THE LIZ TAYLOR RING by Brenda Janowitz

 

“Brenda Janowitz writes with extraordinary humor and heart.” —JANE GREEN, New York Times bestselling author

Three siblings. A priceless family ring. One legendary love story.

In 1978, Lizzie Morgan and Ritchie Schneider embark on a whirlwind romance on the bright beaches and glamorous yachts of Long Island. Over the years, their relationship has its share of ups and downs, including a nine-month hiatus that ends with a stunning eleven-carat ring—one that looks just like the diamond Richard Burton gifted Liz Taylor after their own separation. Like the famous couple, despite the drama that would unfold throughout the Schneiders’ marriage, the ring would be there as a symbol of their love…until it wasn't.

Decades later, when the lost ring unexpectedly resurfaces, the Schneiders’ three children gather under one roof for the first time in years, eager to get their hands on this beloved, expensive reminder of their departed parents. But determining the fate of the heirloom is no simple task, unearthing old wounds and heartaches the siblings can't ignore. And when the ring reveals a secret that challenges everything they thought they knew about their parents’ epic love story, they’ll have to decide whether to move forward as a family or let the ring break them once and for all.

MY THOUGHTS

This is my first book by this author. While I really enjoyed it, there was a few things that drove me nuts. 

To me comparing Richie and Lizzie to Richard Burton and Liz Taylor is crazy. Not in a whacky sense but in a sense to me that Burton and Taylor's marriages were not true, forever, unconditional, love. They were both messed up. Both been married too many times. But this author apparently was in awe of them so that is all it takes to write a good story. I admire her for that. For all she wrote at the end also. She clearly put a lot of thought and research in this novel. Well done.

Now for Richie and Lizzie... Richie was truly a jerk. He loved the gambling way more than he did his wife or family. I mean really, he gambled away everything. As for the ring that was just crazy. It was more of a show piece or an item for Richie to turn too when he needed to use it again for his gambling. Lizzie was also messed up but she did love the jerk. She tried hard to keep forgiving him. Even though she stayed with him I can't believe she still thought he hung the moon and loved her unconditionally. She had to know after all those years that he had an addiction. 

The children of Richie and Lizzie were all messed up in many ways too. I think living in the shadow of their dad being gone a lot and gambling so much and their mother telling them what an epic love story her life with him was had to play a big part in them having problems. The oldest girl, Addie, was very selfish and hateful to the youngest girl, Courtney, who was born like twelve or thirteen years after the first two. The son, Nathan, was ok. He did have a lot of insecurities that stemmed from the stories their mother always told him and all the letters he read that his dad wrote to his mom. There is love then there is the fact that you just can't seem to walk away. You have time invested in the marriage and you stay. Because of the children. Because you don't know what else to do. That is what I think. 

I may have liked Maggie and Holly a bit. That is truly funny though. You get to know Maggie in the beginning and near the end. Lizzie's older sister who had secretly dated Richie for a while. Then she was like a child who lost something. Her sister gets Richie and she can't stand it. Even all those years after her and Richie broke up. Good grief who needs a sister like that. Though I can't imagine dating a man that my sister ever dated. So there's that. Holly is Maggie's daughter. She was the one that I honestly liked the best. I won't say why. I just did.

This book is good. It goes back to when Richie and Lizzie started dating then to after when their children are all grown with their own lives. Many things are told about the epic love story and each child has their beliefs as to what happened to the Liz Taylor Ring. I think it was the jeweler myself. I think he did something. ha ha You will know what I'm talking about if you read this to the end. This ring really caused a lot of heartache but it was the center of the story and the family revered it. It was the thing they all loved and hated. The thing that saved a marriage. 

Thank you #NetGalley, #BrendaJanowitz, #Harlequintradepublishing for this ARC. This is my own true thoughts about this book.

4/5 stars and I do recommend it. It's very entertaining and a lot of fun to read. Well done Ms Janowitz.