With beguiling wit and undeniable passion, Lush Lives is a deliciously queer and sexy novel about bold, brilliant women unafraid to take risks and fight for what they love

An unabashedly charged love story set in the evocative and high-stakes world of art and auction in New York City, Roxane Gay Books' second title is a crowd-pleaser in the vein of Jasmine Guillory's The Wedding Date and Helen Wan's The Partner Track.

For Glory Hopkins, inheriting her Aunt Lucille's Harlem brownstone feels more like a curse than a blessing. As a restless artist struggling to find gallery representation, Glory doesn't have the money, time, or patience to look after the aging house of an aunt she barely knew. But when she stumbles into Parkie de Groot, a savvy, ambitious auction house appraiser on the verge of a coveted promotion, her unexpected inheritance begins to look more promising. Glory and Parkie form an unlikely alliance and work to unearth the origins of a rare manuscript hidden in the brownstone's attic. In doing so, they uncover not only the well-kept secrets of Lucille's life but also the complex relationships between Harlem and its distinguished residents.

Undeniable as their connection may be, complications arise that threaten to tear apart their newly forged relationship. Between Parkie's struggle to overcome the heartache of past romances and professional problems that threaten to end her rising career, and Glory's unbridled and all-consuming ambition, they begin to keep secrets from each other. The deeper they dig into the mysteries of the Harlem brownstone, the more fraught their relationship becomes.

Lush Lives is an unforgettable novel of queer love, ambition, and the forgotten histories that define us.

Marketing

• Pre-publication industry and consumer advertising
• Digital advertising campaign, including Literary Hub
• Targeted social media advertising, including Romance readers
• Multiple consumer giveaways via Goodreads

Publicity

• Roxane Gay Books launch events in New York City, Chicago, and Los Angeles
• National media campaign, including radio and print
• Women's magazine and blog coverage

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Instagram: @jv_lyon_words

About the Author
J. Vanessa Lyon is the author of The Groves (an Audible Original) and Meet Me in Madrid, which appeared under the pseudonym Verity Lowell. She is an art historian, former appraiser, and occasional curator who teaches at a New England liberal arts college.

Reviews

Praise for Lush Lives:

An NBC News Best LGBTQ Book of the Year

"A vibrant, sexy, queer contemporary romance."-Book Riot

"[A] swoonworthy romance . . . [Lush Lives] is also a sumptuous story about the complicated costs of ambition."-Electric Literature

"Lyon's hot, perceptive novel grapples with navigating interracial relationships and issues of authenticity and selling out . . . an unerringly satisfying read."-Booklist, starred review

"With prose that turns on a dime from blistering to sensual . . . [Lush Lives] is a treat."-Publishers Weekly

"Lyon writes a compelling and sexy story of the lives of queer women, both past and present, grounded in the beautifully drawn atmosphere of Harlem. The novel successfully blends real and speculative history to evoke what may hide in the silence of historical records."-Library Journal, starred review

"Insightful, brazen, and groundbreaking in its vivid portrayal of boundary-pushing characters who rarely get the spotlight, Lush Lives is the total package-a sexy queer romance with substance." -Camille Perri, author of When Katie Met Cassidy and The Assistants

"With a singular voice, Lyon weaves an unforgettable romance in the elite art world, one full of tenderness, fierce hope, and self-empowerment."-Ashley Herring Blake, author of Astrid Parker Doesn't Fail

"Smart, sophisticated, and deeply romantic. Lush Lives explores queer love and life amidst an evocative backdrop of art, auction, and the history of Harlem. I was captivated."-Helen Hoang, New York Times-bestselling author of The Kiss Quotient

"Lush Lives is a joy to read. It's tender, sharp, funny, and oh so sexy. This is one to savor; I didn't want it to end. I can't wait to read more from J. Vanessa Lyon." -Jasmine Guillory, New York Times-bestselling author of Drunk on Love

Book Information
ISBN 9780802161987
Author J. Vanessa Lyon
Format Hardback
Page Count 352
Imprint Grove Press / Atlantic Monthly Press
Publisher Grove Press / Atlantic Monthly Press