Another heart warming tale by Rebecca Raisin.

Featuring themes of loss, love and mystery, this ticked all the boxes for me. I didn’t want it to end so only complaint really is that it was quite a short book.

Raisin successfully highlighted why I love reading by bringing the Little Bookshop to life and the main character, Luna was a focal point of this.

Would definitely recommend as a holiday read especially!

An enjoyable and engaging read, about Luna's unexpected and unforgettable trip to Venice, which started with finding a mysterious bundle of letters in her late mothers belonging's. By following the clues in those letters Luna finds herself in Venice at a faded but picturesque bookshop overlooking the canals. She hopes to find out the truth about her mothers past and maybe find the place she can truly feel she belongs. I loved the likeable and relatable Luna, and felt for her as she grieved her mothers death. The wonderful setting in Venice was brought vividly to life by the descriptive narrative, making me feel immersed in the story.

This is my first foray into books from this author and I was enticed in by two of my favourite things in Venice and books!

It didn’t start the way I expected but I found myself fascinated by the recount of the central character Luna’s early life as part of a commune and her travels with her mother. I loved the contrast between the strong sense of community and kindred spirits and Luna’s wanderlust, even after her mum had decided to put roots down in one place.

The strength of friendship between Luna and Gigi, who meet while travelling is a key component of the storyline as Luna wrestles with the past to find herself.

I loved the development of Luna’s character and how Gigi was used as a vehicle to allow her to not only explore her hidden feelings, but also to open her eyes to new horizons and possibilities.

The bookshop and Luna’s love of literature is a focal point of the story and provides the perfect metaphor as she seeks to rummage through the tidbits of the past in order to discover her future.

An enjoyable read.

With thanks to the author and Rachel at Random Resources for the opportunity to participate in the tour.

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?
************************
A delightfully fun book. Cats, books, mysteries and Venice, so much to love.

⭐⭐⭐⭐

A bundle of mysterious letters, a trip to Venice, and a journey that will leave a lasting impression - these are the elements that make up “The Little Venice Bookshop” by Rebecca Raisin. When Luna loses her beloved mother, she feels lost and without roots. However, the discovery of a collection of letters in her mother’s possessions sets her on an unexpected adventure. With clues from the letters, Luna travels to Venice, where she finds a charming yet fading bookshop overlooking the canals. She hopes to unravel the mystery of her mother’s past and find her own place in the world.

The book has an adorable cover that immediately catches the eye and sets the tone for the story. It can be described as a poof of cotton candy - sweet, sticky, but lacking in substance. However, this does not mean that it’s not enjoyable. The setting of a quaint bookshop in Venice is perfect, and the grumpy yet lonely owner adds an interesting dynamic. The blossoming romance between two book lovers is well written, with a good pace and wonderful characters.

That being said, there are a few minor issues. The inclusion of Sebastiano as a character feels unnecessary and takes away from the time the author could have used to deepen Luna and Oscar’s romance. Additionally, the ending feels rushed and could have benefitted from an epilogue to tie up loose ends. Overall, though, this book is an enjoyable read, especially for those looking for a quick beach read.

**ARC Via NetGalley**

This is a Women’s fiction/Romance book, which I loved and adored.

The story is about Luna, who, after her Mum dies, goes on a trip to Venice after she finds letters in her Mum’s possessions from a man who has a bookshop there. She wants to find out if he is her father. What she finds in Venice is much more than she could have hoped for.

I loved the setting of this book, the characters, and the beautiful writing. This is an amazing book, which is the perfect summer read to bring warmth to your day. Highly recommended!

Many thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for a copy of this book.

Thank you Netgalley and publishers for the opportunity to read this book. I have read a few of Rebecca Raisin books before and liked them enough to read a few of them. This one was on that same path. I liked it enough, and would recommend it to certain people but it didn't leave a lasting impression.

This book so was beautifully written. It held so many emotions and I just adored the characters. I found myself laughing and feeling warm and fuzzy when reading

In this delightful read, Rebecca Raisin once again delivers a story that brings a smile to my face. While slightly heavier than her previous works, this book skillfully explores themes of grief without becoming overly melancholic. Luna, mourning the loss of her nomadic mother, stumbles upon a collection of letters that lead her to a bookshop in Venice. Determined to unravel the connection between her mother and the enigmatic owner, Giancarlo, Luna secures a job at the bookshop and embarks on a journey of self-discovery. Raisin beautifully captures the allure of books and their ability to connect people, and Luna's desire for family resonates with readers. Overall, "The Little Venice Bookshop" is a heartwarming and engaging tale, showcasing Raisin's talent once again. I'm grateful for the opportunity to read this book prior to its release, thanks to Rebecca Raisin, Harper Collins Publishers, and Netgalley.

This is a story of a young girl who needs to find the purpose in her life after her mom died. The journey leads her to Venice, a beautiful historical city, for which the author wrote a beautiful descriptions. Within the main character I could feel the struggle of finding herself, but the structure of the novel was strange. I don’t like when the writer plots something in the story as a way to reveal some information and it looks unnatural, and in this novel this manner of writing occurs every few pages and it bothered me.

Main character Luna gets some devastating news at the beginning of the book, forcing her to make some big life decisions. This sees her moving from Bali to Venice, to try and track down who she thinks is her biological dad. As someone how loves to travel, the different settings were perfect for me and I loved discovering each place. Add in a bookshop on a boat and some stray cats with great names and you can't really go wrong!

I wasn't expecting there to be so many twists and turns in this book and it didn't finish exactly how I thought it was going to. I love a book that can make me think and also, to get things wrong!

The Little Venice Bookshop was such a fun read, but with plenty of excitement at the same time. It was the perfect holiday read for me.

I think this is Rebecca Raisins best yet. I really enjoyed the setting, the characters and how the story unfolds. Who could fail to fall in love with and in Venice. Recommend!

Easy to read, romantic story. The setting and the bookshop alone would get 5* as it sounds amazing especially with its cast of felines. However the characters didn’t match up. I struggled to like any of them and they were just a bit full. Not a predictable read as you would think and worth it just for the cats.

Thank you Netgalley

Losing her mother sets Luna’s life off-balance but finding old love letters when tidying her mothers things gives her a renewed purpose and she vows to find out who the man behind the letters is and how he knows her mother. She has the romantic notion that he could be her father.

Her mission takes her to Venice where she seeks out the author of the letters, takes a job in a book shop and catches the eye of an Italian boy.

A wonderful story filled with love and hope. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an advanced read copy of this book in exchange for an honest and unbiased review.

I liked Luna as a character, although I would’ve liked some more character development for her. The plot was good, I was kept entertained throughout but something just felt like it was missing for me personally, I wanted something more from the story.

I was interested in this book because I enjoyed a visit to Venice many years ago on my honeymoon. What’s not to love about a little bookshop, Venice, romance, and a little mystery? I was also interested in this book having lost my own mother a few years ago. I could relate to Luna a little with her relationship with her free-spirited mother. Families are complicated and so is Luna’s non-traditional family.

While the beginning moved a little slow, I did enjoy this story and would recommend it to others. Thank you, NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

This on the whole was an enjoyable book, it was a little slow at the start and was quite descriptive about Venice. The main characters were fun and likeable. It was a heartwarming story that covers grief, friendship and love.
In summary this was an enjoyable summer read.
My rating is 3 5 stars rounded up to 4.
Thanks to netgalley and the publishers for this read.

This was a slow starter for me but I did enjoy the plot I just felt at times the story line was a bit slow and didn't interest me as much as I had hoped.

Wow! What an adventure the main character! Traveling is good for the soul and so is reading about traveling! This is a lovely heart warming cozy read wrapped up in an unforgettable trip to Venice with some amazing characters and lots of different feelings! This story broke my heart but filled it up as well, I love reading about traveling adventures and this one was perfect!

I absolutely loved this book! If I could give it more than five stars I would. I will be traveling to Venice soon and I feel like I will be seeing the Little Venice Bookshop. I loved the characters and reading about their relationships.
I also jotted down some books to read per Luna recommendations.
I feel like their is still more to the story...I wish there was more to the story. I found a new author to read.
Thank you NetGalley for allowing me to read and review this book.