This book was just the perfect read at just the perfect time for me. I loved Luna as a character and found myself connecting to her so much so I felt as though I was there with her. Any book set in Italy is a good one for me and add in the letters and mystery, it was a no brainer. Definitely pick up this book when it is released. It is worth it!

I voluntarily reviewed a copy of this book provided by NetGalley

Another warm hug of a read from Raisin, this one set in Venice and involving Luna’s search for her father. Very good indeed.

I was unsure of what to expect from this book when I started it but I loved every moment of it.
The mystery, the travel and the romance were so amazing I found myself drawn into this world and felt like I was actually in the bookshop with them!
The plot was intriguing and kept me reading as I wanted to find out the truth.
The characters were flawless and Oscar and Giancarlo were the most amazing male characters I have read about in a while.
I am also super happy that Gigi got her happy ending too!

Luna has never known her father, being brought up by her mother, Ruby, travelling the world together in search of experiences and adventure. When her mother dies, she makes her way, with best friend Gigi, to Missoula where her mother had settled. Finding a clue to who her father might be takes her to Venice, beautifully described by the author.

Although this is mainly a romance, it covers the death of a loved one, with all the emotions you go through, the what ifs and the secrets that they may have kept from you. I love the idea of the old bookshop, hidden away from the world, inhabited by a grumpy Giancarlo, living amongst the dusty tomes along with numerous cats. I really liked Luna and Gigi, both well rounded characters, but I would have liked more about the town where Ruby eventually settled, and why she did. Although you could see where the story was going, it was a really nice read. Perfect holiday reading. 3 1;2 ⭐️

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this book.

"The Little Venice Bookshop" is the story of Luna's search for her father. She believes that the answers lie in Venice, because her mother once cut short a holiday there. With friend Gigi she travels to Italy to pursue her quest.

There is a lot of New Age mumbo jumbo in this book; for example, Luna believes in tarot card reading. There are also a lot of cats, which would personally put me off going to the bookshop of the title. This is a lightweight summer read which will appeal to some.

Thanks to Net Galley and the publishers for the opportunity to review this book.

If you haven't read a book by Rebecca Raisin yet then The Little venice bookshop would be a good start.

A little piece of escapism, perfect for when you need to de-stress.

Rebecca's writing style seems so easy breezy but you can tell she really puts her heart into it.

Quietly emotional.

The characters all have depth, believable back stories that make them so much more relatable.

I can't lie, the fact that a bookshop was included in the book did make me love it just a little bit more but what really pulled me in was the romance.

I'm a sucker for a budding relationship. A bit of will they, won't they.

Take a trip to Venice this Summer, you can travel in peace from the comfort of your own home.

The Little Venice Bookshop by Rebecca Raisin

Luna has spent most of her formative years living a fairly nomadic existence travelling the world with her mother. Her mother decides to settle in a small place with other like minded free spirits to live for the later part of her life. Unfortunately in her late fifties she dies suddenly from cancer. On looking through her mothers things she finds a pile of letters for a man from her past who owns a book shop in Venice who she believes may be her father . She travels to Venice to try and find him and hope it can give her the thing she desires most in life a family and a sense of belonging.

A beautifully written book following Luna’s journey to find out about herself and the secrets her mother and most of all love and belonging.

Brilliant characters describing of the scenery you can just imagine being there through all the trials along the way. A great read.

I am always drawn to a book about a book shop, strangely I don't think I am alone in this. This book certainly didn't disappoint, really well written rounded characters that made your yearn for a sequel. Great description of Venice making you feel like you were right there. Thank you netgalley for the advanced copy

I enjoyed this book, and found the twist at the end very interesting, but honestly seemed to finish a little too fast.

Luna is a world-traveller, who has grown up adventuring across the world with her mother. The book opens in Thailand with Luna and her friend, Gigi, travelling. The last couple of chapters are very fast and emotional in time and events as she has to travel back to the States and deal with the loss of her mother.

This leads to finding the letters that start the main theme of the book and the adventure to Venice. As this was on ARC, I couldn't see what the back of the book would say, but suffice to say, the adventure of books, friendship, family and love took you on so many twists and turns.

I love the fact that Luna and her frenemy, Oscar (no spoilers) both encountered the bookshop on the canal, had their own ideas of how to bring it and the previously loved and slightly soggy books back to life. Working in what seemed like a spiritual home, heals both her heart and the bookshop and its owner.

This book cannot fail to inspire you with some new reads like the book concierge offered by Luna.

I feel like I’ve had a mini break in Venice after reading this uplifting book by Rebecca Raisin. I loved Luna’s story, and despite the main theme bereavement the book was positive and full of hope. What’s not to love about a book filled with a bookshop in Venice, lots of cats, romance and friendship?! The perfect summer holiday read! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

When Luna finds her mother's letters after her death she set out to Venice to find her father. This was a heart wrenching story following Luna's journey with her best friend . I loved the setting in the bookshop in Venice and the characters were clever and funny. The addition of the cats was a wonderful touch. A wonderful mystery which I couldn't put down.

This cute and charming story is unapologetically a romance. In fact, the main character likes to read romance novels, and this gives the character (and the author) opportunities to speak up on behalf of the genre and suggest that it deserves more respect.

The setting is Venice, which is a romantic character all on its own. It offers beautiful, historic scenery, good wine, delicious food, and handsome, charming, flirtatious Italian men.

Enter our protagonist and her best friend, two young women traveling together from country to country. Luna, the main character, is used to this vagabond kind of life. It’s all she’s ever known. She grew up traveling with her single mother, making friends everywhere but never settling anywhere.

Now her mother has decided not to travel anymore. But Luna was born restless and so takes off on her own, befriending Gigi along the way and teaming up with her.

Luna loves her mother, who is the original flower child, whimsical and artistic and impetuous. But her mother has always been secretive about Luna’s father. Luna knows nothing about him, not even his name.

So Luna’s trip to Venice is a kind of pilgrimage to search for clues about her father. She has found some mysterious old letters which lead her to believe that the answers she seeks are in Venice, specifically in a bookshop located near a canal.

There are a couple of interesting twists that elevate this book from a standard formulaic romance. Of course, the usual tropes apply, but they are approached from a slightly different perspective, adding interest to the storyline. The plot is predictable in that soothing way of good romances, yet I was surprised a few times.

This feel-good, cozyish novel is well written and engaging, with likeable characters, including the bookstore itself and the wonderful bookstore cats. It made me want to travel, to live in Venice, and to work at a bookstore. ⭐️⭐️⭐️1/2, available on March 3, 2023.

My thanks to the author, Rebecca Raisin, to the publisher, HQ Stories, and to NetGalley for providing me a copy of this book.

#TheLittleVeniceBookshop #HQStories #netgalley

I initially took an interest in this book when I saw another review of it online. I typically enjoy reading books about bookshops, or books where the protagonist is a book lover, and the idea of a story about a bookshop in Venice appealed to me.

I really liked this book. It was warm, heartfelt and funny, and I felt as though I escaped while I was reading it. The protagonist was someone that I liked, and I identified with her too.

I would actually be interested to know if there is going to be a sequel to this book, as it would be nice to know what happened next for some of the characters.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for a free copy to review.

I enjoyed this book!! I did find the pacing a bit jumpy but overall I really liked the characters and their relationships and dynamics with each other. Definitely the main reason I finished the book was because of the characters.

I want to visit the Venetian bookshop!

Luna Hart travelling with her best friend Gigi, a pair of globetrotting wanderers. Luna used to travel with her Mom Ruby, it was their way of life.
Something doesn’t feel right for Luna, something is off kilter, but what?

I absolutely loved reading the romantic storyline. I sensed the atmosphere of Venice, enjoyed reading about the different characters throughout the book, and very much wished I could visit the Venetian waterfront bookshop.
It’s a feel good book, that I found a very interesting read, and sometimes that is just what you need in life.
Very enjoyable.

Many thanks to NetGalley and HQ Publishers for an advanced e- book copy. Opinions of the book are entirely my own.

i liked this book! i enjoyed discovering venice through this book, even if it’s extremely romanticized when you know how endangered the city is. this was a nice way to explore the city without actually going there. the characters were fine but nothing groundbreaking.

The little bookshop in Venice is the third book I read by this author. I enjoyed reading the previous two and was very happy when I got to read this new novel.

The story largely takes place in Venice in a second-hand bookshop, but there is another story that precedes it. The main character Luna is introduced as a backpacker. She traveled with her mother, but she has withdrawn to a small town in America. Facing the loss of her mother, Luna departs from her sunny location to arrange the funeral. Her best friend GIgi comes along. Luna makes a discovery among her mother's belongings, after which Venice is the next destination.

It's a nice story. The locations are described in a way that you as a reader can see them completely in front of you. You feel the sun, and you hear the lapping of the water in the canals of Venice. The bookshop also comes to life. In addition, all characters are well developed. You can empathize with their way of thinking and acting. The development they are going through is also beautiful, especially Luna is getting stronger, but the people around her are also changing.

The addition of books in the story makes the heart of a true book lover beat faster and the idea that Luna has and carries out in the book, I would subscribe to that in a heartbeat.

The writing is pleasant to read, and it is light, but it also deals with heavier themes such as mourning and the search for family.

This novel is really a wonderful feel-good read.

Really enjoyed this book, it was lovely and an easy read. I found Luna's childhood really interesting but felt like it made the first part drag as I was dying to get to the bookshop in Venice. Luna's childhood could have been a whole book in itself and I would have been rapt the whole time. I really enjoyed the book, I loved meeting all the characters in Venice and obviously...cats!

Ahhh I absolutely loved this book! I’m a huge Rebecca Raisin fan anyway, so I knew what I was in for, but wow I didn’t see that twist coming! I thought I had it all figured out in the first few pages but I was pleasantly surprised. This book made me laugh, warmed my heart, and also had me on the verge of tears. I also found myself thinking I’d quite enjoy reading more about the town of tiny homes…

A fabulous cosy read.

My only critique (and this could be a formatting issue on the document), it was sometimes difficult to tell which character was speaking when conversations were flowing.

A huge thanks to Rebecca Raisin, Harper Collins and Netgalley for this ARC.

*Posted to Goodreads separately, as the ISBN didn't link*.

Having enjoyed previous books by Rebecca Raisin, I was looking forward to visiting Venice this time.

For me, it took a long time to arrive there and while it was interesting to learn about Luna’s earlier life, travels and her new age beliefs, I felt it took too long to arrive at the beautiful bookshop by the canal.

As a result, once there, everything seemed very rushed, from her friend’s almost instantaneous relationship, to finding out about her family, to leaving again, where I found the ending disappointing as I would like to have read more about the blossoming relationship between Luna and Oscar.

However it was still an enjoyable, easy going read and maybe we can catch up with the two new lovebirds in another country? I hope so. 3.5*

Thank you to NetGalley and The Book Club Reviewer Group for the advance copy, in return for an honest review.