Status Updates From Das Haus der Düfte

Skimming

That same paragraph given a bit of passion from AI:
In just one short year, the house stood proudly among the other elegant villas lining the boulevard. It was a magnificent palace, boasting grandeur with its majestic turrets and expansive windows. The first floor was adorned with countless guest rooms that spanned along a seemingly endless hallway. Upstairs, the Girard family had created a sanctuary like no other...

A paragraph as translated by me-
Within the year the house did amongst the other villas on the boulevard. A palace with turkeys and large windows. On the first floor where innumerable guestrooms on a long hallway. The family Girard had decorated the upper floor with furniture from exotic woods, velvet seats, and a canopy bed. Antoine and Odette slept in a nursery nearby, painted in a light color. 🥱

It has nothing but positive reviews, all told an average of around 4.25 stars. I've perused the reviewers and their 2023 reads and I have to say, if one reads nearly 200 books in a year but your average review is 4 stars (or more)... I start to think your 4 star means nothing more than "acceptable". Sigh.

Aaargh. I feel like this book is cruising toward a DNF. I'm so sick of hearing about how everything has a smell and perfume perfume perfume and being told about everything while having no opportunity to actual see and feel what's going on. No connection to the characters at this point. If anything, they are annoying me. Except for Anouk's mom and her OCD. But it's annoying that it doesn't seem to be properly handled.