Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for my digital copy in exchange for an honest review. I know I would have requested this one as it has to with Italy...never been there but love to read about it. I am happy to say that I LOVED this one... I loved everything about it, pretty much. I loved the location, I loved the writing style and I loved the characters...I think this might be my first book by this author but it will definitely not be my last.

This was a quick read but it wasn't really doing anything for me. I'll give Mack's other reads a try.

Thank you to Boldwood Books and NetGalley for an e-ARC of this novel in exchange for a review. This novel released on April 28, 2022.

Not for me. Found it hard to relate to the main character from the outset so didn’t actually finish it unfortunately

I was asked the other day when authors came to mind that I would always click 'request' or 'buy' on, who came to mind first and, splat bang in the middle of my list (come on, who has just one author?!), was the amazing Leonie Mack, an author that I usually save for those moments-you know the ones-you have a cuppa and some cookies and a roaring fire, or you're in work and have a bit of peace at lunch-time. I mean, she's perfectly placed- fall in love with settings, relatable lead characters and fantastic love interests ...

But, as they say, I digress! Norah is a marine biologist who is on a trip as part of an internship. I was grabbed immediately by her career and loved the fact that it was the accompaniment to a place as beautiful as Venice. Norah and Gianluca were perfect for each other in that they both had a reason to doubt love was any way on the cards. I've always found the more you can give people a reason not to be together, the better the read (yes, I am that mean!!) The views, the settings, the storms and drama, the romance is nothing short of exquisite and I savoured every single word. Beautiful, beautiful book and so beyond recommended!

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the book in return for an honest review.

Rating: 5/5

Unfortunately this is a DNF for me. I struggled with the combination of the style of writing and the tense used so I only managed to get to 10% (ish) before calling quits.

“We'll Always Have Venice” by Leonie Mack is a sweet rom-com in the form of a novel. Throughout the book the characters learn a lot about themselves, the importance of family and friends, and taking a chance at true happiness. I really enjoyed it!

After a tragic accident, doctoral student, Norah heads to Venice to work on a research project. She didn’t plan on meeting Gianluca, the handsome Italian tasked with rowing her through the canals and lakes to collect her samples. Soon they develop a sweet friendship and spend more time together. Can their friendship be one something more to last for a lifetime?

We’ll Always Have Venice is a beautiful romantic comedy with amazing scenic descriptions and lovely flowing writing. Not at all what I expected, but so much more that I loved!

A quick and easy read that I found myself picking up after a long day to unwind. The characters are beautifully written and I came to love them within the first few pages and was rooting for them all the way to the end. At times I wanted to stop reading because I just wanted the experience to go on for longer.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Norah is a marine biologist who is doing an internship in Venice after an accident which has left her with long term injuries
Gianluca is a local who will be her guide through the lagoons and canals
They have both been badly hurt before, can they become friends and possibly more ?
There was a book previous to this which I haven't read but I don't feel that it spoiled it

Leonie Mack never leaves me down, she is a comfort author for me and I love how she writes so beautifully about Italy!! It is somewhere that is definitely on my bucket list of places to go one day! Mack makes you fall in love with her characters and I adore that from a book!!

Thank you Netgalley for this ARC for an exchange for an honest review.

What a great lovely story. Enjoyed it.

The setting of this book made me feel like I was on the summer holiday I always wanted. Loved this book so much I practically read it in one sitting. So sweet and romantic!

🛶We'll always have Venice by Leonie Mack💖

I cannot resist a romance set in Italy so I knew I had to pick this one up.

Synopsis 📖
Norah has a 10 week internship in Venice, after a tough year recovering from an accident that resulted in her longterm relationship ending. As part of her work she needs to collect samples from the lagoon and she is accompanied by the undeniably gorgeous and kind Gianluca. She can’t help thinking he might be too good to be true.

Gianluca has had a summer fling before that led to heartache for him and he won't do it again. He enjoys the long hours out on the lagoon with Norah, but after a storm strands them on a picture-perfect island for a night, they agree they should just be good friends for the summer.

But life doesn't always go to plan, and when it's time for Norah to go, they have to decide whether what they have between them is really just a friendship, and not something more…

My rating 3.5 ⭐️
Things I loved about this book
💕Friends to lovers romance
💕one bed trope
💕Great secondary characters
💕woman in science

Things I didn't like
🛑I wasn't a fan of Manu, one of the characters and I think that her ARC could have had more depth to the resolution
🛑slow plot, I think there could have been a bit of a faster pace

Thank you NetGalley and Boldwood books for my ARC in exchange the review.

Absolutely brilliant, hilarious, and toe curling cute. I expected a very sappy romance and was completely knocked over when this book not only painted with words the beautiful scenery of Venice through the eyes of a tourist and locals but also handed me a strong female STEM lead with physical disabilities on a golden platter that filled all my inclusive needs.

We follow Norah who has been a horrible car accident, leaving her with pins in her back but also ended a long-term relationship of hers. Now she is in Venice for a 10 week program, she is a microbiologist working on her PhD and is ready to jump back into her career with this intern program. Just her, and her algae project- no distractions.
HA! Enters Gianluca, and though there is some serious chemistry and attraction, Norah insists on being friends because she is determined to go home after 10 weeks. But Norah battles an uphill battle seeing her stomach does cart wheels when she sees him, and it doesn’t help that Venice sets the perfect atmosphere for romance.

I absolutely adored this. I laughed out loud so many times, and I really enjoyed the tropes that came with this book, I’m talking:
🧫 Woman in Stem
🧫One bed Trope
🧫 Friends to lovers
🧫 Destination romance
🧫 Physical disabilities inclusion

I loved Norah’s career focus, and adored Gianluca’s personality and how these two bantered. My word the tension and the angst was just- *chef’s kiss* 🤌🏻

I would 100% recommend this if you are looking for a book that will make you laugh, scream at the characters to just kiss already and if you love detailed descriptions of beautiful destinations.

Thank you to Netgalley for this ARC. I will be reading anything this author writes in the future.

Rating: 4 / 5 Stars

We’ll Always Have Venice won my heart from the very first chapter! The story follows Norah, who is in Venice on a ten-week internship to study algae in Venetian lagoons. Norah is determined to get her career back on track after suffering a spinal cord injury that has left her slightly off balance and more than a little unsure of how to move forward with her life.

While handsome and caring and everything a girl would want, Gianluca has never had much luck with love, especially summer romances. When he meets Norah he is immediately intrigued by her situation and her gumption and finds himself wondering constantly “what if” when he’s with her.

I truly enjoyed all of the characters in this book - from Norah and Gianluca to Nona, Didi, Piero and more - these characters wrap themselves around you like a warm hug and give a wonderful “Mamma Mia!”-esque flow to the story.

Venice proves to be a perfect backdrop to Gianluca and Norah’s story as the chase lagoons and adventures around the city and find their lives even more entangled. This one is a must have for your beach bag over the summer - especially if you are looking to fall in love with the main characters of the book!

Thank you to Net Galley, Boldwood Books, and Leonie Mack for the ARC in exchange for my honest review!

Meanwhile in Laura’s brain…

Javi to Piero: *snorts* This will be interesting… I think Nick is worried he’s about to be ousted as Numbero Uno. *crosses arms*

Piero: *grunt-shrugs*

Nick: *rubs hand over sweaty forehead and laughs nervously* Bah, I’m not worried… I managed to fend off Mr-I-Don’t-Talk-About-My-Feelings *points to Piero* over here.

*enter Gianluca*

*collective groans*

What can I say? My head is a scary place! *shrug-snorts*

Back to Norah and Gianluca…

I couldn’t wait for the release of Norah’s book after being introduced to her in Didi’s (her sister) story, A Match Made in Venice. I just knew it was going to be something special as I had instantly clicked with Norah as a character and wanted ALL good things for her.

I’m sorry to confirm that Nick (Italy Ever After) has been usurped (for the time being!) in my affections by Gianluca. I knew I was a goner from the quirk of an eyebrow *snorts*.

Ugh, these two! They turned me into a heart-eyed emoji cliché. I’m probably not going to be able to articulate this properly, but there was just this quietness in Gianluca that banked a hidden fire. We just had to be patient and watch it build, encourage it, until it could be contained no longer.

*sigh*

We know Leonie writes emotionally complex and vulnerable characters so well, and these two are no exception. To have someone truly ‘see’ you is a special thing and for Norah and Gianluca it leads to a summer to remember.

The Queen of Slow Burn strikes again with a story laden with palpable chemistry, strong characterisation and crammed with your (my) favourite romance tropes; friends-to-lovers, forced proximity (only one bed), STEM heroine, rom-com. Oh, and let’s not forget the beautiful city of Venice.

A stunner of a book!

I’m embarrassed to say that it’s taken me a while to get round to reading a Leonie Mack book. Not because I didn’t want to, but because, you know…time! But now I have she’s definitely going to be one of my automatic reads. I absolutely loved this book!
Venice is a city I’ve always wanted to visit and now I’ve read this book, I feel like I actually have. Leonie paints such a vivid picture of the city and it plays a key role in this romance. The romance itself is absolutely gorgeous! Tense at times (as a good romance should be) and full of drama, it is everything a heart-warming romance should be. The best ones are always hard one and with the time restriction caused by Norah (the main characters) who is only there for 10 weeks, the tensions are high from the beginning.
This is definitely a must read for anyone who needs transporting to another location, or to escape for a little bit, and where better to escape to than glorious Venice?

We'll Always Have Venice by Leonie Mack.
When Norah arrives in Venice for a ten-week internship, she is surprised to discover that her guide for her work trips around the lagoon is the undeniably gorgeous and kind Gianluca. She can't help thinking he might be too good to be true, with his endless fascinating local stories and his infectious laugh.
Norah is still bitter after an accident left her with a severe injury and ended her long-term relationship. And besides, she's serious about her career, which means leaving Venice at the end of the summer.
Gianluca had had a summer fling before that led to heartache, and he won't do it again. He enjoys the long hours out on the lagoon with Norah, but after a storm strands them on a picture-perfect island for a night, they agree they should just be good friends for the summer.
But life doesn't always go to plan, and when it's time for Norah to go, they have to decide whether what they have between them is just a friendship and not something more.
Romantic escapism at its best is what you will find between the pages of Leonie's latest story.
When talking about romance and romantic chemistry, there are not many places better than Venice to do it.
A thoughtful novel with an abundance of heartfelt emotion and romance, it is a well written, captivating story.

This was such a sweet and lovely story! Léonie Mack has managed to weave together the perfect story with the perfect setting in Italy.

Norah is trying to get her life on track after a devastating injury and is offered the opportunity she is looking for. What she didn't count on was meeting the perfect man that is Gianluca who has been tasked with being her guide.

Gianluca and Norah have great chemistry and of course all efforts to remain just friends is futile when feelings start getting involved. I loved this book from the beginning and it was a quick read for me.

I will be checking out more books by this author. I also love that the books are set in Italy which isn't a place that is used as the setting for many of the books that I read.