A Wish Upon Jasmine (La Vie en Roses #2) by Laura Florand
A Wish Upon Jasmine (La Vie en Roses Book 2)
Synopsis:
From Reviewers’ Choice Book of the Year nominee and bestselling author Laura Florand:
Ruthless. That was what they said about Damien Rosier. Handsome. Wealthy. Powerful. Merciless. No one messed with his family, because to do so they would have to get through him. No one thought he had a heart. Not even the woman he gave his to.
Cynical. That was what they said about Jasmin Bianchi. A top perfumer of her generation, Jess had achieved commercial success by growing a protective shell over a tender heart. The one time she cracked it open to let Damien in, he crushed it—after a night of unbelievable passion.
Lovers. That one magical night couldn’t survive the harsh light of dawn. When Jess woke up to discover the man in bed beside her had stolen her company, she fled.
Enemies. Now she’s come to the south of France with a threat to his family heritage. If he wants to reclaim both it and the woman who walked away from him, he’s going to have to fight as dirty as only Damien can.
But Jess knows how to fight dirty, too. And these days, she has nothing left to lose.
Certainly not her heart.
Come explore the south of France, a world of heat and fragrance and tales as old as time, through the stories of the five powerful Rosier cousins and the women who win their hearts. A Wish Upon Jasmine, book two in Florand’s addictive new series, La Vie en Roses. “Explosive, sensual, and utterly sweet” (Eloisa James).
Review:
*Note: I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review*
I love the way Laura Florand writes. Her books always wrap me up in this snuggly cocoon or a great big hug and make me feel all warm and fuzzy. Reading her books makes me feel unlike anything else I have ever read. Right from the start I am always transported to this like dream world that is so beautiful and I just love it. I wish I could describe it better, describe how I feel when reading her books, but...I just love the way she write.
A Wish Upon Jasmine is the second book in the La Vie en Roses series. The first book was Matt's story. Big, grumbly teddy bear Matt. I loved that story and I love that you get to see glimpses of Matt in this one as well. Whereas Matt just had his roses to protect from the outsider, his cousin, Damien, is trying to protect everything his family holds dear. He is in business, he knows money and buying businesses and all of that. He is the supposed mean one. His family treats him that way and sometimes it hurts him.
It hurts to think that they don't even see that he has a kinder side, a nicer side, a softer side. He doesn't really fit in with the rest of his relatives. They all have pieces of the family to protect, whereas he makes money so they can do whatever and not have to worry. He loves what he does, he is good at it, but the distance it can put between him and them can wear on him.
Jess was just lovely. Much stronger than she ever realizes. She is all alone now swimming in a sea of insecurity, but trying to put on a brave face. She spent one night with Damien months ago and thought that they had something special, only it turns out the next day he took over her company, he took over her dream. She had made a cheaper commercial perfume, a perfume that was being sarcastic, but since then she hasn't been able to make the niche perfumes she would like. Her father was run out of France by the Rosier's as they take over everything so when she saw that the guy she thought she had a connection with, she thought she shared a special night with, was Damien Rosier and he has taken over her company she is not happy. She realizes she was nothing to him, just another body to fill his bed.
When she shows up in Damien's town she is prepared for a fight. She doesn't realize that Damien is hurting just as much as she is over their time spent together. She was helping to care for her dying father back then and really not in a good place, but trying, trying so hard to stay afloat. She is stronger, tougher, or she is trying to be now. She was left this small perfume shop in Damien's town and she is determined to make something of it. Now she finally has her fresh start she has been wanting. Now she can finally make the perfumes she would like to make. It will be fun again.
Damien is upset when he sees Jess in his town, with part of his family's properties in her possession. He is upset because months ago he though they had a connection, but he was wrong. She didn't care about him. She didn't see that he could be soft and kind. He thought he had been, he thought he had showed her how much it meant to him, but she just threw him away the next day without a second thought.
"Again having to defend himself against her assumption that he was a heartless asshole. Even after he's held his own heart out to her like...
Oh Damien. You are so sweet but don't think you are. You are so kind, and caring, and gentle, but just like Matt you don't see it. You think you are this hard, ruthless person. And Jess, she was perfect for him.
Jess is wonderful, but even once they clear up what happened months ago it is still a bit rough for the two of them. Jess doesn't believe that she can actually have something so beautiful. She cannot believe that she will get her wish, have Damien forever. Everything she has ever loved has been taken away from her so she has a hard time with it. But she tries, oh, she tries and it is heartbreaking just as watching Damien and his fragile feelings is. I will say I was a bit surprised to see that Damien had such a dominant alpha male side to him. Phew that was hot. Unexpected, but wow so glad it was there. It made me love this story even more.
These two. They just...the way Florand writes her characters it just tugs at your heartstrings. The way she describes everything, all the emotions and scents and textures and everything it just makes it so you are there. You are experiencing everything along with the characters and in a much different way than I normally experience the world. Since Jess is a perfumer the way she thinks about everyday things, the smells, the textures, is just beautiful. She takes all these smells and makes something beautiful out of them.
The way the guys think about their heart is something I absolutely love as well. It is this thing that needs protected, that you shouldn't just leave exposed and vulnerable. When some of the other guys look at Matt, for example, they cannot look too long. The way he just leaves his heart open is unnerving to them. I love it. Their heart is this tangible thing that needs protecting.
So yes, just go read this story. If you are familiar with Florand's prior works you will love it. If not then you really should give her books a try. It was so much fun watching Damien and Jess work things out, even though it made my heart hurt for them at times. The way Florand writes is just beautiful and unlike anything else I have read. Her books always make me want things I don't even like. I cannot wait for her next book to come out so I can be immersed in another section of her world once again and see what/who else she will make me fall in love with. Absolutely beautiful.
Rating: ★★★★★
*Note: I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review*
I love the way Laura Florand writes. Her books always wrap me up in this snuggly cocoon or a great big hug and make me feel all warm and fuzzy. Reading her books makes me feel unlike anything else I have ever read. Right from the start I am always transported to this like dream world that is so beautiful and I just love it. I wish I could describe it better, describe how I feel when reading her books, but...I just love the way she write.
A Wish Upon Jasmine is the second book in the La Vie en Roses series. The first book was Matt's story. Big, grumbly teddy bear Matt. I loved that story and I love that you get to see glimpses of Matt in this one as well. Whereas Matt just had his roses to protect from the outsider, his cousin, Damien, is trying to protect everything his family holds dear. He is in business, he knows money and buying businesses and all of that. He is the supposed mean one. His family treats him that way and sometimes it hurts him.
"He didn't have a soft heart...But sometimes it hurt anyway, as if his family had stabbed him in it, and he couldn't even explain why."
It hurts to think that they don't even see that he has a kinder side, a nicer side, a softer side. He doesn't really fit in with the rest of his relatives. They all have pieces of the family to protect, whereas he makes money so they can do whatever and not have to worry. He loves what he does, he is good at it, but the distance it can put between him and them can wear on him.
Jess was just lovely. Much stronger than she ever realizes. She is all alone now swimming in a sea of insecurity, but trying to put on a brave face. She spent one night with Damien months ago and thought that they had something special, only it turns out the next day he took over her company, he took over her dream. She had made a cheaper commercial perfume, a perfume that was being sarcastic, but since then she hasn't been able to make the niche perfumes she would like. Her father was run out of France by the Rosier's as they take over everything so when she saw that the guy she thought she had a connection with, she thought she shared a special night with, was Damien Rosier and he has taken over her company she is not happy. She realizes she was nothing to him, just another body to fill his bed.
"It was easier to believe I was an idiot than to believe something so perfect could actually be true"
When she shows up in Damien's town she is prepared for a fight. She doesn't realize that Damien is hurting just as much as she is over their time spent together. She was helping to care for her dying father back then and really not in a good place, but trying, trying so hard to stay afloat. She is stronger, tougher, or she is trying to be now. She was left this small perfume shop in Damien's town and she is determined to make something of it. Now she finally has her fresh start she has been wanting. Now she can finally make the perfumes she would like to make. It will be fun again.
Damien is upset when he sees Jess in his town, with part of his family's properties in her possession. He is upset because months ago he though they had a connection, but he was wrong. She didn't care about him. She didn't see that he could be soft and kind. He thought he had been, he thought he had showed her how much it meant to him, but she just threw him away the next day without a second thought.
"Again having to defend himself against her assumption that he was a heartless asshole. Even after he's held his own heart out to her like...
...like a pitiful bouquet of wildflowers."
"'You're not very good at it, being mean.'
Both his eyebrows shot up.
'I mean you try, but you're really inconsistent. You forget all the time.'"
Jess is wonderful, but even once they clear up what happened months ago it is still a bit rough for the two of them. Jess doesn't believe that she can actually have something so beautiful. She cannot believe that she will get her wish, have Damien forever. Everything she has ever loved has been taken away from her so she has a hard time with it. But she tries, oh, she tries and it is heartbreaking just as watching Damien and his fragile feelings is. I will say I was a bit surprised to see that Damien had such a dominant alpha male side to him. Phew that was hot. Unexpected, but wow so glad it was there. It made me love this story even more.
The way the guys think about their heart is something I absolutely love as well. It is this thing that needs protected, that you shouldn't just leave exposed and vulnerable. When some of the other guys look at Matt, for example, they cannot look too long. The way he just leaves his heart open is unnerving to them. I love it. Their heart is this tangible thing that needs protecting.
So yes, just go read this story. If you are familiar with Florand's prior works you will love it. If not then you really should give her books a try. It was so much fun watching Damien and Jess work things out, even though it made my heart hurt for them at times. The way Florand writes is just beautiful and unlike anything else I have read. Her books always make me want things I don't even like. I cannot wait for her next book to come out so I can be immersed in another section of her world once again and see what/who else she will make me fall in love with. Absolutely beautiful.
Rating: ★★★★★
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