Overview

SHORTLISTED FOR THE NERO BOOK AWARD FOR DEBUT FICTION * A STYLIST BEST BOOK OF 2025 * A DAZED MUST-READ NOVEL FOR 2025 * A GQ MOST ANTICIPATED BOOK OF 2025 *A TIMES BEST NEW BOOK * 'A sumptuous treat' Bolu Babalola 'Breathtaking ... dare I say, intoxicating' Okechukwu Nzelu A mysterious invitation to drink the oldest bottle of wine in the world - who could resist?A wine influencer, a rising star sommelier, a caustic food critic and an ingenuous American millionaire gather at a sprawling French vineyard estate at the request of a renowned Grand Sommelier. Each arrives at a crucial point in their lives, and each has something to prove. As glasses are emptied, rivalries fermented and secrets spilled, the guests and their host must confront hard truths that could change their lives forever. Heady and subtly powerful, Lush is a bittersweet reckoning with class, beauty, hedonism and desire. 'Intoxicating' Times 'Heady [and] sun-soaked' Dazed

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9781805220367

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Reviews

Hedonistic, Bacchanalian, lyrical in its language and subtle in its characterisations, with a hint of tannic Sally Rooney wit * GQ, Most Anticipated Books of 2025 * Rochelle Dowden-Lord writes like an angel with whisky on her breath ... beautiful -- Alice Slater, author of Death of a Bookseller 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 Love in Colour A 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 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 So smart, so sensual, so shocking. Lush is a novel that shatters the boundaries between desire and deception, power and pleasure, and taste and temptation. Dowden-Lord's prose is tactile, electrifying and precise. It will leave readers raw -- Cecilia Rabess, author of Everything's Fine The clue is in the name. Lush is rich and seductive, with compellingly juicy characters and a generous glug of drama. The writing is gorgeously vivid and the plot brilliantly devised. Best read with a large glass of wine -- Chloë Ashby, author of Wet Paint Strange, mischievous and dizzying. I love the way Dowden-Lord is interested in the economy of proximity and what that suggests - like whispers braided through a grapevine. With a style that is poised and confident, wasting no time in the slippery between -- Tice Cin, author of Keeping the House What a pleasure to sink into this gorgeous, sensual debut. Never has a novel been more deserving of its title! -- Antonia Angress, author of Sirens & Muses A glorious exploration of prejudices and intentions * Sainsbury's Magazine *

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 Love in Colour A 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 Hedonistic, Bacchanalian, lyrical in its language and subtle in its characterisations, with a hint of tannic Sally Rooney wit * GQ, Most Anticipated Books of 2025 * 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 So smart, so sensual, so shocking. Lush is a novel that shatters the boundaries between desire and deception, power and pleasure, and taste and temptation. Dowden-Lord's prose is tactile, electrifying and precise. It will leave readers raw -- Cecilia Rabess, author of Everything's Fine The clue is in the name. Lush is rich and seductive, with compellingly juicy characters and a generous glug of drama. The writing is gorgeously vivid and the plot brilliantly devised. Best read with a large glass of wine -- Chloë Ashby, author of Wet Paint Strange, mischievous and dizzying. I love the way Dowden-Lord is interested in the economy of proximity and what that suggests - like whispers braided through a grapevine. With a style that is poised and confident, wasting no time in the slippery between -- Tice Cin, author of Keeping the House What a pleasure to sink into this gorgeous, sensual debut. Never has a novel been more deserving of its title! -- Antonia Angress, author of Sirens & Muses A glorious exploration of prejudices and intentions * Sainsbury's Magazine *

Author Information

Rochelle Dowden-Lord is a writer and former publishing professional from South London. Lush is her debut novel.

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