Super, super repetitive read. Most of the book was just being retold in different ways and it wasn't actually new plot. The pacing had issues, the characters were not relatable and whined a LOT.

Really enjoyed this one, super interesting concept with her losing her sense of smell essential to her job as a perfumier, and I loved the exploration of family dynamics and returning to a before life.

"Scent of a Garden" by Namrata Patel is an exhilarating novel that takes readers on a sensory and emotional rollercoaster. With a compelling narrative that intertwines family, self-discovery, and the risks one must take in life, Patel delivers a captivating story that resonates with the fragrances of love, loss, and renewal.

Asha "Poppy" Patel, the protagonist, faces a daunting challenge as her keen sense of smell, crucial for her career as a Parisian perfumer, suddenly disappears. The narrative skillfully weaves between the lush fragrances of Paris and the familial ties of Napa Valley, creating a rich tapestry of Poppy's journey back to her roots. The author masterfully captures the essence of scent, immersing the reader in a world where fragrance becomes a metaphor for rediscovery.

The exploration of Poppy's return home adds layers of complexity to the plot. The once vibrant aromatic garden, a symbol of Poppy's initial connection to her gift, has been uprooted and destroyed. Patel cleverly uses this as a metaphor for the severed ties with her past, setting the stage for a compelling tale of reconciliation and healing.

The character development in "Scent of a Garden" is commendable. Poppy's struggle to reconcile with her family's expectations and her own desires adds depth to the narrative. The tension between her mother's vicarious aspirations and her father's desire for her to embrace the family legacy creates a compelling backdrop for Poppy's journey of self-discovery.

The novel expertly navigates through family drama, childhood friendships, and past love, showcasing Poppy's resilience in the face of challenges. The pacing is well-balanced, allowing the reader to savor the unfolding of the story while maintaining a sense of anticipation.

Ultimately, "Scent of a Garden" is a four-star read that seamlessly blends the sensory delights of the perfume world with a heartfelt exploration of family dynamics and personal growth. Namrata Patel's evocative writing style and compelling storytelling make this novel a delightful and immersive experience, leaving readers with the lingering fragrance of a beautifully crafted narrative.

Thank you Lake Union Publishing and NetGalley for this ARC!

I really enjoyed this story. It's not my normal realm of fantasy but I've been trying to branch out and diversify more. This was a perfect read for that. I enjoyed learning some of the history and seeing the family dynamic, so completely different from mine. The pressure put upon Asha was familiar though. The self discovery of Asha was written so wonderfully. I could feel what she was feeling and the satisfaction of the final discovery and decision. Definitely the perfect read when in a life rut.

By looking into my previous reviews, it would be easy to see that I have a tough time liking books written by authors of Indian origins and written about immigrant families from India. I do not always end up liking them as much as I would want to, and just for surprising me, this book has to be rated the way I am.
All the characters in this book were very realistic. There were nuances and shades to all of them. No one person was exactly the way they might have been perceived the first time around.
Asha Patel is the standard overachiever from a South-Asian family - the only difference being her profession. She was groomed from an early stage to go with her (super-strong) nose and become a perfumer. As a side effect of COVID, at the beginning of the book, she has lost her sense of smell and ends up presenting a fragrance that she knows technically works. Only when she sees the other people's reactions, she knows she is not going to get a promotion any time soon.
She heads home for a forced break. Home is the US, where she is the second generation of American-born children in her family. Her grandmother is someone who has always understood her, her father entirely too distant, and her mother seems to be overly attached to the role of a perfumer. She goes home thinking she knows how everyone will react, but people surprise her in both good and bad ways.
There is also a romantic interest from her past that is literally waiting at her door when she gets back as well.
The community described here is a mix of family and friends like family. There are a lot of conversations that come up during the narrative that seem both entertaining and interesting while adding something to the central plot as well.
Asha/Poppy is someone who has been so goal-oriented throughout her life that most of it has passed her by. She is having to look at her past and future with a fresh perspective and reorganize her life - a task easier said than done. Although her restructuring is done well, I think I liked the overall cast and the interactions even more than just the central story. There is a good balance between some stereotypes without making it seem too cliched.
This is the first book I have read by the author, and given that her previous work is even more highly rated than this one, I would want to read that one, too.
I highly recommend this to fans of the genre.
I received an ARC thanks to NetGalley and the publishers, but the review is entirely based on my own reading experience.

This well-written book is all about family relationships and following your dreams. It was very easy to relate to because everyone struggles with family pressures and figuring out what they want to do in life. I enjoyed reading about Asha’s struggles, how she eventually figured out what she wanted in life, and how her family relationships were mended. I also liked her second chance love interest, Neel who helped her along her journey to happiness.

Thank you to NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for the ARC in exchange for my honest review!

I truly enjoyed this novel! From the entirely feasible circumstances the protagonist finds herself in after surviving her COVID infection to the greater journey towards finding what made her happy without it being related to a role she inhabited, this book achieves a lot in a concise narrative. We get an in-depth look into her dynamics with her family, her family's missteps with her and with each other, the competitiveness of their family business and how it drives their choices, the list goes on.

I loved the relationships in this story and how they formed the family. The plot was very interesting and well paced.
Many thanks to Lake Union Publishing and to Netgalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

A deeply immersive, beautifully told tale that delves into identity, Indian-American culture, and complex relationships. Patel's characters are flawed, intricate, and utterly compelling. Loved this book just as much as her first one, The Candid Life of Meena Dave.

Poppy feels familial pressure to be the best in her career. Covid cost her sense of smell which impacts her job causing her to revaluate her life goals. An okay read.

******************I received an ARC for my honest opinion from NetGalley.*********************

A book about a perfumer who has lost her sense of smell, returns to the Napa countryside, and turns to her grandmother's garden to find herself....how could I not love this?! Seriously, this was such a lovely read. I found Asha to be a really compelling and relatable character as she struggles to find her place both within her family and career. I definitely related to a lot of Asha's conflicted feelings about living as an expat and realizing that life still goes on around you; things will never fully be the same when you return home!

I have to admit that I had no prior knowledge of how the perfume industry works, so I found this book to be pretty insightful in showing the reader the environment of such a career. It was especially interesting to see how this specific aspect of the story becomes a focal point for Asha realizing her frustrations with the corporate world and the capitalistic mindset of her industry. I loved how this was contrasted with her experiences in Napa where she was afforded the time and space to pursue passions and examine her life and family relationships. As an avid tea drinker, I especially loved how tea became a comfort hobby for Asha that was something just for herself.

While many aspects of this story made for a cozy reading experience, the author also infused this story with much more serious subject matter. Beyond Asha's dissatisfaction with capitalism, we also see Asha re-examine her familial relationships and friendships. I found the conversations she had with her mother and grandmother to be so incredibly realistic and humanizing; it can be hard to realize that our parents and grandparents are people beyond their association with us. I liked how the author explored these complicated family dynamics without excusing toxicity, yet also discussing the generational social, cultural, and colonial effects on many of our characters and their relationships to one another. I also felt like most of the characters were well-rounded. Asha was a very dynamic character and I loved her character arc throughout the novel. I found Asha's family and Neel to also be well-developed. Yet, I think her best friend Millie needed a bit more character development as she seemed one-dimensional for most of the book. I also wish there had been a bit more focus on developing the adult friendship of Millie and Asha because sometimes it was difficult to remember how close they really were. Furthermore, I really with there had been more time and space given in developing the romantic subplot of this book as I didn't particularly feel the chemistry between these two characters until essentially the end of the book.

Overall, this had a good balance of heartwarming characters, cheesy comedic moments, and more serious discussions about family and autonomy. It was a really enjoyable read that I highly recommend, but readers be warned that this is more contemporary than romance.

Different, but familiar. Very interested and relieved to read about someone else’s extended experience with covid nose, for one thing. The Desi family details and dynamics are an interesting and refreshing change from reading so many white-centered novels, although many family dynamics are universal and relatable. Pretty settings and passes the bechdel test, although ultimately falls into the neatly-tied-up category at the end. Would have liked more emotional description in addition to dialogue, and an expansion of the complex feelings such a loss generates. But still a nice read.
Thanks to NetGalley for my copy!

I can say this is probably one of the only books I've read that included COVID that actually had it make sense to the plot of the story (along with 56 days and Wish You Were Here). Our MC loses her sense of smell and can no longer perform her job as a perfumer (SUCH A COOL IDEA!). I was hooked!


I received an advance copy. All thoughts are my own.

I found this story endearing, about finding yourself, and what is important. I always wonder how perfume is made, now I know why it is so expensive. Seems a perfumer is so complex, and you need a great nose. Poppy has that gifted nose till she gets covid and loses her sense of smell, so she returns home to help her recover.

Her grandmother has her tend to her aromatic gardening, which is starting to bring healing in many ways, including what she really wants to do.

This story is about doing what your parents think is right for you but maybe they have been wrong. Soul searching story that is relatable, finding yourself in the middle of family drama.

Thank you to NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for a copy of this book for my honest review.

Honestly at first I was about to dnf this book because it simply felt full of redundant parts and boring, with the main character repeating the same actions, routines and going over the same musings basically in each chapter. The characters feel somewhat like clichés and I didn't find them likeable or relatable, even if they have very relatable problems. Around 60% of the book, the plot becomes more captivating and not so predictable, with some interesting details that give emotional depth to the narration (hence 3 stars and not less).

I loved the structure of this book. Asha's career, her family, the element of covid, and its repercussions. However, Asha felt encredibly selfish and entitled, placing blame across the board, and feeling hard done by when her family didn't bend to the change in her life trajectory

This is a book for people who are looking for a story that centers on redeveloping family relationships, figuring out who you really are not who you were raised to be and a little hint of spice free second chance romance.

Here is the set up: Asha has been "Super Nose" all her life and has prepped to become a master perfumer in Paris. After a mild bout of covid kills her sense of smell she finds her self heading back home on a work mandated vacation. "Home" in this case includes 2 Nanis who want to help her, a father who wants her to run the hotel that's been in their family for generations and a mother who seems to only want to get her back to Paris. Add a workoholic best friend and her older brother (who is also an ex) and Asha has her time filled. While trying to rest and recover Asha finally has the chance to think and ponder if the path that she's been chasing since childhood really is the right path for her.

My Take: This hit me in the feels! Along with an interesting premise that pulls from the recent pandemic but isn't overwhelmed by it I could relate so much with Asha who left home at 18 and watched her family from afar as they created a culture (including a very active group text) without her. I don't think that was something the author intended to hit me too hard in the heart but it did. The characters were well developed, I loved the examination of the relationship between Asha, her mother, and her grandmother. And while there was a hint of romance in the story it wasn't the biggest point of the novel, just something extra to top it off.

If there is one thing I wish had been a little different it would have been Asha's treatment of her ex. Yes be mean and dismissive a time or two if you must to demonstrate character growth but to have her do it over and over again was the biggest unlikability point for me.

Overall great book! I recommend it - I also recommend having some lovely tea on hand to enjoy because the writing of the beautiful gardens and tea blends really put me in the mood for it!

Thank you Netgalley for a copy of an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Scent of a Garden is a complex story of life, love, family expectations, and how to cope when you’ve lost a big piece of your identity.

Ever since she was a young girl, Asha had the gift of super smell, being able to identify scents with just a sniff which set her on a path to being a perfumer. Guided by her mother and her paternal grandmother, Asha moved to Paris and now works for a well known company and has been charged with developing a new fragrance for a big client, unfortunately after a bout of Covid-19 Asha lost her sense of smell and it hasn’t returned. She’s relied on her notes and calculations to develop the fragrance and failed miserably. Her boss has mandated she take a month off and reassigns the development to someone else. Feeling out of place, out of sorts, and fearing the loss of her profession, Asha decides to return home to the Napa Valley of California even though she knows admitting her problem with only bring more problems for her.

I enjoyed this book quite a bit despite having a hard time liking Asha for a big part of it. To me Asha came across as spoiled, mean spirited, and lacking consideration for others. At times her behavior really bothered me especially in her interactions with her parents and her ex-boyfriend, Neel. She was sweet and lovely to Leela (her paternal grandmother), Mimi (Neel’s grandmother), and her best friend Millie (who is also Neel’s sister), but wow she said some pretty awful things to Neel throughout this book. I did like that she grew during this story and she learned why her father, Sanjay, was distant and why her mother, Sapna, put so much pressure on her to try different things to regain her sense of smell. There was an interesting family dynamic and things Asha wasn’t privy to that allowed her to follow the career path her mother and grandmother set her on instead of following in her father’s footsteps to take over the boutique hotel that was started by his grandfather.

Then there was her relationship with Neel; in high school they secretly dated with only his sister knowing they were an item. They were each other’s firsts in everything and then Asha left for Paris and they pretty much avoided each other when Asha visited which wasn’t often. Throughout this book Neel and Asha had a lot of painful conversations in which she said hurtful and hateful things to him, things that his father often said about him and I just couldn’t figure out how she could do that to someone she once cared about, someone she grew up with. There was chemistry between them and while she seemed good to act on it Neel refused because he knew she would return to Paris as soon as she got her sense of smell back.

I loved the time she spent in Sonanum, the garden that was part of Goldfield, the family’s hotel, with her grandmother. The memories she had of days tending it with her as a child and where her grandmother figured out she had Hyperosmia. The longer she was in Napa, it became clear how much Asha missed being near her family, she began to question her chosen career, and she began to explore something she truly enjoyed doing.

I appreciated this look into the family dynamics of this Indian American family and the pressure one feels to make them proud while also trying to forge your own way. There were some heavy topics covered in this book but those were tempered with the lighter ones featuring The Nanis of Napa which included Asha’s grandmother and Mimi.

Scent of a Garden was a beautiful story filled with interesting characters, family drama, a bit of romance, and best of all finding your passion.

Scent of a Garden by Namrata Patel. Asha Poppy Patel comes back to her hometown to try to recover her scent of smell after her bout with COVID. I enjoyed the story full of romance, the love of her grandmothers and the love of her parents. It was a beautiful story.

Set in a very accomplished, high achieving family of migrants now well settled in America,
expectations for children are very high. This family was no different. Add to that
conflicts between parents where a wife has taken second place to her husbands business,
is also another reason why Asha's mother pushed her daughter away from the family
business and into a line of work in which she had a natural affinity for.


Asha has returned home in a state of confusion and frustration. Working as a perfumier
in Paris her nose and sense of smell is all important. Losing that after a covid attack
is saying goodbye to her career. Coming home was a chance for her to rest regroup, decide
what to do.


The story of Asha, her dreams and a family supportive but still demanding and how she
is going to steer a path between love of her job, her love for family and the love
she has for someone which she has buried deep within her is this book. Making peace with
a father she never understood, a mother whose determination was pushy, and the loss
of a garden which meant so much to Asha are features of this read.


Interesting take on an unusual career and very descriptive of California itself.