Review: The Venice Sketchbook by Rhys Bowen

The Venice Sketchbook

by Rhys Bowen

Publisher: Lake Union Publishing

Pages: 412

Format: book

Buy the Book: Amazon

Goodreads:  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.

Kritters Thoughts:  Caroline Grant is dealing with the end of her marriage and the recent death of her great-aunt and with that death she inherited some interesting items - a sketchbook, some keys and a final request.  She heads to Venice to figure it all out.  In the same book, in a different time period, 1938, Juliet Browning is in Venice and a chance encounter changes her life forever.  

I loved how the reader knows the connection of the stories early on, but there are still things to figure out throughout the book.  The clues are provided at just the right time and they kept the book moving along.  When books have dual timelines, I always tend to like one over the other and with this one I loved them both equally.  I fell in love with all of the characters.  And then there was the character of the city of Venice.  It felt like something of its own that affected the plot and I could just picture it all and maybe even inquired about a trip to Venice - hopefully in the near future!

I love Rhys Bowen.  Great characters and plot and a fun historical story that takes you away from life and reality for just a moment!

Rating: absolutely loved it and want a sequel

Disclosure of Material Connection:  I received one copy of this book free of charge from TLC Book Tours.  I was not required to write a positive review in exchange for receipt of the book; rather, the opinions expressed in this review are my own.