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‘A sumptuous treat, I was absorbed from start to finish’ Bolu Babalola, bestselling author of Love in Colour

‘Hedonistic, Bacchanalian, lyrical and subtle, with a hint of tannic Sally Rooney wit’ GQ, Most Anticipated Books of 2025

‘A heady, sun-soaked novel ‘ Dazed, Must-Read Novels of 2025

‘A rich, full-bodied reading experience’ Eliza Clark, bestselling author of Boy Parts

Four very different people, each at a crucial point in their lives, arrive at a French vineyard estate for a transformative experience – but not the kind they expected.

Wine influencer Avery has given up her exploitative but fiercely fought sommelier job to be here, hoping it will earn her the prestige and funds she needs to survive. Rising-star sommelier Cosmo comes from privilege but is struggling to conceal that his life is in freefall. Millionaire Sonny earns scorn for dabbling in his tacky supermarket wine brand, while caustic French critic Maelys hovers, poised to record their indiscretions. Finally, there’s the enigmatic Master, who relishes the sway he holds over his guests almost as much as his partner, Tao, resents it.

As glasses are emptied, rivalries fermented and secrets spilled, each must confront hard truths. Heady and subtly powerful, Lush is a bittersweet reckoning with class, beauty, hedonism and desire.

‘A breathtaking novel – dare I say, intoxicating’ Okechukwu Nzelu, author of Here Again Now

‘Intoxicating’ Times Best New Books

Publisher Review

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 — Chloe 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