This was an enjoyable read and I really liked and felt for Nicola, even though for some that would be strange. She was awful to her sister though.

It was too much unessesary drama for my part.
I did not like or dislike the characters, they were just there.
But that also ment that the chemistry was nonexistent.

Overall little hard to get into, took a while for me to finish once I started. Unfortunately Nicola annoyed me a little. The story line was cute, just not my favorite book.

Thank you NetGalley for this ARC.

My thoughts








Narrative and Plot



The Essence of Perfection is a contemporary women's fiction novel told from the perspective of Nicola- the main character. Even though the story never focused on another character's voice,  you can see every emotion that Nicola and the characters around her go through. In terms of narrative, that is commendable. The book really conveys the message it wants to portray.


Adding a strong plot to the mixture, makes it the 'Essence of Perfection'. The book explores several areas regarding relationships and its varying facets. It ends on a strong note about being open to life and people.




Characters and Conflicts


Every significant character in the book has a typical arc of their own. Except for Shonda - the best friend. Then again, the book mainly focuses on Nicola and her family. Nicola is a flawed character right from the start. Watching her progress is awe-inspiring. Not that it has spectacular and eye opening events. The sheer simplicity of what one needs to do to grow as a person makes this a memorable read. There is an endearing factor to Nicola even if she makes mistakes, like the way she registers each person with their scent.


The story pretty much covers every aspect in the life of a millennial by the time they are thirty. The dynamics of relationship felt real particularly between Quinn and Nicola. There is years of animosity and hurt, yet the bond they have is strong. Siblings normally become the support system in your adult life because they've seen various stages of your life and know you better. Having an elder sister, I felt the weight of their sisterly bonding and enjoyed it.


Modern day relationships face different kinds of challenges. Damien and Nicola didn't go on the usual rom-com way of indecision and confusion. They acted like the adults they were. The insecurities and apprehensions that both of them had felt every bit real and relatable.
The burden of expectation and some degree of confirmation bias has been explored in the book.There is a lot happening and yet it all makes sense to you as a person. The conflicts of our lives are always intricately woven. If one unravels, chances are a lot more will follow.



Conclusion


Overall, The Essence of Perfection packs a punch of flavors. Everyone can find a little bit of themselves in this book. I sure did find a bit of my flaws reflected in this story. Which is why it is easy to connect to the characters and their situations. You can see each one of them and understand why they've become the people that they are. Eventually it urges people to move out of their notion of a comfort zone. If all this is not enough, the ARC of the book had a questionnaire which can easily make up for a book club discussion. If you're into the genre, you must not miss this one.

A cute and sweet read about Nicola, the eldest daughter and a perfume designer to her mother's Coture Queen Perfume line. Nicola has been offered the chance of a lifetime, to design a scent for a celebrity. She get's added pressure when her bucket list winds up in the hands of a television talk show, and thy want to film her checking things off her list. All of the above adds more confusion in her life than she bargained for.

Nicola felt pressure from all sides, and sometimes didn't ask for help (I feel attacked, lbvs) She also had the pressure of being the oldest child and being a perfectionist. The story had some laughs and tears, but was an enjoyable read, and I will be looking for more from this author.

I received a copy of this book via netgalley and am voluntarily leaving an honest review. Al thoughts and opinions are my own.

The Essence of Perfection was a fun story that encourages people to get out of their comfort zone. I liked the way the situation was created in this story. Nicola, a perfumer, has a secret list of things she wants to do one day, like a bucket list. Her list is accidentally leaked to people and forces her to do the things on it. I liked the different events that happen to her because of this list, and I enjoyed the romance added to the story. I didn't totally connect with the main character, but I still enjoyed her story.

I would recommend this to readers that enjoy a story of self-discovery as well as a romance!

I was provided an advanced reader's copy of this book for free. I am leaving my review voluntarily.

Can I Pound My Head Against the Wall Some More?

The Essence of Perfection was a beautiful concept. The book cover is gorgeous too. I enjoyed the debut novel Redesigning Happiness and could not wait to get my hands-on Essence.

The writing is elegant, inventive, and fresh. But Nicola King was a pain in my #youknowwhat. Every time she graced the pages I was hoping and wishing if she finally saw the writing on the wall and the issue behind all her problems: the woman in the mirror.
As the creative genius behind her family’s business Queen Couture, she feels pressure to be perfect. She is all work and no play and have missed out on so much fun things in life.
Until her secret bucket list is leaked to the public. Now Nicola is charged with completing her life’s bucket list under public scrutiny.
But Nicola’s most unforgettable feature is the total disregard of her sister Quinn’s contributions to the company, to her relationship and to her family. I believe that is why I did not enjoy Nicola so much as a character. It is one thing to dump a guy….but falling out with your sister is a hard pass for me.

The essence of perfection is an entertaining chick-lit with a lead character who’s a perfume designer. It is a fancy job, as often the case in this genre, but for once it’s a refreshing change from the magazine editor or the successful writer. I liked reading about how she goes about creating a juice. I also thought the plot was well thought out, conveying a noteworthy message. However, at times, I was a bit annoyed by the strange, sometimes toxic dynamic between Nicola and her sister and mother. It lacked some nuance: the silly pretty face, the boring nerd and the over-the-top mother… Luckily, in the end, I liked how both sisters make amends in a credible and satisfying way.

Really enjoyed this one when I realized the essence of the book was family and relationships - something I'm a sucker for. I felt invested in Nicola, to see how she would come out of all this, what the 'big, dark secret' about her and her sister was, and then if she'd get the guy, of course.
The writing kinda got to me because there were just so many fragments, sentences that should've been together but were broken by a period so it felt a bit off for the flow. I also wanted to see more about the winning formula for the perfume she was creating - some more details about this would've been lovely, taking it from the realm of the abstract and really putting us into the shoes and nose of a perfumer.
Overall, a very good read that brought a happy sigh

I received an advanced readers digital copy of The Essence of Perfection in exchange for an honest review.

My immediate attraction to The Essence of Perfection was the beautiful cover followed by being intrigued by the main character’s profession. Nicola is a fragrance chemist who is all work and no play until she finds herself in a situation where she has no choice but to leave her comfort zone.

I enjoyed the characters and whenever I stopped reading I would wonder what awkward position would Nicola have gotten herself into, What kind of mess would Quinn be in and is Desiree inspired by Rihanna?

I throughly enjoyed The Essence of Perfection, the pacing was slow, but the ending tying up the story perfectly made up for it. I do feel like certain storylines were unnecessary and often removed my focus from the book. I wouldn’t consider The Essence of Perfection a page turner, but if you have some patience you should check it out because it definitely gets better once the story progresses.

This was a good, short read. I really enjoyed the story line, even if it was a little predictable and believable. It was a typical feel-good story, which we all need in our lives. I found myself connecting with Nicola and rooting for her the entire time. Although the ending was predictable, as previously mentioned, it was a great palate cleanser for myself and I really enjoyed it.

Thank you NetGalley and the Publisher for and advanced copy of this book.

Nicola has worked really hard to built her brand but she hasn't worked hard on herself. She's a perfumer- and I loved the details about that. She's also got a serious self esteem problem. Social media proves to be a real plus and problem both for her. It helps sell her perfumes but she also finds herself shamed into doing things on her bucket list- the bucket list she didn't expect others to see. She copes with her own issues, as well as her grandfather's, and then, well there's Damien. Thanks to Nergalley for the ARC. You will root for Nicola.

I loved this book but ,in all honesty the main characters were hard to like a lot of the time and the ending was believable and satisfying if not frustrating! I read the first book and this one didn't disappoint either. You find yourself rooting for Nicola and in fact we all may know someone who lacks confidence and needs a boost. (That's probably why it was so frustrating to see someone who you believed in be so down on themselves. Like i said the ending was worth the wait and how real people experience love and overcoming.