The Little Venice Bookshop by Rebecca Raisin tells the story of Luna, who, after her mom's death, finds comfort in Venice. She works in a local bookstore, dealing with trust issues while exploring family, love, and loss. Raisin's book is a cozy escape into Venice's charm, mixing sweet moments with deep emotions.

This was such a lovely read! I absolutely devoured it. Great characters, great settings, fab relationships. Particular liked the ones that Luna had with Gigi and Oscar. If you haven't read of Rebecca's books, I highly recommend them. I've read most of them now and enjoyed them all!

I really enjoyed this. It was a lovely story about grief and escapism. I loved the plot and overall feel of the book. As someone who has visited Venice and Italy, this book incorporated the setting brilliantly. I loved it. Thankyou so much for the ARC!

Rebecca Raisin's "The Little Venice Bookshop" is a delightful escape into the charming world of books and romance. Set in the picturesque backdrop of Venice, the story follows the journey of a young woman who heads to finds a letter from her mother and heads to a bookshop in the city's enchanting canals. As she navigates her new life, she discovers not only the magic of the city but also the transformative power of love and literature. Raisin's vivid descriptions bring Venice to life, making it a character in its own right. With its heartwarming story and charming setting, "The Little Venice Bookshop" is a must-read for anyone who believes in the magic of books and the beauty of new beginnings.

The Little Venice Bookshop

by Rebecca Raisin

Luna and her mom traveled and lived all over the world until without explanation her mom decided to settle in a commune of like-minded women in tiny houses. Luna, following in her mother’s footsteps, is overtaken with wanderlust. She and her friend Gigi live in Thailand for a while. Then they decide to go to Venice, Italy, after Luna discovers letters left to her when her mother passed away suddenly. They seem to be leading her to a used bookstore in Venice. Luna is a book lover and the letters are from the owner of the store. Could he be the father she always wanted present in her life?

Luna is afraid of what she might discover. Why didn’t her mother tell her about this man? Will she scare him off if she confronts him with what she knows and imagines based on the letters? Why has he never tried to contact her? Because of her fears, Luna begins a pathway of lies and half-truths, a decision that just complicates things. She does convince the curmudgeon owner of the bookstore to hire her to help him with his floundering bookstore that he doesn’t even seem to care about. She and another new hire, Oscar, convince him to become a presence on social media and to try out some new ideas.

There is a lot of romance in the city of love, but Luna is still grieving the death of her mother and is not ready to emotionally commit to anyone. The story slows down a bit in the middle, but interest picks back up at the end. Luna learns about family and truth as she works her way through the mystery of who her father is.

I have read three other books by Rebecca Raisin that I very much enjoyed. This was not my favorite. I love bookstores and Italy, so I thought this would be a good fit for me. That didn’t work out, but I will be back to read more books by Raisin.

I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Rating: 3/5

Category: Fiction, Romance, Women’s Fiction

Notes: The protagonist in this book relies on the occult, specifically tarot cards and a magic 8 ball, to help her make decisions. A passing reference would be acceptable to me, but her version of spirituality was throughout the book. If I had known that, I would not have requested this book as an ARC. If that does not bother you, then you might enjoy the book. My rating and review do not reflect that aspect of the book, but are based on plot and execution.

Publication: March 30, 2023—HQ Digital

Memorable Lines:

Mom was the creative, whimsical one of the pair, while Aunt Loui is practical. She’s the kind of woman you want beside you in an apocalypse. She cans fruit. Ferments vegetables. Mills her own flour. Can throat-punch in a pinch if called for, but she’s mainly a pacifist unless pushed.

“Now you mention it, he wears the mask of a man who’s had his heart broken, doesn’t he? Perhaps that’s why he’s so gruff, so impatient with people. He doesn’t care anymore. Even his beautiful bookshop has lost its appeal, and that is a tragedy.”

“You know the proudest moment for me as a mother was when Bella used to spend all her pocket money on books. I knew then I’d done my job well enough. If a child loves reading, they’ll never be alone. Even when the hard times come—and they always come—they’ll have a tonic for it. They’ll have a place to escape.”

i love books about grief. add in bookshops and venice and i'm sold. to be honest, it wasn't the best written, but i still really enjoyed it and the subject matter.

If you love books about people healing and finding their way in life, pick this one up. Jenny Colgan is a good comp author, which is great because she is a favorite of mine, While I wasn't fully attached to the characters, I do love books about books and stories of grief. So I enjoyed this one!

Luna has a wonderful relationship with her Mother and becomes a free spirited world traveler just like her. While in Thailand she feels a connection to her Mother and then receives word that she has passed away. Going home to close the final chapter of her Mother's life with her friend Gigi, Luna finds letters that point her to a bookshop in Venice that she hopes provides the information she's been wanting about her father. This is a heartwarming book about sorrow, self discovery and what you can find out about yourself through the life of others.

DNF @ 35%. The cover and title dragged me in, the plot had me somewhat interested, and the execution had me putting this one down. I have been trying to read this one for weeks. Picking it up and putting it down.

I struggle with characters who cannot make their own basic life choices. Stop looking for "signs" in the universe. I also feel like we spent a lot of time in the commune and I really just wanted to get to Venice.

I love Venice and have read and loved previous novels by this author so it made sense to take part in the tour when the opportunity came up.

I’ve visited Venice a number of times so could easily picture where things were, the narrow alleys that are there and the hot, baking piazza’s that seem to spring up out of nowhere. The descriptions were brilliant at bringing the city to life. The bookshop was fabulous, it sounded like somewhere you could spend hours in and still not have discovered it all.

This story is all about Luna and her search for her past, following the death of her mother. I liked Luna as a person, she had a very different life from mine and it was good to explore that from the stability of my sofa. The descriptions of her grief and how she felt after losing her mother were spot on, it’s such a tricky thing to describe even though we all experience it at some point in our lives.

Luna is very much into crystals and tarot cards. While I enjoyed reading about this and it fitted with her upbringing and lifestyle I found it distracted me from the story. I can’t explain why but it’s possibly just because I don’t have the same belief’s as she does.

This is a lovely story, it’s got everything you want, books, possible romance, mysterious past, a gorgeous setting and more.

Luna is a wandering soul who has been brought up by her unconventional mother living ‘off grid’ and who always feels that she is looking for a missing piece in her life. Circumstances bring her to Venice which is a gorgeous setting for a novel. Even better, she finds herself working in a second hand bookshop on the banks of the canal. She has a mystery from her life to solve.

There is a lot about family and friendship in this story. Luna is an interesting mix of independence and vulnerability and has a certain talent for sensing changing events and a belief in tarot. The quirky bookstore suits her perfectly with its resident cats, all named after literary figures. There is humour to be found in the people she meets in Venice, particularly the local lotharios and in her attitude to life. This is a gentle tale, with a growing romance and a hopeful air.

In short: uplifting romance set in beautiful Venice

Too slow, not enough Venice - or realistic Venice - and I really didn’t like anyone very much… I love Venice and books and bookshops, so this was a real disappointment.

The Little Venice Bookshop

A bundle of mysterious letters, a trip to Venice, and a journey that will leave a lasting impression.

When Luna loses her beloved mother, it feels as if she’s lost her identity She’s rootless and can’t ground herself. Once she has these doubts, she’s begins to question everything around her. They have enjoyed a rather nomadic way of living up till now and as she copes with grief, the lack of roots is struggle.The discovery of a collection of letters in her mother’s possessions seems to signal the way forward and she embarks on a most unexpected adventure. Taking clues from the letters, Luna travels to Venice, in the hope of unraveling her mother’s mysterious past. Maybe if she finds the answers, she might find her own place in the world.

I love Venice. I’ve been lucky enough to spend two weeks there, once in the spring and then a couple of years later in the summer. I actually travelled with my mum and it was wonderful to see this place we’d always dreamt about come to life in front of our eyes. Venice is obviously a place of wonder, but it’s also got a spooky edge that’s been explored in literature many times. This is more of a ‘cozy’ Venice and I think the cute cover really sets the tone for that. It focuses on the quaint and romantic side of the city, so it’s an easy read but enjoyable nevertheless. The bookshop is a lovely setting for the story and the rather grumpy owner is clearly crying out for something new, perhaps an antidote to loneliness. As Luna begins to work at the shop mentioned in her mother’s letters she tries to work out how her bohemian mother and the owner, Giancarlo, we’re connected. She also persuades him to let her develop the shop, improving its visibility through use of social media - to make it a destination place for bookish travellers.

There’s nothing better for an avid reader than a book about books. Luna is definitely a lover of stories and she appreciates what books mean to their readers and collectors. I love that this celebrated second hand books too, something I love too especially ones that have dedications or messages inside them. Often they tell a story that’s all their own,separate from the printed pages. It’s an interesting thought that these books have been through so many different hands, each with their stories to tell. It was a joy to spend time with a character who’s so passionate about books and Luna's bookish initiatives are great fun. The family of cats named after authors are particularly whimsical. The idea that her bereavement has made her think about her own life is such a relatable one and the realisation she wants her own family is understandable. The urge to set down roots comes from wanting to make connections, permanent ones that are entirely opposite to the traveller’s existence she’s grown up with. I enjoyed the romance between Luna and Oscar and wondered if perhaps she’d found her forever home?

Although I normally enjoy books that go a little deeper, I did come away from this with a smile on my face. This was a relaxing and soothing read for me. It had a magical feel and I guess it does read like a book lover’s fairytale. I have often daydreamed of a life far different to my own and Italy, books and handsome men are an irresistible combination for this reader. Yes there’s the sadness of loss, but the emphasis is on healing and the result is hopeful and uplifting.

Cute story & beautiful descriptions of Venice. Incredibly vivid and enticing me to go to Italy myself.

This was a really beautiful story filled with so much heart and family - I really lost myself in this one, as although it could be a light-hearted read, there was so much depth and complexity to such wonderful characters, you only wanted the best and I couldn't put the book down, anticipating all of the secrets to start to unravel.

This book is the third in the Travelling Shops series. I have read Rebecca Raisin's books before and have really enjoyed them (especially the first two in this series) but this time this one didn't really hit the mark but that's simply a personal preference and if you like her books you it's definitely worth picking up.

Set in Venice, the book follows Luna who is a hippy at heart, it's there that she is attempting to find some answers about her family whilst working in a bookshop.

I look forward to reading more by Rebecca Raisin in the future,

Apologies for the delay in this review, i have been battling ill health.

Great story, lovely setting, enjoyed the charcters and the story very much. I thought it flowed really well and it was a really good read.

A gorgeous story, I really enjoyed this one! Rebecca's books are always a joy to lose oneself in, and this was no different. A perfect escape!

I have loved Rebecca Raisin books for a while and when I saw she wrote a book about a bookshop well I knew this would be a book for me. Honestly this book did not disappoint. I think Rebecca is so underrated.

The pace felt very slow and I did not like Luna or Gigi. Potentially a good summer read for those wanting something with a book loving main character.