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Vendor
Mohrbooks Literary Agency
Sebastian Ritscher
Original language
English

BLUSH

Jamie Brenner

BLUSH is a stunning new novel about three generations of women who discover that the "trashy" novels of a bygone era just might hold the key to saving their family's coastal winery--and to finding the love that's eluded them.
For decades, the lush vineyards and majestic manor house of the Hollander Estates winery made it the North Fork of Long Island's premier destination for lavish parties and romantic day trips. But now, the Hollander family fortunes have suffered, and as matriarch Vivian Hollander prepares for the arrival of her daughter and granddaughter for their annual summer reunion, she fears it might be their last. Worse, selling the family legacy to strangers might expose the dark secret she's harbored for thirty-five years.

Visits to the winery have been bittersweet for Leah Hollander Bailey ever since her father refused to let her take her place in the family business. Now a successful Manhattan shop owner, Leah loves the life she's built with her husband and daughter--but with her store, and her marriage, at a crossroads, she can't help but view this year's pilgrimage home as a sorely needed escape.

College senior Sadie Bailey has a thesis to write, and the towering shelves of the manor's library offer endless academic inspiration. But when Sadie discovers evidence that her proper Grandma Vivian once ran a book club dedicated to the scandalous women's novels of decades past, the shockingly outrageous tomes give her new insight into her family's glory days.

Resurrecting the "trashy" book club begins as the distraction all three women need. But as they battle to save their birthright and heal old wounds, they just might find that the pages contain everything they need to know about how to fight for what they want--and for the life, and love, they deserve.

Jamie Brenner is the author of The Forever Summer, The Wedding Sisters,The Husband Hour, Drawing Home, and Summer Longing. She grew up in suburban Philadelphia on a steady diet of Norma Klein, Judy Blume, and Judith Krantz novels, and worked for HarperCollins, Barnes&Noble.com, Vogue.com, and Romance at Random before becoming an author. She currently lives in Provincetown, Massachusetts.
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Published 2021-06-22 by Putnam

Comments

This book about three generations of women discovering their power at a North Fork vineyard is delicious, delightful, and smart. Reading it feels like drinking a crisp glass of rose on a hot summer's day.

Jamie Brenner's Blush is a delicious, big-hearted book about love, secrets, and pleasure - a noel that's easy to devour, but made to be savored. I adored every last drop.

Books, wine, and female power prevail in Blush

Cheers to Jamie Brenner and Blush! Readers will be rooting for the Hollander family vineyard and for Brenner's smart, spirited female characters who face inevitable change and fight to hold on to their precious legacy before it slips away. Add a truly spectacular setting brought to life, the novels of Collins and Krantz, lust, wine, secrets, and sunshine, and this book has all the ingredients for the perfect summer read.

Brenner's splendid novel depicts three very different women who find inspiration and guidance in the beloved, trashy novels of the eighties. I have no doubt that Judith Krantz and Jackie Collins are cheering from above at this feminist beach book that's sharp and funny, bursting with heartbreak and longing. Blush delights the senses and will thrill you to your core.

Jamie Brenner's "Blush" Gives Three Women Bonded by Family the Chance for Beautiful Boldness ... Read more...

In Blush, her latest summer page-turner, author Jamie Brenner indulges readers with the story of three generations of headstrong women united in their efforts to buck male authority and save their family's struggling winery on the North Fork of Long Island. Brenner's fizzy tale of wine-making lore, family secrets, forbidden love - and a shared appreciation for Jackie Collins and Judith Krantz novels, make for an intoxicating read.

BLUSH is one of People's Best New Books USA Today's 5 Books Not to Miss Real Simple's Blockbuster Beach Reads That Are Quintessentially Summer Bustle's 44 New Must-Read Books Out This June E! News's 16 Books to Add to Your Reading List This June Good Morning America's 27 Books for June Veranda's 32 New Books You Don't Want to Miss This Summer Frolic's 25 Best Books of Summer 2021

Jamie Brenner rules the beach with her opus Blush. The Hollander family vineyard is at a crossroads, exposing their frayed relationships. When secrets are revealed, old wounds resurface, and they must find a way to come together or lose the legacy they treasure. We discover the Hollander's tender vines have deep roots that yield understanding and forgiveness. A spectacular read.

In her most captivating novel yet, Jamie Brenner brilliantly captures the challenges and secrets behind a family-owned winery on the North Fork of Long Island. Blush is a truly decadent read and I found myself rooting for these characters, Vivian, Leah and Sadie, so fervently I didn't want it to end. Book clubs and women everywhere will be raising a glass of rosé to this heartfelt story of love, courage and determination.

...In all seriousness this book was lovely. It was a delightful trip back to sneaking books that were way too "racy" for me, with a fantastic story to immerse yourself in. I loved the female relationships between the women. The family dynamics were intense at times but loving at others. This novel did an exquisite job of bringing together feminism and family. Read more...

Brenner deftly pulls from the canon for steamy encounters and dramatic confrontations - some worthy of a Dynasty reboot. A perfect beach read about a family crisis resolved by women. Read more...

Jamie Brenner is wise beyond her years.

I have been a fan of Jamie Brenner's storytelling from the very beginning; she is the rare writer who gets better with each book.

Brenner's lovely latest begs to be read with a view and a glass of wine... Brenner tackles complex issues including gender equality and the devaluation of women's interests with a light hand, balancing heavy topics with copious descriptions of wine, cheese, and classic romances. [Blush] is sure to please. Read more...

This is a great character driven novel with strong female characters, lots of wine talk (and you learn a lot of about making all kinds of wines) and at it's core family. A great read for the beach, pool or sitting around and having a glass or two of wine. Read more...

In Blush Jamie Brenner celebrates the grand dames of '80s ladies writers, Judith Krantz, Jackie Collins, and Shirley Conran, who teach us that life is about second chances. Love, sex, marriage and money are all the more thrilling when we think that we've lost them. Throw in three generations of women, a winery and cheese plates and we've got ourselves the kind of summer bestseller we snuck from our mothers' nightstands. Hot!

If sipping wine while gazing at lush vineyards appeals, this summery rosé of a novel is for you.

Jam-packed with outrageous drama, sexy passion, and dysfunctional family dynamics, Brenner's delectable soap opera is the epitome of escapist reading pleasure. [Blush] is also a homage to the glitz-and-glam novels of the 1980s, a brilliantly conceived and expertly executed tale that provides a welcome reassessment of the often underestimated but in their own way fiercely feminist works of Jackie Collins, Judith Krantz, Shirley Conran, and the other big-shoulder-padded popular fiction stars of the time. Brenner starts with the clever concept of women bonding in a book group dedicated to 'trashy' novels and spins it into beach-reading gold. Read more...