The Secret of a Heart Note (Katherine Tegen Books, 2016) by Stacey Lee had me in awe of the author’s imagination at creating characters with a unique ability. I love her descriptions of what Mimosa and her mom can smell as aromateurs, for example: “I clamp my lips, but the scent of my anger, like burnt rubber tires, blackens the space around me.”
Fifteen-year-old Mimosa has convinced her mom to let her go to public high school versus being homeschooled, but she’s having trouble balancing her duties as an aromateur with her seven periods of classes. When a client shows up whom Mim knows personally, its obvious she hasn’t read his application, so Mom knows something is up.
What do aromateurs do? Help the lovelorn. “Clients come to us when they’ve tried everything to woo the target but can’t get the fire going, whether due to shyness, insecurity, or even prejudice.” Mim and her mom follow the Rulebook created by their ancestors. And the worst rule is “Love witches can’t fall in love.”
This is Stacey’s third book; now I want to read the others.