This review was commissioned by Harper Collins.

We meet the Schneider siblings- Addy, Nathan, and Courtney- at a season in their lives where they are navigating the problems of middle-aged people; the detritus of two parents who have passed away, teenaged children and their antics, rocky marriages, and established (and crippling) behavior patterns and addictions.

The people who orbit the Schneider siblings and the love story that underpins the entire narrative structure, that of their parents, Lizzie and Ritchie, are far more interesting than the siblings themselves; if I’m speaking honestly, not one of the siblings was wholly likable and their relationship dynamic grew tiresome by the end of the book.

What made it sparkle was Janowitz’s writing in the chapters told in flashback by Lizzie and Ritchie about their love for each other and their explosive romance, their legacy (a department store of indeterminate functionality and offerings), and the 11-carat ring, nicknamed The Liz Taylor Ring, that is shrouded in mystery and familial lore.

If that had been the focus, more than Addy’s petty bad feelings about Courtney being born and upsetting her and Nathan’s sibling dynamic and club of two (seriously- she is 41 years old) and Nathan’s terrible communication skills with his even-keeled dream of a husband, Diego, this book would have been a 5-star read for me; the bickering had me pulling this review to the side of the road and giving it 3 stars instead.