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A review by nicolemhewitt
The Secret of a Heart Note by Stacey Lee
5.0
This review and many more can be found on my blog: Feed Your Fiction Addiction
This utterly unique book would best be described as magical realism: It’s a perfect blend of contemporary romance and a fantastical twist, which makes it appealing to fans of multiple genres (because it never really goes too far in either direction).
The synopsis describes the book well, so I’m going to jump straight to my review!
What Fed My Addiction:
Everything described in smells.
I thought I might get a bit tired of this, but I didn’t at all. Absolutely everything that happens in this book has an olfactory description because that’s how Mim experiences the world. She recognizes emotions through smells (which definitely helps in her line of work), and she recognizes a person’s scent (and, often, an object’s too). I loved imagining how Mim “sees” the world and the descriptions really helped me experience her perspective!
An adorable romance.
If you love a sweet romance with minimal angst (which I definitely find refreshing sometimes), this is the book for you! That doesn’t mean that there weren’t obstacles or conflict in the romance, but this is an overall light read that will just plain make you happy! The love interest is sweet and an all-around great guy, and I couldn’t help but hope that he and Mim would work things out and end up together in the end.
Complex familial relationships.
I understood why Mim was hesitant to tell her mom the truth about what was going on, but since she was playing with other people’s lives, I kind of wished that she’d been more responsible about admitting to her mistakes. But, then again, the way this story developed is probably a lot more true to life than a good girl character who is wholly and completely good. Mim makes mistakes. Her mom makes mistakes. Their relationship is a bit messy at times, and the relationship with Mim’s aunt is even more so. Still, the book shows us how family relationships can be imperfect and still be based on love.
What Left Me Hungry for More:
Tell the truth!
Like I said earlier, I wished that Mim would have been a bit more honest about everything since there were people’s lives hanging in the balance. But I get why Mim hid the truth for so long.
This creative tale was chock-full of adorable! I give it an enthusiastic 4/5 stars!
***Disclosure: I received this book from the publisher via Edelweiss (and a physical copy via the YA Fandom Frenzy @ Anderson’s Bookshop) in exchange for an honest review. No other compensation was given and all opinions are my own.***
This utterly unique book would best be described as magical realism: It’s a perfect blend of contemporary romance and a fantastical twist, which makes it appealing to fans of multiple genres (because it never really goes too far in either direction).
The synopsis describes the book well, so I’m going to jump straight to my review!
What Fed My Addiction:
Everything described in smells.
I thought I might get a bit tired of this, but I didn’t at all. Absolutely everything that happens in this book has an olfactory description because that’s how Mim experiences the world. She recognizes emotions through smells (which definitely helps in her line of work), and she recognizes a person’s scent (and, often, an object’s too). I loved imagining how Mim “sees” the world and the descriptions really helped me experience her perspective!
An adorable romance.
If you love a sweet romance with minimal angst (which I definitely find refreshing sometimes), this is the book for you! That doesn’t mean that there weren’t obstacles or conflict in the romance, but this is an overall light read that will just plain make you happy! The love interest is sweet and an all-around great guy, and I couldn’t help but hope that he and Mim would work things out and end up together in the end.
Complex familial relationships.
I understood why Mim was hesitant to tell her mom the truth about what was going on, but since she was playing with other people’s lives, I kind of wished that she’d been more responsible about admitting to her mistakes. But, then again, the way this story developed is probably a lot more true to life than a good girl character who is wholly and completely good. Mim makes mistakes. Her mom makes mistakes. Their relationship is a bit messy at times, and the relationship with Mim’s aunt is even more so. Still, the book shows us how family relationships can be imperfect and still be based on love.
What Left Me Hungry for More:
Tell the truth!
Like I said earlier, I wished that Mim would have been a bit more honest about everything since there were people’s lives hanging in the balance. But I get why Mim hid the truth for so long.
This creative tale was chock-full of adorable! I give it an enthusiastic 4/5 stars!
***Disclosure: I received this book from the publisher via Edelweiss (and a physical copy via the YA Fandom Frenzy @ Anderson’s Bookshop) in exchange for an honest review. No other compensation was given and all opinions are my own.***