The Lost Perfumes of Paris

by Christine Wells

Set against the backdrop of mid-century Parisian glamour and the timeless art of perfumery, a captivating tale of resilience, love, and the intoxicating pursuit of passion. Élodie Limeaux's beloved mother, Aurore, was the most legendary perfumer in France before World War II, renowned for the exquisite fragrances she created for the family company, the House of Limeaux. Now in her twenties, Élodie longs to join the family business. Her father, however, has refused to let her follow in her late mother's footsteps and Élodie has had to fight to become a mere lab assistant at Limeaux. But Élodie plans to enter the Essence of Paris contest run by the French Perfume Institute, hoping that a win will secure investment from Swiss banker Monsieur Caspari, who is looking to launch a new scent for women—and possibly to buy the House of Limeaux. Impressed with Élodie's drive and talent, Caspari agrees to back her, provided that she collaborates with his son, Marcelo. Élodie is forced to agree, although Marcelo strikes her as a wealthy dilettante—albeit an extremely charming one.

When they join forces, though, Élodie is surprised to discover Marcelo's passion for perfume is genuine, his obsession as deep as hers. With Marcelo by her side, Élodie battles family betrayals and corporate sabotage, searching for that elusive essence of Paris that will launch her career...and possibly the love of a lifetime.

Genres: Historical Fiction

Kindle Edition

About the author

Christine Wells is a former corporate lawyer who exchanged contracts and prospectuses for a different kind of fiction.

Undergoing life-saving brain surgery as a 2 year old made her want to be a brain surgeon when she grew up. However, a love of the humanities, particularly English history and literature, not to mention the fact she wasn’t great with blood, made her revise that plan.

Christine had always been interested in the law and after winning a half-scholarship to Bond University in a high school moot competition, she decided to follow in her father’s footsteps and become a solicitor. Having completed her Bachelor’s degree, Christine worked for city law firms advising on capital raising and mergers and acquisitions.

While still working as a lawyer, she started her first novel, a historical murder mystery which is now (thankfully) lost in the bowels of a defunct hard drive. Eventually, Christine set her sights on publication in the United States, where it seemed British-set historical romance was highly popular. A keen devotee of Georgette Heyer novels, Christine decided to give these a try.

Ten years later, she is an award-winning author with ten novels published by major New York publishers, St. Martin’s Press and Penguin. These novels have been translated (variously) into German, Japanese, Dutch, Spanish, Russian and Portuguese.

Now, a change in direction sees Christine combining her abiding interest in the law and her passion for English history in one novel, THE WIFE’S TALE.

Christine lives with her husband (also a lawyer) and two sons in Brisbane, Australia.

Reviews

[Literary Redhead · Rating 5 out of 5]

Christine Wells writes the most gorgeous histfic books set in Paris, with this latest a perfect example of her stunning work. I loved this tale with perfume, romance, and business intrigue set against the backdrop of the City of Light in the last midcentury. Completely absorbing!

[Brie Davidson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Elegantly romantic. Elodie is ahead of her time and with the dismissal of her father, Fabrice, she is set to create a perfume that will capture the essence of Paris with the help of her mothers journals. Elodie is true to herself and is captivated by Marcelo. They team up and travel for inspiration and maybe a romance blossoms. Set in 1950s on Paris, will Elodie gain her father's blessing?

[Karen · Rating 5 out of 5]

thoroughly enjoyed this enchanting story about the history of perfumes and perfumers in Paris in the 1950’s. The story of Elodie, a young aspiring perfumer working in her father’s business was a fascinating read. I enjoyed reading about how perfumes are developed utilizing different scents and formulations, the work and techniques that are required, such as having a “ nose” for scents and how a perfumer has to protect that nose. This story was also interesting showing the difficulties women faced in gaining access in this industry and I am sure in other areas of industry. I thought that this story moved at a good pace, I enjoyed all the characters and the development of the story with the romance added in and also the background of the competition amongst the different companies.. I would highly recommend this well written story. Thanks to NetGalley.

[Heidi Pliwko · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a lovely book, I didn’t want it to end! I enjoyed reading about the making of perfume and the history of French perfume and perfumists.

Thank you to NetGalley for an Advanced Readers Copy in exchange for my honest opinion.

[Karina Peacock · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely Loved this story!!

Fabulous Characters, gorgeous fashion, beautiful Perfumes!

This book had me reading till way past my bedtime!

Set in Paris and Grasse in France took me on a journey into the making of Perfumes and dealt with Family conflicts!