The Venice Sketchbook by Rhys Bowen is Historical Mystery Fiction set in World War II Europe. Irresistible split time fiction with secrets, romance and mystery. It is a story of family, enduring love, wartime resistance, love, sorrow and hope. I never read a book by Rhys Bowen that I didn’t enjoy and I loved this one.
I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. I appreciate the opportunity and thank the author and publisher for allowing me to read, enjoy and review this book. 5 Stars

3.5 stars
The Venice Sketchbook is a WWII historical fiction novel with a dual timeline. The 1930-40s timeline follows Juliet Browning, a young woman who first visits Venice with her oh-so-proper aunt and meets a young man who will change her life in unexpected ways, even though their time together is short.

The second timeline follows Caroline, Juliet’s great-niece, who has inherited Juliet’s seemingly minute estate, along with the charge to unravel the importance of the contents of a small box.

Some dual timeline books would have benefitted from having only a single historical timeline, and this is one of them. While for the most part, I feel the WWII historical fiction market is oversaturated (especially the WWII/present day dual timeline combo), I did enjoy Juliet’s timeline very much. I liked that we got to know her at several different stages of life, and could see how each of the previous stages was impacting her currently. Personally, I would have enjoyed the book more if it had focused only on telling Juliet’s story in greater detail. That would have eliminated the negatives to her story that existed, such as the very minor focus on her role in the war effort. The prologue leads the reader to believe this will play a major role, but by the time it appeared in the plot, I had completely forgotten the prologue. Had this been a single timeline, there would also have been time to develop the characters more fully, making some of their actions more believable.

I never really felt a connection to Caroline and her storyline. It wasn’t as developed as Juliet’s and the relationship that develops in her plotline just felt icky to me, despite the author’s assurances to the reader.

Overall, an enjoyable book. I would definitely pick up another book by this author.

Review will be posted on retail sites, Goodreads, and on YouTube Channel Hicks Picks Books.

Thanks go to NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for the opportunity to read an advance copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.

I was a little bit disappointed with The Venice Sketchbook.

One of the first chapters suggests the book is going to be exciting over 3/4 of the way through the book the task Juliet is asked to carry out isnt mentioned. This doesn't mean the book is bad, its just very slow paced compared to what I expected from the start.

It's beautifully written, the descriptions of Venice really make me want to visit. Although based loosely during WWII, Venice wasn't overly affected at the start so it's more talking around the war and the effect it may or may not have.

This is a lovely book, definitely a slow enjoyable one rather than a fast paced exciting read.

When Carolyn Grant is asked to scatter the ashes of her great-aunt Letter in Venice, she can leave the despair of her divorce to immerse herself exploring the sketchbook and keys her Aunt Juliet left her. Carolyn immerses herself in the life of her aunt. When Juliet arrives in Venice in 1938, World War II is already leaving its fingerprints on this city. Juliet was an art teacher and there is lots of focus on the art in Venice and several characters in the book deserve more detail to learn their back story, while not necessary for this book. Bowen does an excellent job bringing a different approach to a World War II story.

The book pulled me in to start, with the young Juliet's visit to Venice as an 18 year old and her encounter with the mysterious Leo. From that I expected the story to build up to something grand, yet throughout the story I kept waiting and ultimately it fell short of my hopes.
The story is told through dual points of view. Juliet's in the late 1930's/early 1940's and her great niece Caroline in 2001. Caroline finds out shocking secrets her spinster aunt kept her entire life. The descriptions of Venice both past and present made me hope I get to visit someday. Overall, I expected more depth and heart to this story, instead I felt all the interactions were surface level. This was my first book by Rhys Bowen and I would consider reading her stories in the future. I would give it 3.5 stars.
Thank you to the author and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an advance copy, all thoughts and opinions are my own.

I have read quite a few of Rhys Bowen’s books and always enjoyed getting lost in another age. Her descriptions of Venice were wonderful and the background story of Juliet was absorbing reading. I wished the book had been a little longer so that Cara’s story could have been a bit more detailed as it seemed to just skim the surface somehow and felt less interesting than the story of Juliet and Leo. It was a really well written novel though and one I thoroughly enjoyed getting lost in.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for allowing me to read a preview copy of this book.

The Venice Sketchbook is a dual timeline story that takes place between 1928 and 1945 with Juliet going to Venice as a graduation gift from her aunt and also in England with Juliet’s great niece Caroline in 2001.
Juliet is an artist who loves Venice and has a chance to go back as one of two chaperones with 12 schoolgirls. She fell in love with an unavailable but extremely handsome man on her first trip there 10 years before.

Then it is after 9-11 and Caroline’s great aunt Lettie has just died after whispering some secrets to Caroline, which included the word Venice. Lettie’s last wish gives Caroline a box with 3 different keys and a sketchbook. Caroline has been going through a rough period; her husband has left her for another woman and their young son is with him in the USA. She decides this is a perfect time for her to go to Venice.

We learn so much about the beautiful city of Venice, including the canals, architecture, food, culture, religion, and art as Ms Bowen tells the fantastic story of these two women.

I devoured this book in two sittings, only because I couldn’t read while sleeping. There was so much to love about this book and I truly did not want it to end. Thank you to NetGalley, Ms Bowen and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Boring. I trudged through 72% before giving up. Neither of the heroines captured my attention (although I did feel the historical heroine was a bit more tolerable) and the plot meandered. There was something of a plot in the historical part, but I didn’t really get the point of the contemporary bit.

4.5 stars rounded up. Rhys Bowen's descriptive and captivating writing style and attention to cultural details always make me want to travel to the setting of her books. Here, she explores Venice in the months leading up to and during WWII, as well as a brief glimpse of more modern-day Venice. The first-person narrative for Juliet's historical chapters really transports you back to that time and adds to the suspense and drama. Like her namesake, Juliet's star-crossed romance with Leo Da Rossi is compelling and ultimately tragic and watching it unfold with the added perspective of her great-niece piecing together her story was very moving. Although her relationship with Leo is a major part of the story, Juliet's relationship with Venice is really the focus. We see how her perspective of it changes from her first visit at 18 through her early 30's, with her appreciation and involvement in the local community growing over time.

This just missed out on a 5-star rating due to the less compelling modern-day chapters -- I never really warmed up to Caroline, and her relationship with Luca just felt wrong, however far removed their family relation was. Plus their decision not to tell Angelo about the truth of his birth mother was so frustrating -- and the depressingly realistic ending. Even with those slight deductions, this is definitely a story that I will be thinking about for a long time to come and one that I would strongly recommend to historical fiction and time-slip novel fans, and anyone who wants to armchair travel while still stuck in lockdown.

Thank you to Lake Union Publishing and Netgalley for providing an ARC for review!

The book is very atmospheric and I felt transported to Venice. Love, family, secrets and history fill these pages, and it was a great escape read.
Many thanks to Lake Union Publishing and to NetGalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

Love Ms Bowen, loved this book and equally her other work. I’ve been finding some excellent and entertaining books focused on the WWII time period, this one in Venice, about which I knew little. All the cultural artistic history was appealing and definitely worth my reading time.

The two female characters, Julieta and her great niece, Caroline, grew by leaps and bounds throughout the story. Julieta throughout the wars years living in Venice, having a child and doing what she could to help the allies’ cause. What a heroine! Caroline also evolved throughout the book from the victim of her unfaithful husband to a strong independent person who learned of her aunt’s history and inheritance through her own grit and initiative.

I love R. B.’s writing so well because you have to think there’s truth behind these works whether it can be proven or not.

Another thoroughly enjoyable read. Thank you Net Galley for the opportunity to read and submit my thoughts.

I enjoyed this book! I love that it is set in Venice because it such a magical place. Dual timelines, one during the war when British Juliet gets stuck there and the other in 2001 with her grand-niece Carline. Both stories fascinating and interesting how they are woven together to complete the picture of what happened. The characters seemed like real people.

This book provided me an enjoyable Sunday afternoon escape along the charming canals of Venice with Juliette and her great niece, Caroline, as my tour guides. This is an easy to read, atmospheric story of love, longing, and kept secrets.

To Juliette’s family, she appeared to live the quintessential, modest, hard working life of a British spinster. Oh! But there was so much she kept hidden away. It was no secret that she became enamored with Venice on her first trip there as a young woman on the cusp of adulthood. What wasn’t apparent was how besotted she became with a dashing, young Italian that saved her (and a few kittens) from drowning. Upon her death, Juliette bequeaths her great niece, Caroline, three keys and a sketchbook, allowing the family their first opportunity to truly get to know her.

Much of what happens in the story is implausibly coincidental and also utterly predictable. (Venice is not quite as small of a city as the author would have us to believe.) But I allowed myself to be charmed by both Juliette and Venice anyway, suspending reality in order to enjoy this book to its fullest.

Like Juliette, I fell in love with the city of Venice many years ago. Bowen did a masterful job of taking me back there amongst the birds, bridges, and bells of this floating city.

Many thanks to Rhys Bowen, Lake Union Publishing, and Netgalley for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

FABULOUS story of love, secrets, hope and salvation. I particularly liked the way strong family members and loyal devoted friends and even near strangers supported the story. Venice, past and present, is also a beautiful and important part of this story. Thanks to #NetGalley and #TheVeniceSketchbook for an advance digital copy.

Any book by Rhys Bowen is a must read. Venice Sketchbook is no exception. Characters and story line are totally engaging. A must read

Bells, Birds and Boats

An amazing story of romance, war, spies, and survival against the backdrop of WWII.

Juliet meets Leo in Venice and when she returns to a entice they find that even though Leo is married they cannot resist each other. When war breaks out she cannot leave because of a secret between her and Leo. She is stuck in Venice during the war and must hide her identity and pretend to be Italian from Venice, until her cover is blown. In those last fatal days Juliet leaves behind a part of herself that she can never recover. It is a story of Juliet's love of Venice, her love for Leo, and a bitter betrayal by someone she trusted.

In a duel story line, Juliet's great niece Caroline comes home to stay with her mother when her great aunt Juliet becomes I'll. Right before her great aunt passes she tells Caroline to go get a box with her name on it and to go to Venice. Caroline goes to Venice to take her great aunt's ashes. She searches for information on her great aunt during the war and uncovers a secret her great aunt took too her death.

I really enjoyed reading this book and I would recommend it.

Thanks to Rhys Bowen, Lake Union Publishing, and NetGalley for providing me a copy of the book to read and review.

I was drawn into this atmospheric love story from page one and couldn’t put it down. Two women in Venice at different times make this a captivating read. The description and characters are realistic and it made me feel part of the story. Juliet Browning, arrives in 1938, a teacher of art. Juliet reconnects with her lover as war breaks out. Will their love see them through the war years as Juliet becomes artist, spy, saviour and mother? More than sixty years later Caroline Grant has a bequest that will take her on a mysterious journey of discovery. Will Caroline accept that her marriage is over and that she needs to fight for her son? As the secrets of both women emerge it becomes evident that their histories are intricately linked. The more the story lines cross the more captivated I became. I would definitely recommend this book, it’s an enjoyable read.

I enjoyed this novel and the descriptions of Venice, although these were stereotypical of any travelogue. I also like the construct of telling the story through two people with fifty or sixty years between them.
The earlier visit to the city seemed a bit contrived early in the book, with the characters a bit flat and the pregnancy was so predictable, but after that it gathered pace.
I did think that tracing back through her aunts history was interesting and complex and I had to find out what happened. Sadly I found the ending lacking with more questions than answers. Overall a good read.

Another excellent book from Rhys Bowen, this one not a series. It takes place in two time periods--2001 in England and Venice, and WWII in Venice. Caroline Grant is a young woman coping with a dead end career, a failed marriage and the loss of her beloved great-aunt, Juliet. In her will Juliet asks to have her ashes scattered in Venice, and leaves her a box of mysterious items that Caroline must figure out in Venice. The story then goes to Juliet and her life in WWII Venice and it is fascinating. The story goes back and forth between Juliet and Caroline. Juliet's story is stronger, but its a bigger story to tell. This is a great read.

The Venice Sketchbook by Rhys Bowen takes us to Venice, Italy at two different times in history...WWII and 2001. Caroliine rushes to the bedside of her dying Aunt Lettie and makes it in time to hear her whisper "Venice" before she passes. Caroline is at a low point in her life. Her husband has left her for another woman and has taken their young son to NY, where he has seen the trauma of the Twin Towers falling. He thinks it would be best for him to stay in NY for the time being, which leaves Caroline free to travel to Venice to search out her aunt's legacy and find out what exactly the 3 keys that she was left open.

Told in multiple timelines we get to follow young Lettie and her adventures in Venice as war approaches and she visits multiple times, meeting the young Leo Da Rossi and what consequences those meetings have on her life and the life of her niece many years later. I found Lettie's portion of the novel to be much more interesting than Caroline's and her character much more fleshed out.

Thank you to the author, Lake Union Publishing and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of this novel in exchange for my honest review.