This book was all over the place. Stemmed very disjointed. Thanks to Netgalley, the author and the publisher for the arc of this book in return for my honest review. Receiving the book in this manner had no bearing on this review.

Cohen tells the story of how she came to be "a drunken lush" with honesty and humor. While her story doesn't feel particularly unique to me, that's part of the appeal. I love how she describes her promiscuity and other addictions as an attempt to fill a hole inside her, which is a result of family/parent issues. This is a common story, certainly one I find relatable, and in sharing stories such as this, we connect with and reassure others that none of us are alone in our struggles. The writing is solid, and while I found Cohen's story a bit slow and redundant in parts, I appreciate her sharing it and it was worth the read.

A highly readable chronicle of the author's addiction to wine and cigarettes. Candid, while maintaining a sense of humor, Cohen writes of her doomed relationships and the escalation of her alcohol intake. Like hanging out with that crazy friend and putting up with her antics, Cohen is the friend you would want to call for karaoke night, but not for last call.

Copy provided by the Publisher and NetGalley

I was nervous when originally requesting this book, as some books about additional and alcoholism can be played off as too nonchalant for my liking, but I found this book to be done really well. Cohen has a way with words, and was able to get her story across without being too serious or care free about such a touchy topic. I read the whole memoir in two days, and enjoyed it thoroughly. I will be recommending to my non-fiction loving friends.

I have received a much appreciated digital copy of this book from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

I found this book incredibly courageous and raced through it in one sitting. Kerry Cohen’s memoir about her battle with drinking is brutally honest, utterly fascinating and made me think seriously about my own relationship to alcohol. Hers is a deeply disturbing story on several levels, but the author never lets it dissolve into self-pity or sentimentality. There is an utter rawness as she writes about her vulnerabilities and it really felt to me as though she wrote it straight from the heart, without subterfuge or fudging. Not only does the author show great insight into the nature of the human psyche (she is a therapist, and this shines through) but she’s also managed to write a hellavu story, exceedingly well. Apart from her own self-discovery, she touches on loads of research into drinking and her approach to ending her battle is different and successful.

This book is a bit like a train wreck. I really didn't want to read about all of the terrible things the author does or describes, but I couldn't look away. I found myself rooting for her and hoping that this time she would do the right thing, go home to her husband, mother her children. A cautionary tale for sure.

Lush speaks to the power of addiction and how easy it can be to slide into. The different ways we try to hide from feeling uncomfortable feelings, and the detriment this avoidance can have on relationships, and our own self worth and mental health.

This is memoir written by the Author. She writes about her addiction to alcohol, sex and love. She opens herself to vulnerability about her journey. Kerry writes about her husband and her ex husband, her children and some of the relationships she had. She writes about her passage of neglect, feeling unloved and not being good enough. Most of all she writes about her recovery and her decision to do it her way.

I found this book to be heartbreaking. Not because of her drinking. To me that was secondary. The fact that she was being emotionally abused by this man who claimed to love her. I just wanted to shake her.

It’s very interesting to me about the moderation. It seems so many people view drinking as black and white. I applaud the writer for her willingness to realize what she really needed to work on, and the drinking kind of just fell into place.

Very well written, quick easy read. I think we all can find faults of our own in her struggles. Highly recommend.

This was so monotonous.
There are only so many excuses you can read until you get fed up.
This leaves you feeling sad for the author and her friends.

I've been a fan of Kerry Cohen for awhile. Loose Girl was one of the first books that showed me how open and honest someone could be with their addictions and their writing. Lush follows along on this same path.

Kerry documents the daily struggle to cope with her addiction. Her shame, her grief. Lush is open, honest and raw. Kerry is not someone to mince words, she is harsh and to the point. This isn't a light-hearted read about a woman who loved her moscato. This is a story of addiction and pain and struggle.

I will continue to read Kerry Cohen's work as I have since I first picked up Loose Girl.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this book.

A different way of dealing with addiction by Kerry Cohen. She shares her issues with love, sex, smoking, and alcohol addictions and how they affected her life. What she did after two marriages and divorces to make lasting changes to keep problems from being such a negative impact on her career and personal life.

Mentions (MM) or Moderation Management, a different option that I’d never heard of before the book and found rather interesting, being an adult child and grandchild of alcoholics and having many others among the relatives. I’ve grown up knowing and learning about different types of 'cures', things in that category that the drinker and those around them use to seek relief, like AA, Alanon, rehab, therapy, Antabuse medications, cold turkey, etc.

It was interesting to learn about this different method that the author used, and hear about her particular path, especially as she herself counsels others and has been in counseling too. I’m kind of curious now to check out some of her other books she’s written, like “Loose Girl: A Memoir of Promiscuity”, and “Seeing Ezra: A Mother’s Story of Autism...”. For those with an interest in addiction, alcoholism and recovery. An advance digital copy was provided by NetGalley and author Kerry Cohen for my fair review.

Sourcebooks
Pub date: July 17, 2018

This is my first time reading a Kerry Cohen novel, and wow! I now want to go back and read her previous books! I enjoyed her honest and real writing style. I found the book very easy to read and follow and was able to connect with her writing on so many levels. I appreciate how honest she is with her addictions and how she learns to cope and maintain her life over the years. I think a lot of people will relate to different pieces of Kerry's life and will appreciate how raw and brutally honest she is. I was very happy the resolution of the book and how things came full circle. I highly recommend this book and look foward to going back and reading more of her work!

This book was brutually honest on so many levels. The author did not hold back when discussing her drinking or how it came about due to the pressures of everyday life. The writing made this book one that I could not put down and I read it in one sitting! Highly recommend!

I received a copy of Lush from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thanks NetGalley!
I read Kerry Cohen's book "Loose Girl" a few years ago and I liked it a lot. I loved her brutal honesty about her life. "Lush" is the same kind of book in my opinion. She is brutally honest about things that have gone on in her life. She writes fearlessly about things that I'm sure she knows some people will judge her for and I admire that in a writer. I was super excited to hear she was writing a book about her drinking because I have been a recovering alcoholic for a little over 7 years. I gobble up any book related to this subject. My story is very similar to Kerry's in her active drinking and there were parts of this book that made me feel like someone had punched me in the gut because I could relate SO much to them. The things we do when we are drinking can get UGLY and again, I appreciate her putting it all out there. I have chosen the 12 step program route for my recovery so it was interesting to read her choice of trying moderation. I do agree what she says that some people in 12 step programs act like there is NO other way to help drinking. I have been taught that we aren't the only shop out there and if people want to try other things then that is up to them and it might work for them. I do think however like she said in the book that if you are a person who just can't moderate (like myself) then you probably do need to actually seek some type of help other than just moderating and "sitting still". Those two things do NOT work for me as they seem to her.
I really liked this book and I recommend it to anyone who likes books about alcoholism/addiction.

Comp!ex, real and very well written,
this book is it.
Thanks to author,publisher and NetGalley for the chance to read this book. While I got the book for free,it had no bearing on the rating i gave it.

Just too loose for me. The characters didn't connect at all. Too many stops and starts. Couldn't continue the book

I chose this book because I read Loose Girl by Cohen years ago. I remember enjoying her story and writing style. I'm sorry to say that is not the case with Lush. I've read several memoirs written by people who have overcome problems, including addictions. One of my favorites is Dry by Augusten Burroughs. Lush didn't add anything to the genre, in my opinion. Cohen's story was depressing and not particularly interesting. I was not inspired by her journey, maybe because it didn't seem that she learned anything about life or herself. It seemed that the entire book consisted of her making excuses about her poor life choices. I also felt that I was judging her as a mother. She came across as selfish, self-destructive, vulgar, and reckless. I predict that many readers will have strong opinions on Cohen's viewpoints about AA, problem drinking, and abstaining from drugs and alcohol. I was relieved to finish this book, because I didn't enjoy the reading experience.

the book was very interesting. Plot was well developed. really enjoyed this book and the characters.

Kerry Cohen’s memoir is brutally honest and without apology, which is refreshing. However her tone was so flippant and casual that I found myself really disliking her. Kerry admits that she suffered from low self esteem and sought salvation in forms of male approval/ desire. Eventually this became an addiction which ultimately lead to poor choices, heartbreak and pain. Alcohol, preferably wine became her numbing agent until she woke up one day to discover the wine was controlling her life.
I'm sure this is the case for many and it’s heartbreaking but I still could not muster sympathy for Kerry Cohen although my heart ached for her children. I was disappointed to read that during these years of total alcohol dependency, Cohen held a private practice as a therapist and saw/ treated clients. While Kerry maintains she was able to remain in control of her professional life, this seemed dubious and inexcusable.
For those reasons alone I can not recommend this book. I’m sure others will view Kerry’s situation differently and applaud her honesty and bravery in fighting her demons.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for sharing an early review copy with me.