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Lush Lives
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, Helen Wan’s The Partner Track , and Alyssa Cole's A Princess in Theory.
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 trove. 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 drive, 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.
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, Helen Wan’s The Partner Track , and Alyssa Cole's A Princess in Theory.
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 trove. 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 drive, 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.
352 pages, Hardcover
First published August 1, 2023
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July 18, 2023
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Thanks to NetGalley and Roxane Gay Books for providing this title in exchange for an honest review.
In "Lush Lives", J. Vanessa Lyon's novel debut, we meet emerging artist Glory Hopkins as she seeks an appraisal for some of her late great-aunt Lucille's possessions. At the auction house, she meets Parkie de Groot, an ambitious appraiser aiming for a promotion. While Parkie handles a problematic auction and Glory tries to decide if compromising her art is worth it to save her newly inherited NYC brownstone, the two women embark on a complicated on-and-off relationship marked by issues of race, class, ableism, and morality.
This is a hard book to rate because I don't want to be unfair, but I can't say that I enjoyed it much. My impression was that it aimed to be like Nina Lacour's "Yerba Buena", a book about love, but where romance is one component in parallel individual journeys of growth.
At its core, though, "Lush Lives" was primarily your average romance book with too many "serious" plot threads crammed in: there's instalove, unearned faith in the characters for each other, unexplainable support for the relationship from other characters, and a predictable ending. And it's not even just that.
I understand that the book wanted to deal with the issues that might arise in an interracial relationship in terms of privilege, and how ethical compromises that seem okay to one party might seem wrong to the other. But the way it played out made me feel even less invested in the relationship. Even from the beginning, it seemed like Glory couldn't reconcile with Parkie's whiteness. Like she wanted to sleep with Parkie because she was hot, and she'd want to date Parkie because her parents wouldn't approve, but that's all.
Yet somehow, the two of them become closer than we actually see on the page, to the point that Glory builds an image of Parkie in her head that doesn't match up and then clashes with reality. And while that's a problem that is acknowledged by the narrative, it still left me feeling very confused. Glory keeps finding reasons to antagonize Parkie even before the big conflict between them arises, and then she completely shuts Parkie out - kicks her out, more like. Then, when Parkie is going through something, Glory is absent - until she reappears and wants to get together, which Parkie immediately accepts. Then they're playing house again, and the reader feels like they missed something.
It seemed to me like there was nothing better than being in a romantic relationship for both of these characters, like they wanted to be together just so they weren't alone. It was dizzying how they went from 0 to 100 where self-respect was concerned. This was infuriatingly driven home by the "natural" sudden death of a previously healthy and relatively young pet that ONLY happened just so Glory could be like "oh no life is so short I could die if I keep locking myself in this big empty house, I should get back with Parkie!" I'm usually not averse to animals dying in media, but I absolutely hated how heavy-handed and stupid this was.
Not even the smut was outstanding: we're continuously told details such as Parkie being a top and a dom and other details about her sexual dynamic with Glory - but the sex is pretty vanilla? And I think that sums up the problem with this book: we're told more than we're shown, and it's jarring.
The book is also outrageously long for its content. There was way too many descriptions of fancy designer clothes and luxury items, and as I mentioned, too many plot threads. There's the auction world, the art world, and... the secret unpublished novella of a real life author that apparently was in a poly sapphic relationship with Glory's great-aunt. If the rest of it was already too much, this was the cherry on top. It's a bit outlandish, in my opinion, to insert a real life figure into your completely fictional novel. But add that to the rest of the plot, and it really was too much. And even more things kept happening! An ex reappears! A horny art gallery owner saves the day AND is connected to a significant detail! A building is kicking people out! I was at 94% and I. Could. Not. Finish. When someone suddenly turned into a proper villain at that point, I nearly threw my Kindle to the wall.
To sum up it, I thought it was an ambitious story that tried to tackle important topics of current relevance, but it ultimately tried to bite off more than it could chew for what at its core was a regular, and not particularly developed or swoony, romance story.
Thanks to NetGalley and Roxane Gay Books for providing this title in exchange for an honest review.
In "Lush Lives", J. Vanessa Lyon's novel debut, we meet emerging artist Glory Hopkins as she seeks an appraisal for some of her late great-aunt Lucille's possessions. At the auction house, she meets Parkie de Groot, an ambitious appraiser aiming for a promotion. While Parkie handles a problematic auction and Glory tries to decide if compromising her art is worth it to save her newly inherited NYC brownstone, the two women embark on a complicated on-and-off relationship marked by issues of race, class, ableism, and morality.
This is a hard book to rate because I don't want to be unfair, but I can't say that I enjoyed it much. My impression was that it aimed to be like Nina Lacour's "Yerba Buena", a book about love, but where romance is one component in parallel individual journeys of growth.
At its core, though, "Lush Lives" was primarily your average romance book with too many "serious" plot threads crammed in: there's instalove, unearned faith in the characters for each other, unexplainable support for the relationship from other characters, and a predictable ending. And it's not even just that.
I understand that the book wanted to deal with the issues that might arise in an interracial relationship in terms of privilege, and how ethical compromises that seem okay to one party might seem wrong to the other. But the way it played out made me feel even less invested in the relationship. Even from the beginning, it seemed like Glory couldn't reconcile with Parkie's whiteness. Like she wanted to sleep with Parkie because she was hot, and she'd want to date Parkie because her parents wouldn't approve, but that's all.
Yet somehow, the two of them become closer than we actually see on the page, to the point that Glory builds an image of Parkie in her head that doesn't match up and then clashes with reality. And while that's a problem that is acknowledged by the narrative, it still left me feeling very confused. Glory keeps finding reasons to antagonize Parkie even before the big conflict between them arises, and then she completely shuts Parkie out - kicks her out, more like. Then, when Parkie is going through something, Glory is absent - until she reappears and wants to get together, which Parkie immediately accepts. Then they're playing house again, and the reader feels like they missed something.
It seemed to me like there was nothing better than being in a romantic relationship for both of these characters, like they wanted to be together just so they weren't alone. It was dizzying how they went from 0 to 100 where self-respect was concerned. This was infuriatingly driven home by the "natural" sudden death of a previously healthy and relatively young pet that ONLY happened just so Glory could be like "oh no life is so short I could die if I keep locking myself in this big empty house, I should get back with Parkie!" I'm usually not averse to animals dying in media, but I absolutely hated how heavy-handed and stupid this was.
Not even the smut was outstanding: we're continuously told details such as Parkie being a top and a dom and other details about her sexual dynamic with Glory - but the sex is pretty vanilla? And I think that sums up the problem with this book: we're told more than we're shown, and it's jarring.
The book is also outrageously long for its content. There was way too many descriptions of fancy designer clothes and luxury items, and as I mentioned, too many plot threads. There's the auction world, the art world, and... the secret unpublished novella of a real life author that apparently was in a poly sapphic relationship with Glory's great-aunt. If the rest of it was already too much, this was the cherry on top. It's a bit outlandish, in my opinion, to insert a real life figure into your completely fictional novel. But add that to the rest of the plot, and it really was too much. And even more things kept happening! An ex reappears! A horny art gallery owner saves the day AND is connected to a significant detail! A building is kicking people out! I was at 94% and I. Could. Not. Finish. When someone suddenly turned into a proper villain at that point, I nearly threw my Kindle to the wall.
To sum up it, I thought it was an ambitious story that tried to tackle important topics of current relevance, but it ultimately tried to bite off more than it could chew for what at its core was a regular, and not particularly developed or swoony, romance story.
February 19, 2023
1.5⭐️
This book was not for me. This book was incredibly slow and dry. I thought that the premise of the book was super interesting, but it was a typical lesbian romance that was super predictable. The writing was subpar as I had to reread passages multiple times to understand what was happening. Parkie's disability was treated so poorly in this book and I feel as if it is not a good representation of disabilities. Glory and Parkie were characters that annoyed me so much all throughout the book with the stupid things that they would do. This book was bland, boring, and not for me! As part of the LGBTQIA+ community I wanted to love this book but sadly did not.
Special thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for giving me an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
This book was not for me. This book was incredibly slow and dry. I thought that the premise of the book was super interesting, but it was a typical lesbian romance that was super predictable. The writing was subpar as I had to reread passages multiple times to understand what was happening. Parkie's disability was treated so poorly in this book and I feel as if it is not a good representation of disabilities. Glory and Parkie were characters that annoyed me so much all throughout the book with the stupid things that they would do. This book was bland, boring, and not for me! As part of the LGBTQIA+ community I wanted to love this book but sadly did not.
Special thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for giving me an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
September 6, 2023
This book was excruciatingly awful. It was so slow and so boring and I should have DNF'd. It was just really really bad. There's somehow too much going on and absolutely nothing going on at the same time. Our characters are annoying their romance is not believable and it takes on a very stereotypical lesbian romance timeline. One where they see each other have instant physical attraction but don't like each other emotionally, then they get together and then they don't like it and then they're dating and they're in love. There's no sort of build up there's no communication yet all of a sudden they're willing to sacrifice things for each other. It's it's wild. Would not recommend.
2023
June 12, 2024📱 Thank you to NetGalley and Roxane Gay Books
August 22, 2023
2.5/5
This was fine to have in the background while going about my day, but it sadly didn't hit the way I wanted it to hit, nor did it really stand apart from other disaster millennial fiction the way I hoped it might from the premise. I did, however, appreciate the sapphic and disability rep in this. This tried to say a lot, but kind of fell short in trying to juggle so much.
This was fine to have in the background while going about my day, but it sadly didn't hit the way I wanted it to hit, nor did it really stand apart from other disaster millennial fiction the way I hoped it might from the premise. I did, however, appreciate the sapphic and disability rep in this. This tried to say a lot, but kind of fell short in trying to juggle so much.
September 14, 2023
I think that the premise almost didn’t do the book justice. I went in not realizing that this was a sapphic romance. I love the incorporation of Nella Larson and queer figures of the Harlem Renaissance, along with the parallels to the main characters life. I wouldn’t call this book exciting, I would even stress how mundane a majority of the dialogue is. But it works. I enjoyed it.
did-not-finish
June 13, 2024DNF this one at about 35%. It's so slow and honestly a bit boring.
July 31, 2023
Thank you to Roxane Gay Books and NetGalley for providing me an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
This is a tricky book to rate! I enjoyed Lush Lives. Surprisingly, I found the plot more engaging than the characters. Glory and Parkie were interesting (though frustrating at times), but the dual plots of 1) figuring out the story behind the unpublished manuscript found in the brownstone and 2) the Flagg auction at Cuthbert's really held my attention more.
Sometimes the plot felt a bit meandering, with things thrown in unnecessarily. For example, we hear about Parkie's ex a bit, and toward the end, she reunites with her and they have a long talk about their relationship and choose not to hook up. Cool? Truly something I did not need closure on.
One of my main complaints about this book is it feels like it's trying very hard to be ~woke~ (a word I hesitate to use since it's basically meaningless at this point, but not sure what else to call it). It comes across as a little fake, or like reading a manifesto, rather than reading two realistic characters having a realistic conversation. There are interesting points being made about race and class and art and operating in our current capitalist society, but it's written in a way where it almost feels like the author is trying not to get canceled. Intersectionality is all around us, we get it! The novel would've been stronger if it just let the characters and story speak for themselves rather than getting preachy at times.
For a book that tries so hard to get it right when it comes to race, class, queerness, etc, some parts still somehow felt problematic to me?! 1) Manya Shaw is bi and is portrayed as the stereotypical slutty/greedy bisexual, which rubbed me the wrong way. Eventually we come to see her as a good friend and smart business ally, but how she was presented for most of the book was kind of icky. 2) Nicholas is written as a very stereotypical gay man and it didn't feel authentic. 3). OMG SO MUCH DIET CULTURE GARBAGE. That bothered me. Constantly talking about the calories in the crumb cake Glory's brother-in-law is eating, how many servings of ice cream Parkie indulged in that she shouldn't have, etc. For being such intelligent, empowered ladies, would've loved to see them not hung up on calories.
All that being said: the plot was riveting. I'm interested in art and you could tell the author really knows her stuff/did her research when it comes to the NYC art world. I loved picturing the brownstone full of art and hearing about Lucille and her lovers back in the 40s. That was a cool storyline, I would've loved to see more of that!
Ultimately, I feel like this book could have used some editing (prose was so verbose), but it was an enjoyable time!
This is a tricky book to rate! I enjoyed Lush Lives. Surprisingly, I found the plot more engaging than the characters. Glory and Parkie were interesting (though frustrating at times), but the dual plots of 1) figuring out the story behind the unpublished manuscript found in the brownstone and 2) the Flagg auction at Cuthbert's really held my attention more.
Sometimes the plot felt a bit meandering, with things thrown in unnecessarily. For example, we hear about Parkie's ex a bit, and toward the end, she reunites with her and they have a long talk about their relationship and choose not to hook up. Cool? Truly something I did not need closure on.
One of my main complaints about this book is it feels like it's trying very hard to be ~woke~ (a word I hesitate to use since it's basically meaningless at this point, but not sure what else to call it). It comes across as a little fake, or like reading a manifesto, rather than reading two realistic characters having a realistic conversation. There are interesting points being made about race and class and art and operating in our current capitalist society, but it's written in a way where it almost feels like the author is trying not to get canceled. Intersectionality is all around us, we get it! The novel would've been stronger if it just let the characters and story speak for themselves rather than getting preachy at times.
For a book that tries so hard to get it right when it comes to race, class, queerness, etc, some parts still somehow felt problematic to me?! 1) Manya Shaw is bi and is portrayed as the stereotypical slutty/greedy bisexual, which rubbed me the wrong way. Eventually we come to see her as a good friend and smart business ally, but how she was presented for most of the book was kind of icky. 2) Nicholas is written as a very stereotypical gay man and it didn't feel authentic. 3). OMG SO MUCH DIET CULTURE GARBAGE. That bothered me. Constantly talking about the calories in the crumb cake Glory's brother-in-law is eating, how many servings of ice cream Parkie indulged in that she shouldn't have, etc. For being such intelligent, empowered ladies, would've loved to see them not hung up on calories.
All that being said: the plot was riveting. I'm interested in art and you could tell the author really knows her stuff/did her research when it comes to the NYC art world. I loved picturing the brownstone full of art and hearing about Lucille and her lovers back in the 40s. That was a cool storyline, I would've loved to see more of that!
Ultimately, I feel like this book could have used some editing (prose was so verbose), but it was an enjoyable time!
July 30, 2023
dnf. I could not for the life of me get into the book. It was unbelievably dry to the point I had to reread numerous paragraphs to get what they were trying to say. Somehow the sentence flow was both stilted and dragged on. There were way too many elements to the story and it just didn't work with my brain. I did not like either Glory or Parkie and I felt like Parkie was very objectified. I can't continue.
January 19, 2023
aside from not completely understanding the title, “lush lives” is a typical lesbian romance novel. the plot is formulaic, predictable, and nothing new. when i first began the novel, i thought this was a story about glory overcoming her grief and parkie finding beautiful artwork as well as a solid girlfriend. this novel is severely unstructured, and there are many moments i had to reread passages and question myself; what?
the true problem is parkie only exists as a character to be white, to be disabled, and to be rich. it’s honestly quite disturbing how parkie’s disability is treated in this novel. my eyes rolled so far back into my head every time parkie tried to get back with her ex, or sleep with glory’s gallery manager, every time they had a minor argument. the sex scenes in this book are laughable, and they feel forced and out of place. there are too many elements present; a medical group withholding treatment to aids patients, a gallery with connections to nazis, nella larson’s lost unpublished novel. it’s too much. the prose is so chunky and bland, as is every character who isn’t glory.
i wanted to like it, i really did, but i don’t.
thanks to netgalley and the publisher for this arc in exchange for an honest review!
the true problem is parkie only exists as a character to be white, to be disabled, and to be rich. it’s honestly quite disturbing how parkie’s disability is treated in this novel. my eyes rolled so far back into my head every time parkie tried to get back with her ex, or sleep with glory’s gallery manager, every time they had a minor argument. the sex scenes in this book are laughable, and they feel forced and out of place. there are too many elements present; a medical group withholding treatment to aids patients, a gallery with connections to nazis, nella larson’s lost unpublished novel. it’s too much. the prose is so chunky and bland, as is every character who isn’t glory.
i wanted to like it, i really did, but i don’t.
thanks to netgalley and the publisher for this arc in exchange for an honest review!
October 8, 2023
Disclaimer: I received an audiobook ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
I was automatically drawn to this book once I heard that it was from Roxane Gay’s imprint, and when I heard it was a queer romance I immediately requested a copy for review.
This book started very promising. The first 20% of the book did some solid character building and began to deal with important conversations on racism and ableism. It was also super cool to have representation of a protagonist with a disability be sexy/sexual—it’s too uncommon.
That said, from about a third of the way into the book it felt stagnant. I feel like the character development largely plateaued and the protagonists were chasing their tails and not progressing. By the halfway point I was getting tired, and two thirds in I was pretty annoyed and rushing to finish just for the sake of finishing it. The book seemed to have potential but I didn’t find that that promise was fulfilled.
I was automatically drawn to this book once I heard that it was from Roxane Gay’s imprint, and when I heard it was a queer romance I immediately requested a copy for review.
This book started very promising. The first 20% of the book did some solid character building and began to deal with important conversations on racism and ableism. It was also super cool to have representation of a protagonist with a disability be sexy/sexual—it’s too uncommon.
That said, from about a third of the way into the book it felt stagnant. I feel like the character development largely plateaued and the protagonists were chasing their tails and not progressing. By the halfway point I was getting tired, and two thirds in I was pretty annoyed and rushing to finish just for the sake of finishing it. The book seemed to have potential but I didn’t find that that promise was fulfilled.
September 5, 2024
I was attracted by the cover (this architect loves cute abstract images of houses!) and the interesting sounding blurb. Unfortunately this book was a bit of a let down for me.
I could not get into the story and I was not invested in the characters. The whole thing felt dry and very formulaic and just there. The way the author described the house and the area was lovely though, and helped me visualise things very well.
But it did not help with making this an enjoyable read.
Also, the book was just SO LONG. 350+ pages in PDF so that is a whole A4/letter page. Insert "ain't nobody got time for that meme", I was STRUGGLING to even get to a third of the book.
I received an ARC of this book (thanks!) and these are my own opinions.
I could not get into the story and I was not invested in the characters. The whole thing felt dry and very formulaic and just there. The way the author described the house and the area was lovely though, and helped me visualise things very well.
But it did not help with making this an enjoyable read.
Also, the book was just SO LONG. 350+ pages in PDF so that is a whole A4/letter page. Insert "ain't nobody got time for that meme", I was STRUGGLING to even get to a third of the book.
I received an ARC of this book (thanks!) and these are my own opinions.
December 24, 2024
This was just so bad. This book felt like when you were given an assignment in an anthropology class and they were like “you can write a story but you have to include at least 15 legit sources to demonstrate knowledge of the subject matter” and it just ends up feeling completely heavy handed and detached but at least you got the 15 sources in?
September 1, 2023
Trigger Warnings: alcohol, past death, cursing, sex, discussion of racism, ableism, classism, capitalism, death of a pet, gentrification, eviction
Representation: Disability, Black, Sapphic
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. 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. 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 trove. 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 drive, 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.
This ALC was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
This is my opinion and should be taken with a grain of salt. Personally, I didn’t really enjoy this book. I don’t think it’s the book, it’s written well and has a great story, but it wasn’t for me. This novel is full of queer love, ambition, and the forgotten histories that define us. There is a sapphic romance and a good look into interracial relationships. I do want to note that it is a bit confusing trying to keep up with the backstories for each character. There’s often a lot going on and it’s hard to keep track of.
Representation: Disability, Black, Sapphic
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. 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. 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 trove. 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 drive, 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.
This ALC was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
This is my opinion and should be taken with a grain of salt. Personally, I didn’t really enjoy this book. I don’t think it’s the book, it’s written well and has a great story, but it wasn’t for me. This novel is full of queer love, ambition, and the forgotten histories that define us. There is a sapphic romance and a good look into interracial relationships. I do want to note that it is a bit confusing trying to keep up with the backstories for each character. There’s often a lot going on and it’s hard to keep track of.
September 20, 2023
I haven’t read this character before and I enjoyed her story.
August 11, 2023
-Thank you to Gove Atlantic/Roxane Gay Books for the ARC of this title! It is the first physical ARC I've received from a publisher so I feel quite special -
Unfortunately this book had a very strong start but it did not hold my attention like I wanted it to. Overall this book was very middle of the road -I was okay with the characters and the plotlines were fairly interesting, and there were poignant moments but...I wasn't completely gripped after the 40% mark and I'm not sure Parkie & Glory really make the most sense together - love wins out an all but....not my favorite pairing and not a couple I necessarily wanted to root for but I was rooting for their situations to improve so that is something.
I look forward to what is next for the author and I am very invested for new titles coming from Roxane Gay's new imprint.
Unfortunately this book had a very strong start but it did not hold my attention like I wanted it to. Overall this book was very middle of the road -I was okay with the characters and the plotlines were fairly interesting, and there were poignant moments but...I wasn't completely gripped after the 40% mark and I'm not sure Parkie & Glory really make the most sense together - love wins out an all but....not my favorite pairing and not a couple I necessarily wanted to root for but I was rooting for their situations to improve so that is something.
I look forward to what is next for the author and I am very invested for new titles coming from Roxane Gay's new imprint.
February 20, 2024
I received this book as part of my quarterly Book Riot subscription (sign up at myTBR.co - It's a good product!), and my request for this winter was something like "nothing too heavy, but no [unnamed fluffy romance writer] either."
In general, I found the plot a bit hackneyed, the romance more just early-stage lust that we had to believe was TRUE LOVE because it would be sweet if it were true love, and the plot elements a bit...shaky and overthought. I'd love a story about young people in the NY art gallery world...this just wasn't it.
I debated on the low rating because romance(?) just isn't a genre I typically would choose, and perhaps this book is really great relative to its comps. But in all fairness, I don't think I would recommend -- there is a lot of light-hearted out there that is just more well done.
In general, I found the plot a bit hackneyed, the romance more just early-stage lust that we had to believe was TRUE LOVE because it would be sweet if it were true love, and the plot elements a bit...shaky and overthought. I'd love a story about young people in the NY art gallery world...this just wasn't it.
I debated on the low rating because romance(?) just isn't a genre I typically would choose, and perhaps this book is really great relative to its comps. But in all fairness, I don't think I would recommend -- there is a lot of light-hearted out there that is just more well done.
September 4, 2023
You can’t go wrong reading one of the first books published by Roxane Gay. A captivating lesbian romance novel is not only Hot but I also learned about the art world from Glory and the Manhattan auction world from Parkie. A fun read with a celebration of Black queer women from earlier days, as well as current times.
November 11, 2024
It was fine. A stronger novel may have interwoven the novella and the contemporary heroines. The issues the characters faced never felt like they had a lot of weight beyond angst. Also, I can't believe I missed it but did we never find out what horrific thing happened to Parkie? The more I think about it retrospectively the more plot holes come up, which is normal in romance novels but a reminder that the author never sat with any of the issues, plot points or characters for very long before wrapping it up.
February 17, 2023
I can't with this book! It's all description and no plot, but the descriptions are just soooo dry and bland! I died of boredom and got resurected at lest 8 times in the first 10%!
Also, there's someone who really REALLY hates fountains and calls them "water features".
Believe you me - this lousy ass review is more exciting than this book!
Also, there's someone who really REALLY hates fountains and calls them "water features".
Believe you me - this lousy ass review is more exciting than this book!
April 21, 2025
This was a no for me. So little happened and the main characters didn't really have any or much development. Their behaviour made no sense sometimes and it didn't feel like they were grown ups in the way they handled their 'relationship'. The black and non able bodied representation was nice to read about and I think important just sucks that the story wasn't that good. 2/5 wouldn't recommend. xx
January 5, 2024
Lovely open door romance set in Harlem amongst the New York art/auction world. Discussions of navigating expectations versus reality in relationships, the impact of history on our modern sensibilities and the Harlem renaissance make this book delightful. 4.5 stars
September 5, 2024
(2.5) is the author white? It feels like the author's white.
The politics of this feel like a liberal trying real hard, but then the whole mess at the end is just kinda awful. Which is a shame, cause I really loved parts of this book.
High highs and low lows.
The politics of this feel like a liberal trying real hard, but then the whole mess at the end is just kinda awful. Which is a shame, cause I really loved parts of this book.
High highs and low lows.
April 16, 2025
really so badly written and plot was boring and i skimmed the ending. i still feel like i got something out of it with the portrayal of interracial relationships and being with a disabled person but i just could not this book was so bad
February 3, 2024
Maybe 2.5 stars. There was too much drama and not enough relatable characters.
Read
July 25, 2024I have mixed feelings, so I looked at some reviews...and tbf, reading other people's dumbass opinions does make me feel more generous toward this book.
July 22, 2025
You should be fined for writing a book that is 300 pages of boring and then 50 pages of criminal mastermind scheme. It gives me whiplash and I refuse to accept it.
August 27, 2025
didn’t finish. horrible i’m sorry
July 15, 2025
Once again, I accidentally found myself in a romance novel, so my frustrations are probably more with the genre than the writing.
Glory is an up and coming artist who recently inherited her great aunt’s brownstone in Harlem and all of the almost century’s worth of family items within it. When she goes to get items appraised, she meets Parkie, a gorgeous auction house employee who specializes in art curation. The two have an immediate attraction, and the book follows their romance, as well as their process of unearthing some hidden treasures in the old brownstone.
My favorite part of this book was the almost literary investigation that happened—piecing together old letters, evidence from local museums, previously published books, old towels and rings in the house—to discover if this hidden manuscript is a long lost piece from an under appreciated author of the second half of the Harlem Renaissance. (I’m lowkey salty we didn’t get more of this WWII era hospital drama…which maybe ends with a happy lesbian throuple?)
I also liked the side characters of Eleanor (an older, Bajan woman who works with Parkie and specializes in old manuscripts who connects them slightly more to the Harlem of old) and Manya (an Indian British gallerist pursuing Glory for her art and potentially Parkie…also professionally because of art speciality? Manya’s intentions are often murky, but in a kind of British sexy way)
And the book had some interesting things to say about racism in the art world, ableism in general (Parkie is disabled, but not defined by that), the dirty intersection of capitalism and art, and how homophobia can manifest itself differently in different time periods, families, and classes of people.
But all of that interesting commentary is less compelling when you have characters doing things that don’t really track with their established goals. I truly did not understand Glory and Parkie’s mid book breakup, and why they went so long not talking to each other. Like, I understand why each of their feelings were hurt, and maybe this is just me and my completely lack of pride when it comes to conflict, but they could have saved themselves a lot of heartache if they’d just talked to each other sooner. And I feel like in romance, that’s a common trope that I rarely enjoy.
Basically whenever the book was focused on Glory/Parkie and their feelings for each other, I found myself thinking, “just say you’re sorry and go back to the letters and manuscript hunt!”
TL;DR if you like sapphic romances and are interested in the New York art scene/Harlem’s recent history, Lush Lives could be great for you. But if romance novels are not your jam, the other interesting stuff about this book might not be enough to win you over.
Glory is an up and coming artist who recently inherited her great aunt’s brownstone in Harlem and all of the almost century’s worth of family items within it. When she goes to get items appraised, she meets Parkie, a gorgeous auction house employee who specializes in art curation. The two have an immediate attraction, and the book follows their romance, as well as their process of unearthing some hidden treasures in the old brownstone.
My favorite part of this book was the almost literary investigation that happened—piecing together old letters, evidence from local museums, previously published books, old towels and rings in the house—to discover if this hidden manuscript is a long lost piece from an under appreciated author of the second half of the Harlem Renaissance. (I’m lowkey salty we didn’t get more of this WWII era hospital drama…which maybe ends with a happy lesbian throuple?)
I also liked the side characters of Eleanor (an older, Bajan woman who works with Parkie and specializes in old manuscripts who connects them slightly more to the Harlem of old) and Manya (an Indian British gallerist pursuing Glory for her art and potentially Parkie…also professionally because of art speciality? Manya’s intentions are often murky, but in a kind of British sexy way)
And the book had some interesting things to say about racism in the art world, ableism in general (Parkie is disabled, but not defined by that), the dirty intersection of capitalism and art, and how homophobia can manifest itself differently in different time periods, families, and classes of people.
But all of that interesting commentary is less compelling when you have characters doing things that don’t really track with their established goals. I truly did not understand Glory and Parkie’s mid book breakup, and why they went so long not talking to each other. Like, I understand why each of their feelings were hurt, and maybe this is just me and my completely lack of pride when it comes to conflict, but they could have saved themselves a lot of heartache if they’d just talked to each other sooner. And I feel like in romance, that’s a common trope that I rarely enjoy.
Basically whenever the book was focused on Glory/Parkie and their feelings for each other, I found myself thinking, “just say you’re sorry and go back to the letters and manuscript hunt!”
TL;DR if you like sapphic romances and are interested in the New York art scene/Harlem’s recent history, Lush Lives could be great for you. But if romance novels are not your jam, the other interesting stuff about this book might not be enough to win you over.
March 28, 2024
Woof. I really liked this.
Lyon's writing is roundabout and messily verbose and lyrical in a way that I could imagine my own writing feeling like if I ever wrote fiction like this. Though it's deeply confusing at times to understand what's happening when the author is portraying seemingly commonplace situations with such grandiose language, I really do love it because of how much work goes into getting what they're saying. This is something I aspire to.
The interweaving of Harlem history with Nella Larson could have a novel all on its own.
A little bit that felt particularly cathartic towards the big climax:
"Go time, Parkie thought, feeling the adrenaline kick in as she hadn't for a very long time. She took a couple of steps back and to the side of the door. Madeline was nothing if not cheap. It had to be one of those hollow-core doors you can buy at Home Depot, didn't it? It had to be the kind of shoddy balsa-wood dollhouse bullshit someone with a temper, or a black belt, or a fucking silver-handed Victorian mobility aid could punch right through."
Iykyk, but the build up to this moment felt out of now where and especially Scooby-Dooish, but I'll be damned if I didn't admit that I felt hyped as Parkie saves Dr. K and her little wind-up moment. I even read it aloud just to hear it happen.
Lyon's writing is roundabout and messily verbose and lyrical in a way that I could imagine my own writing feeling like if I ever wrote fiction like this. Though it's deeply confusing at times to understand what's happening when the author is portraying seemingly commonplace situations with such grandiose language, I really do love it because of how much work goes into getting what they're saying. This is something I aspire to.
The interweaving of Harlem history with Nella Larson could have a novel all on its own.
A little bit that felt particularly cathartic towards the big climax:
"Go time, Parkie thought, feeling the adrenaline kick in as she hadn't for a very long time. She took a couple of steps back and to the side of the door. Madeline was nothing if not cheap. It had to be one of those hollow-core doors you can buy at Home Depot, didn't it? It had to be the kind of shoddy balsa-wood dollhouse bullshit someone with a temper, or a black belt, or a fucking silver-handed Victorian mobility aid could punch right through."
Iykyk, but the build up to this moment felt out of now where and especially Scooby-Dooish, but I'll be damned if I didn't admit that I felt hyped as Parkie saves Dr. K and her little wind-up moment. I even read it aloud just to hear it happen.
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