I’ve recently discovered a love for books set in Venice, and this is another wonderful example to add to my collection. For me, this was a very special story, and I enjoyed every element. The construction felt like a book of two distinct halves, and I was thrilled with that composition. It took a little longer to get to the Venetian elements, but that added to the joy, as the back story was beautifully developed. Rebecca Raisin creates characters that it are easy to imagine and builds profiles that add extra dimensions to the story.
We start by discovering the wonderful community, in Missoula USA, that Luna’s mother, Ruby, had founded. We also visit Thailand and get a feel for Luna’s nomadic lifestyle. While following the instinctive wanderlust that she feels in her heart, Luna is mindful of her mother’s advice to avoid running from her problems. As Ruby loses her life to cancer, Luna discovers a hidden stack of letters from a man in Venice and embarks on a journey of discovery.
The Little Venice Bookshop is the kind of place I would love; filled with books and cats, it offers everything that I adore. But there’s a lot more to the place than books and cats, there’s a history that waits to be discovered. As Luna works to restore life to the faltering business, she also learns more about herself and her nomadic nature. More importantly, perhaps, she begins to learn more about her mother and her complex spirit. Despite her deep love for a man, she was unable to remain in a single place and as her story unfolds, it’s difficult not to feel her pain.
Throughout her journey, she is supported by her best friend, Gigi. A delightful character who is a perfect friend to Luna and a willing adventurer. I really connected with their relationship as it was my idea of an ideal friendship; totally reliable but not all consuming. They are able to explore Venice both together and independently.
Luna’s ideas for the bookshop were excellent and I particularly enjoyed the concept of a book concierge service. Simple yet effective, it helps raise their profile and get people talking about the shop.
Of course, there is romance for Luna, but will it come in the shape of a Casanova type waiter or a fellow worker at the bookshop? No spoilers from me, but I can promise you a beautifully romantic conclusion.
This was a very special escape to Venice and I’m sure I’ll soon find another author to take me back.

I was already a fan of Rebecca Raisin’s but I think this one is her best yet. The setting of a canal side bookshop in Venice is perfect and the story has some really interesting twists and sub-plots which really hold your attention.

Though Luna’s childhood wasn’t conventional, it was always filled with love. It was always Luna and her mom, invincible, experiencing the world and all of its adventures. When Luna’s mom dies suddenly of cancer, Luna feels untethered and wonders who she is without her North Star. Upon finding a stack of love letters written to her mom by a man from Venice many years ago, Luna embarks upon a quest for answers. Only a trip to Venice with her best friend Gigi can help Luna find the answers she is so desperately seeking, and it all seems to begin in an eclectic bookshop on a canal.

I could not have loved this book more! It’s a beautiful homage to reading, books, travel, love, and families—both biological as well as the families that you create for yourself. Every single character in this book was delightful, and I would love the opportunity to see their journeys continue in a sequel. I am going to spend a month in Venice this summer, and as much as I know that it’s a work of fiction, I plan to keep my eyes peeled for this delightful bookshop that’s filled with so much heart.

Thanks to NetGalley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

The Little Venice Bookshop by Rebecca Raisin

I received an advance review copy for free thanks to Rachel's Random Resources and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Blurb

When Luna loses her beloved mother, she’s bereft: her mother was her only family, and without her Luna feels rootless. Then the chance discovery of a collection of letters in her mother’s belongings sends her on an unexpected journey.

Following a clue in the letters, Luna packs her bags and heads to Venice, to a gorgeous but faded bookshop overlooking the canals, hoping to uncover the truth about her mother’s mysterious past.

Will Luna find the answers she’s looking for – and finally find the place she belongs?

My Opinion

I thought this was a delight to read. We join up with Luna as she is travelling in Thailand and receives some bad news and so does the right thing by returning home. Whilst reading through some letters left by her mother, Luna learns about the Little Venice Bookshop and really must travel there.

Whilst sad at times this was a lovely book to read. I really enjoyed learning about Luna's ideas for the bookshop and found myself trying to read the book slower so I could have more time with the characters.

A book about a bookshop - this will appeal to booklovers. Another great book from Rebecca Raisin.

Rating: 4/5

I am a big fan of Rebecca Raisin and I don’t think I have read a book by her I wasn’t obsessed with. The Little Venice Bookshop is no exception and I think I was even more obsessive because it’s about a bookshop and let’s face it, all of us bookworms would love our own and then to make it even more perfect the romance is between book obsessives too.

I adored how Luna loved romance books and talks about them with pure love and how great they are. Well basically Luna is ‘us’ the reader and I love how well Rebecca wrote her, how connected I felt to her. Which drew me more emotionally to her as she tries to grieve and move on from the loss of her mother. This should have been my first warning that I’d be using a lot of tissues, because I forget at times how good Rebecca is at pulling my heartstrings and so there were quite a few tears along the way, but I’m easily weepy, I do love a book that can make me feel.

I loved this story’s romance, as previously mentioned there’s a love of books connecting our couple I adored Oscar , how open he was with his emotions, that he is clearly smitten but doesn’t pretend he’s not, how it’s obvious to everyone, bar Luna, and that end is just a book lovers dream, if only real life were like this. But then that’s why I read romance, for my perfect escape and Rebecca Raisin always takes me to a perfect romantic read.

The setting is perfect, I've never been to Venice but Rebeccas descriptions made me feel like I have and made me want to visits more than I already do. The bookshop itself is like she read my mind and picked it out of my dreams, I never wanted leave, especially with the cats, I could just cuddle up with a book and a cat there now. If you can’t tell from everything I’ve said so far I loved this and I wholeheartedly recommend this to all book lovers.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Thank you to Netgalley, the publishing hosue and the author for this ARC.

I tried really hard to get into this book but it wasn't for me.

This was my first Rebecca Raisin book, and although I thought the plot was interesting and a perfect beach read, I struggled with the writing style. It was hard for me to get into the book because I was distracted by the writing style- especially when there was dialogue happening, it was a bit too easy-breezy for me. The story was still able to capture my interest and it made for a decent beach read.

Thank you to @HQstories for letting me be a part of this blog tour, and I have to say, this book massively made me crave a holiday! Who wouldn’t love, not only to be in Italy, but also to find a bookshop that needs organising, a bit of love, which has a bit of your history within it!? Luna is a free sprint, much like her mother, and maybe it’s her nomadic past as to why she seems a bit naive for a 33 year old, she’s more like a late teen at points in the story. Her best friend, Gigi, is great and a friend that we could all do with, a big voice of reason for Luna. This was an easy read for me, whilst it was a bit slow to start, I enjoyed it and the addition of the bookshop cats was a charming touch! Overall, it’s a sweet story, and one that will make you smile.

I love books about bookshops and the idea of a mystery surrounding someone's parentage was intriguing. I did love the parts of the book about the bookshop with the cats and would absolutely love to visit such a place one day! But there was no real mystery pursued and the book was very much a romance - which is not particularly my cup of tea.

But if you like romance (and bookshops), it was well written and the story is engaging!

I love Rebecca’s books and this is one of her best. Luna has spent her life travelling the world with her Mother Ruby. They have lived a hippy lifestyle in communes mostly inhabited by Women. Eventually Luna decides to travel alone where she makes a good friend in Gigi. Sadly during this time she receives the sad news that her Mum has passed away earlier than expected suffering from cancer. Upon returning home to arrange a funeral she discovers some love letters that Ruby received at regular intervals over the years from Giancarlo. She remembers a trip they made to Venice some time ago when they had to leave in a rush. Luna has never met her Father and decides this might be him so her and Gigi set off on their travels to find out the truth. This is a wonderful story based around a second hand book shop covering friendships, family and romance.

A book that reads like it is the book written about the story - as a memoir -ish.

There is one issue that I have about this book, which is nothing whatsoever about the style, or storyline or... just the setting - Venice. So many people romanticise this city and having visited it several times I don't see it. In fact, I don't think of it as anything other than a city that I would wish to avoid. In summer, it is hot, smelly and all the green - apart from the odd tree in a square or small area of 'Italian' park - is hidden away behind walls. So, despite no cars, it is still polluted from the motor taxis etc. It is inconvenient with all the islands and as for the bridges - so tiring on your legs. Awful for the disabled. Damp too as this book illustrates with the regular floods that damaged the books and the damp making them mouldy.
And oh Thailand has gone to the dogs - I so agree, it is far from the romantic set of islands it used to be.

So now that 've moaned about Venice, here's what I liked about the book. I always love a good bookshop story. I like bookshops that have many rooms and hidden areas and unexpected content. I love bookshop cats!
I thought that the storytelling was good, the style excellent, and the ending different, even if expected. I also liked the cast of characters and thought them sympathetically described.
I shall be recommending this book to my friend who live in Venice half the year! And has her wellies ready for the winter floods!

If you are looking for a book that will take you on a beautiful adventure, then you should pick up The Little Venice Bookshop.

This book is everything I could have hoped it would be. I will admit I was devastated that I finished it so quickly. I didn’t want it to end. It’s no secret that I am a huge fan of Rebecca’s books. She hasn’t written a book that I haven’t fallen in love with. The Little Venice Bookshop felt like this love letter to bookworms, especially romance bookworms. Rebecca captures the magical feeling of why books are so important to readers and how much books can impact people’s lives. I lost count of the number of times that I felt this connection with a character because of their love for books. Their stories and passion for the written word wrapped around me like a cozy blanket. I loved the fact that Luna was a romance book junkie. Whenever Luna would go on a tangent about romance books and why they are so fabulous, I felt like shouting, “exactly,” because she just nailed every reason I love the romance genre.

There is this softer pace to this story. After her mother’s death, Luna is trying to figure out how she lives in a world where her mother no longer lives. When she comes across these letters that were written to her mother by Giancarlo, a mysterious man, it becomes clear to Luna that her mother was hiding something from her. So, Luna decides to set out to find out who this man is and learn what his relationship is with her mother. Luna’s life as a backpacker is incredibly interesting. I found myself enjoying hanging out with Luna, and her friend Gigi has moved to Venice. These two’s friendship was fun and heartwarming, and I devoured their hippie take on life. Luna’s time in Venice was self-discovery and learning more about her mother. Rebecca thoughtfully dealt with the tough topics of grief and family. There were moments in this book that had me tearing up and stopping to think.

The setting in this book is so lush and beautiful. It took me back to when I explored the city of Venice. Rebecca knows how to transport her readers to these fabulous places and always leaves me wanting to pack my bags for whatever country the book takes place in. I loved exploring Venice with Luna and Gigi and the area as a backpacker. The bookshop in this book is the stuff dreams are made of. I wanted to spend more time there. I could just close my eyes and imagine that I was there exploring each room and finding hidden treasures, then spent the rest of the day sitting on a chair reading with a cat on my lap. On a fun side note, I loved all the cats in this book! They were such a fun element to add to this story. I just devoured the scenes where Luna and Oscar worked on bringing new life to this bookshop, and I loved watching all their hard paying off.

I enjoyed this book’s romance and loved that it didn’t overshadow the main story. There was this instant bookish connection between Luna and Oscar. It felt like their bookish souls knew from the beginning that they were meant to be together. I adored how Oscar pined for Luna in secret throughout this book. It’s so clear that this man is smitten with her, and I just wanted to shake Luna and tell her that this man loves her. And I must mention that Oscar’s grand gesture at the end of this story is utter bookworm perfection and had me wishing some man would do this for me.

The Little Venice Bookshop is a gorgeous and breathtaking story that transports readers to the streets of Venice.

Thank you to Netgalley, the publishing hosue and the author for the opportunity to read a complimentary advance reader copy of this book in return for a review based upon my honest opinion.

This author always writes a book that leaves you smiling when you finish it. Theyare lovely romances set in even more lovely locations, I did find this book a little slower to get into than some of her previous books but once there, I was hooked. A used bookstore by the canal full of lovely old books and cats named after book authors/characters. I'm in! I would definitely go to a place like this.

Luna is a adventurer, moving from one location to the next as she chooses, staying as long as the place calls to her; but when her mother passes, she rushes home. She finds letters from an unrequited love, Giancarlo, in Italy and feels the pull to find out more. Luna and her friend head to Venice. Luna gets a job at the bookstore to try to figure out more about Giancarlo; but will she find what she is looking for?

This is a warm book, a book about a book shop in the beautiful city of Venice - what is not to like!! It started in a very emotional manner and there are a few tears along the way. Although you might quickly see how some of the story is going, the journey provides an enjoyable and easy read.
I definitely wanted to visit the book shop and the nods to different books/stories was good fun.

I would just like to say a big thank you to NetGalley who very kindly forwarded me an arc copy of this book, for my kindle, in return for my honest review.

Just from the sound of the blurb this book pulled me in and i knew i had to read it, it sounded so good.

Luna’s mother passes away and in her belongings she finds a collection of letters that send Luna on a journey to Venice. There she finds a gorgeous but faded bookshop overlooking the canals and here the story unfolds.

The author’s style of writing was wonderful and i could easily imagine being in Venice and being surrounded by all it’s loveliness.

This was a lovely, escapist read and was heartwarming and funny too. It’s well worth a read…….

I found this book slow to start with and difficult to get into. Once the storyline moved to Venice though I absolutely loved it. Bookshops and cats were a perfect combination for me. I love reading and I usually have one of my cats sitting with me when I am sat down reading a book.
Thank you to Netgalley and the Publisher for my ARC.

Rebecca Raisin is a new author for me. Set in a beautiful location with relatable characters, a lovely heart-warming read.

Author Rebecca Raisin does it again!
I previously read Flora’s Travelling Christmas Shop and that lead me to requesting this new book of hers.
The Little Venice Bookshop was everything I hoped for!
Heartwarming characters, travel, mystery, cryptic clues found in letters, and bookshops!
The Author knows what we like and gives us all of it!
I was easily hooked.
I truly enjoy the Author’s writing style. I was able to visualize and immerse myself in the adventure.
I am so glad there are more Rebecca Raisin books out there for me to enjoy!

Thankyou to Author Rebecca Raisin, Harper Collins Publishers and Netgalley for tte opportunity to read this book before release date!

3.5-
I love reading and books and I love books about books, bookshops, and bibliophiles, so this seemed to fit the bill. While there are lovely bookish scenes throughout, it is more than just a book about books. It’s a good reminder of the adage “not all who wander are lost.”
Luna was raised a traveler. She and her Mom have been traveling the world since before Luna was born, never setting down roots, but managing to have a community. After Luna’s Mom, Ruby, decides her days of wandering are over, Luna continues to travel around with her best friend, Gigi. One summer they go to Venice to figure out a part of Ruby’s life she’s kept hidden from Luna and both Gigi and Luna discover there is more to life than just traveling around.
I loved many things about this book. All of the main characters were quite likable. Luna and Gigi have just enough whimsy that it makes them fun and not annoying. Venice was described so beautifully from the food, to the canals, and even the streets, and while I’ve never been, I felt like I was there.
At first this felt like it was a story of a young woman finding herself, but it ended up being a romance. I don’t have anything against romances, per se, but it drives me crazy when the two lovebirds keep crossing paths because neither can read the other’s signals and both think they are mind readers. That happened so often with Luna that it stopped being cute and flirty and became annoyingly excessive.
I didn’t really see too much character development in Luna, probably because of all the crossed lines in the romance department. Luna didn’t seem to know what she wanted and it makes it hard to root for a couple when one person can’t decide if she wants to be in a relationship or not.
I have never read anything by Rebecca Raisin before and while I won’t rule her novels out, I’m not sure I’ll jump to pick up another right away. Thank you to NetGalley and HQ Digital for an advanced copy of this. This will be hitting the shelves on March 30th.

Fell in love with this wonderful story it was such a cosy captivating read.
Luna & her mother lead an interesting life always on the move from one place to another.
Living in communes with a close network of women friends that made them one big family.
Luna who has been travelling in Thailand with a friend is in shock after hearing her mother has died.
She is trying to come to terms with her loss & while going through her mothers belongings on her return home she comes across a letter.
She never new her father & had always wondered what her mum was holding back from her,
This was a love letter from a Giancarlo who lived in Venice,
She has the urge to go to Venice to see if there is any chance that this man could really be her father.
Thoroughly enjoyed this emotional entertaining read & absolutely fell in love with the unique bookshop in Venice,