Robin’s Reviews

The Liz Taylor Ring by Brenda Janowitz was an enjoyable read. Don’t be confused going in though. It is more about a fictional couple than Liz Taylor.

This dual timeline story covers the romance of Ritchie and Lizzie in the 1970s, and years later, the family drama of their adult children after the parents have passed. Then add the discovery of a piece of jewelry, an inheritance they all want, to the sibling tension. It’s an issue many families have experienced.

Lizzie and Ritchie’s relationship is compared to that of Lizzie’s movie idols, Richard Burton and Elizabeth Taylor — both passionate and tumultuous. After marriage and two children, Lizzie and Ritchie separate due to his gambling addiction. When he wins a gigantic eleven-carat diamond ring, he uses it to woo Lizzie back. (The ring is similar to the one Burton gave Taylor to win her back after their separation. See the photo above.) Soon after, Lizzie and Ritchie have another child, twelve years younger than her siblings.

At some point in Lizzie and Ritchie’s marriage, the ring is lost. Each child has a different memory of what happened to it — stolen, lost or gambled away. After their parents’ deaths, their children rediscover it in a lock box. The children all believe they deserve it, and each has a different reason for wanting it. Can they survive each other as they decide what to do with it? Will this inheritance tear the family further apart? Is it a treasure or a curse?

Brenda Janowitz, the author, has done extensive research on Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton. She adds an interesting section at the end of the book explaining the Easter eggs she’s added throughout the novel that are nods to Burton and Taylor. She also includes scenes from Taylor and Burton movies for readers to Google. If you are a fan of these Hollywood idols and/or love books with family drama and the process of reconciliation, The Liz Taylor Ring is one you’ll want to put on your TBR list.

If this kind of fiction is your thing, Brenda Janowitz has more for you! She also wrote The Audrey Hepburn Estate and The Grace Kelly Dress, along with several other novels. Aren’t all of her book covers gorgeous?

And if you like those books, make sure to check out my five-star review of The Wedding Veil by Kristy Woodson Harvey about the Vanderbilts.

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