Reviews

The Perfume Garden by Kate Lord Brown

mandyb_75's review against another edition

4.0

I loved this book! I almost stopped at the beginning because the characters weren't making sense to me as each chapter goes back and forth from the 1930's to present day. Once it grabbed me, I was captivated.

alelopezelias's review against another edition

adventurous emotional informative lighthearted slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

jaquirose's review against another edition

5.0

The beginning started slow so I thought I was going to drag through it. Once I got to Chapter 10, I couldn't put it down. It ended up being one of my favorite books! Great find in a used bookstore.

patlibrary89's review against another edition

4.0

Enjoyed the imagery of Spain and about the war between Spain and France. Vivid explanations of details. I actually read it in the Bahamas in January of 2017 but we used it for our bookclub book for April 2017 for Jenny wood bookclub

llm's review against another edition

emotional lighthearted reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

emmas_bookshelf's review against another edition

5.0

I really enjoy a good historical fiction book that looks at a family’s multiple generations past/present. This book takes a look at the Spanish Civil War, a modern British woman, and is full of compelling and lovable characters you will cheer for. The way scent and memories are tied is a wonderful part of the story, and makes me want to spend some time in a garden, and maybe find my own signature scent!

juneyard's review

emotional informative lighthearted reflective slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.25

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Death of parent, Misogyny, Violence, and War

Minor: Rape

readbyashleyd's review against another edition

4.0

I absolutely loved this book! I'm a big fan of historical fiction and it was refreshing to read a story set in a period I'm not familiar with. I'm also a big fan of family secrets and this book most definitely had heaps of that! I also quite enjoyed that it flipped from past to present, it made the book go by quite quickly. And I really enjoyed learning more about the art of perfume as it's something I know nothing about and have never encountered before in a book.

grauspitz's review

4.0

The only real flaw I saw with this book was the lack of perfume involved with the overall story, especially with the name of 'The Perfume Garden' but that is something I can easily overlook in favour of the better aspects.

Because other than that I absolutely loved the story, all the characters I found were unique with unique backstories and seemed to all mesh together in one way or another. I have not read a single book on the Spanish civil war, and if anything this book was an introduction to the topic, leaving me to want to know more - to learn why the war went the way it did.

I honestly expected a mostly romance book but instead I was given a book about understanding family and the secrets that they may hold. It was a breath of fresh air to me compared to what else I've been reading.

louisekf's review against another edition

3.0

This book bounces back and forth between present-day (well, 2001-2002) and the 1930s, in London and Spain. The two threads intertwine and although I was able to guess the "mystery" that linked them, I still enjoyed the book. I learned a lot about the Spanish Civil War along the way.