NOTE: I won a free eBook copy of this book in MOBI format from LibraryThing's Early Reviewers (September 2021).

Every immigrant has a story. In Linko's novel "Nothing Else Is Love," those stories converge in interesting and unexpected ways that evoke connections to unexplained supernatural phenomena. Alice, the novel's initial protagonist, has an unexplained connection to France, including a keen talent for blending aromas into perfume. As she explores the history of the St. Paul, MN area, readers are pulled into a story of two young people in love almost 100 years prior. The extended flashback consumes almost a half of the novel, if not more, but its rich detail makes it the centerpiece of the story. Linko's characterization of the Folkeson family feels authentic and true to life. As I read, I grew to adore Rune, whose intellect and romanticism stands in sharp contrast to his physical demeanor. His brothers, troubled as they were, are similarly endearing. The progression of Rune's romance with Catarin, juxtaposed with the struggles of the Folkeson family, illustrates how some conflicts and emotions are timeless. Though a convincing explanation for Alice's connection to the past is never given, not even in the story's denouement, the resolution is still satisfying and atones for some of the sins in the pasts of each of the main characters. ( )

This was an interesting book with either 2 parallel stories or a story within a story. Part of it felt like a time travel tale but it turned out to be... , well I don't want to put a spoiler in here. The story dealt with Swedish immigrants to the Minneapolis area, the Minneapolis caves, perfume making, graduate students, the loss of loved ones, and finding loved ones. The story was split between now and the early part of the 20th Century. I enjoyed the historical part because it shed light on an era or events that I am unfamiliar with. The primary characters were well developed and deep enough that you felt that they were real people with whom you were developing a relationship. It was easy to care, be exasperated, worry, or fear what was happening in their lives. The plot pulled you along and when the "chunks" of the story shifted, I was left wondering what happens next. I enjoyed this book and it ultimately had a satisfactory ending. One word of caution - if you have recently lost a loved one and your emotions are still tender over it, you might want to wait a bit before picking up this book. I needed to set it aside a couple of times, but the story did keep pulling me back. ( )

I quite enjoyed this book! The author does a great job interweaving several stories together that span a large timeframe and yet it's never confusing or unclear which character we're focusing on at the moment. I found myself totally immersed in the world of Catarin and Rune and on the edge of my seat to see how their story and the larger story would play out. The ending was such a lovely twist on what you thought was going on during the book and I found it all so touching and sweet. I sort of love that the mystery/science of how it all worked was left up to the reader's imagination. It was a fun lovely read and a really satisfying end. ( )