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Rhys Bowen
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The Venice Sketchbook: A Novel Kindle Edition

by Rhys Bowen (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
4.5 out of 5 stars 60,825
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“Rhys Bowen crafts a propulsive, unexpected plot with characters who come vibrantly alive on the page.” —Mark Sullivan, author of Beneath a Scarlet Sky

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.

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  1. Print length
    411 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Sticky notes
    On Kindle Scribe
  4. Publisher
    Lake Union Publishing
  5. Publication date
    April 13, 2021
  6. File size
    5751 KB
  7. Page Flip
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  8. Word Wise
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  9. Enhanced typesetting
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  1. “You cannot live someone else’s life. Your life is what you make of it. You have to decide what you want.”
    Highlighted by 1,139 Kindle readers
  2. “Experience makes one come to terms with life, to be at one with the mind and the heart. And most people are suffering in some way.”
    Highlighted by 974 Kindle readers
  3. “I survived.” Her grandmother gave a sad little smile. “Most of us survive the hardest things. We are quite resilient.”
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Editorial Reviews

Review

“A clever prologue referring to Romeo and Juliet sets the stage for Bowen’s…diverting romantic adventure in Venice, complete with intrigue, mystery, and, woe…This novel’s engaging entertainment is enhanced by its dual time line that uncovers Juliet’s secrets, and a plot enlivened by coincidences and romance. A must-read for Bowen fans and historical fiction enthusiasts.” —Library Journal (starred review)

“Bowen’s vivid storytelling style holds readers enrapt…Bowen has written a tender, poignant story balancing dark and light.” —Historical Novel Society

“The Venice Sketchbook is that rare book, both epic and personal, and utterly compelling. Two women, decades apart, escape to Venice, each forced to grapple with the influence of world events on her own life. This is a tale brimming with secrets, romance, and possibilities, cast against the colorful setting of irresistible Venice. I was utterly captured.” —Barbara O’Neal, bestselling author of When We Believed in Mermaids and The Lost Girls of Devon

About the Author

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. To learn more about the author, visit www.rhysbowen.com.

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B08CV9SPDQ
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Lake Union Publishing (April 13, 2021)
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ April 13, 2021
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 5751 KB
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Sticky notes ‏ : ‎ On Kindle Scribe
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 411 pages
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.5 out of 5 stars 60,825

About the author

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Rhys Bowen

Rhys Bowen

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Rhys Bowen is the New York Times bestselling author of two historical mystery series as well as several internationally bestselling historical novels, two of which were nominated for Edgar Award

Rhys was born in Bath, England and educated at London University but now divides her time between California and Arizona. Her books have been nominated for every major mystery award and she has won twenty of them to date, including five Agathas.

She currently writes two historical mystery series, each very different in tone. The Molly Murphy mysteries feature an Irish immigrant woman in turn-of-the-century New York City. These books are multi-layered, complex stories with a strong sense of time and place and have won many awards including Agatha and Anthony. There are 19 books so far in this series plus three Kindle stories, Rhys’s daughter, Clare Broyles, now cowrites the series with her

Then there is Lady Georgie, She's 35th in line to the throne of England, but she's flat broke and struggling to survive in the Great Depression. These books are lighter and funnier than Molly's adventures. They poke gentle fun at the British class system--about which Rhys knows a lot, having married into an upper class family rather like Georgie's.

As a child Rhys spent time with relatives in Wales. Those childhood experiences colored her first mystery series, about Constable Evans in the mountains of Snowdonia.

Her books have been translated into over 30 languages

Customer reviews

4.5 out of 5 stars
4.5 out of 5
60,825 global ratings
A lovely historical fiction! Don't Miss It!
5 Stars
A lovely historical fiction! Don't Miss It!
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!I was provided a gifted copy of this book for free. I am leaving my review voluntarily.
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Top reviews from the United States

Amanda
5.0 out of 5 stars A solid, interesting WWII historical fiction read
Reviewed in the United States on April 3, 2024
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4.5/5 stars, rounded up. This was a solid read in the WWII historical fiction genre, set between late 1930s Italy and a new post-9/11 world. Overall it was a solid read, with the ending feeling rushed but still compelling. I kept finding pockets of my day to read it- always the mark of a good book!
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Valerie Rigdon
4.0 out of 5 stars more like a war story
Reviewed in the United States on January 22, 2024
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This book was interesting, very descriptive, telling the story of two lives. Sometimes it was hard to know who was related to who and what it meant. It is a book that you don’t want to put down, you keep reading because you want to know the end of their stories. But I feel the author came up short on the ending, using only just a few lines to tie it all together. That seems to be how I find a lot of books lately, so maybe it’s just me. It was an enjoyable read, there is a lot of factual history included, and the author described Venice beautifully.
2 people found this helpful
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Angie
5.0 out of 5 stars loved Juliet’s adventure in Venice
Reviewed in the United States on March 17, 2024
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This historical fiction is filled with suspense, adventure, and romance and makes me want to read more stories like it.
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Kathyinozarks
5.0 out of 5 stars Great Story
Reviewed in the United States on February 21, 2024
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This is the first book I had read by this author. Loved the story the way it was put together back and forth with the time line. Did not want the book to end
The characters were so real, I would have loved to meet Leo if he was "real" person.
I ended up reading this a second time, as I wanted to make sure I didn't miss anything, since I read allot when I can't sleep. I am glad I did. At the end of the book I wanted more-would love if the author continued their story in another book
One person found this helpful
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BookishMom
4.0 out of 5 stars 3.5 stars. Not bad, but not top-notch either
Reviewed in the United States on June 23, 2022
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Dual-timeline novels have been a real thing of late, especially involving WWII. This said, I did enjoy The Venice Sketchbook. Lettie's character, as revealed in her diary entries, was interesting enough to keep me invested in her story. Caroline seemed a little weak and flat, although part of the subplot is that a somewhat wimpy woman (both Caroline and Lettie) starts to find her voice and self once she is separated from the life that defined her. The romance elements were a little harder to digest. I was willing to suspend disbelief about Lettie and Leo because it seemed plausible enough, and I have known couples whose long marriages started off as "love at first sight." The Caroline romance story seemed very contrived and felt more like a Harlequin Romance. Furthermore, what detracted from the book for me was that I could predict much of what would happen and that the ending felt abrupt. The fact that other characters' fates are unconfirmed at the end is not a problem for me as it was for other readers, because it reflects the lack of information that many had in real life about their loved ones following the war. (Mini-spoiler: The explanation of Leo's fate seemed odd and contradictory since he apparently had the assumption of help coming, and therefore made the plot more unbelievable for me.)

This is not an action novel, but rather slow, following the rhythms of days and seasons, with ample descriptions of the City of Venice, the festivals, the art, the food that people ate, etc. Unlike some other readers, I really enjoyed that element of immersion and felt a strong sense of place in the author's descriptions; this accounts for the higher rating I've given.

A final note about the audiobook: The narration was extremely good, worthy of at least 4.5 stars. While at times Barrie Kreinik's voice sounded a bit nasal, she was exceptionally good at alternating seamlessly between tones of her voice and different accents to represent different characters in conversation. Her narration was an example of a reader being able to bring a book more alive and heighten the listener's enjoyment.
17 people found this helpful
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Ellen B. Kirk
5.0 out of 5 stars A Venice Adventure
Reviewed in the United States on April 5, 2024
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I enjoyed the going back and forth in times and with the various characters. The history and the complexity of WW Ii added much suspense!!
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Carolina Consumer
3.0 out of 5 stars Not What I Expected
Reviewed in the United States on February 9, 2022
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Having read almost everything Rhys Bowen has written, I was eagerly anticipating delving into this novel. First of all, it was just not the book I was expecting to read. I have a big problem enjoying books that constantly switch back and forth between time periods, as this one did relentlessly. There are, as a result of this style, two completely different sets of characters to try to keep straight, and there are two completely different storylines, even though they do intersect at some point. This one intersected living characters only briefly as Caroline's great-aunt Lettie lay dying early in the story. The author's writing skills are amazing, and she had me enthralled with her descriptions of Venice, including actual historical elements. I was eager to go online to search out some of the scenes she described so well. That aspect of the story was well done, but on the whole I just didn't enjoy this book and ultimately had to make myself finish it. That was a 'first' for me with a Rhys Bowen novel. The plot didn't resonate well with me. As a matter of fact, I found it very often quite depressing. Thus, the novel as a whole, once I completed it, was not a satisfying experience for me. The ending was not much of an ending, in my opinion, and my only reaction was..."Well, I'm glad that's over-with". There was little real joy in the book, because the few instances of happiness were soon to be snuffed out. At this stage of my life, I'm not interested in suffering through some of the horrors of WW11 again via my reading material, particularly relating to the German overrun of neighboring countries and the brutality to the Jewish residents that ensued as a result. I would classify this book as a 'downer'. I'm truly not glad I read it, after being left somewhat depressed, and will be exceedingly diligent in reading the plot synopsis of my next new Rhys Bowen novel. I was quite disappointed in this one.
13 people found this helpful
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Amazon Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful WWII story
Reviewed in the United States on March 5, 2024
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A unique WWII love story that flows beautifully and is a quick read. This was my first Rhys Bowen book & I will be reading more of her work.
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Top reviews from other countries

Kindle Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars A great novel of thwarted love in WWII Venice
Reviewed in Canada on April 21, 2023
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A tale of discovery going back over 60 year as a great niece searches the surprising clues left to her by her Aunt. It takes her to Venice and the discovery of a life unknown by the English relatives. Her great niece’s life is changed forever by what she finds out about the supposedly spinster Aunt she took for granted. A spellbinding story right to the very end.
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Karolin
5.0 out of 5 stars Extremely enjoyable read.
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on March 4, 2024
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A descriptive view of Venice and so beautifully written that I became enmeshed in the narrative. I could not put the book down. I have never been to Venice, so I found the characters, the islands the very streets and so many bridges fascinating. Beautiful. I was saddened by the ending. So sad.
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Susanne W.
5.0 out of 5 stars Venice during World War II
Reviewed in Germany on October 29, 2023
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A moving lovestory in uncertain years. I questioned myself, would I have been so brave.
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C. McCarthy
5.0 out of 5 stars Perfect setting, perfect story
Reviewed in France on July 20, 2023
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Love and heartbreak in Venice, war, families, - what more can one ask? I recommend this book - it’s an enthralling read!
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ramendra singh
5.0 out of 5 stars Gripping
Reviewed in India on August 12, 2021
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An excellent story written with passion and historical authenticity.Venice has never been as lively and as labyrinthine as in this novel. The story is narrated well and captures the ethos of each generation splendidly.
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