Cover Image: A Match Made in Venice

A Match Made in Venice

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Member Reviews

Thanks Netgalley and the Publisher. I really like this authors books.
It was a cute story with lovely characters. I really enjoyed. This was a 3.5 stars for me.

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An unexpected friendship between a curmudgeonly artist and a pragmatic businesswoman blossoms into an unexpected romance among the most beautiful setting of Venice! I loved the scenery and felt as if I was walking the streets (or riding in a gondola!) along with the characters. I enjoyed all of the glassmaking and the spark between Didi and Piero. Unlike Didi, I LOVE romance and appreciate a grand gesture. Piero waffled with his feelings, but the sculpture delivery at the end was wonderful. I’m glad they found their happy ever after.

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I loved several parts of this book, but I also disliked several parts.

I loved the setting and the use of the Italian language. I’m Italian so I visit Italy often. I also love Murano Glass. I fall asleep nightly to the Calm app sleep story ‘The Glass Maker Of Murano ‘😂. Everything was so relatable, even the food. My last name was even represented! So many things I love in life in this one book.

Here is were I struggled. I couldn’t connect with Didi. She made it VERY clear that she hated romance (despised it in fact) and drilled that into everyone, including Piero. It made her seem bitter/unlikeable. I feel like the author played the anti-romance role just a bit too hard with her character. Didi was disappointment that Piero didn’t attempt to sweep her off her feet or beg her to stay. What was she expecting? One minute she despises romance and the next minute she’s madly in love, wanting romance. The sudden shift felt very unnatural.

Didi’s relationship with her Mother was really confusing and that was a big part of the story. None of it made sense. I felt it only added more confusion.

On to Peiro. I wasn’t a fan about the whole ex girlfriend situation, Ava. He seemed to still be very in love with her. At the very least, he wasn’t completely over her. Him thinking about his ex while he was with Didi, just NO! There was definitely some unhealthy stuff going on. Everything that happened with him and Didi he compared to his ex. He said he couldn’t love again, made Didi feel she could never live up to the love he had with Ava, because he discussed it with her constantly. The story never stop mentioning Ava, and that got old fast. How do you fall in love with a guy who can’t stop thinking & talking about his ex? Strange to say the least. I so badly wanted to completely love this book. What I thought was going to be 5 stars, missed the mark. Why did these two have to be so 👏🏻 darn 👏🏻 frustrating 👏🏻 4 stars because I really enjoyed and related to everything else a lot.

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This is a cute read but this romance also has heart-lots of it. You will love Didi and Piero, and without spoiling anything just know what unfolds is a beautiful love story amidst the backdrop of Venice and Murano. This book will give you all the feel good vibes of the season. It’s a romantic read with such a beautiful ending, a story that just makes you smile when you close the book. Perfect holiday read, perfect anytime read.

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This was such a cute, heartwarming, and entertaining read. It is the perfect comfort book for winter and Christmas time. It was the perfect mix of romance and adventure. I literally felt like I was in Venice, which I loved. If I could travel anywhere it would definitely be Italy, and it has always been a dream of mine. After reading this, I fell more in love with Venice. It was such a beautiful story with lovely characters that had great chemistry. I recommend this if you enjoy slow burn romance, with witty writing that will make you laugh.

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Go to IG: @entre.mi.libro.y.yo to read the full review

I have to say that I didn´t expect to like this book so much.
Leonie Mack does a fantastic job transporting us to Murano, where the story is told, and I have to say that I actually fell in love with Piero even when I was reticent at the beginning.

In a nutshell, I wanted to read a romance that would make me all happy on the inside and this one did the job perfectly.

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This was such a sweet wintery read, very engaging. The descriptions of Venice felt so real, from the canals to the little tiny side streets and the details of glass blowing was fascinating. The story was solid though perhaps more winter than christmas really. I adored the flipping between the MCs, it really helped me get into the story,

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Christmas is all about the lights and what better place to go than the gorgeous floating city of Venice?
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Didi is headed to Venice for work and she is determined not to fall into the clichés. Piero is a tortured artist who has lost his muse. Didi needs him to work and Piero needs a muse. It’s only a matter of time before Venice works it’s magic.
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This magical story had me wanting to hop on a plane and head straight there!
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Thank you #boldwood and #NetGalley for an arc in exchange for an honest review

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My second read from Mack and I was disappointed again. I found Didi to be wooden, Piero to be mundane, and the supporting characters to be irritating clichés. The setting was the only redeeming feature, only because Mack describes it so vividly, that I was able to reminisce about my own holiday to Venice.

Despite what the cover implies, this is more of a winter read than a Christmas book. Although Didi is in Venice at Christmas, intending to contract Piero for next year's winter department store display, this festive season takes a back step. Instead, Mack plays on the romance associated with Venice, combining famous tourist attractions into her descriptions as Didi discovers the magic of the city.

I found Didi to be really wooden because she is obsessed with ensuring her contract is signed for Piero's commission of artwork. Dedicated to her job, she is immune to the beauty of Venice, desperate instead for Piero's commitment. I was frustrated with this one-sided nature and, even though her character alters over the novel, this was too late for me. Furthermore, her incessant advice to Piero on how to have a better relationship with his father is merely reflected by her troubled connection with her mother. I wish she would sooner take an inward look and realise she is not whiter than white when it comes to offering advice!

Piero, the tired, uninspired artist, presents himself as very awkward and intent on making Didi's visit to Venice as awkward and yet memorable as possible. I did like his cheeky nature but despaired with his poor communication skills. This is reinforced with his strained relationship with his father and, seeing the cringe-worthy family dinner at Didi's, I just craved for some happy families rather than strained emotions and sarcastic comments.

Whilst Venice holds a special place for me, I found this book could not replicate it. Falling flat, I could not connect with the main characters and certainly was not convinced by their budding relationship. It was a slow, plodding narrative and I failed to see the attraction that Didi and Piero had for each other. As a second book that has not sparked me by this author, I think I can safely say that Mack's writing just does not suit.

With thanks to Boldwood books and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

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For anyone who love the opposite attract theme in books, this one’s for you! Quirky, funny and fast paced. I loved everything about this cute little romance!

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC.
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A Match Made in Vience is about an egotistical, dreamer artist and a ground, goal-oriented business women. Complete opposites at first, and Didi and Piero spend more time together, Didier realizes that she has her own dreams she wants to work towards and Piero learns that he can be more structured and less your typical "tortured artist". When I had the time to sit down and read this book, I flew through it. A light hearted romance book set during winter, it was an easy read and easy to follow (as it's a busy year and I had to stop and put the book down during the week to focus on real life). I kept coming back to it though and fell along with the characters into their building friendship.

I rate this book as 4.5🌟!

I'd like to say a huge thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for an ARC of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

#reading2021 #winterreading2021 #booklover #booksofinstagram #netgalley

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Thank you to Net Galley for this Kindle copy.

This book was very cute. I loved the setting in Venice and how you could actually see yourself being there.
I loved the Art and the connection you got reading it.

The characters were sweet and loving.

Not a favorite book of mine, but a cute quick read none the less.

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2.5 stars but rounded up.

Didi, a realistic marketer, is on a job trying to find Piero Vanetti, an Italian glassblower. The department store she works for wants to commission him for a window display but what she finds is a grumpy man who hasn’t made any art in the last year and with all sorts of chaos going on in his personal life. Piero is sure he wants to decline but as they get to know each other and as Didi begins to explore Venice on Piero’s advice, they realize maybe dreams, inspiration and love are all possible.

The synopsis of this was cute but there was far more glassblowing than I needed. I feel like the romance didn’t even start until 60% of the way through. I didn’t feel the chemistry or tension between the characters and the pace of it was slow for me. I wish I had liked it more.

Definitely for you if you like slow burn and have an interest in glassblowing!

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A Match Made in Venice is a romantic rollercoaster ride of ups and downs, the unpredictable, the unforeseeable, and the unforgettable. And it's just brilliant.

It's difficult not to love Leonie Mack's characters; for their faults and for their fantastic nuanced traits. Venetian glassmaker, Piero, and Londoner department store visual merchandiser, Didi, seem to be the ultimate mismatch, and you can't help but cheer for them from their first moments on page together. With plenty of surprises, their union is anything but conventional, and Leonie's story will keep you guessing until the last chapter - How on earth will these two pull it all together!?

Venice, Murano and London are the backdrops for this wonderful story, and Leonie has created intimate worlds for her characters to grow, learn and love in.

I laughed. I cried. I cheered. A heartwarming tale of unconventional love you won't be able to put down.

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I genuinely enjoyed this book. I loved the art dynamic with glass making and how that was incorporated with Christmas displays. The description of Venice made me want to find a plane ticket and leave right now to experience it myself. I enjoyed how it wasn't Christmas-focused since I read it before December, I felt it was a great transition book to get into more Christmas-focused reads. Overall it was a very sweet and heartwarming book with the cutest cover!!!

Thank you Netgalley for giving me an arc and shoutout to the author, keep up the great work!! 🖤✨🥰

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Leonie Mack takes her readers to one of the most beautiful cities in the world with her latest charming, emotional and uplifting romance, A Match Made in Venice.

When a work assignment takes her all the way to Venice, Didi is determined not to let herself be distracted by the sumptuous romance of the majestic Italian city. Sensible Didi is here to do a job and she vows not to let anything – or anyone – get in the way of achieving her professional goal. Didi is usually practical, focused and pragmatic, but she is a long way from home and in one of the most stunning places on earth – not to mention the fact that in Venice she will cross paths with tortured Italian artist Piero Zanetti, who also happens to be one of the most handsome men she has ever clapped eyes on.

After a love affair with an opera singer had gone south, Piero’s muse had deserted him and he had lost his ability to concentrate and his all consuming passion for his art. Work is the very last thing on Piero’s mind and he cannot imagine ever finding the enthusiasm that had once driven him ever again – until Didi York comes into his life and turns his whole world upside down. Didi has come to commission him to do a glass centrepiece for a major department store – and she refuses to leave until he has signed on the dotted line. Piero’s first instinct is to say no, but he quickly realises that Didi is a woman who is very hard to say no to…

A tentative friendship quickly gives way to something far deeper than either one of them imagined and as icy hearts begin to thaw and defenses begin to come down, something truly special begins to happen. Will Venice work its magic on Piero and Didi and give them everything they’ve always wanted? Or will they continue to allow their past to get in the way of their future?

Leonie Mack’s A Match Made in Venice is a lovely read that will give readers all the feels. A heartfelt, witty and poignant tale about second chances, starting over and healing from old wounds set against a gorgeously evoked background, A Match Made in Venice is the absorbing story of a terrific heroine readers will root for and a gorgeous hero they cannot help but fall head over heels in love with.

A beautifully written and emotionally satisfying love story that hits all the right notes, Leonie Mack’s A Match Made in Venice is the perfect winter warmer to curl up with.

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So lovely to read a book set in Venice in Winter. I spent a January weekend there some years ago and it has an
unexpected special kind of magic in the darker months. Mack does a brilliant job of showing the city, Murano and the Venetians in their fun-loving light, detailing their customs, their work and their sayings. I love Venice, so it's always lovely to read a book set there, and Didi and Peiro's love story was a welcome escape from challenging times.

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This was fascinating, particularly with all of the details related to Venice and Venetian culture. With the use of Veneto dialect, there were many points to use in curriculum and as supplental course material for students abroad. A sweet story with lots of educational elements.

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#superthankful for the #gifted copy of A Match Made In Venice from #netgalley and #BoldwoodBooks!
Five Reasons to pick this as a Holiday Romance to read in December 2021 4🎉🎉🎉🎉
📚🎄 Location! Leonie Mack transports the reader to Venice ..every street , cafe, and balcony are described in lush detail. You are tasting the food, and are there from New Years Eve festivites to dancing with Didi and Piero in Carnavale before Valentines day. No book has described cathedrals and archetecture with such love , I am adding Venice to my list of destinations to visit.
📚 Piero was the tortured artist who finally realizes what love is, and his grand gesture declaration is now my all time fave, This must be made into a movie.. #Netflix ...read for next holiday season!!! I have dated writers, artists and musicians and they are inspired for a season, heartbreak is rhe harshest from one who cannot love you back because they are so consumed by their need to create. Piero found his balance , he spent time living through Didi's eyes..seeing his world for the first time again.
📚 The details of glass blowing as an artform.. I live near the Chihuly Museum in St Petersburg, and have seen masters blow glass, , you can take a class at the Morean Art Center , or see the finale Mille Fiori which is much like the Firefall exibit described in the book..
📚 i cant wait for Norah's story .. which is also set in Venice but in a Marine Science standpoint. I loved Piero's father, and was happy there was resolution in family discord.
📚 This was more than Christmas..this was a celebration of life in the most artistic way possible.

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I loved this wintertime romance. I haven't been to Venice but this book definitely made me want to travel there.

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