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| Categories | United States |
| Author | Leesa Cross-Smith |
| Publisher | Grand Central Publishing (May 31, 2022) |
| Language | English |
| Paperback | 284 pages |
| Item Weight | 1.27 pounds |
| Dimensions |
6.4 x 1.5 x 9.3 inches |
I. Book introduction
An irresistible story of a woman remaking her life after her husband’s betrayal leads to a year of travel, art, and passion in Paris, from the award-winning author of This Close to Okay.
Vincent, having grown up as the privileged daughter of artists, has a lovely life in many ways. At forty-four, she enjoys strolling the streets of Paris and teaching at the modern art museum; she has a vibrant group of friends; and she’s even caught the eye of a young, charismatic man named Loup. But Vincent is also in Paris to escape a painful betrayal: her husband, Cillian, has published a bestselling book divulging secrets about their marriage and his own past, hinting that when he was a teenager, he may have had a child with a young woman back in Dublin—before he moved to California and never returned.
Now estranged from her husband, Vincent has agreed to see Cillian again at their son’s wedding the following summer, but Loup introduces new complications. Soon they begin an intense affair, and somewhere between dinners made together, cigarettes smoked in the moonlight, hazy evenings in nightclubs, and long, starry walks along the Seine, Vincent feels herself loosening and blossoming.
In a journey that is both transportive and intimate, Half-Blown Rose traverses Paris, art, travel, liminal spaces, and the messy complexities of relationships and romance, with excerpts from Cillian’s novel, playlists, and journal entries woven throughout. As Cillian does all he can to win her back, Vincent must decide what she wants . . . and who she will be.
Editorial Reviews
“Leesa Cross-Smith’s richly vivid prose pulls you in and transports you to Paris. Sharp-edged and sexy, Half-Blown Rose is an utterly intoxicating story of love, betrayal, and loyalty.”
―Taylor Jenkins Reid, New York Times bestselling author of Malibu Rising“With Half-Blown Rose, Leesa Cross-Smith has given us a brilliant, sexy, funny masterpiece. Reading her stunning prose is a full-blown experience. Within the deeply intimate worlds she conjures, she captures love, lust, and longing with such emotional intricacy and verve, I’m fairly certain I read this entire book with my hand pressed against my heart.”
―Deesha Philyaw, author of National Book Award 2020 finalist The Secret Lives of Church Ladies“By far the most exhilarating and sexy American-in-Paris story I’ve ever read. Leesa Cross-Smith’s Half-Blown Rose is smart, intriguing, and pure delight.”
―Lily King, New York Times bestselling author of Writers & Lovers“Leesa Cross-Smith is a consummate storyteller.”―Roxane Gay, New York Times bestselling author
“A story of love and betrayal set against the glittering backdrop of the City of Lights.”―Atlanta Journal-Constitution
“A smoothly written, enjoyable novel that gives due to the social and emotional complexities of middle age. Vincent is a lovable protagonist; the narrative is also interspersed with her diary entries and letters, creating a self-aware, three-dimensional character. Cross-Smith sensitively explores the many permutations of romantic and platonic love and the idea that, especially in Paris, one’s love may not be limited to a single other person. Charming and lively.”―Kirkus Reviews
“Absolutely ripe for conversation, introspection and self-discovery…Cross-Smith is a confident, deft writer who is comfortable exploring any dynamic as long as she has a strong character to start with. Lucky for her, this too comes naturally, making her grander exaltations of love and passion feel every bit as fate-driven and heady as they do grounded and deeply raw and human….Perfect for readers of Miranda Cowley Heller, Emma Straub and Georgia Clark, HALF-BLOWN ROSE is a guaranteed summer steamer and a surefire book club pick for readers of all ages.”―Bookreporter
“Cross-Smith continues to weave spellbinding tales of love and lust in the wake of adversity. . . [Vincent] is an utterly appealing heroine. Another winning novel.”―Booklist
“A refreshing take on a woman’s story of midlife upheaval.” ―Publishers Weekly
“This Close to Okay hits the ground running. Cross-Smith writes tenderly about the trial and error of intimacy and draws you in with enormous warmth and control.”―Raven Leilani, New York Times bestselling author of Luster
“Leesa Cross-Smith writes the way many people wish they could: ferociously, tenderly, and with a tremendous amount of heart.”―Kristen Arnett, New York Times bestselling author of Mostly Dead Things (on So We Can Glow)
“Leesa Cross-Smith has written a book to help us through these bleak and confusing times. This Close to Okay is a story of loneliness and wrenching loss, perfectly counterbalanced by the compassion of strangers and the love of family. This book is a hand-knitted sweater in the middle of a cold winter night.”―Bryn Greenwood, New York Times bestselling author of The Reckless Oath We Made
“This Close to Okay is the kind of novel that allows the reader to slip into a world rich with both comforts and troubles. The story of Emmett and Tallie is delicious, romantic, cozy, and satisfying, and it’s also mysterious, unstable, and loaded with loss. This book opens up hard emotions and truths, but it also offers moments of relief and attention to the sustaining pleasures of life.”―Naima Coster, New York Times bestselling author of What’s Mine and Yours
“Leesa Cross-Smith is a wonderful storyteller.”―Alexia Arthurs, award-winning author of How to Love a Jamaican
“Leesa Cross-Smith is some sort of sorceress.”―Rion Amilcar Scott, PEN/Robert W. Bingham Prize-winning author of Insurrections and The World Doesn’t Require You
“Filled with heart and music playlists, Kentucky author Leesa Cross-Smith’s Half-Blown Rose is the must-read romance of the summer.”―Deep South Magazine
“Cross-Smith has given readers a very full banquet for character interactions . . . There are also reliable guiding stars for those familiar with Cross-Smith’s fiction—sensitive and moving treatment of introverted women and biracial families, joyful sneaking-in of clever bon mots such as musical touchstones. But she is too fine a writer to let them grow stagnant from book to book. Her most experimental touches here—transcripts of text exchanges between the 40-somethings and adult children, excerpts from the husband’s book, etc. . . can be expected to win over more readers.”―LEO Weekly
“Irresistibly captivating.” ―Woman’s World
Amazon.com Review
An Amazon Best Book of June 2022: Half-Blown Rose is an intoxicating read that will remind you what falling in love is all about—the uncontrollable swoon, the unfettered joy, the certainty that anything is possible. Vincent has left her lying American husband for the freedom of Paris. As she begins to uncover more about her husband’s deceit she also starts to fall hard for a student in her class. But don’t let the romance plot line fool you, this is a smart and empowering read about female identity and desire, family relationships, art and race. Filled with love, lust, music, and the sparkle of Paris, Half-Blown Rose is another breath of fresh air from the wildly talented Leesa Cross-Smith. —Al Woodworth, Amazon Editor
About Leesa Cross-Smith
Leesa Cross-Smith is a homemaker and writer from Kentucky. She is the author of HALF-BLOWN ROSE, THIS CLOSE TO OKAY, SO WE CAN GLOW, WHISKEY & RIBBONS, EVERY KISS A WAR, and the forthcoming GOODBYE EARL. HALF-BLOWN ROSE was the Amazon Editors’ Spotlight for June 2022 and the inaugural pick for Amazon’s Editorial Director Sarah Gelman’s Book Club Sarah Selects. THIS CLOSE TO OKAY was a Goodreads Choice 2021 Nominee for Best Fiction, a Book of the Month Book of the Year 2021 Nominee, a Book of the Month Early Release Pick for December 2020, the Good Housekeeping Book Club Pick for February 2021, and the Marie Claire Book Club Pick for March 2021. THIS CLOSE TO OKAY was also longlisted for the 2022 Mark Twain American Voice in Literature Award. SO WE CAN GLOW was listed as one of NPR’s Best Books of 2020 and was longlisted for the 2021 Joyce Carol Oates Prize. WHISKEY & RIBBONS won the 2019 Independent Publisher Book Awards (IPPY) Gold Medal in Literary Fiction, was longlisted for the 2018 Center for Fiction First Novel Prize, and was one of O Magazine’s 2018 Top Books of Summer. EVERY KISS A WAR was nominated for the PEN Open Book Award (2014) and was a finalist for both the Flannery O’Connor Award for Short Fiction (2012) and the Iowa Short Fiction Award (2012). Find more @ LeesaCrossSmith.com
II. [Reviews] Half-Blown Rose: A Novel by Leesa Cross-Smith
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1. DENNIS Review Half-Blown Rose: A Novel
Woooooooooo boy, I cannot believe I am in love with a romance novel. Wow wow wow! Honestly I only picked up HALF-BLOWN ROSE because the cover looked so beautiful—never in my wildest dreams would this end up becoming one of my FAVORITE books of the year. I will be busy for the rest of the year reading Leesa Cross-Smith’s other books as this was my first venture with the author’s books.
The story focuses on a 44-year old woman, Vincent (give the name a chance readers, it took me awhile too), traveling to Paris after finding out about her husband’s betrayal (you’ll find out when you read it, because I don’t want to spoil it and it’s a major point of action in the story). In Paris, Vincent is takes up a job at a modern art museum and meets a 24 year old charismatic and beautiful man Loup (Lou), who captures her attention. Loup is much younger than Vincent, but the two forge a steamy, beautiful, romantic relationship. Ugh LOUP IS A F’N BABE. THERE I SAID IT. As Vincent navigates Paris and her relationship with Loup, her husband Cillian is hoping to rekindle their marriage at their son’s wedding. However, Vincent’s decision on whether she decides to stay with Cillian or move on with Loup becomes very complicated.
This book is absolutely breathtaking. I fell in love with the Parisian atmosphere and the story was so enthralling that I couldn’t put it down. This book is a really powerful as it touches many deep and powerful topics that society deal with today. And again, LOUP IS A FN BABE. I loved every second of this book and I know that I will be thinking about it for a long time.
2. KORRIE’S KORNER Review Half-Blown Rose: A Novel
Full on shivers from this book. I’m drowning in it. The audio elevated it and gave a little something extra. I fell so in love with this book!! Vincent, a 44 year old woman betrayed by her author husband when he publishes a book that reveals a secret. You have to read to find out.
This story, set in Paris is sheer perfection. The narration coupled with this story feels like a soft caress on the skin..a faint whisper in the ear that leaves chill bumps all over your body. This story was sensual romance with a coming of age storyline that I did not see coming (I went in blind). I love age gap stories where the woman is older and I loved that she was Black. I want to see this normalized more because there is a difference when it is a woman older vs a man.
Loup, a 24 year old hella sexy man steals her heart and soul. I was at the edge of my seat literally not knowing where this story was going. I need about 3 epilogues because this story was just everything and unpredictable.
This was intense, knock you off your feet type love story and I’m so glad I listened to this masterpiece!!
I. Need. More.
3. TESS Review Half-Blown Rose: A Novel
I just TRULY cannot get enough of Leesa Cross-Smith. As soon as Netgalley approved me for her newest novel, I dropped everything and devoured it. Cross-Smith’s writing is like wrapping yourself in a warm blanket, chatting with an old friend, and listening to your favorite nostalgic playlist. Her prose is witty and cozy, and her characters are full of life and lovable. I want to live inside her worlds, and HALF-BLOWN ROSE may be my favorite one yet.
Our heroine is a woman named Vincent, currently living in Paris in her parent’s apartment after separating from her husband unexpectedly at 44. There, she has a rose-colored life of teaching at an art museum, making fabulous friends, eating incredible food, and falling into bed with a 24 year old who looks like Timothée Chalamet. We learn about her extended family, her grown children, and the love story between her and her husband (and the surprising reason why it soured). As she is torn between her old life in Kentucky and her new, dazzling life in Paris, we go with her on a journey of self-discovery, love, and lots of fun surprises. Cannot recommend enough!
4. SAMANTHA Review Half-Blown Rose: A Novel
First let me say that Leesa, we need an epilogue! I have feelings about that ending.
Plot summary, Vincent is a 44 year old woman recently betrayed by her famous author husband, Cillian who had recently wrote an “auto fiction” about having a secret love child before marrying her.
Vincent is understandably hurt, the love of her life has held these secrets their entire relationship, and didn’t bother to be honest with her until the book was published. She makes a decision to remake her own life and travels to Paris, living in a home owned by her parents, and becoming an art teacher at a local campus. There, she is consumed by everything Parisian and is completely immersed in the new life she’s created, despite her estranged husband’s frequent requests for forgiveness… which she declines.
Then she meets Loup, a young “looks like Timothée Chalamet” student who is smitten with Vincent. And before long, a intoxicating love affair begins.
This book is structured from Vincent’s POV, with chapters from her husband’s book “Half-Blown Rose”, and what seems like screenplay narrations. I didn’t quite grasp the need for the narrations until the ending (I still want that epilogue though!) There are also email communications between Vincent and someone (I won’t spoil it)… and lastly there are several of Vincent’s current playlists sprinkled throughout the book.
I couldn’t really tell where my reading experience was headed, the book is quite unique in its structure, written like a diary at times, but quickly I sunk deeper into some very compelling plot points… will Vincent continue to live in Paris? Will she ever go back to America and forgive Cillian, who she still can’t help but love deeply? How will she ever have a life without Loup, who so kind and full of life and loves her like she’s never experienced?
While Vincent “discovers” herself, the use of French language, and the Paris setting is absolutely a book in itself. I personally love all things French, but the way the author writes about this experience is absolutely mesmerizing. I saw another review where someone describes Leesa Cross-Smith’s writing like a warm blanket. I couldn’t agree more! There was something very comforting about Vincent coming into herself and reflecting on her life and her future choices at hand. I absolutely love lyrical prose and you will definitely find that in this book. By the ending, I felt like I had watched an impassioned French film which actually sent me into a happy cry when it was over.
Ultimately, Half-Blown Rose was such an immersive literary experience, which are my very favorite kinds of books. If you love the things I mentioned above, you will definitely enjoy this one! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Thank you to @grandcentralpublishing and #netgalley for my advanced e-arc in exchange for an honest review
5. JOAN B Review Half-Blown Rose: A Novel
Half-Blown Rose is a sensory delight. The plot aside, the novel is porn for middle-aged women (like myself) who salivate at the idea of living in a gorgeous apartment alone and rent-free in Paris while making jewelry and teaching a class at the museum of modern art that seems to consist of picking a color each week and asking the students to create art in response. But that is not all, and the book surrounds the relationship that the main character Vincent Wilde has with her estranged husband Cillian, who elects to reveal a secret in his novel without telling Vincent first, and the primarily sexual relationship she develops with one of her 25-year-old students named Loup. The last part of the book is entitled “A Woman Called Vincent,” in which the focus is on the decisions Vincent makes for herself, and many readers will likely debate the wisdom of her choices and the her decision-making process.
I particularly liked the fact that both the author and Vincent are Black, and it was refreshing to see Black characters positively portrayed as creative, college-educated and from higher socio-economic classes. The book also has excellent Playlists, which is unique as well.
6. KARA Review Half-Blown Rose: A Novel
This was beautifully written and tells a great story about a woman in her mid-40s figuring out what she wants out of life after her husband betrays her. There was something Eat, Pray, Love meets Call Me By Your Name about it, but I liked it better than both of those books.
I liked following Vincent on her journey. I liked that she knows who she is but she doesn’t always know what she wants to do, and we get to watch her figure it out.
Something about the dialogue felt very much like a play, and I kept wishing it sounded more natural (although I loved the bits of French mixed in even though I speak zero French).
The ending was total chaos, but I think that was intentional. Vincent makes decisions that lead to consequences that all coalesce. (I wouldn’t say it was a super satisfying ending, but I’m okay with that.)
Fun fact, this is the second book in a row I’ve read with a female Vincent character.
Thank you to NetGalley and Grand Central Publishing.
7. KELSEY CONLEY Review Half-Blown Rose: A Novel
I don’t know how to describe Leesa Cross-Smith’s writing style…the characters she writes, the details she adds, the story she weaves, it’s just perfect to me. I love how she gives casual details about all of the meals. I love the museum classes Vincent taught and the discussions she led. Vincent and Loup’s relationship was ELECTRIC holy cannoli!!!!!!
I really loved the story line because it was so complicated and emotional. I can’t imagine being in the situation Vincent was in with her husband. I thought it was unique how instead of flashbacks, Cross-Smith used parts of the book. I like how confused Vincent herself seemed and that she really didn’t know what she was doing! I just love the characters. I cried and cried when it was over because I did not want to let go. I also am not really into music, but loved the playlists!!!!
SPOILER: The only thing I didn’t love or maybe felt uncomfortable by was Vincent’s decision to sleep with her husband while she was pregnant with another man’s baby, without first telling her husband… I know this story had a lot of messy elements and blurred lines, but that one did make me feel a bit weird!
8. LINDSEY Review Half-Blown Rose: A Novel
Fives. Fives across the board.
When I started reading this…I was unsure. But I very quickly fell in love with this quirky, beautiful book – full of love, light, and personal exploration.
This book takes up shortly after Vincent, a 44-year-old woman, flees to Paris after her novelist husband, Cillian, makes a big life-changing reveal in a book he’s just published. Vincent is searching for herself now that her kids are grown and she’s not sure if she can trust her husband. Meanwhile, she meets Loup, a 24-year-old Parisian, full of passion and energy, and despite her best efforts, she isn’t able to avoid him. Throughout the book, Vincent must decide who she wants to be with and who she wants to become.
Half-Blown Rose is just SUCH a work of art. Cross-Smith weaves in playlists, excerpts from Cillian’s novel, journal entries, text messages, and so many little excerpts of life. In some ways it felt almost like a scrapbook entwined with the novel, bringing in these beautiful pieces of Vincent’s life. The book is rich with references to music, food, art, travel, and more. Because of this, I think it would have been hard to jump right into the audiobook, but when I did, it was a feast for the ears.
On a deeper level, the book explores liminal spaces, or the spaces in between. To me, this is where the book came across as absolutely brilliant. The book highlights those in-between places and moments – trains and planes, life transitions, and so much more. Especially as my kids grow and I’m getting closer to 40, I found it so inspirational to see the ways in which life can continue to deliver, surprising you with new adventures and joys.
This book is slow and sensual and so beautifully descriptive. It places with sound and language, with repetition and absences, with feeling and all of your senses. In places, it’s absolutely steamy and then it pulls back again to reveal the small joys of foods and places and sounds surrounding us.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Genre: literary fiction with f/m romance
Location: Paris (mostly) with some London, Amsterdam, and other destinations
Reminds me of: You Made a Fool of Death with Your Beauty by Akwaeke Emezi
Pub Date: out now
Read this if you like:
⭕️ books filled with travel, food, music, art, etc.
⭕️ reading about the “in betweens” of life
⭕️ multidimensional women
⭕️ slow burns with lots of description
Thanks to Grand Central Publishing and #netgalley for an e-copy and physical copies of this book!
9. SUSAN BALLARD Review Half-Blown Rose: A Novel
Y’all, this one wrecked me! I’m not for infidelity, but ugh this one had me – until the end.
Vincent (a woman – parents named her after the artist) just read her husband Cillian’s new best-selling book. In it, he reveals that he fathered a child in his teens back in Dublin before coming to California. This is the first Vincent hears of this in over twenty years of marriage and two children of their own.
Confused and hurt, Vincent takes off to Paris. She is surrounded by friends, and she teaches art classes. Here, Loup, a handsome man half her age, takes an interest in her.
Try as she may to stave off any feelings of attraction for Loup, they begin an intense affair. Meanwhile, Cillian is trying to win Vincent’s heart back, but what will that take, and will it ever be the same again?
My feelings were bouncing all over the place with one. Sometimes I understood where Vincent was coming from, but most of the time I felt like she was just plain cheating. But dang, it was sexy nonetheless. If you have the chance to listen to the audiobook, the accents add so much! Whew! My only complaint was the ending; I just didn’t understand it completely. I needed an epilogue.
Thank you @grandcentral pub for a gifted copy and @librofm for the fantastic audiobook narrated by #melalee and #Timcampbell
10. AMETHYST Review Half-Blown Rose: A Novel
This smart and sexy book is the perfect escape from the heaviness of the world. It’s an easy read about (mostly) European travel, romance, betrayal, memories, and the wild unpredictability of life. I felt like I was experiencing the sights, smells, and sounds of London, Nice, Amsterdam, Auvers-sur-Oise, Tuscany, and especially Paris so vividly. There are several dinner, studio, and travel music playlists listed throughout the book, enhancing the reading experience, and each is a vibe!
I’ve now read each of Leesa Cross-Smith’s three novels (she has two other books that I’ve yet to read), and she writes about complicated relationships in a deliciously unique way. This Close to Okay and Whiskey & Ribbons also center unexpected or taboo relationships in ways that have challenged my own thinking and who I’m mentally rooting for. Each of her characters is fully developed, but never over-written. I’ve consistently been left wanting more after reading her books. This novel in particular feels like she had fun writing it and was a joy to read.
These are my favorite quotes from the novel:
“Everyone who says Paris is a woman is right. Paris is la vie en rose. Paris is sexy. Paris is splendor. Paris is full of light. Paris is full of life. Paris is a new beginning. Paris, mon amour. Paris is the only city in the world.”
“Our memories make up who we are. And I don’t say that lightly. Our hippocampus helps us to store and recollect them. Our brains contain vast wealth of memories in their storehouses. Imagine our minds, our hearts, without our memories. I believe that you’d find yourself wanting to hold on to even all of the bad ones if met with the idea of losing every memory in one swoop.”
Many thanks to Leesa Cross-Smith, NetGalley, and Grand Central Publishing for providing me with an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review before its release on 5/31/22.
III. [Quote] Half-Blown Rose: A Novel by Leesa Cross-Smith
Book excerpts: Half-Blown Rose: A Novel by Leesa Cross-Smith
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