Just when Radha reaches India for her first big project, she discovers more about her son, who is going to Paris in search of his mother. Will Radha and her son unite together? Will the discovery of her son by her husband shatter her marital life? Will Lakshmi and others help Radha to solve her dilemma like they did earlier? There are many questions like these if you have already read the first two books. Alka Joshi answers all these questions convincingly in this book. In addition to that, the author does a splendid job of telling all the intricate details behind making and selecting a perfume. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital copy in exchange for my honest review. Alka Joshi is a talent at the top of her game you do not want to miss!!

The Perfumist of Paris is Radha’s story with cameos of our favourite characters from the first two books. Radha is married and living in Paris with her husband and two daughters. She is working as a perfumer at one of the most world famous fragrance houses. She loves what she does and her talent is recognized by her boss. The only problem is that her husband is not supportive of her career. Radha is given an incredible opportunity for a business trip to India that will take her career to new heights. She immediately accepts at the disapproval of her husband. Her trip has proven to be successful until she discovers that “the son she never told her husband about is heading to Paris to find her — upending her carefully managed world and threatening to destroy [her] marriage.” Everything felt rushed. It was a little bit of everything or nothing. I was not sure about the flow. The decline in values for the newer generation is a big topic of discussion these days. Many people complain that youngsters don't have the discipline and patience to behave appropriately. The author shows us who should be blamed for this behavior. As a fan of Alka Joshi, I was disappointed. Even though, I read the book in one sitting and till way past my bedtime, I was not satisfied. I wanted a connection that I had instantly felt with Lakshmi. Radha was a mystery. I wanted to like this one in same way as I liked to first and second book, but it is not happening. I could not connect to Radha. Yes of course she had a hard time of it, but honestly I found that she finds it too easy to lay the blame elsewhere. A small example of this is her disappointment that her husband is not keen on her promotion when she herself isn't exactly keen on his either. So they are as bad as each other in this regard. Yet only his shortcoming is pointed out.Book Two, “The Secret Keeper of Jaipur” the story continues 12 years later with her protégé, Malik, who has taken an apprenticeship interning at the Jaipur Palace, whose latest project is a State of the Art Cinema, which doesn’t go as planned. Rivetingfrom start to finish, as Alka Joshi once again weaves her glittering magic, taking us on a voyage of discovery to Paris and to India and illuminating the world of scent. . . [Radha's] journey to fulfillment through the course of the novel is heartrending, thrilling, and inspiring. When I reached the end of the story, I had to return to the beginning to experience it all over again.” —Lauren Belfer, New York Times bestselling author of Ashton Hall and winner of the National Jewish Book Award

A stunning portrait of a woman blossoming into her full power...this is Alka Joshi's best book yet!" --Kate Quinn, New York Times bestselling author of The Diamond Eye But Radha has a dark secret kept from her husband, children and her friends. At 13 she gave birth to a son. The well-born rajahs of India sent their son, the child’s father, away and the infant was subsequently adopted. Years later, the boy, Niki, comes to Paris to find his birth mother, having found a trove of letters that tell him he was adopted by the couple who raised him. When a project takes her to India, Radha has no choice but to confront the ghosts of her past once again. Along with her sister, Lakshmi, she travels to Agra to research various scents that she can use in her new fragrance. But when her estranged son, Niki, who is now 17, suddenly reappears in her life and wants to meet her in Paris, her world turns upside down. Her long buried past collides with her present – and threatens to jeopardise her future.

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Do we have to adjust to the differences in opinion with our partner to protect the integrity of the family? This trilogy is not like the usual fiction, which instantly draws you to the world of characters. It will take some time for the readers to get used to the world of Lakshmi and Radha, especially if you are not so familiar with the customs and traditions followed by Indian families. The book disappointed me. I wanted a lot more for Radha. Her relationship with her daughters, with Pierre, with her son that she had to give away and for the career that she chose. There was so much disconnect that it did not stand out for me.

In the final installment of The Jaipur Trilogy, author Alka Joshi takes us on a multi-sensory journey from the perfumer labs of France to the night markets of India. A stunning portrait of a woman blossoming into her full power…this is Alka Joshi's best book yet!”—Kate Quinn, New York Times bestselling author of The Diamond Eye

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Alka Joshi delights the senses with her Henna Artist trilogy. Perfumist of Paris takes us through the wonders of scent and culture as we follow the story of Radha, Lakshmi’s sister, who is now married with 2 children, living in Paris. Several themes cut across the story including the concept of motherhood, challenges of working mothers, and the burdens and fallout of holding secrets ripe with guilt and shame. I loved learning about the perfume industry and the behind the scenes of how that all works. It seemed like a natural progression for Radha’s character to go from mixing paints, to henna, to perfume. I also thought Radha was such a relatable character as she struggles with balancing motherhood with her career, feeling guilty when she felt like she wasn’t spending enough time with her kids or at work. In the 1970s, I’m sure this such a delicate balance as it wasn’t as common for mothers to have careers as it is today, and specifically because her husband wanted her to stay home with their children. Although, this was always a planned trilogy, the story could easily continue with Radha’s children, should the author reconsider, and I would most definitely enjoy seeing where their paths would take them, but this was most definitely a WORTHY conclusion and a WONDERFUL way to conclude this journey.