This is the first book I have read by Rosanna Ley and it was quite enjoyable. I did find my attention wandering a bit in some of the descriptive passages. The story was interesting but I would have enjoyed it more if there had been a bit more content on Nicholas’s storyline.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for allowing me to read a preview copy.

I started this book but didn’t find the characters engaging or the story interesting enough to finish it.

From Venice with Love was an engaging and enjoyable read. The plot and storyline was well written and the characters were complex and relatable. I also really liked the descriptions in the book. A bit of romance, a bit of mystery and some family secrets. From Venice with Love is well worth the read.

I wrote directly to publisher in response to an e mail about this. I have read all Rosanna’s books and really liked them but alas not this one. I found the characters wooden and the story boring. The settings of Dorset and Venice were well drawn.

This was a thoroughly enjoyable story. Lovely characters that felt like friends, a story line with romance, mystery and became really thrilling in parts. A brilliant conclusion that I worked out before the end and was delighted when it met my expectations. Loved every minute!

A good easy read and a chance to travel to other parts of the world while under Coronavirus Lockdown .with no possibility of foreign travel on the horizon.

It took me a while to get in to the flow of this book, but it was definitely worth persevering with.

The way the chapters are told are from multiple main characters perspectives, and as always this is something I truly enjoy. You get to see what's happening and what has happened through many points of view.

There are many an entwined story within this book, both within the past and present. I honestly couldn't put it down once I'd passed the half way mark, and I would happily read, both more books by this author and a continuation of the stories unfolding within the novel.

I've given it 4 stars only because it took a while for me to get in to and because I would have really loved if we could have had maybe another chapter or two, or even an epilogue to glimpse more in to the characters continuing journey.

The book concentrates on Joanna who found out something about her husband and has moved back to the family farm, Harriet who runs the farm but it's now got very dilapidated due to there not being a lot of money and Nicholas who you don't find out about until later on in the book

A great story offering different tales as it goes through, each one enjoyable and beautifully entwined

I really enjoyed this novel. Having visited Venice and Lisbon the appeal was there and now I feel the need to revisit these cities and to make a trip to Prague.
I thought the chapters for each character was a useful strategy and I did empathize with the characters. The visions of Joanna and Nicholas were puzzling until the final chapter - I must admit I didn't see that coming.
The only aspect which I felt let the book down was the stereotypical characterisation of spinster sister Harriet. I wanted to give her a good shaking, tell her to get a life! It was obvious from the first what was going to happen with Owen. All in all very enjoyable.

I loved this book - it is well structured and I love how all the pieces and characters join up. The plot is very good and the twist in the past is well kept until the end. The characters are also well crafted and you can understand their thoughts and feelings.

This was an escapist read, but with detail. I will definitely look more ore Rosanna Ley books.

Thank you netgalley for an early copy

This lovely book is like an up-market travelogue but with the added depth of likeable characters who you really care about. Two daughters, Harriet, the stay on the farm daughter who struggles to make the farm viable whilst caring for ageing parents and Joanna, with her enviable city lifestyle, a journalist who travels to exotic places such as Hariet could never dream of. European cities come to life under Rosanna Ley's pen and the reader is tempted to pick up the phone and call the travel agents to arrange an impromptu visit to Venice. Joanna, following her instinct to walk in the footsteps of an unknown ancestor, explores - not the popular tourist sights, but takes little known bridges as the starting point for her detailed walks which will be published by Tourist Information centres in the appropriate cities. The reader's attention never wavers as travelogue, domestic tensions and mystery intertwine, making a very satisfying read..

An absolutely fantastic book and ideal for these times. Combine letters found in an attic, family secrets and beautiful locations, this is real escapism literature. A well written book that gripped me from the first paragraph to the last page. I will be looking for other books by Rosanna Ley. I highly recommend.
Thank you to Netgalley for an advanced copy in return for an unbiased review.

Another enjoyable read from Rosanna Ley.
Characters are developed well and the settings beautifully described. There were a few slightly jarring points - Harriet's internet romances, particularly her encounter with Scott, seemed somewhat unlikely, and the mother's habit of calling out random tradesmen again needed more explanation (seemed an odd way for her to fill the void in her life).
Despite these - a good page turner

Good read, interesting story which makes me want to visit the three cities featured in the book. I like how the main two characters interacted with Nick visits each city to follow the bridge tour guide. Nice touch at the end of how they were linked and the possibilities in the future.

The perfect escapism in troubling times. An engaging read with likeable characters and an interesting plot line. My favourite parts were the wonderful and vivid descriptions of the faraway romantic places that can only be dreamt about at the moment. Definitely a book full of life with sights and smells and beautiful descriptions. The plot is twisty and interesting enough to hook you in and not let you put it down until you know what happens next. A well paced and very enjoyable read.

A brilliant story once again from a writer who keeps you hooked throughout.

Individual stories entwining but not to much to confuse. The descriptions of the cities were spot on and at once transported the reader along as if they too were travelling companions.

Like all her books, Rosanna Ley is able to weave colour and feeling into her stories. I was disappointed that it ended as I could have easily continued with the relationships in the book. A lovely read that once you start it is very difficult to put down.

Joanna's life was in a rut until decisions were made for her and she ended up back at the family home with her mother and sister. A chance discovery of letters led to a new work assignment tracing a distant relatives path through Europe, with fascinating glimpses of a spirit enticing her onward.

This book is a fascinating mixture of family relationships, hidden pasts and self-discovery. The characters entice you onward and the twists and turns keep you guessing until the end. A wonderful book to read.

I have a morbid curiosity about novels with a Venice theme in them.Whenever I see the name of that romantic, unusual and illusive City in the title I feel I have to read that book.Unfortunately Venice in the title does not always draw me into the story because the subject matter isn’t interesting.However this book doesn’t spend all of its time in that city so there is added interest as there is further travel around other European cities adding beautiful descriptions of Lisbon and Prague.The bait of Venice in the title had been taken by me very early on though.
Basically this is well crafted love story where people look at love as it affects them at different times of their lives.The two main characters are two sisters Harriet and Joanna who have grown apart as adults.having both been brought up in the countryside.
Harriet,the eldest, stayed at home to look after the family farm with her parents and continued to look after her mother on her father’s death.The potential for any romantic liaisons seem to disappear the older Harriet got and the more isolated she was on the farm.
Joanna however escaped from the drudgery of the farm and she became journalist whose briefs often gave her huge travelling potential..She married and lived in London with her husband but had no children.All seemed exceedingly rosy for her until she learnt of her husband’s affair with a close friend’s wife.This brought her world crashing down with a need to get away.The family farm in Dorset seemed a perfect place to reflect on her work and married life. Here she takes up residence in the farm and finds various things there which intrigue her one of which is a painting of a bridge in Venice.
The story yo-yoes between the two sister’s lives and where they are on their journey.Then intriguingly an additional person is introduced called Nicholas.He brings a different dimension to the story and gives an opportunity for the story to ramp up a notch.In the back of your mind you keep wandering where he fits into the lives of the sisters.Keep reading!There are lots of ‘ Happy Ever After‘ moments and none of them are too saccharine coated to be unbelievable.The end scene makes me think that there might be another book as a sequel to this one.

When her marriage falls apart Joanna returns home to Mulberry Cottage Farm, to her mother and sister , Harriet. The farm is falling apart and her mother is becoming more and more eccentric.
Joanna finds some letters in a trunk in the attic and through her work sets out to follow them to Venice, Lisbon and Prague.
Back at home, Harriet has seen a mystery stalker and is trying to sort out her own life. Is the answer nearer to home than she thinks.
Can Joanna find out the identity of the letter writer and what is the connection to the farm?