Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Published by: Chicken House Books
Publication date: 2nd July 2026
Content warnings: None.

Other books by Bruna de Luca:
Livia in Rome

“Can she master the fine art of romance?”

Ohhh, this was just lovely!! First of all, this cover needs to win every award going! It is beauuuutiful! But that’s just a tiny reason why I loved this book, because the words inside were everything I needed to read. If you need a pick-me-up kinda book, if you need something light, something to fly through, something that will have you smiling and feeling good, then this is it. I’m so happy to be sharing my review for Evie in Venice by Bruna De Luca!

About the book

Aspiring artist Evie is heading to Venice on an art exchange. The catch? Her parents would never let her go … so they think she’s on a science trip.

And if lying wasn’t hard enough, she has to stay with elitist art student Leonardo. Her escape is online – and a connection with anonymous artist RenaissanceRebel, the only one who truly sees her.

Can Evie keep up the masquerade, or will she allow herself to discover the fine art of romance?

The beginning

I found it so easy to sink into all the loveliness of this book! It was so refreshing from the start and I loved being introduced to aspiring artist, Evie. She’s heading to Venice on an art exchange… but she isn’t being exactly truthful with her parents. They think she’s all packed up and ready to go on a science trip… to Florence! As soon as my anxiety about her safety simmered down a little (I’m not even a parent and all this set my alarm bells ringing!) I could see everything through Evie’s eyes. Art is her passion and this trip could be life changing for her. Lying to her parents as well as getting those first-time flyer nerves was a lot for her, and I could feel all this radiate from the pages. Evie also has an online friend, an anonymous artist named RenaissanceRebel. Because of the safety protocols in place on the app she uses for the art exchange, she doesn’t know much about him. But he’s become her safe place. Her comfort. He understands her. I really loved their fun conversations and their obvious connection. I wanted to know more about him just as much as Evie did!

“They don’t need to study the masters. They grew up with this stuff – gallery trips, weekend art classes, dinner party conversations. Me? I’m the fake. Almost convincing – until you shine a light on me.”

As Evie arrives in Venice, she meets the family she’ll be staying with… which just happens to be the home of elitist art student, Leonardo. If Evie wasn’t already nervous about sharing her art with others, then she certainly was now. He’s not the friendliest of guys, but at least she has RenaissanceRebel to vent to when she needs it. I was such a huge fan of this author’s writing from the start. It was beautiful and fun, and I always felt as though I wanted to jump into the pages and join Evie in Italy! The description is utterly gorgeous; the food, the ambience, the places, the people. All of it felt so vivid and colourful. I found all the new characters we meet to be very memorable too (Jacopo in particular…) and it was always such fun to join them in whatever they had planned. There was that constant feeling of anxiety though, that Evie’s secret trip would be found out, especially when her sister’s friend wants to meet up in Florence… eek!! I did have a little theory at this point, or maybe a little wish for what could happen later, a twist in events. I secretly hoped I’d be right!

The middle

As time passes, Evie seems to be more and more drawn to Leo. After he initially comes across as unfriendly, this seems to melt away, and he actually makes an effort to help her. I really liked him and thought he was such a fantastic character! Evie begins to enjoy his company, the banter, and – what is this – is she attracted to him? Yeah, she absolutely is. But as she begins to make some connections, as she sees one of Rebel’s art pieces in the flesh… could he in Venice with her? Could Rebel be Jacopo? Now listen, I know this book isn’t targeted at my age, but I was loving this. And even though I had more than likely guessed the outcome at the start, I was still enjoying every single page. How can you not?! Poor Evie has so much to juggle, so many thoughts running through her head. Rebel, Jacopo who could be Rebel. Her art classes and workshops. Her weird, confusing feelings about Leo. The lies she’s telling her family. Whether she’s going to get thrown off her course for not being good enough. I mean, that is a lot for one person to manage, and she’d only been in Venice a matter of days!

“Yesterday you said your parents don’t believe in you. Maybe it’s you who doesn’t believe in yourself.”

Leo has something VERY IMPORTANT to tell Evie. I know what it is. We all know what it is. But Evie is too preoccupied to listen. Let me tell you, the waiting was torture! The chemistry they had was off the charts. This book may be for a younger audience, but it was genuinely one of my favourite love stories of the year. It’s modern, relevant, beautifully written and so genuinely believable. The way the realisation finally hits Evie was perfection. She was so cute and so oblivious to what was right in front of her, which just made me love her even more. But aside from this wonderful lovely relationship building, I still got that sense of dread when Evie takes a call from her sister. She’s onto her, I could feel it. She knows Evie isn’t telling the truth, she knows something is off. Every time her phone rang, I felt my stomach drop, which is exactly how I imagined Evie felt! How long could she keep up these lies? What would happen if she was found out? Would she be forced to travel home? I was flying through this way too fast for my liking. It was certainly one of those books you want to last forever!

The end

Even though the romance is such a strong part of the book here, I was also so drawn into the art, the creativity and expressiveness of these characters. I don’t seem to have read many books with a focus on art, but I really loved this all the way through. And what was even more brilliant was how love is expressed through art, too. It felt so unique, and when the parade approaches, a chance to get the students’ work seen, a chance for them to create something exceptional, to show off their skills, things get even more interesting. Evie and her new friends plan a little twist, to show off their real artistic flair at this parade, their plans a secret. I loved how Evie wants to be her authentic self, not follow a rule book on how art should look, even if it meant sacrificing her certificate at the end of it all. But I had a lovely, heartwarming feeling that it wouldn’t come to that. That it would all work out. Of course, there are hurdles, but I loved the sense of community and friendship, how they overcome everything and help each other. It was turning into the ending that I’d hoped for!

“I take a deep breath, hoping if I fill my lungs enough, I’ll find the words I need to say to my parents. Apologies I don’t feel. Because the truth is, I don’t regret coming here.”

Evie’s reunion with her parents came more quickly than she’d anticipated, but clearing the air takes a huge weight from her shoulders. I couldn’t get over Evie’s bond with her family, even through this rough patch. I also found so much about this ending relevant to my own life, and I took so much away from it. Doing what you’re passionate about, instead of doing what other people want you to do, or think you should do, is so so important. And oh my god, I didn’t expect the emotion to creep in by the end, or feel that lump in my throat. There is hope and forgiveness, new beginnings, joy, pride. It was an ending that made me feel so much happiness for Evie. Her entire future would change after her experience in Venice, and it was a little sad we wouldn’t get to see what she gets up to in the future, but Bruna, if you’re thinking of writing a sequel, I’d love to read it… just sayin’! If you enjoyed The Summer I Turned Pretty and To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before, you might love Evie in Venice too! I’m looking forward to reading whatever Bruna De Luca writes next!

Overall thoughts

Evie in Venice is a fun, online-to-IRL YA romance with an arty twist that I loved, probably one of my quickest reads of the year. I just wanted to spend all my time in Venice with Evie, exploring, eating food, appreciating art, meeting new people. It was such a joy to read and I’m already a bit sad it’s over. Evie heads to Venice on an art exchange, but as her parents would never let her go, they think she’s somewhere else entirely… on a science trip. In Florence. Keeping this massive secret from her family, she overcomes her nerves and settles in for a trip of a lifetime. Staying with an elitist art student and his family, she feels like a fraud. But she escapes from it all online on the art exchange app, chatting with anonymous artist RenaissanceRebel. He keeps her grounded. He is her safe place. But she has no idea who he is in real life…

Excuse me, how have I not read an online-to-IRL romcom before? And why is it my new favourite thing? These characters were perfect, the setting was completely breathtaking, the story swept me off my feet. Evie was adorable and I loved seeing her artwork come to life, her interactions with new friends, her courage to pursue something she’s passionate about, regardless of the consequences. I think we all need a little bit of Evie in us. Of course, because this book isn’t targeted to someone in their 30’s, I knew what would happen pretty early on, but I just didn’t care. This book filled up my cup, brightened my mood and fixed my reading slump. It’s a book about following your dreams, not giving in to pressure, learning to not care what other people think. It’s a heartwarming, funny, uplifting story of love, of rivalry, of art and Italian culture. And now I need more Bruna De Luca in my life!

Huge thanks to the author, Bruna De Luca, and the brilliant team at Chicken House Books for my copy! You can grab your own copy of Evie in Venice right now on Amazon* or wherever you buy your books. Make sure you’re following Bruna over on Instagram for more updates!

* As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Thanks so much for your support!

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