A 2.5 read
I was first hooked from the description because I was expecting a fluffy romance but it was not...other than that I loved the concept and would've made a great story!
some parts felt too far fetched and would find myself skimming through most of the parts. If you live in LA or NYC you may love this book. Its filled with adventure, office jobs (lol), love for nyc, and a sub-plot of romance.
Lastly the characters feel flat. I found myself easily forgetting names and having to back track for all the new and old characters introduced. my review is posted to goodreads

I enjoyed this book but also thought it was not fully developed and was ultimately torn in which direction I was hoping the story would go and was confused as to which direction. The author was hoping we would want. I love the concept but also found it a little unbelievable all around, maybe because I didn't feel like the characters or their relationships were developed enough. Worth checking out but not a five star for me.

Thank you to NetGalley, Putnam & Jessie Rosen for a digital galley of The Heirloom in exchange for an honest review.

Gorgeous cover, intriguing title and a lovely synopsis are all the ingredients of a book that I will fall in love with. Except I didn't. I wanted to soooooo bad, but it just fell a little flat for me.

It was definitely different, but the superstitions of the MC, Shea, were just too overwhelming and literally took over the entire story. While I do like this superstitions concept, it was relied on too heavily and took away from the rest of the story.

Shea is determined to find the previous owners of the heirloom rink that her boyfriend proposes to her with so that she can avoid any bad luck or karma potentially coming her way, thanks to all of the silly superstitions her Nonna put in her head from a young age. This quest sends Shea, her sister and a journalist all across the US and even overseas.

And maybe I just expected this book to be something it wasn't. I was hoping for more romance and less superstition and self-discovery. I also despised the ending. Again, it was just different that I was hoping for. I do feel like my take on this book is really just based on my opinion and preference and believe that others will really enjoy this story. It just wasn't for me.

“Self discovery” is the theme of THE HEIRLOOM, which centers on Shea’s search for the provenance of her engagement ring in order to ensure it possesses “forever energy.” She goes on a coast-to-coast search, and travels overseas to Portugal and Italy on an adventure that ultimately changes the way she looks at the world.

I like the idea of an object being passed from person to person and Shea’s quest to find its true owner. There’s something magical about that, but I found the search to be a little too easy and a bit unbelievable.

I expected this to be one of two things: a fluffy rom-com or a deeper romance. It definitely wasn’t either of these things: instead, it was a journey of self-reflection and discovering who we are underneath it all.

Thank you to NetGalley and Putnam for the advanced digital copy of THE HEIRLOOM in exchange for my honest feedback.

I loved the "realness" of this book. Romances aren't always perfect and sometimes life gives you really touch choices to make. I enjoyed traveling around Italy, Portugal, Boston, New York, and California with these characters. I enjoyed that multiple characters worked through the various issues they had, and the clear communication between characters was refreshing (no typical romance tropes here, except for an accidental trip and catch!). Great read!

Found sometimes the characters were uncompelling but I was still in for the quest and it was very well written! Thanks for the arc

Shea has been anxiously awaiting a proposal from her boyfriend John. But when he gets down on one knee and presents her with a beautiful heirloom engagement ring, Shea begins wondering if John truly knows her at all.

Shea has deep superstitions about love and in particular about heirloom rings. She believes that they might bring bad karma into the relationship and thus begins Shea’s epic quest to trace the past owners of the ring and determine if the ring can bring her luck in love. Only then Shea feels will she truly be able to accept the ring and the promise that comes with it.

Along the way, Shea is forced to confront her vulnerabilities about love, test her commitment to her fiancée, and figure out the true realities masking her superstitions.

Although I was initially intrigued by the novel’s romantic premise, it was hard to root for Shea. As a character she seemed immature and selfish and it was hard to take her superstitions seriously in lieu of her behavior.

I think the novel has an ambitious aim and there are definitely some true gems of life lessons embedded inside Shea’s journey. However, Shea’s journey meanders and as more and more people become involved in the ring’s origin story, it made me lose focus and interest in the outcome.

The Heirloom has some tender moments and the author imbues the text with heart and emotion. This book might not be a particular favorite for me but other readers may enjoy it.

This is the first book I have read by this author and it is a great lighter read. Jessie Rosen is a wonderful storyteller. This is one I will recommend to all my patrons.

Sadly, I wanted to love it but I had a hard time getting into the premise of this book.

Thank you, NetGalley, Molly Pieper, and Random House for the e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I would like to thank Net Galley, Penguin Group and Molly Pieper for the opportunity to read this book as an ARC. I was really interested in this book when I read the synopsis. The female main character was described as being a woman of Italian heritage whose Grandmother had been a strong influence in her life, and had instilled her with a lot of superstitions. I also am of Italian heritage with a grandmother who can be described as strong and superstitious. Shea's Nonna had told her, among many things marriage related, not to get engaged with an heirloom ring, as it could bring bad luck, Shea told her now boyfriend John this on their first date. So when John proposes with an heirloom ring, Shea does not want to wear it. John seems to be a great guy all through the book, long suffering even, so the reason he gives for buying the ring seems a bit manufactured, to me at least. Anyway, Shea loves John, so she decides to look for the owner of the ring. Shea's parents divorced after many unhappy years. Her mother died a few years after the divorce and Shea is not in touch with her father.Shea has always considered her grandparents to have the perfect marriage and if her Nonna said not to take a vintage ring, well she wouldn't.Shea decides to look for the owner of the ring. The journey starts in New York and goes to Italy , Portugal, Boston and back to New York, while Shea chases down multiple owners. She is accompanied by her sister Annie and a journalist named Graham.I really did not like Graham being inserted in this, it seemed forced.Actually, it all seemed forced. Shea kept jumping on planes, meeting people, getting information, and then traveling some more. There was an additional subplot regarding Shea's job, and one regarding Grahams parents ( who are also divorced), that really just seemed like filler.There were many characters, and most were not memorable. At one point, some were referenced who had been introduced early on, and I had to go back to see who they were! I was hoping to find a cute romance, but it is not all that romantic. It is light and fluffy, but does not have much substance.I was really hoping for more.

A sweet story centered around superstitions and heirlooms. One of Shea's life rules involves, in short, no heirlooms. It comes as a huge surprise that her boyfriend, knowing this, pops the questions with an heirloom. But his why has her questioning everything and sets off a spiral like no other.

It's a nice story of following your heart, but the author spent a bit too much time detailing the landscapes and beautiful cities. It was time that could have been better spent fleshing out her characters. I found myself skimming a bit because the vivid descriptions were plentiful and a bit too much. Nice overall theme.

I found the concept and plot of this book intriguing, but it didn't catch my interest as I expected. The main character seemed very immature for the most part, and I had a hard time enjoying her antics as the story progressed.
I do think it's a great storyline and characters, but I just really didn't get swept up in the main character's constant drama.
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for letting me review. I just think there needs to be a bit more clarity, and a lot less exclamation marks to get a point across.

A sweet tale of old superstitions and exploring old family beliefs. Shea received an heirloom ring from her fiancé John. Shea’s Nonny has instilled some old superstitions that cause Shea to be hesitant to wear the ring due to not knowing the story behind it. So Shea and her sister Annie travel across the ocean to unearth the ring’s past. They meet Graham along the way as well as several key characters in the ring’s story. In the end, Shea realizes that she doesn’t need to put so much focus on what happened to the couples associated with the ring but instead with the strong women who wore the ring. These women have passed their strong energy to Shea through the ring. This book was an interesting one and shows how you can take something like a superstition passed down for generations but discover a way to make it more positive.

While I hadn't read any work by Jessie Rosen before The Heirloom, the synopsis of the story immediately intrigued me. Firstly, I love Italy and found the idea of a romance set here simply perfect. Secondly, I adored the idea of a superstitious Nonna, as my own grandmother passed on many superstitions down to me.

I really enjoyed the setting, the pacing, and the heavy punch of emotion that this book contained. The setting in particular was captivating and had me reminiscing about my time spent in Italy back in 2019. The writing was lovely and truly transported me. This was such a beautiful coming-of-age, relatable, and heartwarming story. Without giving too much away, I'll share that there is absolutely a happy ending. I would recommend for fans of contemporary romance and fans of Rebecca Serle.

Thank you NetGalley and Penguin Group for an ARC of the Heirloom!

While there was a lot in this book that worked, there was more that didn’t work for me.

What really sparkled here was the superstitious family history and setting, but the FMC was so grating the entire time. It seemed like everyone in her life had to handle her with “kid gloves.”

Additionally, there were a few too many random side characters and plot points that it made it difficult to keep them all straight.

A sweet story in theory, but missed the mark a little.

For starters, I loved the premise of this book!! After being proposed to with an heirloom ring, Shea takes it upon herself to find out the original owner of the ring (does this sound like the plot of an incredible Hallmark movie or what!?). This journey takes her all over - NYC, Italy, Portugal - and not only is she hoping to find answers, but in some ways it felt like she was finding herself along the way too. If you're longing for a vacation or a fun-filled adventure, this is the perfect book for you! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I actually really liked this one. I liked the mystery of the heirloom and the quest to find out who had it before. Shea is a great character who has a lot of baggage and is a bit set in her ways, but she really figures out her feelings and how she feels about love.
I didn't love that she cheated on her fiance, but I think she really learned a lot along the way.
I really liked the representation of the rings in this book, especially Shea & Annie's mom's which we learn later.
There are some great relationships in this book and I felt Shea was relatable in trying to figure out love and what it represents in her life.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
It was a quick read for me. But I enjoyed it a lot it made me want to go to Italy.

In "The Heirloom," Jessie Rosen spins a tale around Shea, whose superstitions are a pivotal part of her character. She tells John, her boyfriend turned fiancé, about these on an early date. Despite her clear aversion to heirloom rings, John's proposal with one is unbelievable. Who would ignore her stated superstition? Nevertheless, this twist compelled me to keep reading, curious to see if she marries him.

Shea's quest to find the ring's owner (and determine if it has bad vibes) sends her globetrotting—which is also unbelievable considering her resources. And while traveling, she is drawn into a romance with another man even as she's engaged to marry John! How serious is she really about John then?!
The narrative feels over the top, and its characters lack depth, preventing immersion into the story.

Nonetheless, my thanks go to Penguin Group Putnam via NetGalley for the ARC, in exchange for an honest review.
#TheHeirloom #NetGalley

Shea’s beloved Italian grandmother had a list of rules for a happy life—namely, to never accept a proposal that includes an heirloom engagement ring. So naturally, Shea panics when her fiancé John proposes with an heirloom engagement ring. She says yes, but her inherited superstitions send her on mission to meet the ring’s previous owners to make sure the ring doesn’t carry and bad vibes for her new marriage. With help from her sister and a nosy journalist, Shea’s search for answers leads her to three different countries and a history of women who had worn the ring before her.

Thank you @netgalley for the ARC. The premise of this book was intriguing and I was excited to read it, but unfortunately I had a hard time with Shea’s attachment to her superstitions and her decision to chose those over her relationship with John so many times. This made her really difficult to relate to and unlikable for me. I also don’t appreciate stories where a character is clearly in a committed relationship and then all of a sudden a new potential love interest is thrown into the mix. I wish John had more facetime in the story as his character didn’t really seem fully developed to me and I wanted to know more about him. The story with the multiple owners of the ring was an exciting mystery at first, but then became a bit of a drag and I just wanted to know where the book was going. I do appreciate how the book ended and Shea’s introspection towards the end, but overall this just didn’t work for me.