Full Bloom by Francesca Serritella surprised me by being far better than I expected it to be. I don't typically like romance books--they often have that same tired plot in which two people who strongly dislike each end up in bed 10% of the way through.

I appreciated the layered plot that gave us a very nuanced look into all the ways the main character, Iris, experienced change in her life because of a difficult relationship breakup and a bottle of perfume that gave her magical powers of being able to attract people. However, I could have done without all the sex scenes--they were a bit too much. Why is it most authors feel they have to give very detailed descriptions when it seems as if it often takes a bit away from a very good plot?

Life takes a sudden downturn for Iris Sunnegren when her hopes and dreams for her future suddenly become out of reach. Living in New York City is no longer as exciting as she had hoped. Her friends are all married with babies, a life she has long wished for. Her struggle to cover the cost of freezing her eggs so that she can one day become a mother is an uphill battle.
When a Frenchwoman gives her a special perfume, one quick dab of perfume behind her ears completely changes her life. She is suddenly the object of affection of the men she encounters. The magic powers of the perfume overcome her, likened to the Full Bloom of a flower.
She soon finds that the perfume's effects bring back childhood nightmares. Her life is radically changed as she begins a new job in real estate in New York, and she soon finds herself trapped in a high-energy, male-dominated world, far away from the safe world where her loving friends had once surrounded her.
A high-energy novel with twists and turns that will keep you reading until the surprising ending.

DNF I wanted to love this book but I couldn’t get into Iris or the story. I feel I may be too old for this storyline. Since I didn’t finish I will not post my review.

Thanks to NetGalley, the author and publisher for trusting me with an ARC of Full Bloom by Francesca Serritella. While I appreciate and applaud the creativity in this book, it I had a hard time getting into this book, a really hard time. I didn’t find the idea of attracting men with a special perfume believable. However, other aspects of the story, Iris’ past demons and its impact on her relationships , the corruption in the NYC housing authority and Iris’ relationships with her friends, I thought all of these were thoughtful and created an enjoyable and engaging book. I look forward to her other books. If her genes are any indication (Lisa Scottoline is her mom), Ms. Serritella will have an incredible writing career. I am honored to be a part of this first book.

Man, I want to shout out both a big thank you and I think I hate you to NetGalley and Random House for the ARC! I have just finished this book and my emotions are all tied up and twisted. I'm sad I'm an advance reader because I have no one to talk about it with, and I feel confident that the book, themes, and messages will stick with me for more than a few days.

This book filled with magical realism is whimsical in one moment and maybe requires trigger warnings in the next moment. It has hints of other beloved books, but is entirely its own book. My emotions traveled the gauntlet and I am convinced that Serritella is brilliant in her writing by how much I feel.

I can't wait to recommend it to others so I have some discussion partners. If I can't say happy reading, then I'll say call me when you finish.

This was another five star book from Francesca Serritella. Like her first book Ghosts of Harvard, this book had me hooked from beginning to end. This book is vastly different yet still as compelling. Some of the most beautiful writing, especially with the perfume aspect. But this book is so much more than that, it’s so much more than you think it is and takes you on such an adventure. Iris Sunnegren Is such a complex character and she grows as a person in the span of the book. I highly recommend this book.

A nice blend of intrigue and romance with the added educational bonus on the perfume industry and the art of glassblowing.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House for the ARC!

I’m so bummed to say this book didn’t work for me. I didn’t connect with Iris and wasn’t sold on the magical realism.

The storylines felt really disconnected to me and left me wondering what the point of the story was. I didn’t understand what I was supposed to glean from the story.

I didn’t find Iris to have much growth over the course of the story. I was also so disappointed that Mike was redeemed in the end, and Hannah’s racist comments were brushed over! That was crazy to me.

I did like the Wolff Dev plotline but it felt like it had nothing to do with anything else. That should’ve been the main focus of the story with the rest of the fluff cut out.

I love fragrance and the power of it but the way it was woven into the story didn’t feel authentic. I wanted Iris to have some real introspection about its impact but that fell short for me. Her story was both so deep but glossed over. I’m just confused.

Overall the book was too disjointed for my taste.

Full Bloom is a seductive and thought-provoking novel that explores the intoxicating allure of power, desire, and self-reinvention. Iris Sunnegren is a relatable and compelling protagonist—adrift in a city that seems to overlook her until a mysterious perfume transforms her world. With sharp prose and a flair for sensual detail, the author plunges readers into a heightened version of New York where charm becomes currency and confidence is chemically enhanced. Iris’s journey from invisibility to influence is both thrilling and unsettling, making this a standout read that balances ambition and introspection with ease.
Awarding this novel four stars, Full Bloom is immersive, original, and emotionally resonant, though occasionally the plot leans a little heavily on metaphor and glamour at the expense of pacing. Still, the deeper themes—about identity, trauma, and the seductive nature of power—linger long after the final page. It’s a modern fable wrapped in mystery and desire, asking bold questions about what we’re willing to risk to finally be seen.

I am not into romance books but this book had so much more to it. The book talks about perfume but the heart of this novel is about a young woman finding herself.

OH MY GOODNESS. This is going on my Everyone-Needs-to-Read shelf. This is a gorgeous story of the journey of remembering oneself. It's a romance of the self, first and foremost. This book is IMPORTANT.

Before I continue, big gratitude to NetGalley and Ballantine for allowing me to read this ARC.

This book had me feeling literally ALL the emotions: fulfilled, enchanted, excited, antsy, heartbroken, intense, joyful, proud, hopeful, grateful, nostalgic, SEEN, hungry (there's a certain scene where the food descriptions are impeccable), shocked, pissed, validated. For the majority of the book I found myself actively smiling, which doesn't happen terribly often with other books. A story having the ability to bring up all the emotions is one of the best qualities a book and author could have, in my opinion.

Our FMC is entirely relatable and so many archetypes are presented in supporting characters without it being overwhelming or annoying. Everything ties in so seamlessly and beautifully.

There were several mic drop moments, things that so many people need to hear, and the way this story delivers those golden nuggets is stunningly beautiful.

I adore the theme of fragrance being carried out so thoroughly. There are many situations that are brought to our attention in this story and it's abundantly clear that very thorough research was done to accurately reflect and articulate them. The symbolism of the fragrances and flowers is absolutely gorgeous, and one of my favorite things about it was that with the FMC's growing confidence, the amount of detail of her experiences, especially sexual, increased.

There were twists that I totally did not see coming. I had predictions that were not correct. These are two things that rarely happen for me, and gives this book even more reason for my praise.

Yet another reason for my praise is that this book is supportive and loving of LGBTQIA+

This was the first book in YEARS that I took notes as I went along, because it's just. that. good.

I will most definitely be pre-ordering a physical copy of this stellar book.

Full Bloom offered a more serious and thoughtful take on the love potion concept, ultimately guiding the main character, Iris, toward self-love. I especially enjoyed the parts that educated the reader about perfume and the powerful role scent plays in our lives. While the story did linger a bit too long in places and occasionally felt like it was trying too hard, overall it was a solid read—with a beautiful cover to match.

Thank you Random House Publishing- Ballantine, Netgalley , and Francesca for this e-arc copy of Full Bloom. I finished this one in a couple of days …. It was so good. I could not put it down. Highly recommend this one when it releases in August.

Iris Sunnegren is not where she thought she’d be—stalled in her career as a lighting designer, heartbroken, and watching from the sidelines as her peers seem to glide into lives of luxury and certainty. But when a mysterious French neighbor offers her a custom-made perfume, Iris’s world shifts—fragrance becomes a catalyst, and from the moment she dabs it on, she’s no longer invisible.

What follows is a gorgeously layered story of transformation—equal parts sultry and sharp, with a scent of something darker, always lingering just beneath the surface. The perfume doesn’t just amplify Iris’s confidence and allure—it unlocks doors. To high-powered clients. To new lovers. To rarified spaces, she once only lit from the shadows. But power, once tasted, has a cost. And what begins as empowerment gradually peels back into something more dangerous and emotionally raw.

The novel masterfully explores themes of femininity, ambition, and the fragility of self-worth in a culture obsessed with appearances. Iris’s journey is both heady and haunting—her rise is thrilling, and her unraveling is deeply human. The author handles the magical realism with finesse, using the perfume not as a gimmick but as a poetic metaphor for the latent power women are so often told to suppress.

Equally compelling is the backdrop: New York City’s glittering, cutthroat landscape, rendered with moody elegance—from the glow of dim steakhouses to the sharp edges of corporate boardrooms and the haze of memory-shrouded beach estates. As Iris climbs higher, her past begins to flicker back like smoke: a childhood fire, long-buried trauma, and the unsettling question of whether desire and destruction are sometimes the same.

This book is as intoxicating as its central perfume—lush, mysterious, and impossible to put down. Iris is a complex, flawed, and ultimately triumphant heroine whose path will resonate with anyone who’s ever craved more, feared their own potential, or wondered who they might become if nothing held them back.

It is a mesmerizing blend of magical realism, psychological drama, and social commentary. Bold, beautiful, and brimming with intrigue—this novel lingers like a signature scent long after the final page.

The publisher provided ARC via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Full Bloom by Francesca Serritella surprised me by being far better than I expected it to be. I don't typically like romance books--they often have that same tired plot in which two people who strongly dislike each end up in bed 10% of the way through.

I appreciated the layered plot that gave us a very nuanced look into all the ways the main character, Iris, experienced change in her life because of a difficult relationship breakup and a bottle of perfume that gave her magical powers of being able to attract people. However, I could have done without all the sex scenes--they were a bit too much. Why is it most authors feel they have to give very detailed descriptions when it seems as if it often takes a bit away from a very good plot?

Overall this was very good.

Since I don’t wear perfume I wasn’t sure I’d be interested in this book. The premise that a perfume can drastically alter your personality seemed a bit of a stretch. But I realized that can be true of any one thing- an experience, a book, music, etc. It can change the way you perceive and are perceived. The perfume changed Iris, in some ways that didn’t feel authentic. But it helped her understand herself better. I thought her journey was the focus, but there were lots of storylines that seemed unnecessary. Romance, corruption, mystery, fertility, etc. It could have been simpler but it still held my interest.

Thank you to NetGalley and Ballantine for the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

Full Bloom is a beautifully written, thought-provoking novel that blends magical realism with heartfelt emotional growth. Centered around Iris, a woman at a crossroads in life, the story takes off when she’s gifted a mysterious perfume that alters how the world sees her—and how she sees herself. Francesca Serritella masterfully explores themes of identity, desire, confidence, and female empowerment. The writing is lush, particularly in its sensory descriptions of scent and light. While the plot occasionally feels overstuffed and the ending abrupt, Iris’s journey is deeply engaging and inspiring. A unique and moving read perfect for fans of transformative character arcs.

Full Bloom

3.5⭐️ rounded up. I was very intrigued by the premise of this book and was fascinated by the exploration of fragrance and scent. In this story, Iris is struggling with the circumstances of her personal and professional lives. For her 35th birthday her enigmatic neighbor gifts her a perfume that changes her life in ways she couldn’t possibly imagine. Overall, I found the story to beautifully written and pleasant to read. However, I did feel like the story had a bit too much going on. From chapter to chapter, I sometimes felt like I was reading completely different stories. In the end, I loved how everything came together and how much Iris learned about herself along the way.

Thank you so much to Netgalley and Ballantine Books for an advanced copy of this book.

Full Bloom by Francesca Serritella. A well written book about perfume and so much more. It might have not been a top favorite read but still enjoyable.

Thank you NetGalley for a chance to read Full Bloom by Francesca Serritella. I enjoyed this book even though I found each character to be flawed. The story was a little far fetched, but it was still a book I’d recommend. . I don’t want to give away any part of the book, but the only criticism I have is it ended abruptly for me. I wanted more closure on certain characters and a certain situation. If there is another book following these characters, I will be reading it.