Chemical Attraction

by Holly Hudson

Tess Bloom is a successful perfumer living her dream in Paris. But now she has a big secret, one that could ruin her reputation and her she has lost her sense of smell.

When her estranged mother dies, Tess retreats to her Ohio hometown to escape the pressure in Paris and settle her mother’s estate. That’s when she meets Jude McCallister, the frustratingly stubborn and attractive woodworker who has built an off-the-grid eco-treehouse on her mother’s property. Tess wants him gone, but he’s determined to stay.

Sparks fly as Tess and Jude battle over the property. Will Tess successfully evict the squatter, or will she allow him to take residence on her property...and in her heart?

131 pages, Kindle Edition

Published July 10, 2017

About the author

I grew up in Ohio and a few other places around the world, which instilled in me a wanderlust I haven't quite squashed to this day. I've lived in Senegal, Tunisia, The Philippines, Mexico, Italy, Germany, Spain, and England. I graduated from Hampshire College in Massachusetts and have a background in theater, film, and arts administration. I currently live in London, England with my teenage son. I write YA, Contemporary Romance and personal development books.

Reviews

[Debs · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a lovely , fun book to read & something slightly different. Tess is a great character & the descriptions of some of the smells are just brilliant. It's a fast paced book but doesn't miss anything - looking forward to the next one!

[Sue Wallace · Rating 5 out of 5]

Chemical attraction Holly Hudson.
Tess Bloom is a successful perfumer living her dream in Paris. But now she has a big secret, one that could ruin her reputation and her business: she has lost her sense of smell. When her estranged mother dies, Tess retreats to her Ohio hometown to escape the pressure in Paris and settle her mother’s estate. That’s when she meets Jude McCallister, the frustratingly stubborn and attractive woodworker who has built an off-the-grid eco-treehouse on her mother’s property. Tess wants him gone, but he’s determined to stay.
Sparks fly as Tess and Jude battle over the property. Will Tess successfully evict the squatter, or will she allow him to take residence on her property...and in her heart?
Absolutely fantastic read with brilliant characters. I loved Tess. I do hope there is more to come. Highly recommended. 5*. Tbc on fb.

[Deb · Rating 4 out of 5]

A engaging story with interesting characters. I loved their combativeness. The dialogue was perfect for this couple. The story seemed far fetched but was very entertaining. I liked the added intrigue which gave the story just a bit more. A good story.

[Angela · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a very delightful story of Tess Bloom, a perfumer, living in Paris with her daughter, Natasha. Unfortunately, Tess has lost her sense of smell and is finding it increasingly difficult, almost impossible, to stay on top of her job. The bills are piling up and then there is a phone call telling her that her mother has died back home in Ohio. From here, Tess and her daughter go back to Ohio for the funeral and to sort the house ready for selling and each have adventures which were totally unexpected.

Tess Bloom is a likeable character and the story is well plotted and interesting with a splash of humour here and there. There is an element of predictability but the story telling is so flowing and charming that it really doesn't matter – the journey to the end is a pleasure. It could do with a bit of proofreading (I had a private giggle at Tess laying prostate on the floor when I'm sure she would have been prostrate) and if you can ignore the little errors, there is a really great story here.

[Elizabeth Grey · Rating 5 out of 5]

I truly loved this story!

First of all, Tess is such a fun and interesting character with lots of different facets to her personality. I loved her interactions with Elaine and with her daughter, Natasha. The premise was instantly intriguing - a perfumer who has lost her sense of smell - and the intro to this over the first part of the book was very funny.

The author has a beautiful way with words, making the pages come alive with her description of the scents - totally tingling the senses!

Best of all was the offbeat love interest. If you're tired of billionaires, rock stars and sports heroes then Jude could be the guy for you! Forget the mansion, gotta love me a treehouse! :D

Highly recommend this fast-paced page turner! It's a riot! :) x

[Katie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tess Bloom was a fun, quick read.. Perfect for a lazy weekend read. I loved the whole idea to the story, Tess is a successful perfumer living in Paris however she is hiding a secret - she has lost her sense of smell following an accident! When her mother dies, Tess and her teenage daughter Natasha return to the States to sort everything out.

Tess was a great character, she has raised Natasha alone as well as becoming successful in France. Natasha was fabulous as well, she has been raised in Paris so it was fun to read about how she compares being a teenager in France to what it's like in the States.

At times the story felt a little predictable but I still loved reading it and I'd hope there will be more from Tess in the future.

It was a quick read, it zipped along nicely as well as having some rather delightful descriptions of the perfumes. I could really imagine what some of them could have smelt like. There was some fun humour to the story that really did bring it to life.

Overall, it was a great little novella, one to not take seriously but it is fun to read.

Thanks to TBC on Facebook and Holly Hudson for allowing me to read and review. All views are my own.

[Deb · Rating 5 out of 5]

Holly Hudson's book Chemical Attraction that I enjoyed reading and I recommend this book. It's Tess and Jude story, when sparks fly between them over property, Tess being a successful perfumer living her dream in Paris retreats to her Ohio hometown after her estranged mother dies where she meets Jude. Jude lives in a tree house in Tess’s mother’s backyard and she fights her attraction to him at the get go. Sparks fly as Tess and Jude battle over the property and it leads to a fun and interesting romance with intrigue, spying, a bit of subterfuge with theft and then there are some old relationships that are reconnected between old friends also. It's a fast paced fun read and I would loved to read more.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Samantha · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received an ARC from the author thru Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving my review. This a first time for me to read a book by Holly. It is also a storyline that I haven't come across before. Tess and Jude are great characters with loads of sparks between them. Tess relies on the one thing her reputation was made on to support her and her daughter. When she loses her sense of smell their future is not looking well. When she must go to Ohio to settle things after her mother passes, she meets Jude. These two appear to be firmly on opposite sides. The sparks between them are going to cause a combustion. Tess has to decide if this directs a new, better future for her and her daughter.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Anonymous 5 · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is my first time reading something by this author. What a cute and romantic story! This was an entertaining and enjoyable read. A fun and unique story and full of great moments, this book will pull you right in and keep you engaged and smiling all the way through. The characters were wonderful and had amazing chemistry and really pulled my interest I to the story. The author does a great job of bringing the story to life with great characters that are lovable and endearing. Loved this story and I definitely recommend it!

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Elizabeth McDaniel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tess is in trouble because she loses her sense of smell. And at a crucial time her mother dies and she and her daughter have to leave for the states with her business in dire straits. Jude lives in a treehouse in Tess’s mother’s backyard and she fights her attraction to him at the get go. Their fun and interesting romance has intrigue, spying, a bit of subterfuge with theft and then there are some old relationships that are reconnected between old friends also. Fun read

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Carley Lord · Rating 4 out of 5]

Such an enjoyable lighthearted read. Tess is a perfumer living in Paris with her daughter. When tragedy strikes and Tess has to move back to the small town she came from to sort her mother’s estate and sell the house and hopefully get her sense of smell back before her business goes under sounds easy right? That is until she meets Jude the incredibly sexy handyman who has built a tree house on her mothers land and refuses to leave for Tess to sell the house. I really enjoyed this book and found myself really invested in the characters and I am looking forward to the next in the series.

[Sassy Beta Reading & Review · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a super short that was okay, but I had a hard time getting into. I was actually listening to it with text to speech, and I had to rewind it multiple times cause my thoughts kept drifting off and it could not hold my attention.

Maybe if I had read it vs. listened to it, I would have enjoyed it more.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Ashleigh · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 STAR ROMANCE!

The writing draws you in and keeps you involved throughout the whole story, I found myself in love with not only the characters but also the world that was created.

The descriptions of the characters and their feelings are so involved, you can truly picture it in your mind.
This review has been voluntarily submitted for your consideration.

[Sandra · Rating 3 out of 5]

I couldn't quite get into this or the humour. At times it was quite descriptive then parts were rushed. Tess was a bit OTT for me & a bit neurotic. I can see where the author was coming from by picking a character like Jude, totally different to Tess.
I didn't quite gely with the characters or the story.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Melissa B · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting read with no so typical MC's but the writing felt too descriptive and rush at a time in this short read.
Sparks fly as Tess and Jude battle over the property. Will Tess successfully evict the squatter, or will she allow him to take residence on her property...and in her heart?

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Vinessa · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a tell tale of city girl meets tree hugging hunk .
Funny banter
Passionate words
Help when she least expects it
Firey kisses
Exquisite intimacy
Sassy combacks
A shoulder to lean on, thick and beefy to boot
No cheating

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Beccy Thompson · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a fantastic book (perfect for fabs of Katie Fforde)
A genuinely lovely read that kept the pages turning, Holly has developed the character of Tess perfectly throughout this book.
I’ll be looking for more offerings from Holly

[Sue Wallace · Rating 5 out of 5]

Chemical attraction by Holly Hudson.
I loved this. Brilliant read. Loved the cover.
Fun and different. Great story and characters. Highly recommended. 5*.

[evieo17 · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a good read. I would have liked it more but I didn’t really care for Tess. She was a major pill.

[Joanne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really enjoyed this fast moving book. Interesting story but thought predictable in parts but this didn’t ruin the read. Would definitely read more books by this author.