A Crown of Bitter Orange

This series is amazing. I love the Rosiers. Tristan has been the charming, funny one throughout the series and as with his cousins, his manner hides the secret romantic and vulnerable heart of him. Malorie has built walls to keep herself safe all of her life. It is so difficult for her to let anyone close enough to hurt her. I absolutely loved the history Tristan and Malorie shared, the way their memories of each other colored their adult interactions. As always, Laura Florand weaves magic with her words, the emotion is so moving, so intense, I always find myself marking page after page for quotes that I want to write down and remember. I love seeing all the cousins and their wonderful family. I voluntarily reviewed an early copy of this book

Laura Florand has woven sensuality, the South of France, and history into a fragrant love story. The details are described so vividly that I could smell the scent of orange blossoms, feel the angst of guilt about family history, and see the attraction between Tristan and Malorie. Old secrets, found treasures, and childhood crushes all combine into a tale of fulfilment and growth as trust and attraction are revealed to have always been at the foundation of their relationship. Just as beautiful wood floors sometimes lie beneath worn carpeting, unearthing what is valuable can be a messy job; but Tristan and Malorie do the work both physically in her family's heritage perfume shop, and emotionally as they work through old hurts. Malorie has grown up fending for herself with a ne'er do well father and watching Tristan with many women, so she protects herself by keeping her emotions beneath the surface, "If you want your loves to last forever, which, with so many fish in the sea, you probably don't." Tristan has grown up with support and stability, so his view of life, combined with his artistic nature, is a light and perfect counterpoint to Malorie's reserve and practicality. Living where generations of your family has lived comes with both the blessings and curses of the past and Laura Florand brilliantly casts the older family members as WW II characters. As in all wars, there are sad and painful outcomes which remain long after peace is declared, all the more evident in areas of the world like France, where pride and shame are still connected to family blood lines. Two families on opposite sides have the choice to continue living as enemies or to move forward with compassion; I was heartened to read the elders who chose the later. "Orange blossom was the scent of happily ever after." I voluntarily reviewed an early copy of this book.

I am always so pleased to have a new book by Laura Florand that continues her heartfelt stories. Book 3 in La Vie En Roses set in beautiful and enchanting Provence tells Tristan and Malorie’s story. Tristan is the youngest of the five Rosier cousins; he is their genus perfumer behind the most beautiful and successful perfumes in the world, and he has loved Malorie Monsard most of his life beginning in grade school. Malorie also cared deeply for Tristan, but saw him as a charming flirt even at an early age. What separates them at the cusp of adulthood is Malorie’s desire to flee from her family as she has been weighted down by their shameful past dating back to the German Occupation and her great-grandfather’s betrayal of his community continuing through her reprobate grandfather then further compounded with a narcissistic father. One thing Malorie knows is that the men in her life could not be relied on so her life goals mean being successful and self-sufficient relying on no one but herself and trusting few. They come from very different yet connected families and so each has a dissimilar perspective on love and trust. The Rosiers present a united front though they may squabble among themselves and have endured their own losses and family struggles. Tristan is the emotional heart of his family doing all he can to hold them together with his affable charismatic personality and charm. Although Malorie has never forgotten her feelings for Tristan, she sees him as a total ladies’ man who cannot be serious with anyone. She has many self-esteem issues related to the sins of the fathers and does not believe Tristan is sincere in his pursuit of her other than for his own agenda related to his families’ business in the perfume industry of Grasse, Provence. Malorie returns to decide whether to resurrect her families’ perfume store or forever cut ties to the region and Tristan. Their relationship is full of sparks and spice both professionally and personally as Tristan tries to work his way back into Malorie’s life; she has to resolve whether her dishonorable heritage will define her most especially in terms of letting her feelings blossom with the only man she has ever loved. The blend of strong emotion, a beautiful love story interlaced with humor in a captivating setting makes for a happy heart. Laura Florand always tells a good tale, but what sets her writing apart in this modern day fairy tale is the beauty and skill of her use of language that comes across as sensuous, evocative, and a multilevel experience that engages the senses so the reader viscerally feels, smells, sees, and in the case of her Chocolate series, tastes each word. You can almost breathe in the delicious scents of the flowers and perfumes as well as be drawn fully into the descriptive language of the deep emotions each character feels. It’s a beautiful story that shows love can heal a wounded heart and overcome even the most difficult past. I feel a true pleasure being back in this enchanted world.