Lush: : Rochelle Dowden-Lord: Bloomsbury Publishing

Lush

Description

A Belletrist Book Club Pick

Named a Best Book of May 2025 by TIME, Town & Country, People, Ms. Magazine and Lithub.

"A sumptuous treat of a novel." -Bolu Babalola, author of HONEY AND SPICE

For fans of Sweetbitter and The Bear, an intoxicating debut novel set in the glamorous, exclusive, and unexpectedly raucous world of wine.

Four wine experts, each at a crucial point in their lives, arrive at a French vineyard estate for an unforgettable experience-but not the kind they expected. Avery gave up her hard-won but exploitative sommelier job to come, while wine prodigy Cosmo is trying to disguise that his life is in freefall. The chemistry between the pair is unmistakable, but so are the signs of danger. Millionaire Sonny owns a tacky wine brand and can't help aggravating Cosmo, while caustic magazine writer Maëlys hovers with her pen poised.

It seems at first that these four have little in common except for their love of wine and their belief in its transformative power. But, as the quartet awaits the penultimate night of the trip, when they will taste the only bottle of one of the rarest wines in the world, it becomes clear that each of them grapples with a private crisis. Each projects their ultimate hopes and fears onto the contents of this bottle, a bottle rendered divine by age and scarcity.

Unfolding over several days of indulgence in delicious food and drink, raucous debauchery, and transformative truths that will leave each character changed forever, Lush is a sensuous tour of the wine industry's extreme pleasures and pains, a captivating summer read that, like a fine vintage, will linger long after you've finished turning the pages.

Product details

Published	May 27 2025
Format	Hardback
Edition	1st
Extent	336
ISBN	9781639736591
Imprint	Bloomsbury Publishing
Dimensions	210 x 140 mm
Publisher	Bloomsbury Publishing

Author

Rochelle Dowden-Lord

[An] intoxicating look at the world of wine

TIME
Captivating and best to be enjoyed like a good bottle of wine.

Town & Country
This near-satirical approach to the sommelier scene doesn't ignore the all-too-real humans behind it . . . what Lush does best is expose the darkness of a world that's ultimately built on pretense and alcoholism.

Booklist
[A] polished debut. . .the narrative finishes on a bittersweet and satisfying note. Wine enthusiasts will savor this.

Publishers Weekly
A sumptuous treat of a novel that presents a beautiful balance of elegance with headiness, I was utterly absorbed from start to finish.

Bolu Babalola, author of HONEY AND SPICE
Rochelle Dowden-Lord's writing is that beguiling, rare combination of beautiful and readable. Haunting phrasing follows enthralling character dynamics follows compelling dialogue and so on in abundance. LUSH is a sparkling novel to savour and Dowden-Lord a generous and highly accomplished storyteller.

Lottie Hazell, author of PIGLET