The Scent of Hours

A Novel

By: Barbara O'Neal

Narrated by: Mia Barron

A divorced perfumer navigates an uncertain but fresh new start in life in a poignant and witty novel about self-discovery by the USA Today bestselling author of When We Believed in Mermaids.

Nikki Bridges has it good. An enviable home in an upscale neighborhood, a heavenly-scented hobby making personal-blend perfumes, a cherished daughter, and comfortable rituals with a husband she loves. How was she to know it would all blow up with her husband’s affair, a blindsiding divorce, and an identity crisis she never saw coming?

With little money, less work experience, and a modest apartment, Nikki is tentatively moving on. Along the way: a waitressing job, a bond with an empathetic group of friends, and reentering the dating game at fortysomething. Luring her out of her funk is Niraj, an ex-Londoner with twinkling eyes and a hint of cinnamon and ginger. For the first time in a long time, Nikki feels a warm summer flush—and with it, a spark of inspiration.

On a liberating quest for self-expression and the courage to follow a dream, Nikki is blending the pieces of a new life into a fragrance that is uniquely and passionately her own.

Revised edition: This edition of The Scent of Hours includes editorial revisions.

©2006, 2014, 2024 by Barbara Samuel. (P)2021 Brilliance Publishing, Inc., all rights reserved.

Didn’t want it to end!

Great story! Good characters. Good reader! I hoping there would be more or a sequel at least!

twists n turns

twists n turns kept it moving. Deals with interracial relationships, emotional reactions. easy and enjoyable read.

Loved the storyline but…

The beginning captivated my attention. It was about a divorced woman and how she was transitioning into her new life, friends, interactions, kids, the ex, & her identity. Very realistic. I found myself being more aware of fragrances, flowers, food cooking, the scent of candles. I couldn’t put it down. The narrator was perfect for this book. It was about to be my favorite Barbara O’Neal book yet. But then… she introduced a harlequin style romance twist which cheapened and dominated the story. So disappointing.

Loved it

The thing I love most about how she writes is how her descriptions of things invoke all of the senses. These are every day people, struggling with normal life and finding extraordinary beauty in being present in the moment. I’ll listen to it again.

3.0

This novel was well-written and the characters were okay. For me, it was just boring. I never felt a connection with any character and /or the storyline. It was a bit jumbled throughout the novel amd had very little depth.