Thanks to Netgalley and Ballantine books for sending me this ARC in return for an honest review.

I found this novel very enjoyable. Two parallel stories are told – one from the 1500’s in Venice, and another in modern-day Connecticut.

Rose Newlin owns a bookstore in Connecticut, and works as a book restorer. William Lomazzo visits her store with a request for her to restore a 16th century book – a treatise on art – that he believes was written by his great great (several times over) grandfather – Giovanni Lomazzo. As Rose starts to investigate the book, she discovers it is a Palimpsest – a book written over a previous document that had been scraped off the vellum. As she works, she realized the first layer of the work is Gio’s diary.

Meanwhile we follow Giovanni, an artist, as he struggles to cope with slowly losing his sight. As he works on the last painting he is ever likely to be able to produce, the Ottoman empire is heading to invade Venice, and war is about to break out. Gio finds himself in love with the mistress of a very powerful man – and suddenly in danger. He decides to record both his life and details of his skills before it is too late.

Rose and William discover the history of Gio together, and must start to face the consequence of their own connection.

I thought the author did a great job of bringing ancient Venice to life in a way that made you feel like you were there. Lots of historical details about the daily life of its citizens were shared in an engaging way. I learned a lot about the darker side of life at that time. The way the two stories were woven together worked well, and the characters were very believable.

The ending was very satisfying to me to, as considered adult choices were made in the conclusion to both of the stories.

The Lost Diary of Venice

Being from Connecticut I can picture Rose’s book restoration shop to be in the heart of our antique valley in the neighboring towns of Southbury and Woodbury. After reading more, I picture this taking place in New Haven since the author hints at an Ivy. However, New Haven is not quaint and definitely not a book restoration town.

I felt like this story had so much promise, but it just didn’t come to fruition or make sense like I wanted it to. I love dual timeline stories. However, I always feel like one is more developed than another. In this one, you have present day with Rose and William. Sometimes there’s a Sarah, Joan, or Lucas thrown in there but they’re easy to keep track of. In 1571, you have Gio, Chiara, Aurelio, Venier, Corvino, Crow. Or is Crow another name for Corvino? It was incredibly difficult to keep the past in check without writing it down.

The author would describe Corvino and then say crow and then use action words to describe what Crow was doing and it was Corvino. It was just too much in a short span of time. There were so many things going on in the past and it just didn’t work for me as a reader.

By the time Sarah and William finally act on their feelings it is 75% into the book, but Sarah has also flirted with Lucas and I truly felt like there was something there. There was romance, art, Italy... what more could you want? It felt like there wasn’t anything else the author could have done, but done so much more at the same time. I wish the 1571 timeline was refined and cleaned up better.

You must read this book! Told in dual timelines, we begin in the present day. Rose is working on restoring a document written during the Renaissance period in Venice, italy by a painter, Giovanni, who is slowly losing his eyesight. Imagine an artist losing his eyesight! As the document's contents are slowly revealed, Giovanni's ambitions and innermost thoughts are revealed. At the same time, in the present, Rose is discovering who she is too, and who she ultimately wants to be. You will meet William in the present (the diary belongs to him), and Chiara in the past, a courtesan whom you will come to love. The two timelines mingle and intertwine as the story unfolds, and I found myself as conflicted as the characters were as the story reveals itself. This is a very well-researched and beautifully written story that kept me turning the pages. There were surprises sprinkled throughout which kept me very interested. I also learned something of the history of the region as the epic battle (that now adorns our history books) was fought nearby in the Adriatic Sea. It builds and then rages in the background in the frail pages of the ancient document. If you are an historical fiction fan, this will please you. If you like women's fiction, this will definitely hold your interest too. Thank you to Netgalley and Ballantine Books for the absolute pleasure of being able to read and review this beautiful novel.

The premise of the book sounded interesting to me. The plot was very slow moving though, and the characters weren't interesting enough to draw me in, I ended up giving up less than half way through. I think that it could be a case of just the wrong book at the wrong time for me though, and I may try again later. There were a lot of complicated relationships in the book, so maybe the characters start to develop more as the story moves on. It just felt really slow and flat.

I requested this book because it sounded interesting. I love historical fiction and love reading about Italy so I thought I would really enjoy it. However, this book just didn’t grab me. I kept falling asleep while reading it and then would have to go back pages to remember what was going on. Nothing really grabbed me and pulled me in. I’ve realized I’m more of a plot driven reader. This was more story and character driven I guess? I found the writing too flowery and descriptive when I didn’t really care, I thought the writer was trying too hard at times and trying to add suggestive Language in the writing that I didn’t feel added to the story. I just wasn’t excited about this book. My thanks to NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley for the advanced copy in return for an honest review.

Pros: I thought the writing was beautiful and descriptive. I easily got lost in the story and could imagine myself among the characters. I loved the historical aspect of the novel. I learned about Renaissance history in Venice and did some of my own internet research to learn more about this time in history. I loved the relationship the author created between Gio and Chiara. It was easy to believe how much they cared for one another and how in tune each was with the other.

Cons: I felt the novel was fast-paced until about halfway through when I began to lose interest. I wish that the restoration of the full diary had come sooner, allowing for more details at the end of the story, as I felt the ending was rushed. I did not like the relationship between Rose and William, wishing instead that it had remained on a purely professional note.

Although this book started out a bit slow for me, I got more and more into it as it went on and then did not want it to end. I really loved both stories, both in the current time as well as the past interlacing with it. I always love reading about Italy during the renaissance time, especially when it comes to art and also the lives of courtesans. The author did such a fantastic job of painting a picture in your mind of Giovanni and Chiara's life during this time. I also really enjoyed Rose and William's story and how it was interwoven with everything. This is a must read for anyone who loves books, art and the Italian Renaissance. Thank you to Netgalley and Ballantine Books for the ARC.

I really loved this book. The setting felt authentic, and the characters so alive! I was so sorry to get to the end, always the mark of a good book.

Thank you net galley for the advance reader copy of this novel. This was a dual timeline.Romance story. I did not finish this novel due to the fact that the main characters have an affair. The book was a bit hard to get into as well. Not for me.

This book just did not hold my interest. I really tried, but after 50% I just couldn't do it. My first problem with it was that although it is told from two different time periods and locations, this information was never provided. I enjoyed the chapters that were told in the present day (at least I assume it was present day) - but I found the chapters that were told in late Renaissance Venice hard to follow and not at all compelling. Because I didn't complete the book I can't give much more of a review. Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC copy.

For me the book was a disappointment. Reading the summary, I thought I would enjoy it, as HF is my favorite genre. However, this book was a difficult read for me. Very slow. Nothing really grabbed me and pulled me in. The writing wasn't bad, but the story just dragged. My thanks to NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

A well written lovely read.A romance a story that spans between time,From the beautiful cover to the intriguing story I really enjoyed and will be recommending.#netgalley#randomhouse

This book was a slow burn, beautiful language and descriptions. 1570s Venice, an artist falls in love with a courtesan. There are eyes everywhere and they are both keeping secrets while playing a dangerous game. Present day, Rose is hired by William to restore an ancient book. Despite being married, William feels intensely drawn to Rose. The feeling is mutual.

This book had everything I thought I wanted: a rare book restorer, a secret text, flashbacks to Renaissance era Venice, multiple romances. Unfortunately, it fell flat for me. I couldn't connect with the characters, and found most of their behavior to be wildly dramatic and overly emotional. Rose is book shop owner and rare book restorer and embarks on a project with William, who finds a secret diary in his grandmother's attic. The diary is more of a treatise on Renaissance art in Venice and is written by Giovanni Lomazzo, whose story we see in alternating chapters.

The writing is very lush and descriptive, which I enjoyed. Venice is one of my favorite cities and is full of macabre beauty which I feel the author captured. However, the descriptions of art often distracted from moving the story forward. There were many characters and subplots that I found to be a bit unnecessary, or came too late in the story to make an impact. The author's portrayal of anti-semitism in Venice was very interesting, but I felt it didn't start to gain traction until the last third of the novel. I would have liked this to be explored more.

My main gripe is how inappropriate Rose and William's relationship was. We're told his wife previously had an affair, I guess to make their behavior "okay" in the reader's mind? I did not feel that way. Both Rose/William and Giovanni/Chiara had "instant love" that can work in a romance novel, but didn't work (for me) in a more plot-based fiction piece.

While the setting and the story had potential, it gets muddled with overly descriptive passages and unrealistic relationships.

Thank you to Ballantine Books and Netgalley for the advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

Well, it started off slow and then picked up steam, but I just couldn't get into the storyline. It may be a good book, but by the end I was tired of it and ready for it to be over.

If you like literary mysteries and renaissance stories, this is the book for you. the author blends two stories and makes them mirror images of each other successfully. AND (spoiler alert) it has a happy ending, although the reader does not know that it is the way the book should end until the end. I found some of the history really interesting, I did not know anything about Venice, its society, or its history, nor did I know much about restoring old texts, so all it all the book had two good stories and was a good learning experience.

This is one of these books where there's so much that made me say YES: alternating timelines, rare book restoration (!!!), art history, but then the book seemed a lot more about military history, historical antisemitism, contemporary marriage troubles, and was too sparing on the stuff I cared about. So I was very excited for the first 20% or so, and then it fell into a bit of a slog for me.

***Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for providing an ARC in exchange for my honest review.***

I received a complimentary copy of The Lost Diary of Venice from NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.

This was a great book! The split time periods were equally enthralling. Both situations captivated my interest and I was very satisfied (morally) with the resolutions of both storylines--though I have to admit that I was expecting more romance and drama from one of them and probably would have welcomed that too! Interesting book...I love a good historical fiction that can teach me a few things about real historical events and characters.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC.

This story is told in two different time periods and locations- present day in Connecticut and the 1500s in Venice, Italy. Giovanni Lomazzo is an artist in Venice. He falls in love with a courtesan who is also his muse. This story takes place in the Renaissance period. William Lomazzo walks into Rose’s book restoration shop with an old book he inherited from his grandmother. He would like her to translate and restore the book. The two stories intertwine in a fascinating way. If you love historical fiction, you don’t want to miss this one!

I wish to thank Net Galley and Random House for allowing me to read an advanced copy of this book. I have voluntarily read and reviewed it. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

What a wonderful work of historical fiction! From the very beginning I was hooked and fascinated with all of the characters. The story is told in two time periods. The first is in the 1500s in Venice where an artist is commissioned to paint the portrait of a beautiful courtesan. He falls in love with her and writes about her in his diary. He uses a style called palimpsest in which the original work is scraped away and a second writing is placed over it. Fast forward to modern times. The present owner brings the diary to a book restorer. Her job is to try to restore the book and interpret the writings. This story is beautifully written and simply does not disappoint on any level. It is historically informative, engaging the reader on the process of restoration of art works, and the history of Venice in the 1500’s. It has it all. A little romance thrown in tops it off. I loved the book and highly recommend it.