Excerpt from THE LOST PERFUMES OF PARIS, by Christine Wells:
Clutching her precious bottle of perfume tightly as she hurried down the corridors of Limeaux, Élodie murmured, “Pardon,” and “Excusez-moi,” as she bumped elbows with frowning chemists and dodged startled lab technicians.
“What’s the rush?” one of them growled as she whizzed past. Élodie didn’t answer. She was too anxious to show off her new creation, the perfume it had taken her more than three years to perfect.
Finally, she arrived at the heavy door to her father’s office reception. Placing her palm to its green baize cladding, she tried to steady herself and slow her breathing. Her father had been a perfumer many years ago when he began employment with the company. He was an exacting man—even more so when it came to her—so she needed to collect herself a little before making her pitch.
Without warning, the door swung inward and Élodie stumbled into the carpeted anteroom, nearly colliding with her father’s secretary. “Sorry!” she gasped out. But on the next panting breath, she added, “I’ve done it!” and held up the brown glass bottle of perfume like a trophy.
Mademoiselle Frise only stared at Élodie, her face a disapproving blank. Trying not to be daunted by this reception, Élodie glanced toward her father’s inner sanctum. “Is he free?”
“Is it important?” The secretary pressed her lips together. “Your father is a busy man.”
Don’t I know it, Élodie thought. She hardly saw Papa these days. Ever since he’d accepted finance from an outside investor, he’d been under pressure to increase the company’s profits.
“It is vital,” Élodie assured her. She strode across to another door that led to her father’s office—this one made of handsome French oak. She gave a perfunctory knock, opened it, and peered in.
Excerpted from THE LOST PERFUMES OF PARIS, by Christine Wells. William Morrow Paperbacks, 2026. Reprinted with permission.
A Novel – A Post-War Romance of Passion, Betrayal, and the Legendary Art of French Perfumery
Set against the backdrop of mid-century Parisian glamour and the timeless art of perfumery, a captivating tale of resilience, love, and the intoxicating pursuit of passion.
Élodie Limeaux's beloved mother, Aurore, was the most legendary perfumer in France before World War II, renowned for the exquisite fragrances she created for the family company, the House of Limeaux. Now in her twenties, Élodie longs to join the family business. Her father, however, has refused to let her follow in her late mother's footsteps and Élodie has had to fight to become a mere lab assistant at Limeaux.
But Élodie plans to enter the Essence of Paris contest run by the French Perfume Institute, hoping that a win will secure investment from Swiss banker Monsieur Caspari, who is looking to launch a new scent for women—and possibly to buy the House of Limeaux.
Impressed with Élodie's drive and talent, Caspari agrees to back her, provided that she collaborates with his son, Marcelo. Élodie is forced to agree, although Marcelo strikes her as a wealthy dilettante—albeit an extremely charming one.
When they join forces, though, Élodie is surprised to discover Marcelo's passion for perfume is genuine, his obsession as deep as hers. With Marcelo by her side, Élodie battles family betrayals and corporate sabotage, searching for that elusive essence of Paris that will launch her career...and possibly the love of a lifetime.
Romance Historical | Women's Fiction Friendship [ William Morrow Paperbacks, On Sale: September 8, 2026, Paperback / e-Book, ISBN: 9780063336919 / eISBN: 9780063336933 ]
Christine Wells writes historical fiction featuring strong, fascinating women. From early childhood, she drank in her father’s tales of kings and queens and epic struggles for power across the globe, and has been a keen student of history ever since. She began her first novel while working as a corporate lawyer, and has gone on to write about periods ranging from Georgian England to World War II France. She loves dogs, the beach and antiquing on Instagram and lives with her family in Brisbane, Australia.
No comments posted.
© 2003-2026