The Heirloom
Jessie Rosen
Putnam Books
Shea Anderson’s Italian heritage comes with a semi-truck full of superstitions, particularly concerning what she wants from a marriage proposal. Top of the list is no heirloom ring. When her boyfriend John presents her with a beautiful but obviously heirloom engagement ring, Shea freaks out. What kind of karma infuses the gorgeous but potentially catastrophic jewel? She says yes to John’s proposal because she loves him, but for her peace of mind Shea needs to find out what she can of the ring’s history.
Roping her big sister Annie into the plan to find the ring’s previous owners, she leaves a bewildered fiance in LA and heads for New York where John bought the ring. Here they encounter handsome freelance journalist Graham, a man with a nose for a great story. Graham’s connections are worldwide and first class. With his help they trace the ring to Italy where they find a tale of love and loss and all too human frailties. After Annie leaves for home, Shea and Graham head to Portugal, where a night at the opera nearly becomes something far more than a casual evening’s entertainment. Guilt tripping to the max, Shea fights her attraction to Graham and her growing fear that John might not be the one. A return to America leads to more revelations about the ring’s previous owners, leaving Shea with more questions than ever. Can she resolve her feelings, reconcile her superstitions and find the life she deserves?
By turns funny, whip-crack smart, authentic and touching, The Heirloom is a great read about love and the superstitions that sometimes govern our lives.
