The Little Venice Bookshop is a lovely book that sets a woman on a self-discovery journey after the death of her mother. Luna has lived an unconventional life traveling the globe, living in communes, and living it as a wanderer. Finding a stack of letters from a man named Giancarlo in Venice send her there to figure out the connection he had with her mother Ruby. Never knowing who her father was, she searches for answers and hopes that the bookshop owner Giancarlo can give them to her.

The author vividly described Venice and brought back the wonderful setting to life with the magic of the canals, bridges and ristorantes. I can imagine the cramped bookshop with the many cats and the grumpy storeowner wanting to read in peace than run a business. When both Oscar and Luna vie for the job to work in the bookshop and come up with and interesting way of bringing in business, I thought their attraction would be front and center in the storyline. Instead another character, Sebastiano, was the love interest and kind of sidetracked the story for me. Luna wasn’t direct with questioning Giancarlo about the letters and it dragged on a little too much before she was able to get her answers. Thank goodness Luna brought her friend Gigi with her to Venice because she brightened up the story when she appeared on the pages and added some humor with her big personality and also her compassion and understanding for what her friend Luna is going through.

The Little Venice Bookshop is a light and enjoyable read that is a little bittersweet when it comes to doing what is right even if it is the hard thing to do. An epilogue would have tied up the story nicely because the ending felt a little rushed. Overall, it was an enjoyable read and made me think of the choices one makes when it comes to family. The story is a reflection on how fragile family relationships are and how you need to take care and nurture them.

Typically, I love any books about a bookstore. I love getting lost in the story and the connections to the stories held within. Unfortunately, I could not find anything to like about The Little Venice Bookshop by Rebecca Raisin.
The story begins with a young woman exploring the world in much the same way her single mother had done when raising her: traveling where she wanted to go, moving on when she felt the call of wanderlust, not putting down roots anywhere. Suddenly, her world is changed when she gets an unexpected call from home telling her of the death of her mother. What began as a light and fluffy book seemed to evolve into something heavy.
Except that the main character Luna never truly deals with grief. She tells of all the new age methods she and the women of the tiny house commune in Montana will use to prepare Ruby (mom) for burial and the beyond. Still, Luna avoids getting serious and declares she must follow the letters she has found in her mother’s things to see who the man is that wrote to her mother.
Fine, I’ll follow her on this adventure, I think. However, one-third of the way through this story, the bookshop finally shows up, and I still do not care enough about Luna and this story to continue. The writing is uneven, and the phrases the authors uses are often unfamiliar to me, an American reader. I cannot bring myself to spend five more minutes with Luna to see what happens. When I look at other reviews on Goodreads, I see that I am not alone in feeling this way.

Thank you to NetGalley and Harper 360 for the ARC. All opinions are my own.

The Little Venice Bookshop, by Rebecca Raisin, is a sweet, nostalgic, somewhat unusual story. You get glimpses into the main character’s previous life traveling about the world, as well as her cozy days working in a bookshop with the store cats. This story is part self-reflection, part mystery and part self-discovery with a bit of family drama mixed in.

The story starts with Luna, who was raised in communes in various worldwide locales and has carried on her single mother’s wanderlust ways. She is traveling in Thailand when she feels compelled to see her mother, only to find out upon her arrival that she has passed away. While there, she discovers some secret love letters related to someone in Venice whom her mother corresponded with, and she decides to travel with her friend, Gigi, and her aunt to unravel this mystery of her mother’s. Luna gets a job in a quaint bookshop with the mystery man her mother wrote to and they begin to piece together this facet of her mother’s story.

The Little Venice Bookshop spends quite a bit of time in the past and does share a heavy dose of New Age philosophy and practices, which won’t be for everyone. It features love and loss, family dynamics, personal growth and friendship. It’s not my favorite book by this author, but it does capture a feel-good, seasons of life vibe that is endearing in it’s own way.

Luna has just enough hippie and empath in her to make her appealing to me.
Put her in a bookshop setting and I'm hooked! Add in a little intrigue and romance and… sounds like a perfect story to me.

A story of self discovery, Luna decides to try and figure out her lineage after cryptic messages and letters appear from her mother. With her best friend along for the ride, the two head to Venice and adventures begin. A fan of Raisin’s books, I found The Little Venice Bookshop to have more depth and substance than her others, as Luna explores her origins while also helping some new friends forge their futures. A good stand alone, though I would like a follow up too!

I received a copy of this book from NetGalley and have written an objective review.

A cute overall read but not one of my favorites. I found the romance with Giancarlo to be an unnecessary addition to the book. However, any story about a wonderful bookstore always captures my interest! Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC.

This one was a very slow start for me. The main character is a wanderer, into tarot cards, with hippie vibes - it was definitely enlightening. It took awhile for anything exciting to happen, but I’m glad I finished the story.
While I wouldn’t categorize this as a romance, there was a lot of heart, found family, loss/heartbreak, and some mystery! I loved the setting in Venice, the book store, and the cats - but the ‘love’ part of the story fell short for me. I wanted the characters to end up together, but there wasn’t any romance or spice. It was a heartwarming story about a woman grieving her mother and hoping to find her way in the world🌎
Thank you @netgalley and @harpercollins360 for this ARC!💫

Raisin brings the charm of Venice, the adventure of a bohemian lifestyle, and the cozyness of an old, secondhand bookstore to life in this beautiful fictional novel. After her mother’s death, Luna discovers some strange secret letters between her mother and a mysterious Giancarlo hidden away in the attic. Naturally, of course, Luna travels to Venice and investigates this hidden chapter of her mother’s life -- but not everything works out the way that she expects. Luna is certainly not alone in Venice, accompanied by a friend and meeting potential suitors almost immediately upon her arrival, but these do not bring her the sense of belonging and acceptance the way that Giancarlo’s bookstore, his many bookstore cats (all named for books, of course), and her workplace competitor Oscar do. Raisin’s characters are beautiful and realistic, and she has crafted so many wonderful individuals, all of whom have backstories and vibrant personalities, to populate the pages of her and Luna’s Venice. The bookstore itself is a character and a setting, with a charming, cozy personality of its own -- readers may feel that they really are in this bookstore, or at least know it, already! This is a fascinating, cozy, heartwarming novel with wonderful characters which readers are sure to enjoy.

This title was slow, but for me that wasn't a bad thing. For a reader that's looking for a light, fun, easy read, then this book is perfect. I'm a sucker for any book about a bookstore, and the international setting gave it such an adventurous feeling. I definitely got Hallmark feels from this title.

Boy, am I glad I stuck with this book, The Little Venice Bookshop by Rebecca Raisin. At first I thought it was going into (possibly) witchcraft as the characters were living as free spirits or in communes, using tarot cards, etc. But, that didn't happen. I fell in love with Luna who was on a quest to find her past....and... her future. After the death of her mother, Luna found old letters from a mysterious Giancarlo in Venice. Would her trip result in finding out about her past and give her a future?

A copy was provided for my review, but all opinions are my own.

The Little Venice Bookshop by Rebecca Raisin is about an unforgettable journey that unlocks secrets from the past and provides a sense of belonging. Luna has always been a free spirit, a traveler, just like her mother was, moving from place to place, relying on casual jobs to earn enough to live and then moving on. Her one constant, wherever she was in the world, was her mother, so when Luna is in Thailand she suddenly feels the pull to see her mother. Instead of seeing her, Luna receives the devastating news that her mother has passed away. Losing her mother leaves Luna feeling lost; her mother was her only family, and without her Luna feels rootless. Luna discovers a collection of letters, written to her mother amongst her possession; sending her on an unexpected journey. The writer of those letters obviously loved her mother. Following a clue in the letters, Luna packs her bags and heads to Venice, along with her best friend Gigi, to a beautiful but faded bookshop overlooking the canals, hoping to uncover the truth about her mother’s mysterious past. This could, after all, be one step closer to finding that missing part of her life, her father, possibly a place where she finally belongs and the possibility for much more love in her life. I highly recommend The Little Venice Bookshop to other readers.

I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book as well as own a copy of this book.

When Luna loses her mother, she finds a bunch of letters at her mothers house that she believes will lead her to the man who is her father. She her best friend and aunt takeoff to discover the person behind the letters. You will be transported along with the women between Montana, Venice, and Thailand.

This was a quick and easy read. I have never read a book by this author before, but I was really happy to have stumbled upon this one, because I really enjoyed her book. I hope to read more from this author in the future, and I hope that you

The Little Venice Bookshop is a sweet and fun Reid that gives lots of feels. Luna is a wanderer just as her mother was. They had a special pond and traveled all over the world with one another. Until one day, her mother was ready to set routes, but Luna was still sewing her wild oats. When I received a phone call from a dear friend that has become a family member, informing her that her mother has passed away. Luna returns to her mothers tiny home to find more secrets than she could have ever imagined.It sends her out on another adventure, to possibly solve a mystery of her own And one of her mothers.


Luna’s adventure takes her to the lovely city of Venice. The city of love. While she is on a mission to discover some of her mother's secrets, Luna begins a journey of self discovery as well. This is a heartwarming tale with all the emotions. The loss of bonds, the beginning of bonds. Discovering who you really are and what family really means. This was an emotional read for me. As I was able to connect with the characters. I enjoy the atmosphere and setting. I just wish the ending wouldn’t have been so rushed.

I got an advanced copy from Netgalley, and I was so disappointed. It tried to be a little Under the Tuscan Sun, but the random commune and Thai beach raves took too much away.I got an advanced copy from Netgalley, and I was so disappointed. It tried to be a little Under the Tuscan Sun, but the random commune and Thai beach raves took too much away.

I received an EARC from Netgalley in return for an honest review. When I saw the title I knew I wanted to read a book about Venice, and coincidentally, I was in Venice 7 years this week, so it felt very appropriate. This is my first book by Rebecca Raisin, and I see that she has many other bookshop titles. I loved the whole bookshop vibe of this book.
Luna has spent her life traveling around with her hippie mother, and when her mother dies, she finds a pile of letters that lead her to Venice. Luna and her free spirited friend Gigi set out to find the mysteries of the letters.
I am afraid I am not the demographic for this book as in some ways the characters annoyed me. However, I did like the ending, though it was not what I was expecting.

Thank you so much to Rebecca Raisin, Harper 360, and NetGalley for a copy of The Little Venice Bookshop in exchange for an honest review! The synopsis of this one totally drew me in. Any love story taking place in a beautiful, canal-side bookshop in Venice sounds right up my alley! While I definitely appreciated the setting, the characters and writing style left me wanting a little bit more.

First, the things I loved - I really enjoyed the scenes that took place in the bookshop. The description of the location itself was very immersive. I loved the addition of all the bookshop cats and their personalities. And I thought the bookshop itself helped you learn a lot about Giancarlo as a character. On a less fun note, I just couldn’t feel connected to any of the characters and relationships in this story. I felt like there were a lot of missed opportunities for development, but descriptions mostly felt surface level and repetitive for me. The end of the book felt SO rushed. The biggest conflicts and stories were all explored and wrapped up in the last 20% or so, which I thought led to a lot of unresolved questions, undeveloped relationships, and an insta-love feel (in more relationship than one). I desperately wanted more from Luna and Oscar!

Overall, this one fell a little flat for me, despite such a promising synopsis. It was a quick read with some beautiful moments though!

I thoroughly enjoyed this escape to Venice. The story was unique and full of bookish fun! I’d LOVE to work in this Venice Bookshop!
This was my first book of Raisin’s and I’d happily pick up another….
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this advanced copy. My opinions are my own.

I loved reading Rebecca Raisin's little novels. They are a perfect read for relaxing and enjoying your afternoon. Lots of beautiful words describing the places where the story takes place. Her characters are always fascinating, funny, kind, loving and different. I would love to take a trip like one of Rebecca's characters. For the genre I give Rebecca Raisin's novels all five stars.

I enjoyed so much about this book.
It was very much a love letter to old books. The stories that intertwined were interesting. My only complaint is how abrupt the ending was. There were all these detailed moments throughout the book and then it just ended like slapping a bow on a box.
It just felt very rushed. I'd say 3.5 stars overall

The Little Venice Bookshop by Rebecca Raisin has world traveler Luna dealing with the death of her free-spirited mother. She discovers letters her mom had saved, letters that appear to be from Luna's father, a man she has never known. Luna heads to Venice and finds a job in what she hopes is her father's bookstore. Giancarlo's store is lacking in customers and profit so he hires both Luna and a young writer-to-be Oscar to compete for the job and to find ways to save the bookstore. In doing so, Luna also hopes to discover if Giancarlo is her father.

The best word to describe The Little Venice Bookshop is sumptuous as it offers the rich flavors of Venice and, better still, the hope of love in Venice. The readers get to experience everything from the grumbles of a socially distant bookseller, the smells of slightly sodden vintage books, the fragrance of freshly made pasta, the happiness of book lovers and the charms of Venetians in love.

Thanks to Harper 360, Rebecca Raisin and NetGalley for this delightful ARC.