Review of ‘Scent’ by Kris Bryant, audiobook narrated by Brittni Pope
This is another installment in Kris Bryant’s Sensory series (not formally a series but considered as such by the author) of all standalone books formed by ‘Taste’, ‘Touch’, ‘Listen’ and now ‘Scent’. This series has been a hit and miss for me but ‘Listen’ is still my favourite and in my list of the best books of 2019. Here’s hoping that there will be a ‘Sight’ book in the near future.
Nico Marshall is a promising welder artist and a successful businesswoman who is guarding her heart after a nasty divorce. After meeting chocolatier Sophia Sweet, she decides to hide her real identity to see if she’s loved for who she is and not for how much money she has. Will she destroy her chances at real love with her game of deception?
As it’s customary with Ms. Bryant, ‘Scent’ is written in first person from the point of view of Nico. Nico reminded me a bit of Cassie in Kris Bryant’s ‘Temptation’ in her vanity and arrogance. Nico is a hard to like character, especially because she’s lying outright, though not without shame or guilt. Kudos to the author for showing Nico’s insecurities and making her a redeemable character in the end. I understand the reasons behind her lies and, even though it sounded a bit self-serving, it didn’t stop me from liking her and cheering for the mains’ happily ever after. But I see the potential for controversy among readers who might be less tolerant of character deception in romance.
As with the other books in this series, Ms. Bryant focuses the reader’s attention on the senses. In this case, the sense of smell but could also be taste. The author’s descriptions of the different sweet delicacies and types of chocolates will make your mouth water. I also loved the descriptions of the art of welding sculptures which sounds fascinating.
I’ve listened to the audiobook narrated by Brittni Pope. I’m afraid that I’m not a fan of this narrator. Even though she’s got a beautiful voice, I cannot connect with the rhythm and cadence of the sentences which sometimes seem to have short interruptions in the wrong places. I like her performance of emotions but the lack of distinctive voices for each character, especially the leads, makes it harder for me to follow. Maybe it’s just me, so I suggest that you listen to the sample to see if it’s a fit for you. In my case, it brought a 4.5-star rating book to a 4-star audiobook.
Length: 7 hours, 15 minutes
