Blush
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3.9 • 7 Ratings
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- $13.99
Publisher Description
From acclaimed author Jamie Brenner comes a stunning new novel about three generations of women who discover that the scandalous books of their past may just be the key to saving their family's future.
For decades, the Hollander Estates winery has been the premier destination for lavish parties and romantic day trips on the North Fork of Long Island. But behind the lush vineyards and majestic estate house, the Hollander family fortunes have suffered and the threat of a sale brings old wounds to the surface. For matriarch Vivian, she fears that this summer season could be their last—and that selling their winery to strangers could expose a dark secret she's harbored for decades. Meanwhile, her daughter, Leah, who was turned away from the business years ago, finds her marriage at a crossroads and returns home for a sorely needed escape. And granddaughter Sadie, grappling with a crisis of her own, runs to the vineyard looking for inspiration.
But when Sadie uncovers journals from Vivian's old book club dedicated to scandalous novels of decades past, she realizes that this might be the distraction they all need. Reviving the "trashy" book club, the Hollander women find that the stories hold the key to their fight not only for the vineyeard, but for the life and love they've wanted all along.
Blush is a bighearted story of love, family, and second chances, and an ode to the blockbuster novels that have shaped generations of women.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Brenner's lovely latest (after Summer Longing) begs to be read with a view and a glass of wine as three generations of Hollander women—and the men who orbit them—come together at their family's struggling winery, each fighting their own inner battles. Vivian, the matriarch, doesn't have faith in her son's ability to run the business, and resents her husband's unwillingness to include her in decisions. Leah, Vivian's daughter, harbors anger that her father doesn't trust her to run the winery and frustration that her usually supportive husband has lately become pushy. College student Sadie has lost her position working with a professor she idolizes and can't find the inspiration to work on her thesis. These three women find a way to reclaim their power by starting a "trashy" book club, reading romance novels from the 1980s that they discover in the winery's library. In the process, they learn secrets about the family and the estate that could mean the end of the winery—or new beginnings in both business and love. Brenner tackles complex issues including gender inequality and the devaluation of women's interests with a light hand, balancing heavy topics with copious descriptions of wine, cheese, and classic romances. This is sure to please.
