Emmeline grows up on a remote island in British Columbia, unaware of the world outside. Her father is full of magical stories about mermaids and focused on the art of capturing scent memories. When the day comes that Emmeline must leave her island, she must learn to navigate a strange new world, and it is scent that guides her.

I was captivated by Emmeline's story from the very beginning and I had no clue how it was going to end, but I was happy to be along for the ride. Scent and memory are forever intertwined for people. Smells hold memories and allow us to travel through time.

Her father often said, "Let the smell introduce itself. Now open the back of your mind. Listen to the story." So, Emmeline learned to read people and situations because of scent. "Sometimes there were those unreal perfumes, jumbling and talking too loudly--but underneath them I could always find the person."

As Emmeline finds her path in this strange, new world, she also discovers what is important. "People lie Emmeline, but smells never do."

I so enjoy Erica Bauermeister's writing. Her beautiful, lyrical way with words. They are rich and sumptuous and bring with them a magical way of looking at the world.

I have never been disappointed with an Erica Bauermeister novel. I appreciate the Kindle copy for review, but now I need to buy a print copy so I can highlight it.

A young girl living on a remote island with her father has a powerful gift for remembering and detecting smells. She has an isolated childhood where she believes in fairies, mermaids, and that her father was her whole world. After the unexpected death of her father, she is thrust into everyday life where she must learn to adapt while retaining her gift for scents.

2.5 Stars. There wasn't anything wrong with this book, the story was just weird AF and it wasn't for me.

Thanks to St. Martin's Press and Netgalley for my copy in exchange for an honest review.

The Scent Keeper finds that scents can be transcending and sentimental, book characters can be too, but though there is loads to appreciate here, the end note is quite stale. The build-up will implore you to holdfast but the third act is empty of all the emotion that was loaded in the front end. Great start, disappointing end.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All the thoughts and opinions are my own.

This book is wonderful! It proves how smells can transport us back to places and times. The author uses scents to tell a story about just that. It was very unique and provoked my own thoughts about certain scents. In this book, scents are used to describe secrets, remembrance of growing up, about finding love, grief, and about starting over. I loved every word on every page! Simply magical.

The Scent Keeper was a pure delight and awakening of the senses. In The School for Essential Ingredients and Joy for Beginners, Bauermeister tickled our taste buds with tantalizing descriptions of food and wine while creating relatable storylines. Now, as the title suggests, she’s conjured up a way to write a beautiful story that wraps itself around the power and poetry of scent.

Although scent is the underlying theme in the book, it’s also very much about mother/daughter relationships, father/daughter relationships, abandonment, abuse, alcoholism, bullying, friendship, romance, lies and forgiveness. The writing read like poetry as scents were dissected and expressed with detail and emotion. Words were used to describe scents that I’d never thought to use and their association with color was a new way of thinking for me.

The characters, all so convincing, were well crafted. Especially Henry and Collette. Oh, how I loved their work ethic, grace and compassionate lifestyle. Fisher’s story broke my heart repeatedly and naive Emmeline, although mislead for much of her life, still got the best from each of her parents. Her way of mirroring fairytales to real life situations was a testament to the power of storytelling.

The scent industry is alive and well and much to my surprise I’m now picking up on scents while I shop. There were parts of the book that moved slower than I’d have liked, and it was then that I wanted to slap Emmeline and just tell her to talk, don’t be scared, this is taking too long! Overall, I would definitely recommend this to readers looking for something a little different. Book clubs should definitely consider this title for discussion.

The Short of It:

If you’ve ever been fascinated with scent and the memories associated with it, you will enjoy The Scent Keeper.

The Rest of It:

Emmaline and her father live on a remote island in the Pacific Northwest. There, her father collects scents, memories really on little slips of paper that he keeps in wax-sealed bottles. He captures these scents using a special machine of his, one that has always been magical in Emmaline’s eyes.

As Emmaline grows older, she learns that there is more than just life on the island and suddenly finds herself imprisoned by these scents. A collection that holds her father’s attention more than anything else. In a moment of frustration, Emmaline makes a decision that not only affects her place on the island, but her future as well.

I was completely taken with the first half of this novel. I am a scent person. There is always a candle nearby, or a fragrant hand lotion, or perfume or something because certain scents make me happy and I surround myself with them. The first half of this novel was magical to me. The ties between scent and memory really gave me warm, happy feelings. Think about how you feel when you smell warm apple pie or cookies baking in the oven. Lovely, right?

Well, the second half of the novel was quite different. Although it still explored scent, it didn’t do so in the innocent way of memories. It was tied to money and manipulation which for me, was a real turn-off. I realize that the author was probably playing the two experiences off of one another but the story lost its magic when money was brought into it. It added a grittiness that I did not enjoy.

I love this author though. I’ve read three other books by Bauermeister so I am really familiar with her work. The Scent Keeper has a totally different feel than any of her other books so if you are looking for it to be similar you will be disappointed. Personally, I would have liked the second half to go a different way but I am not a bestselling author.

I absolutely loved The Scent Keeper. The book has it all -- great character development, great story, and beautiful writing. I did not want the story to end. The Scent Keeper will be highlighted soon as a Marvelous Novel of the Month. (Review will be updated at that time.)

This novel is about a young girl being raised on a small island by her father, just the two of them live there and she knows nothing about the outside world, all she knows are just the fairy tales her father tells her, survival skills, and the machine her father has to preserve scents. The first part of the book actually feels like magic realism, then eventually she does discover the outside world and it becomes more realistic. The writing is quite lyrical and nice, and much of the book is very original, but I also found it rather slow and I would say I admired it rather than loved it. 3.75 stars rounded up to 4.

This book started off a little slow for me. But I wanted to push through to see if it got better. I never got to a point where I felt like it was a great read, however it was an interesting story line.

Her relationship with her father rubbed me the wrong way. The isolation she experienced set her up for failure in the real world, which she faced once he died and she had to live among the rest of the world.

This book did make me quite nostalgic as the main premise was about how memories can be kept in a scent. Every now and then I catch a whiff of something that reminds me of my childhood, so this holds true.

I read this book as an eARC in exchange for an honest review thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press.

This is a beautiful saga of love, ambition, loss, betrayal and how we deal with overcoming our families.

This is a difficult book to review because I don’t want to give away all the secrets and changes that take place for Emmeline and her father. She is raised in isolation on an island and when her dad dies she is faked in by a family on the mainland Life is difficult for her as she assimilates into modern society. She wouldn’t survive without her friend Fisher but he has his own problems Wonderful story and good cast of characters. Who knew the nose and sense of smell could be so fascinating. I received a copy of this arc in exchange for a fair and honest review.

I have been an avid fan of Erica Bauermeister since I read her first novel, The School of Essential Ingredients and I was not disappointed when reading The Scent Keeper. This is a coming-of-age story about Emmeline, a young child brought to an unhabited island by her father. She is raised there while being taught how to use her senses, especially her sense of smell. Her childhood is happy, leaving her completely ignorant of life outside of this small island and she is not prepared when she finds herself back in a world she is not equipped to live in. What makes this book special are the lyrical prose and the magical and original storyline. Each sentence is a gem. Read this book for the pure joy of the words. I highly recommend The Scent Keeper to anyone looking for something a little bit different. Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for the e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

My Thoughts

‘The Scent Keeper’ is a truly unique and special tale about secrets and forgiveness, all linked by the power of scent. This is a book that will bring your senses/scents alive, transporting you to far off places, evoke forgotten memories that remind you of days long gone. I very much enjoyed this book with its flavour of magical realism with lent itself perfectly to Emmeline’s coming of age story.

Emmeline’s entire life is shaped by fragrances and the power of scent to capture moments in time. It’s a beautiful evocative tale. From the outset on her tiny island retreat with her father, to embarking on a journey of discovery, this story will draw you in. Who exactly is she and where will the scent trail lead on her quest to reveal the many hidden truths of her history.

‘We are the unwitting carriers of our parents’ secrets, the ripples made by stones we never saw thrown.’

The most powerful aspect of this book is the writing. It is magnificent. You will become immersed in its lyrical prose that will, at times, have you pausing for reflection. Erica Bauermeister is a gifted writer and she imparts this tale beautifully with much creativity. This is a tale full of imagination and emotion.

‘I remember the smell of wood smoke and pine pitch in my father’s beard as he read to me at night ... an olfactory reminder that had sunk into the walls and never quite disappeared. I remember the way the rain seemed to talk to the roof as I fell asleep, and how the fire would snap and tell it to be quiet.’

I highly recommend taking the time to lose yourself to the magic that is this book with its unique premise. Exploring important themes in the guise of following and losing yourself to the power of scent.

‘All those stories, all those lives, each one an entire world to the person living it, and yet I knew none of them. Maybe that’s how it always is, I thought—we all just go along, catching glimpses of one another, thinking we know everything.’



This review is based on a complimentary copy from the publisher and provided through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. The quoted material may have changed in the final release.

Scent can bring many memories and they are triggered all of the time for me. I thought this book was beautiful and very thought provoking. I could not put it down and I highly recommend it.
Many thanks to St. Martin’s Press and to NetGalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

The beginning of this book is very obscure. As a reader, you really have no idea what is going on. You have no idea why Emmeline is being raised in a remote island. You have no idea who these people are. There is no background. Now, if the whole book had been written like the second section it would have been a 5 star read for me. The part where she is coming of age and growing up is superb. I was captivated. And the last section was just sort of blah. I was not a huge fan of her mother.

Now that all of that is out of the way. As a reader, you need to know not all the parts of this book are equal. It sounds like I did not like this book. Oh but I did! This book is a really good read. Reminds me of Where The Crawdads Sing. Emmeline is someone your heart just breaks for. I woke up this morning still thinking about her. This story takes you on a ride you will not soon forget.

I received this novel from St. Martin’s Press for a honest review.

4.5 stars

A book about senses, about scents, and how they can transport us places, bringing up memories, and reminding us of important events in our lives. Have you ever heard the question, "If you could give up one of your senses which would you give up?" Many may choose the ability to smell. Many would choose differently after reading this book.

This is also a book about secrets, about growing up, about finding love, about grief, and about starting over. It's about finding a friend, being a family, finding love, and the role of secrets and guilt in our lives.

Emmeline lives on a remote island with her father who tells her fairy tales which he uses as life lessons for her. They live off the land and the "items" which magically show up on their shores. Her father is an interesting man. He has a machine he takes out on rare occasions. A machine which produces papers which he places in small glass bottles and seals with wax.

One day Emmeline must leave the island and all the she knows to begin a new life full new and interesting challenges. One thing she brings with her is her very own strong ability to recognize scents and how they tell her a story. As she grows and matures, she begins her own quest fueled by her need for the need for truth, scents and to learn more about herself.

I often find it difficult to review books, I truly enjoy. Those reviews take longer. I want to get them right and ponder over what I want to say. I usually just want to type "read this book" in capital letters and be done with it. So, I will say that. READ THIS BOOK. Reading the synopsis, one might think, huh, a book about scents, isolated islands and finding your own identity and be concerned whether he/she will enjoy it. But I believe that most will be swept away by this book. I found the writing to be beautiful and the Author easily transported me to every location in her book. All the characters were fully fleshed out and interesting -even the despicable ones.

The way the Author writes about scents and how they tell a story, how each individual can smell something and be transported back in time, perhaps to a grandmother's kitchen while she was cooking, or to that camp you attended as child, whatever the case may be, all of us have certain scents we enjoy.

This book is a keeper. It is unique, lyrical, thought provoking and often felt like a fairy tale itself. So, as I said before, read the book and judge for yourself.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All the thoughts and opinions are my own.

What an amazing premise for a story that follows a family over generations, using the power of scent and aromas to spark memories and weave that thread throughout the story. Absolute magic. The plot was great and the characters were great. You felt as though you knew them as you were absorbed into their lives. Well done.
#StMartinsPress never disappoints!

#TheScentKeeper #NetGalley

One of my favorite smells in all the world is honeysuckle. To be totally honest, I don't even have a good sense of smell ... but I can smell the sweet scent of the honeysuckle summers of my childhood from a hundred yards away. My boyfriend and I go on walks through our neighborhood, and sometimes I just stop and look around, trying to find that honeysuckle and just fall into it.

This book was like that - every sentence, every paragraph, every chapter - I just wanted to fall into the words and worlds that Erica Bauermeister was creating. I have read two of her other books and remember enjoying them immensely, but this was unreal. The writing was absolutely beautiful and gave way to one of the best types of reading experiences - the words entering my mind, breaking apart, reforming, and settling in a contented haze.

At the beginning the book almost seems as though it's going to fall into magical realism, with Emmeline living on a secluded island with only her father and his mysterious scent paper machine for company - and then, seamlessly, the unthinkable happens and the entire story is different and real and set in a city you and I would both know, yet somehow it carries that trace of magical realism throughout - almost like the scent of honeysuckle following me through the neighborhoods. This is a beautiful coming of age story, and I can't speak highly enough of it. The only thing I could have asked for? More.

I loved Emmeline, I loved her father, I loved Henry & Collette, I loved Fisher (hello, I LOVED Fisher), I loved Dodge, I loved the lovely man from the bus. I loved this story and I can't wait to start throwing it at everyone I know

I had a hard time putting this novel down! Which is my absolute favorite in a book! I love getting lost in it, and losing track of time. The details into explaining the sense of smell was so engrossing. I can't wait to read something else by this author!