Book Review - Lost and Found in Venice by Joanna Knowles

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Title: Lost and Found in Venice

Author: Joanna Knowles

Format reviewed: Ebook

Source: Netgalley

Publisher: Orion

Publication Date: 31st October 2024 

Rating: 5 Stars

Rosie Redbrush, a travel agent working for Wanderlust Wishes travel agency, is someone who sells holidays but never takes them. At twenty-nine, she lives a quiet, comfortable life in the town she grew up in. But then, just a few days before Christmas, a problematic customer tricks Rosie into becoming a tour guide for a group of ten disgruntled old-age pensioners in Venice! And suddenly, Rosie's quiet life is thrown into disarray.

Escorting an elderly group through the streets of Italy's most romantic city is hard enough, but throw in a neurotic aquaphobe, an accidental Santa race, a regrettable selfie, and a missing backpack, suddenly Rosie finds herself extremely lost in Venice, without a penny or a passport to her name.

Rosie can't go home. And as she travels Italy looking for a solution, what she doesn't expect to find are a loving family, a group of eclectic new friends, and the possibility of true love in the most unlikely of places...

The gorgeous new festive romcom from Joanna Knowles, Lost and Found in Venice is guaranteed to be your favourite new comfort read.

I'm so glad that the gorgeous cover for this book caught my eye, as this was an absolutely stunning book, that even when I wasn't reading it, I was wanting tot be back within its pages. In fact I'm a bit gutted that I have finished it already. 

Definitely an incredibly positive first experience reading this author and I already know I will have my eyes open for her future releases. 

For this mixes all of my favourite things into one book - travel, Christmas, humour, some fabulous characters and a brilliant adventure for Rosie. 

She is unwittingly co-erced into guiding a group of pensioners on their pre-Christmas trip to Venice, despite having never been, and to say things don't go according to plan is an understatement.  Between some drunken decisions before the trip, and one set if iffy mini decisions once in Venice, she is set on a path that is completely out of her comfort zone, but oh so brilliant for a reader. 

I'll say that we see more of Italy and just Venice, although the title is apt in so many ways. There is a memorable meet cute, although initially you aren't positive that is what it is! The personalities of the pensioners were so entertaining. 

And this is a book that really does emphasise the kindness of strangers, there is a lot of compassion as people learn of Rosie's situation. 

I don't want to spoil the story - and it really is one that is really lovely, fairly emotional at times, and one that anyone that loves a bit of armchair travel at Christmas, will absolutely adore.  I couldn't get enough of this book and really wish I had more words to devour. 

Thank you to Orion and Netgalley for this copy which I have reviewed honestly and voluntarily.