Lush - by Rochelle Dowden-Lord

About the Book

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

Sweetbitter meets The Bear in this "intoxicating look at the world of wine."(TIME)

Book Synopsis

A Belletrist Book Club Pick

A TIME, Town & Country, NPR, Marie Claire, and Ms. Magazine Best of the Summer.

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

Sweetbitter meets The Bear in this "intoxicating look at the world of wine."(TIME)

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.

Review Quotes

"Reading like an afternoon spent nursing a hangover under the mercy of a beach umbrella, fans of Saltburn and The Dreamers will delight in prose that drips with boozy tension." --Marie Claire

"[An] intoxicating look at the world of wine" --TIME

"Secrets spill throughout this sumptuous debut as the four companions begin to view the wine as something more than just a rare libation, but rather something sacred, layered and complex." --HuffPost

"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

"What a pleasure to sink into this gorgeous, sensual debut. Rochelle Dowden-Lord's witty, sparkling prose brims with the fullness of life. Never has a novel been more deserving of its title!" --Antonia Angress, author of SIRENS & MUSES

"Lush is a sparkling debut by a brilliant new writer. A rich, full-bodied reading experience sure to leave readers drunk on Dowden-Lord's prose." --Eliza Clark, author of BOY PARTS and PENANCE

"Rochelle Dowden-Lord writes like an angel with whisky on her breath . . . Beautiful." --Alice Slater, author of DEATH OF A BOOKSELLER

"Lush is a breathtaking novel-dare I say, intoxicating. This book grabbed me from the very first page and didn't let me go. Dowden-Lord has an incredible eye for detail, for nuance, for human relationships, for flaws and humour. Her voice is so masterful, so precise, so spellbinding that you know instantly that you will follow it wherever it leads." --Okechukwu Nzelu, author of HERE AGAIN NOW

About the Author