This story was short with no real conflict or event that takes place. It’s pretty much an 86-page long meet-cute where the protagonists go on 5-6 dates. Not sure what I expected but I at least expected a bit more of a story.

The Scent of a Romance delivers an adorable fake dating setup with plenty of charm. The story follows a candle shop maker and a businessman who agree to pretend to be a couple to keep their meddling parents at bay. It’s a fun premise with plenty of potential, and while the concept itself was enjoyable, the execution left me wanting more.

One of the highlights of the book was Caleb’s humor—his attempts at making jokes added a lighthearted touch and made the story more memorable. However, the chemistry between the main characters felt a bit off, and the romance seemed rushed, making it difficult to fully invest in their relationship. With a little more development, their connection could have been much more engaging.

Overall, The Scent of a Romance is a quick and sweet read, perfect for those who enjoy a lighthearted novella with a fun setup. While the romance didn’t fully deliver for me, Caleb’s humor and the charming premise made it an entertaining escape.

In The Scent of a Romance, T. Atkins delivers a heartwarming novella filled with love, and the undeniable power of fate. Alexa, a dedicated small business owner, has her reservations about love after past heartbreak, while Callum has never met a woman who makes him consider settling down. Their paths cross in the cozy atmosphere of Alexa’s candle shop when Callum helps his sister prepare for her wedding.
Atkins weaves a delightful romance with charming twists—an ex stirring up old wounds, a meddling mother with arranged date plans, and a slow-burning connection that refuses to be ignored. The chemistry between Alexa and Callum is authentic and endearing, making for an enjoyable read that will leave readers swooning.
A short but sweet romance with all the warm and fuzzy feels, The Scent of a Romance is perfect for readers who enjoy tender love stories with just the right amount of tension. Highly recommend!

DNF. Star rating chosen because Netgalley forced me I'd rather leave none.

It threw me when the FMC was talking about how a bit of hot wax falling on her hand was going to leave a scar - having done that myself with many different candles and types of wax I can confirm it will not. Then I just really didn't gel with it from there. I can't quite put my finger on why but I couldn't connect with the story or the narrator voice. It's by no means a bad book and there's clearly potential there with the romance arc it's just not for me.

No Goodreads review as I felt like this was very much personal preference and I don't think this review would help fellow readers in any meaningful way.

Such a cute short story! Loved the chemistry with the two main characters. I only wish it was longer, it was over too soon.

The Scent of a Romance

Let me start off by saying.. this story certainly gave me the sudden urge to open my own candle shop. What a cool idea?!

The story opens up in a way that had me questioning what kind of book I’d picked up - was it going to be a “the other woman?” kind of story? I almost felt kinda silly when I realised what I was missing, it was extremely well written to mislead the reader. I’m not one to fall for things like this, but I sure did.

Megan was a fun and easy character to read about, and probably my favourite in the story. She is so very much so me in any situation ever; wanting to be useful but stumbling my way through everything clumsily.

I do appreciate this was a very short and punchy story, but I did walk away feeling like we were missing some key scenes to initially build up some tension between the two main characters, especially given that it was a fake dating story. It seemed like they escalated from fake dating to real dating without much of a pause in the story whatsoever.

Overall, the story was extremely relatable, both the main characters were similar in age to myself so I could easily empathise with the pressures their families were putting them under. When you reach a certain age, there’s suddenly all this pressure to hit milestones at the same rate as the people around you, whether it be settling down, your career or living situation, and this book showcased this perfectly.

I received an ARC of this novella and am willingly providing a review.

This is a very cute, cozy romance that follows Caleb and Alexis, who meet in Alexis's candle shop. This story is very cute and involves a particular trope that I'm not a huge fan of and seems a bit unnecessary as it does not begin until halfway through the story. Overall, this story is a light-hearted read that can be finished in one sitting, but I believe the story would have been improved if told as a full-length novel.

The story was fun and lighthearted and I had a good time reading it.
This was a wonderfully written story.
I absolutely loved these characters and really enjoyed getting to know them.
A sweet, funny and heartwarming read!

This is a novella that I really wish was a full length novel because I want to read more about Alexa and Caleb! This story is love-at-first-sight/insta-love, and even though it's not usually a trope I like, I liked it in this book. This story is very sweet and I recommend it if you're looking for something light hearted. This story ends with "The End...For Now", and I really hope there's more one day!

I loved that this started out making me think she was going to fall in love with the groom! Overall, a very cute romance. This was a novella, but I think it would have been better as a novel. The author created two characters that were very like-able, but they hardly interacted. It was mentioned that they hung out and talked, but we never got to experience it.

There were also some parts that didn’t make sense. If they were fake dating then why did she confess to her mom she wanted him to kiss her? That didn’t make sense.

Overall, charming story, like-able characters, and adorable setting.

The Scent of a Romance is a sweet and fast-paced short story. The romance is lighthearted, with fun moments and a charming connection 💕. A delightful and enjoyable read!
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the copy to review. ⭐⭐⭐⭐

4.5 stars rounded up to 5.
This is the perfect palate cleanser book and the cure for any reading slump.
I love the relationship between the two main characters and even with the slim page count we are able to meet side characters with actual personality!
This was a great rainy day read for me and a super cute fake dating novella.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC!

Such a cute read to start the weekend off! Such a sweet story for Alexa and Caleb! Absolutely loved it. Thank you!

Alexa meets Caleb when he visits her candle shop. A fake dating plan seems like a good idea to help them both, but what will happen when they call for real? A great short read.

Quick read at just 72 pages. . Wasn’t much to the story. A lot of characters for such a small book. Entertaining but needed more. Thank you to NetGalley for the free advanced copy . I am leaving this review voluntarily.

This was cuteeee :) I think this is a great "palate cleanser" story. A perfect segway between books. Very lighthearted and easy to read. Short, sweet, and to the point. I wouldn't mind a sequel to this book!

Alexa, una joven de 29 años dueña de una tienda de velas, está tratando de superar una ruptura dolorosa con su ex, quien la engañó y la hizo quedar mal ante sus amigos. Sin embargo, su vida da un giro cuando Caleb, un hombre decidido a evitar el amor, le propone fingir una relación para calmar a sus insistentes familias. La relación, aunque ficticia, empieza a convertirse en algo más profundo, pero un malentendido podría destruirlo todo.


Una lástima que sea más corto.



Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and the author for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

MAKE INTO A FULL STORY !!!!!! Such a cute story I wish this would of been a full novel ! Loved the story line and back story!

I enjoyed reading The Scent of a Romance by T. Atkins. You will fall in love with all the characters. I received an ARC of this book courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher. All opinions expressed in this review are my own and given freely. Happy Reading!

Thank you NetGalley for providing me this book in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts are my own and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

This was a cute and quick, easy to read romance novella as it sits at under 100 pages. The story per se was nice and interesting to read about, although the book did feel messy at times to the point I couldn't understand who's who or what was happening anymore.

The book follows Alexa, a Candle shop owner, and Caleb, who she meets at her candle shop. Caleb proposes a fake relationship to Alexa so they can both get their parents off their backs about relationships/marriage. Their bickering was cute and the chemistry was definitely there, but the story felt rushed and I didn't feel connected to the characters, I would have also preferred a smoother transition into their fake dating. If the book were a little bit longer I'd definitely rate it above 2.5 stars!