage. My mother’s family, of strong Norwegian/German descent, tried to teach me how to do things right. How to cook, clean, sew, budget accordingly – all the things a proper young girl should know to be a contributing member of society. I, however, failed miserably. For my 40th birthday, my grandmother gave me a cookie gun, so it’s clear she hasn’t given up on me yet! That is eternal optimism!

My dad’s Italian family taught me about the good life. The indulgent life. How to eat, shop and be merry. My Nana had very tiny feet and a penchant for shoes (she worked at the Emporium, no doubt to fund her shoe addiction). My afternoons at her house had no lessons, other than how to walk in her high heels, drape myself in her mink stole and drip myself with rhinestones. Tastefully, of course. I picked up on this lifestyle much quicker.

I graduated San Jose State University with a degree in Journalism & Mass Communications (emphasis in Advertising), gave my life to Jesus during college and found my true love in a Christian Singles’ Group, which yes, I skewer in “What a Girl Wants”. He is German. Practical. And a Contributing Member of Society. I am still Italian, fluffy and an aficionado of fine shoes & handbags.

Together, we have four children and now it’s our turn to confuse them. The circle of life. Dysfunctional family style.

Reviews

[Tracey · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received The Scent of Rain from Thomas Nelson via Booksneeze in exchange for an honest review – thank you to them.

The synopsis: Daphne arrives at the church in her Monique Lhuillier gown to marry her beloved Mark, for whom she has given up her job as a perfumer, a professional "nose" – in Paris. He was unable to find work in France – for various reasons which become clear later – and so she has flown home to marry in the US and go to work at the same company as Mark, a small chemical company in Dayton, Ohio. However nice Dayton is, giving up a plum job in Paris for it (and for him) is a tremendous sacrifice, but she has herself convinced (or he has her convinced) that this is what she wants. She arrives at the church … and leaves again a little while after with her best maid Sophie, because Mark has stood her up at the altar. Crushed, and with, she believes, no way back, she has no choice but to go forward and excel at her new job with Gibraltar Products. The problem with that plan is that, suddenly, her sense of smell has deserted her. Before she even has the chance to take off her wedding gown she discovers that she has gone from having a highly trained nose capable of distinguishing thousands of unique scents to … having a nose capable of distinguishing not even her wedding bouquet.

I had a good time with the writing here. It's breezy and warm and funny, and very sweet. It is a Christian novel, but even when the Bible is quoted it is in context and with a comparatively light hand.

"God's in control, right?"
[edited for clarity]"Right now it feels like SpongeBob is in control."

None of the characters are perfect or consistently sweetness-and-light, which is never a bad thing.

Something like this would never happen to [Sophie], because the singing birds that flew around her head like a happy halo would never allow it.

It's a quick read, yet with a bit of heart to it. The widower with the adorable son is not exploited for pathos nearly as badly as a lesser writer might have done: their situation is in fact understated and touching.

However … This author's God takes a much more direct hand in folks' lives than anything I've ever experienced. The idea that if you turn away from what you're Supposed To Be Doing, what you're Meant To Be Doing, God will let you know with the clarity of a slap upside the head… In my life, God has never given any appearance of giving a flying fig that I'm under-employed at a dull office instead of writing or drawing or sitting up to my ears in books in some research library. So how am I supposed to interpret that in light of this book, to apply this book to my life? I'm not good enough at anything? Great. Thanks, Kristin Billerbeck's God. Suddenly what was a light, sweet book becomes really depressing.

Still, I liked it. It was sweet, and though the end was never in any doubt how it would come about was. I liked the main characters; they weren't perfect, but they were pretty believably human. The hateful are (somewhat) redeemed or punished; the good are rewarded. One of the best lines of the book was this, from the sister of the widower: "Now you're judging people by what they wear and they drive? If Spike doesn't drive a sedan, he's not husband material? Seriously, that's Christian?" That's a wonderful thing to find here.

And this book gave me the phrase "everyone and their turtle", which I have yet to use – but I will.

Other quotes I couldn't resist making note of:

As if Kensie would believe Daphne had any nightlife to speak of. On a Friday night, Daphne was either at the archery range or testing scents in her home office – maybe if she was really feeling wild, she'd knit.

He wouldn't blame Daphne if she wouldn't give him the hot air off her breakfast after the way he'd treated her.

"I have developed an aversion to all things tulle."

ETA: This will be the last review I do for Booksneeze. I just found they're promoting a book of, of all things, Sarah bleeding Palin quotations. (A whole book! Good lord.) The one review it's earned so far was so glowy and gushy that it made me even more nauseated than the knowledge of the book itself. That a website claiming to promote Christian books would include this thing on its shelves outrages me, and I want nothing more to do with them.

[Cathy · Rating 2 out of 5]

Disappointing :( Kristin Billerbeck does funny very well, in fact she is the Queen of humorous Chick Lit. This one wasn't funny, it wasn't mean't to be funny. But she wasn't operating in her gift of humor so it flopped for me. The main heroine is so insecure and like a child, I can't believe she actually was a degreed Scientist! Just was....flat :( HIGHLY RECOMMEND The Spa Girls series as a good example of what this author can do.

[Mandolin · Rating 2 out of 5]

Leaving her stranded at the alter is only the beginning of Mark Goldsmith's heinous behavior toward the fiancee who once thought he was her prince. Left bewildered by his sudden betrayal and confused at her failure to notice the signs, Daphne Sweeten is further devastated when she learns that the entire basis for her career as a scent designer - her sense of smell - has suddenly disappeared on the heels of her groom. How can she face her new employer without her one vital skill? She knows that God must be using all of these disasters for a purpose, but what is it?

Jesse Lightner swore that he would never love again after witnessing the tragic death of his young wife that left him a single father and forced him to give up a prestigious career with Proctor and Gamble for a middle-management position in a small company in Ohio. Burdened by an overbearing boss and a desperate budget, Jesse can only see failure ahead for his new job. When a hefty salary for the company's new "nose," Daphne, is added to the mix, it's all he can do not to give up in despair. Jesse knows that God has a plan for his life, but what is it?

When they meet, despite their initial misgivings, Daphne and Jesse see in each other hurting human beings trying to make the best of terrible situations. Attracted to each other for reasons they don't understand, the two agree to work together to save the company...but will their budding relationship survive the secret that Daphne is hiding? Will they be able to overcome seemingly insurmountable odds to survive and succeed?

I was drawn to this book by comments from previous reviewers about its "snappy dialogue" and "lovable characters." I tried hard to see those characteristics in this book, but I just couldn't. Although the premise of the story was interesting and the relationship dynamics were certainly intriguing, I couldn't help but feel that it lacked some vital spark that could make it an absolutely wonderful book. Daphne is not a sympathetic heroine. I didn't dislike her, but I did find it very hard to sympathize with her. She's a bit out of touch with reality and shallow, she makes terrible choices that are obviously bad (a scene with a lip-injection gone bad comes to mind) and seems too naive to be real. Her conversations with the other characters reflect her confusion and poor judgment - they always seem to know what's good for her much better than she does....and yet, she continues to make poor decisions. Jesse, on the other hand, is a great hero but he is almost too stereotypical: the perfect single dad with strong beliefs and just a little bit of emotional baggage from his previous relationship. The bad guys, Dave, Kensie and Mark, are probably the most well-written in the entire book! It's really easy to dislike them. Finally, the conclusion of the book seemed both rushed and contrived. In summary, I feel bad for giving a poor review, but I just couldn't make myself like this book as much as I expected to.

I do thank Thomas Nelson and Book Sneeze (booksneeze.com) for providing me with a review copy and giving me the chance to review this book.

[Mainon · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sometimes reading a book is like eating a thick, juicy steak. The language is meaty and rich, the ideas are complex and require some time to be properly digested, and the only other thing you need for a perfect evening is a comfy chair and a glass of good wine.

In between those books, I sometimes find I need a palate cleanser. Light, easy reading that takes very little effort or time to enjoy. This book filled that role admirably.

Daphne Sweeten (the sweetly punny last name was a little unnecessary, in my opinion) is a professional scent developer who gave up her dream job in Paris so that she could move with her new husband to Ohio. He left her at the altar, though, so suddenly she's in a new town, with a new job, and no friends. To make matters worse, the stress and humiliation have caused her to lose her sense of smell.

This is classic chick lit with a refreshing perfume-industry angle and sliver of Christian goodness built in. My last brushes with the perfume industry were the much-darker Perfume: The Story of a Murderer and the delightful non-fiction tome The Emperor of Scent: A True Story of Perfume and Obsession, both of which I highly recommend. The Scent of Rain does not deal with scents or science in any great detail, but its treatment seemed informed without being overdone, so my mild interest in the subject matter was satisfied. For 85% of the book, I felt the same way about the religion. Without the Christianity angle, I'm not sure you'd be able to convince me that a group of strangers would pitch in to refurbish a dangerously decrepit house for the new girl in town. But it's a church group, being encouraged by the pastor's wife, so it fits the story just fine. I appreciated that, because a lot of times overt religion in fiction feels heavy-handed and wholly unnecessary.

Unfortunately, the book went on to prove my point. The last few pages are forced and do the rest of the book an injustice. First, there's a hospital scene where the book's Mean Girl gets all weepy and repent-y because good girl Daphne visits her. I don't disallow that being in a car accident can cause you to rethink your life, but I found her 180-degree turnaround and teary confession to a bitter enemy a little difficult to swallow. Second, the love story had a long, slow, fairly believable buildup. But the climactic scene where Daphne and the reticent widower realize they have feelings for each other (that part's not a spoiler -- you see it coming from a mile away) ends with (here's the spoiler part) the widower proposing marriage and offering to move to Paris with her. I think a more appropriate question would have been, "Hey, would you like to have dinner with me sometime?" Not that everyone has to follow conventional dating structure, but it seemed a little crazy to me -- not least because, you know, she just got left at the altar by another guy a few months before. Maybe give her a little time to make sure she's worked through all of that?

Speaking of the ex-fiancé, whom we never meet, I was left with some minor confusion. When Daphne moves to Dayton, she tells the widower that her ex is "a brilliant chemist."

She turned in her seat to face Jesse, who looked skeptical. "He really is. But he grew up poor, and he had this deep need to follow the money."

A couple of chapters later, Daphne's visiting best friend reminds her,

He may have been a brilliant chemist, but there are laws for a reason. He always thought himself above the rules.

So, I may not know much about the ex-fiancé, but I do know he's a brilliant but unscrupulous chemist. Got it. But then,

Mark was a terrible chemist... He wasn't careful about ratios, not until he understood that ratios and chemistry could make him wealthy.

So was he a brilliant chemist or a terrible one? Or was he a terrible chemist until his greed made him brilliant?

I suppose that's possible. Just like I was a terrible writer until I got greedy and wanted people to read my writing. Now that I have a blog, I am brilliant.

Please feel free to agree with me by commenting below.

Disclosure: I received this book free through booksneeze.com. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.

[Tina · Rating 3 out of 5]

Original post from One More Page

Daphne Sweeten is a professional nose -- by that, we mean she's a chemist who is trained to be a perfume creator. When she gets stood up on her wedding day, though, her sense of smell disappears. Trying to piece her life back together, she works for a small company in Ohio, hoping to get her sense of smell back and fly back to Paris, which she gave up for the supposed love of her life. But her new job requires her nose, too, and her new boss, Jesse, doesn't seem to notice that she cannot smell anything. They're not creating perfume anyway -- she can definitely do this, right?

I've always considered Kristin Billerbeck books as a comfort read ever since I read and liked her Ashley Stockingdale series years ago. It's been years since I last read a Billerbeck book, but even so, it was easy enough for me to get immersed in the book. There's a certain familiarity in the way she writes, in her characters and her stories that makes her books easy reading, hence the comfort read label. :)

The Scent of Rain has that Billerbeck formula -- a girl who has some sort of romantic fiasco, a guy who's all bad news for her and a guy who's obviously good for her. Then there's the supporting cast: the best friend, the family (who, more often than not, cares for the main character in a really strange way), and the church group who will help her get back on track. And there's the villain, who we all hate, but we will eventually understand, because of something that will happen. This book has all the common ingredients in a nice and clean chick lit novel, with the bonus factor of the main character's job, a perfume specialist. I really liked the scent aspect of the book, and it gave me a whole new perspective with how to scents work with our senses. And I agree -- scents can bring memories! I remember holding on to a perfume bottle for so long because it reminded me of this particular memorable event in my life. :)

It's a very enjoyable read, and I found myself rooting for Daphne and wishing that Jesse would finally make that step to move their relationship forward. I liked the set-up, though, and their relationship seemed very organic despite the short time they spent. There was just the right swoon, too, but not too much that it's too cheesy. It was fun, but not mindless and it's clean but not too prudish.

I think my only complaint is that certain event in the end that brought about the big changes -- it felt a little too convenient despite it being a bit surprising, bordering on being a deus ex machina. But other than that, I really enjoyed reading The Scent of Rain. It's not super duper amazing, but it's good, and it makes me want to start looking for my own personal scent.

Reading this book ma makes me want to revisit the Ashley Stockingdale series to see if I still like it as much as I did on my first (and second) reads. Hmm.

[Liz · Rating 4 out of 5]

Let me start by saying that I won an Advanced Readers Copy from the author, Kristin Billerbeck, which is how I obtained the book before it was released. The title of the book is listed as Paris in the Rain but the title on the copy that I received reads The Scent of Rain.

I am an avid fan of Kristin Billerbeck and have read almost all of her books. This book however did not follow the format of her previous novels such as With This Ring, I'm Confused, but more of Smitten which showed the same events through different perspectives. The Scent of Rain is told through the eyes primarily of Daphne but at times you see the story though the eyes of her new boss.

The reader meets Daphne at the chapel on the day of her wedding, sobbing. She has been jilted and is completely confused as to why. She never saw it coming but it was clearly planned because her fiancé's side of the wedding party did not show. She gave up her dreams and a perfect job as a nose to marry this guy and have a life with him. Due to her circumstances she finds her self in a small town living in a run down house (that almost kills her) with a boss who does not want her there and a CEO who may or may not be having an affair with one of the employes.

The book is an emotionally roller coaster ride. I had an easy time identifying with the main character. I enjoyed that she has real life problems that are very similar to what real Christians face and deal with in their life. Kristin Billerbeck's writing is very realistic and relavent to me. Daphne's life is not a bed full of roses and God does not come and fix all her problems magically. Daphne has to work through her issues, her relationship with God and find healing. Through all Daphne's issues she finds comfort in the smell that comes with rain because it reminds her of God and His love.

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

Daphne Sweeten lost everything in one moment: her wedding day. She gave her dream job working with perfume in Paris to marry the man she loves, who stands her up at the altar and takes her job. As if it couldn’t get any worse, she loses her sense of smell the same day. Forced to move to Dayton, Ohio, where she and her fiancé had planned to live, Daphne will have to figure out a way to work without her sense of smell.

Kristin Billerbeck is the queen of Christian chick lit, and this one won’t disappoint fans or be their favorite. Daphne is a little weaker than most of Billerbeck’s heroines, but the girl has had a lot of major drama piled on at one time, so I have to give her a break there. I like who she becomes though by the end of the novel as she finds her niche. But, she’s not a standout character by any means.

Jesse, the hero, is wonderful. He is still grieving the loss of his wife. I love that he struggles between being a dad and doing well at his job. I think most men do struggle with long work hours and not enough quality time with their kids even when they have a wife, but in most books with a single dad, the father seems to juggle the job and kids perfectly. Kudos to Billerbeck for addressing it.

The minor characters are fabulous. I love the annoying Kensie and the sweet Anne. In fact, I would love for Kensie to have her own book as she still has a lot of story to tell.
Overall, I enjoyed the book. Because Daphne seemed a little bland for a chick lit novel, I can’t say this is a book I will reread. But, it’s a good lazy summer day read.
I was given this book in exchange for my review. My thoughts and opinions are my own.

[Tammy G. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kristin Billerbeck is one of those authors I seek out when I want a fun chick lit read She writes with a flair that brings the story to life with humor and down.to.earth goodness.
Daphne feels that her life is "right on track" until her fiancee leaves her standing at the altar. And not only did she leave her wonderful job, a job she loves and a place she loved but now her sense of smell has walked out one her too. Her sense of smell is her lifeline. Her job! And now what does she have?!?
At her new job where she tests fragrances for household products. Daphne tries to "fool" her boss by relying on her chemistry skills instead of her nose skills. At times, I laughed out loud! I could just imagine the "senseless" job skill of describing a smell without actually smelling it! The reader learns about the fragrance industry which is much more detailed than one might think.
The romance is light in this great read. Funny with out being vulgar.
This is one of those great chick lit reads that makes the reader feel Daphne's pain, as well as, her triumphs as she relies on God instead of her self!
An enjoyable, wonderful read!
*This book was provided for review by BookSneeze/Thomas Nelson Publishing*

[Paula Phillips · Rating 4 out of 5]

In order to have the perfect life , Daphne left the one thing that she loved most in the world to start a new life. All was going well, until the morning of her wedding she was left dumped at the altar. From that day, Daphne found herself in the middle of a new town - Dayton, Ohio , in a run-down house and now working as "a nose" for a laundry company. Things would have been better but Daphne has lost the one thing she is relied upon , the one thing she has perfected all her life - her sense of smell. Now Daphne, must fake her way through her new job if she wants to survive in Dayton, Ohio but what happens when the one thing she is supposed to have , nearly kills her and her secret is revealed. To top it off , Daphne has started to fall for her new boss Jesse - a single father . Can Daphne prove to Jesse that she is more than just "a nose" and that even though she lied to protect herself, she cares for him ? The Scent of Rain is a fun and in some parts sad novel that will have you enjoying the up's and down's of life, love and scents.
The Scent of Rain is about one women's journey to creating a new life and that sometimes in order to start a new and fresh life , you have to sacrifice or lose something of yourself in order to grow and in Daphne's case it was her sense of smell.

[Erin · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Scent of Rain..

I am a big Kristin Billerbeck fan, and was excited to have a chance to review a book of hers. However this book didn't quite live up to some of her others such as Split Ends or etc..

[Cinnabug · Rating 5 out of 5]

Daphne’s life seems to be going in the wrong direction. First, her fiancé left her at the altar and then, she loses her sense of smell—the only part about herself that she really feels confidence in.

What I loved about this book is Daphne’s spirit. It may have seemed like everything was falling apart for her, but she continued to trust God and remain faithful to God’s gentle leading, even when it made no sense to her. I loved that she kept her positive, joyful outlook and her sense of humor too. I also loved Jesse’s character. He and Daphne were both such kind and generous people, always looking out for the good of others ahead of themselves. I think Kristin did a wonderful job of showing both the downfalls of that and the rewards, and she helped her characters grow and develop until they were able to maintain a healthy balance.

One of my favorite things about this story is that Jesse and Daphne already had a relationship with God, which caused them to consider their actions and how those actions might affect others, (which made me, as a reader, consider my own choices and actions). I love books that make me think.

[Kristen · Rating 1 out of 5]

My immediate reaction upon finishing this book was: "What the heck did I just read?" The last few chapters felt disjointed, unresolved, and completely out of nowhere. The ending was sappy and predictable, but it didn't fit with the four or five chapters preceding it. This book has no closure and left me feeling emotionally unsatisfied.

I will give some credit to Billerbeck for creating an intriguing heroine, who I did want to root for. Her male lead was pleasant, but absolutely not believable. Most of the minor characters have the potential to be interesting, but they are underdeveloped and their incomplete side stories make the novel seem cluttered and a bit confusing.

[Kathy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really liked this book. Daphne got stood up at the altar on her wedding day. And worse, she had moved to Ohio from Paris, given up her dream job, to follow her fiancé. Who, after skipping the wedding, took over her old job in Paris. All the stress caused her to lose her sense of smell, which is her livelihood: she’s a “nose”; trained to create scents for perfumes. Her new job is with a household company, creating scents for things like laundry soap. She hopes her chemical background will help her until her sense comes back, without telling her boss. It was a good story, and I learned a little about how scents are born, both for perfumes and for other products. Interesting!

[Alex Zarycka · Rating 5 out of 5]

Enjoyed this book so much. Already done. This book captured my attention the moment I read it. I can tell if a book will be good sometimes by the 1st word or 1st page. By the 1st sentence I knew it'd be enjoyable. The story was unpredictable, which I like. So many surprises. A great plot from the beginning. The writing was easy for me to read. This book left me on the edge of my seat at times, and I love romance 💕 as well as surprises. Also, it's Christian, so I like the mention of God. The book ended well and left me happy. The main character was relatable. Overall a good read 📖

[Alexis Myers · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good story! It was different with the storyline being all about scents, I wasn’t sure I was going to like it when I first started reading it. The religion part of it seemed to tie in perfectly and flow with the story, wasn’t too overbearing in my opinion. I lovedddd the ending! Daphne and Jesse ending up together and going to Paris was the cherry on top I almost didn’t think it was going to end like that.

[Daphne Self · Rating 5 out of 5]

1: I want this book so that I can read it time and time again. (I borrowed a copy from the Marion Public Library).
2: The main character's name is Daphne. The perfect name, in my opinion.
3: The smell of rain is my favorite scent. Nothing smells as peaceful or as refreshing as the smell of falling rain.

And no other chick-lit book seems as refreshing as Billerbeck's The Scent of Rain. The main character was an utter delight: smart, sassy, and sensitive.
The Christian aspects were natural and authentic.
The pace never bogged down or seemed rushed.
To me, this became the ultimate Christian Chick-lit romance novel.

By the time I turned that last page I was smiling and felt as though all cares were taken from me. And that is how a book is suppose to make you feel!

[Karen · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book had potential in the first chapter or so. The potential, however, was lost by the third chapter, and the book fell apart entirely shortly after that. So does the incredibly intelligent and well-educated Daphne actually need a keeper? Apparently she does.

[Lonnie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the second book that I've read by this author and I liked it better than the first book. There were some fun, quirky scenes and the dynamics between the two main characters was very interesting.

[Hillary Dawn Scott · Rating 5 out of 5]

Uplifting for your soul

The story of Daphne and Jesse is one of hope after loss and faith staying strong through trials! Kristin Billerbeck captures me again with the use of her God-given talent!

[Patience Brown · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not impressed. It felt like it would never end. It could have been half the length and told the story. I can say that it was nice when the car wreck how Daphne took in her cowork to show her the love of God.

[Esther · Rating 3 out of 5]

I feel like I spent most of this book confused and struggling to figure out what was happening.

[Michelle Lunsford · Rating 4 out of 5]

Intriguing story, with a few surprises along the way.

[Jennifer · Rating 3 out of 5]

The ending felt abrupt and was a little unsatisfying, but overall this was a cute, engaging read.

[Amy Tomski · Rating 2 out of 5]

I love Kristin Billerbeck and while this was a good read, it wasn’t my favorite.

[Carolyn Lockwood · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love this author for her chic lit. This seemed to be a little too fluffy, but I still liked it. I would have liked to have seen more development of the relationship between Jesse and Daphne.

[Rosemarye Ryan · Rating 1 out of 5]

Disappointing read. The story didn't capture my attention and found the regular mention of church and religion unnecessarily and off putting. Didn't capture my attention at all.

[Becky · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the story of Daphne Sweeten who is a “nose”. She has a highly developed sense of smell that enabled her to get a dream job in Paris. She gives it all up to return to the United States to marry, and work as a nose–at a much less than glamorous company–with her new spouse.

Unfortunately, Daphne is left at the altar, and shortly after, her sense of smell mysteriously disappears. After being stood up, Daphne’s self-worth and self-confidence disappear, as well.

What should Dahpne do? Should she take the new job, where she knows she is the first ever “nose” to work there, so she will probably have to convince them of her worth? Since she can no longer smell, the main requirement for that position, could she possibly pretend she can still smell–and get away with it? Or should she try to return to Paris, hoping to regain that job, even though her boss made it clear the door there would be closed to her if she left? Lastly, should she hold out hope her fiancée will change his mind, and return to her?

Reading this book brought me into the world of scents. Emotion also plays into the formulating of a perfume. For instance, what smell makes you think of happiness or success? Also, scents can be masculine or feminine. The different smells in a perfume are referred to as “notes.” The top note is the one you smell the strongest in a mixture, one that hopefully invokes the emotion the perfumer was trying to achieve. All of this information was really interesting, and was an appealing part of the book.

Daphne’s story had lots of intriguing characters, situations and some other minor story lines. The main characters were developed well, but the ending felt a bit rushed. I wish some of the loose ends in the story had more pages devoted to it for the conclusion. The story would have been more satisfying.

Some very good Christian thoughts and behavior were present in the main characters, and I thought that was very positive. I think the book is worth reading, and is easily read. The reader will come away with a new appreciation, and awareness of the scents around them.

The publisher has provided me with a complimentary copy of this book through Thomas Nelson Publishing for the purpose of review. All opinions expressed are my own, and I have not been compensated in any other manner. Despite my receiving the book free, it has not influenced my judgment, and I have given an honest opinion.

http://www.kristinbillerbeck.com/

My blog: http://fushiacat.wordpress.com/

[Nikole Hahn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Daphne Sweeten is left at the altar in The Scent of Rain by Kristin Billerbeck. It’s a story of overcoming difficult obstacles, trusting again, and falling in love.

Daphne met and fell in love with Mark. The truth about Mark came out after he and his family never showed up at their wedding. In response, Daphne and her bridesmaids ate the top of the wedding cake, took her signature perfume scent she had created as party favors, and the job waiting for her in Dayton, Ohio.

What I loved about Daphne is her unique personality and her love of archery. It’s not often in women’s novels you find a love of that weapon or any weapon. As a hunter and outdoorswoman, I can appreciate Daphne’s desire to work off stress by shooting archery.

The trouble stirs when Daphne loses her sense of taste and smell shortly after being left at the altar. Her new job in Dayton, Ohio requires her nose. She creates scents and she doesn’t know how to tell her sexy new boss, Jesse that they are going to have to rely on her science to put together new smells for Gibralter’s line of household products.

Mark, however, has not disappeared from the novel like he disappeared from the altar. He has taken Daphne’s job in Paris, France, and is even trying to manipulate Daphne to hand over the last ingredient to her signature scent. He is trying to make it his scent. Mark also stole half of the down payment for their new house and bought a shabby house with a gas leak for her to live in Ohio. Daphne’s father takes Mark to court to get his money back and Jesse becomes the hero in Daphne’s life when he rescues her from the gas leak.

There are a lot of secrets and raw personalities at Gibralter. Jesse lost his wife to an allergic reaction to some medicine making him a widower long before Daphne’s arrival. Jesse and his boss have power struggles and there’s this gorgeous marketing woman who has some sort of power over Jesse’s boss. Daphne struggles to overcome being left at the altar and to hold on to her faith while she forges a life of her own.

The end is quite surprising and leaves me satisfied. I loved Kristin’s use of slang in the dialogue and humor when Jesse’s little boy decides to stick raisins up his nose. For anyone who has had siblings or children, you would immediately laugh and relate to this little boy. I gave this novel five stars. It’s a light-hearted read for any age who loves contemporary romance.

*book given by publisher to review.

[Patricia Kemp Blackmon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Daphne has been stood up. Not stood up on a date, she has been stood up at the alter. The groom nor his family ever showed up at the church.

The only thing she feels right now is humiliated. It is as is she is in a daze unable to move. So many things are racing through her mind.
Had she not seen this coming?
He was so attentive and told her he loved her.
Her father bought them a house and they were suppose to move into it after the honeymoon.
What about the new job they were suppose to start?
They were to be working for same company.
She left her dream job as a nose, scent specialist, in Paris, France in order to marry him and live in the States.
She needed to stop and pray for God to give her peace!

As the day comes close to an end she realizes she can't smell anything. It must be from all the stress. Great now she would be stressed that her smell would not come back before she starts her new job. She was hired for her nose surely she would have her smell back once to started the new job.

She decided she was not going to sit around feeling sorry for herself. She was going to start her new job. But she would not move into the house right away she would get a hotel room instead. When she gets into town she would go straight to her new workplace.

What a shock her new boss is handsome. So far so good! She does not understand how she could feel attracted to this man when she was just dumped. She better concentrate on concealing the fact that she still could not smell anything. She also wanted to find out if her ex-fiance showed up for his new job. This was definitely going to be awkward.

This book was suspenseful and kept me trying to solve the mystery of the absence of the almost groom. There surely was more to the story than a missing groom .

The author did a great job in the creation of the main characters They showed their Christianity right from the beginning. They had so much faith in God. They believed He was leading them to this town and community. God had a plan for their lives and they had to learn to be at peace with His plan. They sought out this peace in prayer and through the comfort of their fellow Christians.

I recommend this book.

Disclosure:
I received a copy of this book from Booksneeze/Thomas Nelson for review. I was not compensated in any way for this review. It is my own opinion.

[Wall-to-wall books - wendy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was my second book by Kristin Billerbeck and it was just as cute as the first (A Billion Reasons Why). I would call this "Christian Chick-Lit" and I love Chick-Lit so - Perfect!
This story was cute, funny, quirky and romantic. It did have a couple of twists in it that kind of surprised me. The ending was a little predictable, BUT as I have said in the past - that does not bother me! I like my books to end the way I want them to and this one did! So again - Perfect! LOL

The character development was real good. I loved Daphne (love the name too BTW!) I thought she was surprisingly well put together for someone who was left at the alter! She was a great character, a little naive but still loved her. I also loved Jesse. He was the perfect leading man. I loved that he was a great business man but also a great loving father. And of course I hated Kensie, but you are suppose to.
Some cute quotes -

"First, I thought about the Palace of Fine Arts, but there will be too many tourists there on a Saturday. I think what our bride needs is peace."
"I am not a bride," Daphne said "I just play one on random Saturdays in June." She looked at Sophie. "If I ever choose to be humiliated again, remind me to pick a weekday. Fewer crowds."
"You should powder your nose, its red."
"I'm a bride without a groom; do you think anyone is going to look at my nose?"


"Doesn't a failed wedding dress have bad mojo or whatever it is you say?"
"Not if its from Paris. Besides, we don't know why the wedding was called off, right? Maybe, she dumped him because he was a total dog and her gown had magical powers that told her so and she had to shed both him and the dress to be free of his dark evil."

The storyline was original (to me at least) I had not read a book about someone loosing their sense of smell before. It really made a great premiss for the story. It was a nice little clean love story.
It is labeled as a Christian/Chick-Lit/Romance but I would say it is more clean than christian. It does have a preacher and his wife in the book and they do pray, but that is about it. So if you are looking for a nice clean book that does not hit you over the head with religion - this would be a good one.