Perfume blogger and yoga instructor Polly’s husband has suddenly upped and left, saying not to contact him because he needs space. As the empty-nester with two adult children tries to come to terms with the shock departure, Polly finds a new friend in yoga client Shirlee; runs into a former flame from her university days, Chum, at her mother’s retirement home; and meets an intriguing new perfumer Guy.
I really enjoyed being dipped into the heady world of perfumes, to learn more about Polly’s passion and see how she matches scents to her memories. I did miss the glamour and gossip of Alderson’s earlier novels so my interest waned a bit in the second half. But the mystery of why her husband left and finding out more about Guy kept me going.
The Scent of You, by Maggie Alderson, is about a perfume blogger whose husband takes off. The summary says: Are you still married if you haven't seen your husband for months?
Polly's life is great. Her children are away at uni, her glamorous mother - still modelling at eighty-five - is happily settled in a retirement village, and her perfume blog is taking off. Then her husband announces he needs some space and promptly vanishes.
As Polly grapples with her bewildering situation, she clings to a few new friends to keep her going - Shirlee, the loudmouthed yoga student; Guy, the mysterious, infuriating and hugely talented perfumer; and Edward, an old flame from university.
And while she distracts herself with the heady world of luxury perfume, Polly knows she can't keep reality at bay forever. Eventually she is forced to confront some difficult truths: about her husband, herself and who she really wants to be." The Scent of You is out in March 2017.