The Perfumer's Secret by Fiona SchneiderSynopsis: “In order to save her family’s future, Stella Penhallam is forced to uncover the secrets of their past…  With her family’s perfumery in dire straits, Stella Penhallam needs a miracle. So, when her great-aunt’s journal from 1940s Paris lands on her desk, Stella realises that the missing pages could hold the answers she seeks. In 1939, as war breaks out across Europe, Iris Penhallam is forced into an impossible situation, one that will cause her world to come crashing down. Paris is no longer safe, and when her mentor’s family is at risk from Mussolini’s fascist thugs, Iris must find a way to save them. Using her role as a perfumer, she travels to Italy on the Orient Express under the guise of creating five exotic scents with her partner, Alessandro. Five scents that are lost to the war along with the man she loves. As Stella delves deeper into the past, the two lives of these women intertwine in the present and the five lost scents will forge the start of their future…”

My Review

I loved the author’s debut The Paris Affair, last year, so I couldn’t resist this second book. It’s also a dual timeline historical romance, but this time set in 1939 and 1996. 

I liked Iris and Stella, both independent women, but in completely different eras. I enjoyed both storylines but the 1939 storyline had slightly more drama, because of Europe being on the brink of war, although the 1996 plot had it’s own twists and turns as well. 

I loved discovering the family secrets, alongside Stella as the story progressed. I guessed some of the twists, but it didn’t matter as I was caught up in the story right from the start.

The romances between Iris and Alessandro in 1939, and Stella and Bruno in 1996, mirrored each other perfectly, especially as Stella and Bruno followed Iris’s journey. I loved the way this was written, as it added a real air of mystery to the story. Both romances were slow burns and complicated, but I enjoyed that as it made them feel more real.

Highly recommended if you enjoy dual timeline historical romances set in Europe. I can’t wait to see what the author writes next!

Thanks so much to Michael Joseph and NetGalley for my digital ARC.

Book 10 of 20 Books of Summer 2025