Scent Of Obsession

Scent #1

by Shanen Ricci

I was the woman who believed in fairy tales; he was the monster of them.

The Devil of Ravencliff Manor. 
The Phantom. 
Radcliff.

Escorted by a prince, my obsession led me to the villain’s lair, with no hope for rescue.
Trapped inside his greenhouse, our once upon a time began with a flower. 
More accurately, with a scent that captivated me. 

I signed my soul over to the man who represented my sinister nightmares. 
The one known to belong to the cruel shadows, who offered me my perfumer’s dream. 
He demanded the impossible: the missing piece of his kingdom of sins. 
I stalked the impossible: his humanity. 

This is our dark tale. 

When beauty met ugliness.
When light met darkness. 
When heaven met hell. 

A tale of obsession. 

*Scent of Obsession is the first book in the Scent trilogy. It's not a standalone novel.

Genres: Fantasy, Romance, Dark Romance, Contemporary, Dark, Enemies To Lovers, Fantasy Romance

241 pages, Kindle Edition

Published January 5, 2022

About the author

Shanen Ricci likes to think of herself as a witch. Her books are love potions destined to make you fall in love with morally grey villains and alpha males who will burn down the world for the girl. The recipe? A dash of a dark fairytale brewed with mythology. An ounce of drama and angst. A lot of spicy scenes’ magic dust. And she never forget to swirl everything for a passionate romance.

She began her journey by touching millions of readers online. When she's not using her cauldron — aka her computer — she's either acting on set, competing on 5k races, petting her cats, traveling the world, or overthinking her next book.

Follow her if you dare: @authorshanenricci

Reviews

[Dora Koutsoukou · Rating 1 out of 5]

Part 1

1,5 😔⭐️s

The premise was fantastic but the execution had a lot of flaws.

The main characters’ development was inadequate, I never got to know who they really were and there was no support of addressing them as “Devil” and “Witch”.
Also, there was no chemistry between them.

Lily’s behaviour was messy and I had a very hard time trying to connect with her. Her character switched to another level rather abruptly.

Lastly, the writing style was not appealing to me. Plenty of sentences or paragraphs had so many superfluous words. And all those references to Greek mythology characters went overboard.

[P C · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF at 80%
Oh boy where do I even start with this?
First I want to clarify I found this book on Tiktok where the author promoted it herself through smartly crafted videos & the idea of a mashup between Beauty and the Beast+ Hades & Persephone + Phantom of the Opera altogether was a brilliant idea a huge win for us romantics if it were written correctly... and it pains me to admit it wasn't done so.

This book had some amazing settings and foundations as a story & trope to thrive in the dark romance genre if the author would stop throwing around words and making the whole book so painfully loaded to read.
The whole book was very very "heavy" worded almost as if a dictionary threw up over it and got edited into a thing, you can't just use epithet after epithet after epithet to describe a character you already overintroduced to us? (WE GET IT THE MAN IS THE DEVIL!!!)
Other issue I couldn't get past was the amount of plotholes:
1-The uncle was in debt with Radcliffe and just abbandoned the niece with 0 care for her and she suddenly opened her eyes on his shitty character after pining for him as her only family member left near and dear to her heart.
2- It was supposed to make sense when Radcliffe suddenly got boners for the girl after calling her a beautiful fool/witch/pure soul he snatched blah blah blah and they got like NO CHEMISTRY between them after he avoided being near her and didn't even get a touch of her suddenly he was under her panties at the Opera?
3- The FMC was acting smart and overlyconfident of her work (and her mother's past work as a perfumier) but where's the backstory, where's proof she truly had this wonderful nose other than the word of her desperate gambler of an uncle who I'm convinced just wanted to trade her for his debts cause she was pretty.

[katia · Rating 1 out of 5]

some of these tiktok authors need to pursue different careers

[Belzebeaut · Rating 4 out of 5]

ARC REVIEW: 4.5/⭐⭐⭐⭐.5 STARS

This book was so good! The perfect blend of sweet and angsty; romantic and heartbreaking with a hint of gothic and mystery. It shredded me emotionally but it hurt so good!

Radcliff was a mysterious man who lived in a haunted mansion. He had a dark past, he was hurt by his father. The pain runs deep, as well as the fear of ever letting anyone close ever again.

Lily was a cheerful woman with a troubled past. She has her own demon but she dealt with it by suppressing it with kindness. But after she met Radcliff it triggers her demon to unleash.

The relationship progresses slowly but surely between them. What starts as an agreement  transforms into like and lust and love gradually which I loved. The way Radcliff said he didn't capable of love but did the most romantic things to lily. My hearts feels so tight for these two and I have nothing but complete awe for them.

Their problems and struggles were real. They were not perfect, but "imperfectly perfect" for each other. Their love for each other in the face of adversity is a thing of beauty and comfort. 

This book has everything - emotional depth, excellent story-telling and characters you can't help but fall in love with.

However there's a part that made me uncomfortable and I thought it was unnecessary, it just feels wrong. I hope the author would be more aware and I would also like the author to explore more of some issues.

Overall I enjoyed this book and I'm looking forward for the next book. Thank you for giving me the opportunity to read this arc ❤

[Ana ✨ · Rating 5 out of 5]

ARC REVIEW: 5 STARS ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I don’t even know where to start, this was my first book by Shanen Ricci and I had no clue what to expect. I read the plot and really caught my attention but I have to admit I went to read kinda in the dark. I love the element of surprise.

What can I say? I read this book as fast as I could cause I simple couldn’t put it down of how good Rad and Lily were.

Since the first moment you get caught up by Lily and her amazing heart and dreams and you get a glimpse of her troubled passed and that makes you connect with her even more and do feel like you wanna hug her and take care of her. She’s just an amazing string character that you will adore since the first second.

Radcliff is the kind of character that it’s described as mysterious and you never get to see how he really is even tho you get little glimpses of him. He is described has being the devil that will corrupt the Angel, in this case Lily. He is a really complex character with also a troubled passed that you will find out trough the book and the reading. You will fall in love with him since the first moment you meet him. Trust me.

Both of these characters start to connect and build a relationship. Lily has to create a perfume for Radcliff since her uncle failed to the task witch leads to the fact that she will share the manor with Rad.

And this will bring us to the tropes of the book. This book served sunshine grumpy, boy obsessed trope. Dark romance and slow burn trope in such an amazing way. You can just feel the sexual tension between these two and it’s just so good and the smut is really amazing too.

There’s this scene at the opera which was my favorite. I will never get over how hot this scene was. This book delivered everything and so much more. I can’t wait for the continuation because after that cliffhanger I sure do need more!

Get ready to fall in love with Radcliff and Lily’s story. You will love them.

[soph · Rating 4 out of 5]

ARC REVIEW: ★★★★ 4.5 stars

This is another Beauty and The Beast story-like, that definitely I love.
Like a white amaryllis flower, Lily is a young, beautiful, pure, girl who dreams to create extraordinary fragrances just like her mother’s.
With all her bright and innocent soul, she actually saves a dark side inside of hers.
Radcliff, people called him The Devil. They feared him not only because his scarred face, he is also a rich powerful man whose heart is cold and wicked.
But turns out, The Devil who people feared is actually a lonely soul.
This book tells how their path crossed, how their fate beautifully intertwined because their similar obsession to a magnificent scent.


I love the whole vibes of this book, the dark, the goth, the maze scene, the masquerade dance party, every small details like the greenhouse, the flowers, the cliff, and the the tarot cards.
I love the push and pull and undeniable chemistry between Lily and Radcliff. It is beautiful to read how two very different souls save each others.

I wish i could see more how both Radcliff and Lily overcome their pasts and their inside demons.
I would love to see how Lily and Radcliff’s love story and chemistry develop in the next book!!

❝ There is beauty in the ugly. After all, this tale isn’t how a villain was born. It’s about his rise. His revenge. His obsession. ❞

[09012022]

[Ivy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Being someone who stays away from dark romance this is actually a breath of fresh air for me. I really enjoyed the story from commencing to end.

There is a lot of spice and even more sexual tension between the main characters. Like I can't even count the number of time I screamed at them to kiss inside my head.

So far Lily is my favourite character and of course Radcliff was something else. Lily is so smart and independent, above all she is so strong emotionally and mentally. She went through a lot but still remained strong and kind— something which is so rare. The way she made Radcliff frustrated is among my favourite parts.

The MCs were instantly attracted to each other but the progress their relationship was slow burn. The story ends with a suspension and a good news. I can't wait to find out more in the book 2

[☀ Rachel ☾ · Rating 3 out of 5]

TW: rape and suicide... also spoilers
Okay, I have problems with this book. First of all, Lily is giving ✨I'm not like other girls✨. Let's just delve into this. Lily's mother was a perfume maker who had some kind of rare special gift because she was just really good at smelling thingd. Then, surprise surprise, when she had a child she named her lily, like the flower, that they use to make perfume. Wow, nobody saw that coming. Completely original, lovely word choices. Lily, from the very first page, needs to let us know that she's weird and quirky. She's an orphan and cleans all the toilets in the building in exchange for a place to stay, her uncle who was supposed to take care of her is a deadbeat, and she's a WITCH!?? just- no. she really calls herself a witch because "oh she has a 'special gift' that she inherited from her mother, aka, a super great sense of smell which I guess aids in perfume making." This is realistic fiction it just doesn't make sense. She also really wants to make it known that EVERybody hates her. She's shunned by society for being a witch and shes just so dark and mysterious and has trauma. but in reality nobody actually cares. AND THE MAIN THING is Lily places such a huge emphasis on how men sexualize her. Especially in the beginning of the book it's just constant "men only want me for one thing" or "he was eyeing my body" or "I can tell he wants me" blah blah blah. It's also mentioned that her best friend's dad tried to get with her but she's a virgin and she's so young and inexperienced and innocent and how could he do that!?? yet literally throws herself at Radcliffe for the majority of this book and has no problem when he's the one sexualizing her even tho this man has literally run away from her advances (and also treated her like shit, blackmailed, and low key kidnapped her). at one point in this book, she goes into a meeting in the back of a sex club sorta thing and just starts dancing and humping stuff while naked and then all the men in the room threaten to gang-rape her, and shes like "why isn't Radcliffe going to save me also all these men are disgusting how can they sexualize me" when she pulls this shit.
Radcliff is a pick-me boy. He's all "nobody will love me because I'm so ugly."-you are a grown ass adult please. I feel it important to note that this book is a beauty and the beast retelling so Radcliffe has this giant ugly scar on his face and everyone is so scared of him he always wears a mask. He also made it his entire personality and started calling himself the devil. which again, this is supposed to be realistic fiction. You are not the devil, nor hades, or any other version of him you want to think. Its giving phantom of the opera without the murder but with sex. Lily also jumps off the same cliff that Radcliffe's mom killed herself by jumping off (because shes tryna sleep with him and he's denying her)... and then feels super bad because she didn't know. I just- bitch. You're not special stop trying to egg this man on.
If you've made it this far, my main problem with this book is the use of the n-word. It was spoken by a black character but frankly, it was unnecessary. And coming from a white author in a book that has shitty representation and is not actually about race or problems pertaining to it (ie. racism or discrimination) it very much rubbed me the wrong way.
Also, the writing in this book was awful. The author tried to use flowery and stylistically beautiful writing. However, this is a trashy romance novel. that style of writing doesn't fit. it would make sense if this book was supposed to be an inspiration or had any kind of lesson or message or was attempting to be the next The Great Gatsby. but it's not, it's just a trashy romance novel. and frankly, I like the writing of said trashy romance novels too also be trashy and easy for my brain to read because I'm obviously not reading these books to further my education.
ALL OF THIS BEING SAID, I haven't gotten through a book of my own free will in like four months. And as shitty as this book was I couldn't put it down, no idea why, but it was like watching a train crash. I was horrified but just couldn't stop myself.

[dee · Rating 1 out of 5]

Nope. Nope. Nope. Just nope.
There are some books that deserve to be published and restricted to Wattpad. And I am not talking about the brilliant ones that could easily be shared on other writing platforms, but the awkward ones that make readers question their own sanity. Because that is all I did when reading this book, question my sanity and decision to read this book. This book taught me that reading is a skill but writing is a talent, and perhaps, not everyone should attempt the task without at least some practice.

I saw it advertised a lot on TikTok and decided to give it a read, especially when it was referred to a 'Hades and Persephone' retelling. I had read many retellings of the infamous Greek couple and thought this would at least be half as decent as those ones, but I was depressingly disappointed with what I found.

The characters in this book are not at all developed, and the relationships seem forced. The romance between the two leads was ridiculous, and not in the dramatic way, but in the sense that it made no sense at all. Also the annoying obsession the lead has with 'scents' and her 'nose' is awkward to read - it gives off try-hard quirky-wannabe vibes. The plot is not even developed, and it seems like the writer has forgotten about it for most of the narrative. And the supposed sex that was hyped up is not even sexy or sexual.

Definitely will not be reading another book in this series. And honestly, I could recommend better-but-still-not-great retellings of the rulers of the Underworld.

[Toma · Rating 2 out of 5]

Would have been a single star, but I thought the way Radcliff's character was written was extremely funny. So, an extra star for the mood boost.

[Vanessa (bookfairy95) · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️🌠

This book was intriguing. It had vibes of #BeautyandtheBeast #PhantomOfTheOpera and #PerfumeStoryOfAMurderer but without the murderer aspect of course.

The story was dark and twisted. I loved how Lily viewed the world and plants and how she seemed to have a connection with the Devil’s Corpse flower as well as Radcliff and his monstrous aura. The writing was beautiful and almost poetic in a very detailed way especially when it came to the description of Lily’s emotional turmoil. What was missing for me though was the actual emotion of the characters to be transferred to me while reading. While the author used beautiful words and the storyline was really interesting and dark in a way that I really liked, I didn’t really click with the characters. I couldn’t feel the emotions, I couldn’t fully sympathise with them. So, while reading I always had this slightly detached feeling that prevented me from fully falling into the story, which was really sad, because I think had it fully grabbed me and had I been able to just lose myself in the story this would have been a 5 star read. This way I can unfortunately only give 3.5 stars. I feel like this might have been a me-problem though, because looking at Goodreads this book has super high ratings and the dark and mysterious vibes were definitely there!

I would very much like to give book 2 of the story another chance though, as book one ended on a very interesting note and the characters have reached a point in their relationship that could make connecting and feeling the emotions much easier to experience!

[Shirley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Original review

This book was provided by the author through InkSlinger PR in exchange for an honest review. Thank you Shanen Ricci and InkSlinger PR.

Scent of Obsession is the first book in the Scent series and tells the story of Lily and Radcliff.

When I saw the cover of Scent of Obsession, I had to know what the story was about. I love Romance books with a subtle cover, and not naked men on them. After reading the synopsis, I knew that I was going to love this book. And I did. Shanen Ricci did such an amazing job, I was so interested in the story and the characters, and I really enjoyed reading Scent of Obsession. 

Lily and Radcliff were both interesting characters. I really liked reading in both perspectives, and getting to know them better. I really liked their back stories and I loved seeing them grow towards each other. The sexual tension was so good. I really loved some specific scenes with both characters, especially the opera scene. 

Scent of Obsession was such an amazing read and I highly recommend this book if you’re looking for Dark Romance/Gothic Romance inspired by Hades/Persephone, Beauty & the Beast and Batman/Poison Ivy. Scent of Obsession was my first book by Shanen Ricci and I’m looking forward to reading her other book. I’m also really excited for the next book in the Scent series!

[Jennifer Pierson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Scent of Obsession really had some serious Beauty and the Beast with a kicker of Phantom of the Opera vibes all wrapped up in Goth, and I really loved that aspect of the story. Lily is a girl who wants to follow in her mother's footsteps as a perfumer, but things take a turn when she ended up having staying with The Devil (that's his nickname), Radcliff due to circumstances that had nothing to do with her. She's also a girl who has demons that she's buried deep covered with kindness. Radcliff has his demons he neeDs to slay, but he's turned cold & lives for revenge which I could understand to a point. However, little did he know that he needed Lily in his life and vice versa.Here's the deal for me, I loved most of the story so much, but I didn't quite feel the angst/emotional as they navigate through their new normal but that's just me. I'm definitely interested in book 2 as I'm hooked and HIGHLY RECOMMEND!

[Candice Ryan · Rating 5 out of 5]

A thrilling, sensual ride that will leave you begging for more. This book swept me away into a modern dairy tale where the beast might be the villain and the girl might be a monster. I was totally enraptured by the tension between Lily and Radcliff. Whenever Lily felt like she broke through some of his walls he would erect a spiked tower. This back and forth, push and pull, kept me turning the pages until I finished the book in one sitting. A unique plot mixed with a gorgeous writing style… I was hooked. This is unlike any story I have ever read, and I absolutely loved everything about it.

If you enjoy fairy tale styled stories, and quite a bit of spice… than you will devour Scent of Obsession.

[Little monster · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh wow what a book, and to say this is the authors second book!! I mean gosh!!!!

I read this so fast pretty much stayed up all night to finish it as I just couldn't put my kindle down!

Lily is such a sweetheart and she's been through a troubled past, she has such an amazing heart and you really wanna wrap her up in a big bear hug. She's a strong character and I can guarantee you will love her from the get go.

Radcliffe is mysterious and you never get to fully see him open up, you only get a certain amount. He also has a troubled past, you will indeed like with Lily fall in love with his character. Lily has to create a perfume for Radcliffe since her uncle failed the task in the first place, which leads to Lily having to share the manor with Radcliffe.

Both of these are amazing to read and the chemistry is off the scale once they build that relationship they start to connect with each other. It's a dark romance so expect some steamy scenes, those scenes are off the scale hot. This book delivered so much for me it was slow burning but once you get in to it beileve me you won't put it down.

[Jessica Taylor · Rating 3 out of 5]

I had really high hopes after finding the author on TikTok and her marketing was amazing that I just had to read it.

The overall story has a lot going on and a lot of inconsistencies within the characters. I finished but I don’t think I will be reading the second one, it was just super hard to get through. I felt like I was reading 4 books thrown together.

I think the author has potential but needs to take a little longer on plots and character development.

[Rose · Rating 5 out of 5]

First of all, I am in love with Radcliff and honestly I am excited for the next book! Lily is such a pure soul and I love her. Throughout the book it gave such a beauty and the beast dark vibe and I loved it. Dark fairytales are the best. Also, can we please talk about the Opera scene like omg I was gasping. That scene was something else. But overall it’s ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️+ stars from me ❤️❤️

[Sara-Kim · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.25 stars. Beauty and the beast retelling with a hint of Hades story. (Double pov's/Grumpy-sunshine/We-Saved-Each-Other-Trope/I-Hate-Everyone-But-You/Touch-Her-And-You-Die ) The book is well written and has a lot of descriptions (great World building). Unfortunately, the storyline and the characters are a bit too cliché for my taste. I still recommend this book. Nice and fast read.

[Destinee Revelo · Rating 5 out of 5]

ARC Reveiew!

Shanen Ricci never disappoints!

Scent of Obsession reminds me of a darker version of Beauty and The Beast.

Radcliff known as The Devil

Lily a Sweetheart

The relationship/tension between them made me want to keep going I fell involve with it from the start.

I cannot wait for book 2!

[Fayst2 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Holy shit that book was incredible. It was different from the books I’ve read until now and oh my fucking god.
That was so intense and hot. I swear, I couldn’t put the book down. You will love Lily’s and Rad’s story.
I freaked out in many scenes and changes, but my adrenaline was so high that I didn’t care at all.
Holy shit, Radcliff was so intense and…hot.
IM SO READY FOR BOOK TWO AND SCARED AT THE SAME TIME.

[Linda · Rating 5 out of 5]

This story was so delicious! It held my interest from beginning to end.

Two flawed characters with a slow burn romance written on the pages for them and for the readers!

Very sexy, romantic, captivating!

Definitely not the darkest romance I've read for those who might like to dip a toe in the dark side!

I loved it, and will absolutely read more by this author!

[Timah · Rating 1 out of 5]

A 12 year old child on Wattpad could’ve come up with a better plot and don’t even get me started on the writing style. They lacked chemistry so bad and got together after what… knowing each other for 5 days ??? Glad it’s over

[masy · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5⭐️

[Blanca · Rating 5 out of 5]

I think it is one of the best books I had ever read. It gets you captivated and trapped since the first line till the last. Is also a rollercoaster of emotions that makes you want more, and the way the characters are described, how they act and everything about them it so beautifully and magical written that is easy to get teleport in that wonderful magical and dark realm. Also the references are immaculate and you can expect the unexpected with this one.

[Lucyana John · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 ✨

𝑭𝒐𝒓 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒇𝒊𝒓𝒔𝒕 𝒕𝒊𝒎𝒆 𝒊𝒏 𝒂 𝒍𝒐𝒏𝒈 𝒕𝒊𝒎𝒆, 𝑰 𝒇𝒆𝒍𝒕


You will feel like you're in a fairytale like beauty and the beast or The phantom of the Opera...
The chemistry between the characters was good and I really love Lily, she's a floral goodness as Radcliff said & Radcliff's character was built well.
I really felt everything in this book and I will read the second book after my final exams so I can finish fast because I can't wait🥀

[Phia · Rating 2 out of 5]

I made it to 100% but it was an effort.

I really wanted to enjoy this book. I persevered until the end hoping that it would morph into something.

The idea was great, who doesn't want to read a book with beauty & the beast/ phantom of the opera vibes.A disfigured devil with an innocent beauty who, as it turns out, is not so innocent. The options are endless.

But, that is not what I read. Where do I start.
Firstly, it felt like I was reading a book with words just thrown in for fun. Metaphors and similes in all sorts of places. And quite a few times I found myself lost in what was being described because I couldn't make sense of it.
2. I felt like the uncle angle left a big plot hole : why was he working for Radcliff and why did he just give her to him. This is your sister's daughter and you just give her to a self-proclaimed "Devil".
3. Why was the word devil used so many times, and why was he a devil? Simply because he is disfigured? His business was all legal so its not like he was part of the shady underworld.
4.The hades and persephone references were not subtle. Constant use of words such as Tartarus, Aegian, River Styx or elysium. I felt like these words were purposefully thrown in to make me relate the story with persephones story.
5. How did Radcliff go from wanting her far away from him to ravage and destroy her... Perhaps that was the original idea, but the transition was almost immediate. And she was all for him destroying her. I felt like there was no chemistry between them.

I don't like to leave reviews like this, especially as she is a new author. But I didn't want any future readers going into this book unprepared.

[Em (semi-hiatus)]

It was the blurb that intrigued me, and I was pretty excited to read it. I liked the mystery about the setting and the plot has me hooked. But the writing was too prosaic and was quite flowery at times, making it seems like as if author was trying too hard to make it look ‘gothic’ and ‘dark’. Despite that I’m pretty involved in the story, and quite anxious to know what unfolds next..

[blueberry]

DNF

I saw this book promoted on tiktok by the author and i was intrigued by the idea of a phantom of opera retelling/villain romance but unfortunately i was quite disappointed by the overall execution :

*I didn’t click at all with the writing , too flowery
* The h is too cheesy & naive
* The H is not really the promised villain
* The chemistry between the two is lacking

[Shanen Ricci · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hi guys! Book 2 of the Scent trilogy is coming on the 16th of May ! Are you ready to unfold the rest of Lily and Radcliff's story?

[Nessa · Rating 4 out of 5]

ANYONE WHO CLAIMED THIS STORY HAD ZERO CHEMISTRY, NEEDS TO HAVE THEIR LOVE LIFE CHECKED. SCENT OF OBSESSION WAS FOREPLAY IN THE MAKING - SENSUAL, DARK AND EROTICALLY ARTISTIC. It's not sex smack dab in your face. It's poetry.

I absolutely had no idea this was a trilogy, or I would have waited because that cliffhanger? It's got me tied up in knots!! So, yeah, you've been warned!!

SCENT TRILOGY WAS HEAVILY INFLUENCED BY A COMBINATION OF BEAUTY AND THE BEAST MEETS HADES & PERSEPHONE. TWO OF MY FAVOURITES? IT'S A 2-FOR-1 BOOKGASM!! HOW CAN I RESIST?!!

If you're a fan of dark romance/erotica and twisted, possessive, sometimes unhinged male leads? Hello friend, you've come to the right place! Otherwise, if you're a prude who enjoys fictional vanilla sex? Run along now, this is a story for mature readers with dark proclivities. Honestly, there was no BDSM shit here. It was dark because the story centered around man's many evil sins.

MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS, SO WATCH WHERE YOU'RE HEADED.

LILY was a mixture of innocence, seductress and a hint of wickedness. We all have a bit of evil in us, especially when we've been wronged. Left into the care of a horrible nunnery, Lily didn't have the best childhood growing up ever since her dearest mother passed away. Though her uncle's her only blood relative, he was unreliable and became the reason she fell into RADCLIFF'S hands. Lily's attraction to Radcliff was instant, if not poignant. Their love story would be a tragedy in the making with a nuance of a happy ending - hopefully. She reminded me of Persephone - Goddess of spring (affinity for flowers), sunlight and all goodness. Born with a talented nose, she dreams of becoming the world's most successful and renowned perfumer.

Like I said, Book One was foreplay in spades because only towards the end will our MCs consume their relationship, and that was JUST THE BEGINNING. Lily was forced to make a nefarious aphrodisiac for Radcliff as his vengeance against the foul men who were monsters beneath their skin, but she also stayed because she hoped he would change for the better. Lily was loyal, and no weak coward. She bravely seizes what she wants, never letting her fear take control. I love it when she challenged Radcliff, even at her own peril.

RADCLIFF was a conundrum. A delicious mystery, with the temper and workings of the Devil. I'm still uncertain if Scent of Obsession could be categorized as paranormal because there were moments it seemed...supernatural. Little do we know, Radcliff and Lily had history before, only their identities were unknown to each other then. 8 years later, they meet again, in much...strenuous circumstances. Radcliff doesn't play nice. He hates humans. Period. He was literally the Devil who kept all the powerful men's secrets, playing intermediator and also manipulating behind the scenes for his own convenience. He had no weakness, until Lily. Be warned, Radcliff's crazy obsessive with Lily once they acknowledged their attraction, to the point where he wasn't above killing. Though he wasn't the stalkerish obsessive type, more like the caveman MINE type.

The best part about him? While they have yet to say I LOVE YOU, but hey, actions speak louder than words right? Despite how much he tried to fight it, Radcliff loved Lily enough to let her go. Thus, you can imagine how heartbroken I am to be left on this lonely cliff(hanger)....

OVERALL I LOVED IT!! Story did start off slow in terms of the skinship...heck even a kiss or two would be nice, but it was a slow-burn foreplay that builds - the kind that keeps you anticipating for the other shoe to drop. Was the story or characters perfect? Well, can any story ever have perfection? I ABSOLUTELY CAN'T WAIT FOR THE THIRD BOOK, I HOPE WE'LL HAVE UPDATES SOON, BECAUSE IT'S NEAR OCTOBER 2023, AND WE'VE YET TO SEE A RELEASE DATE FOR BOOK 3.