A Wish Upon Jasmine

La Vie en Roses #2

by Laura Florand

From Reviewers’ Choice Book of the Year nominee and bestselling author Laura Ruthless. That was what they said about Damien Rosier. Handsome. Wealthy. Powerful. Merciless. No one messed with his family, because to do so they would have to get through him. No one thought he had a heart. Not even the woman he gave his to. Cynical. That was what they said about Jasmin Bianchi. A top perfumer of her generation, Jess had achieved commercial success by growing a protective shell over a tender heart. The one time she cracked it open to let Damien in, he crushed it—after a night of unbelievable passion. Lovers. That one magical night couldn’t survive the harsh light of dawn. When Jess woke up to discover the man in bed beside her had stolen her company, she fled. Enemies. Now she’s come to the south of France with something of his. If he wants to reclaim both his family heritage and the woman who walked away from him, he’s going to have to fight as dirty as only Damien can. But Jess knows how to fight dirty, too. And these days, she has nothing left to lose. Certainly not her heart. Come explore the south of France, a world of heat and fragrance and tales as old as time, through the stories of the five powerful Rosier cousins and the women who win their hearts. A Wish Upon Jasmine, book two in Florand’s addictive new series, La Vie en Roses. “Explosive, sensual, and utterly sweet” (Eloisa James).

Genres: Romance, Contemporary Romance, Contemporary, Adult, Chick Lit, France, Fiction

323 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2015

About the author

Laura Florand is the international bestselling and award-winning author of fifteen books, including the Vie en Roses series (Once Upon a Rose), the Paris Hearts series (All for You), and the Amour et Chocolat series (The Chocolate Thief). Selected by NPR for their Top 100 Romance list, her books have appeared in ten languages, been nominated for RT Reviewers’ Choice Best Book of the Year, received the RT Seal of Excellence and numerous starred reviews from Publishers Weekly and Library Journal, and been recommended by USA Today and The Wall Street Journal.

She was born in Georgia, but the travel bug bit her early. After a Fulbright year in Tahiti, a semester in Spain, and backpacking everywhere from New Zealand to Greece, she ended up living in Paris, where she met and married her own handsome Frenchman, a story told in her first book Blame It on Paris. Now a lecturer at Duke University, she is very dedicated to her research into French chocolate. For a glimpse behind the scenes of some of that research as well as recommendations for US chocolate, make sure to check out her website: www.lauraflorand.com.

Reviews

[Catarina · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 Jasmine Scented Stars.

Jess and Damien shared a life changing night for both of them a few months ago in NY, but things didn’t end well the next morning.
Months later, after her father’s death, Jess is now moving to France after having inherited a perfume shop. Decided to change her life she decide to give the shop a chance. What she didn’t expect was for Damien, the guy she couldn’t stop thinking about being her biggest rival.
Damien is used to have what he wants, no matter what way he has to have it, but when Jess s the girl between him and his business, and emotion starts to overcome rationality, what of them will eventually win?



This was my first Lauren Florand’s book, but it will certainly not be the last. A slow-burn romance, in an ideal location and with an amazing set of characters. You will definitely be completely absorbed by the story and not drop this book until you’ve finished it. The writing style is flawless and almost musical, like you’re hearing an amazing love song instead of “just” reading a book, and is definitely one of the best parts of this book.
If you’re looking for a solid and sweet romance, this book is a good bet.


Rating: 4 Stars.
Characters Development: Damien, despite ruthless and his asshole behavior in the beginning of the book was a great hero. Towards the end, when he finally see the light, it’s impossible not to fall in love with him. Jess was good and a nice enough heroine, but her stubbornness annoyed me a little. Tante Collete was freaking amazing, I could read an entire book about her and not get bored.
Steam: Some hot scenes.
Sensible Subjects: No.
Love Triangle: No.
Cheating: No.
HEA: Yes.

[Alienor ✘ French Frowner ✘ · Rating 4 out of 5]

"And then his gut clenched around the reality. God knew what perfume she'd make to represent him. Something mean. Machiavellian. Some masculine variant of Spoiled Brat, maybe. Maybe she'd call it Assassin."

Sigh. I don't know what it is with these books that makes me smile so big while hiding my face in shame. Predictable. Instalov-well, kind of. Certainly cheesy... I'm not supposed to like this, dammit!



And yet... It works just fine. What am I saying? It works damn great.





As far as French male leads are concerned, I'll take these ones. Not the romantic world fantasy but a great deal of flaws, a brush of adorable, family members who can't mind their own business and the ability to say fuck you when they're upset, even if they blush and apologize immediately after because oh, shit, that's not how they've been raised, but come on, why did you for the mother of god stop talking please. You want to know a stereotype which is often true when it comes to French?

We loooooooooooooove talking. Almost as much as we love arguing. And of course we're always right. Duh.

But moving on. In those French male leads I can believe. I may love them, even, because there's no such thing as a prince and franchement? I don't want one, and neither does Jasmin, in the end. Add an heroine I can root for (strong despite her insecurities - believably flawed, let's say) and you get a happy Anna. This being said, I can see readers being annoyed by her lack of self-esteem concerning relationships : it didn't bother me too much because Damien doesn't take advantage of them and has more than his fair share of insecurities too, but it did grit on my nerves at some point.



If I barely know Grasse, the city where the story takes place (and by barely I mean that I might have visited it 20 years ago, with my parents, but probably focused on ice-cream or something), I can safely say that the way life is described is rather believable and I sympathized with Jasmin who arrives from New York and is quite unsettled by people's reactions. Look, I'm a former Parisian who lives in the South. In the country. Did I fall in love with the calm and the beautiful landscapes? Of course. Do I enjoy living there? Yes. Do I start bouncing around people sometimes because please can we get started for fuck sake? Hmm-hmm. Do I want to shake people each time someone tells me "that's the way things have always been"? Hell yes. I can't even imagine how disturbing it must be to arrive from New York.





The Rosier's family can be upsetting at first but... Strip off the growls, and you'll find such endearing characters! I love them all.

Having said all that, I loved that the plot was centered around the perfume business because first of all that's not something I often see and moreover the issues dealt with were sadly realistic : it is difficult for these little cities to survive now that every company must be worldwide, and local handicraft like perfumery in Grasse suffers a lot from the lack of competitiveness. In that regard, Damien's struggles appeared authentic to me and allowed me a better understanding of his - sometimes ruthless - behavior.



► GOOD. Indeed it contains the right amount of cheesiness to stay on the adorable side of my scale and the interactions made me smile more often than not. I do have a soft spot for brotherly banter and old scheming grandparents (Pépé and Tante Colette are fantastic).

"And then, just like that, there were four male bodies wrestling. "If any of you end up needing the hospital, I expect you to drive yourself," Tata Véro said, flipping a page. "I'm retired." She winced a little at a particular thudding sound, peeked at her son in the mass, and then looked immediately back at the photo album."

► What about my romance peeves?

✘ No girl hate but women who are open to friendship
✘ No asshole as a male-lead but a believable flawed hero who can be a jerk but also damn sweet
✘ No instalove in the book, but our couple did suffer from this weird disease when they first met (they fought after. I forgive them)

So, all in all, what this book offered me were several hours of smiles and escape. Maybe it will be the same for you, but frankly? I can't say at this point. I guess you'll have to try it to know^^.

► Book 1 : Once Upon a Rose ★★★

For more of my reviews, please visit:

[♥Rachel♥ · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 Stars

Jasmin and Damien met at a party and fell hard. A perfect, magical, dreamy night, where Jasmin thought her wish for a star came true. Until the next morning when she figures out exactly who she fell for: Damien Rosier. Ruthless businessman, and playboy, his reputation preedes him, and Jasmin takes in all the gossip and is shattered. This was at a very difficult time in Jasmin’s life; her father was dying, and she was so overcome by grief. With that kind of situation, believing she was mistaken about their time together made more sense than to believe in happiness.

It was easier to believe I was an idiot than to believe something that felt so perfect could actually be true.

Jasmin is even more shattered when her perfume company is bought out from under her. All is lost until Jasmin inherits an old perfume shop in Grasse, France, from her adoptive grandmother: Colette Delatour. A shop that’s been in the Rosier family for generations! Yes, Tante Colette is at it again!! I love all her skillful maneuvering of hearts and lives!

Of course, Damien, the family’s ruthless warrior is sent to get the shop back, and maybe get a chunk of his heart back, as well. Their shared night was earth-shattering until he woke up and Jasmin was gone.

There was so much hurt between Jasmin and Damien, because when you’ve had a taste of something that feels so darn perfect and then have it ripped away, it’s bound to leave a mark. Or gaping hole, as the case here would be. While there was a lot of anger, hurt and misconceptions to work through, I appreciated that once Damien and Jasmin met again in Grasse, there was no distance between them. They fought out the battles and didn’t shut each other out, and I relished every minute! Best of all, the time spent circling and challenging shed light and insight onto each other’s vulnerabilities and motivations. Their anger morphed into passion, understanding, relief, and hope. The transition was utterly HOT, vibrating with sexual tension, but it was also very emotional and moving.

Just the right amount of humor balances out these powerful emotions, and I was cracking up several times! And yes, that alien photo does make another appearance!! Tristan serves up some hilarious revenge:

Tristan sighed blistfully. Remember that time all our favorite toys disappeared and we found ransom notes in their place? That’s the beauty of family. Never too late for payback.

Lol!

Laura Florand’s gorgeous writing made me feel part of the jasmine harvest, part of the sights and scents of Grasse, from the fig tree and lavender growing in Tante Colette’s back yard to the feel and smell of old stone paving the streets of the ancient town. Most important to me, though, is the thoughts and emotions expressed in such a way that I could completely sympathize and put myself into Jasmin and Damien’s shoes. Rage, shatter, and lust with them. Feel the hope, love, and joy overwhelm them. I desperately yearned for their HEA; they were so obviously in love! I reveled in Jasmin and Damien’s story, soaked up their romance, and read the final page with a satisfied smile. So beautiful!

A copy was kindly provided by the author in exchange for an honest review.

This review is also posted at The Readers Den.

[Laura Florand]

Damien is here! Ruthless. Wealthy. Powerful. And head over heels.

Tiny tidbit:

Just for a second, standing a few centimeters from his chest, Jess looked up at him, so vulnerable that Damien wanted to soften. (It’s all right. Remember? Remember me?)

She went up onto her tiptoes and rested her hands on his chest to balance as she took a breath of the hollow of his throat.

And after that he didn’t have a soft cell left in his body.

Everything about him went hard and hungry and determined to get what he wanted.

***
A WISH UPON JASMINE, book 2 in La Vie en Roses series. I hope you enjoy!

[Jo · Rating 5 out of 5]

“It would have been like believing in magic, to believe in you,” she said suddenly.
“Yes.” His breath released roughly. “I know exactly what you mean.”
“In the morning. At night, it’s easier to believe in dreams.”

Damien Rosier is the ruthless money-maker of his family. He ensures that each member of this family is free to live their dreams in the security he provides. No one thinks he has a heart, they don’t know that he wishes for someone soft and sweet in his life. And then six months ago when he met her, he thought he had found that someone, but after one magical night she left taking his heart with her. And he was left thinking that the perfect night was meaningful only to him…

Jasmin Bianchi’s life has not been easy despite her commercial success as a top perfumer. For two years she had to watch her father dying, and six months ago he passed away. Two weeks after a night so magical it felt like a wish. A night that turned to dust when she found out that Damien was the Damien Rosier who had just bought her company right from under her. And because she thought he had used her as only the known heartless Damien Rosier could, she fled.

Now Jasmin has received an unexpected inheritance and she’s come to the south of France to claim it. And when Damien discovers that Jasmin has claimed his family heritage, he’s willing to fight dirty to reclaim it. But this time Jasmin is not suffering beneath a cloud of grief, and she has no problem fighting dirty back. This time she will not run away, because she has nothing left to lose.

Can the lovers turned enemies finally discover that both of them lost their hearts that night months ago, or will they be too stubborn, too blind to realise the truth?

I can’t believe I was so hesitant to read this book. After loving the first book so much, I just couldn’t see the author topping it. But I was so wrong. This book was FANTASTIC and I’m definitely a fan for life. I devoured this book, while simultaneously trying to savor each and every word.

It had felt as if he’d found his heart. That heart that he’d stashed away somewhere long ago, in the service of his family, suddenly, it was his again. As alive and beating as it once had been.
Or maybe it had felt as if she’d found his heart. Dug it out of its secret evil sorcerer hiding place, only she wasn’t on a quest to kill him with a dagger through it, she was holding it in gentle, wondering hands.

I absolutely loved Damien! He comes across as so merciless and cold, but underneath that titanium veneer beats a heart that longs for someone that can see his heart, that can fill his life with sweetness. I loved how he cared for his family, doing everything he can to make sure they had good lives. He is so sexy and bossy and just swoon-worthy!

“I can reach for you,” she said. “If I’m lucky and I stretch far enough, I can actually touch you for a while. But it’s never even occurred to me that I can hold on. So many things have slipped through my fingers.”

Jasmin was very sweet. A woman who had lost everything. When she originally met Damien she believed the worst of him because she was too afraid to hope that she had found someone who could be hers. She was too afraid of losing another person she loved. But I liked that this time she fought with Damien, and she fought for him.

“Every breath you take is explode-my-head hot,” he said, nestling her hips against his. “When I’m around you, there’s this part of me that feels like an animal, all the time.”

The romance in this book was PERFECTION. I loved seeing these two circling each other, not knowing that what they felt was reciprocated, and watching them discover this was wonderful. The sexy times was sexy and so damn hot!!

I just loved Damien’s family. The grumpy old grandfather, the sneaky old aunt, the wonderful banter between the cousins. There is such beauty in this family, their closeness and love for each other.

“You make me feel whole,” he said. “I told you. You make my heart beat. It’s as if all that great empty spot inside me…you fill it up with something sweet, just for me.”

This is my kind of romance. A book so romantic and sweet and passionate that it transports you to a world you wished you lived in. I love that that one night they had six months ago meant so much to both of them that Damien wasn’t a manwhore who slept with a bunch of women after Jasmine.

I love this author’s beautiful writing, her books are the sweetest and most romantic books I have ever read. A definite must read for all romance lovers who likes their romance sweet and so very romantic!

[Keertana · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've always read that love is supposed to be easy. If you have to fight for it, it's not true love. If they don't immediately, truly, deeply understand you then it just isn't meant to be. And, perhaps, in the world we live in where we try to rush through life, picking up fast-food and arranging family gatherings and signing up for online dating so we can meet someone fast, that is love. But in the world Laura Florand builds--re-creates, really--through her prose, love is filled with messy beginnings and misunderstandings. Yet, it's not less because of those road bumps--it's more because her characters are willing to open themselves up to that type of hurt and pain and failure and try again.

After Once Upon a Rose was utterly charming, what with happy-go-lucky rockstar Layla and soft-hearted (but growly) Matt, I didn't expect A Wish Upon Jasmine to be quite so series. Or alluring. Or lovely. Damien, the businessman hero of this novel and cousin to Matt, is hard, cold steel. While Matt grows the roses and guards the valley--a task that often feels like a burden to him in the face of his cousins who manage to travel and slip in and out of their responsibilities--Damien acquires the money that allows Matt to grow his roses and Tristan, their youngest cousin, to make his perfumes. Without Damien's ruthlessness, they wouldn't have the wealth--or much of the happiness--that they have today.

But Damien, who so desperately wants to be able to make everyone's wish come true--to support them so that they can pursue what they love--is so much more than that veneer of calculated business acumen. In New York City, on a business venture, with a soft, shy woman named Jess, the true side of himself truly comes out. Only, the next morning Jess leaves his bed without a word. And the next thing he knows, he's bought her company and she's not just Jess, she's Jasmin Bianchi, the woman who created "Spoiled Brat", the perfume that isn't the artistic perfume that critics adore but rather the type of commercial perfume that sells--that made the number two slot and only slipped to number three. And now, six months later, she's in the Rosier Valley, claiming that an old perfume shop that has been in his family for generations has recently come into her possession. And, for Damien, it's a second chance to finally get it right with the one woman who got away.

I never know what to expect with a Florand novel. Either they start out cold, with the hero and heroine having never met and creating a complex relationship from the start or they begin layered, with the reader sifting through both the memories and the emotions that already flavor every conversation. With Damien and Jess, there's so much that isn't being said--so much under the surface--and on the surface is all sexual tension and wanting that it's a heady combination. But I enjoyed it so much. Some of Florand's later Chocolat et Amour books, such as The Chocolate Heart, have been the type of romances I wanted to weep at. A Wish Upon Jasmine, though, strikes the perfect balance between heart-wrenching and sweet.

I've long since given up trying to hide my feelings for my favorite Florand heros (*ahem* Sylvain Marquis!), but Damien Rosier is seriously giving my heart a hard time. I adored him as a lover, as a cousin, as a grand-nephew, as a son, as a grandson and, most of all, despite his flaws. And the same goes with Jess, who doesn't believe herself to be worthy of love, let alone of the love of someone as intelligent, gorgeous, and successful as Damien. It broke my heart to see Jess, whose perfume rose to the top of the market when she was only twenty-four, repeatedly battle with herself to gain confidence and believe that she was worth it. But, again, that's what I love so much about Florand's novels; they're as much a love story as they are a coming-of-age story in which her characters experience a tremendous amount of emotional growth.

Reading A Wish Upon Jasmine, I was struck by how besotted I am with this new world Florand has created. While I certainly miss the streets of Paris and the taste of chocolate on my tongue, slowly but surely I am being converted to the perfumes and aromas that grace these pages. Moreover, the Rosier family--so intertwined that if one were to change, they all would--has my heart and soul. Florand's previous series had her heroines connected by blood and her heroes moving in the same professional circle but the blood ties were never as strong or as poignant as they are here.

I've read nearly all of Florand's novels at this point, with the exception of her own fictionalized autobiography, and yet she never fails to surprise me with the characters she writes up or the depth of her novels. Moreover, her prose only grows more decadent by the novel; lusher, fuller, and all the more realistic. It's all-too-easy to forget you're not actually in the South of France if one of her books is in your hands. As a self-proclaimed fan of her, of course I loved this--I loved this--and it's one of my new favorite Florand novels. What's more, this series is shaping up to be even better than her last and I am breathless with anticipation for the next installment. A Wish Upon Jasmine is the all-too-perfect response to a wish you didn't even know you made; simply magical.

[Susana · Rating 4 out of 5]

2020 Re-read - 3 Stars

I love the characters and the whole setting of these novels ( or weren't I a crazy gardener), but it's 2020 "the year of the plague" -__- and my patience has disappeared entirely, so this time around I found Damien too much of an alpha male and Jazmyn too much of a doormat.
At this point my fave character is Tante Collete, with her no BS atittude and matchmaking ways, LOL
If you're in the mood for hot and steamy this is the book for you!
__________

Loved it!
Full review to come.
It's amazing how Laura Florand's romances calm the Grinch that there is in me -_-
Honestly, I'm baffled.

"

There's one thing you guys should know about these series. And that thing is, that even if you okay me have reached the dreaded point in which romance novels leave you somewhat nauseated or just tired of the whole romance schumzle (Yeah, I made it up), you'll most likely end up gobbling this series straight up!

Don't believe it?
Well, I didn't either until I read them.

Yes, this a Grinch approved series! (Yes, I'm the Grinch. I'm the bookish Grinch -_-)

For someone who has started dreading reading romance novels, reading this series, takes me back to the old days in which I had so much fun and pleasure reading.

This story was intense, addictive and just plain sweet.

The author knows how to avoid tricky paths (well done) and in the end I loved this so much, that I could have given it a higher rating.
So, why didn´t I?
-_-

You know those stories in which the words form a melody of their own?
Patricia Mckillip and...you know... Patricia Mckillip. Well, the five stars are for them. *cough*

Okay, moving on... this book: The characters!

I wish I could insert a thousand exclamation marks. That's how much I liked them and their dynamics.
Their characterization, the way Damien and Jess (Jasmine) meet _ capital R in the Romance department _, the way their relationship evolves, everything was so intense. So good.

Also, I think I've developed a fetiche -_-
Cuff Links, man, Damien, my God, this guy knows how to remove a simple cuff link making it "read" as if he's removing so much more. Hot.

Honestly, you have to read it!
Thing is, Damien and Jess couldn't be more perfect for each other. They are really an otp.

They're cute, and sweet _ and it never enters into the cheesy domain _ and their chemistry is of the charts. What more can a reader ask?
Oh, right, the secondary characters...
Well, you'll be happy to know that they're just as great, as the main couple.

You have characters whose stories you've already read. Others that you can't wait to sink your teeth into them _ for instance Tristan's story _ and when you reach the end of the book, you just feel like re-reading the whole thing over again.

Oh, and the aunt?
Amazing! Tante Collete, you rock! May you live many more years, because things will be extremely boring without your matchmaking schemes.

So, what are you waiting for to start reading this?

[namericanwordcat · Rating 5 out of 5]

So good. Lovely, sensual, moving. So very good.

Florand is one of my favorite writers. I am never disappointed and always made very very happy. Just writing this review makes me want to read the book again.

I put off reading this one a bit because I was crushed with work and because I am not a fan of reunion romances. Well, stupid me.

First of all it isn't really a reunion romance. The hero and heroine have met before but it wasn't a lengthy realtionship that comes with lots of threads to sort out. There were enough knots to untangle but it never sliped into ugly crying and sorrow. I can't really do that right now or never. lol

The romance is fierce as is the explortation of what happens if you fall in love and you have other serious life issues going on at the same time. There are wonderful scence of family as well.

The details of being a perfume maker are amazing as is the setting.

You will love the romance. Go get it. Hurrry. Make yourself happy.

I was given this book for my honest review so there you have it.

[Jacob Proffitt · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the second in a series and I recommend reading them in order. The first introduces some of the family dynamic that isn't as explicit here and knowing the other couples enhanced my enjoyment of this one.

This story didn't hit the personal sweet spot that Once Upon a Rose did, but I enjoyed it very much even so. I kind of hate the cover copy on this one. It emphasizes all the trivial stuff and misses completely the heart of the story with Damien and Jess working so hard to understand and accept one another to get at the core of who they are together. This story relies rather heavily on buying their instant connection in the past and a one-night affair that features both falling in love (and Jess running away from it). While I had a hard time buying that, in effect it works out pretty well as the premise for their current situation.

So the story revolves around trust and forgiveness and vulnerability and love and I just loved how well Florand explores those themes. What I liked best, though, was that Florand avoided the obvious trope of Damien being all stoic and unable to admit Jess hurt him and instead went with him owning that hurt and not only being able to admit it, but having the courage to show it to Jess in ways that let her comprehend just how affected he had been.

Anyway, this was a very emotional story and I loved both the journey and the conclusion. The emotional payload on this was very powerful and I'm still in the midst of digesting that. It's heavy enough that I'm resisting a full five stars, but I can't really justify anything less for a story I enjoyed so much and the well-earned emotional catharsis at the end.

A note about Steamy: There are two explicit sex scenes, though the second actually pulls back once the action really starts. It's the upper end of my middle tolerance range, nevertheless, because those scenes went on forever and some more. That first one was chapters long and that was way more than the story actually needed or warranted. The second wasn't short either, but by then I felt free to skim a bit and I'm glad I did. It was clear very early that their relationship would live or die on the emotional and mental dynamics between Jess and Damien. The physical stuff just felt tacked on and unnecessary, really.

[lisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Laura Florand can do no wrong in my book, tbh.

Reread: June 2017

Upping this another star because lbr, I've reread this way too many times for it not to be a 5 star, really. I have an inkling that Lucien will be my ultimate favourite Rosier once his book is out but for now Damien is #1 in my heart. I just love him and Jess together; they fit.

Reread: Sept 2017

Yep, Lucien is now my favourite Rosier but Damien is still (one of) my husband(s). Will I ever not cry at Damien giving Jess little reminders of his love? NOPE.

Reread: Feb 2019

When will Laura Florand return home from war hiatus because I sorely need Antoine's book.

Reread: July 2020

When will Laura Florand return home from war hiatus because I sorely need Antoine's book.

Reread: January 2023
Damien insisting he's "the mean one" of the cousins will never not be funny to me tbh-

[Ksenia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ten reasons I fell in love with A Wish Upon Jasmine by Laura Florand:

1. beautiful writing
It’s funny that my only complaint about the first book in this series Once Upon a Rose was Laura Florand’s flourish writing. Yet her gorgeous lush writing was exactly what I craved this time. I guess my enjoyment of a book is hugely influenced by my current mood. I was recently sick and my reading was very limited. I’m sure you are familiar with this fogginess and inability to comprehend and enjoy a book when you are ill. So when I was finally feeling better I was dying to read a beautifully written book with romance. A Wish Upon Jasmine was just this.

There is something magical in Laura Florand’s writing. It’s so rich and sensual. I wanted to savor every word. I highlighted so many passages, and I’m sure I’ll be rereading this book in the future.

2. romance
I was swept off my feet with the romance. It’s very different from the romance in Once Upon a Rose. While the first book was cute and sweet, A Wish Upon Jasmine was more serious and dark. There was so much hurt, tension and raw emotions between Damien and Jess, but their story was no less alluring. Their interactions were so sensual and their lovemaking on a riverbank was one of the most intense and raw erotic scenes in my reading life.

"They had the mad trust and hope and betrayal of two strangers in New York, and from today they had…he didn’t know what they had. It felt raw everywhere, what they had. Like it might be something good, if it could grow, but right now the fresh exposed skin of it was sensitive to every touch."

3. kisses
I’m a romantic and I love kisses in books. So much so that I made a feature about my favorite kisses on my blog. And kisses in this book were utterly delicious.

"Kisses and kisses and kisses, in the dark against her door, with the scent of jasmine sneaking in among those kisses as if the flowers, too, wanted to touch. The night brushing cool silk around them after the heat of the day. Her hair under his fingers, her skin against his lips."

4. emotions
This book was so emotionally charged. There was of course the hurt between main couple. But there was also Jess’ grieving about her father.

"She never knew what might come out of her heart, when she loosed that stopper on it. Sometimes still it was this great wail of grief. Sometimes it was something even crueler, like hope."

5. Damien
I loved Matt from Once Upon a Rose, but it was Damien who intrigued me the most. I was impatiently waiting for his story. I wanted to learn more about his mysterious man. I loved his complexity. I loved how vulnerable he was under his ruthless armor.

"Not a villain of a man. Not a superficial player. But a man who carried chests down from the attic for his old aunt and tried to catch the moon for his mother and who may not have understood how easily wounded she could be six months ago but who hadn’t meant her any harm at all."

"Not a shark, not an assassin. A warrior. A hero."

6. Rosier family
I met Rosier family like old friends. The family became a living and breathing organism here, and it was fascinating to see different types of family relationships. I liked dynamic between Matt, Damien, Tristan and Raoul. Laura Florand continues to explore complex relationships between the cousins. They are very close. Under all competition and teasing they care deeply about each other. And of course Tante Colette with her shenanigans and matchmaking was very entertaining.

Damien was very devoted to his family. He took a role of ruthless and cold businessmen, who make money and support others, so they can dream and do what they love. He was “the mean one”. He was tired of this role his family put on him, but he was willing to make sacrifices for them. He didn’t realize that his relatives appreciated his sacrifices.

"He’d sacrifice himself, of course. I think he does that all the time… That’s why we have a saying, in the family: Be careful what you wish for. Damien will get it for you… So that we remember, you know—not to take too much advantage of that."

One more quote that brings light on cousins’ relationships:

"Over there by a stack of burlap sacks, Damien—the tough, impervious, cool, ruthless one—had lifted a hand and was letting jasmine blooms drift from his fingers all over Jess’s upturned face, his expression so tender and so exposed that Tristan and Raoul immediately jerked around to put their backs to it. Then they abandoned the vat to find some excuse to stand between Damien and the factory doors, so that anyone who poked a head in wouldn’t see Damien stark naked like that."

7. scents
This series is centers around perfume industry. Jess is a perfumer, so scents play a big role in this book. And thanks to Laura Florand’s tactile and sensual writing it was such a delight to read. Also her descriptions of jasmine harvest were wonderful.

"It smelled…it made him think of impossible things. This clear, glimmering purity of hope, like the birth of a baby star. He loved it. It had this chest-tightening emotion packed into it, like standing beside a cradle in the dark, looking down at your firstborn child."

8. setting
The author created such a vivid picture of Grasse. I want to visit The South of France one day.

9. humor
As always Laura Florand found a perfect balance between sadness and humor. There were a lot of funny moments. And of course the alien photo appeared again.

"Remember that time all our favorite toys disappeared and we found ransom notes in their place? That’s the beauty of family. Never too late for payback."

10. figs
"The figs were irresistible"

They definitely were. There were several scenes where figs were present, and I absolutely loved this theme. I’m a little biased here. Many years ago I spent holidays in Crimea with my husband (actually we weren’t even engaged then). We rented a house near shore, and there was an old fig tree. So every day on our way to the beach we each plucked a fig and eat them. So, yes, I feel very nostalgic and romantic about fig trees. Though I’ve never heard that figs were male sex symbols. Lol.

"Silence. Peaceful and yet dangerous. The kind of protected space where anything could happen. And everything was so sensual. As if you could pick up time and caress it in your fingers. Sink your toes into it, curl them into its clinging grains. Take a bite of it, and it would burst sweet and lush on your tongue. Once upon that time, a young Roman soldier might have tempted his girl with a fig, as they curled up here, in peace and desire."

END
I irrevocably fell in love with Laura Florand’s writing and the wonderful characters she’d created. I’m looking forward to the next book in this series. While I wait for it I’ll probably read her Amour et Chocolat series.

You can find my reviews:

[Beth · Rating 5 out of 5]

This isn't a series about ridiculous external dramas that upend the plot for the sake of upending the plot, as if farfetched conflicts are the most important thing to work past, in order to create idealized reconciliations.

Instead, this is a careful, deliberate series about careful, deliberate people - people who are a little hurt, who catch glimpses of a different future, if only they're brave enough to reach for it. People who orbit each other, slowly and consideringly, and learn to talk to each other.

Of course, this is also a romance novel, so there's an inherent security to the idea that this is a person worth taking a risk on. But that that's the wish fulfillment aspect of the story is about ten times more nuanced - dare I say mature - than your run-of-the-mill example in the genre.

This is about the beginnings of trust, and it lays the framework for that trust to continue - and that strength in a book, that consideration in storytelling, that quiet and careful deliberation, is a startling thing.

This is delicate and dreamy in a way that's distant and hazy but oddly personal and real. The themes probably should read as heavy-handed and repetitive, but they don't, because they're tempered by that hazy, dreamy perspective. Sometimes you do look at life and patterns emerge. Sometimes personalities do tread expected paths. Sometimes people are exactly who you think they are, even if they don't know it yet.

Sometimes happy beginnings do exist. But it takes a special book to convince you of them.

PS: GIVE ME ANTOINE'S BOOK. AND LUCIEN'S. ASAP.

[Anna (Bobs Her Hair) · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Heady Sensory Experience

” He’s that star in the sky that you wish for but you know you can never catch.”

Top Notes

Jasmin ‘Jess’ Bianchi learned from her father how cutthroat the perfume industry could be. During a somber time in her life she attempted to pave the path to her dream but she suffered loss. At one point, Jess experienced a radiant moment of happiness to have it wink out.




Middle Notes

Fear makes Jess protect her heart. Loss challenges her to reconnect with a reputedly ruthless man who seems so far beyond her reach. Feeling hurt creates a different challenge of overcoming one’s pain to make oneself vulnerable.





Base Notes

Family, Love, Courage, History, and Cultural Pride… These assets provide the foundations for two perfectly matched people to find the love they’ve always wished for.

He checked a tiny second. Not too long, he didn’t think. He just had to stop his heart beating, had to put that damn organ back away, buried under some great tree in an ancient forest, where she couldn’t get at it. It hurt, putting it back. The hole for it felt dark and damp.

A child being stuffed into a closet when all the other kids were opening their presents.

Head, heart, and foundation…A Wish for Jasmine book has it all! After reading Once Upon a Rose I immediately dove into Ms. Florand’s Amour de Chocolat series, and while I enjoyed the books they just didn’t have quite the same magic for me as the Rosier family in La Vie en Roses. There’s something special within this series - this family, the heroines, and French setting – that emotionally resonates with me. The entire reading process is a sensual experience.

The writing overflows with texture, flavor, and color. Every aspect is living, breathing, and affective. Grasse, the world’s perfume capital, is a relevant component to Jess and Damien. Its industry, history, and traditions are significant. The setting is powerful!

Ms. Florand’s descriptive way of writing makes me feel transported, as if the perfume shop’s iron key has been pressed into my hand and dusty rows of brown perfume bottles are waiting for me to discover their scents. When Jess leans down to Damien’s neck to breathe his scent I feel as if I'm close enough to take a bite. This book came to life in my hands! And this gushing is coming from a reader who usually dives into fantasy, paranormal, and/or science-fiction romance!

I had thought La Vie en Rose book 2 was slated for Tristan Rosier. Even Tante Colette thought Jess was a good match for Tristan, but I am glad Damien found her first! They counterbalanced one another. She has the softness that Damien needs. Even though he seemed hard there’s something sweet he doesn’t want anyone to see, except it’s essential to him that Jess see his core and distinguish all his ‘notes.’

A few readers may want to know that the steam level is turned way up in A Wish for Jasmine. Damien has a ‘dirty’ side that was mesmerizing as he reveals a touch of sexual dominance. It may be jarring to readers unused to erotic situations. (It’s only one scene; Jess is a willing and very happy participant.)

The Rosier family has won my heart again! Jess made mistakes usually made by romance novel heroes. The reversal was a nice change, although I'm curious how romance readers will react because it sometimes seems as though heroines are held to different standard. I appreciated how Jess’ and Damien’s main conflict was revealed and resolved. Their challenges had me crying a few times, but Tante Colette and the Rosier family were in attendance to lighten the mood without gratuitously appearing. The elder Rosier family members enriched the romance with their stories of courage along with their meddling. The writing was tighter than Once Upon a Rose. Assigned identities in the Rosier family were mentioned more than was required but never enough to impede my desperate need to devour this book.

There's a pressure when reading a book for review. Having purchased book one, loving it, and writing a glowing review was easy. Receiving a personal email from the author stating I won an advanced copy was exciting and a little nerve-wracking. I'm glad to say this contemporary romance exceeded my expectations. I'm eagerly anticipating the next book!



I won this arc from the author in exchange for an honest review. Please note that the quotes above may have changed or been deleted at final release.

And I stayed awake until the wee hours of the morning reading this!

[Maria Rose · Rating 5 out of 5]

This second story in the La Vie en Roses series is the romance between Damien and Jasmin. Both involved in the perfume industry, they shared a passionate one night stand as strangers after a business event. But Jasmin was horrified to discover that her tender and passionate lover was none other than Damien Rosier, the ruthless businessman who bought out her company, destroying her plans to make niche perfumes and killing her heart in the process. When her ill father passes away, Jasmin inherits a small perfume shop in the heart of Grasse, Rosier territory. When she encounters Damien again, months afterward, the wounds for both of them are still raw – Jasmin for what Damien did, and Damien for Jasmin’s shutting him out and never letting him explain what happened. With mistrust and hurt on both sides, will they find the way back to the magic that bound them together in the first place?

If you haven’t read a Laura Florand story before, you are in for a treat – both because this story is evocative and touching as all of her works are, but also because you have a lovely backlist to catch up on. This is the second story in the Rosier family perfumerie series, but there are also several featuring chocolatiers in Paris in the Amour et Chocolat series, all equally wonderful. Damien is the businessman in the family, the one who makes the money so that the rest of the Rosiers can go about making their perfumes. His reputation is of a ruthless, hard driving, supremely confident man. If you want something done, you go to Damien. It’s a reputation he thrives upon, but is also one that masks his care and concern for his family and the families of those around him whose livelihoods depend on him. He feels the weight of that burden constantly, and it make him appear hard and stoic. There are few who see past that outward facade. When he met Jasmin back in New York she was like a balm for his soul. Meeting as strangers, she knew nothing of him except what he showed her – and what he showed her then was his true heart. They connected on an intimate level, both in and out of bed and he was devastated when she disappeared before he woke the next day, and even more so when they met next and he discovered that the company he was trying to save, to improve so that they would be successful was hers, and that she viewed it as the ultimate betrayal. It only reinforced to him that being open and caring was a mistake, one he wouldn’t make again.

Jasmin comes across as a cynical woman hiding a sweet and tender heart, bearing the grief of the loss of her father who had been ill for some time but succumbed shortly after her one night stand with Damien, at which time she also lost her company. She is down, but not out. The inheritance of a small perfume shop in Grasse beckons her to this small town, though she is fully aware that this is Damien’s territory. If anything this makes her determined to claim this small piece of it, of him, just like he claimed parts of her. When they meet again, the sparks fly – both the sexual attraction and the animosity they now have for each other. Slowly however the truth of their first encounter, the circumstances that Jasmin was under and the false beliefs they had of each other start to crumble the wall they’ve built between them. I loved how this was done slowly, brick by brick, revealing the hurt of the past and the means to mend it. They can’t deny their attraction to each other, and as they start to reconnect, the passion and emotion of their feelings for each other shine through in their steamy love scenes.

His lips brushed her cheeks, the corner of her lips, his body rubbing subtly against hers. There and gone. His breath passed lightly over her lips as he shifted to her other cheek. A gentle, teasing test of skin to skin, lips brushing down to the corners of hers again.
She closed her eyes, lifting towards him, bringing her fingers to his shoulders. Broad, strong shoulders. Fine, pressed cotton.
His lips, closing over hers. Firm and sure and sweet and hungry.
But not pushy. Not demanding. Not taking her over. Come. Come dream with me.
He’d kissed her like this that night on the terrace in New York, only a little more certain, a little more wondering, a little less in check.
I’m sorry. She went up on tiptoe, into the kiss. I’m sorry I made you afraid to believe in this again.

All of Laura’s stories involve the senses and this one is no exception, as we experience the scents and sounds of Grasse and Provence. I really enjoyed this glimpse into the world of perfumes, how they are made and especially Jasmin trying to make a personalized scent for Damien, to capture his essence in a bottle. The thread of that weaves through the story as Jasmin’s view of Damien changes when she comes to understand the man that he is and the mistake she made in not believing in what they had started together. The glimpses into the lives of the other characters who live in Grasse, Damien’s family and their history show a deep love for their country. With every story we learn more of what has made this family who they are, and the women who get to hold onto these men are very lucky indeed. Which isn’t to say that they aren’t without their flaws, but at heart they are good, solid men with strong hearts. It’s always a joy to read one of Laura’s stories and I’m delighted with this latest endeavor. 5 stars.

Note: a copy of this story was provided by the author for review.

Note 2: this review can be read as a blog post at : http://straightshootinbookreviews.com...

[Katie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I haven't read Florand for a year or two because the last few I read didn't work as well for me, but WOW WE'RE BACK TOGETHER NOW. When she works for me, I DIE. I could barely even read the last third because EMOTION AHHH HELP.

Jess not being able to believe that she gets to keep things! YES YES YES.

(So yes, read this one, Beth.)

[Jess · Rating 4 out of 5]

Oh, I liked this.

I haven't been as into the last couple of Florand self-published books as I have some of the earlier ones. (I read this yesterday and I found myself nodding along with the distinction between her self-published and her trads and I didn't realize that was a problem I've been having, but yes.) But this had a better conflict at its core (albeit one that could have been easily resolved if they'd just TALKED to each other), and I think that helped.

I liked Jess and Damien and what they brought out in each other. I liked the glimpses of Tristan we got, though most of the other cameos just felt gratuitous. I loved the descriptions of the scents.

I was just really happy to like this a lot.

[Marla Mei · Rating 5 out of 5]

SO MUCH FAVE <3 I don't think I would be able to read another book for a few days. It's just so good and I don't wanna replace it yet. I wanna savor this high this book gave me as long as I could.

[Talltree · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beautifull written second chance romance. In the beginning in h's POV we might get the feeling she is much put upon and the H is mean but eventually we do get the whole picture and the H is amazing - loyal to his family, alpha and badass but also very much a protector. The h seems an introverted wimp and not nearly good enough for him. But hopefully she'll improve and for the H's sake I'm glad he got who he wanted. Safe romance.
4 stars!

[Camille Flores · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 mind-blowing, amazing stars! This is easily one of my best reads this year. It's like sigh after sigh, giggles and then sighs, and exclamation-point-feelings, and mad-scribbling-of-thoughts-you-didn't-want-to-lose, and oh-I-can't-believe-something-this-beautiful-is-written type of book! Definitely a Laura Florand masterpieces! Definitely a new favorite of mine. Damien has just entered the running to become my ultimate Laura Florand favorite hero, along with Dom and Patrick.

Full review below.

Disclaimer: I received an eARC of this book from the author/publisher in exchange for an honest review. Yes, these are my honest and personal thoughts on this book.


Why did I want to read this book?

I completely fell in love with Book 1, Once Upon A Rose, and I was so excited to read about the Rosier cousins once again. Now, it’s Damien’s turn, the family ‘henchman’, so to speak, and I couldn’t wait to get to know him. Plus, I needed to have my Laura Florand fix.



What worked for me?

I always have a hard time writing a review for a Laura Florand book, not because I didn’t love it, that could not have been farther from the truth, but because it takes me some time to really get my head about the beauty of storytelling that I got to read every time. I wished so much that I would get the words right and get across to fellow readers just how much I love her books. And always, always, after finishing her book, I would have all these kinds of emotions that I hope I would be able to translate well into my reviews so that other people would also appreciate and read her beautiful works.

I love this book so much, I just have to get that one out now. It’s not just one element but this amalgamation of wonderful and thought-out elements that made this book truly magical. As with other of her books, Laura has this amazing writing style of giving her stories overarching themes and mini-themes, which she so skillfully weaves throughout the book: through her plot, her characterizations, to her dialogue. So you get this seamless connection that just sweeps you away as you read and they get revealed to you one at a time.

This is a second-chance romance, which is a trope I am completely enamored with. The night they spent together as simply Damien and Jess, without the weight of their surnames, was magical but that same weight came crashing down on them in the aftermath.

Laura writes another fantastic hero in Damien. He’s projected image is that of the cold, ruthless, and unforgiving wall for the Rosier clan. He’s the one with the hard heart, if he has one at all, who handles the business side of their company. But he does indeed have a heart. And what a beautiful and breakable heart he has. Of course, he keeps it buried so deeply in a dark hole, especially after what happened with Jess, that sometimes not even himself can get to it. As he’s handling the business side of things, he’s the one that makes the money and grows that money even more. He’s not like Matt with his roses or Tristan with his perfumes, or Raoul and Lucien with their explorations. He’s the one fighting the business battles. You’ll just love how he loves his family and I love how Jess eventually realizes that that he’s a warrior for his family. He’s not just a defender but a protector as well. One of my favorite lines in the book is this:

Be careful what you wish for, Damien will get it for you.

I love how Damien is the wall the protects his family, the fortress that makes it possible for his family to dream and make their own wishes come true. It’s so ingrained in his character. But I also love how this line had so many nuances in the book. You have to read it to get the whole picture. Trust me, you won’t regret it.

But at the same time, Damien is as nuanced a character, a hero, as you could possibly want. There’s just so much to love about him: his fierce loyalty, his mostly unseen vulnerability, his hurt and internal conflicts.

Jess, on the other hand, is one flawed heroine. Granted, they’re both really flawed characters but I love them to bits just the same. She tried to reach for that HEA with a prince who turned out to be the enemy who took away one of the most heartfelt sources of happiness, the start-up company where she could apply her knowledge and talent as a true perfumer. And her father’s declining health didn’t help her already burdened heart and mind. Her one rebellious act of creating the Spoiled Brat fragrance resulted in her scent being a huge success in the industry but at the same time her having been caged, in a way, in that niche and not in the one she’s really passionate about, which is personalized scents. And so her newly inherited fragrance shop in Grasse was a way for her to forge a new future for her if she dared and that led her straight into Damien’s kingdom. She’s been so used to being alone and living her life on her own, it was a little heartbreaking to watch her interact with the Rosier family, even with Damien alone.

I love the themes in the book about hearts, stars, wishes, and dreams. I love the references to making wishes. There are things we wish for, things that we want to come true. But dreaming can only take us so far. And sometimes even that act, the dreaming alone can paralyze us with fear that we never really take action in the first place. And that doesn’t make our dreams come true at all. I love how Laura pushes this and makes us think about it. There was a phrase in the book that says “to afraid to believe” and it resonated strongly with me. Because fear can totally freeze you, right? And this doesn’t only happen for the things that we want but also with the people that we love. Just as much as we want to be somebody’s wish come true, we also want to be a person somebody believes in.

These two people had a lot of hurdle to overcome. There is so much unfinished business, unspoken words, and misunderstandings between them, you can feel even in those first few moments when they meet again. Laura has created this complex but satisfying unraveling of these two people, what happened between them those many months ago, their true emotions. And you just can’t help but keep on turning page after page. The progression of their relationship was simply magical, as Laura always does in her books. There’s always this mix of familiarity, tentativeness, new discoveries, sexual tension, and just heartfelt emotions in each of their scenes, I couldn’t help but hold my breath every time. It’s just sigh, after sigh, after sigh, while I was reading the story. And it was even made more amazing because Jess was in the process of creating a scent for Damien, which, by the way, is one of the sexiest elements in the story.

And last but not the least, the Rosier clan was a hoot, especially the Rosier cousins. I love all their interactions. Tante Collette was adorable in this one, yet again. And I think it will be Tristan’s turn in the next book.



What did not work for me?

I was left with a teeny, tiny question by the time I reached ‘The End’. And this is SPOILER-y! So be forewarned. I was wondering whether Jess ever realized that she was one Damien was talking about when he spoke of falling in love with a girl for the first time. I didn’t get the impression that that was cleared up so I was waiting for it to get mentioned until the end, that’s why the ending felt just a smudge incomplete for me. But other than that, gosh this book was amazing.



My over-all take on it?

Laura Florand is ruining me for other authors. Seriously! I’m getting more and more spoiled with each new release from her. It’s always automatic now to expect that the other books I will read will be with the kind of writing Laura gives her readers.

Anyways, you know I love this book. If I didn’t make that obvious enough earlier then I have failed in my duty. lol! There’s an epic kind of quality to Jess’ and Damien’s love story and I was glad I was part of it even if I was just a reader. You would definitely want to meet these obviously flawed, completely endearing, heartbreakingly precious characters.

[Julie · Rating 4 out of 5]

The second I’ve read in La Vie en Roses series, after dipping into the Amour et Chocolat selection somewhere in the middle.

Damien and Jess/Jasmin would be my favourite couple so far. Damien, for all his purported ruthlessness, does what he does in the business world to protect his family, their heritage and their future. The Rosiers have a saying along the lines of ‘be careful what you wish for, because Damien will get it for you.’

Jess, dealing with the loss of her beloved father, still reaches for the stars and is brave enough to hope. Early on this is how we meet her: She felt stupid and soft and real, like a girl who wore something flowing and romantic to a perfume launch party and didn’t realise until she got there that she wasn’t as beautiful as a princess, she was just naive and ridiculous amid all the sleek gorgeousness around her. It says so much about her. And despite how she felt, the fact that she was different, soft and romantic, was what drew Damien out onto the terrace after her. That, and the elusive scent Jess had spritzed by the doors as a wish, to prove to herself that even amidst the despair of her father dying she was still trying to find love and a future for herself.

Just as there was a lot about hearts in the first book, there’s a lot about scents (occasionally a bit too much) and stars in this one. And we have Matt the growling bear, Damien the panther, Raoul the wolf. But overall, the prose is again lush and lovely, and beautifully evocative of the south of France.

These men are so intense. There’s the same cast of characters, as Ms Florand has several cousins to work through. I like the family dynamics. Most of the relationships were established in the first book. The bond between the cousins and the strength and courage of the older generation, the ex-Resistance heroes, all seems very natural and integral to Damien’s place in the world. Despite the conflicts and petty annoyances of a large family, he finds it daunting to imagine what it must be like for Jess, being wholly alone.

And watching these two navigate their way back to each other makes for a lovely story. Quite steamy in places, however, with language, so note this if it’s content you prefer to avoid.

[Chachic · Rating 5 out of 5]

Originally posted at Chachic's Book Nook.

Laura Florand is one of my favorite romance authors and I've been a fan of her books ever since I discovered them in 2013. Her La vie en Roses series features the fictional Rosiers, one of the most prominent families in the perfume industry. I was charmed by the Christmas novella A Rose in Winter and was delighted by the first full-length novel, Once Upon a Rose. I was thrilled when I found out that the second book, A Wish Upon Jasmine, will also be released this year! I'm seriously amazed at how prolific a writer Laura Florand is. I didn't think we'd get another book in the series until next year, and I thought it would be about Tristan. Looks like Damien shouldered his way in and stole the limelight.

As much as I loved Laura Florand's Amour et Florand series, I think I'm starting to love her Provence series just a little bit more. The South of France setting is such a delight to read. I also love the dynamics of the Rosier family, and how difficult it is to grow up with highly competitive and assertive cousins. I think the Rosier men coped by finding a role for themselves within the family structure, and then deciding to stick with those roles. They do their damnedest to live up to what they believe is expected of them. It's not that they don't love the roles that they play, it's just that each role comes with its own set of problems. In Damien's case, he's the one who grants people's wishes. He's the business guy, in charge of making money for the company so the rest of the family can pursue their dreams. So his cousin Matt can run the Rosier valley, so Tristan can make perfumes, and Raoul and Lucien can travel the world. In order to work in the business world, Damien had to toughen up and be ruthless. But anyone who has such deep roots and family values can never be truly heartless. No one outside his family really sees his vulnerable side, but he lets his guard down the night he and Jess meet.

Jess is a top perfumer known for her commercially successful Spoiled Brat creation. Which is funny because she made that popular perfume as a joke, she never expected it to rise to fame. And now she couldn't shake the image that she has in the perfume world and everyone expects her to make perfumes that go against what she wants to do. Damien and Jess didn't even know each other's last names when they meet so they also had no inkling of the other person's reputation. That allowed them to be a truer version of themselves than what the rest of the world usually sees. Things go downhill once Jess realizes who Damien really is, and that he's acquired the fledgling artisan perfume company that she wanted to pour her heart into. Add to that the terrible fact that her father is seriously ill and is about to pass away. It's understandable that she wasn't willing to listen to reason when Damien wanted to give an explanation. A passage that resonated with me:

"It would have been like believing in magic, to believe in you," she said suddenly.

"Yes." His breath released roughly. "I know exactly what you mean."

"In the morning. At night, it's easier to believe in dreams."

Six months after Damien and Jess spend the night together, they find themselves in Grasse, in a historical perfume shop that has been in Damien's family for generations and was, surprisingly, inherited by Jess. Can I just say that I love how the Rosier boys' great aunt Colette meddles in their affairs? I really think she's pretending to have a less than friendly relationship with the Rosier patriarch but they're secretly working together to get the guys to settle down. Matchmaking grandparents! Damien is supposed to get the perfume shop back for the family and he also aims to work things out with Jess. As expected, there's a lot of tension between these two especially since their attraction for each other has been well-established by their one night together. Both of them are flawed characters and it takes a while for them to truly understand the other person but I think it was a beautiful journey. They kept butting heads but I wasn't worried because I knew they never really mean to hurt the other person.

I loved Damien's character, how he layers a protective shell over his vulnerability in order to accomplish the things that he has to do for the family. I really liked that Jess is a perfumer because this series is about the perfume industry. I'm glad that we got to see her point of view, ahead of what Tristan's will be. I could also relate to Jess and her insecurities and doubts, how it's so difficult for her to accept the possibility of a relationship with Damien because she thinks he's way out of her league. It highlights how loving and believing in someone takes an enormous leap of faith and a whole lot of trust. Not just that, but also that she had to believe in herself first before she can even be ready to believe in someone else. Jess was the kind of character I wanted to hug and say, "everything will be all right." So it's really a good thing that Damien is more than willing to do that, and that he's backed by a chaotic and wonderful family. I've noticed that these Rosier men tend to find women who don't have big and supportive families like they do, and it's just lovely to see how they react to being welcomed into the fold.

I was also tickled by the fairy tale theme than ran throughout the story, it was so much fun to pick up the references that peppered the story. A Wish Upon Jasmine is a beautiful read that stayed with me days, even weeks, after I finished reading it. It has a more bittersweet feel to it compared to Once Upon a Rose, which was kind of cute and cuddly, but I enjoyed it just as much. I'm itching to reread Matt and Raoul's stories now. As always, I can't wait for the next book.

[Grace · Rating 2 out of 5]

I just wasn't into this one. Didn't really care for the hero much at all, and I felt the structure and pacing of this was just off. I theorized while reading that it might have worked better for me if we had started by seeing Jess and Damien meet in NY, and see the hookup/betrayal, and then flash forward to Jess arriving in France. While I do think that might have worked better for me, the conflict here just fell pretty flat for me overall. Just a strange book that didn't capture anything of the Florand novels that I have loved in the past.

Read for Ripped Bodice Bingo 2020: Protagonist smells "uniquely like themselves"

[Bonnie-Anne Carmichael (Love Triangles Are Fucking Stupid.) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you to the author for sending me an ARC.

This was beautiful and magical as always.

This was WONDERFUL. Only really talented authors can pull of an enemies to lovers book and make it completely believable and make you root so hard for the characters. It can be a disaster if not written right. This was not only written right but written perfectly. Honestly I could just go on and on about how much I love Florand's books.

I LOVE this couple. Damien might seem cold and like you shouldn't like him at first. Do NOT let this put you off. He's amazing. The further you get into the story the more you will fall for him. Jess is the perfect strong yet vulnerable character that Florand is best known for. Their chemistry jumps off the page. I could feel their love SO much.

This is a classic Laura Florand book. The writing is just stunning. Like, seriously stunning. The setting just comes alive like always. You can can perfectly picture, taste, smell everything in the story. The characters are seriously fleshed out. No other author writes characters as layered as she does. Hers are the best character driven books I've ever read.

Also, I'm not gushing this much because I got an arc, she has always been my favourite contemporary author and I'm obsessed with her books. OBSESSED. I push them on everyone.

[Stephanie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Laura Florand's books are always delicious, but this is one of my very favorites so far. The heroine, Jasmin, creates perfumes, and I looooved the luscious descriptions of the scents she works with, as well as the intensely evocative descriptions of the setting in Provence. Reading the book felt like sinking into that rich setting, and I loved it. Damien is also a wonderful, complex hero, and the dynamic between them was really fun, with both of them making mistakes and misinterpretations but also both of them really fitting each other. (Also, their relationship is intensely hot!) I read this book on a looooong international flight with two young kids, and it's a sign of just how lovely an escape-read it really was, that when I read it (while my husband looked after the kids), I actually completely forgot everything else and sank into the story completely, feeling my shoulders relax and all the stress flood out of me as I read. Just lovely.

[Aoi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Laura Florand never fails to deliver.. Her books are comparable to spending long, lazy afternoons in your grandmother's backyard.

Damien and Jasmin's story was much more intense and sensual than her previous outings. Yes ,the other things are all there- a gorgeous medieval town, an all-powerful family, fields of flowers and artisan perfumes. Damien is an alpha male businessman done right- sexy and vulnerable in turns, completely at mercy to his family (aww..)

I love how Jasmin's perfume craft blended into the whole story- enhancing the emotion and sensuality of the love story. Her coming up with 'Spoiled Brat' amused me to no end. Damien's custom perfume has 'metallic tones' to it.. Blech! Who on earth would like that?! It makes for good prose, just not for good imagination

[Rosario · Rating 3 out of 5]

Jasmin Bianchi is an extremely successful perfumer, the creator of Spoiled Brat, a scent that has been high in the list of most ordered perfumes for years. It's also a scent that has typecast her, to the point that all the briefs she gets (get me, speaking the lingo!) are for similar superficial, cynical fragrances. When she receives a gift of a small perfume shop in Southern France out of the blue, she sees it as the opportunity to escape the stereotype and decide what she wants to do.

The only problem is, the powerful Rosier family, hugely influential in the world of perfume, consider the shop a crucial part of their ancestry. It might legally belong to their old aunt Colette, but she doesn't have the right to just give it away, even to the descendants of her long-lost adopted son. The obvious person to send out to sort this out is Damien, the merciless money man who has made Rosier SA into a huge, strong business and whose work allows the family's artistic members to do what they do without worry.

But Damien and Jess have a history, a one-night stand some 6 months earlier which ended badly when Jess realised who Damien was and that he'd just taken over the new business venture on which she'd pinned all her hopes for change.

Sigh. It's looking more and more like Florand is just not for me. The annoying thing is that I could have loved this book. Damien was a type of hero I really love: the guy who's been placed by his family in the role of the hard-hearted enforcer, and who's now perceived as being just that in personality as well. Meanwhile, the guy is desperate for some softness and warmth and romance. I felt Damien was very well done in that sense.

And Florand can write a good, angsty scene. There's a stretch round the mid point with Damien and Jess remembering what happened when they first met, the feeling of warmth and trust when they made love, and then Jess's feeling of betrayal when she realised who Damien was, and Damien's desperation when he felt something precious that had been offered to him had been withdrawn. And then when he realises all that had been going on in Jess's life when they first met! Oh, I had such a lump in my throat while I was reading that!

I'd been struggling with the book a bit before I got to that section. There's a lot of clutter here, backstory here that must have been introduced in the previous book in the series. There's all the stuff around the hunt for the long-lost son's descendants and how that got started during the 2nd World War, when Aunt Colette and her brother and the child's birth mother were part of the Resistence. There's pointless matchmaking and a constant stream of happy couples from previous books. There's sequel-baiting with references to characters who have nothing to do with this particular story.

I was getting bored with all of that, and I wasn't too engaged with the romance. I'm getting sort of humourless these days, not willing to buy into the fantasy aspect of how romance heroes behave and seeing it all too literally. Damien's behaviour kept making me go "inappropriate!!!" in my mind, and that was annoying. Plus, the writing. Oh, man, Florand's writing drives me crazy. I find the way she does dialogue almost unbearable. There are looooong bits of internal monologues in between every single bit of reported speech. A bit of that is fine, but this is just way too much. My mind kept wandering away.

And then I got to that lovely, angsty stretch and thought "Oooh, this is getting good!". Well, the second half was a tiny little bit better than the first. There's some interesting stuff about family expectations and beign typecast, and two characters finding out what they want from life and each other and going for it. But it was just much too long and unfocused. Once Damien and Jess had had their confrontation, there really wasn't much conflict there. Florand tried to stretch it out, but their behaviour ended up not really making sense to me. They kept going round and round and it all felt pointless.

And, while Damien mostly made sense to me as a character, Jess did not. Her past is sketchy and doesn't really explain why she is who she is: how she developed such a lack of belief in herself when she's been so incredibly successful in her career, why she's still such a sexual innocent (we get absolutely nothing on her romantic past). It needed more development.

According to amazon, this book is about 320 pages, but I'm pretty sure it's quite a bit longer than that. And it should have been shorter. About a third of it could have gone and it would have improved the book.

MY GRADE: A C+.

[Katie(babs) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reading a Laura Florand novel is like savoring a piece or dark chocolate or sipping a glass of wine slowly. She has a way with words, a build up of sensuality, a seductive dance between the main couple that has me sighing, and always wanting more. So is the case of A Wish Upon Jasmine. The second book in the La Vie en Roses series is delicious, even though perfume is front and center, although succulent dates make their mark. This is Damien’s story, and the suffering he goes through as a woman from his past he has never forgotten shows up and causes him pain, not because she vindictive, but because he fell for her hard and she thought he used her for a one night stand and then stole her company out from under her feet. There’s a lot of miscommunication between Damien and Jasmin, the woman he aches for, but their anger and hurt toward one another makes for a long journey for both as they lick their wounds and try to heal from the pain both has caused one another. The outcome is the ultimate reward because these two are combustible together.

Jasmin’s father owned a perfume company. She learned everything she knew about making perfume from him. She even created Spoiled Brat, one of the top top 3 perfumes respected and admired in the perfume industry. Jasmin is suffering not only from the death of her father 6 months ago, but she feels she was deceived and targeted by Damien, who she slept with, not knowing his true identity. The next morning she leaves him and then her whole world implodes. He stole her father’s company, including the offshoot she was given. Heartbroken and depressed she refuses to let Damien explain. They go their separate ways, but then she’s given a legacy from a relative on her father’s side of the family in France. She is the new owner of a perfume shop, which was once a glove shop many years before that. This perfume shop is special to Damien’s family, the Rosiers, and his great aunt has handed it over to Jasmin for no viable reason he can think of. The first day Jasmin arrives in her shop, Damien visits, and all the pain Jasmin pushed deep down inside comes tumbling out. Damien will fight her for the shop back. She’s ready to fight for it just to spite him. But then he decides to give her a chance to keep the shop. She has to make him a perfume that is his own personal scent. She accepts and the game is on.

There is a lot of anger and almost hate between these two. Jasmin is still very much attracted to Damien even though she can’t stand him. Damien acts all high and mighty and cold and snooty, but as she gets to know his family and how he was like when he was younger, she sees a different side to him. Damien never meant to use Jasmin so callously. He has to make her believe he never meant to hurt her. He wants her trust again, including the perfume she’s making him so he has some special by her that she created only for him and no other man. Eventually the walls they both placed around their hearts crumble and they find out the truth about their night together and the events that follow. These events give Jasmin and Damien and different opinion about one another and ever so slowly they begin to heal one another with the help of Damien’s cousins and other relatives.

A Wish Upon Jasmine is an electric read because the pages crackle with intensity and emotion. Jasmin and Damien are very stubborn people. They act before they think, as well as feel deeply. Jasmin is blind to her gifts and thinks she doesn’t have much to offer people. Damien is very much a closed off rich alpha business man who expects Jasmin to bow down to him. She won’t, which makes him frustrated. He’s also frustrated in other ways, which is mainly sexual. He’s hiding a big secret regarding Jasmin that she doesn’t figure out until the end. The reader is in the same boat. We don’t know what Damien’s true feelings are for Jasmin. But when it’s all revealed, and the miscommunication factor is dealt with, you bet you’ll end up sighing and awwwing because it shows a very different side to Damien’s personality.

Jasmin and Damien’s attraction is so palatable that you can taste it. Laura purposely take her time with these two before we can get to the sexual fireworks. And when they finally go off, it’s a great payoff. She makes a great case for some outdoor nooky involving a fallen tree trunk. It may sound kinky, but it’s more tastefully erotic and satisfying.

A Wish Upon Jasmin is a romance that will wet the appetite of any reader. Another winner from Laura.

[Ellie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really, really romantic and I loved some aspect, others left me confused. Will have to think over it for a few days.

8 Sepr 2015

Now that was a lot of thinking :) Here is my full review, also posted on my blog - Ellie Reads Fiction

Laura Florand is one my favourite authors and I find her Amour et Chocolate series just delicious! This is book 2 in her new series, La Vie en Rose which take us in the world of high French perfemury. Book 1 was the perfect romance - a fairytale story of love, trust - very sensuos, very beautifully written

This is the story of one of the five cousins in the Rosier family - Damien - the business shark, the ruthless one who always achieves his goals. And the somewhat lonely and lost, perfume maker Jasmine (Jess). On the surface their story was very much similar to Matt and Layla's story from book 1 and it bothered me a lot initially. It felt like we have already been there, we have seen how this develops and comes to a HEA. But then Ms Florand turned things in a new direction.

I loved the cahracter of Damien and how he developed through the story. His internal cononflict was so strong and I could understand him so well. He was constantly battling expectations of everyone in his family had of him and his vision of himself. He felt obliged to perform a certain role in the family and he did it because this was his forte and he loved his family and wanted to care for them. Yet (he thought) they all saw him as ruthless, heartless and in fact he just felt too much, was as emotional and vulnerable as anyone else. He was a romantic at heart trying to do the right thing for everybody no matter what it cost him. There was so much going on with him.

Damien and Jasmine had had an affair/one-night stand before that ended in a lot of hurt and misunderstanding. I was not a big fan of basing the conflict of the story on miscommuniation though it was fitting to the characters, at least for Damien. Jasmine family situaiton aslo very much explained her distrust and jumping to conclusions. None of them had an easy time opening up about their true emotions, both were scared of revealing too much.

The process of perfume making had an improtant role in the story and I loved how the author used this metaphore to explore the characters' inner worlds.

Overall, this is another additon to a fabulous new series by a favourite author. A recommended read for fans of romance - sensual, powerful, life-changing!

[Karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Here's the thing. Even when Laura Florand writes book that are, in my opinion, not as good as her other ones, they're still better than some authors' best. That was the case with "A Wish Upon Jasmin"--it doesn't come close to making it on my list of favorite Laura Florand books, but it was still pretty dang good and I read it all in one go.

At first, I thought this book would turn into a bit of a Luc and Summer fiasco, where they constantly try to hurt each other just to protect themselves, but luckily, Jess and Damien shake off that tendency by about halfway through. I think the thing that ended up bugging me about this book was that the explanation given for Jess's mistakes about Damien is that she feels like she can't hold on to anything that makes her happy. But it just felt a WHOLE lot more like insecurity and lack of self-confidence to me. She's always going on about how he's out of her league and she's not good enough, etc., even when Damien does nothing to ever give her reason to feel that way. He never tries to demean her or make her feel like he's too good for her, and I just wanted to shake Jess every time she started whining about how she's too "normal" for him. So since Jess's problem felt like a lack of confidence to me, when the issue of her not believing in happiness was resolved as if that solved all the problems between her and Damien, it just didn't quite feel as satisfying as I had hoped.

That said, I really did enjoy a lot of moments in this book, and Damien was so great (Jess . . . slightly less so). I especially liked the family dynamics Florand sets up--I think that's been one of her strong points in this series so far. She captures that feeling that family may drive you crazy like no one else, but they've still got your back.

[Sharlene · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was lucky enough to get an ARC from Laura, because I am her biggest fan & love everything she writes! :) I wasn't sure I would love Damien, however, because he tried to break up Matt & Layla in the last book! However, I quickly came to love him. He is doing what he does best, being the business sense & helping his family company grow. He DOES have a heart, and apparently Jasmin (Jess) had broken it in a prior one night stand. And he had broken hers through misunderstandings. So, this was a second chance romance, with mistrust in the beginning, but major attraction still looming. There was a lot of beautiful poetic and romantic description in this, predominately in the thoughts of Damien and Jasmin. There are, of course, the meddling relatives, who are all for Damien getting his happy ending. I love how the family perfume business plays into the attraction, with the scents being almost a secondary character. These two both so deserved to finally trust enough to let love in. And the sexual tension! I highly recommend. I would also recommend reading the prior stories to get the background on the Rosier family & business.