Poignant stories. Well-developed and memorable characters. Stories that I will remember long after having read the book. I like to think that l learned a little bit more about artists. And that the next time I look at a Renaissance painting, it will be with increased perspective and appreciation. Both story lines are compelling. I would be reading one story line and at the same time wondered what was going on in the other. I appreciate the good writing and editing as well as the usage of metaphors and symbolism. Definitely a book worth reading.

The book cover and title were what drawn me to the book. Somehow together both complement each other and got my attention.

Thanks to #netgalley I was able to read an advance copy of this novel. It had a dreamy feel and the theme of a fairy tale was, appropriately, a major thread.

The action across two times offered the contrast of an independent, modern, often lonely career woman to a renaissance courtesan of murky beginnings who yearned to develop her musical gifts despite the handicap of her gender in this era.

There were many words and descriptions, but little action or emotion that caught at my heart. I enjoy reading stories set in Venice so that was some reward for my persistence in finishing the story. Not my cup of tea, I rounded up from 2.5 stars.

I loved it! In the beginning, This book is structured as two related stories. In the modern story, Rose is restoring a renaissance book for a handsome, but married artist. In the historical fiction portion, we follow Giovanni and his muse, Chiarra. In the first half of the book, I felt like I was always looking forward to catching up with the other story, but as I crossed the 1/2 way mark, I loved wallowing in the imagery so much that it was hard to leave one story for the other. This is for lovers of the renaissance, old books, romance, and history. Great book!

3 1/2 stars. Thank you to Netgalley for an opportunity to read this book. It’s funny, I’ve been seeing different images of Venice lately and was thinking about finding a book that takes place in Venice to read. So, the historical setting was great to read about. I like Gio and Chiara’s story, although at times I will say it dragged for me, especially the way the war/war character scenes were done. In the present day story I found I felt for Rose and the loss she’s going through and how she’s trying to find her place in the world. William was also at this crossroads in his life and an interesting character in his painting.
The book itself also intrigued me as it’s so interesting to think of the palimpsest and what it might really be like. All in all, I liked the way the story ended, the writing was good yet the story was a little slow for me at times

A very good novel with some historical background that was well researched. The story has two timelines. The first involves Gio a portraitist in Venice, Italy who is going blind and his muse Chiar as well as modern day Rose, a bookstore owner and William, the owner of Gio’s palimpsest (manuscript which has been written on twice). The two timelines are woven together through a manuscript that William brings to Rose to be restored and the manuscript itself. William and Rose’s infatuation with each other is developed through their interactions regarding the manuscript. Gio and Chiara’s relationship begins when Gio is commissioned to paint her portrait. The novel touches upon the Ottoman Empire, anti-Semitic Venice, the plight of women during the Renaissance, the role of the Courtesan and the art of restoration. I found the characters well developed and interesting. This was an ARC through #netgalley and #ballantinebooks.

I loved the cover. I did not care that much for the plot because it did not grab me and it kind of fell plat for me. Somehow, this book was not for me... Maybe it will be for you.

In present day Connecticut, book store owner and book restorer, Rose Newlin is approached by William Lomazzo about restoring a book from 1571. The book turns out to be a palimpsest - a secret document in which the author writes text, then scrapes it away, then covers it with a new text written crosswise against the old text.

In Venice in 1571, artist Giovanni Lomazzo is losing his eyesight. He gets commissioned by a high ranking military official to paint one of his favorite courtesans, a stunning and talented woman named Chiara. As Giovanni's fear of losing his sight increases, he begins to record his daily life.

As the story unfolds, two forbidden love stories will be explored amid a backdrop of art history and war.

I absolutely adore books that show how connected the past and present are. Even though technology and beliefs may differ centuries later, the personal stories of people are often very similar. Margaux Deroux does a beautiful job of showcasing this in her book The Lost Diary of Venice.

As an avid reader and full time book reviewer, I also love when characters are completely immersed in the book community. Rose's character owns a book store and has an obsession with restoring old texts. I was immediately in love with her story line. The scandal and suspense of the courtesan world combined with the skill and talent of the art world in Venice kept me completely entranced in this book.



Thank you to NetGalley, Ballantine Books, and Margaux DeRoux for the advanced copy of The Lost Diary of Venice in exchange for my honest review.

This was a hard book to get into. It's just not for me.
I received an ARC of this book from Netgalley.

I tend not to enjoy books that switch between two time periods because I personally get really confused and lose interest.

The Lost Diary of Venice unlocks a secret affair that parallels Rose and William's interlude. Margaux DeRoux delivers a tale steeped in the romance language, literature and mythology. Rose unveiled a palimpsest during her the text's restoration and in doing so reveals Gio and Chiara's relationship.

A renowned artist, Gio is brought to the Venier's city palazzo to paint Chiara, the favored courtesan's portrait. As he brushes away the coltish .pretense, Chiara's wisdom and vitality surfaces. Threatening to topple the royal hierarchy, their perilous love is a passionate affair they can't extinguish.

Thank you to #NetGalley and the publisher for the early read in exchange for an honest review. The engaging cover drew me into the read but DeRoux's beguiling prose revealed the truth behind the Venetian's mask.

Masterly weaving the past with the present, history, religion and period pieces intercede and wreak havoc on the lovers' plans. Like the palimpsest, the novel can be enjoyed as a singular account or multi-layered narrative. Life imitates art as mythology embroiders the treatise.

The cover is what drew me to this book. It has dual time lines and both stories kinda deal with people in impossible relationships. I found the book interesting, I felt a bit sad for Rose. Historical fiction fans will enjoy this book
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the early copy

The two timelines of this book worked well together. I did not speed through this book as I have others, but I still felt invested in the story. The ending relationships did not end as I predicted, but it was not frustrating. Parts of Giovanni's timeline dragged a little, but Rose and William were engaging characters.

I really enjoyed this book. It was extremely well written and extremely descriptive. I am a huge lover of books and restoration myself so this was a fantastic treat to read spanning time and generations. I loved Rose’s character so much.

Present day Connecticut. Rose, a book restorer, is approached by a struggling painter William Lomazzo to restore a book about art by Giovanni Lomazzo.

Renaissance Venice. Giovanni Lomazzo is commissioned by Sebastiano Venier to paint his courtesan Chiara.

Venier, a statesman, hopes to be appointed admiral if Venice is forced to go to war with the Ottoman Empire. The win over Ottomans would give him the doge’s seat, which he is hoping for.

Meanwhile, the Ottomans are approaching the island of Cyprus. Taking over Cyprus would give them a good position and help them to take over Venice.

The first 25% of the story is very engrossing, introducing characters and historical background of powerful Venice vs Ottomans. But then the story mostly evolves between two romantic relationships, set in dual timelines. If you like reading romances, then this might be an interesting read for you. But I was looking forward to more of historical background of powerful Venice vs Ottomans, both sides fought for control of trading routs over Mediterranean Sea for centuries.

There was also another aspect, which I enjoyed and maybe would not draw attention to others. For a moment it touched upon the subject of some women being able to read in the 16th century, which back then was very rare. It is a fact that Venetian courtesans of the time were the most educated women. They were the only women allowed in the libraries, thus giving them access to all the books. I’d rather see this story as parallel with the modern day story, rather than romance.

In the lost diary of Venice you get a big dose of the history of Venice,it’s societal structure. You get a healthy dose of the life of historical restorers and their singular lives. You get a bit of modern romance in the form of a marriage a little aged but resolved to renew in various stages of personal discovery. Clear in this novel are characters true to their time . Unapologetic of their station in life and succeeding in the only way they can. The artist Giovanni commissioned to put the fair Chaira on display for her patron, a plaything to be immortalized on canvas,but Chaira is neither a plaything or a pawn as the conniving Corvino learns in bold fashion. The characters are ambitious and cunning and intrigue is everywhere. The story shifts between today and then, a time when Venice was almost beset upon by the Ottoman Empire. Rose the restorer has a small book shop and accepts commissions on the side. A vellum piece leads to what turns out to be the last chronicle of the artist last year of sight . It is touching and heartfelt and complete with detail of the fear that prevailed . It has characters you will side with and race to find their outcome. You will not be disappointed, I even admired the resolution of the Rose intrigue with the William/Giovanni look alike storyline. Happy reading

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Publish date June 20, 2020
Thank you #netgalley and #ballantinebooks for the opportunity to read and review this delightful book. This story unfolds in the present time and in 1571 Venice. Rose is a book restorer who has been engaged by William (an artist) to restore a tome found in his grandmother's belongings. As she begins to restore the fragile vellum, she finds it's a palimpsest. At the same time she finds herself drawn to William each time he visits. The story also unfolds in Venice where Gio, an artist (and William's ancestor), is engaged to create a painting for a wealthy patron's courtesan, Chiara, whose beauty immediately captures his heart and imagination. The author does a fine job weaving each story together as the book progresses. I felt as if I were in Venice and in Rose's restoration room. I loved the authors use of language to create the atmosphere of each chapter. I highly recommend this book.

Beautifully descriptive, intriguing and rememberable. A great historical romance that brings you along with the characters. A fantastic story about love that spans between time.

*I received this book free from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review. *

I really enjoyed this historical fiction novel. It was very well written and the storyline as well as the characters were both interesting and entertaining. It was a light but heartfelt read. It kept me interested wanting to read the next chapter to find out what happened next. I highly recommend and look forward to reading more from this author.

The Lost Diary of Venice by Margaux DeRoux is an excellent dual timeline historical fiction that alternates between current day Connecticut and Venice during the Renaissance period (around 500 years prior) during a time of unrest.

I loved this book for several reasons:

1. I love the flowery, descriptive, and beautifully placed prose that gave me the ability to actually feel as if I was right there with the characters in both time periods. The imagery that was created for me was breathtaking.

2. I loved the unique storyline, time period, and location. Not very many books cover Venice at this time (at least that I have read). This was the initial draw for me to want to delve into this book.

3. Yes, this is a dual timeline, however despite the half century and continental difference, I found so many similarities between the two couples: their difficult circumstances, their sacrifices, the emotional roller coasters, the attraction and passion all experienced...these facts helped tie each set of characters and stories together.

4. The author’s ability to interweave two great storylines, add mystery, intrigue, and moments of unrest, romance, and tie them together for a satisfying and appropriate ending is most definitely impressive.

I found that it didn’t matter if I was reading between Rose/William/Lucas or Chiari/Gio, I found that either story elicited interest, sadness, happiness, and frustration. I wanted the “bad guys” to get what was well-deserved, and I wanted at least a somewhat satisfy ending. I truly did like Rose and I wanted for her to find her place in this world. I really felt that the author did a great job creating those endings for me as the reader, and I am impressed that a story this intricate could keep me enraptured throughout. Very impressive.

This is a great book that held my attention from beginning to end.

5/5 stars

Thank you NetGalley and Random House/Ballantine Books for this ARC and in return I am submitting my unbiased and voluntary review and opinion.

I am posting this review to my GR and Bookbub accounts immediately and will post it to my Amazon and B&N accounts upon publication.