Apologies for the absence of reviews recently – with no blog tour commitments, I took the opportunity to get ahead a little on next month’s reading (and my goodness, February’s going to be busy!). But today it’s a pleasure to be joining the blog tour for My Heart is in Venice by Helga Jensen, and sharing my review. Published by Hera Books on 25th January, it’s now available for kindle (free via Kindle Unlimited) and in paperback. My thanks to Rachel at Rachel’s Random Resources for the invitation and support, and to everyone involved in providing my advance reading e-copy.
The first time I’ve read one of Helga’s books – although I do remember (unsuccessfully!) trying to fit in reading her first book, Twice in a Lifetime, and being just as tempted by A Scandinavian Summer and Fly Me to Paris. So I was delighted to spot Rachel’s tour invitation for this one – and the synopsis made it look right up my street too…
Venice was where it all began…
Libby and Will spent a glorious honeymoon in this magical city. They didn’t have much money, but they had a whole lot of love and a bright future ahead of them.
And Venice was where it all went wrong…
Two kids and twenty-five years later, they are struggling with money problems but somehow Will manages to fulfil his promise to Libby to take her back to Venice for their anniversary. This time, they are doing it in style and a masked ball awaits. But among the beautiful buildings and romantic canals, Libby learns that her husband has a secret that breaks her heart.
The trust is broken and the marriage is over. But there are decades of love and two grown sons between them.
Can they ever find their way back to each other or have they missed their chance forever?
A funny and heartwarming second-chance romance, perfect for fans of Milly Johnson and Julie Caplin.
I really felt for Libby and Will – their Tenby antique shop, a business inherited from his father, has been struggling for some time while he continues to add more unsellable stock to the dusty shelves. Their regular customers have faded away, and there’s no chance of attracting passing tourists in wet and windy January. Taking the business online – something Will’s always resisted – brings a little more success, and they decide they really can’t allow their money worries to cast a shadow over their second honeymoon in Venice, twenty-five years after their blissful first. But they surely can’t afford to attend the masked ball Libby’s always dreamed of, can they? The online shop must be doing better than she thought – if not, where can the money be coming from? Will’s betrayal is something that can’t be forgiven… but then again…
There was so much I enjoyed about this book. The whole Venice experience is quite beautifully described, and had me browsing the holiday websites with thoughts of returning. Off-season Tenby might be less enticing, but very familiar – and the couple’s efforts to remain upbeat about the future against what look like insurmountable odds made me really feel their struggle. It’s also an excellent portrayal of the way in which the excitement of young love has matured into a more comfortable friendship with the odd niggle here and there, as they’ve seen their family grow up and move on and are now facing the realities of an empty nest. Will’s actions did seem out of character, but desperation clearly played a part – and his lack of understanding over Libby’s reaction made me like him rather less, with the celebratory dinner party a particularly painful experience.
There might have been times though when I would have rather liked to see things from Will’s perspective – seeing everything from Libby’s viewpoint and through her clear and consistent voice perhaps did him rather a disservice at times. And she perhaps moved on rather more quickly than I felt would have been likely – a couple of excruciating (and very funny) blind dates driven by a misunderstanding over Will’s current situation, a sky-dive that she’d always yearned to complete – but she did have particularly strong encouragement and support from friends and family old and new (a supporting cast equally well-drawn). And despite the lead-up, the ending did come as something of a surprise – although it was also rather what I’d hoped for and expected, and I did find it emotionally well-judged and wholly satisfying.
An enjoyable read, a nice balance between the more light-hearted moments and the emotional turmoil, some well-written escape from the day-to-day through the armchair travel – an author I’d be happy to read again, and a book I’d be very happy to recommend to others, particularly older readers, who enjoy second chance romance between characters who’ve lived a little.
About the author
Helga Jensen is an award-winning British/Danish best selling author and journalist. Helga holds a BA Hons in English Literature and Creative Writing, along with a Creative Writing MA from Bath Spa University. She is currently working on a PhD.
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