This was a super cute, sweet and short little romance that I highly enjoyed! It had banter, fake dating, meddling parents. I really disliked the FMCs mother at first, she was annoying but she got better. Overall, the relationship between the 2 main characters, even though it was quick, really developed in a natural way. Loved it.

Charming romcom, bit on the short side.

But one question nagged at me from the moment Caleb proposed a fake dating arrangement: why did Alexa not ask him: why not actually date?

This was a very cute novella! Loved the short chapters, really enjoyed the premise but felt like things progressed maybe a little too quickly - which I understand being a novella, things won't stretch out like in a novel, but it still felt a bit rushed in terms of development of the characters' feelings. I would still recommend this as a fun, light read. Especially with summer around the corner, it's a perfect quick read in between longer books or as a 'palate cleanser' after maybe a not great read.

This book is a delightful read filled with funny dialogues that had me laughing out loud. The characters are charming and easy to root for, the right amount of fluff. With its light tone and smooth pacing, it's a perfect pick for anyone looking for an easy, feel-good read! 🥰

This was a quick read, fun, romance withThis was a fun, quick, and easy read! I would love to read more about Caleb and Alexa and their adventures. Atkins did a great job keeping the reader engaged with the perfect amount of background for each character and aspect of the story. This easily could have been dragged out to a couple of hundred pages. It is going to be difficult to read a lengthy novel after this.

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This was a fun, cute, sweet story. I enjoyed it a lot!

A cute & quick read, perfect for a palate cleanser! This novella follows Alexa and Caleb who agree to fake being in a relationship to escape pressure from their parents about dating and marriage. I've never read a book where the FMC is a candle shop owner so the concept was really fun and interesting. The pacing felt a bit quick and I would've liked more buildup to their relationship but overall I still enjoyed this!
～Thank you to Victory Editing and NetGalley for the ARC!

As someone who loves collecting scented candles I thought this was going to be the book for me! I really enjoyed reading it, the maintenance characters were very likable and I liked the fake dating aspect of it! However because it is such a short story, things often felt rushed! I would really like this book but just with a hundred more pages!

This book was pretty mid for me, no strong opinions. It's a cute fluffy romance novella with no spice (which I love). I'm usually a sucker for those sweet novellas when I'm not ready to commit/ am in a slump, but I think a longer version of this would do better if there was more scope to develop and familiarize the readers with the author.

This book.. was a lot. I know it's supposed to be a cute little candle shop romance but I couldn't get behind it. Overall a good enough book. definitely give it a go! It's definitely me, and not the book.
a solid 3 stars!!

The Scent of a Romance is a fast-paced, clean, closed-door romance novella. We meet Alexa and Caleb, who decide to fake date to avoid having their parents setting them up with the son and/or daughter of their friends. The chemistry between Alexa and Caleb was instant and the side characters are amazing. After finishing the story, I wished this was a full-length novel as I feel that more details could have been included in the story.

Thank you Victory Editing NetGalley Co-op for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

If you're a fan of rom-coms with witty banter, lovable characters, and a fake-dating trope that actually works, The Scent of a Romance is a delightful read worth picking up.

From the start, the main character, Alexa (yes, her name is Alexa—don't worry, the author knows what they're doing), pulls you in with her charm and humor. The story quickly turns into a rollercoaster of unexpected twists, hilarious misunderstandings, and heartwarming moments, all set in a cozy small-town atmosphere with a strong supporting cast.

Caleb, the love interest, is equal parts charming and grounded, and the chemistry between him and Alexa is undeniable. Their banter is a highlight of the book—funny, flirty, and full of tension that builds just right. And let’s not forget Alexa’s fierce work bestie, Megan, who brings ride-or-die energy in the best way.

While some drama arises (as it always does), the story never veers too far into angst, instead keeping things sincere and emotionally grounded. There’s even a satisfying level of family involvement, particularly from Alexa’s mom, who starts off skeptical but brings depth and heart to the story.

In short: this is the kind of rom-com that makes you laugh out loud, root hard for the couple, and maybe even tear up just a little. It's charming, it’s cozy, and it leaves you smiling.

*****Read as an ARC - thank you, NetGalley!*****

3.5⭐️, rounded up!

The Scent of a Romance is a fun, quick love story complete with fake dating, swoony tension, plenty of drama, and heartwarming moments.

All in all, it is very much a novella. The story is sweet, but the characters and plot didn't hold as much depth as I generally prefer. The romance also felt rushed in some parts, just due to the length constraints. However, given the story is less than 100 pages, it's well done!

If you're looking for something quick to maybe read in between other, longer books, this is a wonderful choice!

I knew before I started reading that this was a very short novella - which I don’t expect to have thorough character development or a deep plot, but I was still left a bit disappointed by this one.

I did like the meet-cute misunderstanding, where the MFC believed the siblings were the couple getting married. It provided some humour to this novella.

The ex boyfriend showing up to order candles for his upcoming wedding to the woman he cheated with, and being pelted with candles instead? Perfect. He deserved that.

The fake dating didn’t even begin until the 55% mark of the book - and I felt their relationship was quite unclear the entire time. There was also a scene after they almost kissed at the super-vague black tie corporate event where the main female, Alexa, was talking to her Mom about how she wanted to make things real and actually kiss Caleb - but the entire point of the fake dating was to get their parents (including Alexa’s Mom) off their backs - did I completely miss where they fessed up and admitted it was fake?

I’m sorry, but $4000 on custom candles to send as wedding invitations?! Is your entire 250 person guest list local? How are you mailing something like that? What is the point of something like that? Am I thinking about this too critically? The wedding industry baffles me (but I’m also someone who went against tradition and was married in a theme park known for a mouse, and ended my wedding day on an actual theme park ride in my wedding dress…)

Thank you to Netgalley for an ARC of this novella. All thoughts are my own.

I do think I would have liked this more had the ideas and characters been fully developed and a few plot holes were filled in. The writing was decent (despite being third person, which is not my favourite)

A wonderful read!
This novel drew me in from the very first page and kept me hooked until the end. The characters were vibrant and relatable, the writing was engaging, and the story had just the right balance of heart and humor. Highly recommend!
Many thanks to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for my ARC. All opinions are my own.

This was a cute little novella about a candel shop owner. It seemed like there was quite a lot going on for a short book so some pieces felt incomplete, but an enjoyable quick afternoon read.

The Scent of a Romance is a cute, fake-dating, short, fast-paced romance where they meet at a candle shop that the FMC (Alexa) owns.
I enjoyed this story, but I felt like it was rushed. The characters weren’t that deep and interactions between them felt rushed and kind of cliche.
This is a great book if you’re looking for a quick, cute romance read!

“The Scent of Romance” by T. Atkins
Reviewer Vibes:
Writing Style: Smooth like silk ✍️✨
Plot: A slow burn, but oh-so-worth it! 🔥❤️
Romance Level: Off the charts—chemistry overload! 💘💫
Characters: Relatable & swoon-worthy ✅
Twists: Just enough to keep you guessing 🤔🌹
Ending: Satisfying with a touch of bittersweet beauty 💔➡️❤️

Thank you to NetGalley and Victory Editing for this e-arc in exchange for my honest review.

This is a short & sweet novella - the book had it's funny moments and was overall just really cute. It was really just 86 pages of sweetness!

this was way too short for me. and its a shame because it was actually a great story and well written, I liked the characters immediately and for something so short, I didn't expect to. this needed to be fleshed out a lot more.