The Rose Ring by Anne M. Faye ~ review

• Paperback: 170 pages
• Publisher: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform (April 3, 2013)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1482758210
• ISBN-13: 978-1482758214

This book is also available as an ebook.

Left at the altar by Zach Richards ten years ago, Julia Manning has buried her pain by leading a quiet life working at a bookstore, helping her sister, visiting residents at a local nursing home, and attempting to be a good daughter. When Zach suddenly arrives back in town and her overbearing mother fixes her up with the last man on earth she would ever want to date, Julia is forced to face her past, whether she wants to or not. A resident at St. Francis Nursing Home, Elizabeth Phelps suffers from dementia and becomes convinced that a ring Julia is wearing is actually her engagement ring from her beloved Joseph, who is away fighting in World War II. As Elizabeth waits for his return, Julia becomes determined to discover the mysterious story behind the ring and to do whatever she can to help Elizabeth heal. "The Rose Ring" is a gentle story of forgiveness and the power of love to overcome even the greatest obstacles.

My take on this book:
"The Rose Ring"  by Anne Faye is certainly a book with a pretty cover, but the story that unfolds within the pages was emotionally charged keeping me riveted until the end.
Julia Manning has carried the hurt of being left at the altar ten years ago by her then fiancee Zach Richards. To get thru her days she works as an assistant manager at a bookstore and also volunteers to read at a local nursing home. Julia's mother pushes her to find a man and settle down and even fixes her up with Steve, a man who had a crush on Julia years ago. As the relationship between Julia and Steve start to develop Zach comes back into the picture, and Julia realizes she still has feelings for him. Her head tells her Steve is the one she should love but her heart has other ideas. Meanwhile Elizabeth Phelps, a dementia patient at the nursing home sees Julia wearing a rose ring that she is convinced was her engagement ring given to her by the love of her life Joseph Wynn. As Julia befriends Elizabeth she can't help but wonder about the story of Joseph, and whether the ring might in fact be Elizabeth's and if so why she and Joseph never married. As Julia solves the mystery of Elizabeth  and Joseph's story she will also figure out what path she should take for her future. 

Anne Faye writes a contemporary story, that also has a firm foot in the  past.I really can't say which aspect of the story I enjoyed more. I found myself drawn to Julia and the hurt she carried. She wondered if she might spend her life alone. Then she develops a relationship with Steve, one where I felt like she was settling but then fate threw in a twist that really made her realize that she had some unresolved issues from her past.Weighed down by a secret that she needed to tell Zach, once she shared it I felt like I knew which road she would take. While I enjoyed Julia's story it was the story of Elizabeth and Joe that was so emotionally charged that I couldn't put it down.  Journal entries and the letters that Joe wrote to Elizabeth  transported me  back to the mid forties, I could just imagine the boys going off to war. The longing and hope that Elizabeth had as she gets each letter from Joe,and the excruciating news that she finally got took my breath away, but then the author provides a twist that totally blindsided me, but also allowed me to understand the need that Elizabeth had for granting forgiveness! I honestly felt the emotion flow off the pages of this story.My heart broke for Elizabeth and all that might have been, had things worked out differently. The author does a wonderful job of transitioning between the past and present, providing two stories that ultimately tie together in the end providing a few  life lessons along the way!"The Rose Ring" was far from predictable, but very satisfying, a story that I became so consumed by that I actually read it in one sitting. A heart touching story with characters that I won't soon forget!

Reviewed for Readersfavorite.com