I received this book for free from in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
The Little Venice Bookshop by Rebecca Raisin Published by HarperCollins UK on March 30, 2023
Genres: Fiction / Coming of Age, Fiction / Family Life / General, Fiction / General, Fiction / Romance / Contemporary, Fiction / Romance / Romantic Comedy, Fiction / Women
Pages: 352
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‘Ahhh I absolutely loved this book!... Made me laugh, warmed my heart... Fabulous.’ NetGalley reviewer
A bundle of mysterious letters. A trip to Venice. A journey she’ll never forget.
When Luna loses her beloved mother, she’s bereft: her mother was her only family, and without her Luna feels rootless. Then the chance discovery of a collection of letters in her mother’s belongings sends her on an unexpected journey.
Following a clue in the letters, Luna packs her bags and heads to Venice, to a gorgeous but faded bookshop overlooking the canals, hoping to uncover the truth about her mother’s mysterious past.
Will Luna find the answers she’s looking for – and finally find the place she belongs?
Praise for The Little Venice Bookshop:
‘Absolutely delightful... Captivating from start to finish. The characters were charming and witty.’ NetGalley reviewer
‘This book made my heart very happy... An absolute warm hug in book form.’ NetGalley reviewer
‘What’s not to love in a book with cats, books and a mystery. Five stars doesn’t seem enough.’ NetGalley reviewer
‘I fell in love with the bookshop,’ NetGalley reviewer
‘A beautifully written book... I absolutely could not put it down... There wasn't a single dull moment during this book, I found myself indulging in every single gorgeous word... Everybody needs to read it because it's just perfect!’ NetGalley reviewer
‘I fell in love with this book... May be Rebecca Raisin’s best book yet.’ NetGalley reviewer
‘I read the book in one day... My favourite novel by Rebecca Raisin to date.’ NetGalley reviewer
‘A superb book. I genuinely couldn’t put it down... Utterly absorbing.’ NetGalley reviewer
‘I felt like I had been there in my head from the descriptions the author evoked...Positive and uplifting.’ NetGalley reviewer
‘A beautiful story.’ NetGalley reviewer
I loved the bookshop setting I could envision it perfectly, I loved Giancarlo, I enjoyed Luna and Oscar basically resurrecting the bookshop with their innovative ideas, I just wanted more of that and Luna enjoying the relationships she grew while in Venice. ~ Sharon – Simply Love Books
I was drawn to this book by the cover and synopsis and I was excited to read it. I enjoyed The Little Venice Bookshop but I didn’t love it. For me the beginning dragged on, I felt like the middle of it focused on things that weren’t all that important, and the ending…what should have been a big, beautiful ending was rushed beyond belief and I felt cheated. Even an epilogue would have helped to bring this book full circle, but alas that did not happen.
After her beloved mother passes away, Luna finds some letters she’d kept from a man named Giancarlo. A man who obviously loved her and had a life with her at one point, something she and her mother’s best friend knew nothing about. Luna and her mother lived an interesting life; living in communes and building a network of other women who became their family. Luna never knew her father; her mother always told her she was a gift from a new moon ceremony in Thailand. With her best friend Gigi in tow, Luna heads to Venice to unravel the mystery of the letters and hopefully find Giancarlo.
I felt like this book was all over the place and instead of focusing on Luna, her quest for answers, and even the slow building romance with her co-worker Oscar, the book spent too much time with Luna seeing another man she met the first night she was in Venice and sneaking around trying to find the letters her mother had written to Giancarlo instead of just sitting down and asking him. There were some interesting twists that weren’t hard to figure out, but once Luna got her answers and made her discoveries the book was pretty much over. We were told there were conversations and spending time together but sadly we didn’t see any of it. On top of that Oscar was basically absent towards the end instead of us seeing them moving forward together.
I loved the bookshop setting I could envision it perfectly, I loved Giancarlo (I’m pretty sure I met his counterpart in a bookshop in Edinburg, Scotland), I enjoyed Luna and Oscar basically resurrecting the bookshop with their innovative ideas, I just wanted more of that and Luna enjoying the relationships she grew while in Venice.
About Rebecca Raisin
Rebecca Raisin writes heartwarming romance from her home in sunny Perth, Australia. Her heroines tend to be on the quirky side and her books are usually set in exotic locations so her readers can armchair travel any day of the week. The only downfall about writing about gorgeous heroes who have brains as well as brawn, is falling in love with them – just as well they’re fictional. Rebecca aims to write characters you can see yourself being friends with. People with big hearts who care about relationships and believe in true, once in a lifetime love. Her bestselling novel Rosie’s Travelling Tea Shop has been optioned for film with MRC studios and Frolic Media.