Day: January 30, 2022

With a clever title like The Liz Taylor Ring, it would be hard to go wrong. Fortunately, most of the book gets things very right.

Just like a past novel from this author (The Grace Kelly Dress), the author chooses a style icon from the past as the touchstone for the characters.

In the case of the Liz Taylor ring, the reference is to the whopper of a ring that Richard Burton gave Liz Taylor during one of their reconciliations. This parallels two of the characters (Lizzie and Ritchie) and their on-again/off-again romance.

It is safe to say that Lizzie and Ritchie have very little in common with Liz and Richard, but it is not for lack of trying. I don’t want to say more, because it would give away plot points.

The ring in question, and at the center of the entire plot, is an heirloom that each of Lizzie and Ritchie’s three kids (Addy, Nathan, and Courtney) knows about. But in clever plotting, each knows a different version of the story and what happened to the ring.

One unfortunate aspect of the book is that none of the three of them are particularly likable for a majority of the book. Addy is a controlling martyr, Nathan is a paranoid borderline narcissist, and Courtney…well, Courtney is the typical “youngest child total screw up.”

There is a lot of family history between these three. Unfortunately, the relationships between all of them are shaky. Because, you know, reasons.

All in all, there are times when it is a bit much. In a nutshell, Addy is too mean, Nathan is too “sidekick” and Courtney is too much of a mess.

Fortunately, there is a point where all three take a breath and the sibling relationships start to grow. I am just glad that I stuck with them because there are some truly beautiful family moments. Before we get to them, though, there’s just a lot of nastiness.

Now, I will give the author props for a few special details. For example, Ritchie is an addiction-level gambler. His two oldest kids, Addy and Nathan, are named for characters from “Guys and Dolls.”

Obviously, if you know the show, you know the connection. But if you don’t, the story centers around a gambling ring. Very clever.

Ultimately, The Liz Taylor Ring does focus on the importance of family ties and forgiveness. Not bad lessons to take to heart.

Author Bio: 

Brenda attended Cornell University and Hofstra Law School, where she was a member of the Law Review. Upon graduation from Hofstra, worked for the law firm Kaye Scholer, LLP, and did a federal clerkship with the Honorable Marilyn Dolan Go, United States Magistrate Judge for the Eastern District of New York.