The following observation falls under personal preference: I think the one weakness is that this engaging and beautifully told story deserves a more satisfactory conclusion (however, other reviewers have disagreed with me!). This explains why I didn’t give five full stars. In the white bowl, the paper caught fire, burning like a desperate flower, blooming and dying at the same time. Its scents came on tendrils of smoke, wrapping themselves around me. What do you think the story of the Nightingale means to John? To Emmeline? Why do you think John cut it from the book?

The Scent Keeper by Erica Bauermeister is a beautifully written novel! The prose are poetic and lyrical. Some of the descriptions of scene and scent are so detailed that you feel transported to another world. It was fascinating to read the descriptions of how something smells. It’s not an easy task to describe a specific scent with words but Bauemeister does so elegantly. Special thanks to Net Galley& St. Martin’s Press for providing our free copy in exchange for an honest & fair review. However, there were a couple things that I didn't like. First, the characters were flat and most of them were incredibly selfish, with the exception of Henry and Colette, who were essentially used and underappreciated by Emmaline. Other things were unbelievable, such as the main character understanding the underlying desires and motivations of random people in a store while having been a teenage girl who spent most of her life isolated from other people. The interactions between the characters were frustrating at times because there were unnecessary amounts of secrecy at every turn - like I get having secrets, but it was too much (this is coming from someone who is from a highly reserved family in the rural Midwest). A few months ago, I was invited to participate in the blog tour for this book and after reading the summary, I accepted the invite even though I did have a little bit of hesitation about the story. The reason for my hesitation was because I had never before read any books or stories that revolved entirely around scents and smells and wondered what kind of a story this would turn out to be. Also, reading the summary, I got the impression at first that this would lean toward magical realism more than anything else, which is not a genre that I read a whole lot in, so I was a little concerned that I might struggle through this one. Well, it turns out I need not have worried, as this book was nothing like I imagined it and in the end, I not only devoured this one, I actually fell in love with the story as well as most of its characters. As she grows older her natural adventurous side takes over. She starts to explore the island and discover secrets that her father never shared with her. A life changing accident changes everything for Emmeline. Her life as she knew it was all a lie. She doesn’t know who she is, or even her father for that matter. Emmeline must take a trip to discover who she is, where she came from, and find the one person who can possibly answer all her questions. Will she find what she’s looking for, or only be more confused in the end? THE VERDICT

Erica Bauermeister

Finally, he agreed. He took out a leather book filled with numbers and carefully added one to the list. Then he turned to the wall of drawers, pondering his choice. What brings joy to your heart and mind? Is it the sight of someone you love, the look of the holidays, or is it the smells which engender in your heart and mind the things that you love? Think of the smell of turkey roasting in the oven (bet your mouth has started to water!), of pine, the scent of Christmas trees, of a winter's day, of a new baby, so warm and sweet smelling like the best flower ever, or the outdoors on a crisp autumn day. Don't these smells make you come alive? You could close your eyes and still feel that love and longing for the times these smells gave to you. Look outside and inhale the air. Smell the smell of Spring, the flowers, the trees, the air filled with the promise of awakening. I remembered that morning. It was the first time I ever saw the machine. I must have been three, maybe four years old. I'd woken up and seen my father, standing in the middle of the room, a box in his hands, bright and shiny and magical. I remembered racing across the floor, my bare feet tingling from the chill.

There had been a time in my life when I had felt grown-up, capable. Now I was too scared of the world outside to leave the house. I stayed in my room mostly, telling myself the stories from my father's book of fairy tales. The girl in the red cloak, running through the trees. The genie waiting in the bottle, growing more powerful with time. The children, lost in the woods with only breadcrumbs to help them. I spoke the words in my mind, as if they could tell me how to navigate this place I'd found myself in, but the best they could do was help me forget. Still, I returned to the stories, wishing for something that would never come. An ending that had already happened." Scents have the power to evoke memories and powerful emotions. Certain smells can transport me to special moments in time and place. Wouldn’t it be wonderful if we could bottle them and save them forever? Emmaline and her father live on a remote island where they are immersed in nature, and they did just that. The last of the paper crumbled to ash. I stood there, trying to remember what had happened next- but I couldn't. Did my father show me the machine, or did we go outside and chop wood?I inhaled, and Victoria's kitchen disappeared around me. It was early morning in the cabin, winter; I could smell the woodstove working to keep the frost at bay. My father had fed the sourdough starter, and the tang of it played off the warm scent of coffee grounds. I could smell my own warmth in the air, rising from the blankets I'd tossed aside. Emmeline’s father strives to preserve memories through scent. Emmeline’s mother uses scent to influence others. Rene is trying to re-create scents that are disappearing in the modern world. What are the up- and downsides to their actions? You like it," Claudia said. For the first time, she seemed pleased with me. "Do you know what that is, that note you're searching for?"