The Heirloom is the story of a young woman looking for the history behind her engagement ring—the search takes her to Italy, Portugal, Boston, and New York City and she discovers answers that she didn’t even know she was looking for.

It’s an interesting premise and the characters are well-developed, but the best words I can use to describe this book are “so close.” I feel it could have used one more round of editing—the pacing is unbalanced, some parts of the story are thin and seem to be jumped over, while others go into a lot of detail.

Overall, it is a good book and I would recommend it; I just think it could have been more.

This was such a good book! I am a new fan of Jessie Rosens books so I was excited for this one. It didn’t disappoint, I loved the storyline and the characters! Highly recommend!

A moving women's fiction story about a recently engaged woman's superstitions around heirloom wedding rings and her determination to track down the history of the new to her engagement ring she received from her fiance.

Full of family secrets, strong sisterhood bonds, a complicated love story and enviable travel around Italy and Europe. This was a really heartfelt, easy to read novel that I enjoyed immensely and it made me want to book a trip to Italy ASAP.

Great on audio narrated by Carlotta Brentan and perfect for fans of books like Jo Piazza's The inheritance or Rebecca Serle's One Italian summer. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital copy in exchange for my honest review.

What a sweet story. This is a quick read but it will cover way more ground than you would think. Shea has always held the superstition that heirloom engagement rings carry the karma of the marriages come before, and when she is presented with one, she embarks on a quest to find the other owners of the ring. The journey goes international and involves a whole host of characters and life stories. It’s beautiful, interesting, and thought provoking. I loved Shea, her sister, her fiance, Graham, and the others she meets along the way. This one will keep you reading to the end (which I LOVED).

3/5 stars! This book instantly drew me in and I was fascinated by the idea. I really enjoyed the first half but then found the main character to be frustrating. I appreciated the journey she was on but I found her difficult to like.

n The Heirloom, Shea was so superstitious that when she was proposed to with a vintage ring, she panicked and traveled all over the world to get the history of the ring to confirm it wasn’t bad luck. Ok, so that premise is beyond far fetched. Her poor fiance and the fact that she just took off 2 weeks for this adventure was bonkers. But I have to say, I became very invested in the story of the ring. I mean, I am appalled that she ditched her fiance to fly to Italy and Portugal before she could say yes but I liked the history part of the story. I just had to separate the two. And I loved the scenic descriptions of the places the ring took her. I enjoyed seeing how it all played out. It was a clever way to tie together some historical fiction with a present day romance and it did make me really think about vintage jewelry and its history and how fascinating it would be to learn all about certain things.

Overview: Shea Anderson has always said that she would NEVER accept a proposal if she were presented with an heirloom ring, due to her fear of the negative energy associated with its prior owners. So when her long-time partner John proposes to her with a vintage ring (against her wishes!), Shea takes it as a sign and begins to fear for the future of their relationship. Upon realizing that she won’t be able to move forward with the marriage until she learns the full history of the heirloom, Shea ends up journeying across the globe with her sister Annie and an investigative journalist named Graham to dig into the past…

Thoughts: As someone who is not superstitious, I found the plot to be bonkers! I honestly had trouble relating to Shea, who was a flawed and damaged character, and wanted to yell out loud several times, “What are you doing! Stop being so selfish! Go back home!” I WILL say that I enjoyed reading about all the places Shea travelled to (New York, Italy, Portugal) and can totally imagine this as a cinematic experience. I did not expect there to be so many plot twists (probably more than necessary to prove the story’s point), but it was an enjoyable read regardless as the outrageous plot kept my attention!

Take home message: This is a fast-paced story about a woman’s journey of self- discovery that has as many twists and turns as a thriller! Perfect for those who enjoy investigative journalism and have a zest for globe-trotting adventures. I would not categorize this as a romance, but I will say that the book had a satisfying ending.

Thanks to NetGalley and Putnam for this digital ARC in exchange for my honest review!

Why do grandmas always have the craziest rules or superstitions? In this case the bad vibes come from a ring. Shea's journey before getting to the alter goes fast and smooth at first, but then about halfway the dynamic shifts into Shea's life and her general expectations for herself and her future. Those issues lead to the story lasting a little longer than it should.
And though I love the cover, it just does not fit the story.

This is a great summer read. Shea is ready to marry the love of her life, until she proposes with a heirloom ring. It doesn't sound like a big deal, except she especifically told him when they start dating that she will not accept a heirloom ring. This is a superstition inherited by her Italian grandmother, who has that and other superstitions that Shea believes at heart. So Shea say yes to the marriage and maybe to the ring, starting a journey to New York, Italy and then Portugal to find the story of the woman who wore the ring before her to find out if it has good karma.

This is a very rich story not only of Shea herself, but about her family and the stories of the people she meets along the way during her journey. It was very easy and entertaining to read but also touches some deep themes that made this book, in my opinion, very interesting. I liked that it turns very complicated at some point and the author distangles it to come up with a nice ending. Very recommended.

Rating: 3.5/5 Stars
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Happy Pub Week!!! The Heirloom is a story simply about finding oneself, it's about overcoming past traumas, just in a different but unique kind of way. Enter Shea. She meets John, he checks off all of her boxes, they fall in love. John proposes but uses and heirloom ring which was a huge no for Shea. The entire story is now Shea on a wild goose hunt trying to find the original owner of the ring so she can see if she will have a curse marriage...
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Alright, let me just say that right from the start I was super interested in this whole superstition thing, and I was totally on board with this whole idea of figuring out the history of the heirloom ring, but Shea really irked my soul. She came off as being a super ungrateful brat. The way that she spoke to her sister, her mother, her fiancé and even Graham was just cringe worthy. And let me clear, Graham was not my favorite character either. I loved that this was all about soul searching, but going to a bunch of different countries to find complete strangers just to be told a ring was not cursed, seemed to be a bit unrealistic.
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That being said, I was totally addicted to finding out just who the ring belonged to and what was the story behind it. I loved the adventure in this story. I love the growth that Shea made, just wish I could have jumped into the pages and knocked some sense into her numerous times. It was a very quick and bingeable read and for the most part I enjoyed the story. Great pacing throughout.
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Overall, I think this was a cute though unrealistic finding oneself love story. I think that fans of chicklit and romance with a hint of mystery will enjoy this one! The Heirloom was just released on 5/7, be sure to check it out! Huge thank you to NetGalley, Jessie Rosen and Penguin Group Putnam for the eARC in exchange for my honest review.

The premise of this story was what got me hooked. I really enjoyed the writing and the setting once Shay made her way to Italy and Portugal to find out the backstory to her heirloom engagement ring.
Unfortunately, Shay as a character and the plot twists that started being introduced halfway into the book were not my cup of tea. Shay just wasn’t that likable to me based on how she treated her sister, her dying mom, and most of all, her poor fiancé, who was waiting at home waaaay more patiently than any sane partner would knowing their fiancée is traipsing around Europe with some hot reporter. Lots of selfish and nonsensical decisions were made.
The plot jumped the shark so fast. After the first plot twist, each subsequent one was just too ridiculous to take seriously. I know you suspend belief a bit with every fiction book you read but the additional layers to the ring’s backstory and each of Shay’s choices after hearing about them just made her seem like even more of an unhinged child.
I honestly wanted to stop reading around 60% but finished for the sake of this review and bc the setting really was so beautiful.
I would still consider another book by this author but the plot will need to carry the book way more than it did in this one.

What happens when your emotions and superstitions collide?

On what should be the happiest night of her life, Shea is terrified. Her boyfriend John, the man she trusts and loves, has picked the perfect romantic spot to get down on one knee and propose. But….the ring! It is beautiful, just the style and cut she has always said she wanted, and John even bought it from a store with significance to them both. What’s the problem? It is an heirloom ring, something that another woman has worn before….and that flies in the face of her Nonna’s advice through the years. Bad luck, Nona believed (and she owned a bridal shop….she knew a thing or two about weddings and relationships) will follow, because the ring will bring with it the experiences of its previous owner. If you don’t know the owner’s story, you don’t know what you’re letting in to your life. But John knew this was something Shea believed, she had told him so, but he went and bought it anyway. Shea decides that she has to find out the story of the ring’s ordinal owner to set her mind at ease, and what starts as a quick trip to New York leads to a trek across the ocean, to Italy and beyond, with her pragmatic sister Annie along for support. When Graham, a writer whose research skills had been brought in at Shea’s first stop, decides to come along to help uncover the ring’s origins (he suspects that Shea’s search will make for an amazing story), things start to get complicated….and they only become more so the deeper they dig. Will love trump superstition in the end? It’s hard when you don’t exactly trust love in the first place….
The Heirloom is a fast paced, quirky not-quite rom-com sort of novel. Shea is a smart and caring woman who just happens to be all mixed up when it comes to matters of the heart. Her parents’ marriage was an unhappy one, with breached trust and broken promises leading ultimately to a divorce. Her grandparents, Nonna and Pop, are Shea’s inspiration when it comes to a happy marriage, which may explain why she has adopted so many of Nonna’s “rules”. John is an almost-too-good-to=be-true boyfriend, loving and supportive, and although he originally lets Shea head out on her quest, the longer it becomes (especially with Graham along for the ride while John waits at home) the more John’s patience and trust start to fade. The locales to which Shea travels, their smells and sights and oh my the food all added to my enjoyment of the story. Fans of 90’s rom-com movies and films in general will find much to like here (especially 1998;s “Only You” with Marisa Tomei and Robert Downey Jr,) and readers of authors like Jilly Gagnon, Emma Lord and Annabel Monaghan should also be sure to pick up a copy. Many thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Group Putnam/G. P. Putnam’s Sons for an early peek at this twisty romp.

I wanted to like this one and I just couldn’t. It honestly fell flat from the beginning for me. I hate how needy and whiny she seemed about a ring. Like she loved him and he loved her and you’re getting that upset over it? The ring isn’t the biggest thing.

Thank you to GP Putnam’s Sons and NetGalley for my complimentary eARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I liked The Heirloom until I didn’t. The first 40% is light and fun and full of beautiful places. At about 60% it becomes a bit tedious and therapy driven (if that makes sense).

I understand wanting to know the background of the ring, but all the superstition on Shea’s part was a bit off putting for me. You cannot put more value in a piece a jewelry than you can on a persons love.

I was with John on this one. He understands up until a certain point and then he’s done.

The Heirloom offers readers an interesting premise and features lots of great descriptions about a variety of settings around the world. For those who like to travel vicariously through the pages of a novel, then this book might be for you. In my humble opinion, the plot falls apart quickly. Shea is a difficult heroine to connect with and root for. She's incredibly short-sighted and selfish. I'm not superstitious at all and I value marriage and rings and what they symbolize, so I couldn't relate to her motivations or feel any empathy toward her. The cheating aspect of the subplot, especially after she claims to have been so upset over her parents' marital issues around infidelity was a huge turn off. In the end, the conclusion is somewhat satisfying, but it didn't justify the contrived plot or the character's journey. Thank you for the opportunity to read The Heirloom.

I enjoyed reading The Heirloom by Jessie Rosen. You will fall in love with all the characters. I received an ARC of this book courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher. All opinions expressed in this review are my own and given freely. Happy Reading!

The Heirloom was an interesting story about trust, loss and secrets. We all have a quirk or two. Shea has a list of MUSTS (or are they Must not's) that need to exist in order for a relationship to work (in her own mind of course). Call them superstitions if you like or call them crutches, which is how I saw them as the story went along. I loved the idea of chasing down the provenance of the ring to the extent that she could put her fear (superstition) at rest. I loved hearing the history of the ring as they went along with their sleuthing. I even enjoyed the final thought behind the ring. Shea, herself, baffled me a bit because I often found her selfish and childish to an extent. At one point, I was thinking that John could do better. In the end, the author brought me a story I could say I liked even if the main character wasn't my favorite.

he Heirloom by Jessie Rosen
This was such a great book. Thank you to @netgalley for the early release. This book was published yesterday.
Shea's boyfriend John proposes to her and it should be a momentous occasion. One big problem is that he knows that she has a fear of heirloom rings, and that is what he has chosen for her ring. Her Italian grandmother instilled a strong superstitious streak in her, and the only way she feels she can accept this ring is to research its owner. This journey takes her to Italy, Spain, Boston, and New York. Along the way, she learns a lot about herself and what she thinks love to be and finds out love really is!
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Shea Anderson was raised with a Nonna who filled her with superstitions. When John proposed to Shea he presented her with an heirloom ring. Unfortunately, she had made it clear to him that heirloom rings were one of her greatest fears because Nonna believed they may hold bad karma if the previous owner was not in a happy relationship. Shea fears that the ring could affect her own relationship and sets off to discover the history of the ring. The previous owner’s daughter can not help her but suggests a trip to Italy, where her aunt may know more. From Italy to Portugal and back to New York, Shea discovers that the ring had three previous owners and discovers each of their stories. She is accompanied by her sister Annie and Graham, a young reporter who hopes to write a story of the search. As they travel together, Shea begins to question her relationship with John and becomes closer to Graham. John’s patience is wearing thin and Shea can not understand why he would give her an heirloom when she had previously expressed her feelings about the superstition.

Shea and Annie were raised by their mother after she finally divorced their alcoholic father. As they search for the ring’s history, Shea considers the engagement ring that her mother continued to wear until her death. When Shea and Annie finally discover the reason, Shea understands the importance of both her mother’s ring and the heirloom, but it may be too late for John to accept her explanation. Jessie Rosen presents a story of self-understanding and growth. There are some memorable characters and humor, but there are also some dark moments. It is a story of love and forgiveness that kept me turning the pages. I would like to thank NetGalley and Penguin Group Putnam for providing this book.

The story was interesting. I thought Shea was a bit flighty but her insistence on learning the history of the heirloom ring provided an intriguing story to unwind. The journey that she then follows is full of interesting characters. Their stories are full of all kinds of emotions. Shea has her demons to overcome from her past and chasing the ring lead her to finding a way forward. I enjoyed the story and thought it was put together well. I received an advance copy from NetGalley and am voluntarily leaving a review.