Daisy James comes to the blog today with a story that is part romance, part family and wholly about finding and following your joy in
The Summer House of Happiness
A read in one sitting story that brings us Gabbie, a budding perfumer working in Grasse, when the biggest challenge of her life appears in the form of a three month contract extension working on a new summer signature fragrance. Still unsettled and not feeling as inspired as she would be when meting clients and designing custom scents for them. In an unprecedented move, when the opportunity to continue with the leading perfume house in France doesn’t make her excited, she quits to head home to her small Devon village to regroup and perhaps actually deal with her mother’s death some two years earlier.
Upon returning home, she’s still trying to discover just how she’ll tell people she’d quit, only to discover the house and garage in a cluttered mess, her father not entirely well, and a new mechanic who reminds her of Danny Zucko from Grease. Oh, and the fact that she can’t look at the garden shed, dubbed the Summer House of Happiness, where she and her mother worked to experiment with essential oils and scents to ease her mother’s pain and side-effects from chemo. Digging in and determined to get to the bottom of things, she starts by cleaning out the house, the garage office and the yard and garden, working herself constantly to avoid the summer house, all while trying to come up with a way to explain her appearance and decide on her next move.
But a little boy’s wasp sting and a gentle nudge from her father sends her into the shed to create a potion for relief, which leads to more people asking for her help – as she sorts out her grief and dreams while managing to get a handle on the difficulties the family garage is facing. Finding some support, and more than a bit of attraction to Max, her father’s new second in command, she’s starting to make a plan for a business for herself – designing custom fragrances, treatments and eventually expanding into cleaning products and beauty potions when the dire situation becomes clear, and an offer to work as the head of fragrance for a new UK company arrives with a generous sign-on bonus, before her relocation to Paris will be required. Gabbie has to decide if she could be happy again in France, or does she struggle to make a go of things at home, chasing her dream…..and can she make enough to pay off the garage’s debts and keep things moving forward. Only an unexpected hand and opportunity can help her to make the choice.
A lovely story full of challenges, friendship and determination: perfect for readers who love the stories about finding and following your joy despite the odds.
Title: The Summer House of Happiness
Author: Daisy James
Genre: Contemporary Romance, Family Saga, Setting: Britain
Published by: HQ Digital
ISBN: 9780008285999
Published on: 31 May, 2018
Format:eARC
Source: Publisher via NetGalley
Pages: 384
Rated:
Heat:
The perfect summer read!’ Pretty Little Book Reviews on Sunshine After the Rain
Love is in the air…
Gabbie Andrews’ dreams of becoming a professional perfumer at the prestigious House of Gasnier in Paris are finally coming true. Until she drops a bottle of the most expensive oil and she’s fired on the spot!
Now that she’s back in Devon, she soon finds that her herbal remedies are in more demand than she ever imagined. And when she bumps into Max, the gorgeous mechanic who works at her father’s garage, life might just be about to change forever…
Perfect for fans of Christie Barlow, Debbie Johnson and Cathy Bramley.
A copy of this title was provided via Publisher via NetGalley for purpose of honest review. I was not compensated for this review: all conclusions are my own responsibility.
4 responses to “The Summer House of Happiness by Daisy James”
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Thanks you soooo much for the wonderful review of Summerhouse of Happiness! I’m thrilled you enjoyed Gabbie’s story of finding happiness in offering it to others! Love Daisy xx
This was a lovely story that played on my fascination with scent and perfumeries. Thank you so much for the story!
o
The perfume-making process is so fascinating.
I’ve had opportunity to read a couple that were perfume-oriented and adored them..