Author: Brenda Janowitz
Narrator: Cassandra Campbell
Publisher: Harlequin Trade Publishing | Graydon House
Publication Date: February 2022
Genre: Women’s Fiction
Buy the Book: Amazon | BN | Audible
Description: 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: Readers who enjoy relationship driven stories will really enjoy this story about the Schneider family and the eleven carat ring Ritchie gifts Lizzie after they separate and get back together. Many years later, after Ritchie and Lizzie have both passed on, their children, Addie, Nathan and Courtney have come back into possession of the ring. Each of them want the ring for different reasons and they have to learn how to be a family again and put aside many years of estrangement and resentment before a decision about the ring can be made.
I really enjoyed meeting this family and observing their lives starting in the late 1960’s when Lizzie and Ritchie first meet, through their courtship and having children, to the problems in their relationship that cause them to separate, reconciling and then on to the lives of their now grown children and in the center of it all, bringing the story full circle is the ring that throughout the years had been lost, found, lost again and then found.
This author does a fantastic job of creating characters that are so unique and different as individuals but as a family brilliantly illustrates the dysfunction of hard feelings and resentment as well as second chances and forgiveness. I wasn’t sure if I would have any empathy for these people as they appear to be very materialistic in regard to the ring. By the time I finished the story, I felt a lot of compassion for all of them and was happy to see them embracing their family in spite of the struggles they have encountered. I also loved all of the references to Elizabeth Taylor and the similarities the author provides between the award winning actress and this fictional family.
I paired the reading of this story with the audiobook narrated by Cassandra Campbell. Her flawless performance brought these characters to life and gave me a better idea of their thoughts and personalities which helped me to understand their actions.
My Final Verdict: If you enjoy stories that are heavily focused on interpersonal relationships and the varying degrees and dynamics of communication and emotion, I highly recommend reading this story. At the very least, you will enjoy a story about family and relationships. You may even be inspired to watch some of Elizabeth Taylor’s movies.
Thank you to the publisher, Harlequin Trade Publishing | Graydon House, who provided an advance reader copy of this book via NetGalley.
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