About the Book
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.
My Review
Wine, book clubs and a serene backdrop drew me in to this women’s fiction novel. Hollander Estates holds a beautiful winery with the family at the helms, but all is not so peaceful behind the scenes. Matriarch Vivian struggles with her husband’s old-school, male-dominated point of view when it comes to business decisions, daughter Leah is still reeling from the fact her father was passing the business onto her brother even though she was the passionate, business-minded sibling, and her daughter Sadie flees to the winery after dealing with a breakup. The three women are all dealing with their own personal and/or professional crises, but find when they work together they are much stronger than attempting to handle everything on their own.
The setting of the winery in Long Island was serene and I enjoyed learning about the different wines and getting a behind the scenes look some of the chapters offered. The character development I wasn’t as big of a fan of – Vivian’s husband doesn’t have a likeable bone about him, Leah’s brother gave me a migraine – but even the women had plenty of flaws that were hard to keep up with. In the end, I was glad I gave this one a chance though because seeing how everything was pulled together even with so much going against the Hollander family was endearing. Pairs well with cheese and chocolate.
4 stars
