Scent – Isabel Costello

“Understated & Tender”

💜💜💜

Scent isn’t my usual type of storyline, but it’s well-written and portrays the elegance of Parisian life in an intriguing way. The narrative itself, on the surface seems quite simple – lost loves and troubled families, the base notes have numerous complexities sewn into the writing – touching on race, class, sexuality in very touching and honest approaches. There is a soft, gentleness to the writing, which gives it a genuine feel, with the descriptive nature of the storyline itself, really helping to bring out the story. It does take a while to get into it, due to it being quite uneventful initially, and a slow burn through most of the book, but its a poignant storyline, that considering I don’t visit the ‘family drama’ genre too often, is enough to make me want to check it out again in future.