Scent by Isabel Costello

A wonderfully compelling novel about desire, loneliness and the impact of time on relationships...
 
‘Vividly passionate…Thrillingly stylish’ - Daisy Buchanan, author of Insatiable

Every day in Paris carries proof that love exists, in the air, on the streets and behind closed doors. Just not mine.

The cracks in Clémentine and Édouard’s marriage are becoming impossible to ignore. Her work as a perfumer is no longer providing solace and her sense of self is withering. Then, decades after the end of a bisexual love triangle, Clémentine’s former lover resurfaces. What does she want, if not revenge?

Set in Paris and Provence, this is a beautifully written, intimate portrait of a woman navigating conflicting desires whilst dreaming of a fulfilling future.
 
-----
 
"It is very, very good - an intense and unflinching expose of desire and its legacy" - Elizabeth Buchan
 
"A skilled storyteller. Inventive, vivid and distinctive" - Mary Loudon
 
"Vividly passionate, this is assured, addictive precision storytelling. Costello's prose is reminiscent of masters like Leila Slimane - but her voice is entirely unique. Thrillingly stylish." - Daisy Buchanan
 
"Costello poses unwavering questions about choice and honesty, about submerging pain to orchestrate survival." - Catherine McNamara