Publication date: April 8, 2014 by Atria Books
Source: Publisher via Historical Fiction Virtual Book Tours for an honest review
Synopsis:
From one of America’s most imaginative storytellers comes a passionate tale of love and treachery, spanning the days of Catherine de Medici’s court to the twenty-first century and starring a woman drawn back, time and again, to the past.
In 1533, an Italian orphan with an uncanny knack for creating fragrance is plucked from poverty to become Catherine de Medici’s perfumer. To repay his debt, over the years René le Florentine is occasionally called upon to put his vast knowledge to a darker purpose: the creation of deadly poisons used to dispatch the Queen’s rivals.
But it’s René’s other passion—a desire to reanimate a human breath, to bring back the lives of the two people whose deaths have devastated him—that incites a dangerous treasure hunt five centuries later. That’s when Jac L’Etoile—suffering from a heartache of her own—becomes obsessed with the possibility of unlocking Rene’s secret to immortality.
Soon Jac’s search reconnects her with Griffin North, a man she’s loved her entire life. Together they confront an eccentric heiress whose art collection rivals many museums and who is determined to keep her treasures close at hand, not just in this life but in her next.
Set in the forest of Fontainebleau, crisscrossing the lines between the past and the present, M.J. Rose has written a mesmerizing tale of passion and obsession. This is a gothic tale perfect for fans of Anne Rice, Deborah Harkness, and Diana Galbadon.
My Take:
The Collector of Dying Breaths is the next book detailing the adventures of Jac L'Etoile, the young woman who is part of a family of perfumers and has an uncanny ability to see and experience moments from what are apparently her past lives.
As was the case with Seduction, I had a hard time deciding which story line I liked the best - the one in present day or the one from the past. Both timelines are interesting and exciting, but I guess I was especially fascinated by the story of Rene le Florentine partly because of the Catherine de Medici connection, but also, the author does a wonderful job of bringing that time period to life for the reader. The danger Rene often finds himself in, the court intrigue, the enemies lurking around every corner - it is just so much fun to read.
Meanwhile, in present day, Jac tries to deal with a tragedy that I was so upset to read about. I won't give it away, but it was quite upsetting and despite the way it is resolved, I was very sad about it. As is often the case for Jac, she makes decisions based on emotion and sometime rebellion. She often ends up in danger and this time around she finds some real characters to get mixed up with.
I found The Collector of Dying Breaths to be a fast paced, exciting book and would happily recommend it to those who enjoy historical fiction with a bit of romance thrown in.
About the Author
M.J. Rose is the international best selling author of fourteen novels
and two non-fiction books on marketing. Her fiction and non-fiction has
appeared in many magazines and reviews including Oprah Magazine. She
has been featured in the New York Times, Newsweek, Time, USA Today and
on the Today Show, and NPR radio. Rose graduated from Syracuse
University, spent the ’80s in advertising, has a commercial in the
Museum of Modern Art in NYC and since 2005 has run the first marketing
company for authors – Authorbuzz.com. The television series PAST LIFE,
was based on Rose’s novels in the Renincarnationist series. She is one
of the founding board members of International Thriller Writers and runs
the blog- Buzz, Balls & Hype. She is also the co-founder of
Peroozal.com and BookTrib.com.Rose lives in CT with her husband the musician and composer, Doug Scofield, and their very spoiled and often photographed dog, Winka.
For more information on M.J. Rose and her novels, please visit her website. You can also find her on Facebook, Twitter and Goodreads.
Virtual Book Tour Schedule
Monday, March 3Review at Peeking Between the Pages
Tuesday, March 4
Review at The Novel Life
Wednesday, March 5
Review at Bitches with Books
Review at WTF Are You Reading?
Thursday, March 6
Review at Flashlight Commentary
Friday, March 7
Interview at Flashlight Commentary
Monday, March 10
Review at Diary of an Eccentric
Tuesday, March 11
Review at Book-alicious Mama
Wednesday, March 12
Review at Kinx’s Book Nook
Thursday, March 13
Review at Luxury Reading
Friday, March 14
Review at The Wormhole
Review at Book Drunkard
Monday, March 17
Review at Closed the Cover
Review at Oh, for the Hook of a Book
Tuesday, March 18
Review at The Lit Bitch
Interview at Closed the Cover
Wednesday, March 19
Review at Princess of Eboli
Friday, March 21
Review at She is Too Fond of Books
Review at Historical Tapestry & The Adventures of an Intrepid Reader
Monday, March 24
Review at To Read or Not to Read
Guest Post at Mina’s Bookshself
Wednesday, March 26
Review at Ageless Pages Reviews
Guest Post at Historical Fiction Connection
Thursday, March 27
Guest Post at CelticLady’s Reviews
Friday, March 28
Review at Historical Fiction Obsession
Wednesday, April 2
Review at Confessions of an Avid Reader
Thursday, April 3
Review at Mari Reads
Friday, April 4
Spotlight at Reading the Ages
Monday, April 7
Review at A Chick Who Reads
Tuesday, April 8
Review at Mina’s Bookshelf
Review at Lit Addicted Brit
Friday, April 11
Review at She Reads Novels
Monday, April 14
Review at CelticLady’s Reviews
Tuesday, April 15
Review at Bibliophilic Book Blog
Wednesday, April 16
Review at A Novel Review
Review at West Metro Mommy
Review at The Musings of a Book Junkie
Thursday, April 17
Review & Interview at Cozy Up with a Good Read
Friday, April 18
Review at So Many Books, So Little Time
Monday, April 21
Review at A Book Geek
Tuesday, April 22
Review at Blogging the Beloved
Wednesday, April 23
Review at A Dream Within a Dream
Interview at Blogging the Beloved
Thursday, April 24
Review at Pure Textuality
Friday, April 25
Review at The Musings of ALMYBNENR
Saturday, April 27
Guest Post at Peeking Between the Pages
Monday, April 28
Review at From Left to Write
Review at Book Dilettante
Tuesday, April 29
Review at Our Wolves Den
Wednesday, April 30
Review at From L.A. to LA
Thursday, May 1
Review at Bibliophilia, Please
Friday, May 2
Review at A Writer’s Life
Tuesday, May 6
Review at Peppermint, PhD
Review & Guest Post at The True Book Addict
Wednesday, May 7
Review at Booklover Book Reviews
Thursday, May 8
Review at Psychotic State Book Reviews
Friday, May 9
Review at Blood Mother
Monday, May 12
Review at Broken Teepee
Tuesday, May 13
Review at Savvy Verse & Wit
Wednesday, May 14
Review at Buried Under Books
Thursday, May 15
Review at bookramblings
Friday, May 16
Review at Svetlana’s Reads and Views
Monday, May 19
Review at The Mad Reviewer
Interview at Jorie Loves a Story
Tuesday, May 20
Review at Griperang’s Bookmarks
Review at Jorie Loves a Story
Thursday, May 22
Review at Seaside Book Corner
Friday, May 23
Review at Tower of Babel
Monday, May 26
Review at Cheryl’s Book Nook
Tuesday, May 27
Review at Just One More Chapter
Wednesday, May 28
Review at Book Nerd
Thursday, May 29
Review at Kincavel Korner
Review at Book Girl of Mur-y-Castell
Friday, May 30
Interview at Kincavel Korner
No comments:
Post a Comment