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3.62 AVERAGE
3.62 AVERAGE
Spoilers Ahead
I loved this novel until the twist at the end. I hated the twist, hated that I knew it was coming, hated how the siblings all reacted to it.
That Jake blames Beck for everything blows my mind. That he blames her for bringing Viktor into their situation… she didn’t know what she had when she did that, nor was it in any way shape or form any business of Jake’s at that point either. She was so generous to them, over and over again, and they still blamed her, like petty little brats, right until the end.
I could have loved this, but that was too much for me. Ugh, the Millers. I thought they were growing on me, but in the end, Beck is the only redeemable character.
I loved this novel until the twist at the end. I hated the twist, hated that I knew it was coming, hated how the siblings all reacted to it.
That Jake blames Beck for everything blows my mind. That he blames her for bringing Viktor into their situation… she didn’t know what she had when she did that, nor was it in any way shape or form any business of Jake’s at that point either. She was so generous to them, over and over again, and they still blamed her, like petty little brats, right until the end.
I could have loved this, but that was too much for me. Ugh, the Millers. I thought they were growing on me, but in the end, Beck is the only redeemable character.
Off to a slow start, once the story got going I could not put it down. When Helen dies, her granddaughter, Beck, calls the family together. Dysfunctional is not even close to the crazy relationship between Deborah, her children, Beck, Ashley and Jake and their relationships to each other. The will is read and Beck discovers a brooch left to her might contain the long lost Florentine diamond. As Helen’s history is unraveled to discover how she came in possession of the diamond, some history about Austria in the early 1900’s and Vienna in the time of WWII contributes to the depth of the story. I highly recommend and thank Netgalley for the ARC.
mysterious
sad
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Drug use, Genocide, Infidelity, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Violence, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Abandonment, Alcohol
emotional
informative
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
A super interesting premise - I would have loved for the focus to be on Helen and the history - but it was still a well told tale despite the main characters being unlikable.
Thanks to Netgalley for the free read in exchange for an honest review.
Thanks to Netgalley for the free read in exchange for an honest review.
This took me forever to read. It felt like my thing: siblings, family drama, an inheritance... but I never got a solid handle on why I should be invested in these characters. They were all so MEAN. The moments where I was supposed to see humanity I just saw spite. The backstory in Austria was too long, the last-act thievery is mind boggling, the way that these people are cruel to each other never has levity in moments of grace. I started this on audio and listened and listened and listened until I switched to the actual book because it felt interminably long and now that I’ve finished... god this was long and it. Was. Fine.
A fictional account of what may have happened to the Florentine diamond, a 137-carat yellow diamond that diasappeared from the Austrian Empire.
Beck Miller is very close to her grandmother, but doesn't keep in touch with her siblings or mother. When her grandmother passes away, her will stipulates that her orchid broach goes to Beck. While Beck is upset that her mother got the house, she is happy to have the pin that reminds her of her grandmother. When Beck learns that what she thought was only cheap costume jewelry is actually gemstones and what might just be the Florentine diamond, she is forced to tell her family. As they rush to authenticate the diamond, they must confront the issues that had kept them apart for years.
A good story with an imaginative premise. The characters were all a bit underdeveloped, but I enjoyed the story nevertheless.
Beck Miller is very close to her grandmother, but doesn't keep in touch with her siblings or mother. When her grandmother passes away, her will stipulates that her orchid broach goes to Beck. While Beck is upset that her mother got the house, she is happy to have the pin that reminds her of her grandmother. When Beck learns that what she thought was only cheap costume jewelry is actually gemstones and what might just be the Florentine diamond, she is forced to tell her family. As they rush to authenticate the diamond, they must confront the issues that had kept them apart for years.
A good story with an imaginative premise. The characters were all a bit underdeveloped, but I enjoyed the story nevertheless.
What an interesting plot! A bit slow to start but once it picked up about halfway through I couldn’t put it down - I think the beginning just needed a bit more action or one or two more flashbacks? to move it along. Great characters and character development throughout, especially Beck and Deborah. Really interesting to get to the author’s note and find out the Florentine is an actual missing jewel, I thought for sure it was fictional. There was one plotline at the end that I wanted resolved a bit more, especially since this was fiction, but overall this was so interesting.