Scent

by Kris Bryant

Nico Marshall’s living her best life. Her packaging company’s turning a profit and she’s just been labeled Chicago’s most promising up-and-coming artist. The only thing missing is love. When she meets a beautiful woman on the train with an indescribable sweet and sugary scent, Nico’s ready to make her move. Sophia Sweet doesn’t have time for distractions. Never mind how fit and tan Nico is, or how she has the most beautiful eyes ever. Sophia only has one keep the family business alive. Her third-generation chocolatier shop, Sweet Stuff, is tanking. In a last-ditch effort, Sophia creates an upscale version of their product and needs the perfect package to ensure success. When Sophia recognizes Nico from the train but mistakes her for the packaging company’s warehouse employee, Nico doesn’t bother to correct her. She’s been burned by women in the past wanting her for her money. This time, she’s determined to win Sophia over with her charm.

Genres: Romance, Lesbian, LGBT, Butch Femme, Adult, Lesbian Romance, Audiobook

214 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 12, 2021

About the author

Podcast with Tara Scott at queerlyrecommended.com

Multi-award winning author Kris Bryant was born in Tacoma, WA but has lived all over the world and now considers Kansas City her home. She received her B.A. in English from the University of Missouri and spends a lot of her time buried in books. She enjoys hiking, photography, spending time with her family, and her dog, Molly (who gets more attention than she does on Facebook).

Her first novel, Jolt, was a Lambda Literary Finalist. Forget Me Not was selected by the American Library Association's 2018 Over the Rainbow book list and was a Golden Crown Finalist for Contemporary Romance. Breakthrough won a 2019 Goldie for Contemporary Romance. Listen won a 2020 Goldie for Contemporary Romance. Temptation won a 2021 Goldie for Contemporary Romance. Not Guilty written under Bryant's pen name - Brit Ryder - won a 2022 Goldie for Erotica. Kris can be reached at krisbryantbooks@gmail or ww.krisbryant.net, @krisbryant14.

Jolt - ebook, paperback, audiobook
Whirlwind Romance - ebook, paperback
Just Say Yes (Novella in the wedding series) - ebook only
Taste - ebook, paperback, audiobook
Forget Me Not - ebook, paperback
Shameless (written as Brit Ryder) - ebook, audiobook
Girl Next Door Anthology - "Dog Day of Summer" - ebook, paperback
Touch - ebook, paperback, audiobook
Breakthrough - ebook, paperback, audiobook
Against All Odds - ebook, paperback, audiobook
Travel Anthology (short by Brit Ryder) - ebook, paperback
Listen - ebook, paperback, audiobook
Falling - ebook, paperback, audiobook
Tinsel - ebook, audiobook
Temptation - ebook, paperback, audiobook
Lucky - ebook, paperback, audiobook
Home - ebook, paperback, audiobook
Scent - ebook, paperback, audiobook
Not Guilty writing as Brit Ryder - ebook, paperback (audiobook in the works)
Always - ebook, paperback, audiobook
Forever - ebook, paperback, audiobook
Stranded Hearts (with Amanda Radley & Emily Smith) - ebook, paperback
Serendipity - ebook, paperback, audiobook

Reviews

[Diane Wallace · Rating 5 out of 5]

'ARC provided by both NetGalley and The Publisher in exchange for a honest review'

**'Sometimes a single sentence or chapter can be enough to fill the imagination completely.And sometimes a book's title is enough..'

4.5stars!
Remember when I said that there are certain books where you go, wow! those are the ones that i'll surely reread over and over. Well, add this book to that list -- it's just a satisfying and tastefully written story that literally blew my much anticipated mind to smithereens --- from the beginning to the epilogue that ended with the right tone.
The advantage that Ms.Bryant had with telling this story, is that she never tried to adhere to what readers might think but to entice because of the contexts and no smokescreen when it pertained to the storylines of each book in this series. In 'SCENT' the storytelling was strategically executed --- the minute readers read this line "she smells like chocolate and caramel" here is where they do get a glimpse of how Ms.Bryant's skillfully weave the premise and do continue to lay bare her intentions of it's direction.
The storyline is enjoyably paced and do alternate more on one of the main characters' (Nico) niche like her past romances, her close knit family dynamics, that special bond with her sister, her good heartedness, her timely mishaps to her love of doing what she enjoyed doing which was welding and art. Then the author jumped to giving many interluding paragraphs on Nico's budding friendship and romantic interest towards Sophia, while cautiously tip toeing around because of tentative feelings and heart. Sophia's life is casually browse:- like her Thursday's yummy recipe smells/scents, to her love of baking, loving and adoring her grandmother to her down to earth personality even if she was projected as having an icy demeanor.
Overall, 'SCENT' can be perceived as being delightfully inventive at times, raw, musingly experiential and desirable with this cozy and imaginative love story that i'm sure many interested readers along with Ms.Bryant's fan base will be eager to read. Highly recommended!

[Lex Kent · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this. Between all the horrors of the past week, and not feeling great, I was close to falling into a reading slump. I was so happy that this book had a fantastic pace and I was able to fly through it in one sitting. It really was the kind of easy read that I needed right now and it is just another example of a book that has lifted my spirits in the past year.

Now, I do have to mention that the reviews are all over the place for this book. This might be one of the most mixed reviews for a happy-go-lucky romance that I can remember. While I’m not on the same page with some of the more negative reviews, I do get some of the points since I agree with a few of them. I think what the difference for me is that I believe this is a lighthearted romance that is not to be taken too seriously. I mean I get it, there are certain books that little things will bother me and I’ll keep picking and eventually find even more to get even madder at, but I don’t think Bryant was going for romantic realism here, I think she just wanted us readers to have fun. So that is how I approached this book and I would suggest that others do the same.

Nico, Nico. Nico is where a lot of the complaints come from and I found that I had mixed feelings about her. Nico, who is slightly stalker-ish, vain, and is also a big fat liar. Two big no-go’s for me are liars and cheaters so it is surprising that I liked lying Nico at all. But really it was Bryant’s writing that accomplished it for me. Nico was a flawed character but being in her POV, in wonderfully written first person, Bryant got me to accept her and even start to understand her. It was hard reading at times because there was a lie hanging over the relationship. I normally don’t like romances that have the big lie and you just have to wait for the other shoe to drop. This did cause my rating to lose a star since it took away from my enjoyment, but I was so wrapped up in the romance that I didn’t care half as much as I normally would. I do have to say that Bryant made Nico too vain. The amount of times she worried about her hair and appearance were too many to count. I was surprised to see Bryant make a character like that, but I guess she wanted to make Nico a believable liar so she had to be a character with more flaws than normally. I just hope this vain thing is one and done since I want to easily like Bryant's characters and not have to work as I hard as I did to like them.

What I enjoyed so much about this book was the romance and just the everyday things. I loved that one character was a chocolatier and the other a welder artist. Two super cool jobs and I loved every page about them. I adored that their big date was to take a motorcycle ride and end up at a baseball game. That is like perfect date material in my eyes. And I also loved the chemistry the two characters had. From one character enjoying how the other smelled of different sweets every day, to the little kisses and physical touches that were spicy before we even got to any sex scenes. And, I appreciated an ending that felt rewarding and not rushed. I have had bad luck with rushed HEA's lately and I really appreciated the pace of this whole book including the ending. I just enjoyed a whole lot of this book.

If you can suspend disbelief a bit and just go with the flow, then I would absolutely recommend this. Yes, Nico is a tough character to like and deception is not a big favorite for many, but everything else was really enjoyable. This was a cute little romance with good chemistry, and it was just the kind of fun read that I really needed right now.

A copy was given to me for a honest review.

[pipsqueakreviews · Rating 5 out of 5]

A 90s rom com type of book that I enjoyed so much!

Nico boards the train every Thursday just to catch the glimpse of a beautiful stranger with the sweetest scent. Six weeks later, she is still not ready to make the first move until this stranger shows up unexpectedly at her workplace. That is when Nico finally takes the first step but chooses to hide the identity as an up-and-coming business owner and almost-world renowned artist. Nico pursues Sophia but Sophia has only one goal in mind and that is to save her family’s chocolate business. She has no time for, who she thinks is, a humble warehouse worker Nico. But Nico’s charm wins her over until the truth spills.

Does anyone remember the romantic comedies of the 1990s? The ones that were cheesy and illogical but we never really questioned? This book is exactly it but in 2020. This book has all the clichés of the 1990s rom coms. First, we have Sophia Sweet (lol, come on!), the chocolatier who’s a workaholic in need of ‘saving’. We have Nico who stalks Sophia for six weeks straight on the train, a move considered romantic in the 90s but criminal behaviour today. We have a Nico who has been so emotionally hurt before that she chooses to keep her 'prince charming' status a secret. And we have Sophia, so clueless about being lied to by Nico that its absurd considering how many rookie mistakes Nico makes along the way and hello, google. Well, the list goes on.

Honestly, if I were to review this book rationally or by what is considered acceptable today, it would have been shredded apart in minutes considering the illogicality of things and the blatant loopholes. But I really don’t think that was what the author was going for. So I tossed my notes aside and enjoyed this book for what it was worth and it brought back memories. And I loved it so much I found myself smiling from cover to cover. One bonus point is that this book features an ice queen and I love ice queens.

I received an ARC from Bold Strokes Books through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

[Leah · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 Stars

I’ve seen really mixed reviews of this and I honestly had no idea where I would fall. And I’m sad to say I didn’t like this one. The main character, Nico, is very unlikable to me and never really redeems herself. She wasn’t as bad in the last 20 percent, but it wasn’t enough for me in the end. She never won me over.

Nico lies, manipulates, and is probably one of the vainest characters I have ever read. Being confident can be sexy but when it turns into cocky, without any other redeeming qualities, it’s just gross. What I did like about her was that she was all about family. You could tell her family was important to her and I thought those scenes were nice.

Because this is told in first person from Nico’s point of view, I don’t have much to say about Sophia, her love interest. She seems very guarded at first but slowly opened up to Nico as time goes on. Nico’s lie hung over their relationship for me so it was hard for me to be invested in them.

A lot of others have said they really enjoyed this one. It’s all a matter of taste so if you’re a fan of Bryant’s previous books I’m sure you’ll like this one. I’ve liked Bryant’s books before this one just didn’t click with me.

I received an ARC from NetGalley and Bold Strokes Books in exchange for an honest review.

[Betty · Rating 5 out of 5]

When I begin reading a novel by Kris Bryant, there are a couple of things I know will occur. I know I will thoroughly enjoy the story, and I also know that Ms. Bryant will pull my heartstrings (and possibly make me cry). She has done this again with her latest novel, Scent.

This is a beautifully written contemporary romance about two women who live in Chicago. Nicole (Nico) Marshall is a successful businesswoman with a promising future career as an artist, but she’s had terrible luck in her past relationships. Then she meets Sophia Sweet on the L train, and suddenly the idea of a new relationship doesn’t seem so bad. Sophia is part owner of a struggling chocolatier shop called Sweet Stuff with past heartache in her life as well. An attraction builds on both sides as the two meet and get to know each other. There is just one problem. Sophia thinks that Nico is a lowly employee at the packaging company Nico actually partly owns, and Nico lets her continue to believe that. She wants Sophia to get to know her as a person, but will Sophia understand when she finds out the truth?

We can all see the mistake that Nico is making, and also where the angst is coming from in the tale, but that doesn’t really matter. This story is excellently written with wonderful characters that are easy to fall in love with. Nico and Sophia are written with depth and realism. They also grow and develop throughout the tale. This is truly a character driven story which is probably why I love it so much.

Reading this novel is like sitting down to a meal of all your favorite foods, with chocolate as the dessert of course. It will leave you happy and satisfied with a smile on your face when you finally close the book.

I received an ARC from NetGalley and Bold Strokes Books for an honest review.

Rainbow Reflections: http://rainbowreflections.home.blog/

[MZ · Rating 4 out of 5]

A warm romance, as can be expected from Kris Bryant. I enjoyed reading this feel good book, the main and secondary characters are well-developed and the book never lost my interest.

Nicole (Nico) is a co-owner of a successful packaging business where she is the creative director and she’s an artist in her free time. She welds sculptures and her dream is to break through as an artist. With her first exhibition coming up this dream seems within reach. Her art studio is a short ride on the L from her work and Thursday is her favorite day of the week on the L, as then she will see “her”. The way “she” walks and always smells sweet is the most enticing thing for Nico. If only she could muster up the courage to speak to her….
It turns out that “she”, Sophia, is the owner of a candy shop and is in the process of setting up her personal line of artisan chocolates. She contacts Nico’s packaging business to design and produce packaging for her new line of chocolates.

Both Nico and Sophia are very likeable characters and have believable chemistry. It took me a while to get really good insights in their characters though, as the first impressions appeared to be different from the reality. I’m not sure if this was intentional, but I won’t go into details in case it was.

When Nico and Sophia finally speak to each other, Sophia mistakes Nico for a warehouse employee and Nico decides not to correct her. Due to some bad experiences with her exes Nico wants to make sure Sophia likes her for her and not for her success. Clearly, this will come out at some point and Nico realizes this all too well. This situation is given in the blurb, but I did not realize the large role it would play in the story. While I don’t mind a small lie, and understand Nico’s reasoning, I’m not a big fan of relationships that are formed based on lies. Despite several opportunities to come clean, and everybody pushing her to do so, Nico keeps this part of who she is hidden for a long time. While this creates tension and some angst in the book, it started to frustrate me after a while and I wished it wasn’t dragged out so long.

That being said, the overall writing was very good. It’s written in the first person from the POV of Nico. The pace was constant and the book has interesting secondary characters. Family plays an important role and I especially liked Trish, Nico’s sister and business partner. Nico and Trish are very close and the dialogues were fun and light. I also liked to read about the processes behind the creation of Sophia’s artisan chocolates and Nico’s sculptures and the vivid descriptions of the shape and color of Nico’s sculptures and the scent and taste of Sophia’s chocolates. They even made me long for chocolates, which is quite a feat as I’m not a particularly big chocolate lover.

Fans of Bryant and romance fans in general will most likely enjoy this book (if said point doesn’t bother you), it has beautiful descriptions and is sweet and relatively low on angst.

I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

[Agirlcandream · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh Kris Bryant. Once again you’ve given us a beautiful comfort read to help us escape all that 2020 has thrown at us. This series featuring the senses has been a pleasure to read.Listen was my favourite until now. The term scent of a woman conveys so many emotions. The sweet scent of lavender and chocolate radiating from someone you are attracted to? Impossible to resist.

Nico’s Thursday afternoon rides on the L train bring her in close proximity to Sophia Sweet, a chocolatier and owner of a struggling sweets shop. Nico is co-owner in a successful packaging and design firm as well as a metalwork artist preparing for her first showing at a local gallery. Her relationships in the past have kept her from dating anyone in years. Her sister Trish has pushed and prodded her into trying once again to find Ms. Right. Trish doubles her efforts when Nico makes fumbling attempts to catch the eye and interest of unsuspecting Sophia. When Sophia seeks out a firm to design packaging for a new line of chocolates she hopes will save her shop, she sees Nico and assumes she is warehouse staff. Preconceptions set, let the romancing begin.

I think what makes Bryant’s books so readable is the way she builds the reader's interest in her mains before allowing them to interact. By the time Nico and Sophia go on their first date (as “just friends”) I was all in cheering on Nico in her efforts to woo the shy and reserved Sophia. The humour spread throughout balances the fears the reader has knowing Nico is making a huge mistake not being completely truthful with Sophia. We don’t know as much about Sophia since the story is told from Nico’s point of view but we know enough to understand her relationship with her grandmother is as close a bond as Nico has with her family. The whole family aspect of the story gave me the warm fuzzies.

This is a sweet and happy sigh kind of read. Perfect for these chilly winter nights when you want to escape the world and step into a caramel infused world where HEAs really do come true.

5 stars

ARC received with thanks from Bold Strokes Books via NetGalley for review.

[Corrie · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Trish.”
She stopped and threw her hands up. “What?”
“She’s Thursday.” I waited for that fact to sink in. When Trish’s eyes widened, I nodded. “Yeah, out of all the people in Chicago, Thursday’s here.”

Nicole (Nico) Marshall, co-owner of packaging company Tuft & Finley and one of the hottest new upcoming artists in town, is quite a catch. Not that she is looking for love though. Her ex-wife Mandy did not only break her heart but took her to the cleaners as well. It has left Nico gun shy and weary to start dating again. What if they are only after her for her money?

Sophia Sweet is making a last ditch effort to save the family business Sweet Stuff from going under by branching out with a line of high-end designer chocolates. She has no time for distractions, not even the handsome looking warehouse employee named Nico.

Kris Bryant gives us a really cute romance between two women who have been burned by love before. The twist is that Sophia isn’t aware of who Nico really is and Nico is not going to tell her… yet. This might prove to be a big mistake for Nico to make.

All I can say is that I was totally in Sophia’s corner. Nico didn’t do what she did out of malice but still. You have some major groveling to do, dude!

I couldn’t rhyme why the cover image of a book with the title Scent would show us a box of chocolates, but once you start reading the first chapter it all makes sense. Bryant’s books always make me happy and Scent is another fabulous read. Drool inducing confections and warm family fuzzies to the max. I highly recommend!

f/f

Themes: Chicago, family business, Thursdays on the L, what will she smell of today, welding sculptures, oh Nico, this will bite you in the butt, Sophia's grandmother Hazel is da bomb, a Cubs game, don’t read this without plenty of chocolates at hand.

5 Stars

[Hsinju Chen · Rating 1 out of 5]

// tl;dr: nico: look i’m so rich but i’m pretending to be poor bc i’ve been hurt! haha i’m so good at playing poor yay me!

Content warnings: manipulation from MC, stalker behavior from MC, mention of past alcohol abuse, mention of loss of parent to cancer, bi-erasure (without being called out), mention of past toxic relationships, graphic sex, pregnancy of side character, abusive main relationship

Well, that was memorable.

At this point, I don’t care if I sounded judgmental, but Nico is an awful person. There are so many red flags throughout the story, and not only did I not get the chemistry between her and Sophia, I was hardcore against them being together. Plus, there were a lot of things that were oh-so-convenient for this huge lie to work out.

Nico and Sophia’s relationship started with Nico stalking Sophia on the Chicago subway and continued with Nico pretending to be poor when she is actually very rich. And yes, it was stalking when Nico timed their Thursday encounters. I get that Nico doesn’t want people to be after her money so she decided to pretend that she’s poor, but acting poor, actively pretending to be someone she’s not, all the while taking advantage of all her privileges made me very unhappy and angry on top of the whole relationship starting with deception. I wish everything had backfired epically on Nico and that Sophia never talked to her again.

It’s not very believable that Sophia knew Nicole Marshall, Tuft & Finley part owner and creative director, and Nico Marshall, warehouse worker, both work at the same company and not put two and two together. She had also heard Nico’s voice on the phone, seen her on the subway before she planned to play poor for fun. But let’s not blame the victim here. It is just one big awful lie, and by the end of the book, all the anger and distaste I felt toward Nico had made me emotionally tired. I felt resigned and that was a first for me while reading romance. Had this not been in the genre, it might have been exciting to see the manipulation and deceit played out.

Bryant clearly plans and writes well, despite a few confusing dialogues, and I really love that we have a soft butch character (there is also a casual mention of a random they/them character). But having Nico, a creep, as the first-person POV and one of the main characters in a romance is not something I love. My peak enjoyment of the story was laughing at how horrible Nico is, and she clearly does not deserve the lovely Sophia Sweet nor the unconditional support of her amazing sister Trish.

Reading Scent felt like reading an anti-romance, and now I need an actual cute romance to balance out all the distress I gained through this read. This might be a good romance if you could overlook the big lie and all the little details, but I couldn’t.

I received an e-ARC from Bold Strokes Books via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Buddy read with Gabriella! Check out her review here!

Initial Thoughts: well fuck

[Jo reece · Rating 4 out of 5]

Almost a 4*

I enjoyed this story. It was so easy to pick up and get into. It's one of 'them' books you curl up with on a Sunday afternoon with a glass or 2 of wine. I'll be honest, wasn't too keen to find the friendship was built up around lies BUT once I got into it, you soon realize the reasons behind it. I liked both characters, they both had chemistry bouncing off them.

Nico was living her life just how she liked it. She's an owner of a packaging company that turns a good profit and shes just been labeled as Chicago's most promising up and coming artist. But she misses love. She meets a beautiful woman on the train with the most indescribable sweet and sugary scent, Nico wants to make a move.
Sophia |Sweet doesn't want or need the distractions. Including Nico. She has one goal, to keep her family business running. Her third generations chocolatier shop named sweet stuff is failing. Sophia recognizes Nico from the train but mistakes her for the packaging company warehouse employee, but Nico doesn't bother to correct her. Nico has been used by women in the past, only wanting her for her money. She wants Sophia to know her before she tells her the truth.

'Scent' is such a good story, cute and leaves you feeling warm inside.

I was given an ARC for an honest review.

[Linda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wonderful, lovely read. Really sweet and sappy…. The kind that tug and warm your heart. And there’s just nothing not to love about The Scent; there are chocolates in the mix with all its different offering, box or packages which are environmental friendly, plenty of welding to come up with artistic sculpture, an ice queen, a soft butch …well, you get the drift. Another Thursday that I enjoyed 😊

[MJSam · Rating 3 out of 5]

ARC received via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Kris Bryant is usually one of my go to authors, but I barely made it through this one.

I knew going in that there was an element of ‘hidden identity’ but had assumed it would be a mix up that was resolved fairly early, unfortunately that is not the case. This features Nico (Nicole) part owner of a packaging company and aspiring artist, and Sophia, who runs a confectionary company with her brother. The company is in financial trouble so Sophia is starting a new line of sweets and needs new packaging, which she is conveniently getting from Nico’s company. She also happens to be the woman Nico is crushing on during Thursday train rides.

Nico has been burnt before by women who want her money and her first real contact with Sophia is at work, but in a way that doesn’t reveal who she really is. She decides to go with this because she embarrassed about how she acted and also because she wants to see if Sophia will want her for ‘herself’ instead of her money. This plan is stupid (and cruel) on about 50 different levels, especially since it’s hard for someone to love you for ‘yourself’ when you’re constantly lying to her. Nico doesn’t just hide her name, she actively lies about who she is, what she does for a living, what she drives, and where she lives. And not for a short time either, she strings Sophia along for the vast majority of the book, and a family member is the one who accidentally reveals the truth.

The book is told from Nico’s point of view, and this is especially unfortunate since she’s not particularly likeable. We also don’t really get to know enough about Sophia, but I do know she deserved better. I’m sure we were supposed to feel bad for Nico at the end, but I didn’t. Multiple people tell her to come clean, but she persists with the ruse as she doesn’t want to lose Sophia. Nico claims she is doing this because of how badly she’d been treated by her previous girlfriends but fails to realise she’s the bad girlfriend here. It’s hard to root for a couple when you don’t believe they should be together. 2.5 stars, rounded up only because it’s Bryant.

[Sam · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is getting such a mixed bag of reviews I really was hesitant to pick it up, but I loved it. I think I know why some people struggle with it, they take it too seriously, which is not something the author intended, in my opinion. This book reminds me of those rom-coms that are just super ridiculous, movies like Date Night, The Proposal, Date Movie and You've Got Mail. You either see the humour in them, or you don't and the same goes for this book.

Nico is a successful business owner who has a crush on a woman who she sees on Thursdays on the L. When this woman turns up at her business looking for packaging and logo design Nico makes a foo of herself. The next time Nico sees Thursday (aka Sopha) on the L she apologises and strikes up a conversation. Sophia thinks Nico is a welder who works in the warehouse of the company Nico actually owns. Instead of pointing this out, Nico says nothing. Scorched by women in her past she wants one to like her for who she is, not her money.

The story is told in the first person from Nico's POV, which is a bit of a shame seeing as I don't really like this character. She is a bit too superficial for me, always going on about her hair and how it looks. The tone of the book to me is very light and really don't-take-me-seriously, but these parts where Nico is checking herself out are a bit too much for me. All the lies she tells to hide her identity are see-through and you can't believe Sophia doesn't pick up on them. I'd say that is a bit a weak point of the book as well, it makes Sophia look stupid for believing the obvious lies, or just plain ignoring them. But as mentioned, all should be taken with a grain of salt, or maybe a bag of it, I think this book was meant to be a light and fluffy rom-com type of thing and you either see the humour in it, and appreciate it for what it is, or you don't like it at all. I liked it, because I didn't take it too seriously. The only serious parts for me where the chocolate talks, one doesn't joke about chocolate. And in my household, we have sworn off chocolate in the second month of the first lockdown, so it was extremely difficult to read about all this deliciousness and not being able to enjoy it.

*ARC received in exchange for a voluntary and honest review*

[Cathie W · Rating 5 out of 5]

Scent is the 4th installment of Kris Bryant’s sensory series. As with the first 3 books in the series (Taste, Touch, and Listen) the author draws on a sensory as a catalyst to spark romance. It’s a grand idea that has yielded some amazing storytelling, and Scent has continued that tradition. Don’t worry if you haven’t read the first 3 books. They are each stand alone novels with no shared plots or characters, but I implore you to check them all out.

The science of scent tells us that our ability to smell all kinds of odors is intimately linked with our memories and can trigger all kinds of involuntary responses. Shivers, mouth watering, increased heart rate ... oh wait, that sounds a lot like infatuation. That’s exactly what Nico experiences when beautiful scents of Sophia’s artisanal chocolates follows her on the train and within Nico’s orbit.

It’s interesting that much of the first few chapters of the book is wrapped around the simplicity of Nico’s superficial and repetitive life. However, the closer she gets to Sophia the more Nico’s universe expands to spark more color, more creativity, and more feelings that were dormant for too long for both of them. The fact that they are the right ingredients for their recipe of love becomes the challenge of their story, but it’s a treat that’s worth waiting for. I received a copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

[Gaby LezReviewBooks · Rating 4 out of 5]

Review of ‘Scent’ by Kris Bryant, audiobook narrated by Brittni Pope

This is another installment in Kris Bryant’s Sensory series (not formally a series but considered as such by the author) of all standalone books formed by ‘Taste’, ‘Touch’, ‘Listen’ and now ‘Scent’. This series has been a hit and miss for me but ‘Listen’ is still my favourite and in my list of the best books of 2019. Here’s hoping that there will be a ‘Sight’ book in the near future.

Nico Marshall is a promising welder artist and a successful businesswoman who is guarding her heart after a nasty divorce. After meeting chocolatier Sophia Sweet, she decides to hide her real identity to see if she’s loved for who she is and not for how much money she has. Will she destroy her chances at real love with her game of deception?

As it’s customary with Ms. Bryant, ‘Scent’ is written in first person from the point of view of Nico. Nico reminded me a bit of Cassie in Kris Bryant’s ‘Temptation’ in her vanity and arrogance. Nico is a hard to like character, especially because she’s lying outright, though not without shame or guilt. Kudos to the author for showing Nico’s insecurities and making her a redeemable character in the end. I understand the reasons behind her lies and, even though it sounded a bit self-serving, it didn’t stop me from liking her and cheering for the mains’ happily ever after. But I see the potential for controversy among readers who might be less tolerant of character deception in romance.

As with the other books in this series, Ms. Bryant focuses the reader’s attention on the senses. In this case, the sense of smell but taste also plays an important part. The author’s descriptions of the different sweet delicacies and types of chocolates will make your mouth water. I also loved the descriptions of the art of welding sculptures which sounds fascinating.

I’ve listened to the audiobook narrated by Brittni Pope. I’m afraid that I’m not a fan of this narrator. Even though she’s got a beautiful voice, I cannot connect with the rhythm and cadence of the sentences which sometimes seem to have short interruptions in the wrong places. I like her performance of emotions but the lack of distinctive voices for each character, especially the leads, makes it harder for me to follow. Maybe it’s just me, so I suggest that you listen to the sample to see if it’s a fit for you. In my case, it brought a 4.5-star rating book to a 4-star audiobook.

Length: 7 hours, 15 minutes

[Gabriella · Rating 1 out of 5]

content warnings: stalking, manipulation, loss of a parent, subtle bi+-erasure)

Reading this book was quite an enjoyable experience, but not exactly for the right reasons. Most of my enjoyment came from discussing my gripes with Hsinju (check out her review here). I’m rating Scent one star because I am not happy with the main relationship, and since this is a romance novel, I’m supposed to root for said relationship. In my opinion, Nico is a very unlikeable character and has shown countless red flags throughout the book. I’m going to attempt to list them all here:

1. The Big Lie. Nico’s exes were horrible people who used her for her money, so I understand that Nico is wary about the possibility of starting a new relationship. However, after a brief misunderstanding that is much too convenient (more on “convenient” later), Nico decides that pretending to be poorer than she really is (a warehouse worker, instead of an artist-slash-business-owner) would be the perfect way to assess the purity of Sophia’s intentions. But this makes no sense to me: she wants Sophia to like her for who she really is, but she’s going to lie about MAJOR parts of her life, including art, her supposed life’s passion? What? Now, back to convenience: there are so many convenient little events that make it easier for Nico to keep up the lie (e.g. Nico forgetting that her Audi was in the repair shop and having to drive her old truck to the date). At a certain point, it becomes contrived and eyeroll-worthy.
2. Insensitivity. Ethics of lying aside, pretending to be poor is just plain insensitive. Income levels are not costumes to don only when it’s convenient. And on top of it all, Nico is just plain bad at pretending to be poor. She says so many things that reek of privilege.
3. Stalking. I got a stalker vibe from Nico at the end of the first chapter, but I dismissed the idea and tried to think of Nico as just a bit overzealous. Unfortunately, Nico shows stalker behavior several times throughout the book. Sophia briefly calls Nico out on this, but her concerns are not taken seriously.
4. Dismissiveness. Nico is constantly condescending toward Sophia and repeatedly fails to take Sophia’s feelings into account. Nico shows up at Sophia’s place on a motorcycle, fully expecting Sophia to hop on the back without ever having discussed the topic. Nico is also rude about Sophia’s introversion. At one point, she asks Sophia, “Wow, you actually have a best friend?” And during another conversation, Nico brushes away Sophia’s concerns about interacting with people she doesn’t know. (As an introvert who’s suffered from severe social anxiety in the past and who has had countless people make snide comments or try to “fix” me, this was so aggravating to read.) Also, at one point, Nico dismisses the idea that Sophia could possibly be feeling any angst about their relationship, which reinforces a common theme throughout the book: that Nico lowkey thinks she’s the only person who’s suffered in life.
5. Forcefulness. Nico has a complete inability to take no for an answer. She does not accept Sophia’s hesitation toward dating (which is a bit hypocritical, since Nico has her own dating issues and couldn’t bear to be in a relationship for months after her divorce), and amends Sophia’s sentences with “not yet.” During the inevitable end-of-book conflict, Nico’s actions to um…get Sophia back…are extremely troubling. For example, she knocks on Sophia’s door for twenty minutes at three in the morning until Sophia’s neighbors threaten to call the police. I’m sorry, what??
6. Vanity. Okay, so this is probably the least problematic Nico-related gripe I have, but oh my god. How many times does Nico have to tell us she looks good?? Like, we get it Nico. You’re hot, you’re strong, you’re tan, you’re hella fashionable, whatever. I stopped caring after the second time it was mentioned.

With all this being said, I cannot understand why Sophia would want a HEA with Nico. Sophia is a lovely character who I would have loved getting to know more, but unfortunately, we only get to see her as Nico’s umm…conquest. Nico’s sister Trish, Nico’s parents, and Sophia’s grandmother were all wonderful as well, but any joy they added to the story was greatly overshadowed by the issues I had with Nico.
It’s obvious that Kris Bryant can write, and I’m sure that there will be books of hers that I will enjoy more than this one. Scent was just not the book for me.

I received this ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

[S · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really wanted to be able to say I loved this book. I was surprised to find that this was my first Bryant read and I’ve heard such great things, but the thing is I only liked this one, which I found really disappointing as it’s clear to me that Bryant is a great writer, I just couldn’t get into the characters or storyline. I read some early reviews of this and it seems to have been a polarising you either love it or hate, but I’m firmly in the middle.

Nico owns a packaging company with her sister. She’s the artistic director and an artist in her own right, mainly specialising in welding. She’s had some bad experiences in the past with girlfriends just wanting her for her money.

Sophia is a chocolatier, inheriting the family business that her brother is now attempting to run dry. She wants to branch out into higher end chocolates and for that she needs high-end packaging.

If that had been how the two had met, I would have been on board with that storyline, but in fact they meet because Nico notices Sophia on the train, somewhat stalking her in an attempt to get her to notice her. When they then run into each other at Nico’s place of work, she lies about her role in the company in an attempt to hide her money.

This was the second book based around deception that I read in a row, which may have coloured my opinion slightly as I felt the deception aspect of the storyline was handled in a way I was more comfortable in the other read. In Scent the deception goes on for a long time, with Nico’s family trying to encourage her to be truthful to Sophia throughout.

Again, I could somewhat understanding Nico’s reasoning for the deception, but the other problem I had was that I couldn’t relate to Nico as a character either, making the deception seem even more jarring for me. Nico is self-centred, making lots of decisions that don’t include Sophia and we’re lead to believe is self-assured in her looks as well.

All in all, I don’t hate this like some, but I don’t love it either. Some have described this as having a 90’s rom-com feel and I completely agree. They all have elements to them that probably shouldn’t sit well, but you end up getting swept away in the love at the end, and for many this will be what they feel about this book - so I encourage you to take a chance on this one and see how you feel.

I received an e-ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

[Mildred Gail Digby · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nico is a liar, semi-stalker, a slack off who coasts by on her older sister’s leniency, comes off as a player, almost-alcoholic and I still find myself liking her.

It must be the unapologetic butch vibe she gives off while slipping some tiny bits of femininity like rare ventures into wearing makeup and a bit of strategic tears. She is fit and muscular without ever having to work out, she has terrible meal patterns and drinks far too much but she is always smokin’ hot, slim, and buff.

I love how she obsessed about the product in her slicked-back (probably) sweetly duckass butch hair and how she lovingly gives names to all her vehicles and loves them as individuals. Nico is a flawed person but she manages to not be a bad person, even though she does some seriously questionable things in this book.

It’s told in first person (thank god not switching although I think Bryant could pull it off, she’s that great a writer and really nails the individual voice) so we see everything through Nico’s eyes. Sometimes she’s all too perceptive, to the point where I think the FBI wants to put her in one of their profiler shows.

The story flows according to accepted patterns, including the blow-up at exactly the 80% mark and the hetero married sibling for over sharing purposes.

Side note, I have a hetero married sibling and I have *never* shared or even wanted to share even the slightest bit of bedroom antics with them, and if they tried to slip in their penis-centered adventures to our conversations I would immediately run far FAR away and wash my brain out with as much alcohol as I could legally appropriate. Okay, back to the review.

I liked the relationship between Nico and Sophia a lot after the blow-up. Nico became a lot nicer and not so much a manipulative liar, and I liked how Sophie was honest and strong.

Overall, pretty cookie-cutter with a bit of obligatory geek culture shoehorned in, epilogue follows the typical hetero lifescript, good sex scenes and a nicely tied up story where I’m just waiting for these two and their 2.5 kids to pop up in some unrelated story in the future.

My rating. 3.5 stars

I received via NetGalley and the publisher and am voluntarily leaving an honest review.

[Zoe · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really like Kris Bryant, so I was looking forward to reading this book. I haven't read the other sensory novels, so I wasn't sure what to expect, but I'm afraid I was left feeling disappointed.

The book is told in the first person from Nico's point of view - a self-described soft butch with a history of bad relationshiops (partners who only wanted her for her money) and so is scared to jump into something with "Thursday" - better known as Sophia - who owns a struggling chocolate business and is fairly introverted and/or guarded. So, Nico decides to lie to Sophia and pursue a relationship knowing full well it's based on a lie.

The main problem I had with the story is that you only get Nico's perspective, which is a shame because she's arrogant, manipulative and a little bit selfish. I was desparate to learn more about Sophia but that would mean Nico focusing on someone other than herself - sorry if that seems harsh, but I was left a little unfulfilled because you didn't get a lot of dialogue with Sophia and, to be honest, I couldn't see why she would like Nico enough to want to pursue anything with her. So, in the end, I wasn't convinced that these two were made for each other and have enough of a story to stick it out in the future.

Hopefully I'll have a bit more luck with Bryant's other work! I know there are plenty of people who love this book, but it just didn't work for me. 2.75 stars.

I was provided with an ARC by Netgalley / Bold Stroke Books for an honest review.

[KarenC · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had followed Kris Bryant and read her books in order as they were published. But when I read Taste in 2016 I knew that I had found a special writer. And I wasn't alone, as Taste ultimately became the first of what Bryant calls her "Sensory Series", followed up by Touch and then in 2019, Listen, which has become all-time Top 5 for me. When I learned about Scent, I assumed it would be about a perfumer meeting someone who works in a Bath & Body Works (ok, not really).

Scent is set in Chicago around a graphic designer/jill of all trades (Nico Marshall) who notices a woman on the L every Thursday (and that's significant) who smells great. In a twist of fate, Sophia Sweet owns a candy company founded by her grandparents and comes to Nico's firm for a new logo and packaging for an upscale candy line. The way they meet is the foundation for the entire story and I won't spoil it here.

Kris Bryant is one of the all-time greats at writing first person point of view, and this story is told by Nico, a dynamic soft butch with an artistic side. She has survived two horrible relationships and is reluctant to trust again. Sophia is leery of getting into a relationship because she is putting every ounce of her time and energy into her company. I became so immersed in their story, at times wanting to yell at both of them, that I read the book in one sitting.

As expected, the cast of side characters are perfectly drawn, especially sister Trish, who must be the greatest sister any of us could hope to have. In addition, I always like to learn something when I read, and lets just say that Bryant has done her homework in the worlds of chocolatiering (is that a word?) metal sculpture welding, and eco-friendly packaging.

Scent is an incredibly worthy follow up to Listen as part of the series, but also another five-star book to add to Bryant's five-star lineup.

[Karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nico Marshall is a workaholic. She is part owner of a company that designs paper products along with logo etc. She is also a welder and is prepping for an upcoming art show. She still believes in love even after being hurt by money hungry exes. She is not going to let money get in the way again so she decides she will just keep the successful part of her life from possible love interests. She sees Sophia Sweet every Thursday on the "L". Though she doesn't know her name, she knows her scent. She is completely attracted to everything about this mystery woman but she is not confident enough to approach her. Luck is on her side when Sophia comes to Nico's office for a new box and logo design. She only makes one small mistake. She lets Sophia believe she is just a warehouse worker instead of part owner.

So you can see where this one goes. There is no surprise that the lie will come front an center when Nico least expect it. In the meantime, she manages to woo Sophia who is a workaholic herself. There is obvious attraction between the two mains and I really like how Nico takes her time with Sophia. All of that makes for a great love story. The problem is there was something off with this one for me. I still enjoyed it but maybe I had a hard time with the lies and deception. I know it makes for good angst, but it bothered me the entire time I read it. I still did find myself wanting these two to end up together. Even through the lies you could still see that Nico was a really good person and that Sophia was a perfect match for her.

4 stars

[Althea · Rating 2 out of 5]

DNF @ 30%

My first DNF of the year :( it's such a shame because I was so excited about this book - I always love a good butch/femme dynamic, but the main character was just so creepy it made me really uncomfortable, alongside her constant wish to look like she is poor when in actual fact she's raking it in. I did enjoy Kris Bryant's writing style, though, so I will be checking out some of her backlist!

Thanks to Netgalley and Bold Strokes Books for an ARC in return for an honest review!

[Les Rêveur · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am a massive fan of Kris Bryant books, and Scent had me glued to the page just like all the rest. Written from Nico’s sole point of view was an interesting take and exactly where the reader needs to be. Nico was a fantastic character, and I thoroughly enjoyed seeing this story through their eyes.

This book has a tad more angst than other books, and I think that was because the stakes felt higher for Nico and Sophia. For example, I understood Nico’s reasons for keeping her secret/identity from Sophia. Still, as they begin to develop a strong connection for each other, you can see Sophia’s walls come down, and then the secrets seem to get bigger. That made the whole story, the secret and Sophia’s vulnerability seem more intense. I have to give it to Kris Bryant though, she knows how to have me on the edge of my seat one minute and then she brings the characters (and me) back together with style.

I want to mention how much I loved the body positivity in this book. Nico is androgynous with curves and muscle, and Sophia is a sexy curvy, plus-size femme. It was like my little brain exploded at how perfect it all was.

Nico is my idea of dreamy with her kind heart and fun spirit. The fact she is an independent artist and presents as androgynous butch… Well, damn that’s just hot!

As always Kris Bryant had me in tears in the epilogue. She writes happily ever afters like a pro, and I am there for every second of the butterflies she gives me.

There was a nice build-up to the sex scene, and I enjoyed Nico waiting before pursuing Sophia on a sexual level even though it was evident how much they wanted each other. There was a lot of verbal foreplay between them that could come off as just fun and flirty, but being in Nico’s head, you knew how much she wanted Sophia and that just made it just damn sexy!

Kris Bryant continues to wow me with every book she produces. She writes sexy, low angst books that pack a punch in the romance section. I can’t wait for the final sensory book, which I believe will be based on sight. If it’s anything like the others I know, I’ll be first in line for my copy. Go grab Scent and a box of chocolates… You won’t regret it!

[Jamie · Rating 2 out of 5]

I've seen a lot written about this book when it came out, people seemed to be either really charmed by it, or were very angry about it. So I waited a bit before I dived in. And honestly I see both sides- how some people really enjoyed the story, and some were turned off entirely. I think I fall more in the latter camp- I had serious issues with the book. But there were times I really enjoyed.

I've read a romance novel that I remember with the theme of hidden identity, and that was The Do-Over by Georgia Beers, and I remember really enjoying that book. But in that book, there was more hiding identity to find out if the other character had really changed from serious offenses she committed years earlier. And this one Nico seems to hide everything about her for seriously lesser reasons and goes into creepy territory.

I don't really understand how Nico would have won over Sophie without revealing anything about herself or her life and passions. That just didn't make sense to me the whole time reading this. And the stalking elements shouldn't be overlooked either. It goes beyond watching "Thursday" every, well Thursday on the train but some serious invasions of privacy. I thought I was at least enjoying the ending and resolution until I found out about Nico looking at Hazel's address and was like wtf . I don't want to go on and on into everything that didn't work- a lot of other people have written about it, and they are probably more articulate than I am.

What I did like about the book was Sophia. I found her absolutely lovely and well rounded. I really bought into her reserved nature as she seemed dedicated to her craft. But when she started to open up to Nico and let her emotions out, I found her so adorable. I had the biggest smile after she got off the motorcycle before the baseball game. It was wonderful. Kris Bryant can write well and even though there was a lot about this book I was having serious issues with, I still wanted to know how it resolved.

This book is very flawed, and possibly could have been so much more. I do get why a lot of people enjoyed it. A lot of Rom-Com movies are arguably much worse in premise. But I didn't like this. 2/5

[Michelle Schuler · Rating 5 out of 5]

Yummy

Kris Bryant has another scrumptious book on her hands. Nico is frustrated with finding the wrong women and has been burned in the past. She is slowly working her way towards finding another relationship. She watches Sophia from afar and takes weeks to get the courage to speak with her. Nico slowly builds a relationship but doesn't share all of herself. When Sophia finds out some of what Nico is hiding, she ends up leaving. Nico has her work cut out for her.
The chemistry is amazing. The chocolates are yummy. The art is fantastic. This will be a favorite.

[Aleana · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nico is a successful woman she’s part owner of a company with her sister Trish that does design and she also a artist and a workaholic. Nico been hurt before because of her wealth but it doesn’t stop her from believing in love or find it but she vows to leave that part of her life a secret until she knows they want her for her and not her wealth. Nico is captivating by a woman on the L train she doesn’t know who she is but knows her scent but afraid to approach her.

Sophia is a workaholic she doesn’t really have time for a life because she trying to keep her family business alive that been in her family for years when she developed upgrade version that can put her business into more success.

When Sophia sees the woman from the train at the company where she hopes to get the perfect packagers for her product she mistakenly believes Nico is a employee and Nico doesn’t correct her because fate brought the woman she been thinking about to her and she for once to see if someone can like her for her.

Nico decides to get to know Sophia even though Sophia is focus on her company as they build a friendship Nico fears when the truth about who she is comes out that everything that’s happening between them will be lost.

What I like about this author is how she really dives in describes what country she writing about or the business the MCs have. I’m happy streaming service and networks are doing LGBTQ movies but I wish they stop with the coming out stories and just do a romance or thrillers and this author romances books will be great on screen.

I received an ARC copy of this book from the Publisher via Netgalley and voluntarily leaving my review.

[Gillian · Rating 4 out of 5]

This story is just like the last name of one of its main characters- sweet. This love story made my heart flutter. Butch lesbian Nico, part creator of owner of packaging business Tuft & Finley, and visual artist, has been pining for a beautiful woman she sees on the L once a week and has nicknamed in her head "Thursday". When ice queen femme Sophia, aka Thursday, becomes a client of Tuft & Finley, Nico decides to finally make her move on the L. But unbeknownst to Sophia, who thinks Nico is a welder who works in the warehouse, is the fact that Nico is the business' rich owner.

Why Nico hides her actual role in the company, where she lives, and how much money has is somewhat understandable given her past and what her ex-wife put her through. But it was annoying that she didn't come clean to Sophia on one of their first dates; or at the very least once she realized they were more than casual. I didn't fully understand why she would do that. It could have passed for lying by omission at first, but then Nico kept plugging the business and talking about how wonderful it was, and I just didn't understand her motives there.

While this major plot point annoyed me, I was able to overlook because Nico and Sophia's entire dynamic was just wonderful. I kind of fell in love with Nico myself while reading this: butch, a bit rugged, knows how to treat a lady, respectful, not afraid to make a move... *swoon*. Sophia is also swoon-worthy in a femme way, and I definitely have a crush on her too. And the scene of their first motorcycle ride? *SWOON*

Their flirting killed me... agh I just loved the author's writing style and the dialogue was so believable compared to most romances. Also I absolutely adore butch/femme romances and was so happy to read something with a butch MC. And the sex scenes were just perfect. If you go into this with the mentality that it checks all the 90s RomCom boxes, then I think it's easy to love! One of the best lesfics I've read in a while.

[Ameliah Faith · Rating 5 out of 5]

Smells so Sweet
Nico is a woman on the move. She has a successful packaging company and her art career is taking off fast. Life is good but lonely. When a woman on the train catches her eye, Nico is curious about the beautiful woman who smells of sweets and is far too tempting. Sophia’s life revolves around her candy shop and she’s counting on her new line of chocolates to save the business. She doesn’t have time for distractions, no matter how good looking they may be. When Sophia meets Nico, misunderstandings occur that Nico is in no hurry to correct. As they get to know each other, its clear there is something between them but what happens when truths come to light and illusions are shattered? Is love strong enough to hold them together or will the pain of betrayal be too much?

This is such a sweet story and not just because it revolves around delicious treats. I loved the chemistry between Nico and Sophia. The attraction they have for each other is so yummy. This being a Kris Bryant book, you can be assured it is VERY well written, full of emotion, conflict, drama and lots of sensuality. It is a fast read, one you won’t want to put down. I found it perfect for a lazy Sunday afternoon reading with a glass of iced tea and of course some chocolates of my own. If you like sweets, you might want to have some on hand while you read because it can definitely make you crave them! This lovely tale was a joy and a delight and I must say I think it won’t be long before I need to read it again.

[Kat · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sometimes to get what you want, you take little different road than you should. Not intentionally someone gets hurt, yet you hope for happy ending. I am so glad this one got it. I love both characters and the way they met. Love how they evolved in their relationship. I think it was absolutely perfect. Sometimes you have to take the risk and it in the end it is so worth it.
Loved this book!

[Kaila · Rating 3 out of 5]

3/5 stars

I can't believe this is my first Kris Bryant book! I have heard so many great things about her writing, so I was glad to finally get into her books. While I can't say I loved this book, it was definitely a very entertaining and solid read. Nico and Sophia had great chemistry, witty and fun interactions, and a lot of sexual tension. As the heart of the story, their relationship was a real winner. It was both sweet and sexy, which is the perfect mix that I'm looking for in my romance books. The story was also really quite entertaining. I loved the tension that was built from the workplace-type romance, as well as Nico hiding her true identity. It brought a little bit of angst to an otherwise very fun and sweet romance (and not just because of all the chocolate).

I guess where I found the book lacking was the characters on their own. I didn't feel an attachment to Nico or Sophia, which made it quite hard to feel sympathetic for them. I understand feeling disconnected from Sophia as we never heard from her perspective. It just made it difficult as she was described as quite reserved and private, which made it even harder to connect to her as a character when we were only seeing her through Nico's eyes. While we read the entire book from Nico's perspective and she was certainly charismatic and charming, I didn't really feel attached to her character either. This was a real killer to the mood to the book because the story was interesting, the chemistry was good and the side-characters were fun...but it was hard to care because the characters felt distant.