ABOUT:
The Nazis wanted her champagne. The critics wanted her erased. Lily Bollinger refused to surrender.
1940: In occupied France, the Bollinger cellars are a battlefield. Newly widowed Lily must host the Nazi Weinführer while Resistance fighters hide in the chalk tunnels directly beneath her feet. To protect her legacy, Lily becomes a master of deception—outwitting the Reich by day and defying them by night, bound by a dangerous secret and a mysterious lover known as the Commodore.
1970: Lily reigns as the undisputed “Dame of Champagne,” but the new decade brings new enemies. From triumphant tours of America to high-stakes court battles in London, she has conquered the world—yet her own house is under siege. As feuding nephews tear at the empire from within and a venomous critic dismisses her as a relic, Lily makes her move.
In her most audacious gamble, Lily forges an unbreakable bond between Bollinger and the world’s most sophisticated spy: James Bond.
As her seventy-fifth birthday looms, Lily executes one final maneuver to secure her empire. But when her rarest vintage is uncorked, a long-buried truth resurfaces—proving her greatest achievement wasn’t just the wine she saved, but the secrets she kept.
Two eras. One legacy. A woman who proves the finest vintages are impossible to crush.
PRAISE & REVIEWS:
“Rosenberg’s Lily is a vibrant, potent mix of grit and glitz, with her love of the land and amusing fondness for all things James Bond. A secret multidecade romance adds extra dash to her character … fun, intriguing, and packed with historical tidbits.” —Kirkus Reviews
“What emerges is not merely the history of a champagne house, but the portrait of a woman whose life became inseparable from the fate of the vines she guarded. … Celebration, we realize, rests upon vigilance. LICENSE TO THRILL: Lily Bollinger transcends the boundaries of corporate biography.” —The Historical Fiction Company
“Far more than a novel about champagne, LICENSE TO THRILL: Lily Bollinger is a story of survival, resilience, and the thrilling pursuit of preserving a legacy. Lily Bollinger led the company through war and under the influence of the Reich, proving that not all battles were fought with weapons — some were waged through carefully concealed vintages and relabelled bottles. With beautifully crafted prose, this book leaves you with an irresistible urge to raise a glass and celebrate.” —Ellie Yarde, The Coffee Pot Book Club
AUTHOR VISITS:
Visits with this author are available via Adventures by the Book!