When Cat Hayes impulsively married a handsome, penniless French waiter in St Tropez, she didn't realise she'd be widowed in just a few weeks. Neither did she know that her late husband was actually Olivier Ducasse, heir to the Ducasse perfume empire.
Invited by the Ducasse family to their glamorous French mansion, Cat finds the family in chaos. What's more, she's regarded with suspicion and hostility, especially by Olivier's playboy cousin Xavier. Will she run for the hills as her high heels can carry her? Or will she realise that she's exactly what this mixed-up family truly needs?
I knew that I was in for a treat when this book arrived as I really enjoyed Sasha Wagstaff's last book Wicked Games. I think that Heaven Scent is even better and each page was a pleasure to read.Cat Hayes has been widowed after only a few weeks of marriage; she thought she had married a penniless waiter but in fact had tied the knot with Olivier Ducasse who was heir to a huge perfume empire. The Ducasse family want to meet Cat, however, they have no intention of welcoming her to the family, instead they want to ward off any claim she may have on Olivier's part of the business.
Stranded at the beautiful Ducasse chateau in France after her passport disappears, Cat has never felt more unwelcome or stupid. Why did Olivier lie about his identity and how naive must she have been to fall in love with such a man?
The actual Ducasse family were my favourite part of the book. The author gives each individual member their own story line but she expertly links them so that the plot flows effortlessly. Delphine Ducasse is the matriarch of the family and is not interested in getting to know Cat, business comes before everything for this woman but at what cost? Guy is Delphine's son and is in charge of the company, he lost his beloved wife two years ago and is now struggling with his grief plus raising his twin teenagers Max and Seraphina who seem determined to get into as much trouble as possible. Xavier is Guy's oldest son and is well known as a playboy. He used to be the 'nose' of the business but events in the past have meant that Xavier has not created a new scent for years; it seems that nothing will convince him to work for the Ducasse empire. Leoni Ducasse is Olivier's sister and one of the most diligent and hard working members of the family; it's just a shame that nobody takes her seriously or appreciates all she does. Leoni can't even bear to be around Cat; who is this woman her brother apparently loved enough to marry?
So as you see Cat has a lot on her hands with this ambitious, powerful family. However unwelcoming they have been, it is in Cat's nature to try and help those in need. She is soon helping the twins deal with the loss of their mother, offering ideas to the business which could do with a fresh perspective and unwittingly reigniting Xavier's passion to create a much needed new scent.
I found the relationships that Cat formed with each family member very interesting, especially those between her and Xavier. Was she wrong to view him purely as a spoilt playboy and how can she possibly have feelings for the cousin of her dead husband?
Heaven Scent is my favourite read of the summer so far. It is glamorous and fast paced with believable characters who you quickly become attached to. It was fascinating to read about the world of perfume and the intricate way in which a scent is created, Sasha Wagstaff's research into this shines throughout the book. Heaven Scent had me gripped from start to finish, I can't wait to read what Sasha Wagstaff writes next.
Many thanks to Headline for sending me a copy of this book to review, it is out now. You can follow the lovely Sasha Wagstaff on Twitter, she is @SashaWagstaff.
Dot Scribbles rating: 5/5
