BOOK CLUB: Venetian Lessons in Love

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Venetian Lessons in Love is a slightly predictable romance from Jenna Lo Bianco. It’s nevertheless a lovely read, and few romance fans will complain when it hits some familiar beats.

Lucia Trevisan‘s life was ruined as an 11-year-old when her parents were killed in a tragic accident. It’s not so much their deaths that ruined it, as the public’s focus on her. Made famous as l’Orfana in a moving photo, the advent of social media has only made the interest in her more intense and more intrusive.

Despite that, Lucia has built a family of friends and a good, if reclusive, life. She now runs the language school her parents founded in Venice and has made it a success.

As the twentieth anniversary of her parents’ deaths approaches, the future of the language school is threatened. At the same time, an encounter with a masked stranger rocks Lucia’s world.

To keep her future, Lucia may have to do the thing she fears most: emerge from the shadows.

The novel is set in Venice, and the location is well-evoked. This isn’t the tourist Venice, it’s the Venice where Italians live. The descriptions are vivid and readers will find themselves feeling as though they’re really there.

Lucia is an appealing character. She does perhaps wallow a little bit, but it’s easy to understand given the level of trauma she’s experienced. This is a vivid depiction of the harm that can come to people who are unwillingly made famous and of the intrusiveness of strangers on social media.

Other characters are more lightly sketched. I found only Francesco, her lifelong friend, and Alex, her neighbour, really came to life in any depth. However, since these are the two most critical characters after Lucia, that works fine.

Plot-wise, this does have familiar beats and no one is likely to encounter too many surprises. The exploration of Lucia’s trauma adds some much-needed depth to the story and is handled sensitively and well. There’s a substantial focus on her struggle to keep the business afloat, with her search for romance only one of multiple things she’s handling.

This is a well-written novel, set in an unusual location. Many romance readers will enjoy it.

A selection of our Beauty and Lace Club Members are reading Venetian Lessons in Love by Jenna Lo Bianco. You can read their comments below, or add your own review.

8 thoughts on “BOOK CLUB: Venetian Lessons in Love

  1. Thanks Beauty and Lace for the opportunity to read Jenna Lo Bianco’s Venetian Lessons in Love – I enjoyed this trip to Venice that Jenna takes us on via Lucia’s story.
    Lucia Trevisan loses her parents in a tragic accident when she is 11 and is known publicly as l’Orfana – Lucia tries to live her life out of the spotlight continuing to run her parents language school.
    She has a close network of friends and they look after her – she finds out her parents school is in trouble and at the same time a mysterious stranger moves in across the street and she shares a passionate kiss at a masquerade ball with a masked man, who she decides she would like to find again.
    Will she find him and will she be able to save her school – a great romance story – perfect for summer holiday reading.
    ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

  2. I have not read any of this author’s books before so an interesting read for me.

    From the first chapter, the author had me feeling so sad as we see that the main character of this novel is an 11-year-old named Lucia Trevisan. She loses both parents to a tragic accident. No child that age should have to deal with what she does.

    Cameras flashing in her face and her picture is splashed all around on the newspapers. She can’t deal with it so hides from the world so she can grow up as normal as she can.

    Her parents owned an Italian Language school and the school’s future is being threatened and Lucia needs to save it as she can’t bear the thought of losing this as well.

    It was an interesting read as a lot of Italian words thrown in the novel when people speaking. Some I knew and found myself reading them in the Italian voice in my head but some I had no idea what they meant so google came in handy to learn a bit of Italian.

    Lucia attends a Masquerade Ball, and it is here where she has the best kiss of her life but who was it? This is where I had to speed up my reading as I wanted to know who also. This book is definitely a story of love, mystery and destiny for us readers.

    This is just a feel-good read and a few twists and turns and a page turner. The cover breathes Italian and is very pretty picture.

    Thank you to Beauty and Lace and Pan Macmillan Australia for sending me this book to read.

  3. Thankyou Beauty and Lace and Pan Macmillan for the opportunity to review ‘Venetian Lessons in Love’ by Jenna Lo Bianco.
    Lucia Trevisan lost her parents at only 11 years old after a tragic accident.
    Owing to this she becomes famous, her image splashed on the news and due to this is always referred to now as L’Orfana.
    As an adult she becomes reclusive and is running her parents Italian Language School which is in financial strife.
    A very feminine Lucia attends a masquerade ball, there she meets a masked man who flees before she can discover his identity.
    An interesting story of mystery, saving her school, keeping distance from paparazzi and her new neighbour makes for excitement.

  4. Venetian Lessons in Love by Jenna Lo Bianco is my first read by this author and is romance with a sad background.

    Lucia Trevisan lost her parents at a young age in the public domain and is known by many for this sad reason. She part owns their Italian Language School and when this is under threat she and her friends and colleagues Francesco and Mariella try to buy out the other half of the school to stabilise her dream. This creates many trying times for Lucia and in the midst of that she is dealing with an amazing kiss with a masked stranger at a Masquerade Ball, and a new and unexpected neighbour Alex. All of these things take Lucia out of her comfort zone and some of them take her back to the notice of the public.

    I found the story intriguing and enjoyed the stories of Venice even with the Italian which I didn’t always understand sprinkled throughout. It was a very different premise which kept my interest and had me crossing my fingers for happier times for Lucia. The business dealings, mystery and friend connections were the main themes to me and were handled well. Happily recommend.

  5. I really enjoyed this story with a difference.
    There is romance but it wasnt that mushy kind of story that makes you sick. It was more real with a little bit of confusion thrown in until the characters get to fully understand where each other is comning from.
    Lucia’s battle to save her beloved school was a wonderful distraction from the romance and it was the saving of the school which seemed to be the main focus.
    I found that I really liked Lucia and like the characters in the book I also felt protective of her and so badly wanted her to stay out of the limelight.
    I loved how the couple came together.
    I read this story over the holidays when I had so much going on so I had to put my book down often which was really hard to do but that just drew the story out for me and gave me time to contemplate all that was happening and now that im finished I feel a little lost and wish there was more.
    Brilliant story for a great holiday read.

  6. Venetian Lessons in Love by Jenna Lo Bianco is a captivating romance novel set against the stunning backdrop of Venice, Italy. The story follows Isabella, a talented but disillusioned art historian, and Luca, a charming Venetian entrepreneur with a troubled past. When their paths cross, sparks fly, and they must navigate their differences while confronting their personal demons.

    Lo Bianco’s writing is lush and evocative, bringing Venice to life in vivid detail, making the city almost a character in itself. The romance between Isabella and Luca is slow-burning, but their chemistry is undeniable, with the tension building throughout the novel. The story balances passion with emotional depth, exploring themes of healing, forgiveness, and self-discovery.

    While the plot can feel predictable at times, the rich descriptions and strong character development elevate the novel. Isabella’s journey is particularly compelling, as she learns to embrace vulnerability and open herself to love again. Venetian Lessons in Love is an enchanting read for fans of contemporary romance, offering a delightful escape to the romantic canals of Venice, filled with heart and charm. A fabulous holiday armchair travel escape!!

  7. I was not familiar with this writer at all, so had no idea what to expect.
    It is a lovely, easy to read story, at times predictable, and at others, intriguing.
    Lucia has very much lived a reclusive life, since become the centre of media attention after her parents tragic death, at the tender age of 11.
    Her parents ran a language school prior to their deaths, in the Italian quarter of Venice. Traditional ways, and privacy , along with a close knit group of friends, Lucia grows up, and decides to take over the language school and continue her parents legacy. The description of the area Lucia and her friends live, is colourfully written, and in my mind I found myself visualising the streets and homes, as well as the language in the area. There are plenty of Italian words scattered through out at times, which added to the rich descriptions of the town. I did at times, find myself googling some words, more out of interest, than necessity.
    Fraught with financial difficulties to reopen the Language School, Lucia has some wonderful friends come to the rescue.
    Her life takes a huge turn when romance enters in the shape of a new across the street neighbour. At the same time, an unforgettable kiss by a complete stranger at a Masquerade Ball, turns Lucias straightforward life, completely upside down. He does a ‘Cinderella act’ and disappears , leaving Lucia more than just wondering who gave her that delectable kiss.
    It is a light hearted story in places, but also incredibly sad when Lucias background is told. This has been written well, and showed great empathy for anyone who may have lost a parent/s so young.
    We see Lucia grow and gain confidence, as she comes out into the bright light of the world, after being a recluse for so many years. Will she discover her mystery masked man, and is he the love she doesn’t realise she so desperately needs, to completely fulfill her life
    An easy and pleasant read, ideal to unwind with a cuppa, and just enjoy.
    Thank you Beauty & Lace for the opportunity to read ‘Venetian Lessons in Love’, and Jenna Lo Bianco for a great read. I shall definitely look out for other titles from this writer.

  8. Venetian Lessons in Love by Jenna Lo Bianco was a love story housed within a saviour story and it made for an enjoyable read, especially as it was surrounded by deliciously sounding Venetian food, architecture and culture.

    I liked the idea of destined love and the searching to find “the one” within the story, it’s such a lovely trope and always a pleasure to read.

    Whilst I also liked the hidden Italian lesson hidden within the pages, a basic glossary at the back translating the words would have been helpful. Reading in context, I could guess at what most of the words meant, however, having to look up the others did take me away from the story.

    Thank you for the opportunity to read this book.

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