I'm absolutely livid! I did not enjoy "The Venice Sketchbook" by Rhys Bowen. It was mostly okay, nothing particularly infuriating, until that utterly ridiculous ending. I'm beyond disappointed and incredibly frustrated. I'm usually very forgiving with authors, knowing how difficult it is to produce a novel. But even now, hours after finishing it, I'm still thinking, "What the actual hell?!". I really disliked and completely failed to connect with the modern-day character. The one tiny silver lin...

I have no problem giving this book one star, especially since it has a higher average rating than *Hamlet*, *War and Peace*, and *Pride and Prejudice*. (Pretty damning evidence that we're maybe not evolving as a species!)Romantic fiction like *The Venice Sketchbook* is a bit like self-assembling furniture: purely functional with no real craftsmanship. I skimmed through some reviews and saw it described as "beautifully written." It isn't. Rhys Bowen's command of language is rudimentary at best. W...

Caroline Grant is married to Josh, and they have a little boy named Teddy. She works as an editorial assistant at a women’s magazine. When Josh gets offered his dream job in New York, Caroline and Teddy stay behind in England. It doesn’t take long for Josh to meet another woman, leaving Caroline's marriage in tatters, and now he wants Teddy to spend the summer in New York.Caroline is close to her grandmother Winnie and her great-aunt Lettie. She visits them in Surrey, needing some moral support....

An excellent read.When Caroline's great aunt passes away, she leaves behind a sketchbook and three keys. These unlock a journey to Venice, where Caroline uncovers secrets that have been hidden from her family for over sixty years.This well-crafted dual timeline effortlessly transports the reader to Venice during the tumultuous period leading up to and following World War II. I thoroughly enjoyed this brilliant story, "The Venice Sketchbook" by Rhys Bowen, and can't recommend it enough. If you're...

Another dual timeline story. This one is easy to follow, as each chapter is headed with the person, date, and place. The book description is sufficient, so I don’t have to repeat the entire storyline here. What I will say is: This isn’t a spectacular WWII story, nor is it a steamy romance. It is, however, a story about forbidden love and heartbreak aplenty. I enjoyed The Venice Sketchbook by Rhys Bowen for the most part; however, it seemed to take forever to get to the point. As a book revie...

I can't believe it… this is the first book I've read by the prolific writer Rhys Bowen. While I thought it was somewhat fairytale-ish, after the last few years, maybe it was just nice to escape into a fairy tale, albeit a bittersweet one. As book reviews go, this one's a winner.Although somewhat formulaic, I found the story gripping; I couldn’t put it down. I liked how the plot unfolded by moving forward and backward in time. As a bonus, the beautiful city of Venice is also one of the main chara...

Time changes everything. We can never fully revisit those people and places we've kept frozen in still life, hovering in chambers within our memories. Rhys Bowen presents *The Venice Sketchbook*, which travels in a time-spanning arc from 1928, then to 1938, and then to 2001. The points of destination leap from England to Venice and back again. The cast of characters adapt to the years, the changing of locations, and the deep impact of historical events. Juliet "Lettie" Browning first sets foot...

The Venice Sketchbook by Rhys Bowen The descriptions of Venice in both the 1928-44 and 2001 timelines are gorgeous. Englishwoman Juliet Browning visits Venice with her aunt in 1928, and then again in 1938 and 1939. Each time, she meets and spends time with wealthy nobleman Leonardo Da Rossi. Leo's path in life has been set since he was young, so a permanent relationship between Juliet and Leo is impossible, but they'll always be connected because of their actions in 1939. Much later, in 2001, o...

This is the story of Juliet ‘Lettie’ Browning, spanning from 1928 through the Second World War, and her great-niece Caroline Grant at the turn of the 21st Century. When Aunt Lettie passes away in 2001 during a low point in Caroline’s life, Caroline ventures to Venice, intent on unlocking the secrets Juliet closely guarded. The narrative unfolds across these two timelines. First off, the Venetian setting is truly immersive, although at times it felt like I was reading from my well-worn DK travel ...

This isn't a genre I usually pick up (historical/WWII fiction), or even particularly enjoy, but there are always exceptions. The fact that a good portion of the story was set in Venice definitely piqued my interest. The story unfolds from the perspectives of Juliet (Lottie) Browning before and during WWII, and in 2001 from the perspective of her great-niece, Caroline Grant. In 1928, when Lottie is 18, she briefly visits Venice with her Aunt Hortensia (what a name!). Naturally, she meets a hands...