From critically acclaimed author Stacey Lee, an evocative novel about a teen aroma-expert who uses her extrasensitive sense of smell to help others fall in love-while protecting her own heart at all costs-perfect for fans of Lauren Myracle and E. Lockhart. Sometimes love is right under your nose. As one of only two aromateurs left on the planet, sixteen-year-old Mimosa knows what her future holds: a lifetime of weeding, mixing love elixirs, and matchmaking-all while remaining incurably alone. For Mim, the rules are clear: falling in love would render her nose useless, taking away her one great talent. Still, Mimosa doesn't want to spend her life elbow-deep in soil and begonias. She dreams of a normal high school experience with friends, sports practices, debate club, and even a boyfriend. But when she accidentally gives an elixir to the wrong woman and has to rely on the lovesick woman's son, the school soccer star, to help fix the situation, Mim quickly begins to realize that falling in love isn't always a choice you can make.
At once hopeful, funny, and romantic, Stacey Lee's The Secret of a Heart Note is a richly evocative coming-of-age story that gives a fresh perspective on falling in love and finding one's place in the world.
The Secret of a Heart Note was a very unique and quiet kind of story. Magical Realism normally isn't my thing, but this one sounded more Contemporary with a hint of magic. Mim and her mother are the last two aromateurs on Earth. They have heightened senses of smell which can detect a person's unique scent and their emotions. They use their ability to make love potions, but are not allowed to fall in love themselves. Doing so would mean losing their nose.
The plot of The Secret of a Heart Note was fairly predictable but I really enjoyed it. Mim's mother is traing her to make the elixirs and strengthen her sense of smell. Mim is also to deliver the latest elixir to her math teacher's crush, but something goes wrong. She gets the wrong target! This is exactly the plot that I expected and it's exactly the plot that I got. I didn't mind though. I love watching Mim try to set it right without her mother knowing. She's not alone though. Court promised to help her, since it's his mother who accidentally got the potion instead.
Of course, there's also a romance between Mim and Court, much to her dismay. Mim is always fending of unwanted advances, but nothing seems to work on Court. She knows he can't possibly really like her; it's just her "aromateur pollen." Plus, she can't fall in love without activating the family curse. They're super cute together though. I also loved how Court didn't pressure her. He's just happy to be around her. In addition to the romance, there's also a lot of focus on Mim's relationship with her mother which is not all sunshine and rainbows.
The Secret of a Heart Note was very cute and unique. The magic was subtle and interesting, and actually fit the character and the story. Sometimes to me, the magical aspect of Magical Realism seems random or too "literary" but this one was just right.
