It’s clear from the opening paragraphs that Luna has a missing part of her life that she is innately bound to search for. Her belief in infinity and stability of her mother is testament to the bond they share, which silently follows this wonderful story through to a conclusion.

Luna’s happiness in Thailand and her enjoyment of ‘living in the now’ make the discovery of her mum’s death a bolt that shifts the plot and focuses it on the physical and mental journey we join her on.
Gigi, busting with energy and solidarity for her friend, is the perfect complement to Luna’s insecurities, which become clearer when she returns to the US to the community her mum finally settled in. The wanderlust connection between mother and daughter takes us around the world and three continents and Rebecca Raisin does not disappoint with her well documented ‘arm chair’ travel opportunities in this novel.

I loved the fact that although romance is at the heart of this novel, there is so much more that surrounds falling in love and the impact that this has or had on the characters. It also explored the developing theme of love in the platonic sense, as the bonds between characters also deepen on a platonic level.

Luna’s experience with her own grief opens her memory bank where she can draw on moments in the past which allow her to embrace her present. I loved witnessing this transition. Out of something sad comes the gift of wanting to live, to find herself. Ruby, although we never meet her, is one of the most giving characters in the book. She had a good heart and a positive outlook on life. No matter what the situation. When Luna discovers the letters, they become part of her. It is this quest to discover answers about her mum’s past that allows Luna to embrace her own future.

There is no way that Ruby’s funeral could be anything other than a celebration of her life and these scenes, including the ritualistic preparation of her body are heart-warming and, they liberate Luna to set off on her own adventure–carrying the memory of her mum with her.

What unravels in Venice has all the ingredients of a romantic comedy, but is also layered with the depth of characters that I found it easy to relate to. Of course, there’s a bookshop that features and the stories that ‘La Libereria sul Canale’ hides in the myriad of spaces are both inviting and charming.

There is humour, romance, exotic and beautiful locations and background stories that link in a well-presented manner.

I was championing Luna to find both love and her place in the world. I read the book in one day as my curiosity and interest were constantly being fed as the stories within unfolded.

As Luna walks by the canals in Venice, she follows in her beloved mum’s footsteps. It does not lose the sentiment of where she settles and finds family and love being the place Ruby felt obliged to flee from on this self-confessed romantic that I am.

This is my favourite novel by Rebecca Raisin to date. Luna’s personal journey is like a rollercoaster that, when it comes to a stop, it truly is the final destination of where her heart is meant to be.

Finding yourself in Venice. Luna's a bit of a free-spirited hippy, having been bought up in a commune with her much-loved nomadic Mum. You don't have to believe in chakras, auras and runes to enjoy this book, just delight in Luna's search for her father and everything else she finds in Venice. Rebecca Raisin's books are always fun to read and the ending ties everything together nicely.

These "little" books are never a surprise read, but they are cozy and a quick read. This one <i>The Little Venice Bookshop</i> could be a little out there sometimes with the "woo" factor but it was an easy read that I enjoyed.

Thanks NetGalley for the ARC of this book.

Little Venice Bookshop by Rebecca Raisin

I love Rebecca Raisin's books, and was so excited to read this one. They are all evocative of their settings, and I haven't been to Venice so I was looking forward to reading about this beautiful city, and I wasn't disappointed. For me the story really started to weave it's magic with me when Luna arrived in Venice and from then on I couldn't put it down.


When Luna finds out her beloved mother has passed away she is devastated. For so long it was just the two of them. She and her best friend Gigi travel home to be with her mother's close friends for the funeral. When she arrives in their house, she finds a bundle of letters from a man called Giancarlo, who was living in a bookshop in Venice, along with some photos that she takes to be her as a child and this mysterious man. Could this be her father? Luna and Gigi travel to Venice together and Luna manages to get a job in the bookshop to see what she can find out.


From the moment Luna and Gigi arrive in Venice the story is beautifully told, with just the right mix of mystery, intrigue, romance and beautiful imagery. I can't wait to visit Venice now - I would love to find such a bookshop there too.

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/5255903050

I fell in love with this book, it explored a book lover’s passionate connection to books and bookshops. There were so many topics which resonated with me, dealing with grief, uncertainty, searching for identity, relationships, family and of course, Venice. Venice, is the setting for so many love stories, falling for the wrong person, or finding the right person.
Rebecca Raisin touches lightly on many of the topics, which perhaps doesn’t portray the depth of thought behind those easy words. I read sentences and found myself nodding, recognising my own experiences and feelings. A book about books and reading and bookshops but also about relationships, and fractured families. Hanging on for true love, refusing to settle and finding unexpected happiness along the way. It may be Rebecca Raisin’s best book yet.
I was fortunate enough to receive an Advance Reading Copy through Net Galley, and I am choosing to leave this review.

I received a free copy of, The Little Venice Bookshop, by Rebecca Raisin, from the publisher and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Luna's mother and only family has passed away, leaving Luna all alone and adrift. Finding her moms letters she decides to take a trip to Venice, and follow in her mothers footsteps. Luna gets a job at a bookshop in Venice, but she does not know who to trust. This was a good read, sad at times.

Ughhhh. There was like no emotional buildup for the character or displays of what her personality it, so I was not connected to her at all. She could’ve died at the end of it and would’ve been fine, maybe even welcomed it. The thing with Oscar deserved so much more time. We really needed to see her slowly fall in love with him instead of her just randomly declaring it at the end. Also Gigi??? That whole thing was barely mentioned and then bam she’s moving in with this guy.

Advance reviews thanks to NetGalley.
I had not read any other books by this author and was drawn to the cover and title of the book as I enjoy reading any novel about books and / or bookshops.

Luna travels to Venice with her best friend looking for her father after finding some old photos in her late mothers belongings. She finds the bookshop from the photos and starts to unravel the mystery behind her father not as clear cut as it seemed. She of course falls in love and not just with the shabby bookshop, and the many cats that find refuge there. It is all about loss and friendship and altogether was a good easy read when you don't want anything too hard going.

I was not really sure the story needed the Tarot card and ability to sometimes predict the future as it did not add value to the story for me. But overall an enjoyable not too demanding a read with likeable characters (especially the cats). I would read other books by this author.

As a long term fan of Rebecca Raisin I was excited to get my hands on this book.
Unfortunately for me the first couple of chapters focused heavily on alternative "medicine" and the claim that herbs and homeopathy would cure Luna's moms cancer where medicine had failed really antagonised me.
I did plough on and was glad I had as the emphasis on the alternative lifestyle were considerably toned down by around a third of the way through the book, referred to only in passing to explain some of the quirks and thought patterns of Luna and her aunt, and the love story was finally able to shine through.

All that aside the setting is once more fantastic, you can smell the dank canal water and hear the drips and splashes as the bookshop struggles to remain dry and puddle free. The characters were also very readable, particularly the male characters who covered a plethora of romantic tropes between them and came out shining!

This author was new for me and the cover of the book really caught my eye. Luna loses her mom to cancer and the remaining of the book describes in great detail her other relationship she has in her life. It was a good story of friendship, family and how those bonds are strong. All around it was a feel good book. Thank you NetGalley for allowing me to read an ARC of this book.

As a lover of Rebecca Raisin books I was excited to start and then initially disappointed as the book took me a while to get into. It did pick up and I did enjoy the story, though it was not my favourite by this author. I Did love the descriptions of Venice and the bookshop and I loved Gigi and liked Luna. I found the ending a little disappointing

Thank you to NetGalley for this eARC.

This is a very sweet, destination romance novel. It conjures up images in the mind of cobbled streets, hidden bridges, secret laneways, vibrant piazzas, bustling canals and of course the magic of well loved bookstores. The romance was slow and sweet and the story heartwarming. Thoroughly enjoyed for a quick and visual read.

"Books are there for you when you need comfort, and they'll always be there”

When scrolling through the books on NetGalley, I was drawn to this book because of the cover art and name. I had never read any books by this author before but after reading the description, it seemed interesting. The plot is very detailed and in my opinion, pretty well written. Rebecca’s story was very relatable at times, which I quite enjoyed. I also loved the aspect of the strong bond between the characters. I always love books where there are strong friendships and this book truly had many. Luna’s journey is definitely inspiring. Overall, I enjoyed the book and would rate it a solid 3.5 stars out of 5.

*I was provided with an advanced reader copy of this book through NetGalley*

First I want to thank netgalley and the publisher for the earc in exchange for an honest review.

This book was very difficult for me to get into and even then, I struggled. Ait was slow and boring and I could not connect with the fmc. There were also statements that were hard to identify as sarcasm or actual feelings. I.e. the shiatsu massage scene in the beginning.... screaming in pain from a massage seems a bit much to me. Overall it was a book that fell flat for me.

This was, in my opinion, a mediocre book. I admit the beginning was a bit slow for me. It took halfway through the book for me to actually become more interested in the story. I also wasn’t able to connect with the main character, Luna, very well. She is constantly looking for a sign throughout the book which I found very exhausting and repetitive. She also seems very naive for a 33 year old woman and more like a teenager. I actually liked her roommate Gigi more. 2 stars. The bookshop cats were a cute addition but I was expecting more from this novel. There isn’t anything crazy or unique about the story that stands out to me. Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for providing the e-ARC for an honest review.

I have loved reading this series and this one is just as good. Can be read as a stand alone book too. Loved the characters Ruby, Oscar, Gigi and of course Sole & Luna! A beautiful story written!

The Little Venice Bookshop is a changing novel. It took me a few chapters to get into it but once I did I really enjoyed it. It’s a tale of love, family and loss with the added bonus of cats and books, plus a gorgeous Venetian backdrop. The characters are warm and likeable and the plot flows smoothly. I would rate this book 3.5 stars. Thank you to NetGalley, HQ and the author for the chance to review.

Netgalley review: My first book by this author, unfortunately I won't be rushing to read anymore.
The overall story was a good story, but the way it jumped around made for a hard read. Some chapters seemed a bit pointless to me, the way parts ended abruptly was a bit confusing and made it feel like some of the story was missing.
To me the ending was disappointing as well, I was expecting more from the main character but it felt it was cut short. Maybe a sequel is planned to continue that story but I don't think there is enough of a story for a second book.
Overall, easy enough to sit and read, but not my ideal book.

Thanks to netgalley for the opportunity to review

Advanced book review thanks to NetGalley and HQStories! This is a charming read full of family mystery and romance. Luna is soul-searching and attempting to put the pieces together of her mother’s past after her mom dies of cancer. This leads Luna and her best friend Gigi to Venice.

It started off slow in the first few chapters, however the story picked up for me once the characters arrive in Italy. The descriptions of Venice were as beautiful as the book cover. The characters were quirky and likable.

This was my first Rebecca Raisin book! I’ll definitely be checking out more of her work.

I always enjoy Rebecca Raisin books and the way she brings characters and places to life. I love Venice so when I saw the book on Net Galley I couldn’t wait to read it. There was a lot to like in this book, the town of tiny homes was very interesting, brought alive by Aunt Loui. Luna and her mum have led an interesting life, first travelling and then settling down in the town where Luna felt loved by the women there. She is in Thailand when she hears that her mum has died and, supported by her friend Gigi, she goes back to the town where she finds some letters in her mothers processions. These letters lead her to a bookshop in Venice, so beautifully described that you can almost see it and hear the canal lapping in the background. What’s not to love in a book with cats, books and a mystery. Five stars doesn’t seem enough