Luna has always been a free spirit, a traveller, 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 mum, so when she receives the terrible news that her mother has died, she is devastated
.
After spending time with her mother's hippy friends going through the rituals associated with death and attending her funeral, Luna finds a stack of letters written to her mother amongst her possession. The writer of those letters obviously loved her mother and Luna knows with certainty that her next stop must be Venice. This could, after all, be one step closer to finding that missing part of her life - her father.
Following the clues leads Luna and her best friend Gigi to a lovely, albeit neglected, bookstore set on a canal in Venice. Determined to keep her secrets until she finds out more about the owner, Luna introduces herself as someone who wants to help put the bookstore on the tourist map. Giancarlo is a man who doesn't really seem to care about making a profit. The store is in disorder, there's no kind of catalogue, and there are cats everywhere. He just would love to sit in his chair and read. He loves books, he loves cats but isn't so keen on people.
It is a surprise to Luna to see that there is another new employee at the story, a Spanish writer named Oscar, who has his own ideas about how to bring the store back to life, as long as Luna doesn't get in his way. Meanwhile, Luna gets closer to the point where she needs to find out the answer to her lifelong question and hopefully find somewhere for her to belong.
Luna is an interesting character, very spiritual. She uses tarot cards to help direct her decisions, so she founds it a bit surprising when the cards aren't giving her the answers she needs to the questions that are occupying her mind. It's a very different way of thinking about life, and not how I live my life, but it was quite interesting to read.
I have read a number of Rebecca Raisin's books now. I love the way that she writes about food, about books, about the places she takes us. This book did feel a tiny bit different from the previous books and I am not sure I have exactly the right word for how, but let's go with deeper for now. Or maybe it was slower (which is appropriate as Luna works through the grief that is so fresh) and therefore you get to spend time contemplating what has just happened to the characters. Either way, I liked it.
Thanks to Rachel's Random Resource, Netgalley and the publisher for this book.
Rating 4/5
About the book
The Little Venice Bookshop
A bundle of mysterious letters. A trip to Venice. A journey she’ll never forget.
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?
Purchase Links
Amazon US: https://amzn.to/3Guv8lH
Amazon UK: https://amzn.to/3CuJl0A
Amazon Aust: https://amzn.to/3Xeqlv9
About the Author:
Rebecca Raisin writes heartwarming romance from her home in sunny Perth, Australia. Her heroines tend to be on the quirky side and her books are usually set in exotic locations so her readers can armchair travel any day of the week. The only downfall about writing about gorgeous heroes who have brains as well as brawn, is falling in love with them – just as well they’re fictional. Rebecca aims to write characters you can see yourself being friends with. People with big hearts who care about relationships and believe in true, once in a lifetime love. Her bestselling novel Rosie’s Travelling Tea Shop has been optioned for film with MRC studios and Frolic Media.
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