J. Vanessa Lyon's debut novel is a captivating tale set in the vibrant New York art scene.

Glory Hopkins, a talented queer Black artist, finds herself unexpectedly inheriting her great-aunt Lucille's Harlem brownstone along with its contents. As Glory navigates this newfound responsibility, she encounters Parkie de Groot, a charming redhead with whom she shares an instant and mutual attraction. However, their budding relationship faces obstacles from the start, as Parkie's casual attitude toward Lucille's possessions clashes with Glory's reverence for her great-aunt's legacy. The tension between Glory and Parkie escalates as they become entangled in the cutthroat world of art auctions, where ethical dilemmas and personal ambitions collide. Meanwhile, the arrival of Manya Shah, a formidable British art powerhouse, adds another layer of complexity as she vies for Glory's representation and affection. Amidst these dynamics, a mysterious scrapbook belonging to Lucille holds the key to uncovering secrets from Harlem's past, but not without interference from the enigmatic Madeline Cuthbert.

Lyon skillfully delves into the intricacies of her characters' lives, exploring themes of intersectionality and personal transformation. However, the narrative occasionally struggles to find its footing, oscillating between introspective moments, behind-the-scenes glimpses of the art world, and melodramatic twists. Readers may find themselves simultaneously immersed in its charm while also grappling with its occasional frustrations. Like the intricate relationships depicted within its pages, Lyon's debut is both enjoyable and challenging, offering a multifaceted glimpse into the lives of its characters.

This took me a really long time to read. I am having a hard time discerning honestly if thats because I really liked it or not. I did find I would get engrossed in the book for long periods and then it would fully lose my attention. I found the some of the relationship dynamics to be lacking or irritating. I did enjoy that it was highlighted much in the book about the power white folks yield- how harmful it is and the disregard for people of color. Glory was a character I really enjoyed.

My my my, as dry as sandpaper. I thought this was going to be GREAT, but it was so boring. It was also very predictable but that wasn't necessarily the reason that it was boring. The writing never came to life and it was a shame. I rounded it up because all of the "ingredients" are there, but the final dish just didn't taste good.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for this eArc in exchange for my honest review! I found the concept of this novel to be more interesting than the execution and found it to be a little slow. Overall, the pacing made this hard for me to enjoy.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

I found the writing awkward and forced. Halfway through and I didn’t feel any attachment to the characters or their romance. Sadly, this wasn't for me.

While I enjoyed the aspects of queerdom and complex relationships, this novel was so slow and difficult to get through. The setting was great, and I was almost completely absorbed in the story (which was a bit too derivative for me). Would definitely check out other work by Lyon, though, as I think they have promise as a writer.

Lush Lives is romance novel that thinks highly of itself. There are tons of tedious details about the auction world.

This was a tough read. I can only take so much miscommunication in a book before it becomes frustrating and frankly hard to get through. Not enough elements of interest to hold my attention beyond that

This was requested when I first found out about NetGalley and I had requested so many ARCs that I could not get to all of them before they were archived. I really wanted to get to this one, as it seemed interesting. If I can find this somewhere for a reasonable price, I will try to get it!

"Lush Lives" by J. Vanessa Lyon offers a moderate reading experience. The plot unfolds with a mix of drama and introspection, providing some moments of engagement. The characters are adequately developed, though the pacing may feel uneven. Lyon's work is a decent choice for those seeking a middle-of-the-road contemporary novel.

"Lush Lives" has a lot going for it, including an interesting setting (present-day NYC art world) and a diverse set of characters (lots of queer, Black and disability representation). The sex scenes are successfully steamy, for sure. All that said, however, there are times when the book feels more like a manifesto or a political essay than a story. Don't tell me that queer people of color deserve love and money and professional accolades; just show us how this one person is going to get what she deserves and let us draw our own conclusions.

I requested this for consideration for Book Riot's All the Books podcast for its release date. After sampling several books out this week, I decided to go with a different book for my review.

Unfortunately this book didn’t work for me and was a DNF but I am sure other readers will feel differently! Thank you for the ARC!

I enjoyed this a lot, the love story is fine but more I loved the friendships, the little mystery and some of the real estate thriller too!

This sexy, satirical novel about two women in the New York art world falling in love is brilliant! It's one of those books where you just can't stop reading! I loved it so much! Highly recommend to everyone!

A member of my bookclub recommended this one to me, and I was excited that we both were able to snag an early copy on NetGalley. The good: queer romance, historical mystery, lush (no pun intended!) setting. The bad: as several reviewers mentioned, the pace dragged in places and the romance could have used more depth at times. However, I really enjoyed this book on the whole, and I would recommend it to anyone who was in the mood for a slower paced romance with historical themes. (A kind of queer, American version of Byatt's Possession, perhaps?)

I would definitely pick up another book by this author, and I am always excited to see more diverse romantic reads available!

I struggled through much of this but the gripping opening and art world setting were top-notch. I'll be on the lookout for more from J. Vanessa Lyon.

LUSH LIVES
J. Vanessa Lyon

I had high hopes for LUSH LIVES, J. Vanessa Lyon, and the entire romance genre when I picked up LUSH LIVES this summer. Unfortunately, I didn’t connect with the characters and for the life of me could not conjure a much-needed spark.

Let me tell you more about the book!

LUSH LIVES stars Gloria, called Glory. Glory has just inherited her aunt's lively piece of property in Harlem. As Glory is going through her aunt's possessions with the help of Parkie she uncovers a secret manuscript that could add a salacious twist to the history of not only her aunt's life but also the life of a well-known author.

Let’s just get right into why it didn’t work for me.

The romance felt hurtful. It was not sexy, not hot, not what I’m looking for when I pick up a romance. It was rather sad and felt exploitative from many angles.

This is not a romantic comedy or a grumpy- sunshine trope. This is two adults trying to make a connection work in a real environment.

These characters are flawed. They have leftover trauma and baggage and hang-ups and their love story was painful to endure.

Unfortunately, LUSH LIVES didn’t work for me and I struggle to imagine an audience that I would recommend this book to. If you decide to pick it up or if you have already- leave a comment below and let’s talk about it!

Thanks to Netgalley, Grove Atlantic, and Roxane Gay Books for the opportunity to provide feedback.

LUSH LIVES…⭐️⭐️⭐️

I tried multiple times but I'm not sure this book is for me. The first chapter was a bit boring and not a great hook for a reader (like me). I feel like it wasn't super grabbing and I needed more from the book to be able to really engage with the plot and characters. Maybe I should have tried one more time, but it was just too much for me to bite off at once, unfortunately. The cover is lovely, and the writing itself isn't bad, I just didn't feel the plot.

I was drawn in by the blurb, premise, and cover, plus the fact that this was Roxane Gay's printing imprint! Unfortunately, this was a DNF for me. I liked both characters fine, but a quarter of the way in it did not draw me in in the way I had hoped. The voice and writing leaned a bit too heavily on description versus action and I often was confused as to what was exactly happening in the action. When "TBQH" was used in the book in all seriousness, it turned my corny meter on and unfortunately I couldn't get past the tryhardness of the writing to see the plot :( Might work for someone else, but not for me!