The Essence of Perfection

by Nita Brooks

Wickedly entertaining, insightful, and always surprising, Nita Brooks delivers a delicious new novel about a celebrity perfume designer forced to add a daring new ingredient to her carefully curated life . . .
 
Among the uber-famous, she’s the most highly sought-after fragrance maker—and a well-kept secret. But designing a scent for pop’s newest superstar could take Nicola King and her family’s business from elite to downright legendary. Of course, mystery is part of Nicola’s brand—so no one knows she’s actually an over-cautious person who always puts her own life on permanent hold. Until her  ultra-personal list of regrets is accidentally put on a social media blast—and she’s challenged to go after everything she really wants . . .
 
From finding a hobby to reconnecting with a family member, Nicola’s getting some surprising results. But when she reveals her deepest, darkest secret of all to her troubled sister, the fallout threatens her budding romance, her career, and her reputation. Now between ambition, heartbreak, and hard truths, Nicola must risk the courage to fix the damage—and decide what success truly means . . .

Genres: Collections, Fiction, Contemporary, Romance

336 pages, Paperback

First published March 31, 2020

Reviews

[Lala · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 ⭐

Nicola being a fragrance chemist and perfumer is one thing that intrigued me about this story going in. I've never read about anything on that level.

Oh man as often that I kept raising my eyebrows at Nicola, when it came to her feeling doubtful regarding her perfume project I felt bad for her!! On the same line though I had more to look forward to beyond Nita Brooks' writing style. I really wish Nicola wasn't so against everything and actually worked with her sister sooner! Like come on, it's okay to ask for help or to admit that you are lost in finding a solution.

[Fawn · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed the book, it was a little longer than what I thought it needed to be by 25\30 pages but good read. I'm going to create my list and start working on it, it's never to late.

[Kathleen Gray · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nicola has worked really hard to built her brand but she hasn't worked hard on herself. She's a perfumer- and I loved the details about that. She's also got a serious self esteem problem. Social media proves to be a real plus and problem both for her. It helps sell her perfumes but she also finds herself shamed into doing things on her bucket list- the bucket list she didn't expect others to see. She copes with her own issues, as well as her grandfather's, and then, well there's Damien. Thanks to Nergalley for the ARC. You will root for Nicola.

[Chermaine · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book but ,in all honesty the main characters were hard to like a lot of the time and the ending was believable and satisfying if not frustrating! I read the first book and this one didn't disappoint either. You find yourself rooting for Nicola and in fact we all may know someone who lacks confidence and needs a boost. (That's probably why it was so frustrating to see someone who you believed in be so down on themselves. )Like i said the ending was worth the wait and how real people experience love and overcoming.

[Gabrielle · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75 stars. This is the perfect story to inspire and challenge readers to get out of their comfort zone in 2020. Nicola, perfumer to the stars, was the central character and felt very familiar. She reminds me a bit of myself and other women I know. Nita Brooks did a good job in developing Nicola as a modern woman juggling her love life, career, and family obligations. I appreciate romance novels that can do this and enjoyed seeing how Nicola did this throughout the book. However, I would have liked to see the city of Atlanta more prominent. In fact, I felt like much more of the book was set in Aiken/Augusta (there is a discrepancy of where the grandfather lives) than in Atlanta. (This may be addressed before it debuts in March 2020.) It seemed a bit of a reach that a sought after career woman could drive 4 hours round trip on a whim - it would have made sense had he been local. But it could also be that I didn't care much for the grandfather storyline. Overall, I thought this was a super cute romance novel that wasn't overly sexual or syrupy. I'd definitely recommend it to a friend and think it would be a great book club read. This was my first time reading a novel by Nita Brooks, but it won't be my last. I can't wait to see what is next for her. PS: I recieved an Advance Readers Copy in exchange for an honest review.

[T.A. Beasley · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fragrance designer who’s encouraged to step outside her comfort zone is part of The Essence of Perfection by Nita Brooks.

Nicola King is the fragrance designer for her family’s business, Queen Couture. She’s so dedicated often forgetting to have a life. Nicola wants everything to go as planned. When the wrong list gets sent to a producer, instead of her responses for interview, Nicola finds herself in the spotlight.

This book was an eye-opener with characters I really enjoyed. I can appreciate Nicola’s need for being a workaholic who puts everything and everyone before herself. I can also understand Quinn’s need to be recognized and appreciated within her family and their business. I do believe these sisters may have went about some things the wrong way especially Quinn. It was nice reading the evolution of Nicola. It was even better when the truth came out. It does set you free. I didn’t like that their mother seemed to pit them against each other even though she may not have realized it.

I wished the author went more into detail with Nicola checking off items on her list, but I understand it would have made the book very long. I can appreciate the build up with Nicola and Damien, liking the fact romance didn’t overpower the message behind the book. Overall, it was a great and well-written book about family, business, being true to yourself and being able to realize trying to be perfect can make you miss out on a lot of things.

I look forward to reading more of this author’s work.

[MountTBR · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book was just boring and lackluster, and the ending was cliché as hell in terms of the romance.

When Nicola was going through the list of regrets, she never actually learned from them or enjoyed them. It felt like she was being forced to have fun, and I expected her to grow out of her comfort zone at some point—but nope, she stayed the same bland person the entire book.

She only ever cared about herself and her problems, expecting everyone else to notice her struggles while failing to do the same for others. She was so obsessed with the idea of her sister being a perfect supermodel that she never stopped to actually see what Quinn was going through. Instead, it was just “oh, she’s so perfect, Mom loves her, she gets all the men, her life is amazing—why doesn’t she stop enjoying her life just so I can finally feel less boring?”

Even when she got closer to her grandfather, she still got mad at him for trying to move on after her grandmother’s death. Instead of appreciating moments, she found ways to be bitter about them—like the magic show, where she couldn’t even let the poor man have fun.

She thinks nobody likes her, but the truth is she’s too self-centered and blames her problems on everyone else. Nicola’s journey through her list of regrets never led to growth

Also, the romance? Boring. No chemistry. Nicola was lowkey just a bitch to Damien. He was such a nice guy, and she kept trying to act like they were just friends even when they were literally on a date. He saved her life, supported her when the singer didn’t like her perfume, and was always there for her, but she continuously kept him a secret and acted ashamed of him. She constantly saw herself as a victim but never considered what others were going through.

Nicola also caused her own downfall. Her “big secret” was that Quinn made a tiny suggestion that improved Triumph—something as minor as adjusting one ingredient, yet she let it completely undermine her confidence. That’s like if I made lemonade and my sister told me to add an extra spoon of sugar—like, I still made the lemonade, right? If she had just sucked up her pride and asked for help or even just had someone smell it, she could’ve gotten the deal.

Nicola was just frustrating and a really hard MC to root for.

[Shakeima Lanique · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received an advanced readers digital copy of The Essence of Perfection in exchange for an honest view.

My immediate attraction to The Essence of Perfection was the beautiful cover followed by being intrigued by the main character’s profession. Nicola is a fragrance chemist who is all work and no play until she finds herself in a situation where she has no choice but to leave her comfort zone.

I enjoyed the characters and whenever I stopped reading I would wonder what awkward position would Nicola have gotten herself into, What kind of mess would Quinn be in and is Desiree inspired by Rihanna?

I throughly enjoyed The Essence of Perfection, the pacing was slow, but the ending tying up the story perfectly made up for it. I do feel like certain storylines were unnecessary and often removed my focus from the book. I wouldn’t consider The Essence of Perfection a page turner, but if you have some patience you should check it out because it definitely gets better once the story progresses.

[AAMBC Review · Rating 4 out of 5]

When we received The Essence of Perfection in the mail, we were all excited here at the AAMBC. Nita Brooks did not disappoint.

The Essence of Perfection explores topics that many of us can relate to. Sibling rivalry. Work-life balance. Accepting imperfections. Through Nicola King, we watch as she navigates this world of self-discovery after a social media snafu.
Romantic, entertaining, and painfully real, Nita Brooks weaves a tale that captures the reader's attention. Any of us could be Nicola and that is the true reason that this book is a success. Though long and drawn out in some sections, the project as a whole is way beyond your average romance. Because of those reasons, we give this book 4 out of 5 stars.

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TL; DR
The Good: Nicola is a character you can root for as well as see yourself in.
The Bad: The pacing was off in some sections.
Is It Worth Buying: Absolutely.
Rating: 4/5 stars

[Shannan Harper · Rating 4 out of 5]

A cute and sweet read about Nicola, the eldest daughter and a perfume designer to her mother's Coture Queen Perfume line. Nicola has been offered the chance of a lifetime, to design a scent for a celebrity. She get's added pressure when her bucket list winds up in the hands of a television talk show, and thy want to film her checking things off her list. All of the above adds more confusion in her life than she bargained for.

Nicola felt pressure from all sides, and sometimes didn't ask for help (I feel attacked, lbvs) She also had the pressure of being the oldest child and being a perfectionist. The story had some laughs and tears, but was an enjoyable read, and I will be looking for more from this author.

I received a copy of this book via netgalley and am voluntarily leaving an honest review. Al thoughts and opinions are my own.

[Zee Monodee · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really enjoyed this one when I realized the essence of the book was family and relationships - something I'm a sucker for. I felt invested in Nicola, to see how she would come out of all this, what the 'big, dark secret' about her and her sister was, and then if she'd get the guy, of course.
The writing kinda got to me because there were just so many fragments, sentences that should've been together but were broken by a period so it felt a bit off for the flow. I also wanted to see more about the winning formula for the perfume she was creating - some more details about this would've been lovely, taking it from the realm of the abstract and really putting us into the shoes and nose of a perfumer.
Overall, a very good read that brought a happy sigh

[BreeAnn (She Just Loves Books) · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Essence of Perfection was a fun story that encourages people to get out of their comfort zone. I liked the way the situation was created in this story. Nicola, a perfumer, has a secret list of things she wants to do one day, like a bucket list. Her list is accidentally leaked to people and forces her to do the things on it. I liked the different events that happen to her because of this list, and I enjoyed the romance added to the story. I didn't totally connect with the main character, but I still enjoyed her story.

I would recommend this to readers that enjoy a story of self-discovery as well as a romance!

I was provided an advanced reader's copy of this book for free. I am leaving my review voluntarily.

[Tara · Rating 2 out of 5]

I wanted to like this more than I did.

The premise of this book is what lead me to pick it up but ultimately I felt like the book didn't coherently approach the idea of the list of regrets. I was expecting some build up but it was revealed early on and only a few aspects were focused on. I also found the main character mildly irritating, especially the way she treated the people in her life. I understand that was part of her revelation, which most romance novels have, but it came across in a way that didn't feel natural, yet not extreme enough to be satiristic. The whole time I really wanted to relate to the main character and while I definitely connected with some of the expressed emotions, the writing just didn't spark that 'aha this is speaking to my soul' moment.

[LaBibliodeCaro · Rating 3 out of 5]

The essence of perfection is an entertaining chick-lit with a lead character who’s a perfume designer. It is a fancy job, as often the case in this genre, but for once it’s a refreshing change from the magazine editor or the successful writer. I liked reading about how she goes about creating a juice. I also thought the plot was well thought out, conveying a noteworthy message. However, at times, I was a bit annoyed by the strange, sometimes toxic dynamic between Nicola and her sister and mother. It lacked some nuance: the silly pretty face, the boring nerd and the over-the-top mother… Luckily, in the end, I liked how both sisters make amends in a credible and satisfying way.

[Sera · Rating 3 out of 5]

was definitely an easy and fun read, finished it very quickly. i wasn’t necessarily impressed by the resolution, and actually skipped the last 20 pages. i liked the story a lot, just couldn’t really understand the point of having cameras and a talk show follow Nicola around. i also thought she had the potential to be a more dynamic character. i definitely liked this book, i just wish it did a better job of showing rather than telling. it’s very dialogue heavy, i know it is a personal preference but i always prefer when the dialogue is necessary and not a way for the author to explain what’s happening, when it could have been explained differently

[Emily · Rating 3 out of 5]

Loved the Nicola/Quinn relationship; I felt like Brooks really captured that sense of their peace with each other being fragile and relying on them shoving down the difficult feelings, but their deep down love for each other being unshakeable. Nicola trying to find her creativity and really figure out how to make her career work was fascinating to watch. The writing, though, sometimes felt like it was trying to explain too much and I wish the "narrator" had sort of stepped back and let the story and dialogue carry itself. It was a sweet story but not quite a breezy page-turner.

[Lauren Anderson · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a sweet book filled with sister drama, falling in love, and trying to live up to family expectations. I was intrigued with the idea of being a perfumer and a pottery maker and how creative those outlets can be. The only thing in this book that really kind of bothered me was how much the author mentioned how red in the face the main character would always get LOL. Always used the terms “heat rose to her face” in almost every situation. It was a bit redundant. Overall a nice decent story.

[Shakeima Lanique · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received an advanced readers digital copy of The Essence of Perfection in exchange for an honest review.

My immediate attraction to The Essence of Perfection was the beautiful cover followed by being intrigued by the main character’s profession. Nicola is a fragrance chemist who is all work and no play until she finds herself in a situation where she has no choice but to leave her comfort zone.

I enjoyed the characters and whenever I stopped reading I would wonder what awkward position would Nicola have gotten herself into, What kind of mess would Quinn be in and is Desiree inspired by Rihanna?

I throughly enjoyed The Essence of Perfection, the pacing was slow, but the ending tying up the story perfectly made up for it. I do feel like certain storylines were unnecessary and often removed my focus from the book. I wouldn’t consider The Essence of Perfection a page turner, but if you have some patience you should check it out because it definitely gets better once the story progresses.

[Brenda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nicola King is a fragrance maker. She started doing this because her mother's fragrance company was in trouble. She put her own dreams on hold to help the company. She is consumed by work. She agrees to a TV interview. Her assistant by mistake sent a list of what she wanted to do wanted to do by mistake. She was so used to not letting people know what she really was thinking. It was a true journey of how to love yourself and to do what makes you happy.

[Katrel C · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really really enjoyed this book! It was so easy to read and kept me interested with all the things the MC was juggling. I could see how everything was going to implode a mile away, but it didn’t make reading this book less fun. Loved how I got to experience the MC’s growth and how entertaining the interactions were between her and her sister and her and her grandpa. Adding this to my reread list!

[Vera · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'm mad at this book because of main character, but I know that so many people will love this book because of how strong and competent this woman is. I guess I saw so much of myself in her - struggling with emotions and vulnerability that I didn't like it.
oh, and I was expecting more romance, but this is straight up women's fiction.

[Brandy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really loved this book! It’s a story about learning who you are, who you can be, and letting go of who you think you ought to be. And while Nicola may have made me mad a few times, the author does a brilliant job of creating depth to Nicola and helping us understand who she is and why she is who she is.

[Mary Kate Meals · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a top read for me in 2024. I really enjoyed the male interest being Black and the reality of a career oriented woman and the struggles that come with that lifestyle. The sister dynamic was a bit dramatic but also very real and relatable. This book could be a modern day reality and was very relatable.

[Candace · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was another beautiful story written by new author Nita Brooks. I throughly enjoyed this book and the lessons it taught about letting go of the need to have everything be perfect. Great characters, storyline and ending.

[S. LaRue · Rating 5 out of 5]

Awesome

Another great read by Nita Brooks. This book was almost like a self-help book for me. Nicola was a very smart woman and sometimes we women try to do it all and all on our own. It was delightful to see; when you allow love in it squeezes fear out. Truly a GREAT read!

[Danielle Mercer · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was really enjoying the story until the main character began self sabotaging herself, becoming annoying by being whiny. Just ask for help! It’s a great example of what happens when you don’t. The way it wrapped up though, it could have been a good self development book.

[Cheryl Lynch · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book from the beginning to the end!! I was so excited to learn the outcome that I reluctantly put it down when I had to! Looking for more books by this author!

[Saundra · Rating 1 out of 5]

There was little to no talk or imagination about perfume and how it's made. It's basic chick-lit for 20-somethings.

[Shelves · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75 stars
Worth the read!

[ExerJ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good read

Awesome read, especially for someone who’s trying to find there way through life alone, but soon realize help is necessary.