This was a lovely trip to Italy spanning two timelines. The beautiful descriptions of Venice truly transport the reader, making a vivid, picturesque story to read!

Caroline has just had her husband leave her when she receives a letter that 90-year-old great aunt is dying. She makes it to her aunt in time for her to give Caroline her dying wish. Great Aunt Lettie gives Caroline a box, three keys, and a sketchbook, and mutters “Venice”. So off to Venice she goes to unravel a great mystery.

I really enjoyed both Caroline and Juliet (Lettie’s) story. I liked alternating between the two timelines, and found the romance storylines to be beautiful and emotional. With Juliet’s story set during WWII, I was a little worried this would feel like so many other WWII stories, but this one had its own twists and turns to keep me glued to my seat!

Bowen is a gifted author who can write a story that does more than just pull you in, she makes you become a part of the story. You forget where you are, and look up to find yourself in the gondola in the Venice Canal.

If you enjoy historical fiction and travel, I highly recommend this one!

Where to Find This Book:

Amazon | Kindle  | Books-A-Million | Barnes & Noble | Goodreads

Love and secrets collide in Venice during WWII in an enthralling novel of brief encounters and lasting romance by the New York Times bestselling author of The Tuscan Child and Above the Bay of Angels.

Caroline Grant is struggling to accept the end of her marriage when she receives an unexpected bequest. Her beloved great-aunt Lettie leaves her a sketchbook, three keys, and a final whisper…Venice. Caroline’s quest: to scatter Juliet “Lettie” Browning’s ashes in the city she loved and to unlock the mysteries stored away for more than sixty years.

It’s 1938 when art teacher Juliet Browning arrives in romantic Venice. For her students, it’s a wealth of history, art, and beauty. For Juliet, it’s poignant memories and a chance to reconnect with Leonardo Da Rossi, the man she loves whose future is already determined by his noble family. However star-crossed, nothing can come between them. Until the threat of war closes in on Venice and they’re forced to fight, survive, and protect a secret that will bind them forever.

Key by key, Lettie’s life of impossible love, loss, and courage unfolds. It’s one that Caroline can now make right again as her own journey of self-discovery begins.

Just the Facts:

The Venice Sketchbook by Rhys Bowen
Genre: Historical Fiction
Page Count: 412
Publisher: Lake Union Publishing
Pub Date: April 13, 2021

Rhys Bowen is the New York Times bestselling author of more than forty novels, including Above the Bay of Angels, The Victory Garden, The Tuscan Child, and the World War II–based In Farleigh Field, the winner of the Macavity and Left Coast Crime Awards for Best Historical Mystery Novel and the Agatha Award for Best Historical Mystery. Bowen’s work has won twenty honors to date, including multiple Agatha, Anthony, and Macavity Awards. Her books have been translated into many languages, and she has fans around the world. A transplanted Brit, Bowen divides her time between California and Arizona.

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram

If you are enjoying this book tour, head to TLC Book Tours to see what other bloggers are saying! Thank you to TLC Book Tours for having me be a part of this!

I was provided a gifted copy of this book for free. I am leaving my review voluntarily.

View all adult book reviews
View all children’s book reviews