I really enjoyed this... historical fiction with a lil mystery thrown in creating a very good story!!! Didn't realize while I was reading this that it is part of a series... look forward to reading more by this author!!!

Interesting subject matter (the history of fragrances, the middle ages, Catherine de Medici). Captivating descriptions of place (why can’t I ever find a secret, hidden chamber?) But this is less historical fiction or suspense than pure romance novel. Lots of “flowing juices” in these pages, with characters right out of an afternoon Soap. If the Collector of Dying Breaths was a perfume I imagine it would smell like a cross between damask rose, strawberry bubblegum and attar of unlaundered bed lin...

First off let me say that I usually don't give two stars (I noticed this book got very high ratings from others). However, I invested my time reading this book and found a lot of faults in it. The premise of the story is to collect dying breaths from loved ones, preserve them in an elixir/potion and when the time is right use it to reincarnate them. Here's the first glitch to me. The main character, Jac can visit her past lives and past lives of others. OBVIOUSLY, this means that (in this story)...

This work floored me. I'm not entirely sure what I was expecting. Having never read any of M.J. Rose's works before, I believe I assumed from the synopsis and the cover that it was just another Romance novel with historical undertones and a bit of adventure to add some meat to the story. There were, of course, Romantic elements that took up some huge real estate in the plot, but more than Romance there was an idea of loss, of accepting yourself and all of your personal oddities, of believing in

What a perfect blend of historical fiction, suspense, and a gothic and mystical tale. In this new installment in the reincarnationist series, MJ Rose has outdone herself. I have loved all her books in this series so far, with the last one being my least favorite (the part about seances and the devil did not work for me). I absolutely love the character of Jac, a mythologist, who has been the main character in the last three books, and her connection to perfume and perfume making. This book can e...

I reviewed this book for www.luxuryreading.com.In MJ Rose's Reincarnationist series she introduces us to an unforgettable character named Jac L’Etoile, a woman from a long and illustrious line of French perfumers who has continually fought against her abilities to experience past life memories, her own as well as others, and who has spent her life trying to debunk the mysteries of the past in order to make sense of the mysteries surrounding her in the present. In The Collector of Dying Breaths,

“The Collector of Dying Breaths” by M.J. Rose, published by Atria Books.Category – Fiction/Literature Publication Date – April 08, 2014Rene le Florentin is taken in by monks and becomes an apprentice of Dom Serapino, a monk who is an apothecary that sometimes delves into the mysterious. When Dom Serapino dies, aided by Rene, Rene is imprisoned. He is saved from death by Catherine De Medici. Catherine, who is destined for the French court and becomes Queen, intends to use Rene and his knowledge o...

Part 16th century France and part present day France, this novel effectively weaves two time pieces together in such a clever way that I didn’t even notice it at times.In present day France, Mythologist Jac L’Etoile discovers some works by Perfumer Rene le Florentin (16th century), and a collection of dying breaths. She believes that there may be an elixir that will bring about eternal life. It also appears that she is not alone in her quest to recover this mysterious elixir.I found the science

This is my first book by MJ Rose. It had a lot of elements I enjoy, historical fiction, mansions and ruins, parallel stories, magic and the supernatural. Add in some reincarnation, romance, murder, a bit of erotic play, and you should have a bang up novel. I'm still trying to figure out what it was that didn't completely work for me. And although I know it sounds silly, it's the collection of dying breaths that I just couldn't buy. It was a bit far-fetched, and just didn't make sense to me. This...

Find this and other reviews at: http://flashlightcommentary.blogspot....M.J. Rose is fast becoming one of my favorite authors. Her stories are wonderfully imagined and the lyrical quality of her prose is point blank beyond compare. Thematically heavy, they aren't what I'd term easy reading, but I assure you, they are more than worth the time one puts into them. Now before I get too far ahead of myself, I'd like to offer a small disclaimer about the Reincarnationist series because I think it impo...

There were many things about this book that made me really like it. Jac was a very well drawn character with a compassionate nature and an interesting background. From the beginning, her compassion for those she cared about made me feel close to her and want to keep learning more about her life. That being said, this book was not as historical as I expected after reading the blurb. There is a lot of historical reference in it, and it does bounce back and forth between time periods, but much of t...

Beautiful to a fault. A complete sensory immersion into the lives of two perfumers, one in 16th century France. Full review: The Collector of Dying Breaths Book Review.

I began this journey with Jac L'Etoile in Seduction and I admit it was a bit difficult getting into the rhythm of the way the book is put together. The historical perspectives were very much like Jac's memory lurches and were a bit disconcerting. I've read several books in the series culminating in Collector of Dying Breaths. I wondered how M. J. Rose would incorporate perfumes and reincarnation into the story and now I know.Jac's brother is dying from some unknown disease and he's going quickly...

4.0 out of 5 stars - Compelling, fascinating, historical fiction with a supernatural element and a theme centering on the subject of reincarnation. This conclusion to the trilogy featuring mythbuster and perfumer Jac L’Etoile brings closure to a very entertaining series, but I must say that I'm sad to see it end. I especially enjoyed the descriptions of life and times in the 1500s from the point of view of René le Florentine and learning about the machinations of Catherine de Medici and her cour...