License to Thrill: Lily Bollinger
(Champagne Widows Biographical Novels)
By Rebecca Rosenberg
Publisher: Lion Heart Publishing
Page Length: 302
Genre: Biographical Historical Fiction
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.
I pour a pale stream of champagne into Cyril’s flute, the delicate fizzing of the bubbles a soft counterpoint to the quiet room. I then serve Marcel, and finally, myself. I raise my glass. “To tradition, to resilience, and to the soul of Champagne itself,” I say with a small smile.
The very idea of champagne brings to mind celebration and joy, enhanced by dedicated flutes and lively bubbles. The history of the beverage, however, goes much deeper than the simple act of popping a cork on special occasions. In fact, the survival of this delicately crafted drink is rooted in a tumultuous and often perilous history.
In this novel, we join Lily Bollinger, a historical figure whose legacy lives on through the company she so carefully nurtured, the bottles of champagne still enjoyed today, and whose past is vividly revived within these pages. Though not widely known, Lily Bollinger led the company through war, under the influence of the Reich, and across countless political shifts, all in order to preserve the authenticity and good name of Bollinger Champagne.
Lily is portrayed as an incredibly strong individual, whom we meet at multiple stages of her life. In the 1940s, she battles the Reich, forced to supply more champagne than producers could realistically keep up with, at prices where profit was marginal, if present at all. With views of beautiful vineyards disrupted by Nazi soldiers occupying the very grounds of Bollinger, any act of resistance came at an extraordinary cost. And yet, those involved fought for their freedom in whatever small ways they could. The intricacies of how the Champagne makers of France managed to outwit, and consistently stand up to, the Nazis form a poignant chapter of history, proving that not all battles were fought with weapons — some were waged through carefully concealed vintages and relabelled bottles. Lily’s determination not to allow the Nazis to cause the downfall of a company entrusted to her after her husband’s passing is truly courageous. As I read about her defiance and carefully calculated risks, I found my respect for Lily growing with every chapter. She fought to keep people safe while safeguarding the future of Bollinger, all while working in a role that was far from welcoming to female directors.
With multiple timelines woven throughout the novel, I found myself thoroughly enthralled by the way Lily kept the company going through thick and thin, unwavering in her determination that Bollinger champagne would never suffer in quality for the sake of quantity. She refuses to allow changes that would negatively impact the delicate balance of flavours, even when increased production was within reach. Her dedication to preserving the heritage and integrity of the brand is truly worthy of recognition. As we come to know Lily in the 1970s, we see a woman who understands her company inside and out, and who remains fiercely committed to ensuring the Bollinger name is not diluted by lower-quality brands flooding the market. As she approaches retirement, the act of handing over the reins feels almost impossible. She cannot be certain that anyone she entrusts with leadership will uphold the same morals and mission she has worked towards for decades. Between her potential successors, arguments arise, driven by conflicting opinions and priorities. Watching Lily’s turmoil as she attempts to mould the next generation into a team she can wholeheartedly trust is deeply affecting. Lily is so intrinsically bound to Bollinger that stepping away feels akin to removing the heart from the company itself, and her uncertainty seeps into the pages, creating a palpable tension. As a reader, I could not imagine her ever truly stepping aside, as Bollinger is as much a part of Lily as she is of it. Her overwhelming passion for producing the finest champagne possible, and for keeping the brand alive, is profoundly inspiring.
While not necessarily an antagonist, Cyril Ray provides an intriguing source of tension within the novel. A self-proclaimed wine connoisseur, his scathing review of Bollinger’s new R.D. champagne immediately casts him in an unfavourable light with Lily. When her nephew later grants him permission to write a biography of Bollinger — bringing to the world the story of a company spanning generations, surviving through setbacks and careful political manoeuvring — Lily finds herself, on an almost daily basis, face to face with a critic who fails to see the family behind the brand. To Lily, Bollinger is not merely a company, but a close-knit community. Much like the grapes rely on the roots of the vine, the seasons, and the weather, the company itself functions as a collective, each role dependent upon the other for a successful harvest and the continuation of stock year after year. The author’s poetic turn of phrase as Lily speaks of her pride and joy is deeply moving. Her use of language allowed me to connect with Lily on a personal level, and with every chapter my admiration for her dedication, hard work, and care only grew stronger.
"License to Thrill: Lily Bollinger" is far more than a novel about champagne. It is a story of survival, resilience, and the thrilling pursuit of preserving a legacy that is so much more than a name. I found myself captivated by the power behind a name that endured the constraints of the Second World War and extended even into the fictional world of James Bond. Bollinger has been immortalised in more ways than one, and this novel makes it clear why. With beautifully crafted prose and characters you cannot help but grow attached to, this book leaves you with an irresistible urge to raise a glass and celebrate. For, as Lily Bollinger so famously said:
“I only drink champagne when I’m happy, and when I’m sad.
Sometimes I drink it when I’m alone.
When I have company, I consider it obligatory.
I trifle with it if I am not hungry, and drink it when I am.
Otherwise, I never touch it.
Unless I’m thirsty.”
The Coffee Pot Book Club
Rebecca Rosenberg
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