The Liz Taylor Ring by Brenda Janowitz

The Liz Taylor Ring by Brenda Janowitz – 304 pages 

ARC from Graydon House and Netgalley for an honest review 

Book Blurb:

The Liz Taylor Ring by Brenda Janowitz creates a story about Lizzie Morgan and Ritchie Schneider who 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 Review: 4 stars

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The Liz Taylor Ring by Brenda Janowitz is a story about family, their dysfunction and the secrets that bubble to the surface when a ring, potentially their late mother’s, resurfaces in the Cayman Islands. 

This book is not directly about Elizabeth Taylor as the title surmises. Instead, it’s about a couple named Lizzie and Richie, like the iconic Liz Taylor and Richard Burton, and a ring given to Lizzie that is reminiscent of Taylor’s eleven carat ring from Burton. I didn’t realize how much of the book’s plot was based on similar situations that the iconic Liz Taylor lived through. Janowitz does an amazing job at the end of the book sharing the similarities, chapter by chapter. 

It is such a joy for a reader to get to know the characters so well. The three siblings had a lot of issues as individuals as well as in their relationships with each other. Their birth order was representative of their personalities, and that really came into focus. I am glad we were able to see them connect in a new way and grow as a result of the illustrious, newly found, ring. 

This book read easily and is perfect for vacation. It covers gambling, marriage, sibling rivalry, what makes a family, jewelry, being part of a family business, and the trials of kids on Instagram. Something in it for everyone. 

Quotes I liked:

None of the stories are true. All of the stories are true. More than one thing can be true at once.”

“The stuff from the store was the perfect metaphor for her relationship with her family: looks pretty on the outside, but in reality, it’s about three seconds from breaking apart.”